Chapter 8: Decorum in the Dark.
In respect to his words earlier,
Jacob, was no longer paying his two viewers his full attention, as he was busy focusing on a task that seemed entirely strange from the gaze of his two viewers.
He had ducked into one of the ransacked neighboring units, flanked by his three silent guardians, and had spent the last few minutes rummaging through a collapsed wardrobe in the master bedroom.
[Vlad the Impaler is visibly confused by your current actions.]
[Jack the Ripper stares at you in stunned surprise, his metaphorical brow furrowed.]
"There, all done," Jacob said with a small, satisfied smile, stepping back to admire his handiwork.
He had managed to scavenge a set of clean, dark-colored athletic gear from the apartment's former occupant, a sturdy sports bra and a pair of high-compression sports pants.
Also, he had meticulously dressed the lesser ghoul in the outfit, ensuring the fabric was tight enough not to snag on anything during a fight but flexible enough to allow her easy movements.
At first, the process had been incredibly awkward and embarrassing, as he'd had to manually change her into it himself since his undead couldn't grasp his instructions to do it herself.
His face had been quite flustered throughout the ordeal, but now that he was finished, he couldn't deny that the results were a massive improvement.
Even though her skin remained a ghostly, pale and was still marred by a few stubborn bloodstains that wouldn't rub off without the aid of fluid, her natural beauty was still undeniable, now highlighted by gear that made her look like a dangerous elite athlete rather than a shabby corpse.
[Vlad the Impaler points out that she is merely an undead construct; he questions if such aesthetic concerns are practical for what is ultimately a tool of combat.]
"Whether or not she is technically a tool doesn't really matter to me," Jacob replied, his voice firm as he looked at notification.
"Since she still looks human, I feel like it's just common courtesy to treat her with a bit of dignity, even if she has passed away. I can't exactly have a naked woman following me around everywhere I go, now can I? That's just common sense."
[Jack the Ripper interjects, asking with a hint of mockery why you didn't feel the need to provide the same courtesy for the two goblins.]
Jacob looked down at the two goblin skeletons, who were currently standing perfectly still, their ribcages rattling slightly as they moved a bit.
"These guys are goblins, and besides, they've already been reduced to basic skeletons," he pointed out with a shrug. "Is there really anything left on them worth hiding or protecting with clothes? I don't think a pair of boxers is going to do much for a pile of monster bones."
[Vlad the Impaler lets out a sharp, booming laugh at your blunt remark.]
[Jack the Ripper scoffs, calling you a blatant hypocrite for your selective modesty.]
[Vlad the Impaler immediately mocks Jack the Ripper for playing the fool and failing to understand the nuances of human psychology.]
[Jack the Ripper appears genuinely annoyed by Vlad the Impaler's condescending tone.]
While the notifications continued to scroll by in a blur as the duo bickered with each other, Jacob decided it was time to move.
He ignored the two of them for the moment, signaling his small squad to fall into formation as they stepped back out into the main corridor.
He began to make his way toward the stairwell, positioned with the two goblin skeleton soldiers acting as a vanguard in front of him, while the lesser ghoul woman followed closely at his back.
The air in the stairwell felt remarkably eerie, growing colder and heavier as the small group began their slow descent toward the next level.
As Jacob stepped carefully down the concrete stairs, his eyes were drawn to the thick, dried blood that had been splattered across the walls in violent, jagged patterns.
He noticed lingering human remains scattered across the landings as well, stuff like a shoe, a tufts of hair, all of which suggested that a brutal and one-sided encounter had taken place on this floor as well.
He knew the layout of the building well; it consisted of eight residential floors plus the ground-level lobby, making it a total of nine stories in height.
Since his own luxury studio was located on the very top floor, he was currently at the highest point of the structure, which meant he would have to systematically clear out every single floor beneath him if he ever hoped to leave the building safely.
There was no telling how many monsters were nesting in the units below, but he knew he couldn't afford to leave a single threat behind his back.
Just as they reached the landing leading down to the eighth floor, Jacob froze, his ears picking up on a faint, scratching sound coming from the bottom of the flight.
'There's something down there...' Jacob thought, his body tensing as his eyes turned sharp and vigilant.
His hands moved unconsciously toward his waist, his fingers brushing against the cold handles of his remaining kitchen knives, including the two he had recovered and cleaned after his first encounter.
The adrenaline from earlier hadn't fully dissipated, and he felt his heart begin to beat against his ribs once more.
He leaned his head forward just an inch, peering through the gap in the railing to get a better look at the floor below.
From his elevated vantage point, he spotted a shifting, non-human shadow stretching out from the right-hand corner of the hallway at the base of the stairs.
The shape was irregular and hunched, confirming that at least one creature was lying in wait just out of direct sight.
' You two Infront she head down first and restrain it.' With a thought Jacob gave his new servants a new command.
Both goblin skeletons in the front didn't hesitate, launching themselves off the landing, leaping over the remaining six steps in a single, bound. Being undead,they naturally didn't feel the pain of the fall.
The skeletal warriors landed on the floor below with a sharp, bony clack, their red eyes blazing with murderous intent.
"Keee?!"
A startled, guttural cry erupted from the shadows as the hidden monster was caught off guard.
Before the creature could even scramble off, both of Jacob's skeleton soldiers vanished around the corner, their bony limbs moving with a terrifying, unnatural speed as they bore down on their target.
Jacob didn't stand idly by and watch the show; he gripped a knife in his right hand and went charging down the stairs after them, the lesser ghoul sticking to his heels.