The Endgame Chronicles

After surviving the brutal apocalypse for ten years, hardened survivor Hayley Reid was betrayed by her base and unexpectedly woke up two weeks before the apocalypse began. Back in time, her useless father and stepmother were still pressuring her to give up her house for her brother and his newlywed wife. This time, Hayley didn’t hesitate to sell them the house for dirt cheap. While they celebrate this great deal, Hayley went crazy stockpiling supplies. With the help of the super base system’s overpowered perks, she built an unbeatable shelter. While everyone else was stuck in zombie chaos, Hayley relaxed in her fortress like she was on vacation. While everyone else struggled to find food, her dog enjoyed a full buffet every day. While everyone else risked their lives squeezing into crowded survivor camps, Hayley’s base stood as the strongest steel fortress in the whole world! Chapter 1 "Flu cases are on the rise. Please take precautions, avoid crowded areas, don't gather unnecessarily, and keep warm…" "Hayley, are you even listening to me?!" Hayley Reid jolted, staring at everything in front of her in disbelief. In the middle of the old, 300-square-foot living room with worn-out renovations was a couch, packed with middle-aged men and women. In the center was a plump, 70-ish woman with graying hair. She was Eleanor Reid, Hayley's grandmother. Eleanor glared at Hayley, her jowls bouncing with every movement. Hayley froze. This was the exact scene from two weeks before the apocalypse, when her "beloved" grandmother, father, and stepmother forced her to give up her house for her brother and his soon-to-be wife. The last thing she remembered was being stuck in a zombie siege at the eastern base a moment ago. "Ever since your mom passed, Lucy treated you like her own. Everyone says she's wonderful! Now, Philip is getting married and wants to borrow your house. Why won't you let him? You're so ungrateful!" Eleanor hissed. "Mom, Hayley's not ungrateful. I'm sure she'll come to her senses," said a plump woman next to Eleanor, pretending to mediate. This was Lucy Reid, Hayley's stepmother. "Hmph!" Eleanor snorted. "Clear out the house immediately. Philip said the place has been rented for too long, and the furniture is too worn. He needs new furniture before he gets married. You'll pay for it. After all, he's your brother. You should help out a little!" Hayley, standing in the middle, suddenly laughed out loud. They wanted her house and expected her to buy new furniture on top of that? Ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the fact that she actually went along with it last time! Hayley's mother, Cynthia, died in a car accident when she was 14. Soon after, Lucy moved in with her son, Philip. On the surface, Lucy seemed perfect—she was attentive and caring. Hayley, going through her rebellious phase, was prickly with everyone but secretly craved warmth and family. Lucy's gentle, understanding ways fooled her. She supported Hayley in everything, no matter what, and Hayley almost genuinely saw her as a mother. She gave them everything, even the only house Cynthia had left her. She hesitated for only a moment before agreeing. The apocalypse soon hit, and Hayley was abandoned repeatedly. When it came time to escape on a rescue vehicle, they shoved her aside to save their skins. That was when Hayley truly understood how fake their love was. True family didn't exist for her. She had been nothing but a tool in their eyes, and they had squeezed her dry. Once she was useless, they kicked her aside. Not a single person there had ever seen her as family. She wanted to slap her past, foolish self so hard. Bang! Hayley tossed a few bags of cheap fruit from the old coffee table straight into the trash, then plopped herself down in front of them. A young man, who had been glued to his phone on the armchair, immediately dropped it and yelled righteously, "Hayley, what the hell are you doing? These are imported apples Mom got especially for you! She said they're your favorite. How could you just throw them away?" Hayley sneered. Her favorite? Since when? She gave Philip a cold glance. "You think you have the right to talk to me about my house?" Facing her icy gaze, Philip felt a shiver run through him and didn't dare to look at her. Hayley's eyes carried a murderous energy—the kind she had honed over ten years of surviving the apocalypse alone after they abandoned her. Philip instantly backed down. Lucy quickly tried to smooth things over. "What's wrong, Hayley? Are you not feeling well? If that's the case, we can come back another day. I know you're not happy with this request, but Philip is your brother. Sue's family wants a house in the city center, and you know how impossible that is now. Even with money, you might not get one. They're even doing lotteries for them. So, I'm begging you… Help your brother out. Later, when you get married, we'll try to make it up to you—" "Why should we make it up to her?" Bernard Reid, who had been quiet, finally spoke. He glared at Hayley. "You really think this house is yours? You should step aside and let Philip have it! When you get married, your husband can buy you one. Stop fighting Philip for it!" Hayley didn't even bother getting angry this time. In her past life, she had wondered why Bernard treated her, his biological daughter, so badly, while spoiling his stepson. As it turned out, Philip was his real son—his own flesh and blood! Before he married Cynthia, he had already married Lucy in his hometown and had a son. To him, Hayley was nothing. And after the apocalypse, he treated her even worse. Hayley held up four fingers. "Four hundred thousand." Everyone froze. "What are you talking about?" "This house was Mom's premarital property. She legally gave it to me later, so I own this house. You want it? Pay up. Four hundred thousand is already a bargain." "You're selling the house to us? You must be joking! We don't have that kind of money!" Hayley lifted her smartwatch. "I'm giving you five seconds to decide. If you don't agree, I'll sell it to someone else. Five…" "We're your elders! How could you talk money with us?!" Eleanor snapped. "Four." "You ungrateful little…! I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" Hayley ignored Eleanor, speeding up. "Three…two…" "Don't you dare!" Bernard jumped to hit her. Hayley kicked his chair out from under him. He landed hard, looking like an idiot. She looked down coldly at him and went on, "One." "You've lost it! How dare you hit your father!" Hayley didn't care about their rage. She grabbed her phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Cruz, I'm selling the house. Put it up for 400 thousand…" The house had been rented out through an agent until Hayley turned 18, which was why it hadn't been sold earlier. "You want it, huh?" Hayley smiled, glancing their way. "Sure. I'll—" "Don't say another word! We agree!" Lucy jumped in, panic in her voice. "Sell it to us!" Lucy knew that the house was actually worth 600 thousand, so getting it for 400 grand was already a steal. Plus, city-center houses were limited now, with all the residency and lottery rules. Hayley's house was hot property. Even if things didn't go exactly as they expected, the most important thing was getting it for themselves instead of letting an outsider have it. Even if they had to pay 400 thousand to get it, they would make a quick 200 grand reselling it. Hayley watched Lucy's reaction and smirked before hanging up. She had decided to sell the house to them. She was losing a bit, but that was the quickest option. Time was money, and she needed both. Most importantly, once the house was sold, they wouldn't have extra cash. She knew they only had 400 grand on hand. In her past life, the government had warned them to stockpile supplies three days before the apocalypse. Hayley was curious to see what they would be able to afford by then. - Ding! [You have received 400 thousand in your account.] Half an hour later at the bank, Hayley saw the money hit her account. Lucy and the others weren't thrilled but paid up. The real estate agent kept calling Hayley's phone; afraid she'd sell the house to him, the family didn't dare complain. "The property office is closed for a few days. I'll handle the transfer when they open," Hayley told them. "No worries. We trust you!" Lucy said, squinting and smiling sweetly. "The transfer can wait. We'll arrange a time later." Lucy acted generous, but Hayley knew better. The woman was just guarding against her future daughter-in-law, scared that her name would be on the house's deed. Right now, the deed still carried Hayley's name, which gave her room to stall. Hayley grinned. This was great! Philip suddenly said to her, "Since we've bought the house, pack your stuff and get out! And toss out all of your junk. I'll get new furniture with Sue." Right after paying, their attitude changed. "Give Hayley a few more days. She's a responsible girl; she'll probably pay you a bit for storage and even replace some furniture. You should be more understanding of your sister," Lucy said. "Mom, why do you still care about her? This little money-grubber doesn't deserve your kindness! I want her out! And Hayley, get your stupid dog out of the house! If I see it again, I'll chop it to pieces!" Hayley froze when she heard Philip mention the "stupid dog". Summer was still alive! She didn't waste another second with them and ran home. As soon as she opened her bedroom door, the quiet German Shepherd that was pacing nervously jumped into her arms. "Woof, woof!" "Summer!" Hayley almost cried, hugging it. Summer was a retired military dog, a gift from Hayley's mother on Hayley's tenth birthday. After Cynthia died, Summer had been her comfort through the hardest times. Lucy's family hated the intuitive dog and had tried several times to get rid of it, but Summer always came back. They wanted to give Summer away, but Hayley had insisted on keeping it, even getting into fights with them over it. To stay the "kind stepmother", Lucy let Hayley keep Summer but insisted that it be kept locked up in Hayley's room. After Hayley moved into Cynthia's old house, Summer finally had room to roam, though Lucy's family still locked it up when they came over. During the apocalypse in Hayley's past life, Lucy's family ate the old dog while Hayley was out scavenging. She had blamed herself for not protecting it. "Summer," Hayley whispered. "Woof, woof!" Summer licked her hand. "This time, I swear, I'll never let you get hurt again!" "Woof, woof!" Summer barked happily. Once Summer was settled, Hayley began packing. The house, rented out for years, had become old and worn. However, the furniture Cynthia had bought back then was expensive. Hayley had been living with her when she was still alive. The furniture was practically useless now, but it still carried a lot of memories. Being back, Hayley felt a little nostalgic. Then, a voice rang in her head. Ding! [Super Lord System activated! Within one hour, for every 200-dollars' worth of item you carry, gain 35 cubic feet of inventory!] Hayley froze. Here came the perks! [Countdown: 59 minutes and 59 seconds!] Skeptical, Hayley picked up her phone from the table to test it. Ding! [Phone detected, worth 1,000 dollars. Reward: 175 cubic feet!] With that, a 175-cubic-feet space appeared in her mind. Her phone vanished from her hand and reappeared there. She now had an inventory! Chapter 2 Hayley tried thinking about her phone—and just like that, it appeared back in her hand from the inventory. Her eyes lit up. It was just as she expected! She had read plenty of novels before—this was a so-called system. Hayley quickly accepted the perk and started sucking in everything she could. She soon figured out the pricing rules. The system valued items at their original purchase price, even if they were used or disassembled. She jumped straight into moving, dismantling, and collecting everything. Ding! [Gold jewelry detected, worth 11,600 dollars. Reward: 2,030 cubic feet!] Ding! [Cup detected, worth 7.80 dollars.] Ding! [Calendar detected, worth 2 dollars.] The notifications kept coming. Ding! [Small desk detected, worth 73.80 dollars. Reward: 35 cubic feet!] Ding! [Rosewood table and chair set detected, worth 5,000 dollars. Reward: 875 cubic feet!] Ding! [Trash can detected, worth 3 dollars.] In about ten minutes, Hayley grabbed everything from shoes, hats, and clothes to pots, pans, pens, cups, trash bins, storage boxes, photo albums, nail clippers, and even larger stuff like tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets. Even the rotten apples Lucy had brought today got tossed into the pile. Ding! [Five pounds of rotten apples detected, worth 0.50 dollars.] Hayley spat. What disgusting liars! They wanted her to give them a 600-thousand-dollar house while offering her cheap, rotten apples they claimed to be imported. What a family! But she didn't mind. Every little bit counted, so she collected them all. Soon, the house was emptied of everything movable. Her sights turned to the big stuff she couldn't normally carry. Ding! [Toilet detected, worth 400 dollars.] Hayley yanked the toilet down with force. She had always been strong, but compared to her old self, who had survived ten years of the apocalypse, this body still felt a little weaker. She would need to train soon. After she stored the toilet, more notifications came in. Ding! [Sink detected, worth 139 dollars.] Ding! [Range hood detected, worth 519.80 dollars.] Ding! [Stove detected, worth 97.80 dollars.] Ding! [Security door detected, worth 317.80 dollars.] She was taking everything she could, not leaving even a single screw for them. Ding! [Windows detected, worth 80 dollars.] Ding! [Flooring detected, worth 30 dollars.] Within an hour, Hayley had stripped the house clean. Anything movable was gone. The floors were lifted, the windows and doors removed, and even unmovable tiles were smashed and taken. Ding! [Three seconds remaining!] Hayley thought fast—she dashed to the front door, stepped on the railing, and snagged a tiny hallway bulb. Ding! [Ten-watt bulb detected, worth 1 dollar. [Time's up! Total space gained: 3,110 cubic feet.] Hayley finally relaxed and said to Summer, "Summer! Let's go!" Not long after, Philip's family brought the pregnant Sue Norman to the new house. "Babe, here's our new place! It's in the city center and a school district, with over 1,000 square feet. It has two units per floor. We don't have a neighbor yet, so the hallway is all ours. The lighting's great, and it has the best layout in the complex. Plus, it's just 100 yards from your work. If you want, you can move in now. Furniture and appliances are ready!" The group marched up to the east-side unit—and froze. The house wasn't just empty; it didn't even have doors or windows. Even a hallway light bulb was gone. Sue turned on her heel. "Hmph! You expect me to renovate this dump? Well, I'm not getting married until you fix this house. And my name has to go on the deed!" Eleanor was fuming. She wanted to call Hayley to demand what that girl had done. Sure, they could replace the furniture and redo the house, but Hayley had reduced it to a bare shell! The original flooring and everything Cynthia had installed were fine. How had it ended like this? But the bad news was, they couldn't reach Hayley. Meanwhile, Hayley was at a tunnel-style fallout shelter on the outskirts of Andersville. It was originally meant for a mountain road, but construction stopped due to insufficient funding and government rerouting. It had been abandoned and repurposed as a fallout shelter. "What are you renting a fallout shelter for?" the agent asked routinely. "Starting a business. I'm gonna grow mushrooms," Hayley said casually. From her previous life, she knew there were three types of shelters. The first were city-center shelters, built under malls, residential buildings, or hospitals. They were convenient, well-equipped, and fast to evacuate—but useless in a zombie apocalypse. Holding a high population meant it was the fastest to fall. The other two types were tunnel-style shelters and professional defense installations. Professional ones were critical in the late apocalypse and formed the backbone of stable bases, but Hayley couldn't rent one. So, tunnel shelters like these were perfect for her: they were secluded, far from people, and big, with a solid ventilation system and a heavy iron gate—exactly what she needed. Plus, they were cheap. Hayley's new shelter cost 400 a year to rent, for a minimum of 20 years. She paid three years upfront—1,200 dollars for a space the size of five basketball courts. The agent grinned, thinking she was an easy mark. Sure, the rent was cheap, but the location was extremely inconvenient and transportation was a headache. He figured that nine and a half out of ten entrepreneurs were idiots, but he wouldn't warn her. After collecting the money, signing the contract, and taking the 100-dollar service fee, he left. Hayley watched him leave without a word. She wouldn't reveal her true purpose. After ten years surviving the apocalypse, she learned one thing: never explain disaster plans to fools, because idiots like them were disasters themselves. After sending the agent off, Hayley entered the shelter with Summer. She checked everything. The ventilation system was intact, and she found a well left by a previous tenant, plus an electrical wire. The well's water tasted like mountain spring—totally separate from city water. Later, when treatment plants were contaminated, tap water would be useless. With this well, Hayley now had a safe water source. The wire wasn't connected, but that meant power could be set up. If she got a generator, the shelter could have electricity. Chapter 3 Right then, Hayley realized that outside the tunnel, most of the fence was covered in barbed wire. However, a lot of it had collapsed or was abandoned. If she repaired the fence and added electricity, her fallout shelter's defenses would get a huge boost. She decided to get started. Just then, the voice from the system popped into her head. Ding! [Super Lord System activated! Please reinforce the original base. Rewards will be given based on the level of reinforcement. Countdown: 15 days!] Hayley's eyes lit up. She was just starting to process the new mission when another notification came. Ding! [Base war dog detected. Reward: War dog's combat power increased 100x! Physical stats increased 100x!] Hayley watched in amazement as Summer's body started to change. Its muscles doubled in size, its claws grew longer and sharper, and all signs of aging disappeared. In its place was the fierce, commanding presence of a powerful beast. "Woof, woof!" Hayley was amazed. "Wow!" - At the building supply market… Hayley had Cynthia's old car, so she could get around easily. It was now time to start reinforcing her base. She found a barbed wire factory and ordered about 6,500 feet of coiled razor wire. Wrapping the old fence with these steel coils was easy and effective. The price was 0.43 per foot, so she spent about 2,800 dollars. It was a lot, so the factory sent a big truck to deliver it. Hayley led them to an empty lot near the outskirts and had them drop it there. "I'll call a truck to haul it later," she said, not wanting to reveal the base's location. "Okay," the driver agreed. It was already dark. With Summer keeping watch, Hayley stored everything in her system's space. Her 3,110-cubic-foot space easily held the wire, along with the furniture she had already stored. There was plenty of room to spare. After Hayley was done, she drove back to the shelter with Summer. On the way, she realized she would need another warehouse. Half an hour later, she was back at the fallout shelter. She immediately started reinforcing the old, damaged barbed wire along one section. She wound and reinforced it one foot at a time, while Summer brought her tools now and then. They worked from night until dawn. By morning, the entire 6,500 feet of wire was strengthened. Hayley was eager to see the reinforcement rewards. As she finished the last bit, the system's notification rang out in her mind. Ding! [Barbed wire reinforcement detected. Reward: Defense effectiveness increased 100x!] The wire visibly thickened and became denser, each blade of razor wire gleaming sharply. The previously thin gate had transformed into a steel lift gate. Hayley pushed on the wire—it didn't budge. Before, the fence could stop people on foot, but a car or a horde of zombies could break through. Now, even thousands of zombies couldn't tear it down. Hayley was thrilled. She couldn't wait to buy more materials and keep reinforcing. However, another problem reminded her immediately. Gurgle… "Woof, woof!" She was hungry. Summer circled her, whining. "You're hungry too, huh?" Hayley said. "Woof!" Summer responded with a few whines. They had only eaten a little yesterday, too busy all day. They hadn't even started proper supply gathering yet. Right then, Hayley remembered that she had some food in her system. She thought about the bread she had cleared from the house yesterday. Suddenly, a freshly baked bread appeared in her hand. It was still warm! Hayley brought out her fridge to check. Even without power, the contents were still frozen. "Even without electricity, it keeps everything intact!" This meant the system's inventory didn't let anything lose heat. Whatever she put in stayed exactly as it was, making it perfect for stockpiling without needing to worry about spoilage. She could hoard food freely. - "Rent here is 60 dollars a month, with a one-month deposit," said a man in his late 40s at an empty suburban house. Inside, Hayley stood with Summer. She had found an old farmhouse along the main road outside her shelter. Many old houses in the suburbs were empty because families had moved to the city. The better-located ones often had "for rent" signs. She planned to use this farmhouse as a transfer station. Supplies would be stored here and then moved invisibly into her system space, keeping her operations secret while she went shopping. "I'll pay you 80, no deposit. I just want it for a month as a warehouse," Hayley bargained. "That won't work," the landlord said. "Then I'll go elsewhere." "Alright, fine, 80 dollars it is. Just don't damage anything and leave on time." "No problem." Hayley paid and got the keys. She'd move out before the lease ended, anyway. She didn't want to give a deposit because it was too risky. Spending the extra 20 dollars was safer than losing the deposit later. With the warehouse secured, she started stocking food. First, pasta. She visited ten stores, buying 4,000 50-pound bags from each, making that 100 tons of pasta. One hundred tons didn't take much space. A 16-foot cube would hold it, and her system could store it all. The total cost added up to about 80 thousand, and the amount was enough to last her a lifetime. Next, she stockpiled instant noodles—1,000 cases of every flavor she could find: classic beef and chicken to seafood, spicy chili, creamy Alfredo, and even dry-mix pasta packs. Noodles were a luxury after the apocalypse. They were easy to cook, tasty, and full of oil and salt, with all the seasoning provided. Price per case ranged from about 10 to 20 dollars. The most common was 24-pack classic beef-flavored noodles for 10 bucks, while the most expensive was truffle and mushroom-flavored, set at 20 dollars per 30 packs. They cost 14 bucks per case on average, so the total for 1,000 cases was 14 thousand dollars. Hayley didn't stop there—she grabbed 200 cases of black pepper and breakfast sausages and 100 cases of pickled vegetables. The total cost was under 6 thousand dollars. After buying the basic food supplies, she also stocked self-heating meals and pre-cooked meal packs, as they were extremely easy to prepare—she just needed to heat them before eating. She went to all the stores that sold them and bought a box each—beef stew, mac and cheese, barbecue pulled pork, chicken Alfredo, cheeseburger pasta, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, spicy buffalo chicken, and chili con carne. They cost on average 1.50 dollars per pack. She bought 20 thousand packs across several stores, costing about 30 thousand dollars. With this, she would have a lifetime supply—no more worrying about food. Only then did Hayley feel a bit safe. She could now focus on other things. By the end of the day, she had spent nearly 140 thousand dollars. She already had 60 thousand dollars saved previously, and the house sale brought in 400 thousand more. After spending on the basics, she still had 320 thousand dollars—and she hadn't even started buying other supplies yet. Guess you could never have enough money. Hayley's gaze hardened. She opened her hand, and a property deed appeared. She found a private finance number online and called. "Hello, I'd like to use my property as collateral for a loan." "Sure, come by tomorrow at ten to discuss in person." Hayley hung up. She was going to mortgage her house again. Some debts must be repaid—and doubled. She couldn't wait for her family to find out the big surprise she had prepared. Chapter 4 The next afternoon, Hayley walked out of an old office building in the city. By the time she stepped outside, her account had gained another 300 thousand. These microloan companies were worse than vampires! She sold the house to Philip's family for 400 thousand, but selling it to a loan shark only got her 300 thousand. Plus, the interest was insane. She had signed a seven-day IOU. Within a week, she would have to pay back 400 thousand to the loan company, or they'd take the house. It was a bottomless pit, a trap meant only to drain her house away. No problem. Hayley never planned to pay it back—she didn't even have a house anymore. The loan was timed perfectly. Just before the apocalypse hit, the company would come knocking on Philip's door. When that happened, the two despicable parties would get into a fight, and chaos would ensue. Both sides were tough to mess with, but nobody knew who would come out on top. Either way, the house would soon be nothing but rubble. Hayley stared at the loan money in her account, an idea forming in her head. She went through every lending platform she could find and borrowed from all of them. She had decided to go all out. By the end of it, she had another 100 thousand. Now, Hayley had 720 thousand in hand. Time to stock up on supplies! First stop, the building supply store. She bought about 50 surveillance cameras, then found a generator seller. She needed power. Generators came in wind, water, fire, and diesel. The first three were inconvenient—they were hard to install, slow, and mostly had to be custom-made. Diesel was perfect. "What size generator do you want?" the shop owner asked. "What do you have?" she replied. "We have 35, 50, 200, and up to 800 kW. Anything above 1,000 is expensive." Hayley checked the specs. A small 30 kW cost about 2,000 to 4,000. Midrange 200 kW ran 10 to 20 thousand. A 300 kW went over 20 thousand. Anything bigger would cost hundreds of thousands. Imported ones were even pricier. "You can take domestic," the owner said. "The local stuff is just as good, more durable, and works better for most needs. Imported stuff is picky about diesel. You opening a restaurant or something?" "Yes," Hayley said casually. She needed power to run the fallout shelter's lighting, so restaurant-grade equipment would do the job. But of course, she bought the biggest, most powerful one. Her system gave rewards based on the level of equipment, so she went all in. "I want the best. No shortcuts!" she said, flashing her "rich girl" vibe, and bought the generator for 240 thousand. The owner was grinning ear to ear. Hayley also had him throw in extra small items—soundproof mats, tool kits, and little accessories. He didn't hesitate and even gave her the last ten gallons of diesel for free. Hayley's eyes lit up. "Do you know anyone who I can get diesel for cheaper?" Diesel wasn't easy to buy. Gas stations required ID, limited how much you could buy, and often wouldn't sell loose fuel. But people who sold generators usually knew a few back channels. Fuel like that often ended up on the black market. Shady little workshops stole oil from big fields or bought up abandoned offshore batches, then refined it themselves and sold it under the table. That was what they called black-market fuel. Sure enough, as soon as she said this, the shop owner's face took on a secretive look. He leaned in and slid her a business card. "Call this number and say I sent you. You'll get 20% off—cheaper than retail." "Thanks," Hayley said. It turned out her guess was correct. She was about to head out when the shop owner muttered, "With the flu breaking out lately, business has been terrible." "Yeah," Hayley replied casually, striding away. She didn't say anything else. That flu outbreak was actually the first sign of the apocalypse. Half a month after the virus hit, people started dying, only to "come back to life" before their family could even grieve them properly. Unfortunately, they didn't come back as normal people—they had turned into zombies. Last time, Hayley had been busy with Philip's wedding. Sue had just found out she was pregnant, and Hayley was helping with furniture, renovations, and hospital visits. On the day the apocalypse started, she was at the hospital with Sue when screams erupted. She saw a patient, already declared dead, suddenly sit up and bite their loved ones. Some tried to stop the patient, but in five minutes, the man who was first bitten began mutating. He convulsed for a while before standing up, his skin pale and his eyes gray, like in the movies. He no longer had pupils, all signs of life lost as he appeared hungry for blood. He opened his mouth gruesomely and started biting the people who were trying to hold the patient down. The entire hospital erupted into chaos. Scenes like this were happening in every corner of the building. Everyone who was bitten turned within five minutes and joined in, tearing into others. Hayley had been scared, but to protect the pregnant Sue, she stayed calm. She grabbed a weapon and fought the attacking zombies, guiding them both out safely. Because she had handled it so well, the Reids immediately relied on her for everything—scavenging supplies, protecting everyone. Hayley was always the first in the fight. She had always felt satisfied helping her family. But this time? She wasn't going to blindly protect a bunch of monsters. Hayley arranged for the equipment to be delivered to the warehouse and called about the diesel. The supplier could deliver the next day. She bought everything they had in stock—totaling 200 thousand—and got a 25% discount. After one trip, she had already spent over 400 thousand. Chapter 5 After unloading all the supplies at the warehouse, Hayley moved the big generator into her inventory. Luckily, she had plenty of space in her inventory. Not long after, she returned to her base. She placed the generator in the innermost storage room of the fallout shelter. Ding! [One thousand-kW generator detected. Reward: Indestructible, lowest-energy-consumption generator!] Hayley's jaw dropped. She stared at the generator, now looking like it was coated in silver. Its strength and durability were immediately way beyond what they had been. And the best part? It was indestructible! Normally, generators needed maintenance to last long, and Hayley had only been hoping to make it last. However, the system had upgraded it automatically. Amazing! She moved on and installed the surveillance cameras on the wire fences she had set up yesterday. Her tunnel hideout was in a perfect spot. Trees circled it, the main road was about a mile away, and a side road wound into the forest after about 500 yards. No one would ever notice a tunnel covered in wire here. It wasn't noticeable at all. The cameras covered every corner inside. Once she connected them to the generator, she could monitor any intruder—human or otherwise. Immediately, the cameras and electrified fences powered up. Her computer screen filled with tiny surveillance feeds, one for every angle. Then, the system chimed. Ding! [Monitoring and electrical grid system detected. Reward: Monitoring system upgraded! Coverage of the surveillance cameras increased 10x and can automatically detect all living and non-living entities! Electrical grid system upgraded. Maximum shock output: 10 thousand volts!] Hayley stared at her screen, astonished. She zoomed in on one camera. The pixel clarity was ten times better than before. Her 300-foot range camera now stretched a full mile, letting her see the road through gaps in the trees. A bird tried to land on the fence. It hovered and chose a spot—and with a loud zap, dropped straight down. Hayley's eyes glinted. Perfect! This defense was lethal. Anyone trying to break in? Instant death. "Summer, stay away from the fences, okay?" she warned. "Woof!" Upgraded Summer had grown bigger and smarter, more intuitive than before. Hayley ruffled its head, then pulled out the stuff from her old fridge from her inventory. They ate together. After the meal, she got back to organizing her base. Even cleaning the fallout shelter earned rewards. She cleared the water well and trimmed overgrown weeds. Ding! [Water well upgraded. Reward: Independent mountain-range clean water source!] Ding! [Weed coverage reduced. Reward: High-quality soil! Crop yield increased 100x! Growth speed increased 10x!] Hayley grinned. She now had clean water and rich soil. Her base was getting stronger and better every day. Soon, she could grow her own fresh fruits and vegetables and be self-sufficient. She made a mental note to buy seeds next. Ten days passed. The apocalypse was less than three days away. For the past seven days, Hayley ran six miles around the shelter every morning. Her stamina skyrocketed, and she learned the terrain perfectly. Her tunnel hideout sat deep inside the mountain. She had strung barbed wire from the middle of the slope all the way around, like a crown of steel. On one side, the wire ended where the cliffs dropped off so sharply that no one in their right mind would try to cross. And if somebody thought about coming in from the far side of the mountain? Forget it—that climb was even worse! Behind the bunker, the ground rose steeper than the front, choked with bushes and trees that made it nearly impossible to push through. The only real threat was fire. Wildfires were always a big deal, and the only real way to stop one was to chop down a whole stretch of trees for a firebreak. But if Hayley cleared that many trees, her location would be exposed. After thinking it over, she decided against it and started sweeping away the dry leaves and fallen branches around her bunker instead. Cutting trees was off the table—it was too risky. In the apocalypse, people were scarier than fire. A stranger showing up was way worse than any disaster nature might throw at her. She had to remember what mattered most. And honestly, forest fires didn't just spring up out of nowhere. The ground was damp, and clearing the brush lowered the risk enough. So Hayley worked her way outward, carving a clean path around her bunker. That was when a voice chimed in her head. Ding! [Fire hazard reduced. Reward: Nothing inside the cleared zone will ever burn!] Hayley couldn't help smiling, impressed by how awesome the perks were. Her shelter's safety was leveling up big time. Now that the biggest threat was eliminated, she immediately threw herself into other work. Every inch she cleaned and every fence she reinforced improved the defenses of her base, making it stronger and stronger. Meanwhile, her deliveries kept coming. During the day, she worked in the shelter. At night, she went to the warehouse to pick up packages. She had installed massive cameras at the warehouse entrance, and Summer helped guard the place. It was peaceful now, so people wouldn't dare steal with a huge dog watching. The delivery guys always unloaded truck after truck, then left as soon as they were done. At night, Hayley would go over everything and pull them into her inventory, then carry them back to her base. Ding! [Warehouse full.] All 100 tons of pasta, 1,000 boxes of instant noodles, 200 boxes of sausage, 100 boxes of pickled vegetables, and over 20 thousand meal packs were neatly stored in the innermost warehouse. Ding! [Reward: Super warehouse! Food remains permanently fresh!] The massive metal doors now looked like something from a bank vault. Not even professional explosives could open them—only Hayley's iris could. Inside, all items were sorted and stored. And the best part? Permanent freshness and no spoilage! Chapter 6 Aside from that, Hayley's latest batch of seeds had arrived. She had ordered all the usual crop seeds and saplings. Almost all vegetables could be grown directly from seeds, while things like sweet potatoes needed starter plants. The seeds were super cheap, especially the sweet potato starters. Hayley had ordered a big pile from the largest seed shop. When she asked the shop owner for some freebies, he ended up tossing in a few extra starter plants for zero charge. For fruit trees, it was best to buy already-grown saplings that were a bit older. Growing fruit trees from scratch was slow and labor-intensive. Buying a ten-year-old tree was cheap and practical. A top-quality ten-year-old apple sapling cost only about 16 dollars. Hayley bought a large batch of ten-year-old saplings all at once—apple, blueberry, crab apple, pear, raspberry, cherry, lemon, plum, Euriplan plum, walnut, chestnut, hazelnut, peach, cranberry, persimmon—three of each. This way, she could guarantee the trees survived and produced fruit year-round. She spent just over 1,200 dollars for more than 100 trees, covering only about half an acre—just the empty space to the right of her fallout shelter. On the left side, she set up a top-notch plastic greenhouse and racks for vegetables. She planted seeds for greens, cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, scallions, kale, beans, and many more. Most vegetables were easy to grow from starters, but Hayley preferred to start from seeds so she could keep planting year after year. Potatoes were simple—just plant the tubers. Luckily, her land was top-quality. Seeds planted here would thrive without much extra effort. In just ten days, Hayley's fallout shelter looked completely transformed, inside and out. Now, it was only three days before the apocalypse. After planting the last tree, Hayley thought about what else she needed. For a self-sufficient, hidden life, she needed some chickens, ducks, and fish. Even with all the meal packs she had, nothing beat fresh food. If she could rear some chickens and fish, she'd be able to have meat anytime she wanted. She drove straight to the farmers' market, leaving Summer at the warehouse in case there were any more deliveries. Entering the city again after several days, she immediately noticed the tense atmosphere. Everyone wore masks, their faces anxious. At a live chicken and duck stall, Hayley scanned the dozen or so birds—both male and female, all healthy-looking. "Hurry up if you wanna get something. I wanna pack up early and go home," the vendor said impatiently. "Give me a discount and sell me all of them," she said. The vendor's eyes lit up. "All of them?" "Yes." "I'll do 2 bucks per pound for everything! Normally, my chickens are 3 dollars and ducks are 2.20 per pound." "Alright." There were 26 birds in total, averaging about 6 pounds each, costing her just under 380 dollars. She had them delivered to her warehouse, then continued shopping. At the fish section, she found fresh fish and shrimp, and her eyes brightened. Her fallout shelter had a water source, so she could dig a small pond. She bought over 30 fish—carp, crucian carp, silver carp, grass carp—and about 40 pounds of fresh shrimp. She loved prawn dishes—garlic butter prawns, prawn scampi, and Cajun grilled prawns. She paid extra to get large plastic tanks and oxygen pumps delivered to her warehouse. The fish and shrimp cost over 600 bucks. Next, she purchased pork and beef. Live pigs and cows weren't available, but with her cold storage and space, she could handle fresh meat. She ordered 1,000 pounds of pork and 500 pounds of beef, paying extra to have them processed and delivered the same day. This cost over 8,000 dollars, leaving her with just over 320 thousand. Hayley kept walking through the market, but many stalls were closing. In a corner, she spotted someone selling live baby goats. She bought the last two for 300 bucks. The seller told her that these goats had been specifically bred for producing goat's milk, but business had been so bad that he started selling them off. The big ones were already gone, and only a few kids were left. By chance, Hayley managed to snag the last two today. "You should go home after buying these! With the flu outbreak, don't stay out too long," the vendor warned. Hayley nodded. She always wore a professional medical-grade mask, anyway. The truth was, the flu had never been the source of the zombie virus. It simply spread so widely and so quickly, lowering people's immunity. When the real virus hit, those with the lowest resistance turned into zombies right away. That was why everyone blamed the flu, thinking it was the true cause. It took Hayley ten years of surviving in the apocalypse to figure that much out. Yet, she still had no idea regarding the real origin of the zombie virus. Some people used to say it was nothing more than a game for the gods, like the Hunger Games. After all, the virus didn't just create zombies. It also changed people in other, stranger ways. Once Hayley had the vendor deliver her goods to the warehouse, she left the farmer's market without hanging around. She had less than three days before the apocalypse hit and didn't plan to leave her shelter again. But first, she wanted to spend all her money. She couldn't just let it sit there. Finding a hidden spot with no cameras, she placed the two goats into her inventory and drove off with Summer. On the way, she stopped at a farm supply store and bought a full set of tools, plus 20 shovels. Most people didn't realize shovels were serious weapons in survival situations. During conflicts, farmers used them as deadly tools. Even modern military spades evolved from shovels. In an apocalypse, a melee weapon like this could be more reliable than firearms. After stocking up on enough shovels, Hayley realized she needed to get baseball bats—another surprisingly effective weapon. Chapter 7 With that in mind, Hayley walked into a sports equipment store. After picking up a few of the best, sturdiest baseball bats, she grabbed a bunch of adventure gear—flashlights, helmets, armor, pads, tents, protective suits, tactical jackets…all of it. Everything she needed for the outdoors. This alone cost her over 4,000. The store also carried emergency kit accessories—tweezers, pliers, bandages, thermometers, and stuff like that. It reminded Hayley that she still needed to stop by the pharmacy. She left the outdoor store and went to stock up on common medicines—cold medicine, bandages, fever reducers, vitamins, alcohol, iodine, and other essentials. She wasn't interested in prescription drugs; she didn't need them, anyway. Anyone who had survived ten years of the apocalypse without dying probably didn't rely on daily meds. A few emergency supplies would do. In an apocalypse, poor health was just a weak spot you couldn't afford. By the time she left the pharmacy, it was almost evening. The city lights sparkled, neon glowing all around. Hayley had pretty much gathered everything she could—food, drink, shelter, tools—all the basics covered. Now, she could focus on upgrading daily necessities and a few extra comforts. She still had about 260 thousand left. She figured it was time to go on a shopping spree. Before the apocalypse hit, she was going to enjoy the world one last time. First stop: a Michelin-star hotel she had never treated herself to before. She ordered a full-on feast—mushroom soup, barbecued ribs, pan-seared cod, roasted chicken, and garlic butter prawns—everything she had never been able to afford before. She even had the kitchen prepare ten extra orders of her favorite garlic butter prawns and filet mignon to take home for Summer. After that, she booked a suite and headed down to the mall. The mall was packed with goods, from general stores to tempting food stands. Hayley, used to hard times, hit the food section first—sausages, mini corn dogs, sponge cakes, meat pies, fried skewers, fried chicken, pork cutlets, stew, ice cream, milkshakes, assorted pastries…everything. She wanted it all, but there wasn't enough time or money to buy everything. Most of it was just luxury for a peaceful world—things that wouldn't matter after the apocalypse. But right now, she could buy and eat without worry. Hayley went store by store, quietly and extravagantly telling each clerk, "I want all your snacks." She paid and had everything delivered to her hotel room upstairs. At the first bakery, everything went into bags—fresh bread, cheesecake, cream puffs, petit fours, marshmallows, Swiss rolls, custard slices, custard tarts, waffles, palmiers—all packed and sent up. At a fried chicken shop, she bought every flavor—sweet chili, barbecue, garlic, honey mustard—and every type of chicken: boneless, drumsticks, wings, whole chickens. She then hit up the smoothie bars and ordered every flavor she could—berry blends, tropical fruit mixes, creamy yogurt smoothies, protein shakes, even frozen slushies—everything on the list! She basically just paid and gave them a delivery address before leaving, not wanting to attract too much attention. Just buying these snacks cost over 40 thousand. Each shop's stock usually totaled about 3,000 dollars. Hayley only spent around a few hundred dollars on smaller stalls, like the sausage stall and corn dog stand, ordering one of each flavor. Still, she basically cleared the snack stores in one sweep. Next, she went to the basement supermarket. Now, supermarkets were essential. She pushed two huge carts through the warehouse-style store. At checkout, her carts were filled with single units of all kinds—one bag of each flavored chips, one pack of every cookie or candy, one bottle of each drink, and every cooked food item she could get—roast turkey slices, rotisserie chicken, baked salmon, deli wraps, stuffed pita pockets, and microwavable pasta meals. Even partially prepared foods—marinated chicken, pork chops, fish fillets, and steak—were included. Household necessities like toiletries, face cream, sanitary pads, disposable towels, wipes—everything she could need. And now that she had money, she even bought appliances—a washing machine, a robot vacuum, and a fridge. She wouldn't have considered this before, but now she could. After checking out her two carts, she spoke to the store manager. She wanted the store's entire stock of everything in her carts, except for appliances. However, she had underestimated the cost and inventory. By the time she had selected just a third of what she wanted, her account was empty—220 thousand, gone in a flash! She found herself in an awkward position. Basic staples had been cheap, but processed goods were several times more expensive. Looking at her account balance hitting zero, Hayley decided this was enough. She could always make these foods herself using the ingredients she had. She left her delivery address with the manager and confirmed that everything could be delivered that day. A bit sad to leave the well-stocked store behind, she continued walking. So far, she had only hit the food sections and the large supermarket. She didn't have money left to shop on the clothing floors. But even with just 14 dollars on her, she could still window shop. She bought a 3-dollar iced cocoa at a convenience store and browsed each clothing shop. By the time she finished the third floor, her drink was gone. She spotted a few items she liked. "How much for this baseball jacket?" she asked. "It's on sale for half price—400 dollars," the clerk said. Hayley didn't reply. Even at half price, that was way too expensive. Still, it was the best mall in town, and everything inside was from big-name brands. She couldn't afford anything in it right now. After she walked out empty-handed, the manager nudged the sales assistant who had just given Hayley the price. "Why bother with her? She clearly can't afford anything. Look at her empty hands after walking several floors. Learn to read people next time…" The clerk just pursed her lips and stayed quiet. Despite hearing the insults, Hayley ignored them, walking on. She wasn't some naive kid who would throw money around just because someone said something. After years of surviving the apocalypse, she knew better. In a crisis, she didn't need to teach anyone a lesson—she could just kill them. Chapter 8 As Hayley kept walking through the mall, she suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures. A young man was walking with a heavily pregnant woman just ahead of her. Philip and his wife—the same couple Hayley had just "pranked" a little while back. "Babe, calm down. Whatever you want today, just buy it. Forgive me, okay? Don't get mad… You don't want to stress the baby!" "No! You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? Your family doesn't even own that apartment! You tricked me on purpose!" "It's really ours." "Then what was all that earlier? Debt collectors at your door claiming the apartment was theirs, sending your grandma to the hospital!" "I don't know what happened. I swear, my mom paid 400 thousand to buy it from Hayley. We just have to find her and transfer the deed!" "Wait, didn't your mom say the apartment was a gift from Hayley, so I couldn't be on the deed? How is it suddenly bought by your family and transferable?" "Uh… A-Anyway! Just know that the apartment's ours now. I'm my family's only son, so I'm bound to get everything. And whatever's mine is yours! Just trust me!" Sue wouldn't buy it. "How am I supposed to trust you? First, you said it was move-in ready with renovations done, now it's a shell. You said it was your property, and now debt collectors show up. I've finally seen the truth—you guys are messing with me! I won't keep this baby! I'm gonna get rid of it now!" "Babe! Babe!" Hayley leaned against a corner, listening to their argument, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Wow. Just ten days, and things were already a mess at the Reids'. Eleanor even ended up in the hospital. Still, it could get even more entertaining. Hayley watched Philip, hands on the escalator railing, chasing after Sue. Mischievously, she whistled at him. Philip, already flustered, turned and spotted her leaning on the glass railing, casually watching them. "Hayley?" He froze, wanting to chase her, but Sue had already gotten to the floor below. "Babe! Babe!" One was his wife, about to get an abortion, and the other was Hayley. He wished he could split himself in two. After weighing his options, he decided to chase Hayley. He figured he would just grab her and make her explain everything to Sue—simple. He ran up the escalator that was heading down, trying to reach her. Meanwhile, Hayley walked at a calm, steady pace. By the time Philip caught up, she had already circled to the opposite escalator, making him chase her through the entire mall. They ended up in the underground parking lot. "Damn it! You little wench! Where do you think you're going?" Philip, panting, cornered Hayley. "How dare you mess with me behind my back! I swear I'll—" "Perfect," Hayley said cheerfully, shutting the car trunk with a click. "I was thinking the same thing." She swung a baseball bat in her hands. Philip's eyes went wide, alarm bells ringing. "What the… You're gonna hit me?" Before he could react, Hayley swung. She immediately overpowered him, dislocating his jaw so he couldn't talk, and dragged him to the corner of the parking lot, beating him mercilessly. Ten years surviving the apocalypse meant she had learned every kind of fighting technique. She could take down a grown man in seconds. But she was merciful with Philip. For half an hour, she smashed him in the arms and legs, striking only the most painful spots that wouldn't kill him. After 30 minutes, Philip lay on the ground, barely conscious. Hayley leaned against the car and kicked him lightly before bending down to grab his phone. She dialed 911 while pressing his head against the floor with her foot. "See? I'm nice. I even called 911 for you. You're welcome." Philip nearly passed out from anger. If her foot weren't on his face, he would've admitted she was "nice". "Damn you…" "Not grateful? Fine. Hope you enjoy your hospital stay like your grandma." Hayley kicked him in the head, knocking him out for seven days. She took care of the scene and wiped his ID from the phone, not wanting the hospital to identify him that quickly. Then she transferred all the money in his digital bank to hers, using his fingerprint to authorize the payments. Afterward, she moved him to a bar street outside the parking lot, the same place she had called 911 from. Soon, EMTs arrived. Hayley watched them take Philip away, blending in like any bystander. Calmly, she sent messages to Bernard and Lucy with his phone, telling them he had been hurt and to check the hospital. After all that, she sold his phone to a small roadside store. Even if Lucy reported it, they wouldn't trace it back to Hayley in three days. By then, any investigation into Philip would be useless because it would be the apocalypse. Knocking Philip out added 6,000 dollars to her account. She used the money to stock up again, emptying several convenience store shelves into her car. As she prepared to leave, her car door slammed—someone had collapsed on it. Hayley's eyes darkened. Several stylishly dressed men and women helped lift the man. One tattooed guy waved. "Sorry, miss. My friend's drunk!" They laughed and carried him away. "Damn, he went down after two drinks! I remember him saying he could drink anyone under the table." "Yeah, he used to hold his liquor a lot better." "Maybe getting married weakened him!" "Hahaha!" Hayley leaned on her car, watching them leave. Her gaze fell on the young man in the middle—head down, stiff, pale hands hanging awkwardly. Soon, he came to. "What happened to me?" "You drank too much, that's what!" "You're useless! You didn't even drink that much!" "Work stress, I guess. I'm heading back." "Heading back? No way! Keep drinking! Let's get wasted tonight!" The group laughed as they walked off. Hayley's eyes darkened as she watched the scene. She checked her phone and noted that today was the 9th. In her last life, the zombie outbreak started on the 11th. The apocalypse would happen on August 11. Chapter 9 Hayley returned to the hotel she was staying at. Her room was already packed with stuff. She had told the front desk that there would be deliveries, and she asked them to open the door so they could put the stuff inside. Now the tables, the floor, and even the bed were covered. A lot of the fried chicken was still steaming hot. Hayley waved her hand and neatly stowed everything into her inventory. Tonight, she would stay here and leave the next day. No point wasting what she had already paid for. Before going to bed, she did three hours of intense physical training, pushing herself to exhaustion and breaking her body's limits. Only after that did she shower and check the surveillance feeds from both her shelter and her warehouse. Everything looked fine. She even spoke to Summer through her video bot, telling it to watch the supplies. Tomorrow morning, she'd be back. Summer responded politely, then obediently stayed in the warehouse dog bed, keeping an eye on things. Hayley slept until six the next day. She was woken by the blaring sirens of police cars and ambulances. Her hotel, in downtown, had excellent soundproofing, but she was sensitive—any noise could wake her. The first moment she heard the sirens, she rushed to the windowsill. Pulling back the curtains, she saw the street below swarming with police cars and ambulances. The hotel was near crowded bars and entertainment venues, and that was where all the emergency vehicles were rushing in and out. She saw an ambulance parked in front of the bar she had noticed yesterday, and several bloody people were carried out. An ominous thought formed in her mind. At that moment, footsteps and urgent knocking came outside her room. Hayley grabbed a shovel and went to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw hotel staff. She tensed but saw they were fine—they had normal expressions, with no injuries or blood. "What's going on?" she asked. "Miss, the front desk got several calls from guests feeling faint. Are you feeling okay?" "I'm fine," Hayley replied through the door. "Please stay in your room for a while. The hotel will extend your stay, free of charge. Sorry for the inconvenience!" The staff moved on to the next room, but Hayley felt a jolt. The apocalypse…might have started early. She had to leave. Hayley grabbed her car keys and left the hotel, making sure to take all the complimentary water, drinks, and toiletries with her. She noticed the staff member heading toward a corner room, repeatedly knocking until she finally used a keycard to open the door. Soon, a panicked voice called out. "Sir! Sir, are you okay? Someone's fainted in Room 809! Hurry!" The staff used their headsets to alert others. Hayley strode to an elevator, entering one going down as another opened next to it. A group of staff came out and ran toward the innermost rooms. As the elevator doors closed in front of her, a piercing scream cut through the air. "Ahhh!" That familiar sound. The zombie virus had broken out early! Hayley hit the button for the fifth floor without hesitation. She wasn't heading to the lobby. The hotel was attached to a mall. The mall's lowest basement, B2, up to the fifth floor, was all part of the complex—the one she had shopped in yesterday. It was six in the morning, so the mall was closed, and the first staff wouldn't arrive until eight. Right now, the mall area was the perfect empty zone. In a zombie apocalypse, crowds are the most dangerous. You escape the people first. Hayley got off on the fifth floor. Just as she predicted, it was dark—no lights. But from the fifth-floor hall, she could clearly hear screaming outside. Looking out, she saw chaos on the streets. A blood-covered man charged out of a bar, attacking a woman jogging by. He went straight for her stomach, tearing at her with savage bites. Her screams pierced the quiet morning as he feasted like a wild animal. "Argh!" "Ahhh!!" It was only six. The city was mostly empty, with only police and ambulances working. One police car stopped to intervene, dragging the man away. The woman lay in a pool of blood, unnoticed. Her hands and feet twitched rapidly, then she suddenly stopped moving. "Miss, are you—arghh!" The woman's eyes snapped open—gray, lifeless—and she lunged at the rescuer, biting down hard. The scene exploded into chaos. Hayley watched from the fifth floor. This was the apocalypse. The one she knew best. And it had come a whole day early. Welcome to the age of the apocalypse. Hayley turned and ran through the fifth floor. She planned to use the escalator to descend to the B2 parking lot, avoiding all elevators. As she ran through the empty mall, the displays caught her attention. Supplies! Running into a treasure trove like this, could she really leave empty-handed? She had to take everything. Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind: Ding! [Super Lord System activated! Within two hours, for every 2,000 dollars' worth of item you carry, gain 35 cubic feet of inventory!] Hayley, holding her baseball bat, was pleasantly surprised. Perfect timing! Hayley swung her bat and shattered the glass in front of her. Then she rushed in, arms outstretched. Anything she touched disappeared into her inventory. She didn't care about surveillance cameras—there was no need now. The apocalypse was here; who was going to check the footage? Ding! [Two hundred and seventy-nine pieces of women's fashion detected, worth 130 thousand dollars. Reward: 2,275 cubic feet!] Ding! [A hundred and forty-four pieces of men's fashion detected, worth 116 thousand dollars. Reward: 2,030 cubic feet!] Ding! [Four hundred and eighty-nine branded wedding dresses detected, worth 378 thousand. Reward: 6,615 cubic feet!] Men's, women's, kids' clothes, underwear, shoes, bags, gowns—Hayley took everything. Looting the mall this time felt even better than clearing her house. Even if she stored everything in her house, there was only so much stuff. It was nothing compared to this—each store held items worth tens or hundreds of thousands! She cleaned out every shop she passed and stored everything in her inventory. Chapter 10 About an hour later, Hayley had cleared out all the luxury stores on the few floors. She didn't leave a single thing behind. Women's clothes, men's clothes, kids' clothes, sportswear, shoes, socks, bags, watches, makeup…even the big jewelry and diamond stores downstairs. The newest phones and laptops flew into her inventory. The luxury skincare she could never afford before was gone in a flash. The designer bags she had only ever looked at, the limited-edition pieces that had to be ordered, were all gone. The sparkling diamonds, giant gemstones, jade, and gold from the display cases were all hers. Her inventory quickly hit over 350,000 cubic feet. Luxury items were expensive, sure—a single bag could cost thousands—but stock was always low. Many stores only had display pieces. Customers ordering multiple items meant they had to get them from elsewhere. For ultra-luxury goods priced over 100 thousand, this mall didn't even have them. Otherwise, her inventory would have exploded in size. Luxury stuff was truly expensive. Hayley made her way to the food court. She had already cleared this area yesterday. Spending money felt a little wasteful at the time, but at least it saved her time today. Time was her most important resource right now. The zombie virus had just broken out. People were confused and panicked. She had to finish scavenging within the two-hour limit and get out before traffic went bad. If she hadn't spent money yesterday, she could only have skimmed these cheap, scattered shops now. Still, she grabbed a few things as she passed—ovens, ice cream machines, coffee makers—so she could cook at home later. Moving at full speed, she arrived at the massive supermarket she had hit yesterday. She had spent over 200 thousand on just a small fraction of it. The supplies in here were insane. Hayley vaulted over the barrier and dove into the supermarket. She moved faster than ever, sweeping everything off the shelves. One shelf at a time, into her inventory. A shelf of chocolate, a shelf of cookies, a shelf of chips, a shelf of cured meat. She ran straight into both raw and cooked sections, grabbing frozen hams and chilled roasted chickens from the freezers. Everything she had skipped yesterday, she took now with reckless joy. In less than half an hour, the entire huge warehouse supermarket was emptied. She moved around in skates, gliding and collecting at top speed. By the time she finished, she still had 20 minutes left. Hayley noticed the internal staff elevator. Big supermarkets had their own warehouses. She hopped into the staff elevator. When the doors slowly opened, she saw row after row of boxed supplies. Hundreds of boxes of premium pasta, imported snacks, alcohol, condiments, daily essentials, feminine hygiene products… This was the supermarket's warehouse. Hayley realized that the million-dollar haul she had taken yesterday was just a drop in the bucket. There was still so much. She skated between boxes, leaving empty rows in her wake. When the two-hour countdown ended, Hayley, drenched in sweat, popped open a cold soda and took a long sip. The warehouse in front of her was completely empty. This round, she collected over 520,000 cubic feet of stuff. To picture it, that would be roughly a cube measuring 80 feet on each side. Or, to think bigger, about the size of a ten-story building. And that was only a tiny fraction of the mall's total stock. Just like that, the city's biggest mall was completely stripped by Hayley. Everything was now in her inventory. She smiled with satisfaction. Swapping her skates for running shoes, she tossed the empty soda can into the now-empty warehouse. She took the staff elevator back into the supermarket, then went down the staff stairs. Done. Time to go home. She didn't ride the elevator all the way down—she just used it to get to her floor, then pressed the button to B2, the parking garage, so it would descend as she made her way down by stairs. Elevators made noise both ways, so if there were zombies in the garage, they would be attracted. This way, she controlled the risk. Hayley moved fast and light down the staff stairs. By the time she reached B2, the elevator she had arranged earlier arrived. Ding! At that moment, a woman tried to rush into the staff elevator. She turned, screaming, "Help, help!" Two other people in blood-stained staff uniforms followed her. "Don't come near me, no! There's someone in there! Go and eat them instead!" The woman moved quickly toward the elevator, wanting to grab the person inside to feed the zombies, but when the elevator doors opened… It was empty. She froze, and a pursuing zombie tackled her from behind. "Stop! Don't bite me! Look, it's me, your manager! No, don't!" The woman screamed. Then, she noticed the staff stairwell doors opening. A young girl in simple athletic clothes stepped out. She froze, thinking the girl looked familiar. A second later, she recalled that it was the girl she had insulted for being poor yesterday. "Save me! Please, save me!" She waved frantically at Hayley. "I'll give you our store's gold card! No. I'll give you clothes—ten pieces. A hundred pieces! Save me! Ahhh!" Hayley, holding her baseball bat in one hand, did one thing. She nodded once, silently thanked the woman for her "help," and kept walking, letting the screaming grow louder behind her. Hayley was grateful to the lady for being useful before she died. Vroom! She hit the gas and sped out of the garage. It was just past eight; the city was waking up. Because the virus hit in the early morning, these two hours left everyone in shock and fear. The first victims were breakfast shops, sanitation workers, buses, and 24-hour businesses. Any crowded place with open populations turned chaotic at the first infection. By now, 911 and ambulance lines were overloaded—nobody could call for help. City services were paralyzed. Next came office workers, including those in the mall where Hayley had been scavenging. Those who relied on public transport were lucky because most of the buses and cars were stuck on the roads. The unlucky ones were the people who had already boarded.