2026-09-24 22:43:19The red warning box blinked on the glowing screen, casting a sharp light across the checkout counter. Jax stared at the twelve hour countdown timer ticking down fast. He needed to get a beast core soon, or his safe zone would lose power and he would end up as ghoul food.
Jax looked at the shelves filled with simple store goods. He walked over to a stack of basic instant noodle cups, picking up a red paper cup.
[Item: Spicy Beef Instant Noodles]
[System Effect: Grants 300% physical strength for 5 minutes when eaten hot.]
[Exchange Value: 1 Basic Beast Core.]
Jax smiled softly. Everything in his store had turned into a secret weapon. With these items, he wasn't just a poor clerk anymore. He had full control over life and death in this broken world.
Suddenly, a loud metallic bang echoed from the street right outside the store.
Jax walked up to the clean glass window and looked out into the red haze. Down on the sidewalk, a big green metal dumpster was shaking violently. A man was crammed underneath the dirty trash bin, his legs kicking wildly as he tried to pull himself deeper into the dark shadow.
"Help! Somebody save me!" a high voice screamed from under the dumpster.
Jax recognized that voice instantly. It belonged to Mr. Sterling, the greedy owner of the convenience store and Jax’s abusive boss.
Sterling was a fat man who wore expensive silk shirts and heavy gold rings. For six months, Sterling had treated Jax like dirt. He made Jax work twenty-hour shifts, yelled at him for small mistakes, and constantly threatened to fire him without pay whenever Jax asked for his rightful wages.
Right now, Sterling’s expensive silk shirt was ripped and covered in dirt. His face was pale with sheer terror, and blood was dripping down his left leg.
Two mutated ghouls were standing near the dumpster. Their sickly gray bodies twitched as they growled, sniffing the air for the smell of fresh blood. Their long bone claws scraped against the metal sides of the trash bin, making a awful screeching noise.
Sterling peeked out from under the dumpster, his small eyes darting around the empty street. That was when he saw the bright lights inside the convenience store.
Through the clear glass window, Sterling saw Jax standing comfortably behind the counter. He saw the full shelves of food, the bright lights, and the bottles of clean water. Most importantly, he saw that Jax was completely unhurt, looking fresh and full of energy.
Sterling’s eyes went wide with shock. A look of disbelief washed over his face, quickly replaced by his usual arrogant attitude.
"Jax!" Sterling yelled, his voice cracking as he kicked one of the ghouls away with his boot. "Jax, you lazy idiot! What are you doing standing inside my store? Open the front door right now!"
Jax did not move an inch. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his boss through the glass.
"Did you hear me, boy?" Sterling barked louder, his face turning red with anger despite his fear. "That is my store! I own every single shelf and every bottle of water in there! Unlock the door this instant and let me in! If you let those monsters touch me, I will make sure you never work in this city again!"
Jax let out a dry, cold laugh. It was crazy how Sterling still thought he had power over him.
"Your store?" Jax called out through the barrier, his voice cool and calm. "You didn't pay the rent for this place last week, Mr. Sterling. And ten minutes ago, you fired me on the phone without giving me my three hundred dollars in back wages. You said I was fired and worth less than a dead dog."
Sterling gasped as one of the ghouls snapped its sharp teeth just an inch from his foot. Panic finally broke through his arrogance.
"I was just joking, Jax!" Sterling begged, his voice rising to a high squeak as he tried to crawl closer to the store entrance. "You know I like to joke! I'll pay you your wages! I'll double your salary! Just open the door and give me a bottle of water! My throat is burning!"
Jax picked up a cool bottle of purified water from the counter. He walked slowly to the glass door, stood right behind the glowing golden shield, and held the bottle up so Sterling could see it clearly.
"You want water?" Jax asked, his voice filled with cold mockery. "It costs one beast core, Mr. Sterling. No credit. No promises. Cash or cores upfront."
"Are you insane?" Sterling shrieked, tears of rage and fear falling down his dirty cheeks. "You want me to trade with you? I am your boss! You are just a low-life worker! Give me that water now or I'll kill you!"
Sterling scrambled out from under the dumpster and lunged toward the glass entrance, desperate to break inside.
He didn't notice the two ghouls turning around quickly behind him. One of the monsters raised its black claws and slashed hard across Sterling’s back, sending the fat man crashing onto the concrete right in front of the store step.
"AGHHH!" Sterling screamed in pain, rolling over onto his back. He pressed his back against the outside of the glass door, his body shaking violently.
He looked up at Jax through the glass, his eyes wild and full of desperation.
"Okay, okay! I'll pay you!" Sterling sobbed, reaching into his coat pocket with shaking fingers. He pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar paper bills tied with a red rubber band. "Look! I have money! There is ten thousand dollars here! Ten thousand in cold hard cash! Take it all! Just open the door and let me inside!"
Sterling slammed the heavy stack of money against the glass door, begging for his life.
Jax looked at the green paper bills. In this new ruined world, paper money was nothing more than useless trash. He was about to tell Sterling to get lost, but something else caught his eye.
As Sterling pressed his hands against the window, his right sleeve pulled back slightly.
Right on Sterling’s wrist was a dark, swollen bite mark. The skin around the wound was already turning black, and dark purple veins were spreading quickly up his arm toward his heart like a poison spider web.
Jax narrowed his eyes as the golden screen flashed in front of him.
[Warning: Human target outside is infected with the Mutation Virus.]
[Time until full mutation: 60 seconds.]
Sterling offered Jax $10,000 in cash to open the door, but Jax noticed a dark, venomous bite mark spreading across Sterling’s wrist.
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Chapter 11: The Ex-Fiancée’s Begging
Jax stood behind the glass door, looking at Chloe with cold, unfeeling eyes. He did not say a word, just watching her press her dirty hands against the sparkling window.Chloe’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Jax. He looked taller, stronger, and completely healthy. His skin was clean, his hair was neat, and he was standing inside a warm room filled with rows of bottled water, hot noodles, and fresh snacks."Jax!" Chloe screamed through the glass, her voice shaking with desperate emotion. "Oh my god, Jax, it really is you! You survived! I knew you were strong!"She turned to the six tired refugees standing behind her, a proud, fake smile spreading across her muddy face."Look, everyone!" Chloe shouted happily, pointing at Jax with her trembling finger. "I told you we would find help! This is Jax, my former fiancé! He loves me so much he would do anything for me! We are saved!"The starving refugees let out weak sighs of relief. Some of them collapsed onto their knees on the cold
Chapter 10: Expanding the Empire
Jax looked at the glowing purple screen hovering in front of his eyes. Five hundred energy points was a cheap price to pay for doubling the size of his sanctuary. He tapped the yes button without a single second of hesitation."Expand domain now," Jax ordered softly.A wave of golden light rushed out from the cashier counter, spreading across the floor like water. It shot straight through the right side wall of the shop, passing right through the concrete like it was thin paper.A loud, deep hum echoed through the building. The dark wall separating the convenience store from the old, abandoned bakery next door suddenly began to melt away. The heavy bricks turned into shimmering dust, leaving behind a wide, beautiful arched opening that connected the two shops into one giant sanctuary.The golden barrier outside stretched instantly, wrapping around the entire bakery front. The dusty bakery space lit up with bright white lights, and the broken glass windows on that side sealed up, turni
Chapter 9: Unshakable Sanctuary
A loud WHOOSH echoed through the night as the rocket shot out of the heavy metal tube. A trail of white smoke followed the missile as it zoomed down from the rooftop, heading straight for the store's glass front display window.Mia screamed, diving behind the wooden checkout counter and covering her head with both hands.Jax did not flinch. He stood right behind the glass door, watching the explosive green rocket fly closer and closer.BOOM!A massive fireball erupted right in front of Jax’s eyes. The force of the explosion shook the surrounding buildings, filling the entire street with thick black smoke and flying debris. The noise was so loud it sounded like the sky was splitting open.Up on the roof, Captain Vance threw his head back and laughed wildly."That is what you get, you little fool!" Vance shouted, waving the thick smoke away with his gloved hand. "Nobody mocks Captain Vance and lives! Now let us go down there and collect our food!"His four guards cheered, stepping towar
Chapter 8: The Rooftop Threat
The bright red laser dot stayed locked directly on Jax’s chest. The air grew cold and quiet as the gunman on the dark roof five stories up adjusted his grip on the heavy rifle.Jax stood right at the edge of the store entrance. His mind raced, but he kept his body still. He knew that one wrong move outside the barrier could mean a bullet through his heart, but as long as he took one step back, he would be completely untouchable.Jax took a slow step backward, crossing the shimmering line into his safe zone. The moment his boots touched the clean store tiles, a sense of absolute calm washed over him."Don't move a single inch, boy!" a loud, rough voice boomed down from the rooftop across the street.A man stepped out from the dark shadows of the roof, standing right near the edge. He wore a dark green tactical vest, heavy combat boots, and black gloves. Behind him stood four other armed men carrying assault rifles. They were ex-security guards who used to guard the private bank down th
Chapter 7: The Instant Noodle Miracle
The bright red warning screen blinked out of control, painting the dim shop in a blood-colored light. The loud alarm chimed again and again inside Jax’s head.[Energy Reserve: 12%][Energy Reserve: 10%]"Jax! The light is fading!" Mia shouted, pointing at the front glass window with a trembling finger.The golden barrier had turned into a paper-thin film, flickering like a dying candle. Outside, the large scaled monster was lying in a pool of its own green acidic blood, but it was not dead yet. The creature roared in wild rage, dragging its heavy body along the concrete, heading straight for the front door to crush them before it died.Jax ran his eyes over the control screen, searching for any solution. He had no more energy points to create another spike bomb. He needed to finish this beast himself, right now, before the shield died completely and left them helpless.His gaze locked onto a shelf behind the register. Sitting on the middle rack was a simple red paper cup.Jax remember
Chapter 6: The Burrowing Mutation
The ground shook even harder as concrete cracks spread across the street outside. Mia let out a small scream, dropping her water bottle as she held onto the edge of the silver counter.Jax grabbed the heavy wooden frame of the checkout desk to steady himself. He kept his eyes locked onto the iron sewer grate sitting twenty feet away from the store entrance.With a deafening crash, the heavy metal grate burst straight up into the air, flying high before smashing down on top of a parked car.A massive creature crawled slowly out of the dark hole. It was three times the size of a normal man, covered in dark, stone-like scales that glistened with wet slime. Instead of eyes, the front of its head had four long, twitching feelers. Its fingers ended in long, curved digging claws that tore up the asphalt like paper.Ordinary ghouls standing near the street backed away in fear, whimpering like scared dogs. The massive beast did not even glance at them. It turned its long, ugly head straight to
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