Jessica's Real Value

Lucas Kane loaded the last canister into his inventory. His spatial storage had plenty of room, and the diesel, gasoline, and backup generators would surely prove invaluable in the near future.

"Just because there's power now doesn't mean there always will be," he muttered. "This could just be part of the system's beginner protection."

He remembered reading once that in a true apocalypse, most power grids would collapse within half a year. The fact that the city still had electricity felt... off.

Better to be prepared than sorry.

"Thanks again, man," Ethan Cole's voice came through the chat. "You're always welcome at our base. We've set up camp in the city's sports center. Clean beds, secure perimeters... we're up to twenty members now. Half of them are women. There's even a celebrity among them."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Nope, just thought you should know."

Lucas gave a noncommittal reply and closed the chat.

Suddenly, a new message popped up.

Jessica Moore: You there?

Lucas blinked. Jessica usually only messaged him at night. This was a surprise.

Lucas: I'm here. What's up?

No reply.

Instead, a trade request came in. Lucas opened it to see a pile of items being offered:

Mutated Fertilizer ×30

Bloodstained Keys ×2

Clean Cloth ×10

Empty Water Bottles ×3

High-beam Flashlights ×2

Rechargeable Batteries ×3

Before he could react, Jessica locked the transaction.

Lucas: What's going on?

Jessica: I know you're a good person. These are for you. No strings attached.

Lucas: All of them? What about you?

Lucas felt an odd unease creeping into his chest.

Jessica: I won't be needing them. The campus is overrun. A swarm of new zombies showed up this morning. One of them... it's fast. Crawls on all fours. Has these long claws and a horrifying face.

She paused, then added:

Jessica: A survivor squad passed by earlier. That monster tore them apart like paper. Our knives and clubs are useless against it.

Lucas: Then escape. Don't give up yet.

Jessica: It's too late. I'm stuck in a locked dormitory tower. I can't run far. These items are better in your hands.

She sent a photo. In it, Jessica was smiling faintly—a bright, warm smile, but her gaunt cheeks and tired eyes betrayed her three days of hunger and fear.

Jessica: Just wanted you to remember me. You're the first person I've really spoken to in this new world.

Lucas stared at her face for a long time. It was... sincere. And deeply human.

His gaze moved to the next image: a blurry shot of a grotesque zombie crouched on all fours, its muscle-bound body twisted unnaturally. Long claws curled from its limbs, and its head was contorted backwards on its neck.

Immediately, a system prompt flashed:

[Crawler - Mutated Zombie Detected]

Status: Extremely Agile, Enhanced Sensory Perception

Reward: High Energy Core Yield upon Kill

Tip: Avoid confined spaces; high kill chance in open terrain.

Lucas's eyes sharpened.

"High energy core yield, and not beyond my level?"

His heart raced.

If it was truly that dangerous, he'd walk away. No loot was worth his life. But if the system said he had a strong chance... then this might be an opportunity.

He opened his storage, pulled out a 10L bottle of purified water, and split off 500ml into one of the empty bottles Jessica had given him. Then, he added a sausage and sent them via the trade interface.

Jessica: ??? What are you doing?

Lucas: Payment.

Jessica: Payment? I can't accept this. I've got nothing to trade... and I'll need food and water every day. You'll drain yourself dry if you keep this up.

Lucas chuckled quietly. Naive girl.

Lucas: Who said I'm giving it for free? Don't be so full of yourself.

Jessica: Then... what do you want?

There was a pause.

Jessica: Wait... you're not expecting...

Lucas: Huh?

Jessica: I mean... not, like, photos or videos, right?

Lucas: What the hell? Do I look that pathetic to you?

Jessica: No! I mean… sorry. I just thought...

Lucas: Forget it. Listen. I have two tasks for you. First, track the crawler. Don't fight it, just keep tabs on its movements. Second, help me sell the remaining precision bows.

He smirked.

Let someone else handle the chatroom for once.

If Jessica could provide real-time updates on the mutant's movement, it would give Lucas the perfect edge to initiate a safe kill. And if she helped handle the flood of buyers, he could focus entirely on planning his next hunt.

This wasn't charity.

It was strategy.