DOOMSDAY LEDGER

Chapter 11: Don't Open the Door

The cool sensation of the steadily running central AC felt like an angel's embrace on their skin, sticky with sweat, blood, and rainwater. Outside, the midday sun blazed, baking the asphalt of Jakarta filled with corpses, creating a sharp, rising scent of death. But inside Cosmo Mart Branch 404, the air felt sterile, cool, and strangely... peaceful.

Elian sat in the cashier's chair, which now doubled as the "System Throne." In front of him, a transparent blue hologram screen floated, displaying a slowly rotating 3D map of their store.

"Crazy," Elian muttered, rubbing his chin. "So this is what it feels like to play SimCity but with only one life."

Their Base Status was clearly displayed:

=== BASE STATUS: COSMO MART ===

Level: 1

Energy: 98% (Stable Beast Core)

Defense: 15/100 (Critical - Only Instant Noodle Cardboard)

Facilities: Recovery Room (Active), Crafting Table (Active)

Base Balance: 500 Credit Points (Boss Kill Reward)

Elian sighed deeply. The 500 points balance looked tempting. It was the result of his near-death experience getting electrocuted with the giant mutant dog this morning.

"El, are you talking to ghosts again?" Rico's hoarse voice came from the warehouse door.

Elian turned. Rico walked out with a much lighter step than he had this morning. The bruises on his chest from the monster boss's impact had faded to a yellowish color, and the scratches on his legs had closed into dry scabs.

"The back storage room is truly magical," Rico said, stretching his arms, the loud 'crack' of his bones audible. "I slept for two hours and it felt like a full day of reflexology and spa treatment. My body feels so light."

"That's the Recovery Room effect," Elian explained without looking away from the hologram screen. "That warehouse now has a double regeneration buff. So if you're dying, as long as you're not dead yet, just throw yourself onto the pile of rice in the back, and you'll be healed by morning."

"Seriously? So I can be an eternal punching bag?" Rico grinned, grabbing a bottled tea from the now-cold refrigerator.

"Don't get cocky. If your head is cut off, the Recovery Room can't grow a new one," Elian replied flatly.

Lina was sweeping the first aisle. The girl looked much calmer now. She wore a slightly oversized Cosmo Mart apron, her hair neatly tied back. Although her eyes still hinted at trauma, at least her hands no longer trembled when holding the broom.

"Brother Elian," Lina called softly. "That... Mr. Hendra hasn't come out of the staff room. Is he okay?"

Elian glanced at the wall clock. Mr. Hendra had locked himself in the back room for an hour after they returned. "He's probably in severe shock. Older people usually have a harder time adapting to the apocalypse than those of us who watch zombie movies often."

Just as Elian was about to stand up to check, the staff room door opened. Mr. Hendra emerged with a military-like stride. In his hand was a new clipboard (he found a stock of clipboards on the stationery shelf) and a stack of HVS paper covered in super neat handwriting.

Mr. Hendra's appearance was back to prime condition. His hair was slicked back neatly with leftover pomade stock, his uniform shirt was tucked neatly into his trousers, and the "MANAGER" name tag on his chest gleamed as if newly polished.

"Report, Base Commander," Mr. Hendra said formally, but his eyes sparkled with bureaucratic fanaticism.

Elian and Rico exchanged glances.

"Sir, are you feeling well?" Rico asked worriedly. "What if you caught the Admin-type zombie virus?"

"Nonsense!" Mr. Hendra glared, then placed the stack of papers on the cashier counter with a firm slap. "I have just completed a total inventory of post-disaster assets. This is our first Logistics Ledger."

Elian took the first sheet. The contents gave him a headache.

Rice 5kg: 20 Sacks (Condition: Excellent)

Instant Noodles (Soup): 4 Cartons (Remaining from wall construction)

Mineral Water 600ml: 150 Bottles

Yupi Gummy Candy: 43 pieces (1 piece eaten by Rico without permission)

Rubber Bands: 256 pieces

"Sir..." Elian stared at his manager in disbelief. "You counted the rubber bands?"

"Every asset is vital, Elian!" Mr. Hendra insisted, pointing proudly at the numbers. "In a survival situation, resource management is key. We must not be wasteful. I have created daily calorie rations. Starting today, Rico is only allowed to eat two packs of bread and one can of sardines per day. You, because you are a Mage and need a lot of brain energy, get an additional chocolate bar ration."

"Wait? Why am I being discriminated against?" Rico protested. "I'm the Tank! Big body needs lots of fuel!"

"You still have plenty of fat reserves in your stomach. That's an asset too," Mr. Hendra replied lightly, without remorse.

Elian smiled faintly. This, apparently, was Mr. Hendra's way of coping with stress: by controlling small things in the midst of an uncontrollable world. And honestly, Mr. Hendra's micro-management skills were very useful. Elian might be the combat leader, but he was clueless about logistics.

"Okay, Sir. Thank you. This data is very important," Elian praised sincerely. "Keep it safe. You are officially the Base Logistics Chief."

Mr. Hendra puffed out his chest, immensely proud. "Ready to execute. Now, our main problem: that Instant Noodle Wall."

Mr. Hendra pointed toward the front door, which was still covered by the stack of noodle boxes. Some of the bottom boxes were starting to dent from the dampness left by last night's rain. The aroma of soto seasoning wafting out was also starting to make them nauseous.

"That cardboard won't last if it rains again, especially if there's a ramming-type monster like this morning," Mr. Hendra analyzed. "We need a steel door. Our rolling door is badly damaged, the rails are bent, the mechanism is destroyed."

Elian nodded. "That's what I'm going to do now."

He looked back at the system hologram screen. In the [Base Upgrade] menu, an option was brightly lit.

[Main Door Upgrade Options]

1. Standard Repair (50 Credits): Repairs the *rolling door* to its original condition. Manual open-close.

2. Reinforced Steel Gate (250 Credits): Double steel door with 5mm thickness. Resistant to medium impact.

3. Tesla-Coil Barrier (500 Credits): Electrically charged steel door (Link with Mana User). Delivers shock damage to attackers.

Elian looked at his point balance: exactly 500.

"I can build an electric door," Elian muttered. "But that will use up all our money. We also need points to buy First Aid Kits or weapons."

"The door is the priority, El," Rico said seriously, his brain working for once. "If we sleep soundly, tomorrow we can earn more points. But if the door breaks while we're sleeping, no amount of points will help us in the afterlife."

Elian agreed. Security was the best investment.

"Okay. Tesla-Coil Barrier, confirmed."

Elian pressed the virtual button on the screen.

[Transaction Successful. Balance: 0 Credits.]

[Initiating Automatic Construction...]

Suddenly, the store floor vibrated gently. Not an earthquake, but a mechanical tremor.

"Move away from the door!" Elian shouted.

Rico, Lina, and Mr. Hendra backed away from the cardboard barricade.

Pixelated blue light emerged from the damaged upper door frame. The light particles began to reassemble the bent metal. A whirring sound like a giant 3D printer filled the room.

The remnants of the destroyed rolling door melted, then reformed into thick, sturdy black steel plates. No longer the thin, noisy metal typical of shophouses, but solid steel plating with a spiderweb motif. In the center of the door, a small lightning symbol glowed blue.

The instant noodle boxes were automatically pushed back by the new door, which slowly descended, closing the store entrance.

CLANG!

The steel door closed tightly until it met the floor. The sound of the automatic locking mechanism was heavy and reassuring.

"Wow..." Rico's eyes sparkled like a child seeing a new toy. "Is that a door or a bank vault?"

Mr. Hendra stepped forward, knocking on the steel door with his knuckles. A solid *thud-thud* sound was heard. "Solid. Very solid. This is god-level anti-theft."

Elian walked closer. He placed his palm on the door's surface. He could feel a faint connection. This door was linked to his energy core.

"Lina, try turning on the switch next to the wall. I think that's the new switch," Elian instructed.

Lina pressed the new switch that had magically appeared on the wall.

ZZZTT!

The outer surface of the steel door suddenly pulsed with fine blue electrical sparks. The hum of high voltage sounded menacing.

"Defense system active," Elian said with satisfaction. "Anyone who tries to knock on this door from the outside is going to get a 10,000-volt surprise."

"So package delivery guys can't knock on the door?" Rico joked.

"Package delivery guys these days only deliver viruses, Ric," Elian countered.

Physical security was guaranteed. The atmosphere inside the store became much more relaxed. They felt truly separated from the crazy world outside.

"Alright," Mr. Hendra clapped his hands. "Since security is guaranteed, it's time to get back to work! Rico, help me tidy up these instant noodle boxes. We'll return them to the warehouse according to flavor category. Soto must be separated from Chicken Curry! Don't mix them, that's heresy!"

"Ugh... I just got a moment to breathe," Rico complained, but he moved to help anyway.

Elian returned to the cashier's chair. He felt mentally exhausted. His Mana had recovered, but his brain needed rest. He watched his friends. Mr. Hendra, the fussy one; Rico, the lazy but strong one; and Lina, the diligent one.

They were a strange team. An RPG party consisting of a cashier, a manager, a parking attendant, and a frightened girl.

"System," Elian whispered softly. "What is the ultimate goal of all this?"

Ding!

A small text box appeared, visible only to his eyes.

[Primary Objective: Survive until the Last Page of the Ledger.]

[Current Progress: 11/100]

"The last page, huh?" Elian smiled wryly. It was still a long way to go.

In the afternoon, they spent time doing activities that were almost normal. Lina cooked instant noodles (using a portable gas stove sold in the store) for lunch. The aroma made their mouths water. Rico ate heartily, getting seconds, ignoring Mr. Hendra's diet plan—which Mr. Hendra eventually tolerated because today was special.

Towards evening, the rain returned. It was pouring heavily. The sound of water hitting the tin roof was loud, but this time there was no fear. The Tesla steel door protected them.

Elian was tinkering with the Crafting menu at the cashier counter, trying to make Molotov Cocktails from used syrup bottles and gasoline siphoned from a motorcycle in the parking lot (Rico had recklessly slipped out the back door briefly to siphon the gas).

[Crafting Successful: Standard Molotov x3]

[Crafting XP +15]

"Not bad," Elian muttered.

Suddenly, Mr. Hendra, who was checking the CCTV (which the system had magically repaired and reactivated), shouted from the back room.

"Elian! Rico! Get over here!"

Mr. Hendra's tone was not one of anger about inventory stock. It was pure panic.

Elian and Rico immediately ran to the staff room. There, the CCTV monitor displayed the street view in front of the store in black-and-white Night Vision mode.

"What is it, Sir?" Elian asked.

"Look at that," Mr. Hendra's trembling finger pointed at the screen.

In the heavy rain captured by the camera, a human figure was seen running haltingly in the middle of the road. The figure wore a torn hoodie jacket. She was running in a panic, occasionally looking back.

And behind her, not one or two zombies were chasing.

Dozens. Maybe hundreds. A massive Horde was moving like a tidal wave, filling the entire width of the road, chasing that one person.

"She... she's running toward our store," Lina whispered in horror.

The figure was clearly visible on the camera. A woman. Her hair was soaked, her face covered in mud, but her eyes conveyed a steely determination to live. She held a long iron pipe in her right hand.

She saw the neon light of Cosmo Mart seeping from the ventilation gap above the steel door. Hope.

The woman turned sharply, running straight toward their front door.

"She wants help," Rico said.

"If we open the door, the hundreds of corpses behind her will come in too," Elian said coldly, his eyes calculating the probability. The steel door was strong, but opening it during a Horde attack? That was suicide.

The woman reached the steel door. She pounded hard.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The door's static electricity shocked her slightly, making her jump, but she didn't care. She screamed, her voice muffled by the thick steel but still faintly audible.

"Help! Open up! For God's sake, open up!"

Elian looked at the CCTV screen. The hundreds of zombies were only ten seconds away from her.

[Moral Choice Activated]

[Open Door: 99% Risk of Death]

[Keep Closed: Woman Dies, Base 100% Safe]

The room was silent. Rico's and Mr. Hendra's eyes were fixed on Elian. The decision rested with the Base Leader. And for the first time, Elian hated his position.

"Don't open it," Elian commanded flatly, though his heart was churning. "We can't save everyone."

Lina's face was pale. "But Brother... she's going to be eaten..."

Elian stared at the monitor, watching the woman turn around, realizing the door wouldn't open. The woman didn't cry. Instead, she raised her iron pipe, bracing herself to fight hundreds of monsters alone in the pouring rain.

"It's going to be a long night," Elian whispered, clenching his hands until his knuckles turned white.

And out there, a brutal show was about to begin.