Chapter 106

So this earring... was really Richard’s spatial storage.

Which meant she hadn’t just scavenged supplies—she had stolen

everything

he owned.

What a windfall.

And the grenades inside the space explained yesterday’s explosion perfectly.

Most likely, Richard had been ambushed... and chosen to take his enemies down with him.

At the thought, Suzy let out a quiet sigh.

Now she was certain—Richard had been a reborn individual, just like her sister.

Richard... Richard...

He had gained a spatial ability before the disaster, gathered such an enormous cache of supplies...

Only to die so suddenly, so senselessly.

She didn’t know whether to pity him or criticize him.

But her instincts told her one thing clearly—it had everything to do with how he constantly showed off online.

He had been far too high-profile.

If he had stayed hidden inside his safehouse, he might have been fine.

But the moment he stepped out and drew attention—his fate had been sealed.

From what Suzy could tell, Richard’s space likely couldn’t hold people.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended in such a desperate, mutual destruction.

After a long sigh, she turned her attention to the neatly sorted supplies.

She had to admit—everything had been meticulously prepared. The quantities were massive. It must have cost him a fortune.

With resources like these, Richard could have built a powerful faction in this broken world.

But one wrong step led to another.

If only he had kept a lower profile—grown quietly, biding his time... Perhaps he wouldn’t have ended like this.

In the apocalypse, discretion wasn’t just wisdom.

It was survival.

After finishing her inspection, Suzy got out of bed.

Her body felt clean and refreshed. Aside from some lingering soreness, there was no more discomfort left.

It seemed Derek had already taken care of everything for her last night.

How thoughtful.

She gave him silent credit in her mind.

Pulling open the door, she was about to go look for him when several voices drifted in from outside.

She paused.

Instead of stepping forward, she stood still, listening.

It sounded like Derek... speaking with someone else.

The voices came from just outside the door—not far at all. With only a bit of focus, she could hear them clearly.

"...I don’t have much left at home. This is the last of the medicine."

That was Derek.

Then came a stranger’s voice:

"I understand. Thank you—truly. This will be the last time I come by. I won’t forget what you’ve done for me. If you ever need anything, you can come to me anytime."

"There’s nothing I need. You should head back soon."

"Alright... You be careful too. I heard something happened yesterday. Not only are we all flooded here, but there was an explosion down there, too. It’s complete chaos over there now."

"I see. Thanks for telling me."

A pair of footsteps faded into the distance, followed by the soft, decisive

click

of a door closing.

Only then did Suzy step forward carefully.

At the entrance, she saw Derek standing by the door, his brows slightly furrowed, completely lost in thought.

"What’s wrong?" she asked at once.

Derek looked up when he heard her voice, the tension in his expression easing.

"You’re awake."

He crossed the distance in a few quick steps and pulled her into a familiar, gentle embrace.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, concern evident in his tone. "Any pain? Dizziness? God, I just wish we could call an ambulance or something..."

"I’m fine. Thank you for taking me out of there––you were just in time to prevent anything serious." Suzy waved it off lightly, then tilted her head. "Who were you talking to just now?"

"A neighbor from upstairs," Derek explained.

"Did he come to ask for something?"

Derek nodded. "Some medicine."

Suzy said nothing, waiting.

As if sensing her thoughts, Derek added, "They’re decent people. They helped me before. Their daughter has a fever now, and I happen to have some medicine... I couldn’t just ignore it."

"I understand," Suzy said calmly. "You don’t need to explain anymore."

In times like these, indifference could keep you alive—but a sliver of humanity still mattered.

She didn’t think Derek had done anything wrong.

Still, a quiet instinct lingered in her chest—kindness, in this world, often came with hidden risks.

Neither of them pursued the topic further.

What was done was done.

There was no point in circling it endlessly.

"Are you hungry?" Derek asked instead. "I made some noodles. Want to try?"

Suzy paused, then became aware of the hollow ache in her stomach.

She nodded. "Sure."

A moment later, Derek brought out a steaming bowl.

They were just instant noodles––simple, plain––and yet, in a world like this—it was already a luxury.

Only... there were no vegetables. She loved pickled vegetables with her noodles.

Derek sighed faintly. "If I’d known, I would’ve stocked up on seeds and grown some food at home."

Suzy shot him a look. "Even if you had, your crops wouldn’t have survived the extreme heat."

Derek thought about it—and had to admit she was right.

They finished their modest meal in silence. Somehow, neither of them wanted to talk about anything. Not even about the explosion.

Afterward, Derek returned to his routine, climbing onto the stationary bike to generate electricity while getting some exercise in.

Suzy settled onto the sofa, pulling out her phone. She first sent messages to her uncle, reassuring him that she was okay.

Then, the screen flickered as she opened a forum. It took nearly a full minute for the page to load.

The network was already deteriorating.

But if she wanted to stay informed, patience was the price.

This forum had become something of a gathering place for survivors.

Most users were either apocalypse enthusiasts or hardcore preppers, posting daily updates about their situations.

Suzy tapped into the most recent thread and began scrolling.

Before long, one post caught her eye.

It was a photo.

And beneath it, was a caption:

I live on the fifth floor. The water’s almost here. Guess this really is the end of the world.

First, the unbearable heat—over a month of it, countless deaths.

And now, typhoons and endless rain.

I’ve heard people are already drowning in some places.

Damn this world...

The post quickly drew attention, comments flooding in beneath it.

[Where is this? The water’s already reached the fifth floor? It’s not that bad where I am.]

The original poster replied:

[A coastal region in the south.]

Then, one after another, he uploaded more images.

All taken by... a drone.