Aron woke him with a splash of cold water over his face, his annoyance already overflowing.

"W-What do you want f-from me? I don't have anything to offer you," Kaiser stammered fearfully, his voice trembling.

Aron, who was already irritated to the max at Kaiser's pathetic attempt to play dumb, had no interest in wasting time. Went straight to the point.

"You've got a storage-space talent," Aron said coldly. "In exchange for your life, I want eighty percent of the supplies you've hoarded."

Kaiser's eyes widened in shock.

(How the hell does he know?!)

He immediately turned to glare at the girl beside him with hatred.

(This bitch… she sold me out!)

But the girl, equally stunned by Aron's casual reveal of the talent, saw the venom in Kaiser's gaze and knew exactly what he was thinking. She shook her head frantically, signaling that she hadn't said a word.

"Water bottles: 799,000. Clothes: 52,727. Cars. Rice. Noodles…"

Aron began listing the items one by one, his expression as indifferent as his tone. He had no patience for useless chatter, he only wanted to wrap this up and leave.

Kaiser's mouth hung open, his mind screaming in disbelief.

(H-how? How is he doing this?)

Panicked, Kaiser thrashed against the chair, but after a few pathetic seconds of struggling, he broke down crying.

Aron pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing deep to calm the very real urge to just drown the man on the spot.

"If you don't shut your trap, I'll shut it for you," Aron said. The water sphere floating beside him spun faster, making his threat crystal clear.

Kaiser instantly fell silent.

"I promise to let you go if you give me what I want," Aron continued.

"C-Can you make it sixty percent?" Kaiser asked cautiously, his voice shaking as he tested his luck.

"Eighty-five."

Kaiser blinked. "Y-You said eighty before…"

Aron's expression didn't change. "You misunderstand me. I'm not negotiating with you, I'm telling you what to do. Either you agree and release the supplies, or I take one hundred percent the hard way. And if you dare say anything other than yes, I'll treat it as no."

Kaiser shivered, unable to withstand that cold, piercing stare. He quickly lowered his eyes.

"I agree…" he said bitterly, his voice filled with reluctance.

But he soon raised another concern. "Where do you want me to keep them for you? Like you said, I have too many. My storage keeps things frozen in time, food doesn't spoil, hot stays hot, cold stays cold. But once I take them out, they stay as they are. And I don't think you can manage 85 percent of the things I have."

Kaiser spoke with forced sincerity, as if he really wanted to help, though deep down he'd already accepted the truth. His reinforced walls, his stockpile, his stubborn delusions, they were nothing in the face of real power. Aron had shattered the illusion that he could simply wait out the apocalypse like some smug doomsday prepper.

In a bitter way, Kaiser realized it might be a blessing. He'd been a cashier before all this, but he had a knack for reading people. And the man standing before him didn't seem the type to mistreat someone who could prove useful. If clinging to Aron's thigh meant survival, then he'd cling with all his strength.

"Don't worry about that. Let's go outside," Aron said.

The girl remained silent, too consumed by fear to speak.

With a flick of water, Aron released Kaiser's bindings. "If you try anything funny, death will be the least of your concerns."

Kaiser's body trembled before he slowly stood up, leading the way forward. The girl remained tied until, halfway down the stairs, Aron released her as well. The space inside was simply too small to unload the storage.

They walked quietly. Kaiser kept his head low while Aron followed behind with a frown.

At the door, Aron broke the lock effortlessly, only for both of them to stumble to a shocking scene.

Rain poured from the sky, drenching the ruined street. And everywhere they looked, transparent cocoons pulsed like beating hearts. Inside each one… zombies.

Kaiser instinctively staggered backward, his face pale with fear.

With his senses, Aron immediately saw through the situation: the rain seemed to be strengthening the zombies.

"Put your hand in the rain," Aron ordered.

"M-Me?" Kaiser's voice trembled.

Aron's only answer was a cold stare.

"O-Okay…" Kaiser's heart thudded painfully as he slowly extended his hand outside. The moment the raindrops touched his skin, he yanked it back.

But even in that brief moment, the hand that touched the rain had aged several years in an instant. The sight made his blood run cold.

Aron gave the withered hand a single glance, unimpressed. "Follow me."

As he walked outside, the rain one mile around him froze midair, unable to fall. Even the water pooled on the ground pulled back, leaving a dry space wherever he stood.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

The floating raindrops hardened into sharp bullets, shooting through the cocoons, shredding both shells and zombies within a single breath.

--

[Level 11 Zombie killed: 100]

[Level 14 Zombie killed: 450]

[Level 12 Zombie killed: 200]

[...]

[-17,000 Mana]

[-17,000 Mana]

[-17,000 Mana]

[...]

--

Notification after notification filled Aron's vision, endlessly scrolling.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Aron said coldly.

Kaiser still frozen by the door, his mouth wide open and eyes bulging.

(How… how can he do that? How can anyone have that much mana?)

His gaze dropped to his own pathetic [Mana: 100]. Then back to Aron, whose lone silhouette stood like an unshakable wall against the storm.

(No… maybe his talent isn't mana-based at all… this… this is beyond monstrous…)

The word freak didn't even begin to describe Aron.

And in that moment, Kaiser made his decision. Whatever it took, no matter how humiliating, he would cling to Aron's thigh and never let go.

****

Shameless Author:

First of all, thank you. Seriously, you guys make me so happy. The support has been massive, and to be honest… you completely outdid my expectations. Even my shameless self is standing here in shock like: "Wait, are these readers really mine?!"

Now, I also need to apologize. I know it's frustrating to wait a whole day just for a single chapter. Truth is, I'm currently tied up with a task that eats most of my time, so I've been squeezing writing into whatever scraps of free time I can find.

But! Starting next month, things should stabilize, and I promise you'll be getting two chapters daily. (Yes, you heard me, TWO. My fingers are already crying, but hey, what's life without suffering for art?)

Of course… if you really want to "motivate" me to write extra chapters earlier, well, hehe... I dare you to check the mission in Author's Thoughts. If you guys actually fulfills it, I'll find a way to squeeze more time out of nowhere for bonus chapters. Author winks shamelessly.

Once again, thank you for the overwhelming support. You've gone above and beyond what I ever expected, and it honestly means the world to me. Even my thick-skinned self can't hide from the truth, you guys are amazing.

Author hides face in embarrassment, then peeks out dramatically

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