200 inches

After finishing the last transaction, Evangeline nodded slightly to the departing elves and watched the automatic door slide shut behind them. The store finally quieted down.

She returned to her chair without speaking, letting herself fall into it with a small exhale. The earlier commotion had done little to wear her down, if anything, she felt more awake than before. Sparring with armed elves had brought a rare sense of clarity.

She leaned back and stretched, arms extended above her head until her muscles tightened.

"…Something action-packed today," she murmured, letting her limbs fall slack as she sank into the seat.

Her gaze shifted toward the holographic display floating beside the desk. The wallet total flickered softly in the corner: 90,700 bills.

Twenty elves, each having made a purchase of exactly 4,445 bills. With the earlier sales included, the day's earnings had surged past ninety thousand.

She raised an eyebrow.

"…Elves are wealthier than they look."

The panda, resting nearby with a smug expression, chimed in. "I was just thinking the same. Let's pray every customer from now on is an elf."

Evangeline tilted her head slightly. "What are you now, a wishing panda?"

The panda snorted. "Tch. I am the most refined panda in the entire Omniverse. And soon to be the greatest system in existence. Did you see that? Not even half a day, and I've already earned ninety thousand."

Evangeline glanced sideways. "Fifty-four thousand five hundred twenty. The rest is mine."

The panda froze. The light in his eyes dimmed as he slowly turned away and leapt into the drawer, closing it with a dull thud.

Evangeline didn't bother responding. She tapped her screen, resumed her webseries, and crossed her legs. The second shift had ended; break time had begun.

The window darkened. The world outside had returned to its void-like state.

She looked up, expression unreadable. "Still eerie out there."

Seeing no reply. With a sigh, she stood up and headed for the stairs. "Useless panda."

The upper floor was larger than expected. A full kitchen, a pristine bathroom, even a spacious hall. But what caught her attention was the enormous screen on the wall, easily over two hundred inches wide.

She stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the large scale of the room.

"…Not bad."

Whatever thoughts she had of napping disappeared.

She moved to the kitchen, retrieved a tub of popcorn and a cold coke, then settled onto the central sofa. The lights dimmed automatically, and her chosen series lit up the screen.

Evangeline leaned back in satisfaction, the quiet hum of the store around her.

"…Now this is a real job."

---

Parallel Earth : Japan

Yamauichi and his two companions finally arrived at the entrance of their underground base. The gatekeeper, stationed at the front, stepped forward as they approached.

"Yamauichi-san," he said, glancing at their empty hands, "Did you return with nothing today?"

He paused, then added in a softer tone, "It's alright. Hirata-san managed to bring back a few cans of preserved meat. At least we'll have something to eat tonight."

Yamauichi remained silent, his expression unreadable. Before the conversation could drift further, Taiyo took a step forward.

"We've brought back supplies," he said. "A full load of mineral water, and food, enough to share."

The gatekeeper looked at him, brows raised. For a moment, he thought they might have discovered something valuable but lacked the manpower to transport it.

"What did you find?" he asked. "You're not the type to hide things from me."

Kure stepped forward and placed a hand on the gatekeeper's shoulder.

"We secured three hundred units of bottled mineral water, and the same amount of crème puffs," he said.

The gatekeeper's eyes widened. Mineral water alone was a luxury, but something sweet, something that he already forgotten the taste.

"Is that true?" he asked. "No more boiling that foul water? And actual sweets?"

Yamauichi answered, calm and direct. "We'll speak with the leader first. Once the distribution plan is approved, everyone will receive a share."

The gatekeeper nodded quickly. "Understood. I'll stay on watch here. Go ahead and report."

"There's no need to get worked up," Taiyo said. "We brought enough. No one will be left out."

The three of them stepped past the gate and entered the base.

The underground shelter had once been a small commercial facility, possibly a local mall. Now, it had been repurposed for survival. Makeshift stations filled the space, workshops, food prep areas, storage zones. Adults, elderly, and even children moved about, carrying out daily tasks in silence and order. The atmosphere was quiet and stable.

Yamauichi greeted a few familiar faces as he passed through the underground hall, offering quiet nods in acknowledgment. Without wasting time, he made his way to the small meeting room at the back, where the leader, Yughihama, was already seated in conversation with Hirata, who had returned earlier with a few supplies.

The door creaked open.

Yughihama looked up and smiled faintly. "Yamauichi-san, Kure-san, Taiyo-san, welcome back. I'm glad to see you all safe."

Yamauichi stepped forward. "We've returned, Yughihama-san."

Yughihama leaned forward slightly. "Were you able to bring anything this time? Food or medicine?"

Taiyo replied, "Yes. We obtained nine hundred crème puffs and nine hundred bottles of sealed mineral water."

The room fell silent.

"…What?" Hirata blinked.

"…Excuse me?" Yughihama asked again, his tone skeptical.

Yughihama narrowed his eyes. "Don't joke around. That's impossible."

"It's not a joke," Taiyo said firmly. "We have all of it, packed and stored safely."

To support his claim, Taiyo took out the ID card he'd received from the Panda Convenience Store and placed it on the table.

Both Yughihama and Hirata stared at the unfamiliar card in confusion. The logo, the design, none of it matched any known faction nearby, supply chain, or scavenger group they had ever encountered before.

Hirata gave him a long look, then sighed and reached out to pat his shoulder. "I see… So it's come to this. I always knew the stress of survival would break someone eventually. Rest easy, Taiyo. When this ends, maybe we'll find help for you."

Taiyo clenched his fists in frustration, ready to raise his voice, but Yamauichi stepped in and placed a hand on his arm.

"I'll explain it," Yamauichi said, calm and composed. "You're not good at explaining things, and this isn't something they'll believe easily without context."