FROZEN SOVEREIGN: THE ICEBOUND OVERLORD

Iron Vault Defense System

CHAPTER SIX

 Zane stepped out of Eden High Vegetable Farm Market, the noise behind him slowly fading as he moved toward the roadside. Not far ahead—he saw Alina. She stood beside a small delivery cart, checking through a list while a few workers loaded crates behind her. Zane’s gaze shifted.

 Margaret was there too. The restaurant owner stood with her arms folded, watching the loading process like a hawk. Alina looked up first—and froze. “…Zane?” Her eyes moved past him… then widened slightly as she noticed the scale of what had just been purchased. An entire stall deliveries being arranged.

 “You…” she stepped closer, brows knitting together, “you already told me to stock up yesterday.” Her voice lowered. “Don’t tell me all this is yours?” Zane gave a small nod. “Yes.”

 Alina stared at him, clearly trying to process it. “…You’re serious,” she murmured.

 Margaret turned at that moment. “Who are you talking to—" She paused when she saw Zane. 

 “Oh?” A smile spread across her face. “If it isn’t our ‘difficult guest.’”

 Zane gave a polite nod. “Good afternoon.”

 Margaret’s eyes flicked briefly to the ongoing loading behind him, then back to his face. Her smile widened slightly. “All this… don’t tell me you bought half the market?”

 Zane didn’t deny it. “Maybe more… Something like that.”

 Margaret let out a light laugh. “Well, well… should I be worried?” she teased. “Are you planning to open a massive restaurant and put mine out of business?” Alina glanced at him again, still unsettled. “…Mom.”

 But Margaret only chuckled. “If that’s the case, at least give me a heads-up so I can retire early.”

 Zane shook his head slightly. “No,” he said calmly. “Nothing like that.”

 His gaze lingered on Alina for a brief moment. “Just preparing ahead.”

 Alina held his gaze. That same seriousness again. The same tone from yesterday. Her fingers tightened slightly around the list in her hand. “…You weren’t joking,” she said quietly.

 Zane didn’t respond. Margaret, however, noticed the shift in atmosphere. Her smile faded just a little. “…Preparing for what?” she asked, more curious now than teasing.

 Zane looked at her. Then he gave a faint, unreadable smile. “For when things get bad.”

 Margaret frowned slightly. Alina didn’t speak. She already had a feeling… Zane stepped back.

 “I’ll be going now.”

 Margaret nodded slowly. “Alright… don’t forget to come eat again.”

 Zane gave a small nod. Then he turned and walked away. Alina watched him leave; her brows slightly furrowed. “…Mom,” she said quietly, “I think we should really start stocking more.” Margaret glanced at her daughter, then back at Zane’s retreating figure. “…Yeah,” she said after a pause. “…I think so too.”

 Everything was packed neatly into wooden crates, stacked and arranged with care before being loaded onto trucks one after another. By the time the final payments were confirmed, a convoy had already formed. One truck… Then another… Until seven large trucks filled with food supplies, fruits, and fresh vegetables rolled out of Eden High Vegetable Farm Market. When the trucks arrived at Nova Domicile, the rusted gates were pushed open one after the other, creaking loudly as the vehicles drove in.

 The noise alone was enough to attract attention. Residents nearby began stepping out of their homes.

 “What’s going on?”

 “Why are there so many trucks there?”

 “Isn’t that the abandoned land? I heard someone bought it yesterday, is the person converting the place to a market?”

 Whispers spread quickly. From balconies. From gates. From across the street. Everyone watched as truck after truck entered the compound. The workers began unloading immediately, carrying crate after crate into the open yard.

 “Who bought all this?” someone asked.

 “I heard it’s that Vaughn boy…”

 “Edgar or Zane?”

 “It must be Zane if it were Edgar, Madam Madelyn would have been there too,”

 “No way… him? Where did he get that kind of money?”

 More people gathered. Curiosity turned into disbelief. Then— The door opened. Zane stepped out calmly. The moment he appeared; the whispers grew louder.

 “It’s really him…”

 “That useless boy? When did he strike it rich?”

 “No wonder Madam Madelyn has been acting mysterious since yesterday, her useless son finally struck the gold,”

 Zane ignored them. He walked straight toward the workers. “Unload everything here,” he said. “Stack them properly.”

 “Yes, sir!” Their respectful tone only made the onlookers more shocked.

 Zane stood there, hands in his pockets, watching as the crates piled higher and higher. At the edge of the crowd, Freya stood with her arms folded, her face dark. “…So, this is why he refused to help me,” she muttered. Another neighbor scoffed. “He must be showing off.”

 “Or he stole the money.”

 Zane heard them. But he didn’t react. Let them think so. It'll make the slaps hit harder. After nearly an hour, the unloading was complete. The trucks gradually left, one after another, until the compound returned to silence. Only the mountain of supplies remained. And the eyes watching from outside the gate. Zane turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over them. For a brief second—Their voices died down. Then he walked back inside without a word.

 The gate shut with a loud clang, sealing the compound in silence. Zane stood still for a moment, then reached into his pocket and brought out the strange phone. He pressed the power button. The screen flickered to life. A mechanical voice followed. [HELLO, BUNKER ITEM TRANSPORTER ACTIVATED.]

 Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly. The blinking interface appeared: [TRANSPORT ITEM]

 Zane glanced at the mountain of crates in front of him. He tapped the option. The screen shifted.

 [SELECT ITEM]. A faint blue light burst from the phone, sweeping outward in a wide arc across the entire compound. It passed over the crates— The scan continued for a few seconds… then stopped. [ITEMS DETECTED: MULTIPLE] … [CONFIRM BULK TRANSPORT?]

 Zane’s lips curved. “Confirm.” For a split second, nothing happened. Then— The crates vanished all at once. The entire compound emptied instantly. Zane’s pupils shrank slightly as he stared at the now bare ground. “…So, it can do that too.”

 The phone beeped softly. [TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL] … [DESTINATION: STORAGE]

 Zane immediately pressed the button again. A storage interface opened. Every crate neatly arranged inside as if catalogued by an invisible system. Zane exhaled slowly. 

 The screen updated [STORAGE CAPACITY: 26.9% USED]

 He paused. “…Twenty-six point nine?” Seven trucks… And it hadn’t even reached thirty percent. A faint smile spread across his face. “…Good.”

 Then the screen updated again [FRESH ITEMS DETECTED. AVAILABILITY STATUS: 30 DAYS]

 The fresh items would remain fresh in the storage for thirty days? Very good. By then, his bunker storage room will be ready. He locked the screen and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Next, he’ll head to the butchers’ circus and then fish market.

 It was already two minutes past five when Zane checked his phone. A new message had come in. [IVDS: Appointment confirmed. 5:30 PM. Location attached.] Zane exhaled slowly. “…Right on time.” This was it. The final step to securing his bunker. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and glanced once more at the now empty compound. He turned and headed out, locking the door behind him before stepping back onto the dirt path.

 Outside, a few neighbors were still lingering, Zane walked past them like they didn’t exist. A cab slowed down as he stepped onto the road. Zane got in without hesitation. “Black Force—this address,” he said, showing the driver his phone. The driver nodded and pulled away.

 ***

 The car came to a stop. Zane stepped out. In front of him stood a quiet café, modest on the outside, nothing that hinted at what kind of deals were made inside. Zana almost thought he had been brought to the wrong address. He checked the time. 5:27 PM. Three minutes early. Zane walked in. A woman in a fitted suit sat at the far end, a tablet in hand, her posture straight, her presence sharp. The moment he stepped in, her gaze lifted and locked onto him. “…Zane Vaughn?”

 Zane stopped in front of her. “Yes.”

 She smiled slightly. “I am Trigger from Iron Vault Defense System --- IVDS.” She tapped the seat across from her. “Let’s discuss your bunker.”