Chapter 3

My consciousness raced through the vast stream of data, locking onto the faint blue icon glowing at the end of the warehouse—"Basic Transparent Shield."

Price: 1,000,000 gold.

In the past, that virtual fortune would have made me wince. But now, I didn't even blink. I slammed the purchase button.

"Hum—"

A visible ripple of pale blue light spread through the air, expanding rapidly from my body until it enveloped the entire apartment. The once-flimsy security door was now coated in a barely visible layer of energy flow.

I gave the door a hard kick—the recoil numbed my leg, but the surface didn't show a single dent.

With this defense, Mark's tactical knife wouldn't even leave a scratch.

Before I could catch my breath, the phone on the sofa screen blazed to life like a seizure. The community group chat was flooded with Emily's glaring words.

"Everyone, judge for yourselves! Jack has not only hoarded supplies meant for both of us, but he also kicked me out! His place is packed with food—he just wants to watch everyone starve!"

Her ability to twist the truth was sickening. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, hatred churning in my chest.

The group chat exploded—panic spreading like a plague.

"My fridge has been empty for days! What are we supposed to do?"

"Jack, we're neighbors—can't you spare even a little?"

Community manager Mrs. Harris posted a bolded message, trying to restore order: "Everyone, stay calm! The most important thing now is unity and cooperation—let's get through this together!"

Watching the scrolling messages, a painful memory stabbed at my nerves.

In my past life, the disaster on this day hadn't been limited to the monsters roaming the streets.

I snapped my head up at the wall clock. There wasn't much time left until ten at night.

Tonight at ten, a highly corrosive acid rain would sweep through the city and last an entire week! Exposed plants would wither and rot within seconds—and even more deadly, the entire city's water supply would be fatally contaminated.

My heart pounded. I quickly opened a private message to Mrs. Harris.

"Stock up on water. There's heavy acid rain at ten tonight—the water supply will be compromised. Believe it or not."

I sent it and took a deep breath. Mrs. Harris was a woman of integrity—in my past life, she'd sacrificed herself to protect her neighbors. I owed her this.

Within two minutes, an emergency announcement from Mrs. Harris appeared in the group chat: "URGENT NOTICE! Everyone, find containers and stockpile drinking water immediately! Extreme acid rain is forecasted tonight!"

Most neighbors responded in panic; faint sounds of rushing water echoed through the building.

But Emily wouldn't let this opportunity slip.

"Don't fall for his lies!" she fanned the flames instantly. "Jack's just creating panic to profit from the disaster! He owns a convenience store—he's trying to force us to buy overpriced water from him!"

That venomous speculation dropped like a spark into a powder keg.

"Damn it, that bastard is pure evil!" Someone in the group exploded with rage.

Reading those words, my heart sank. A wave of unease drove me to switch out of the chat and open the surveillance app for my corner convenience store.

The moment the feed loaded, my breath stopped.

The store was in chaos. Shelves toppled. Dozens of people fought like animals over bottled water and crackers—even brawling for half a bottle of soda.

"Old Tom!" I hurriedly dialed the store manager, Tom.

The other end was filled with screams and crashing. "Boss! They've gone mad! They're even smashing the register!" Old Tom's voice trembled violently.

"Forget the stuff! Go out the back door! Leave now!" I shouted into the receiver.

"I can't! I have to finish the final accounts—I have to guard this store..." The old man's stubbornness was going to be the death of him.

"Who cares about accounts when you're dead! Get out of there, now!" My eyes burned red, my voice nearly cracking.

A heavy sigh came through the line, followed by the creak of the back door opening. Old Tom had finally relented.

I stared at the surveillance screen, watching the crowd strip the convenience store bare like locusts. It wasn't until late into the night that the commotion finally subsided.

Just as I thought the chaos was winding down, two familiar figures appeared in a blind spot of the feed.

Mark and Emily.

Mark held a black riot shield in his left hand and a tactical knife in his right, swaggering through the ruined storefront. Emily followed, pushing four oversized shopping carts.

They headed straight for the warehouse, loading box after box of Old Tom's backup supplies—the high-end cans, medical kits, and bottled water! Four fully packed carts of them!

"Those filthy bastards." I gritted my teeth, staring at the screen, wishing I could tear through the connection and rip them apart. They'd not only stolen my last stockpile but had also smeared me all over the chat.

A blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky outside the window. Then, heavy raindrops pelted the glass with a sickening hiss.

The acid rain had arrived.

My phone buzzed violently again. It was old John from next door—a desperate plea in the group chat.

"Does anyone have fever medicine? Please! Little Cole has a high fever—he's convulsing! Save my grandson!"

My heart clenched. Old John had once fixed my plumbing; he was a kind old man.

Driven by urgency, I spun around and tore through my storage closet.

Instant noodles, canned goods, bottled water... supplies piled high.

But—aside from food, nothing else.

My hands froze mid-air; cold sweat trickled down my forehead. I had hoarded enough food to last years, built an impregnable defense, yet I'd overlooked the most fatal gap—medicine!

Old John's desperate pleas kept scrolling across the screen. I stared at those words, a crushing sense of helplessness swallowing me whole.