Ethan spent the rest of the morning moving from one store to another, determined to finish the preparations before the city became crowded with panic.His first stop was an outdoor equipment warehouse that was shutting down one of its branches. Most of the shelves were already half-empty, but there was still plenty worth taking. At clearance prices, Ethan bought two rigid inflatable boats, three inflatable rafts, rescue kits, climbing ropes, waterproof backpacks, tents, fire axes, binoculars, radios, waterproof flashlights, solar panels, and several high-capacity power banks.The boats were bulky, but Ethan knew they would be worth their weight once the streets disappeared beneath floodwater.He then ordered three polar-grade winter suits, three expedition sleeping bags, and several thermal liners. The total came to just under two thousand dollars, but Ethan barely hesitated. Money would be meaningless once the disaster arrived.After renting a small box truck, he transported everythi

Just after midnight, Ethan checked the storage space again and froze when he saw the timer.It had refreshed.There were now one hundred and thirty minutes available.His eyes narrowed as he tested it again. The unused time had carried over.That changed everything.Every second mattered in a disaster. Sometimes a single minute could mean the difference between escaping alive and being trapped somewhere forever. Ethan immediately decided that unless absolutely necessary, he would avoid entering the storage space and save the accumulated time for the worst moments.With his supplies secured and the storage space serving as a final safety net, he finally felt somewhat prepared for what was coming.He slept through the rest of the night without dreaming.The next morning, a phone call woke him.The contractors installing his reinforced doors had arrived.One of the workers looked around in surprise. “You're really replacing the apartment doors with these?”“There have been break-ins arou

Ethan never expected the new resident of Unit 1801 to be the same young man who had helped him at the courier station.The man looked mildly surprised too. He gave Ethan a brief nod before returning to work.Up close, he had a cold, sharp appearance. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and a build that hinted at considerable strength beneath his clothes.Ethan exchanged a brief greeting before retreating into his apartment.This life was already different.Orion had arrived early, and now there was a new neighbor. What kind of ordinary person installed three stainless-steel doors in a row?Peaceful coexistence would be ideal, but caution was necessary. Saving someone did not mean much once disasters dragged on. When order collapsed, there was no guarantee people would remain the same.Ethan locked his door, washed up, and ate breakfast. Outside, the sky was slightly brighter but remained dark and heavy.From the balcony, he watched the typhoon slam against Crownview Residences.

“There’s nothing at home. I’ll be fine as long as I’m careful,” the young man said.Ethan hesitated before agreeing.If he had supplies, Ethan would be safer. It was better for the man to go out searching than to remain nearby and eventually become interested in what Ethan had hidden.The man glanced around the living room before looking back at him. “Thanks for taking care of Poppy.”“You helped me when I needed it. It’s only fair,” Ethan replied.Ethan had already hidden his real stockpile. The kitchen contained only a few ordinary items, such as cabbage and squash, nothing that would make a neighbor suspicious.The man nodded and left.Ethan’s plans for cooking were interrupted, so he returned to the bathroom and continued cleaning the organ meats he had taken from storage. Halfway through, the power suddenly went out.He immediately shut the bathroom door and slipped into his storage space.The lights inside were still burning.The relief was intense, but it also gave Ethan greate

The water inside Ethan's storage space never stopped flowing.He filled every container he had, emptied them when necessary, and filled them again until he was certain he had stored as much as possible.Outside, the situation in the residential complex continued to deteriorate.Three households from the first floor had moved upstairs, spreading themselves across the second, third, and fourth floors. The original residents were clearly uncomfortable having strangers occupying their hallways, but everyone kept reminding themselves that these were desperate times.That uneasy tolerance didn't last.Trash began piling up in corners and along the stairwells. With the water supply gone, toilets could no longer be flushed, forcing residents to collect rainwater from their balconies for basic sanitation.Soon, strangers began knocking on doors, asking to use bathrooms.Most people refused.Eventually, the displaced residents stopped asking.They relieved themselves in the stairwell and moved