Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter 18 Self protection store
With less than five days left before the apocalypse, Ivy didn’t linger. She got into her car immediately to continue her stockpiling. There was no time to waste and since her children were protected by the system....she was good to go. Besides it was not advisable to take them wherever she went considering the fact that the apocalypse was fast approaching.
Ding!
{A reward has been prepared for the host in recognition of her hard work.}
"Really? What reward?" Ivy asked, a small, hopeful smile forming on her lips.
{Host is granted immense strength—capable of crushing stone with bare hands—along with basic combat abilities.}
"Huh?" Ivy froze mid-step, unsure if she had heard correctly.
In the next moment, a powerful energy surged through her body. A chilling sensation spread across her skin before vanishing just as quickly, leaving behind something entirely different—strength. Real, overwhelming strength. The exhaustion that had weighed her down moments ago disappeared completely.
Ding!
{Host may proceed to test abilities.}
Still confused, Ivy stepped out of the car. She bent down, picked up a stone, and pressed it lightly between her fingers.
It crumbled into dust.
Her eyes widened. "Now that is insane!"
Her muscles felt different—firmer, stronger. Power coursed through her arms, her legs, her entire body. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
{Congratulations, host.}
Just as she turned to get back into her car, her steps slowed. Her gaze fell on the dry branches scattered across the terrain, and her heart tightened instantly.
Memories from her past life surfaced without warning. Fires—some caused by monsters, others by desperate, ruthless humans—had devoured homes and lives alike.
Her chest clenched as one memory stood out above the rest.
Lila.
Her youngest daughter had once been trapped in a fire.
It had started as a warning—humans threatening her husband, Adrian, by setting fire to their wooden storage. But Maya, his mistress, had locked Lila inside over something as trivial as breaking a plate.
Even now, the memory made Ivy’s hands tremble.
Her husband had told her to forget the child. That they still had other children.
But Ivy hadn’t listened. She had rushed into the flames and saved her daughter.
And she would never allow such helplessness again.
With tears stinging her eyes, Ivy bent down and began clearing the dry branches. She didn’t call on the system this time. This wasn’t about efficiency—it was instinct. A mother’s instinct.
With her newfound strength, the task became effortless. Branch after branch disappeared from her grasp, yet the ground seemed endless. Still, she didn’t stop. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Ding!
{Clearing terrain...}
In an instant, every dry branch across the entire area vanished.
Ivy froze before slowly exhaling, relief washing over her. A small smile appeared on her face.
Now, even if a fire started, it wouldn’t spread easily. She would have time—time to protect her children.
But the system wasn’t finished.
Ding!
{A permanent fire-free zone has been granted, host.}
"What? Are you serious?" Ivy asked, stunned.
{Yes. Neither monsters nor humans will be able to start fires within this area.}
For a moment, she said nothing. Then she collapsed onto the ground, overwhelmed.
"Oh my goodness... thank you."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, but this time, they weren’t from fear. They were from relief.
Only after composing herself did she return to her car and continue her journey.
---
The bell above the store door rang as Ivy stepped inside. Without hesitation, she headed straight for the medical supplies section.
"Welcome to the self-protection store," the middle-aged man at the counter said, not even looking up from the book in his hands.
The store didn’t carry everything, but it had what mattered—the essentials for survival. The system had led her here, and now she understood why. This place filled in the final gaps in her preparations.
If others knew what was coming, chaos would already have begun. Supplies would be hoarded, trades would replace currency, and people would turn on each other.
Just like in her first life.
Ivy let out a quiet scoff at the memory and began packing.
She moved methodically, clearing out first aid kits—bandages, antiseptics, gauze, emergency tools—until the shelves were nearly empty. Then she gathered medications: antibiotics, fever reducers, painkillers, infection treatments. Everything the system listed, she took. Everything she could think of, she added.
Her actions were steady, but her thoughts were not.
Her children.
She hadn’t brought them with her today, and the unease in her chest refused to fade.
They had to survive. No matter what.
Her grip tightened around a box before she placed it into her basket.
Next came protective gear—gloves, boots, helmets, armor. She took everything she needed, quickly filling more than one basket.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
She moved deeper into the store, toward a restricted section. Knives. Survival blades. Tactical tools. She took what she could without hesitation.
Then she stopped.
Guns.
She needed them.
But she also knew... it wasn’t something she could simply ask for. frёeωebɳovel.com
Her brows furrowed as she placed a hand on her chin, thinking.
Who can help me get guns?
"What?! What are you doing, ma’am?!"
