The rumble of an engine pulled Ava out of sleep.
It was early, barely light out. Mist still clung to the grass, and the morning air was cold against her skin. Nazi was curled up beside her, hugging his stuffed duck, still asleep.
She slipped on her boots and hurried out to the front gate.
Two men in dark jackets were unloading crates from a beat-up delivery truck. No words. No greetings. Just nods. One of them handed her a clipboard. She signed without asking questions.
Twenty minutes later, the truck drove off, leaving behind a small mountain of sealed boxes.
Ava stood there in silence, her breath rising in soft clouds. Then she pulled off the first lid and froze.
Inside were weapons.
Big ones. Heavy ones. Military-grade.
Assault rifles. Shotguns. Sniper scopes. Ammunition in neatly packed rows. Far more than she expected. Some she didn't even recognize by name.
Her hands trembled slightly as she opened box after box.
"…It's too much," she muttered.
But her gut told her: this wasn't overkill. This was preparation.
Without wasting more time, she raised her hand and summoned the storage ring. A soft blue glow formed at her palm, pulsing faintly.
One by one, she transferred everything into it.
Boxes disappeared. Weight vanished. The space around her grew empty again, but her ring held it all silent and secure.
Just as the last box vanished…
Ping.
A soft chime echoed in her mind.
[Countdown to Global Resurrection: 33:02:11]
[New Task: Secure Your Perimeter]
- Clear any obstruction from your farm's perimeter fence.
- Repair all damaged sections.
- Fortify entry points.
Ava stared at the floating window.
"…You're not giving me a break, huh," she whispered.
—---
The outer fence was tall and solid, concrete, barbed, reinforced with steel mesh in some places. Her father had spent most of his life's savings building it.
She used to hate that.
Now she was thankful.
Some trees had fallen during the storm last week. A few rested dangerously against the wall. Others had crushed the outer wire mesh. She picked up a rusted axe and got to work.
The hours passed slowly. Pablo helped where he could, dragging branches and twigs. While Nazi cheering whenever a log dropped with a thud. Sweat soaked Ava's back. Her arms ached. But she didn't stop.
By afternoon, the trees were cleared. The fence was standing tall again.
Still, it wasn't enough.
She wiped her forehead and stared at the long stretch of wall, thinking.
Then she turned to Nazi.
"Let's take a trip."
—---
Town was half-empty when she arrived. Some stores were closed permanently. Others had signs hastily written in marker: "NO RETURNS. CASH ONLY."
The electronics shop was open. Barely.
She bought twenty weatherproof CCTV cameras, cables, and a portable monitor. The cashier barely made eye contact as he took her money.
Driving back, she kept checking the rearview mirror. Nothing followed. Just an empty road.
—---
It was almost sunset by the time she installed the last camera. Each one faced a different angle of the property: the front gate, the garage, the eastern tree line, and the stretch behind the barn.
She wiped her hands, checked the monitor… all cameras live.
Just as she sat down…
Ping.
[Task Complete: Secure Your Perimeter]
[Reward: +5 System Points]
[Total System Points: 25]
Ava leaned back in her chair, staring at the screen.
The farm looked quiet.
But she knew it wouldn't stay that way. Not for long.
Her fingers drummed against the table.
"I've done the fences. The cameras. Everything I can think of..."
A beat passed.
"No. Not everything."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. She stood, lifted her hand, and summoned the ring's menu.
With a faint shimmer of light, the compact rifle materialized in her grip, cool and solid.
"Time to stop preparing and start practicing."
She walked out the door without another word.
Evening was creeping in. The sky was tinged with pale orange as the sun began to lower behind the hills. The air had grown cooler.
Ava stood in the open field just behind the barn, a target dummy nailed to an old wooden board. In her hands, she held the compact rifle Uncle Ferdie had given her.
She checked the safety. Loaded the magazine. Took a deep breath.
Then fired.
The bullet hit the dirt far from the target.
She lowered the gun slowly.
She wasn't afraid of weapons. Her father had taught her well enough, how to hold them, how to stay safe. She knew what to do.
But her arms felt heavy. The recoil was stronger than she remembered. Her aim wavered with every breath.
She tried again.
Still off.
Again.
Still wide.
Her hands ached. Her shoulders burned. Her petite frame wasn't built for this kind of power.
Ava sighed and sat on the wooden crate nearby. Nazi had gone inside to nap again, and the silence around her made her feel even smaller.
She reached up and rubbed her sore shoulder.
'At this rate… what am I protecting him with? Just fences and luck?'
Then something came to mind.
"…The store," she whispered.
She blinked once. The soft glow of the system appeared in front of her, clear and steady.
The store opened with a faint hum.
[Enhancement Serum (Lv.1) – 15 pts]
[Survival Kit (Lv.1) – 2 pts]
Her eyes locked onto the first item.
Enhancement Serum.
The glowing text pulsed gently, like it was waiting.
Ava stared at it for a long moment.
Then nodded slowly.
Click.
[Confirm Purchase? Y/N]
She focused on Yes.
The point counter dropped immediately from twenty-five to fifteen.
[You have received: Enhancement Serum (Lv.1)]
- Physical strength increased
- Agility increased
- Speed increased
- Reflexes improved
- Vision and hearing enhanced
As the message disappeared, a small syringe materialized in front of her, glowing faintly with a blue liquid inside.
Ava picked it up.
She stared at it for a long time. Her fingers trembled slightly.
'Is there no drinkable version?' she thought. Just looking at the needle made her hesitate.
But then her thoughts turned to Nazi. Alone in a world like this.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes… and pushed the needle into her arm.
The moment the serum entered her bloodstream, a warm sensation spread across her chest. Then a bright flash of light surged through her body.
It wasn't painful, just… intense.
Her eyes snapped open.
Everything felt different.
The soreness in her arms disappeared. Her limbs felt light, balanced. Her breathing evened out. When she raised her hand, she could feel the subtle twitch of each finger, like she could control every tiny movement perfectly.
She turned her head.
She could hear the rustling of leaves in the distance. She could see the faint outline of a bird sitting on the fence, too far for normal sight, yet she saw it clearly.
"…Wow," she whispered.
She looked at the rifle.
Then back at the dummy.
Without hesitation, she stood. Raised the weapon.
And fired.
BANG!
The recoil pushed against her shoulder, but she held firm.
The shot hit near the center of the dummy. Not perfect. But not terrible, either.
She blinked, surprised.
Then… she smiled.
"Okay… maybe I really can do this."
She blinked again, then reset her stance.
"One more."
She raised the rifle a second time.
BANG.
Another hit, this one right in the center.
A small breath escaped her lips. Not quite a laugh. But close.
"Okay… again."
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
One after another, the shots rang out. Each one is steady.
When the magazine clicked empty, she lowered the rifle and stared at the target.
Dead center. Every shot.