Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 81: Resources Had Been Transferred Successfully.

Chapter 81: Resources Had Been Transferred Successfully.

"You shouldn’t have called me here but it’s fine. I’m on my way," Kato replied, his smirk widening into something far more sinister.

______

Scarlett and Ethan crouched beside the stream, their water-element abilities shimmering faintly in the late night as they manipulated the flow of the water to catch fish. With a practiced precision, they guided the wriggling creatures into the two large buckets they had purchased from their systems.

Scarlett straightened slightly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face as she peered into the buckets. "Isn’t this too much? Just how many fish are we planning to cook tonight?" she asked, her tone tinged with amusement as she watched the fish swimming frantically within the containers. "We got carried away. I didn’t even notice when we filled both buckets," she added with a soft chuckle.

Just as she bent down to pour one of the buckets’ contents back into the stream, Ethan reached out, gently clasping her hand to stop her.

"There’s no need," he said, his tone calm but firm. "We can roast them and store the extra in our systems. The system won’t let us store live creatures, sure, but roasted fish isn’t alive anymore, is it?" He flashed her a warm smile, his dimples deepening. "It won’t last too long since it’s not system-generated, but it’ll do for a day or two. We can snack on it tomorrow, and who knows? Maybe we’ll meet someone along our journey who could use the food."

Scarlett hesitated for a moment, then relented with a small nod. "Alright then. You’re right," she said with a faint smile. Then, as though reminded of something, she turned to him, her gaze sharpening. "You said you had something important to discuss with me. What is it?"

Ethan’s expression turned thoughtful as he set the bucket down and lowered himself to sit cross-legged beside the stream. Scarlett followed suit, settling onto the grass with a soft sigh, her legs weary from crouching.

"Yeah," Ethan began, his voice tinged with a somber note. "You already know I’m on my third system now. If I die this time, that’s it for me. No more resurrections, no more chances. Once a system is gone, all its resources vanish too."

Scarlett frowned, concern clouding her features. "Why are you suddenly talking about death?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

Ethan let out a dry laugh, his gaze fixed on the rippling surface of the water. "In this world? Who isn’t talking about death? The line between life and death here is so thin it’s practically nonexistent. You could swear you’ll live forever one moment and be gone the next." He glanced at her, the humor in his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Anyway, I asked my system a question recently, and it turns out we can transfer all our resources to another chosen member if we want to."

Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat, her thoughts racing. He wants to transfer his resources to me. Is he really that afraid he’ll die soon? I was already thinking about how to tell them to transfer their resources to me. If I can gather all their resources and find a secure place outside the system, away from the echo cemetery since everyone knows there hence it’s no longer a secret. I need another location to store them... She swallowed hard, pushing the thought aside as Ethan continued.

"I’m transferring my building resources to you," he said with quiet determination. "They were free to begin with, courtesy of the system. As for any coins I have now, I’ll use them to buy items, seeds, tools, materials and transfer those to you too as well. I trust you, Scarlett. I really do. But I don’t trust myself anymore."

Scarlett’s eyes widened slightly at his admission, but she quickly schooled her expression. "And what if I fail too?" she countered, her voice steady but probing. "Wouldn’t transferring everything to me be the dumbest move you could make?"

Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "If you fail, then maybe humanity was doomed from the start," he replied with a rueful smile. "But I don’t think you will. You’ve got what it takes. Now stop asking stupid questions and just accept it, alright?"

Scarlett sighed deeply, her shoulders relaxing as she nodded. "Fine," she said. "But for the record, I’m not accepting this because I think you’re going to die soon. You’ll live a long life, Ethan. Long enough to see us build that permanent safe haven for humanity." Her tone was resolute as she placed a reassuring hand on his arm. Ethan nodded, his expression softening.

Without further delay, Ethan activated the transfer process, sending his building materials to Scarlett’s system. A confirmation prompt appeared before her, and she pressed accept, watching as her resource count doubled. Ethan didn’t stop there, he used his remaining copper, silver, and gold coins to purchase seeds, tools, and other necessities, transferring those to Scarlett as well. She accepted each transfer until Ethan’s resources were depleted, save for what he could earn in the future through his coins.

Ding!

{Resources had been transferred successfully.}

The metallic voice of their systems echoed in Scarlett and Ethan’s head.

"Well, that’s settled," Ethan said, leaning back on his hands with a contented smile. "Larry should do the same. He’s on his third system too, isn’t he? You should talk to him and see what he says."

Scarlett nodded but remained quiet, her thoughts churning. If chosen members really die permanently after losing their third systems, how many have already been lost? Death is everywhere in this apocalyptic world... Her gaze drifted to Ethan, who seemed unaware of her turmoil. She then turned her gaze back to the stream.

’Is there really no way chosen members can remain living even if they already lost their third system?’

Ding!

{The only way a chosen member can be saved after losing their systems is by already being bitten by a monster, turning them into a half-monster, half-human hybrid. However, holding on to one’s sanity after the transformation is difficult, as the mind becomes clouded by the hunger for power.}

{Not everyone can be like you, host, who is still holding on to her sanity. Most turn evil immediately. While some chosen members manage to retain their humanity whether they already have the abilities that comes with being a monster or not, others fail.}

{Those who fail become undead without the desired powers and eventually transform into mindless monsters. However, humans always find ways to adapt. Take the case of Victor, for example, bitten but unable to process monster abilities. To stave off becoming a mindless creature, he injects himself with monster blood, temporarily renewing his resistance.}

Scarlett’s eyes widened as she processed the information. Really? No wonder Victor keeps sending his dogs to hunt monsters and capture them alive. He can’t risk showing his face, because monsters would attack him the moment they sensed his weakness. Her thoughts raced as she clenched her fists, her mind piecing together the implications.

{The only way for Victor to control monsters and gain the full abilities of a half-monster, half-human hybrid is to find the Queen of Monsters. By getting intimate with her, he could achieve the coveted SSS rank just like her. Currently, human chosen members are S-ranked, while half-monsters with abilities or no abilities are SS-ranked. But only the Queen of Monsters holds the unparalleled SSS rank, granted after surviving a third death and obtaining a third system.}

Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat. She sat frozen, her thoughts swirling. Wait... What? Her mind raced as she recalled an earlier conversation with her system.

"You knew all this?" she asked aloud, her voice sharp with disbelief. "Didn’t I ask you why Victor was hunting me? You told me you couldn’t access any information on that!"

{I know, host. But this time, I was able to retrieve some information through Kato. He communicated with secret agents using his system, and during that transmission, I intercepted a portion of the data. His system unknowingly allowed me to hack in. I managed to extract these details before disconnecting, but it was risky. Had Kato or his system noticed, I might have ceased to exist. Fortunately, they didn’t.}

’What? Kato? He’s also here because he wants to attain an SSS ranked? He’s just like Victor who’s hungry for powers?’

{You are the only Queen of Monsters. You are the sole female chosen member. Every male chosen member who has turned into a half-monster will inevitably seek you out, hoping to gain power through you. However, not all of them know who you are yet. They can only identify you if you showcase your abilities in front of them or if they sense your SS-ranked aura, which matches theirs.}

Scarlett frowned deeply, her heart pounding as she processed the revelation.

{Victor, however, cannot sense your powers, even though he is SS-ranked. This is because he lacks the intrinsic abilities of a true half-monster. His strengths lie in his elemental powers and his ability to purchase resources from his system. Kato, on the other hand, can sense you and has already recognized you as the Queen of Monsters.}