Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System

"I heard she's making food that can boost your powers," one of the citizens said, voice low.

"Really? Like energy food?"

"Yup."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"That can change everything," a woman muttered.

They all stared at the buildings with wide eyes. Some of them started lining up, even though the shop wasn't open yet.

A new hope was spreading through the base.

.............

Su Jiyai sat quietly in Qin Feng's room, the soft light from the screen casting a gentle glow on her face. Her fingers hovered over her interface as she opened the grocery store function.

She remembered that she had unlocked this feature when she reached level 5, but before, she never really thought about using it. Now, with some free time on her hands, she decided to explore it.

As the function opened, a huge world map appeared in front of her. The map was bright and colorful, showing many countries and regions. For a moment, Su Jiyai was silent, her eyes wide with surprise.

Her system spoke in its usual calm voice.

[This is the world map. You can build grocery stores all over the country, or even all over the world, from where you are.]

Su Jiyai blinked. "Wait, so I can open stores everywhere without moving?"

The system answered softly,

[Yes. This feature lets you expand your grocery stores worldwide.]

She was stunned. This power felt almost too good to be true. She touched one of the largest countries on the map, a place named Earth. But as soon as she did, the whole country turned grey, and she could not click or access it.

The system spoke again, sounding a little guilty,

[You cannot open grocery stores there yet. You must pay mission points to unlock countries.]

Su Jiyai narrowed her eyes. "So what is the catch?"

The system explained,

[You cannot open stores for free. You have to pay. Different countries require different points.]

Taking a deep breath, Su Jiyai asked, "How many points do I need to pay for each country?"

Immediately, a chart appeared, listing different countries and their required mission points.

[Small countries require one billion points or a thousand mission points. Larger countries require more.]

Su Jiyai clenched her teeth, feeling a little angry. She sighed and asked, "Which country is closest to me and needs a grocery store the most? Can you give me that data?"

The system replied quickly,

[Yes, I have that information.]

A new country appeared on the map. It was called Country A.

Su Jiyai raised her eyebrow. "How much to open Country A?"

The system said,

[One billion mission points.]

She took another deep breath to calm herself. "What is my current balance?"

[Thirty billion mission points,] the system answered.

Su Jiyai let out a small sigh of relief. "Okay. I want to open Country A."

She clicked on it and paid the required points. Instantly, the greyed-out country became colorful and active. She could now access it.

Breathing slowly, she asked, "How do I place my grocery store inside this country?"

The system explained,

[Each state inside the country can have up to 30 stores. Country A has 30 states. You can place your stores anywhere you want in any state.]

Su Jiyai smiled and said, "Can you show me the population data? I want to put the stores where the most people live. No point putting it in the middle of nowhere."

The system responded right away,

[Of course. I am showing the states now with their population numbers.]

A new map appeared, zooming into the states. One state had the largest population. The system highlighted it.

Su Jiyai zoomed in more to the land within the state. The system showed exact locations suitable for grocery stores.

She dragged and dropped a small icon of the store onto the best location. A miniature virtual version of the grocery store popped up on the screen, showing what it would look like there.

"Can I stock the grocery store however I want?" she asked.

[Yes.]

The system continued.

[You decide what items to sell. Food, weapons, clothes, cosmetics, skincare products, or anything else. You also control the profit margin and pricing.]

Su Jiyai smiled widely. "This is perfect. I can make the store exactly how I want."

With a deep breath, Su Jiyai sat back and looked at the virtual shop she had just placed. It looked modern and strong, even in its tiny form. Now came the fun part, deciding what to sell.

She thought carefully. "What do people need the most in this kind of world?"

The answer was simple: food. People needed food more than anything.

She started by filling the virtual store shelves with canned goods. Canned fruits, vegetables, meats, and soups, things that could be preserved for a long time and wouldn't spoil. Then she added boxed meals, dried noodles, and rice. After that, she thought for a moment and added water bottles and drink packs.

Next, she added weapons. Not big ones, but simple defensive tools that could help people stay safe—small knives, shock batons, even light armor. People in dangerous places needed to protect themselves.

Then, she hesitated. There was one more item she had been thinking about.

The superpower awakening potion.

She stared at the option for a while, unsure if it was the right time. But then she thought, 'If even one person gets strong from this and survives, it's worth it.'

With a small nod, she added the potion to the list.

Now it was time to set the prices. This part made her smile a little. She doubled the prices for this new country. In her own base, people could get things cheaply.

But in this new place, they would have to pay more. Not because she was greedy, but because she knew how unfair things had always been.

"These countries would overcharge my people without blinking. So now, it's their turn to pay more," she muttered.

Even with double the price, her store was still cheaper than most places. At least hers had food that was clean and real.

And her guess was right.

In the state where she built the store, food was nearly impossible to find. A single loaf of bread cost twenty million Federal Coins. People ate dirt, or worse, sometimes even human meat, just to survive.

That was the sad reality.

..........

Far away from her, in that very state, a young man and woman named John and Mia were walking under the hot sun. Their lips were cracked, and their faces were pale. Their clothes were dusty, and their eyes were dull from exhaustion.

Suddenly, in the middle of the street, a shining glass building stood before them.

It had never been there before.

Mia blinked and pointed. "John… what is that?"

John stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened. The building looked clean and cool. It was made of glass, and lights shone gently inside.

"Is it… a grocery store?" Mia asked in a quiet voice.

"No way," John muttered. "That has to be an illusion. A trick from one of the enemy bases. Maybe some mirage."

Still, his eyes didn't move away from it.

Mia looked unsure. "We should turn back."

But John shook his head. "Even if it's fake, I'd rather walk into a trap than die in this heat and hunger. We're going to die anyway."

Mia didn't answer, but followed silently. They walked together toward the strange new building.

As they got close, John muttered, "If I could go back in time, I'd buy a mountain of food and sell it for whatever price I wanted. I'd be rich."

Mia rolled her eyes. "You always think like a merchant."

When they reached the front door, they paused. John raised his foot to kick it open.

But before he could touch it, the door slid open all by itself.

They both froze.

They stared at the entrance. Cold air rushed out and brushed against their sweaty faces. It was so cool and fresh, they almost forgot where they were. Without thinking, they stepped inside.

Inside the building, the air was cold and clean. It felt like they had walked into a dream.

John sank to the ground and closed his eyes, letting the cold air cool his skin.

"This illusion is too real," he mumbled. "I can feel it."

Mia nodded. "This is the most amazing illusion I've ever seen."

She looked around and suddenly gasped. "John."

He grunted. "What now?"

"Look," she said and pointed ahead.

John didn't want to get up, but her tone made him curious. He opened his eyes and turned his head.

His eyes landed on the shelves ahead, and he froze.

There were rows and rows of items. Canned food. Meat. Fruit. Even something called Super Power Awakening Potion.

"What… what is this?" he whispered.

"Pinch me," he said.

Mia didn't even look at him. She was too busy staring.

And then they both saw it.