Rise In The Apocalypse

Chapter 9: My Talent… Caches

Gulp…

Feeling felt the weight of the moment, Max swallowed hard. He had to reveal his Talent eventually, though he wasn’t sure how much to share.

His ability was… unusual. Far too unusual.

At first, it had been modest enough:

[ Weekly Gift Cycle (Rare) ]

It allowed him three Caches of his choice every week. Decent, considering there were ten options, letting him pick what he needed depending on circumstances.

Then, something unexpected had happened. A glitch flashed across his vision, the system stuttered, and when it stabilized, his Talent had evolved—or completely transformed.

[ Infinite Cache (SSS): You can claim an unlimited number of Caches at any time. No restrictions on frequency, quantity, or type. This Talent grants continuous access to supplies, ensuring Caches are always available whenever you choose to obtain them. ]

Max still didn’t fully understand why. He certainly wasn’t going to explain all the details just yet—it would only open a floodgate of questions.

Whatever the cause, his Talent now ranked SSS—far above anything the others had mentioned.

He paused for a moment, then carefully chose his words. He didn’t want to reveal the full scope yet.

"My Talent… is related to Caches," Max said slowly. "I can obtain more, but only if certain conditions are met. It’s not completely free."

The group straightened, intrigued. It was unusual, even strange.

"So… there’s a Talent like that?" Xander muttered, adjusting his glasses.

"I thought Talents were all physical or combat-based…" Aya added.

"Me too… but apparently, system-related abilities exist," Jett said thoughtfully, though his mind churned with questions.

Ryan let out a short laugh. "Well, if something like that exists, maybe there’s a Talent for free Level Ups, too."

Max just smiled faintly.

There was no actual cost to claim Caches—but he decided to imply that there was some form of payment. He didn’t know what yet, but it could be a useful story. Perhaps a currency in this world could serve as the price.

Endless possibilities opened in his mind. With unlimited Caches, he could dominate trade within The Ark—selling, bartering, or simply controlling supplies. He could shape the shelter’s economy, even its hierarchy…

But for now, he kept those thoughts to himself.

Footsteps echoed, pulling him from his musings. Two figures entered the chamber.

Corin, who had found Max and Aya earlier, stepped in. Beside him was Zayne, who had retrieved Xander, Ryan, and Jett from the garbage dump.

Corin’s smile was easy. "Good. You’re all settling in nicely. Welcome to The Ark."

Their purpose was to brief the new arrivals on the shelter’s operation—food, sleeping arrangements, currency, and work expectations.

Zayne reached into a small pouch at his side and produced five rough wooden tokens, each carved into an oval shape.

He handed one to each of them.

"Take these," Zayne said. "They represent The Ark. Carry them, and you belong here."

Max turned the token over. At first glance, it was plain—just a piece of carved wood, unpolished, with faint grooves. But Zayne’s tone left no doubt of its importance.

"These aren’t just symbols," Zayne continued. "Machines can’t detect them. If you’re outside or encounter another shelter, this proves you belong. You’re not an intruder."

The others examined theirs curiously. Xander squinted at the faint etchings; Ryan ran a thumb over the grooves.

"I don’t see anything special," Ryan muttered.

Aya held hers like a lifeline. "We’ll keep it safe."

Jett tucked his into a pocket, even trying to add it to his System Inventory—but it failed.

Questions about origin or crafting went unanswered. Zayne’s expression left it clear: no further explanation would be given.

"They’re special," he said simply. "That’s all."

Corin added, "Lose one, and proving your belonging will be a headache."

Max and the others nodded. Its importance was understood, even if its origin wasn’t. In a machine-dominated world, anything undetectable was invaluable.

Zayne straightened and gestured toward the chamber. "Now… let’s go over how The Ark operates."

It felt like a seminar began.

Despite only forty residents, the shelter ran like a well-oiled machine.

Combat, Technical, Logistics, Sustenance, and Command divisions were clearly defined.

Combat included scouts like Corin, patrolling for machine activity, frontliners, and marksmen providing cover from elevated positions.

Technical had engineers maintaining power, ventilation, and systems. Mechanics repaired weapons and salvaged drones, while electricians kept everything running.

Logistics handled supplies, building, repairs, and sanitation.

Sustenance and Medical included cooks, medics, and foragers venturing out for food or materials.

Just as Zayne continued, footsteps echoed from behind.

A deep, amused voice rang out:

"Ho~ What do we have here? A female recruit too?! Finally!"

The speaker’s eyes locked on Aya, and he couldn’t hide his obvious excitement.