The suburbs were quieter than the city center. But it was the silence of a graveyard.
Aria killed the motorcycle engine about a block away from the "Safe Haven" Storage Facility.
She pushed the bike into some bushes to hide it.
The night air was cold. She tightened her grip on the crossbow.
She moved through the shadows, her footsteps silent thanks to the [Agility] stats she had stolen.
Ahead, the facility came into view.
It was a large compound surrounded by a high electric fence. In her past life, this place became a fortress known as "The Vault." It held enough food and medicine to feed an army for years.
Currently, the heavy steel gate was closed.
Two security guards were standing there, shining flashlights into the dark road. They looked nervous.
"Did you hear those screams earlier?" one guard asked, his hand shaking on his baton.
"Probably just some drunk fighting," the other replied, lighting a cigarette. "Boss said don't open the gate for anyone. Not even the police."
Aria hid behind a parked truck.
She analyzed the situation.
Two guards outside. Likely more inside. The electric fence was active (she could hear the hum).
She raised her [Tactical Crossbow].
She aimed at the guard smoking the cigarette.
Thwack.
The bolt flew silently through the air. It struck the guard directly in the throat.
"Gurgle..."
The man grabbed his neck. Blood bubbled between his fingers. He collapsed without a scream.
"Mike? What's wro—"
The second guard turned around.
Thwack.
Aria didn't hesitate. The second bolt hit him in the eye socket. The force knocked him backward against the gate.
Clean. Efficient.
Aria walked out of the shadows. She retrieved her bolts from the corpses.
Reuse. Recycle.
She searched the bodies and found the key card for the gate.
Beep.
The heavy steel gate groaned and slid open.
Aria slipped inside.
The facility had rows of large warehouse units. But she knew exactly where to go. Unit 1: The VIP Supply Room.
As she approached the main building, she heard a voice.
"Pack everything! The expensive wine! The caviar! Leave the rice, it takes up too much space!"
Aria peeked through a window.
Inside the warehouse office, a fat man in a silk suit was yelling at a young man. The fat man was the owner, Mr. Black.
The young man looked terrified. He was holding a cardboard box.
Suddenly, the box in the young man's hands... vanished.
It just disappeared into thin air.
Mr. Black nodded. "Good! Keep doing it! Use your magic trick! Put all the gold in there too!"
Aria's eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat.
She stared at the young man.
[Target Detected: Human (Awakened)]
[Talent: Dimensional Storage (F-Rank)]
[Status: Exhausted]
Aria licked her lips.
In the Apocalypse, a Space Talent was the rarest ability. One in a million.
This young man had just awakened it. He was a walking treasury.
"I found it," Aria whispered. A greedy smile curled her lips.
She didn't care about the food anymore. She wanted him. Or rather, she wanted his talent.
Kick.
Aria kicked the door open.
"Who are you?!" Mr. Black shouted, spinning around. He pulled a small pistol from his jacket.
Aria was faster.
She threw the meat cleaver.
It wasn't a precision throw, but it was heavy.
Crack!
The cleaver handle hit Mr. Black in the wrist, shattering the bone. The gun fell to the floor.
"AHHH! My hand!" Mr. Black fell to his knees.
The young man with the Space Talent backed away, trembling. "Don't... don't hurt me! I'm just an intern!"
Aria ignored the fat owner. She walked straight toward the intern.
Her red eyes were glowing in the dim light.
"You," Aria said softly. "You have something I need."
"Take the money!" The intern cried, throwing his wallet at her. "Take the gold! It's all in my... in my space!"
"Exactly," Aria said.
She lunged.
She didn't use the cleaver. She used her hands. She grabbed the intern by the throat and slammed him against the shelves.
"P-please..." The intern gasped, his face turning purple.
"Shh. It will be over soon."
Aria squeezed.
Her [Strength] was already three times that of a normal human.
Snap.
The intern's neck broke. His head fell to the side at an unnatural angle.
[Ding!]
[Target Eliminated: Awakened Human (Space User)]
[Rare Target Detected!]
[Plundering...]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS!]
[You have obtained Talent: Dimensional Storage (F-Rank).]
[Current Space: 10 cubic meters.]
[Note: Space can be upgraded by devouring other Space Cores.]
[Bonus Loot:]
[All items stored in the target's void have been transferred to your storage.]
Aria closed her eyes. She felt a new sense opening in her mind. A dark, empty void.
Inside the void, she saw boxes of gold bars, expensive wine, and caviar.
"Only 10 cubic meters?" Aria frowned. "Small. But it will do for now."
She turned around.
Mr. Black was crawling toward the gun.
Aria walked over and stepped on his broken wrist.
"Gaaaaah!" Mr. Black screamed.
"Mr. Black," Aria said politely. "Open Unit 1. The main supply."
"Go to hell!" he spat.
Aria picked up the gun from the floor. She checked the safety.
"Wrong answer."
Bang.
She shot him in the kneecap.
"AHHHH! OKAY! OKAY! I'LL OPEN IT!"
Mr. Black dragged himself to the control panel on the wall. With shaking hands, he punched in the code.
Clank. Hiss.
The massive shutter of the main warehouse rolled up.
Aria looked inside.
Her breath hitched.
Pallets of canned beef. Towers of bottled water. Crates of antibiotics. Generators. Fuel tanks.
It was enough supplies to survive for ten years.
Mr. Black looked at her with fear. "I opened it. Now let me go..."
Aria looked at the mountain of supplies, then at her new [Dimensional Storage].
10 cubic meters wasn't enough to take it all.
I can't take everything with me.
She turned to Mr. Black and smiled. It was a terrifying, beautiful smile.
"Change of plans," Aria said. "I'm not leaving."
"What?"
"This place," Aria spread her arms, claiming the entire facility. "Is now my base."
Bang.
She put a bullet between Mr. Black's eyes.
[Ding!]
[Target Eliminated: Human]
[You have stolen: 2 Intelligence Points.]
Aria holstered the gun. She walked into the warehouse, surrounded by food and safety.
She opened a can of expensive peaches, took a bite, and sat on a crate of ammunition.
Outside, the city was burning.
Inside, she was the Queen.