[Detection: You have stayed in someone else's shelter for over 30 minutes!][The current shelter owner is absent and in an "unable to resist" state.][Would you like to choose to occupy this shelter or destroy it?]
"Occupy or destroy?" Nova was taken aback. He had unwittingly accumulated half an hour in this room, triggering the hidden game mechanism of the apocalypse.
His mind raced as he recalled the captives' confessions about how killing people could earn survival points. The apocalypse game didn't just bring about deadly natural disasters—it also encouraged brutal human-to-human combat. If killing was incentivized, it wasn't surprising that mechanisms for occupying and destroying shelters existed as well.
"According to what the captives said, this house used to belong to Brother Li. He knocked down the walls to create more space for bedding," Nova mused, narrowing his eyes. "If I use this option and Brother Li's shelter disappears, will his talent vanish with it?"
The answer was clear enough. Without hesitation, Nova quickly made his choice.
"Destroy the shelter."
As soon as Nova confirmed his decision, a red light blazed before him.
The women huddled together, fear flashing in their eyes. They backed into a corner, trembling in panic, dreading the unknown.
Nova, however, ignored their frightened stares, his focus entirely on the spreading red light. He watched as it consumed the room in a few short breaths, covering nearly everything in sight.
When the red light dissipated, a new prompt appeared in front of him.
[Congratulations! You've destroyed a Level 0 shelter and earned 100 survival points!][The current shelter owner loses their shelter talent and all rights to the apocalypse game mechanisms.][You now have a 30% chance to inherit the items within the shelter, with a 20% inheritance ratio.][As this is your first shelter destruction, the inheritance probability is increased to 100%! The inheritance ratio is boosted to 100%!][Would you like to confirm the inheritance? If you don't respond within 24 hours, it will be considered a forfeiture.]
A wave of unexpected delight surged through Nova.
"Looks like destroying the shelter did indeed erase his immortality talent!"
"Hahaha, this is perfect!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Nova chuckled. He didn't notice the women's expressions, which had shifted from fear to confusion as they watched him laugh—his demeanor taking on a strange and unsettling edge.
As the women silently tried to console themselves, Nova confirmed the inheritance.
"Confirm inheritance."
Nova's gaze remained sharp, as he didn't want to miss any opportunity to become stronger. Though Brother Li's shelter might not have contained anything extraordinary, more resources were always useful.
[Inheritance completed! The destroyed shelter contained 2,876 survival points, an E-level Steamed Bun Maker Machine, and three bottles of F-level Cooling Liquid.][All items and survival points have been perfectly inherited. They have been automatically added to your shelter reserves. You may withdraw them when you return.]
"Huh?"
Nova blinked, stunned, his eyes widening.
"Li was loaded!"
"How did he have over 2,000 points?"
Nova muttered to himself, realizing he might've underestimated things earlier. If killing people and destroying shelters earned points, there was no way a thug like Brother Li wouldn't have figured it out.
There were 32 households in this building, meaning at least 32 shelters. Excluding Nova's own shelter and Li's, Brother Li could've easily racked up over 3,000 points by destroying the other shelters in the building over the past few days.
Add to that the points from killing people... It was clear that Brother Li's point total was far higher than Nova had imagined.
As for the "E-level Steamed Bun Maker Machine" and "F-level Cooling Liquid," Nova had seen them in the survival point store. Their prices were low, but the fact that Li had them meant he was already using the system, probably to stockpile for better upgrades.
"Then why didn't he use all the points?" Nova thought aloud.
He speculated that Li might've been saving up for an upgrade or for more expensive items. Whatever the case, the points were now in Nova's hands.
"So many points... I'm rich now."
Nova sighed with contentment. The final condition for upgrading his shelter had been met, and he could do so right away. With Brother Li's immortality gone, even if he was still alive, he wouldn't be much of a threat. At least, not for now. Without Lin Yue around, Nova still had Li Ya by his side. With two against one, victory was almost assured.
Besides, Nova had no plans to go out. He was content to let Li Ya bolster the shelter's defenses while he stayed home and grew stronger every day.
With these thoughts in mind, Nova turned to the task at hand.
"Speed up!"
He grabbed the walkie-talkie from the signalman and barked, "We have less than half an hour left. Move it!"
"Also, leave two soldiers to set traps at the door."
"Make them count. Don't hesitate to waste supplies. Use everything you've got to maximize our defenses!"
Nova was making full use of every last moment, directing the soldiers to fortify the shelter before they were gone.
"Yes, sir!" came the prompt reply from the other end.
Nova couldn't help but notice something strange—the intercom system at the police station had failed, yet these summoned soldiers had intact communication systems. It seemed that the apocalypse game only interfered with technology that had existed prior to the event. The shelter-based systems were unaffected.
"Sir, how should we handle the captives?"
The signalman's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. The soldiers were clearly aware that they couldn't leave dangerous individuals behind.
"Should we execute them to ensure your safety?"
Nova took a moment, then responded with a cold, flat tone.
"Yes, kill them."
"Yes, sir."
The soldiers quickly moved into action. A few short gunshots rang out from downstairs, signaling the end of three lives.
Nova felt no more than a brief flicker of indifference. After the brutal battles of the past day, his mental state had hardened.
"Old Zheng, don't hold it against me," Nova muttered quietly. "I have to survive... I can't afford to be soft."
He took a deep breath to steady himself, his eyes shifting to the women in front of him.
A new problem arose. Should he kill them too?
But these women, tormented by Brother Li, hadn't shown any hostility. They hadn't resisted him. Though Nova could be ruthless to his enemies, something inside him hesitated when it came to the weak.
"I'll just drive them away," Nova decided, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I won't kill them, but they can't stay here. I need to ensure this place is secure."
In this post-apocalyptic world, Nova trusted no one. He could afford to show mercy to the weak, but he wouldn't allow them to get too close.
With that in mind, Nova grabbed his pistol, ready to issue his orders.
Then, just as he was about to speak, a soft voice interrupted from behind.
"Sir?"
"Lin Yue!"
Nova turned around in shock. His eyes widened as he saw Lin Yue, covered in blood, leaning weakly against the doorframe, a faint smile on her lips.
"Sir... you're alive. That's... great..."