The Apocalypse Is My Second Home

8

Noah woke up the next morning to the angry rumbling of his stomach. He hadn't eaten since the previous day, and finding food was now his highest priority. With hunger gnawing at his insides and his head feeling unusually light, he dragged himself out of bed and headed downstairs.

It was still early, and his in-laws hadn't emerged from their rooms. Taking advantage of their absence, he slipped into the kitchen as quietly as possible.

The kitchen and refrigerator were stocked with food, but he knew his mother-in-law wouldn't take kindly to him touching anything. Rather than risk an argument over a proper meal, he settled for a loaf of bread.

He only needed enough to ease his hunger. His legs were already unsteady, and the dizziness was becoming difficult to ignore.

He reached for the bread and turned around, only to freeze.

His mother-in-law stood directly in front of him, her hands planted firmly on her hips. The disgust on her face was unmistakable, and she regarded him as though he'd committed some terrible crime.

"So, you still have the nerve to help yourself to my food?" she snapped.

"I thought you'd keep hiding in your room. I was even wondering how you planned to survive the entire day. I thought perhaps you'd somehow become rich enough to feed yourself. Yet here you are, sneaking around to steal bread! Is that how you were raised? To steal from other people?"

Noah frowned, struggling to understand how taking a single loaf of bread from a house he'd lived in for years could warrant such an outburst.

"How is this stealing?" he asked. "I've lived in this house for years. I was hungry, so I decided to take some bread. I didn't even touch anything else."

"Did you buy that bread?" she shot back.

"We bought it with our own hard-earned money! It's bad enough that you no longer respect anyone in this house. Yesterday, you even left your wife waiting outside your room as though she didn't matter. And now you want to eat our food as if you're entitled to it? From this moment onward, nothing in this house belongs to you. Since you can do whatever you please, you can start feeding yourself!"

Before Noah could respond, she stepped forward and snatched the bread from his hand.

He stared at her for a moment, his jaw tightening. Then, without bothering to argue, he turned and walked away.

He regretted not finding something to eat the previous day. This body was ridiculously weak. A single day without food had left him struggling to stand upright, and even walking a short distance felt exhausting.

By the time he reached his room, he was breathing heavily. He dragged himself into the bathroom to shower, gripping the wall when a sudden wave of dizziness swept over him. His vision blurred, forcing him to stand still until the sensation passed.

The weakness infuriated him. Although his physical strength had improved slightly after the previous day's training, this body still had a long way to go.

Back in the apocalypse, he'd gone days without food without suffering anything close to this. Hunger had never left him so helpless, and the experience was an unpleasant reminder of just how far he'd fallen.

After showering, he returned to his room and got dressed. He then checked his bank account, hoping there might be some money left.

The balance made his expression darken.

There wasn't a single dollar.

He stared at the screen, wondering how Jason had managed to live with an account so painfully empty. How could someone who owned two cars have absolutely nothing in savings?

He considered selling one of the cars, but quickly dismissed the idea. They belonged to this family, and he had no intention of relying on their possessions to get by. He would rather earn his own money and build something for himself.

After a moment's thought, he picked up his phone and called the one person he believed might be willing to help.

He could no longer afford to remain in this house. Besides, the previous day's events had given him plenty to think about. After spending hours piecing everything together, he'd developed a theory about how the pendant had been activated—and how he might be able to return to the apocalypse.

If his theory proved correct, he'd have countless opportunities to make money in the modern world. More importantly, he'd gain an enormous advantage in the apocalypse.

The call connected after a few rings.

"Jason, how are you doing, dude?" Frank greeted him.

"Frank, I need your help," Noah said, skipping the pleasantries.

"Okay. What's wrong?" Frank asked, his tone immediately turning serious.

"I know this might sound strange, but I need you to lend me some money. I'll pay you back in less than a month," Noah replied confidently.

"Lend you money?" Frank repeated in confusion. "I thought your wife was rich and gave you everything you needed."

Noah nearly laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He wished he could explain how Jason had managed to save not even a single dollar despite having a wealthy wife who provided for him. Apparently, Jason had taken only what he needed and returned the rest, even though he worked for the family and received nothing but contempt in return.

"You wouldn't understand, Frank. I can't explain everything over the phone. Just lend me the money, and I promise I'll pay you back."

"How much are we talking about?" Frank asked cautiously.

"Five hundred thousand dollars," Noah replied.

"Five hundred thousand?" Frank's voice rose in disbelief. "You want half a million dollars? You know I'm only a game developer, right? I earn a salary and bonuses!"

"I know, but believe me, Frank. I'll pay you back within a month, and I'll even add interest," Noah assured him.

Frank fell silent, weighing the request. He'd recently received a substantial bonus because one of the games he'd helped develop was performing exceptionally well.

On top of that, he earned a small percentage of the game's revenue as one of its main developers. He wasn't extraordinarily wealthy, but he had enough savings to lend his friend the money.

"All right. Text me your account details," he finally said.

Noah did as instructed. A short while later, his phone vibrated with a bank notification confirming that five hundred thousand dollars had been credited to his account.

Finally, he had money to work with.