📖 Chapter 2: A World Measured in Inches
The storm didn't stop.
By nightfall, the sky had turned completely black, as if the sun itself had been swallowed. Rain hammered against the windows in relentless waves, and distant screams occasionally slipped through the sound of thunder.
I sat quietly on the floor of my room.
Waiting.
Watching.
Thinking.
In my last life, this was the moment everything spiraled out of control.
Power outages. Panic buying. Violence.
People thought the storm would pass.
It didn't.
This time, I was ready.
I picked up another object—a sealed packet of biscuits—and focused.
"Reduce."
The familiar silver glow flickered.
The packet shrank instantly, compressing down until it was no bigger than my fingernail.
I held it between two fingers, studying it carefully.
Same weight.
Same structure.
Just… smaller.
A slow grin spread across my face.
"Perfect."
In the apocalypse, storage was everything.
Space meant survival.
And I had just broken the rules of space itself.
I stood up and looked around my room.
Bed. Desk. Chair. Closet.
Too big.
Too exposed.
Too inefficient.
"Then I'll just change everything."
One by one, I began.
Water bottles.
Food packs.
Tools.
Clothes.
Everything I could get my hands on, I reduced.
Each item shrinking down into tiny, manageable pieces.
Within an hour, my desk—once cluttered—was nearly empty.
But inside a small metal box?
Enough supplies to last weeks.
Outside, chaos was already beginning.
I turned on my phone.
No signal.
Of course.
But the downloaded news clips still played.
Flooded streets. Collapsing roads. Emergency alerts.
People screaming.
Running.
Losing control.
I muted the sound.
Then calmly opened my drawer.
Inside was something I had prepared earlier.
Tiny cameras.
In my previous life, they were useless.
This time?
They would be my eyes.
I picked one up and activated my ability.
"Reduce."
The camera shrank instantly.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, I had a handful of nearly invisible surveillance devices.
Small enough to hide anywhere.
I walked to the door and paused.
On the other side of this door…
was danger.
But also opportunity.
Carefully, I cracked it open.
The hallway was empty.
Good.
My brother's room was at the end of the corridor.
Light spilled from under his door.
Voices echoed faintly.
He wasn't alone.
"…Don't worry, Lu Yao," he was saying confidently. "I've got everything under control."
I leaned slightly closer.
His tone was full of pride.
"I can multiply supplies. Food, water—whatever you need. Your family won't suffer."
A pause.
Then a softer voice replied—gentle, but calculating.
"Really? That's amazing… I knew I could count on you."
I closed my eyes briefly.
Same story.
Same lies.
Same ending.
Without making a sound, I placed one of the tiny cameras near the corner of the hallway.
Hidden.
Perfect.
Then I moved downstairs.
The house creaked under the force of the storm, but no one noticed me.
Everyone was too busy panicking.
The front door rattled violently.
Wind howled like something alive.
Water had already started seeping in.
I crouched down and placed another camera near the entrance.
Then one in the kitchen.
One near the back door.
Each one carefully positioned.
Each one invisible.
By the time I returned to my room, I had built something far more valuable than strength.
Information.
I locked the door again.
Sat down.
And opened the live feed.
Multiple screens flickered to life on my phone.
Different angles.
Different rooms.
Different truths.
In one frame, my brother stood proudly, showing off supplies to Lu Yao through a video call.
In another, our parents argued in panic.
In another, the storm clawed at the house like it wanted in.
I watched it all.
Silently.
Calmly.
From a distance.
Then, I picked up the metal box filled with my reduced supplies.
And hesitated.
"This still isn't enough…"
Food and water could be stored.
But safety?
That required something more.
Something absolute.
My gaze slowly shifted to the center of the room.
An idea forming.
Dangerous.
But perfect.
"What if…"
I whispered.
"…I don't just shrink things?"
The silver light flickered faintly around my fingers.
"What if…"
"…I shrink myself?"
The thought hung in the air.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
Exciting.
Outside, the world was collapsing.
Inside, I was about to step into something entirely new.
A different kind of survival.
A different kind of power.
I clenched my fist.
Eyes steady.
Decision made.
"Let's see just how small this world can get."
Thunder roared.
And I activated the system.
To be continued… 🔥