Chapter 30: Timer

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Timer 15:00 14:59 14:58 ... As the timer started to drop, Ivy frowned. What the heck was going on? The question prevailed in her mind till her eyes fell on the food items on the ground. "What the hell!" Ivy almost screamed. She couldn’t believe her eyes. The rooftop was littered with various rice packages. If the scene had stopped at that, Ivy might not have reacted at all. She watched in horror as zombies were able to pass through the packages, as if it wasn’t there at all! What a strange world! Ivy started to question her perception at this point. It took Ivy a few seconds to come back to her senses. ’No, Ivy. This isn’t the time to question everything! You should collect the supplies.’ With that thought, Ivy bent down and picked up the 200g of brown rice packet. Ivy’s fingers grasped the brown rice packet, and the moment she touched it, a strange warmth spread through her palm. The packet, once hazy and translucent like a ghost, solidified in her grip as if it had always belonged to this world. Ding! [Would you like to multiply the item 25 times? This will cost 1 KB. Or would you like to store the item and multiply later?] Ivy didn’t hesitate. Her mind was sharp despite her racing heartbeat. "Store it! Multiply later!" she whispered in a rush, not wanting to waste even a second. The packet of rice disappeared from her hand with a faint shimmer, absorbed into the Temporal Storage. Ivy exhaled and bent down again. Her fingers closed around the next package, 400 grams of Basmati rice. The moment her skin met the plastic, the same warmth seeped into her palm, and the packet solidified, becoming real. Ding! [Would you like to multiply the item 25 times? This will cost 1 KB. Or would you like to store the item and multiply later?] "Store it! Multiply later!" Ivy hissed, her voice low but urgent. The Basmati rice disappeared, leaving only empty space where it had lain. Ivy didn’t even pause. She dropped to one knee and grabbed the next one, 300 grams of white rice. Another shimmer, another pulse of heat. "Store it! Multiply later!" Her movements became fluid, almost like a dance. She grabbed 250 grams of glutinous rice, 500 grams of wild rice, and 350 grams of Arabic rice, each time issuing the same command. The Temporal Storage absorbed them all without fail, its soft glow briefly illuminating her hands in the darkening rooftop. All around her, the zombies shambled about aimlessly, their hollow eyes glancing her way but never truly seeing her. It was as if some invisible barrier existed between them and Ivy. They parted for her without so much as a groan, their grotesque forms swaying as they stepped aside. The sight would have been laughable if not for the eerie silence that came with it. 07:00 06:59 The timer ticked down, each second slicing into Ivy’s nerves like a blade. Sweat dripped down her temple, but she didn’t stop. She collected 200 grams of jasmine rice, 450 grams of red rice, 400 grams of black rice, and 300 grams of parboiled rice. Her breath came in quick bursts, but her hands never faltered. 02:00 01:59 Ivy’s gaze flickered to the timer, her heart skipping a beat. The glowing numbers were now a bright red, like a warning light. ’One minute left... no, less. Damn it!’ Panic surged through her veins, but she forced it down. Her fingers flew as she picked up 500 grams of short-grain rice, 250 grams of sushi rice, and 350 grams of wehani rice. Each packet vanished into storage with her sharp command. "Store it! Multiply later!" Her feet moved faster, boots scraping against the concrete as she lunged for every last packet in reach. The zombies continued to ignore her, as if she were a shadow flitting through the night. 00:30 00:29 The timer burned in her vision, but Ivy kept going. 300 grams of sticky rice, 400 grams of fragrant rice, and 500 grams of arborio rice, all secured. Her hands trembled, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. 00:05 00:04 Ivy snatched up the final visible packet, 250 grams of bomba rice, just as the rooftop began to shimmer faintly, like a mirage about to vanish. "Store it!" she gasped, chest heaving. And then... 00:00 The remaining rice packages dissolved into thin air, as if they’d never been there. Ivy stood in the sudden stillness, her body tense, sweat soaking her clothes. She’d done it. Her limbs were aching, but Ivy decided to check the spoils of the war later. After all, being surrounded by the zombies wasn’t a good thing. Exiting the rooftop and closing the door, Ivy sat on the stairs and ordered, "Temporal Storage, show me my loot." There was a hint of excitement hidden in her tone. [Yes] Surprisingly, she received a response this time. [Brown rice: 200g, Basmati rice: 400g, White rice: 300g, Glutinous rice: 250g, Wild rice: 500g, Arabic rice: 350g, Jasmine rice: 200g, Red rice: 450g, Black rice: 400g, Parboiled rice: 300g, Short-grain rice: 500g, Sushi rice: 250g, Wehani rice: 350g, Sticky rice: 300g, Fragrant rice: 400g, Arborio rice: 500g, Bomba rice: 250g.] Ivy did a quick calculation and reached the conclusion that though the amount may seem a lot, it wasn’t even enough for a person to eat rice for more than 4 months. However, with the multiplication feature and her superpower, Ivy felt assured. "Even if I have been reborn late... with this power, I won’t have to worry about lacking food ever again!" Ivy thought, and her mood soared. At the same time, she learned a few things about her superpower. "The Location may vary... but my instincts will help me to reach there. Once I reach there, I will only get 15 minutes to collect all the supplies, and after 15 minutes, everything will vanish. Only one item can be found during each round. But the good news is... Its variety will appear too." Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m