Frozen Apocalypse: My System Gives Me Infinite Supplies

Chapter 3: Stripping the House Clean and the Fortress Villa

Fifty-nine minutes remained on the countdown. 

I focused on the leather sofa stored in my space, and it appeared in the living room with a heavy thud. 

With another thought, it vanished again, proving that I could store and retrieve items whenever I wanted.

There was no time to waste, so I immediately got to work. I went from room to room, collecting my phone, computer, water cup, dining table, chairs, stools, bed, and bedside tables, sending each item into the space.

Ding!

[Target items identified: Household electronics and wooden furniture.]

[Estimated value: $25,000. Void space expanded by 25 cubic meters!]

Next, I opened the safe and took out the gold jewelry my mother had left me. I carefully put the bangles and rings into my space, making sure nothing was left behind.

Ding!

[Target items identified: Gold jewelry and heirlooms.]

[Estimated value: $45,000. Void space expanded by 45 cubic meters!]

As I passed the kitchen, I noticed the carton of expired milk Martha had brought earlier. I picked it up and recycled it too.

Ding!

[Target item identified: Expired milk.]

[Estimated value: $10. Void space expanded by 0.01 cubic meters!]

I stared at the notification, speechless. She wanted to trade ten dollars' worth of expired milk for my three-million-dollar house, and her family actually thought they were getting a good deal. What a bizarre bunch of people.

I put the empty carton aside and headed for the utility closet. I found a crowbar and some tools, then started dismantling everything that could still be taken away, including the range hood, kitchen sink, washing machine, dryer, toilets, and bathroom sinks.

Ding!

[Target items identified: Kitchen fixtures, laundry appliances, and bathroom fittings.]

[Estimated value: $18,000. Void space expanded by 18 cubic meters!]

I kept going until the house was nearly empty. I removed the heavy security door and sent it into the space, then turned my attention to the remaining floor tiles and light bulbs.

The countdown was almost over, and I had to hurry. I pulled up the loose tiles and removed the light bulbs, storing everything I could before time ran out.

Warning: 5 seconds remaining in conversion window.

I grabbed the last few tiles and shoved them into the space just before the countdown ended. A final notification appeared in front of me.

Ding!

[Building materials and lighting reclaimed: $12,000. Void space expanded by 12 cubic meters!]

[Conversion window closed. Total stable void space created: 130.01 cubic meters.]

I looked around the house and nodded in satisfaction. The furniture, appliances, toilets, floor tiles, light bulbs, and front door were all gone, leaving only bare walls, exposed pipes, and concrete. I had stripped the place clean, and now there was nothing left worth taking.

I left the empty house and headed out to prepare for the apocalypse. I had no intention of wasting the time I had been given.

Not long afterward, Burl arrived at the apartment with Sian, his new wife-to-be, while Martha and Tamsin followed close behind. Burl had spent the entire journey praising the place, telling Sian how luxurious her new home would be and how lucky she was to marry into his family.

“This is the apartment I told you about,” Burl said proudly as they reached the entrance. “It's in one of the best districts in Crestwood, and everything inside is high-end.”

Martha smiled and nodded along, already imagining the wedding celebrations. “Calder spent a fortune furnishing it, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Just come in and have a look.”

Then she turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. The front door was missing, and beyond the empty doorway lay a bare concrete shell.

“What happened here?” Sian asked as she stepped inside, her smile slowly disappearing. She looked around the empty rooms, then stared at the exposed pipes and bare walls as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

There were no floor tiles, no lights, no furniture, and not even a toilet. The place looked worse than an unfinished showroom, and nobody could think of a single thing to say.

“Where's everything?” Burl asked, his voice rising. “Where are the furnishings? What happened to the floor?”

Sian's face turned red with anger. She threw her handbag at him and shouted, “You promised me a luxury home, and this is what you brought me to? I'm not spending my money renovating this place!”

“Sian, please listen to me. I don't know what happened!” Burl tried to grab her arm, but she pulled away.

“Have the house fully renovated before we get married. Otherwise, the wedding is off, and there's nothing more to discuss!” She turned and stormed down the hallway without looking back.

Burl hurried after her, calling her name, while Martha stood frozen with rage. Once she recovered, she turned on Tamsin and demanded that she call Calder immediately.

“That bastard has some nerve!” Martha shouted. “He took the money and then stripped the entire house bare! Call him and ask what he thinks he's doing!”

Tamsin pulled out her phone, her face twisted with anger. She tried calling me at once, determined to make me explain myself, but I was already on my way to a very different place.

My phone vibrated in my pocket as I stood beside a pair of tall black iron gates on the outskirts of Oakhaven. I checked the caller ID, saw Tamsin's name, and rejected the call before switching my phone to airplane mode.

“Mr. Reid, this is Blackwood Ridge Homestead,” the leasing agent said as he opened the gate. “The owner built it as a private retreat, and the property is quite different from the houses in the city.”

I followed him inside and took a good look around. The villa stood near the foothills, surrounded by open land and thick pine trees, far from crowded neighborhoods and busy roads. 

The building was made of reinforced concrete and thick stone blocks, and the construction alone had cost nearly ten million dollars.

The agent showed me the security system and the high walls surrounding the property. There was also open land behind the villa, along with a private well fed by a natural mountain spring. 

The water came from deep underground, making it a valuable source if the city's water supply became contaminated.

“This place rents for one hundred thousand dollars a month,” the agent explained. “The owner requires six months' rent upfront, plus a security deposit. The security system is already installed, although you'll need to arrange any additional protection you want.”

“I'll take it,” I said without hesitation. “Prepare the contract, and I'll pay everything upfront. I want to move in today.”

The agent looked surprised. “You don't want to inspect the upper floors first?”

“There's no need. I've seen enough.”

The villa wasn't perfect, and its security system wouldn't be enough to stop a horde of zombies on its own. Still, the location was excellent, the property had its own water source and open fields, and there were few people around who might come looking for trouble.

I signed the contract, paid the required amount, and took the keys. With the villa secured and the mountain spring well at my disposal, I finally had a place where I could prepare for what was coming.

I still had more than two million dollars left in my account, along with over a hundred cubic meters of storage space. 

Now I needed to fill that space with food, medicine, fuel, and every other supply I could get my hands on before the apocalypse arrived.