Cleaning for Survival

After the unsettling incident with the screen, Cris stood in silence, waiting for Trixie to complete the system restoration. The air felt heavier now, as if something unseen had been watching him through the broken monitors.

"Master, the surveillance system is now restored," Trixie announced.

Cris tensed as the screens flickered back to life. He quickly switched back to the exterior feed, searching for that shadowy figure.

But—

It was gone.

The spot where it had collapsed was now empty, as if nothing had ever been there. Not even a trace of movement. The only thing left was the lifeless wasteland, covered in thick smoke and ruins.

Cris clenched his fists. What the hell was that thing?

Shaking his head, he turned his focus elsewhere. If he couldn't deal with whatever was outside for now, he had to gain full control of the shelter first.

"Let's check the maintenance system," he muttered, clicking through the cameras. If he could get it running, he might be able to restore power, security, and maybe even find out more about this place.

But as the first camera feed loaded—

His stomach dropped.

The hallway leading to the maintenance system was filled with Zeezo.

Cris frowned. He knew about them. These little creatures were harmless when left alone, but the moment they sensed movement, they transformed into something monstrous.

At first glance, they looked adorable—tiny, round bodies with soft, squishy textures, big sparkling eyes, and stubby little arms. They almost resembled stuffed toys, the kind you'd find in a claw machine.

But Cris wasn't fooled.

He knew what happened when they opened their mouths.

His eyes stayed locked on the screen as one of the Zeezo shifted slightly.

And then—

Its jaw unhinged.

Rows of razor-sharp teeth lined its gaping maw, its tongue slithering out, dripping with thick, black saliva. Its stubby hands stretched into clawed fingers, and its round, beady eyes turned completely black.

The others turned too.

All at once, their cute faces split apart, revealing jagged fangs and twisting tongues.

Cris sighed. "Yeah… I'm definitely not going there yet."

For now, he needed to clear out other areas and gather supplies.

Then, suddenly—

[Cleaning Quest Activated!]

Objective: Clean the Shelter!

Reward: Food Storage Replenished

Cris blinked at the notification. Wait, so I get food just for cleaning?

He grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Cris decided to start with the storage room since it was closest. Stepping inside, he wrinkled his nose at the sight—dust, broken crates, and scattered trash covered the floor. It looked like no one had been here for years.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Using whatever he could find, he started picking up debris, stacking boxes, and wiping off dirt from the shelves. It was tedious, but the idea of earning free food kept him motivated.

Just as he moved a crate—

Something scurried past his foot.

Cris flinched, his wand already in hand.

A rat.

But not just any rat—it was huge, about the size of a small dog. Its fur was patchy, its eyes glowing dimly, and its teeth were unnaturally long.

This is no normal rat.

The creature hissed and lunged at him.

Cris swung his wand instinctively, the tip glowing faintly as it smashed the rat mid-air. The creature let out a horrible screech before crashing into the wall.

Dead.

"...Great. Even the rats in this world are monsters."

As he continued cleaning, more of them started appearing.

One by one, they scurried out of the shadows, their beady eyes locked onto him.

Cris tightened his grip on his wand. "You wanna go?"

After dealing with the rat infestation, Cris moved on to the main facility. It was a massive structure, with tall metal shelves, abandoned workstations, and old, rusted machinery.

It looked like it was once a research and storage hub, containing equipment that could help him regain control of the shelter.

As he cleaned, more [Cleaning Quests] popped up. Every time he finished a section, a notification appeared:

[+Food Supplies Added to Storage!]

Cris grinned. "So the food gets automatically transferred, huh?"

He checked the storage room again, and sure enough—new food crates had appeared.

"This is way better than eating that rubber-band meat…"

As he inspected the facility, he found locked cabinets, control panels with broken screens, and sealed-off rooms.

"If I can get full access to this place, I might be able to find something useful."

Next, Cris moved to the dining area. It was a mess—tables flipped over, broken trays scattered on the floor, and more filth covering the surfaces.

As he swept away the dust, he found old kitchen equipment, some still intact.

"If the kitchen here works… I can actually make decent meals instead of relying on whatever I find."

Just as he finished, another notification popped up.

[Cleaning Complete!]

[Food Storage Updated!]

Cris wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"If I keep this up, I'll have a proper food supply in no time."

Now, with more resources in hand, it was time to figure out…

How to take back the maintenance system.