Denver checked the other passive skills that he could unlock. However, aside from 'Observation', he could only put points on 'Knife Mastery' and 'Fortification'. After he allocated one point to each, a few more web circles opened. Three were highlighted—Precision Strike, Lateral Slice, and Bone Body.
He put a point on each, leaving one for emergency skill activation. It didn't matter if it was a new skill or just him wanting a stronger Bone Body for his defenses.
Without looking at the heart, he whispered to himself, "How do I see my homestead stats? I should be able to upgrade it, right?"
[Your request cannot be processed. Please initiate communication with the Homestead Manager to enable remote access.]
Denver sighed and walked to touch the beating heart. His movement awakened Lulu, making her open her eyes and peer from the couch. The film surrounding the heart changed into a white film that swirled around Denver's hand.
[Congratulations on obtaining remote access for your Homestead Manager! Your Homestead Manager will be called…]
His vision turned red slightly. It was as if a dialog box opened before him. The Homestead Manager's name was 'The Engorged'. However, Denver felt like the system was asking for his input.
"You want me to give it a name?" Denver chuckled in helplessness. He hummed for a second and chose a simple name that sounded close to the original. Did he look interested in baptizing people?
[Your Homestead Manager will now be called… Georgie!]
A soft and low purr came from the whole basement parking. Denver looked around. He figured it was the 'manager' reacting to the name he gave it.
[She likes it!]
"It's a girl?" Denver's brows lifted as he chuckled. He shook his head and tamed his smile. He continued looking through the Homestead Manager's interface.
Aside from upgrading the homestead to strengthen the building, he also spied on a few defensive and offensive capabilities. However, they were locked behind levels. Denver didn't mind them for now. What intrigued him the most was the section about the tenants. Everyone's details were listed as if they had relevance to Denver.
Seeing that he could spy on them, Denver quickly exited the tenants' interface. However, he clicked on it again. He gently scrolled up the screen to find his mother's entry. The list included Jackie's name.
[Accessing Homestead Tenant information… Room 408… Taylor Turning! Age, 53 years old. Health is average. Do you wish to see more details?]
[Accessing additional report… Taylor Turning! Overall Health is… average! Physical health is… average! Emotional health is… distressed! Social health is… average! Do you wish to see more details?]
[This tenant is tagged… unhappy! Key component to the tenant's unhappiness is… missing tenant. Available solution/s… Accomplish Lifetime Quest: Reunite with Jackie Turning! Please check the Quest Interface to find more details.]
[Accessing Homestead Tenant information… Room 408… Jackie Turning! Age, 23 years old. No physiological information is available. Please have the tenant check into the Homestead.]
"I'll get there soon." He closed the interface again.
Denver went through the report about the last upgrade. He saw the extensive list of whatever Georgie fixed in the building. Every small crack was noted as if Georgie was upset. Denver casually sat down on his couch, not minding Lulu's presence. The girl moved away from him, after all.
"What are you looking at?" Lulu stared at the man's face… at his reddened eyes. He was also flicking his fingers as if something was before him.
"Something only I can see." Denver's lips curled a little. He finished skimming through the report before disengaging from the system. His eyes cleared and met her gaze. He asked, "Did I scare you?"
Lulu frowned and shook her head. She shifted her position and sunk into the couch again. "This is boring. Am I getting punished? Let's head out and hunt for anything. Why did I have to be paired with a lazy person? Humph, but they got the Engorged to listen to him…"
Denver frowned at the girl. "I'm right here, you know. I can hear you. Lulu, how about you go with me to check our inventory? If we're missing anything, we'll go out to buy some."
She didn't budge from sulking. All he received was a quick side-eye over her shoulder. "You're the careful type. You'll probably find ways not to get into trouble. Why did you have to kill a venator? Are executors even interested in a weakling? You're a human."
"Well, you can either stay here or walk with me." Denver sighed and got off the couch. "I'll return the materials I used first. I'll be everywhere in the building. Feel free to find me if you need anything."
"You should be the one needing me…"
Denver glanced at the girl, but Lulu only rolled to hide her face. She looked like she wanted to sleep. Denver only reached out to pet her head as if bidding goodbye. He collected important items and left the basement parking lot.
Something had changed within him. He didn't feel like moping around and waiting for the smallest piece of news. In his mind, he planned how to prepare Georgie against attacks from the outside. He must earn as many eater points as he could before the marauders lay their eyes on the apartment building again. Hopefully, by then, Dandelion Apartments had more than traps to counter with.
Also, Denver found a new goal. His brother was out there, scared and alone. He would not stop until he walked Jackie back home.
…
The first evening after Georgie arrived had come. The tenants still didn't know what to feel when the damaged dining hall stood pretty as if nothing happened. Everyone fainted that time, but they woke up in a renovated building. The children were mystified, but the adults were cautious. Only Denver didn't look around among the heads that kept swiveling.
Lulu predicted that three days would pass without an issue. No one encountered any marauder or mimic outside. Ashley and the others even had their once-in-a-lifetime chance to run a night errand.
Denver watched the city at night from the comfort of the building's rooftop. His Observation passive skill offered heightened senses, which enabled him to monitor everything from a distance. Just like that night, Denver didn't bother to sleep. He could just catch that later when the sun was out. Right now, it was a must to ensure the night was quiet.
"Mr Turning?" A female voice came from behind. Denver looked over his shoulder and found Ashley walking toward him. She smiled a little. "Do you want to see my brother? He woke up minutes ago."
"I'll let him sleep again tonight. Someone has to patrol our streets." Denver only offered a small smile. He turned away after talking. However, the woman kept standing beside him. He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Ms Ross, the winds are chilly at night."
Ashley assented with a soft hum. "I know… so why are you here? Are you patrolling? How far out can you see in the dark? Are you hoping to spot Jackie from here?"