The Unexpected Commodity

Lucas Kane swung his axe with ferocious precision, decapitating the first zombie in a single blow. Using the momentum, he reversed the arc of the swing and brought the axe upward, smashing the second zombie's skull from the jaw to the top of the head.

Two kills in one second. Clean. Quiet. Efficient.

Twelve more to go.

Repeating his lure-and-strike method, Lucas slowly drew the rest of the wandering zombies from the street, dispatching them one by one at the roadside.

When the street finally fell silent, Lucas tallied the loot:

Energy Crystals ×8

Car Keys ×2

Colt Revolver ×1

Revolver Ammunition ×15

Mutant Fertilizer ×40

Police Batons ×2

Handcuffs with Keys ×2

Walkie-Talkies ×2

Clean Police Uniform ×1

Clean Fabric ×20

A jackpot.

The ten-slot storage ring was now full, especially with the leftover canned meat and drinking water from earlier. He still had his fire axe in one hand and the riot shield in the other. No space for anything else—unless he made some room.

Lucas pulled the revolver from the loot, checked the safety, and clipped it to his belt. One weapon equipped, one inventory slot freed.

Next, he examined the car keys. If the zombies had them, the corresponding vehicle was probably nearby. He pressed the unlock button.

Click.

The red sedan right next to him lit up.

"No way... That's just dumb luck!"

A glowing yellow "Collect" icon appeared above the vehicle.

That was new.

Usually, the collection prompt was green. Yellow meant something else.

"Don't tell me... I can store an entire car now?"

He tapped the icon.

[Ding! Current Storage Ring level insufficient to collect this item.]

[Required Ring Level: 3]

[Current Level: 1]

[Upgrade requires: Storage Ring Fragments 0/10, Energy Crystals ×5]

Lucas winced. Not enough.

"Storage ring fragments...? Wait... those can only come from other survivors?"

That chilling realization set in fast. If true, it meant that stealing or killing other survivors could be the only way to upgrade storage.

His hand drifted to the revolver on his belt. He tightened his grip.

"Survival first. Everything else... later."

He checked the red sedan's interior. No zombies. Just one roll of toilet paper.

"Seriously? That's it?"

He sighed. In peacetime, it'd be a joke. But now? An essential. Nobody in apocalypse novels ever talks about hygiene...

He pocketed the roll. Might come in handy.

Then he opened the trunk.

Two massive packs of factory-sealed toilet paper.

"Damn. This guy went doomsday shopping."

Lucas opened the Auction System and placed two short sections of toilet paper on the market.

Requested Trade:

Keys, food, water, weapons, Energy Crystals, Storage Ring Fragments—anything useful.

He hit Send.

Ding! Transaction Successful: Sold two segments of toilet paper. Acquired: [Key]

"Already?! That fast?!"

Lucas didn't claim the item immediately. With his inventory maxed out, any pickup could cause problems. Fortunately, unclaimed trades remained in the system for 24 hours before being deleted.

He tore off another two segments and listed them.

Ding! Transaction Successful: Sold two segments of toilet paper. Acquired: [Bloodstained Access Card]

"Wow... I really discovered a goldmine."

It made sense. Most survivors still hadn't adjusted to the new world. In peacetime, toilet paper was cheap and everywhere. But now? Scarce. Valuable.

He stripped down the rest of the loose rolls into over sixty small pieces and listed them all.

"Might as well profit while others haven't caught on."

Once the market caught wind of the trend, the value would plummet. Lucas was playing the time window smart.

Auction window closed. He turned his attention back to the second car key.

He moved to a clear spot and pressed the unlock button.

Across the street, the headlights of a police cruiser flashed.

"You've got to be kidding me. A police car?!"

Lucas didn't rush. He scanned the area carefully. No movement. All quiet.

Then, something limped into view—a small figure in bloodied white ballet shoes.

A child-sized zombie.

Lucas froze.

Thank God he hadn't charged in blind.

The petite zombie girl had likely been obscured behind the cruiser, too small to be seen during the earlier commotion. A stealth threat.

He circled behind her, crouched low.

One clean swing of the axe.

[You have collected a zombie corpse: Energy Crystal ×1, Mutant Fertilizer ×1]

No unnecessary loot this time. No mistakes.

Just one rule: stay alive.