Daniel sat in the heat and silence, staring at the glowing notification in the air.
[SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED. CURRENT BALANCE: $1,000,000,000.]
He stood up slowly, brushing bone-dust off his legs. "Alright. Let's see what the afterlife has in stock."
With a thought, a new screen appeared in front of him.
[SYSTEM SHOP CATEGORIES:]
[Weapons, Skills & Abilities, Vehicles, Food & Supplies, Clothing & Accessories, Companions, Miscellaneous, Real Estate.]
Daniel blinked. "Real estate? Seriously?"
At least, this time, there was a blue screen. This must be what they'd spent all the heavenly budget on.
However, his curiosity overtook him, and he tapped on the real estate section. Then, he nearly choked at what he saw.
[Sandstone Hut (One-room. Keeps out most scorpions.) – $25,000]
[Impenetrable Mansion (Locked behind biometric soul ID) – $20,000,000]
[Floating Rock Platform (Stylish. No plumbing.) – $3,000]
[Portable Treehouse (Grows wherever you plant it) – $15,000]
[Dark Castle Ruins (Haunted. Definitely cursed.) – $2,000,000]
Why would anyone want a haunted and cursed castle ruin? It wasn't even a full castle. It was just the ruins?!
Well, on second thought, it would be cool to own one.
"Wait a minute." Something occurred to him. What did the shop mean by… companions?
He navigated to the companions section, his eyes roving around the options.
"Oh."
[Tiny Cactus Warrior (He stabs ankles. He is loyal.) – $2,000]
[Ghostly Butler (Floats. Judges you silently.) – $15,000]
[Contracted Goblin Accountant (Surprisingly good with taxes) – $10,000]
[Adoptable Skeleton Puppy (Bites intruders. Buries bones… of enemies) – $1,500]
[Sentient Backpack (Talks too much, but never loses your stuff) – $6,000]
Daniel shook his head with a small smile. When he'd seen the word 'companions', he'd thought of… something else.
With a chuckle, he tapped into "Clothing & Accessories" and immediately saw dozens of options scroll past. Cloaks, armor, futuristic suits, enchanted robes, and even beachwear. He scrolled further until he found something basic.
[ITEM: Black Shirt and Cargo Pants Combo]
[PRICE: $50]
He bought it. The clothes materialized in his hands. He dressed quickly, sighing in relief.
"Okay. Next, sunglasses."
[ITEM: Polarized Sunglasses - Adaptive Lens]
[PRICE: $300]
He bought those too. As he slid them on, the glare from the sun softened immediately.
"Now we're talking."
He stretched and looked around again. Still nothing but sand and bones.
"System, question. Why was there so many options in the shop. Would we really need all that?"
[The Afterlife is divided into many regions and terrains, from deserts and tundras to forests and oceans. To survive and explore, souls may purchase helpful tools.]
"Alright. But why sell them in a shop?"
[All souls are pseudo-immortal. However, resources are scarce. To incentivize survival, the System monetized all progress. Souls may earn currency by killing Afterlife Entities, harvesting rare resources, or offering services.]
"So you're saying people make money by monster hunting?"
[Correct. All System-recognized Entities drop soul currency upon defeat. This currency is automatically transferred into the killer's balance.]
Daniel chuckled. "So it's a grindfest. You live, you fight monsters, you save money, and you buy what you need to survive the next grind."
[Correct.]
He let out a low whistle. "And I have a billion-dollar head start."
[Yes, you do! And my job here is done. Good luck, Daniel Price.]
Then the words faded away.
"Wait. Hey. System?" He asked.
Silence.
"Hello?"
More silence.
The words didn't return. All that remained was the small, hovering SHOP icon at the edge of his vision.
"Guess it's just me now." He muttered.
He turned in place. The white desert stretched in all directions. No landmarks. No signs. No direction.
"Where the hell am I supposed to go?"
He remembered what the System said. Monsters existed. Somewhere.
And then he grinned.
"Why walk when I can drive?"
He brought the System Shop up again and tapped into the "Vehicles" category.
An entire catalog opened before him. Motorcycles, hoverboards, armored tanks, and even flying machines. He stared at them, slack jawed.
He scrolled past them until he saw something he liked.
[ITEM: Desert-Class 4x4 SUV (Self-Repairing, Solar-Powered)]
[PRICE: $75,000]
He could've gotten something much cooler, but there was no need to spend that one million on a flying bus when he still had no idea what he was doing.
"Yes." He confirmed the purchase.
A flash of blue light shimmered beside him, and in a second, a large black SUV appeared. Its frame looked rugged, like something built to outrun a sandstorm or plow through a battlefield.
Daniel ran his hand across the hood. "You're beautiful."
He climbed into the driver's seat, taking in the leather interior and blinking dashboard. It even had cupholders.
He pressed a button. The engine purred to life. The AC blew sweet, cold air into his face. He melted into the seat with a satisfied groan.
Then his stomach growled.
"Wait… I can feel hunger?"
He opened the System Shop again. Now, he knew why there was a food and supplies section. Whoever had designed the afterlife really wanted that sweet, sweet cash.
[ITEM: Beef Taco with Hot Sauce]
[PRICE: $20]
[ITEM: Chilled Fruit Juice (Assorted Flavors)]
[PRICE: $10]
He bought both. They appeared instantly on the dashboard.
Daniel picked up the taco. The smell alone made his mouth water. He took a bite and let out a genuine moan.
"Oh, that's good."
He finished the taco in under a minute and downed the juice. He felt warm and alive. Almost too alive.
He opened the door and tossed the wrappers into the desert.
"Littering in the afterlife. Add that to the list."
He shifted the car into gear and began driving. The tires crunched over bone-dusted sand as the SUV surged forward.
For a while, it was peaceful. The sun never moved, and the landscape didn't change. Just white dunes and scattered skeletal remains.
Then, after thirty minutes, he noticed something.
Up ahead, the sand wasn't smooth. It rippled.
Several large bulges shifted just beneath the surface.
Daniel eased the car to the side, planning to steer around the area.
Then he heard it.
A screech, sharp and hungry.
The sand exploded as creatures burst upward, long limbs reaching, jaws wide.
Monsters.
And Daniel did what every man with common sense would do.
He slammed the pedal.