Apocalypse Landlord: The Sanctuary System

The High Cost of Living

Chapter 3: The High Cost of Living

"Open the gate! Open the damn gate!"

The guard’s voice was cracking, his eyes darting toward the shadows of the nearby diner where things were moving—fast. Daryx didn’t move immediately. He watched the HUD, specifically the golden glow surrounding the woman’s briefcase.

"System," Daryx whispered, his voice barely audible over the screaming and the gunfire. "If I open a gap in the barrier, can I set it to auto-close the millisecond that briefcase clears the threshold?"

[Affirmative. Precision aperture control is available for Tier 1 Slumlords. Cost: 50 Credits.]

"Do it," Daryx said.

Outside, the lead guard, a man with a heavy jaw and 'Deylor' stitched onto his tactical vest, slammed his fist against the blue light. "Hey! You in there! We’re with Private Security Force Delta! This is a Grade-A emergency! Open up!"

Daryx stepped closer to the window, his face illuminated by the flickering barrier. "You’re making a lot of noise, Deylor. You know what noise does? It brings more guests. And I’m already at capacity."

"I don't give a damn about your capacity!" Deylor roared, firing another round into the dark. "We have a VIP! If she dies, the city’s power grid stays dead forever! Open the door!"

"The power station deed, huh?" Daryx smirked. "Fine. But the SUV stays outside. It’s an eyesore."

With a flick of his fingers on the HUD, a narrow vertical slit appeared in the blue wall. "Run. Now."

The three guards grabbed the woman and lunged forward. They practically tumbled through the gap, the woman’s heels skidding on the pavement. The moment the briefcase crossed the line, the barrier snapped shut with the sound of a whip cracking. A split second later, a dozen grey, emaciated figures slammed into the light, their flesh sizzling instantly.

"Inside. Now," Daryx commanded, gesturing toward the lobby door.

The group scrambled in, gasping for air. The woman collapsed into a dusty armchair, clutching the briefcase to her chest. Deylor, however, didn't stay down. He stood up, wiped blood from a scratch on his cheek, and immediately raised his sidearm, pointing it straight at Daryx’s chest. The other two guards followed suit, their rifles snapping up.

"Secure the perimeter!" Deylor barked at his men. "You, kid—whatever your name is—stay where I can see you. This building is now a designated Emergency Command Post under the authority of the PSF."

Daryx didn't flinch. He didn't even raise his hands. He just looked at the barrel of the gun with a bored expression. "Is it? That’s funny. I don't remember signing a lease for a command post."

"This isn't a joke," Deylor snapped. "We’re taking over the lobby and the second floor. We need a secure line to the main office and a medical kit for the lady. Move!"

"Daryx?" Sarah’s voice came from the stairs. She was peering down, her face pale. "Why are they pointing guns at you?"

"Because they haven't checked the property rules yet, Sarah," Daryx said, his eyes locking onto Deylor’s. "Hey, Captain. Quick question. Do you know what happens to people who try to commit armed robbery on a System-integrated property?"

"I’m not robbing you," Deylor hissed. "I’m requisitioning this space for the good of the city."

"Same thing in my book," Daryx said. "System. Unauthorized weapons detected in the lobby. Initiate 'Tenant Disarmament'."

[Property Skill: 'Levitate Objects' (Rank 1) activated. Target: Ballistic weapons.]

"What the—?" Deylor’s eyes went wide as his handgun suddenly vibrated violently in his grip.

It didn't just vibrate; it was ripped out of his hand by an invisible force. The same happened to the two guards behind him. Their rifles flew into the air, spinning toward the ceiling like they were caught in a localized cyclone.

"My guns!" one of the guards yelled, jumping up to grab his rifle, only for it to dance out of reach, hovering ten feet above the floor.

"Hey! Give those back!" Deylor lunged for Daryx, his fist balled.

Daryx didn't move a muscle. "System, increase gravity for the loud one."

[Gravity multiplied by 4x for Target: Kervan Deylor.]

Deylor didn't even make it halfway. He crashed to the floor with a heavy thud, his face pressed into the grime of the lobby tiles. He groaned, his limbs feeling like they were made of solid lead.

"I told you, Captain," Daryx said, walking over and crouching down next to the pinned soldier. "My house. My rules. You want to stay here? You stop acting like you’re in charge. Because out here, the only thing that matters is who owns the dirt you're standing on."

"Ugh... stop..." Deylor wheezed, his chest heaving under the weight. "We... we just need... safety..."

"Safety isn't free," Daryx said. He looked at the woman in the chair. She was staring at him in pure terror. "And you, Miss...?"

"Evelyn," she whispered. "Evelyn Reed. I’m the Chief Architect for the Northern Grid."

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn. You’re the 'Priority Asset.' That means your rent is going to be astronomical. But for now, let's talk to your muscle." Daryx tapped the HUD. "System, release the pressure."

Deylor gasped, the weight lifting instantly. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the guns still hovering near the ceiling. He looked at Daryx, then at his men, who were standing frozen, unsure of what to do.

"You’re one of them," Deylor said, his voice raspy. "The ones who got the 'Early Access' messages."

"I’m a businessman," Daryx corrected. "And I’m hiring. Look at your guys, Deylor. They’re tired, they’re out of ammo, and they’re terrified. You stay out there, you’re dead in an hour. You stay here, you have a barrier that vaporizes monsters and a roof that won't fall on your head."

Deylor wiped his mouth, slowly sitting up. "And what’s the catch? You want the deed in the briefcase?"

"Actually, no," Daryx said, surprising everyone in the room. "The deed is useless without a power station to go with it. I want you. You’re trained. You know how to hold a perimeter. I need 'Building Security'."

Deylor laughed, a dry, bitter sound. "You want us to be your bouncers?"

"I want you to be the reason I can sleep at night without checking the cameras every five minutes," Daryx said. "In exchange, you get three meals a day, a secure room on the first floor, and protection. And since I’m feeling generous..."

Daryx walked over to a small supply crate he’d had the System manifest earlier. He reached in and pulled out a dusty, dented tin. He tossed it to Deylor.

Deylor caught it. He looked at the label. "Canned peaches?"

"The good kind. In heavy syrup," Daryx said. "Consider it a signing bonus. My other tenants are a squatter who knows the pipes and a tech geek who’s currently trying not to pee himself upstairs. I need people who can actually fight."

Deylor looked at the peaches, then at his men. They were looking at the tin like it was a pile of gold. One of them actually licked his lips.

"The guns?" Deylor asked, pointing upward.

"You get them back when I’m sure you won't point them at me again," Daryx said. "For now, you use the batons and the knives. Anything that gets through the barrier, you handle it. Deal?"

Deylor looked at the peaches again, then sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Deal. But we need a medic. Our third man is—"

"I’ll handle the wounded guy," Daryx interrupted. "Sarah! Get down here! We’ve got new staff. Show them where the 'Security Barracks' are. It’s the old laundry room, but it’s got a lock and the floor is dry."

"The laundry room?" one of the guards muttered. "Man, from PSF Delta to the laundry room in twenty minutes."

"Better than a stomach in a zombie's mouth," Daryx called out as they started to move.

He watched them go, his expression neutral. The group was larger now. More mouths to feed, more personalities to manage. But the 'Security' tag on his HUD was now active, increasing his property’s 'Safety Rating' by 20%.

"System," Daryx said, leaning against the security desk. "Current Credit balance?"

[Balance: 7,150 Credits. Daily overhead: 600 Credits (Maintenance, Barrier, Filtration).]

"I need more income," Daryx muttered. "The peaches won't last forever."

He looked at Evelyn, who was still sitting in the chair, her knuckles white as she gripped the briefcase. "And you, Miss Reed. Since you’re the VIP, you get the executive suite on the fourth floor. It’s got a working shower. But I expect a full report on how to get that power station under my 'management' by morning."

"I... I can't give you the station," she stammered. "It’s government property."

"The government is currently being digested, Evelyn," Daryx said coldly. "In this new world, property belongs to the person who can keep the lights on. Now go. Get some sleep."

She hurried after the others, leaving Daryx alone in the dim lobby. He let out a long, slow breath, his 'Cold Heart' bonus finally dipping as the adrenaline faded.

"You did good," he whispered to himself. "A security force, a tech, and a utility mogul. Not bad for day one."

Suddenly, a chime echoed in his mind—a sound much deeper and more resonant than the usual system pings.

[ATTENTION: REGIONAL ALERT.]

Daryx straightened up, his eyes narrowing. "What now?"

[A 'Legendary Grade Asset' has entered the 1-mile radius of the Blackwood Tenements.]

[Asset Type: World Boss / Harbinger.]

[Estimated Time to Arrival at Perimeter: 12 Minutes.]

[Warning: Your current 'Sanctum' level is insufficient to withstand a direct assault from a Harbinger. Recommendation: Relocate or Upgrade.]

Daryx looked at his 7,000 credits. Then he looked at the front door.

"Relocate? I just bought the place," Daryx growled, his thumb twitching as he scrolled through the 'Defensive' tab of the shop. "System... show me the 'Experimental' section. And someone get Deylor back out here! Tell him his break is over!"

The air in the lobby suddenly felt colder. Far off in the distance, a sound began to rise above the moans of the zombies. It wasn't a scream or a roar. It was a rhythmic, metallic clack-clack-clack, like a giant insect walking on glass.

"Twelve minutes," Daryx whispered, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and greed. "Let's see what a Legendary kill is worth in this market."

[END OF CHAPTER 3]