Chapter 125: System Integration 2 (Flashback)
Alex moved through the dimly lit corridor of the bunker, his footsteps echoing softly against the smooth floor. Doors lined both sides of the passage, each marked by glowing signs overhead: WEAPONS, ARMOR, FOOD, and even one with the label VIDEOGAMES.
A slight twitch passed over his face at the last one. Really, Mom?
But he didn’t slow down.
Leisure wasn’t a luxury he could afford right now. There would be no time to explore or reminisce over what could’ve been a normal life. Not anymore.
He continued forward until he reached the door labeled FOOD. The metal door slid open with a quiet hiss,, revealing a space that took him by surprise.
It wasn’t a pantry or a compact kitchen—it was a full-scale cafeteria, large enough to easily feed a hundred people. Polished tables stretched out in rows, and the lighting adjusted subtly as he stepped inside, casting a warm glow over the room. The sheer size of it once again reminded him of the scope of the bunker. His mother hadn’t built a survival shelter—she had built a sanctuary.
Alex moved toward the empty counter.
Behind it, he spotted a secondary room with a sign above the door that read: STORE.
But it wasn’t the sign that caught his attention—it was the runes etched across the door’s surface. Enchantments runes, carefully woven with precise lines. He could help but wonder what they were for, as he stepped through the doorway.
Inside, rows of towering cupboards and heavy-duty freezers lined the walls, each adorned with similar glowing runes. He didn’t recognized the runes but could make a guess—Preservation Runes—used to halt decay and maintain freshness over time.
The store was filled with raw ingredients, enough to feed hundreds for months. Meats, grains, vegetables—everything had been categorized and arranged like a military stockpile. It was overkill. But seeing it, he couldn’t help the flicker of gratitude that surfaced.