"Okay… This is insane."
She looked toward the door, then back at the sleeping Nazi, just to make sure no one else was watching. But of course, only she could see this.
She took a breath, and muttered, "Fine. Let's just see where this goes."
Her gaze settled on the word [Yes].
Click.
The moment her vision locked on, the box responded. A small glowing rectangle opened in the air in front of her, like a futuristic treasure chest unfolding in silence.
[Skill: Emotional Insight Lv.1
Allows user to see a simplified emotional state of nearby individuals.
Display will appear above target's head in the form of an icon, proximity (3m).]
Ava blinked.
"…What?"
Another soft chime echoed, and the glowing text vanished.
Everything seemed quiet again, normal. She looked around the room.
No fire. No glowing auras. No magic swords dropped from the sky.
Just her and her son.
She glanced at Nazi, still asleep beside her, one hand resting on her pillow, his thumb twitching like he was dreaming.
Then, right above his head, it appeared.
A small, glowing smiley face emoji.
Yellow. Simple. Floating just an inch above his messy black hair.
"…What the hell…" she whispered, a strange chill running down her spine.
The emoji gave a gentle bounce, like it was happy.
Ava's lips trembled, and something tightened in her chest.
Despite the madness, despite the confusion… she smiled. Just a little.
At least he was okay… he was happy.
Again, A soft ding echoed in her mind.
[New Task: Establish a Safe Territory.][Recommended: Fortify location, assess resources, avoid population centers.]
"Wait, a quest?" Ava blinked.
Before she could even react…
[Task Complete: Established Safe Territory.]
[You are the legal owner of a registered rural property.]
[Reward: +8 System Points]
"…Huh?" Ava frowned. "That's it?"
Text appeared again, glowing calmly before her eyes.
[Available Points: 8]
[System Store now accessible.]
[Points may be used to acquire tools, enhancements, or survival support.]
Ava blinked. "Okay. You're real. You're definitely real."
The interface shifted. A transparent window hovered in her field of vision, listing three glowing options.
[Enhancement Serum (Lv.1) – 15 pts]
Not enough points.
[Special Item (Lv.1) – 8 pts]
One random item from system inventory. Tier: Basic.
[Survival Kit (Lv.1) – 2 pts]
Includes emergency rations, water tablets, first-aid, flashlight.
She chewed her lip.
"Serum's out. Not like I'm injecting mystery juice into my arm anyway."
"Random item... or supplies?"
Her stomach turned. The system was real. It was doing something. But she didn't know what kind of world she was heading into yet.
Ava glanced at Nazi again, still sleeping soundly, his tiny fingers clutching the edge of her blanket.
''But if the system really worked… the special item might be a game-changer. Something I couldn't find in a supermarket.''
After a moment of silence, she took a breath and focused on the second option.
"Let's gamble just once."
Her eyes locked on the glowing text for Special Item (Lv.1).
She hesitated, then nodded slowly.
Click.
[Confirm Purchase? Y/N]
She focused on Yes. Instantly, the point counter dropped to zero.
The interface shimmered, then faded, replaced by a single notification.
[You have received: Spatial Storage Ring (Lv.1)]
Allows item storage in a personal pocket dimension. Time is suspended. Decay halted.
A silver ring materialized in her palm.
No sparkle. No epic music.
Just… a simple metal band. Matte finish. A pale blue gem embedded in the center. It pulsed softly against her skin, like a tiny heartbeat.
"This… is it?"
She slid it onto her finger, and at once, her vision flashed.
[To use: Focus on an object and mentally command 'Store' or 'Retrieve']
Ava's eyes darted to the stuffed duck on the floor, Nazi's favorite.
Carefully, she focused on it and whispered, "Store."
The stuffed duck disappeared. Gone, no sound, no flash. Just vanished into thin air.
She gasped, then opened the system menu.
[1x Stuffed Toy – Condition: Preserved]
"...It worked."
The realization hit her like a wave. Food. Medicine. Clothes. Weapons. Anything. She could keep it all safe and hidden from anyone. And nothing would spoil. Nothing would rot.
She looked down at the ring.
"This isn't just some magical trinket," she whispered. "This is our vault."
Her gaze fell back to the child in bed.
"Don't worry, baby. We'll be okay."
The emoji above his head remained the same: bright yellow, softly bouncing.
Suddenly, the interface pulsed again.
A soft tone echoed inside her head.
Like a chime. Cold and quiet.
[Warning: System Detection – Necro-Rise Protocol Initiated.]
[Countdown to Global Resurrection: 72:00:00]
Ava stared at it, frozen.
Seventy-two hours.
That's how long they had.
Before the dead began to rise.
"…what the hell," she whispered.
Her heart felt tight. Her hands clenched at her sides.
It wasn't just panic.
It was the realization that this was really happening.
This wasn't a bad dream. It wasn't a strange glitch in reality.
It was the beginning of the end.
And now…
The system wasn't just watching.
It was preparing her.
Another screen faded into view.
[New Task: Acquire firearms and ammunition for defense.]
Ava blinked.
…Seriously?"
Her fingers pressed between her brows. The stress was building again.
She lowered her hand.
"If the system is real… if it's really helping me…" she murmured.
"Then… I'll listen."
Her thoughts wandered for a moment.
To Jacob, her lost husband, who gave her father the lenses.
"…Even now, you're still guiding me," she whispered.
"Still trying to protect us…"
But as the words left her lips, something shifted in her heart.
No. It wasn't just about her anymore.
She looked over at Nazi, still asleep, still safe, still smiling in his dreams.
It was about him now.
About keeping him safe more than her.
She didn't know how to fight a war.
But she had to try anyway.
"…Okay," she said softly.
This time with more resolve.
"I'll do it."
She reached for her phone and began to search.
Gun permits. Licensing. Legal acquisition.
Requirements. Waiting periods. Government approvals.
It would take weeks. Maybe months. There was no way she could complete all the steps in time, not before the apocalypse hit.
She sat in silence, her thoughts spinning.
And then, a memory came.
A man with loud laughter and a cluttered garage filled with gun racks and display cases.
Her father's best friend.
Uncle Ferdie.
A gun collector. A prepper. Someone who always joked that the world would end in chaos.
Ava sat up slowly.
"…Maybe it's time to visit him."