Free Web NovelChapter 7: Chapter 7 The shelter
"Hey? This isn’t a place you can just walk into. What are you looking for?"
A young man’s cautious voice echoed through the underground shelter as Ivy stepped inside with her daughters, whose faces were filled with fear. The young man’s voice prompted Ivy to hold them closer to herself.
"It’s fine darlings. There’s no need to be scared. Mommy is here with you."
This was the exact place the system had selected for her...one she had driven to in her car, the only property she had left with her children.
The structure was dim... but solid.
Thick walls. Reinforced ceilings.
Secure.
Ivy had fifty thousand dollars sitting in her account, so getting a good house wouldn’t have been a problem. But she already knew—once the apocalypse began, those houses would collapse like paper.
Still...
Even though she had asked for a shelter, she hadn’t expected something like this.
"Are you sure about this, system?" Ivy murmured under her breath.
Doubt crept in.
{Go ahead and make the deal, Host.}
Just then... a list materialized before her—visible only to her eyes.
The exact words she was supposed to say.
No time to hesitate.
"I’m here to make a deal," Ivy said, her gaze steady. "I want to lease this place for twenty years. Ten thousand dollars per year... I’ll pay six thousand upfront."
The young man didn’t respond immediately.
The cigar between his fingers burned unevenly, ash bending dangerously at the tip as his eyes swept across the space... then back to her.
This place?
No one ever came here saying they want to lease it. He barely made anything from it.
And now—
"Six thousand?" he repeated slowly, as though the number didn’t quite register. "You’re serious?"
"If you’re not, then leave," he added with a scoff, though it lacked confidence. "I don’t have time for jokes... and you might regret coming here if you don’t leave soon."
"I’m serious," Ivy replied calmly. "I wouldn’t risk coming here with my children if I wasn’t."
On her way to the shelter, Ivy had seen them.
Men gathered outside.
Drinking. Gambling.
Dangerous.
Some even had guns strapped to their waists.
That alone had nearly made her turn back.
But...
She had chosen to trust the system.
"What would you even need a place like this for?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I plan to use it for mushroom cultivation," Ivy said smoothly. "If you doubt me... send your bank details. I’ll transfer it now."
The man paused.
Just for a second.
Then he took another drag from his cigar—
And choked.
"Cough—cough!"
He turned away quickly, waving the smoke aside, clearly embarrassed.
"Sorry, ma’am," he muttered, putting it out.
For a moment, he stared at her again... longer this time.
As if trying to figure her out.
Then, with a quiet exhale, he reached for a sheet of paper and scribbled down his account details.
"Here," he said. "I want to see a credit alert within five minutes."
As he spoke, he pulled out a gun from the shelf and placed it on the counter.
Not a threat.
A message.
Don’t play games.
Ivy didn’t react.
She took the paper without hesitation.
No negotiation. No delay.
She glanced at it briefly before shifting her attention to her phone.
A few seconds passed.
"Check your phone."
The man frowned but still pulled it out.
It was on silent—no notification sound.
But the moment the screen lit up...
The cigar slipped from his fingers.
"...What?"
His eyes widened.
Six thousand dollars.
Transferred.
Just like that.
"Oh my God..." His voice dropped into disbelief. "Are you fucking serious right now?"
"You’re not," Ivy replied, a faint, unreadable smile touching her lips. "Now this air-raid shelter is mine."
This time, the man looked at her properly.
Something in his expression shifted.
Respect.
Wariness.
Maybe both.
But in the end... he didn’t care. freēwēbnovel.com
Money was money.
"Y-Yeah... sure. Enjoy it," he said quickly, already stepping back. "It’s all yours."
He turned and hurried out, glancing repeatedly at his phone as if the money might disappear.
Silence settled.
Only after the door shut did Ivy release a slow breath.
{Congratulations, Host, on acquiring your long-term shelter.}
Done.
Her first step toward survival.
She turned toward her daughters.
They were exactly where she had left them—pressed against each other, fast asleep as they were tired.
"...My babies," she whispered softly.
She stepped closer, her movements instinctively gentle.
For a moment, she simply watched them.
Then her fingers brushed softly against one of their cheeks.
Carefully, she tapped them awake.
"Are you done, Mama?" Aria asked, her voice thick with sleep.
"What are we doing next?" Lila added, clutching her teddy bear loosely, its body dragging against the floor.
"Come and lie down, darlings," Ivy said with a soft chuckle, taking their hands.
She led them to the blanket she had spread on the floor—more of a makeshift bed.
She laid them down gently, covering them with a duvet before stepping back.
Her children fell asleep instantly the moment they reached the ground and with that...Ivy stepped out.
****
The shelter sat on slightly elevated land.
Wild grass grew thick around it, and tall, unkempt trees swayed gently in the wind.
From a distance, it looked abandoned.
Forgotten.
But the system knew better.
Ding!
{I purposely selected this shelter because it is far from the city where the monster virus originated.}
{Few people live around here. Monsters won’t be rampant immediately... not until later days.}
Ivy nodded in response. Her pregnancy weighed heavily on her.
Her legs were sore. Her body strained.
Even standing felt like a task and now she was to inspect the surrounding?
Ding!
{An old fence. Barbed wire.}
{You should inspect it, Host.}
"Huh...?"
Curiosity flickered across her face.
She stepped closer despite being tired, pushing aside vines and weeds.
The fence revealed itself....rusted and sagging in places.
But still standing and usable.
Ding!
{The barbed wire was installed years ago...}
{Even like this, it still forms a boundary.}
{If you reinforce it, it will become your first line of defense.}
Ivy’s thoughts began racing.
Monsters weren’t the only threat.
Humans were worse.
Desperation turned people into something far more terrifying.
Her expression darkened.
"But how do I strengthen it...?"
Ding!
{System Mission Activated.}
Her eyes narrowed.
"A mission...?"
{Mission: Fortify Original Base}
{Time Limit: 5 Days}
{Additional Time: +5 Days for subsequent tasks}
{Reward: Base Defense Upgrade}
"How exactly do I do that?" she muttered.
{I will guide you through everything, Host. You only need to provide the funds for the necessary materials.}
"Sure!" Ivy replied immediately.
Money wasn’t an issue.
