6: Chapter 6 The Mysterious Supermarket: One Bottle of Water for One Hundred Nether Talismans

"Boom—!"

A loud explosion suddenly erupted from the western wall of the Fortress. A newly built bone wall collapsed with a crash, sending bone fragments flying. Su Qingyu, who was supervising the construction, stepped back two paces in shock. Through the dust, a three-meter-tall rock giant appeared, formed from twisted concrete chunks and rebar, with yellowish flames burning in its eye sockets.

[Rock-Marrow Monstrosity: Intermediate threat, extremely high physical defense]

Zhang Hao was so terrified that he scrambled to hide behind Lin Chen: "Master! This... this thing..."

Lin Chen didn't even lift his eyelids, his fingertips lightly tapping on the system interface.

"Swoosh!"

A black shadow shot out from the wall's sentry tower, accurately striking the monstrosity's forehead. It was a black talisman paper as thin as a cicada's wing. The moment it touched the creature's forehead, the multi-ton monster froze in place as if its soul had been sucked out, then collapsed into a pile of rubble with a loud crash.

[Consumed 'Rock-Breaking Talisman' x1, value: 50 nether talismans]

The entire process took less than three seconds.

Zhang Hao stood dumbfounded, and the ledger in Su Qingyu's hand nearly fell. The other survivors working nearby were so frightened they fell to their knees.

Lin Chen glanced at the rubble on the ground and said to Su Qingyu, "Take note, these stone materials can be recycled. They are worth 200 nether talismans."

He turned and walked toward the center of the Fortress, where a building constructed from skeletons had appeared at some unknown time. A sign hanging at the entrance flickered with an eerie light—[Ghostly Splendor Supermarket].

The interior space of the supermarket was far larger than it appeared from the outside. The shelves displayed a variety of incredible goods:

The left shelves held daily necessities:

· [Purified Water (500ml)]: 100 nether talismans

· [Compressed Biscuits]: 50 nether talismans

· [First Aid Spray]: 300 nether talismans

The right shelves held special items:

· [Low-level Amulet]: 500 nether talismans

· [Underworld Soldier Trial Card (1 hour)]: 1000 nether talismans

· [Bizarre Monster Illustrated Guide (Introductory)]: 2000 nether talismans

Most shocking of all was the deep end of the supermarket, where there was actually a small area simulating sunlight. Green vegetables grew beneath it, labeled [Fresh Lettuce: 500 nether talismans/100g].

"Business is now open," Lin Chen's voice echoed throughout the Fortress.

The survivors looked at each other. A middle-aged man with a severed arm plucked up his courage and stepped forward: "B-Boss, can I really buy a bottle of water? I have nether talismans!" He showed his wrist, which displayed a balance of '150'.

"Take it yourself." Lin Chen leaned behind the counter, resting with his eyes closed.

The man tremblingly took down a bottle of water, and the number on his wrist immediately changed to '50'. He twisted the cap and gulped down several mouthfuls, then suddenly fell to his knees and wept: "It's been half a month... I finally drank clean water..."

This scene stimulated everyone.

"I want biscuits!"

"Give me the First Aid Spray!"

The crowd instantly lost control, frantically surging toward the shelves.

Wang Dehai squeezed through the crowd. He had 600 nether talismans on his wrist—earned by risking being bitten by bone fragments while moving bricks for twelve straight hours. He stared fixedly at the [Underworld Soldier Trial Card] priced at 1000 nether talismans, his eyes burning with fervor.

Suddenly, a shrill scream came from outside the supermarket.

A survivor who had hidden a pack of biscuits tried to slip away. Just as he stepped out the supermarket door, his entire body was squeezed by an invisible giant hand and instantly exploded into a mist of blood. Within the blood mist, that pack of biscuits flew back to the shelf perfectly intact.

"Theft is prohibited within the supermarket's range," Lin Chen said without even opening his eyes. "Violators will be executed on the spot."

Everyone froze in place, terrified.

At that moment, Su Qingyu walked into the supermarket. She already had a balance of 2000 nether talismans on her wrist—payment for her diligent management of the construction site. She hesitated for a moment before taking down the [Elegant Long Dress] priced at 1500 nether talismans.

A flash of light passed, and the tattered dress she was wearing transformed into an exquisite black gown, making her pale face look exceptionally moving.

Zhang Hao's eyes went wide, but when he saw the [Strength Enhancement Potion] priced at 2000 nether talismans, he still swallowed hard. He leaned in beside Lin Chen and said flatteringly, "Master, could I get an advance on some nether talismans? I want to buy that potion so I can serve you better!"

Lin Chen finally opened his eyes, the corners of his lips curling slightly: "You can. The interest is 10% daily. If you can't pay it back, use your organs to settle the debt."

Zhang Hao retreated with a pale face.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in a corner of the supermarket. An old woman holding a little girl knelt before a shelf, weeping: "Please, my granddaughter has had a fever for three days. Can I get a fever reducer on credit? It's only 100 nether talismans, I'll definitely pay it back later!"

That bottle of [Universal Fever Reducer] shimmered right before their eyes, but the balance on the old woman's wrist was '0'.

The other survivors looked away one after another. Here, kindness was a luxury.

Lin Chen walked slowly to them, looking down at the trembling pair.

"Pledge your left eye to me," he said flatly, "and you can have it on credit."

The old woman hugged her granddaughter in terror, and the little girl was too scared to even cry.

Just when everyone thought they were about to witness a tragedy, Lin Chen suddenly chuckled: "Just a joke."

He took down the fever reducer and tossed it to the old woman: "Put it on Su Qingyu's tab."

Su Qingyu was stunned: "W-Why me?"

"You're the housekeeper; you should be the one handling such matters." Lin Chen turned and walked back to the counter. "Either pay the debt for her or throw them out of the Fortress. The choice is yours."

Su Qingyu looked at the grandmother and granddaughter weeping in each other's arms, then at the nether talismans she had just accumulated on her wrist. Gritting her teeth, she chose to pay. Her balance instantly decreased by 100.

Seeing this, the other survivors' expressions became complicated. For the first time, they realized that in this hellish world, perhaps some kind of order still existed... some kind of hope?

Suddenly, Zhang Hao's excited shout came from outside the supermarket: "Master! Come quickly! We found this in the eastern ruins!"

He ran in holding a rusty safe, with an eerie crow pattern engraved on the lid.

Lin Chen's gaze narrowed slightly.

That was the symbol of a mysterious organization from his past life.