Chapter 2: Extreme Heat
No sooner said than done. With her passport ready, Moira Lynch immediately bought a plane ticket and prepared to fly abroad.
The moment she stepped outside, Moira Lynch noticed that the weather had been exceptionally hot lately.
She glanced at the date—it was only March. ’Is it really this hot here in March?’
Curious, Moira Lynch looked up the average temperature for this time of year in previous years.
She discovered that this year’s temperature was drastically higher than in years past.
Moira Lynch’s heart sank. She had assumed the apocalypse would be a zombie outbreak and was already planning to turn her forest villa into a secure base.
Her villa was conveniently located in a sparsely populated area. In the event of a zombie outbreak, fewer people meant greater safety.
While she could have become a zombie herself, she was a transmigrator and had a certain confidence that she wouldn’t.
But this new discovery planted a different idea in Moira Lynch’s mind.
’Who’s to say the apocalypse has to be a zombie outbreak? Natural disasters, a wasteland scenario, an alien invasion, a planetary explosion—they all count as the end of the world.’
Looking at the weather outside, Moira Lynch now leaned more toward the idea of a natural disaster.
If that was the case, she couldn’t go forward with her plan to convert the forest villa.
Moira Lynch was overcome with a mixture of relief and apprehension. She was relieved it wasn’t zombies—after all, those things were not only disgusting but also ate people. The apprehension came from the fact that a natural disaster was hardly good news either.
Humanity is fragile and insignificant in the face of nature.
As Moira Lynch’s mind raced, the announcement for her flight’s departure sounded.
’Oh, well. Whatever it is, I have to stock up on supplies first.’
’Even if I’m wrong, it doesn’t matter. Worst case, I’ll just keep the supplies and use them up slowly. They won’t go bad in my pocket dimension anyway.’
...
After two months of frantic activity, Moira Lynch felt as if she were in a daze as she stepped onto her home country’s soil once again. Taking a deep breath, she thought, ’Ah, the air is so much better here. It’s practically sweet.’
Plus, it was safe. She didn’t have to worry about her phone being snatched while walking down the street, nor would a stray bullet suddenly fly by.
These past two months abroad, Moira Lynch felt, had been more intense than her past life and the original owner’s entire existence combined.
But on the bright side, she had acquired all the necessary supplies. She’d even managed to buy the weapons she had been coveting. While not a large arsenal, it was more than enough for self-defense.
After a two-month-long shopping spree abroad, she had only spent a third of her money.
She used another third of her initial funds to buy Gold. As the old saying goes, "antiques in prosperous times, Gold in chaotic times." Throughout five thousand years of history, Gold has always been a reliable currency.
Back at her mountain villa, Moira Lynch teleported into her pocket dimension. The space had already been completely transformed.
The once-barren land was now covered with crops and sprawling orchards, their branches heavy with all kinds of fruit. The lake and the small ocean teemed with life, and various livestock—chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep—were kept in enclosures.
This was all the fruit of Moira Lynch’s labor over the past two months.
Gazing at the vibrant, thriving dimension, Moira Lynch felt an overwhelming sense of security. No matter what disaster the future held, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about food.
"Thankfully, this dimension is pretty smart. I don’t have to do everything myself."
Moira Lynch had been a little worried at first. After all, aside from managing to keep herself alive, she had a black thumb—everything she tried to raise died. Even a cactus couldn’t survive a month under her care.
To process the mature crops into edible food, Moira Lynch had also purchased several production lines and various types of agricultural machinery.
Moira Lynch rested at home for only a single day before continuing to gather supplies. She still had a third of her money left, and she needed to spend it. Otherwise, it would be nothing but a pile of scrap paper once the apocalypse hit.
By now, she was almost certain the impending disaster would be a period of extreme heat.
First, Moira Lynch decided to move.
Her mountain villa was well-hidden, which was great for keeping her pocket dimension a secret, but it was surrounded by woods. If a fire broke out, she’d be trapped with no way to escape.
So, Moira Lynch sold the villa, along with the entire mountain it sat on, as a single package.
Next was buying a new house. Putting the principle of "money makes the world go ’round" to good use, Moira Lynch had the matter settled in less than half a day.
It was a two-story villa, about a third smaller than her previous mountain home, but since Moira Lynch lived alone, there was no point in having a house that was too big.
Her neighbors were all rich and influential, and the community’s security was extremely strict, completely barring entry to unauthorized outsiders.
Moira Lynch was very satisfied with her new home and moved in the same day.
At the same time, she noticed something odd: her neighbors also seemed to be hoarding supplies. Every day, a dozen or more trucks moved in and out of the neighborhood.
But on second thought, it made sense. The daily high was already approaching fifty degrees Celsius. Such an abnormal phenomenon was bound to attract notice.
With her neighbors providing cover, Moira Lynch no longer had to be secretive about her own supply runs. After all, everyone was doing the same thing.
While she had bought plenty of supplies abroad, there were some items Moira Lynch felt were better sourced locally, so she had held off on buying them.
First up was clothing. Extreme heat was just the beginning; she had to consider the possibility of extreme cold, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, acid rain, and all sorts of other natural disasters that could follow. Style was irrelevant—quality was paramount.
Then there were underwear, shoes, socks, and various daily necessities like shampoo, body wash, and sanitary pads—all essentials for a woman.
Moira Lynch touched her waist-length hair. The original owner had maintained it beautifully; it was as black and glossy as satin.
In her previous life, Moira Lynch had also loved having long hair, but the pressures of life left her with no time to manage it, so she had given up and kept it in a neat, short style right up until she transmigrated.
Now that she finally had a head of beautiful, glossy black hair in this life, Moira Lynch didn’t want to part with it.
Call her self-indulgent, but with her pocket dimension, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. There was no need to make unnecessary sacrifices.
After making a list of everything she needed, Moira Lynch tied up her hair, put on a sun hat, applied sunscreen, and headed out with a small bag.
Adhering to the principle of "spend where you must, save where you can," Moira Lynch skipped the large supermarkets and headed straight for the wholesale market.
Even though she had planted plenty of grain in her dimension, it hadn’t matured yet, so she needed to buy some to tide her over. She also needed all sorts of seasonings; the variety available abroad was nowhere near as rich as what she could find at home.
Moira Lynch had planted almost everything she possibly could in her dimension; it all just needed time to mature.
This time, Moira Lynch’s main objective was to stock up on various daily necessities.