Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 35: The Devil In Details.

Chapter 35: The Devil In Details.

Scarlett’s eyes widened in shock and horror as she recalled the horrific events at the mall. The Axe Squad had stormed in, mercilessly killing people and capturing monsters, leaving behind a scene of bloodshed and chaos.

"The Axe Squad?!" she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief and a spark of fury. "How can that devil be a chosen member? He’s not here to save people, he’s here to slaughter them."

Ethan nodded grimly, his jaw clenched as he began pacing the room. "Yes, he’s a chosen member, but his aim is twisted, completely different from the system’s. His goal is to wipe out humanity, to let the world fall to ruin until only monsters remain. Then he’ll crown himself their king."

Scarlett felt a chill run down her spine. She took a slow, deep breath, steadying herself. "He’s not just a danger to us, he’s a danger to everyone."

Ethan stopped pacing, his face tense. "So far, we know of three chosen members: you, me, and Victor. But Victor’s not like us. He’s gone rogue, and all the resources he has, resources meant to build a safe haven are never going to be used to build the safe haven. We can’t count on him."

Scarlett folded her arms, her mind racing. "If there are others like Victor, then that’s a real threat. We could be left with almost nothing. My system warned me that eventually, there’ll be a time when we won’t be able to buy resources at all, not even with a trillion coins."

Ethan nodded, his gaze serious as he looked at her. "Exactly. Now that I’ve got you on my side, I think we need to start planning. If we wait too long, it’ll be too late to secure what we need, food, water, everything."

Scarlett nodded, her expression hardening. "We can’t rely on the system to store our resources forever. Eventually, we’ll have to do this on our own."

Ethan’s face softened with a hint of a smile, and his dimples appeared as he said, "You’re quick. I like smart women who see the plan right away."

Ethan then gave a small, tense smile. The seriousness of the situation left little room for humor. "We can’t afford to waste time. I’ve been hiding out, providing food to survivors, dodging monsters, and avoiding Victor’s men, but that’s all. I haven’t done anything big, anything... permanent."

"But now that we’re working together, it’s time to act. We’ve got powers for a reason. If we don’t use them now, we’ll lose this world for good and would have nowhere to run to when the apocalypse strikes Earth. " he concluded.

Scarlett sighed heavily, her mind going back to her recent struggles. "I even lost a system because of my own stupidity. Guess that six-month coma really messed with me. But if I want to survive, I’ll have to get smart fast."

Ethan leaned back, a smirk crossing his face. "You lost a system?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I’m already on my third."

"Third system?" Scarlett’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You really know how to break the rules, don’t you?"

He shrugged, chuckling darkly. "Yeah, my system always safe me whenever I do something stupid. If I lose this one, I’ll lose my powers entirely, and I won’t be able to protect myself, much less anyone else."

His expression turned serious, and he looked directly at her. "That’s why we have to start making serious plans now. We need a place to store resources safely, somewhere monsters and Victor’s men won’t find."

Scarlett frowned thoughtfully. "But where? The whole world is crawling with monsters, except the safe haven the system promised. Isn’t that right?"

A spark of excitement lit up Ethan’s eyes. "Actually, there’s a place. I checked it myself several times. Monsters never go there."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering through her expression. "Where?"

"The ground," he replied, his tone cryptic.

"The... ground?" She blinked in surprise.

Ethan grinned, his excitement showing. "Yes, underground. We’ll build a hidden bunker, safe from monsters and from Victor’s men."

Scarlett’s eyes widened as the idea sank in. "That’s brilliant. But how do we even begin?"

Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he spoke with intensity. "Echo Cemetery, right outside the main gate. That’s where we’ll start. Monsters avoid that place. I don’t know why, but it’s the one spot where they won’t go. We’ll store our resources there, and the best part? System goods don’t spoil. So we can keep supplies there as long as we need."

Scarlett’s expression brightened with hope. "That’s brilliant! I never thought about this."

"Exactly," Ethan replied, his voice growing more animated. "We’ll store the resources allocated to us, and if there’s room left, we’ll stockpile food as well. It’s important to note, though, that there’s no way we’ll be able to store enough food for everyone, not for long. This isn’t just one country’s population we’re talking about, it’s the whole world."

Scarlett’s gaze sharpened with determination. "Then we need to prepare for the long-term. We can stock up on farming tools, seeds, anything we’ll need to grow our own food eventually."

Ethan grinned, his dimples deepening as he nodded. "Exactly. We’ll need tons of coins, which means hunting monsters every chance we get. Once we have the funds, I’ll put together a list of supplies. Then, when other chosen members join us, they’ll see we’ve already taken steps to save humanity. Their resources will just add to ours."

"And we’ll keep fighting monsters, searching for the safe haven while we work," Scarlett added, her voice filled with resolve. "Every monster we take down will bring us closer. I bet the more we fight, the more we’ll rise in rank and unlock new skills."

Ethan’s eyes sparkled with the same fierce determination. "Right. I don’t know exactly how the system ranks us, but it’ll reveal itself eventually. We’ll be ready."

Ding!

{Congratulations on forming an alliance with a chosen member, Host.}

Ethan stood, his face filled with new resolve. "It’s time. We’ve got a bunker to build, monsters to kill, and a world to save."

Scarlett nodded, her eyes blazing with fierce determination.