Taking the rope from the item box, I unwound it until I had a rope long enough to stretch the 60 meters from here to the post with a little slack.
'Couldn't I just tie the string to the arrow and use the "vampire super strength" to send it the other way?'
If someone asked me that, I would say: No.
For 3 main reasons.
1: I don't have vampire super strength, I have [body reinforcement] at level 5. Which considerably improves my physical abilities, but not to a completely superhuman level. I think I would be "slightly" above an Olympic athlete.
2: I already said that with a string tied, an arrow would fall much faster and easier due to its weight. It's likely that the arrow would barely reach half its maximum height if I shot it upwards.
3: Even if the reasons above weren't enough. And considering that I could throw the arrow like a dart, the string left on the ground would still be a point of weight and friction, which would only worsen the situation of the second reason.
Finally, cutting it to about 65 meters (a little extra is expected to make some adjustments later), I tied it as firmly as I could to the arrow. To ensure it wouldn't come loose, I used the solution I had thought of during my meditation on the 7th floor.
[MP: 96/145]
'A little less than I would like, but it will still do.'
Using [condensation], I repeated the same process I did to glue the shafts and the tip of my spear.
Soon, an arrow with a string tied and held ("glued") with a thin layer of ice was "comfortably" in my hand.
Putting it on the bow, I did one of the many things that no archer (or person with common sense) would do. Lightly resting one leg on the roof parapet, I leaned my body back as far as I could.
This while pulling the bow until the string was almost touching my chest, and my arm pulling the arrow almost dislocated. The bow (of course) complained, and a lot.
Threatening to break every time I pulled and held the string.
Only when I felt it was really about to break and my elbow almost touched the ground (going against any reasonable body mechanics), and ignoring a pain that was in no way inferior to the acid from slimes (but throughout my entire body),
Finally, I released the arrow.
Normally, an arrow, when shot higher, can reach 300 to 500 meters, that's with sporting bows and without a string attached to the arrow. With a homemade bow, and with a string attached to it, I highly doubt that an arrow under those conditions will be able to rise more than a few dozen meters (maybe 10, and that's with an experienced and reasonably strong archer).
From my perspective, I'd say mine managed to climb more than 40 or 50 meters in just two seconds. But it soon started to fall, and I have no doubt that the arrow didn't make it all the way to the gas station.
In desperation, I did something that required a lot (a lot, really) of stupid luck.
Without really realizing what I was doing, I sent a tiny [shadow sphere] to the place where the arrow was going to fall (if I were to guess, maybe 30 or 20 meters to the gas station).
By some incredible miracle, the sphere hit the tip of the arrow right on target, and the mini (or microscopic) explosion it caused made the arrow climb a little higher. It managed to get past the last few meters.
Since it was just a final push, the arrow didn't reach the gas station awning as I wanted; it ended up getting stuck on the price display near the street.
Getting stuck on the price display isn't ideal, but at least it's something.
And I was happy that my crazy idea could be done (partially) and, since it's a lower place than expected, I could slide down the rope instead of crawling along it. Like in, well, a crawl.
But there's still a tiny, tiny problem.
*Uuurrrggggg*
*Aasrrrrrhgggg**
*Sllop Rrrgggaaaanmm*
The damn price display was surrounded, on all sides, by zombies. The display was a pebble out of water in a (almost literal) sea of zombies.
…..
...….
'A friend once told me: for every miracle, there's a misfortune. A good variation on the saying: every good deed doesn't go unpunished. Both meaning that nothing good is without a price. That's something I know well. Even more so these last few days. Yes, I know it well... Buuuuut stiiiiiill...'
"COULDN'T YOU HAVE WAITED A LITTLE LONGER????!!!!'
Breaking my personal vow of silence, I couldn't help but scream from the depths of my soul, at the sheer absurdity of the swift response from superior forces, beyond the comprehension of mere mortals...
But I still can't shake the feeling that this only happened to screw up my life, pure and simple.
******************
A few moments after my (another) outburst against the world and everything else, I pulled and tightened the string to its maximum before tying it to the safety hook. Again, I used the [condensation] to ensure the string was securely fastened.
'If I don't like where the arrow landed, can't I just pull it back and repeat?'
In other circumstances, I would say yes.
But not now.
The number of arrows I have is limited, and the bow has already given strong indications that it's about to break. And I don't want a bow shattering right in front of me... once was enough.
So my plan now is... To do a crawl/zipline, I reached a new, small point: the price display.
Praying that the arrow would hold my weight (yes, I'd forgotten that detail) and that I wouldn't end up letting go, managing to reach the display as quietly as possible. And from there, jump to the marquee.
And from the marquee, I'll find a way down to reach the damn suspended office where my parents are.
'...A reminder: if I ever find someone saying that having a suspended office in any building is cool, I'll punch the unfortunate person in the face three or five times.'
I thought, looking at what I should be doing now.
If someone could read my thoughts (probably Mari), and had been doing so until now, they would probably have already realized that I have a tendency to think dirty thoughts, especially when I want to distract myself from something. And that something at the moment is...
'...Yeah, it's small.'
I was way off about the thickness of the polyamide rope (thicker nylon). It's a "thick" rope compared to others, especially nylon ones. But seeing it suspended and stretched out above a building over 60 meters high, I realize just how thin it is.
Visually, it's even thinner than a power pole cable, or so it appears under the light (please let that be the case). Which makes me seriously question whether it could support the weight of someone like me, who weighs almost 78 kilos?
...
'...Well, the options would be: I could try jumping all the way to the post (vetoed), make an improvised hang glider and glide there (vetoed due to lack of materials, altitude, and knowledge about hang gliders). Or become a tightrope walker and walk the rope. Which would be even worse options (especially the last one).'
There's also another detail I've noticed now, seeing everything from up here. A very obvious detail, but one that perhaps I consciously, or unconsciously, have been avoiding facing.
The closer I get to the office, the closer I'll be to two zombies, so the smell can't get so bad that I simply faint?
'..... I can't say the chances are zero. But again, what options would I have now?'
I've already rolled the dice, I've already been through this whole journey, plus several hardships to get here (including all the trouble I had getting that big magic bloodstone).
With determination, I climbed onto the parapet and positioned myself as best I could to do the crawl, avoiding looking directly down and keeping my eyes forward.
I breathed as calmly as I could, held my breath, and began to descend.