Chapter 12

Hans was instantly overjoyed when he woke up and found the pocket space filled with food. Among the provisions was a special meal that Lucy had packed just for him—grilled meat with mashed potatoes and gravy. She figured extra care wouldn't hurt since he was a regular customer. She even included a can of Coke, knowing that most men loved it. He smiled inwardly, savoring the thoughtfulness. Leo and the others had already distributed the bread, but there were too many people at the base, and Lucy's small pocket space needed an upgrade. With so many mouths to feed, the base's daily food consumption would surely be enormous. Even with a significant stockpile of bread and biscuits, the portions were meager—each person received only half a piece of bread. Still, it was enough to make them feel overwhelmed with gratitude. After all, it was far better than eating dirt or bitter, toxic bark. As they bit into the soft bread, some couldn't help but shed tears of relief and joy. "Your milk powder should arrive tomorrow or the day after," Hans told Leo. "No rush," Leo replied. "I still have a few bags of soy milk left." Rory had gone without food for two or three days before, so having a proper meal was already a blessing. Leo, Jesse, and Logan were happily eating bread when they suddenly noticed Hans eating grilled meat with mashed potatoes, even sipping on a can of Coke. "Hey, why do you have meat?" Leo asked, moving closer in excitement. He looked eager. After all, it had been a long time since they had tasted meat. Soon, everyone gathered around them curiously. "This is my meal," Hans replied calmly, secretly enjoying the attention. After all, Lucy had gone out of her way to prepare something special for him. His complexion had gradually improved, thanks to the steady supply of food. Although no one knew exactly where he had gotten the food, they all knew that he was granted the power of spatial manipulation. "It smells so good! That drink looks really refreshing too," Jesse said, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the can of Coke in Hans' hand. "I'll bring some for you to try next time," Hans responded. But first, they needed to solve the problem of everyone's basic needs, then work on building a city wall to give people a safe place to live. Right now, they were staying in a large underground military bunker. After the four of them finished eating, Leo checked on Rory. The little boy could already sit up, and his complexion had greatly improved. The four men were heading to the city today to kill zombies, and each fought with great effort. After all, they were well-fed that day. In no time, Jesse decapitated a zombie and extracted the Pluting from its brain. "There's a supermarket ahead, but it looks like it's already been looted," Jesse said with a hint of disappointment. Since the supermarket was close to the base, other survivors had long emptied it. A year into the apocalypse, finding any remaining food was nearly impossible. "Hey, Hans! There's a bank over there!" Leo suddenly exclaimed, eyes gleaming. The bank must have a lot of money, but Hans shook his head. He and Lucy were in different dimensions, and their monetary systems differed. "It's useless," he replied. "There's a jewelry store over there!" Leo pointed excitedly at the store across the street. Jesse and Logan exchanged puzzled glances. Weren't they here to scavenge for food and supplies? Why bother with gold? Then, they remembered Hans' earlier mention of valuable items. "Let's go." The team headed straight for the jewelry store. The doors were intact; besides a few cobwebs, the counters looked untouched. Unlike the ransacked supermarket, no one had ever entered the place. The group dismantled the counter, collecting gold jewelry, diamond bracelets, and other items into the pocket space. Thinking of the novel that Lucy had instructed him to handle, Hans then headed to the bookstore. He gathered more books until his pocket space was fully loaded. Due to the limited space, they couldn't carry anymore, so they planned to return tomorrow for another round. After scavenging, they lingered near the city's outskirts, hunting a few more zombies and collecting a dozen Pluting before returning. When they returned to the underground bunker, the sun was setting. As night fell, zombies became more active and dangerous. Their strength and senses heightened at night, making it too risky for even metahumans to remain in the city after dark. A small group of zombies could be handled easily, but facing hundreds or thousands would overwhelm anyone. At the base, dim lights flickered in the bunker, powered by a generator they had salvaged earlier. Only a few bulbs could be lit, but it was enough to get by. "H-Hans," an elderly woman called out, approaching him hesitantly. Hans assumed she had come to ask for food. Frowning, he said, "Today's rations have already been distributed. You'll have to wait until tomorrow." The old woman shakily removed a diamond bracelet from her wrist—something she had worn her entire life—and offered it to him. "Please… take this. Can you find some medicine for my grandson?" Hans accepted the bracelet. Though it looked valuable, even a single piece of bread was worth more in this world. "What's wrong with him?" he asked. "He has acute enteritis," a man with a square face and wearing glasses answered as he approached. Before the apocalypse, he had been a doctor. Now, he did what he could for the people in the base, though he had no medicine or proper equipment. "I'll see what I can do," Hans replied. "Many people in the base are suffering from acute enteritis," Leo added. "It's probably from eating contaminated food." "We'll figure it out tomorrow." No one dared press the matter further once Hans had spoken. After the group left, the old woman's eyes reddened with worry. The doctor opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. "Mom, eat this!" A little girl offered her mother the half bread she had saved, her small hands trembling. "You eat it," the woman said weakly, her face pale, her cheeks sunken, and her lips darkened from long-term exposure to toxic substances. "Mom, please don't die! Take it all! Please, I want you to live!" The four-year-old's cries pierced the dim bunker, wrenching the hearts of those nearby. Such scenes had become all too common. Compared to their base, other nearby shelters were said to have resorted to cannibalism in desperation. Later, Hans glanced at his pocket space, noticing that none of the items had been transported yet. Knowing the time difference between their worlds, he figured it was midnight on Lucy's side. He left a note for her before turning in. … The next morning, Lucy woke early, feeling refreshed. Perhaps it was because she now had money and stability, but she also noticed subtle changes in her body after absorbing Pluting. The first thing she did upon waking was to check her phone, where over 99 messages and notifications from her novel app awaited. It was just past 6:00 am. She entered her pocket space and was immediately stunned by the sight of gold jewelry gleaming everywhere. The sheer brilliance of it all nearly blinded her.