Reborn Three Days Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 2

Ethan spent the rest of the morning moving from one store to another, determined to finish the preparations before the city became crowded with panic.

His first stop was an outdoor equipment warehouse that was shutting down one of its branches. Most of the shelves were already half-empty, but there was still plenty worth taking. At clearance prices, Ethan bought two rigid inflatable boats, three inflatable rafts, rescue kits, climbing ropes, waterproof backpacks, tents, fire axes, binoculars, radios, waterproof flashlights, solar panels, and several high-capacity power banks.

The boats were bulky, but Ethan knew they would be worth their weight once the streets disappeared beneath floodwater.

He then ordered three polar-grade winter suits, three expedition sleeping bags, and several thermal liners. The total came to just under two thousand dollars, but Ethan barely hesitated. Money would be meaningless once the disaster arrived.

After renting a small box truck, he transported everything to a temporary storage facility and continued shopping.

Fuel was next.

Ethan purchased several heavy-duty fuel containers and manual transfer pumps before visiting a few gas stations scattered across the outskirts of the city. He avoided buying everything from one place and transferred the fuel at an isolated location afterward. By late afternoon, he had accumulated roughly one hundred and forty-five gallons of gasoline.

His next stop was a security equipment store.

He bought three slash-resistant protective jackets, two stab-resistant vests, reinforced gloves, tactical helmets, and protective knee and elbow pads. They were not military-grade equipment, but they were better than ordinary clothing when people started fighting over food and supplies.

From there, Ethan went to a wholesale clothing store and bought down jackets, thermal underwear, wool sweaters, waterproof coats, gloves, scarves, thick wool socks, insulated boots, snow shoes, sneakers, and slippers. He spent about $2,700 and left with several large bags.

The household supplies took even longer.

He stocked up on comforters, wool blankets, cotton quilts, soap, shampoo, body wash, detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, thermal flasks, reusable bottles, hot-water bottles, and disposable heating packs. Then he visited a specialty store for six kerosene lanterns, extra wicks, roughly thirty-two gallons of kerosene, alcohol stoves, solid-fuel tablets, compact gas burners, two induction cooktops, purification tablets, disinfectant, and insect repellent.

By then, the amount of money leaving his account was becoming painful, but Ethan reminded himself that he had spent years saving for a future that would never arrive.

The world was about to become that future.

He stopped at a wholesale produce market afterward and bought more than twenty varieties of fruit. The bill came to about $1,350, but he didn't complain. Fresh food would become a luxury soon enough.

His final major pickup was the medicine Daniel had prepared.

There were more than twenty cartons waiting for him, filled with antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, iodine, medical alcohol, gauze, syringes, gloves, vaccines, and other basic medical supplies. Ethan loaded everything into the truck and thanked Daniel before leaving.

It was already evening when Ethan realized he still needed another source of fuel.

He stopped at a restaurant near Graybridge University, ordered a quick meal, and spent several minutes thinking. Gasoline would be useful, but it would not be enough. If electricity disappeared for months, he needed something he could burn safely and store for a long time.

He called several suppliers and eventually secured around six hundred pounds of smokeless charcoal, two heavy-duty grills, twelve medium propane tanks, fire starters, and roughly twenty-four hundred compressed coal briquettes.

By the time Ethan returned to his apartment, it was almost nine.

He carried everything inside, locked the door, and immediately entered the storage space.

The sight waiting for him should have made him feel relieved.

Instead, Ethan froze.

Boxes were stacked almost everywhere. Food, medicine, fuel, clothing, equipment, and household supplies had consumed most of the available space. He estimated that nearly two thousand cubic feet were already occupied.

Still, there was room.

Ethan began organizing everything according to priority, placing food and medicine where he could reach them quickly and heavier equipment farther toward the back. He worked for almost an hour before finally stepping back to admire the arrangement.

Then the strange sensation returned.

A powerful pressure suddenly swept through the room.

Ethan's expression changed.

Before he could understand what was happening, his body was violently pushed backward. He stumbled through the entrance and landed hard on the apartment floor.

The storage space vanished.

Ethan immediately scrambled back to the door and tried to enter again.

Nothing happened.

He pushed harder.

An invisible barrier stopped him.

His heart sank.

He tried again and again, but the result was the same. The entrance was still there, yet something was preventing him from crossing it.

Ethan slowly looked toward the timer.

01:42:18.

It was still counting down.

His mind raced through everything he had done since discovering the pendant. Had he stored too much? Had he exceeded some hidden capacity? Or had he triggered a rule he didn't know existed?

For the first time since his rebirth, Ethan felt genuinely uneasy.

He had thought the storage space was his greatest advantage.

Now he wondered if it could become his greatest problem.