Dan continued deeper into the supermarket.
The next major target was rice so he pushed his cart toward the rice section and began comparing different brands. This time, he genuinely purchased one bag and placed it into his cart. He then examined several others, checking their weight, packaging, type of rice, and the number of bags stacked on the pallet.
He remembered where everything was before casually moving on.
He didn’t touch the bags he intended to store.
After reaching the next aisle, Dan glanced around. Nobody seemed particularly interested in him, and the nearest camera was facing toward the opposite side.
’Good.’ He mentally selected the rice he had just examined. ’Collect.’
The bags disappeared from the previous aisle.
<Ding!>
[Received Vacuum-Sealed Rice ×10 Bags.]
Dan kept walking. ’Flour is next.’
He examined the bags, moved away, waited until he was at a safe distance, and then activated the Inventory.
<Ding!>
[Received Premium Flour ×10 Bags.]
Cooking oil followed. Then bottled water. Each time, Dan followed the same procedure. He subtly examined the products from a distance, appearing casual as he memorized their location, moved away, waited for a safe distance, and then silently collected them.
<Ding!>
[Received Cooking Oil ×12 Bottles.]
A moment later, another notification appeared.
<Ding!>
[Received Mineral Water ×24 Cases.]
Dan’s eyes flickered at the notification. ’Water is going to be extremely important.’
Food could be rationed. Some foods could eventually be grown or obtained through other means, but clean drinking water was another matter entirely.
If the infrastructure collapsed, bottled water would quickly become one of the most valuable resources available.
Dan continued through the supermarket, but his purpose had changed. He was no longer simply shopping.
He was conducting an inventory.
He mentally categorized everything he saw: food, water, medicine, fuel, batteries, hygiene products, tools, clothing, camping equipment, and anything else that could help Sophie and Lily survive.
He wasn’t thinking about surviving for a few days.
He was thinking about building enough reserves that the three of them wouldn’t have to worry about basic necessities for a very long time.
His Inventory continued filling.
Eventually, another notification appeared.
[Warning: Inventory capacity has reached 80%.]
Dan’s expression became serious. "Eighty percent already?"
He glanced around.There was still an absurd amount of useful merchandise left in the supermarket. He hadn’t even reached some of the sections he considered essential.
Dan briefly calculated his options.
He could continue collecting everything indiscriminately, but that would be inefficient. The remaining space had to be used carefully.
From this point onward, he would prioritize supplies that were difficult to replace, had long shelf lives, or would become extremely valuable once normal infrastructure stopped functioning.
He continued.
Medicine was one of the first priorities.
Batteries came next, followed by first-aid supplies, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, sanitary products, flashlights, portable cooking equipment, camping supplies, and basic tools.
He observed each section, memorized what he needed, and moved away before activating the Inventory.
Nothing was rushed, nothing was random.
Every action had a purpose. Several more minutes passed.
Then another warning appeared.
[Warning: Inventory capacity has reached 90%.]
Dan’s hand paused. ’Ninety percent.’
He looked around the supermarket. There were still countless useful supplies waiting for him.
His gaze swept across the remaining aisles as he considered what to prioritize. He could probably fill the last ten percent with necessities alone.
But before he could decide what to collect next, a faint murmur came from somewhere nearby.
"Wait..."
Dan stopped.
A woman standing beside a half-empty shelf was staring at the display in confusion.
"Wasn’t this full a minute ago?"
Dan’s expression remained completely neutral. He slowly pushed his cart past her without looking at the shelf or reacting to her words.
A few aisles away, another shopper suddenly stopped.
"Where are the canned vegetables?"
"I thought they were over there," someone answered from farther down the aisle.
"No, I mean there were way more than this."
Dan kept walking.
Another voice rose from the opposite side of the supermarket.
"Why is this shelf almost empty?"
"That’s weird."
Dan’s steps remained steady.
Another section had been noticed.
Then another.
The confusion began spreading through the supermarket.
"Hey, where did all the rice go?"
"I don’t know."
"Wasn’t there a whole stack here?"
"Who keeps clearing these shelves?"
A man’s voice suddenly rose from nearby.
"Wait... the canned meat is missing too."
"That’s impossible. I came here just a few seconds ago. How can that many cans disappear at once?"
Dan continued pushing his cart forward, his expression calm despite the growing confusion around him.
His Inventory was almost full.
And the supermarket was beginning to realize that something was very wrong.
Anyways after collecting everything he could reasonably carry in his Inventory and filling the shopping cart with the items he genuinely intended to purchase, Dan decided it was finally time to head back toward the front.
More specifically, toward the attractive receptionist who had caught his attention earlier.
She was just a receptionist and cashier, and their conversation had been brief, but Dan had already found himself taking a liking to her. There was something about her that had lingered in his mind.
Deep down, he also hoped she wouldn’t get caught up in the consequences of what he had done.
She had nothing to do with the missing products. She had simply been doing her job, and with active CCTV cameras covering the supermarket, she shouldn’t be the one blamed when management eventually realized that a huge amount of merchandise had disappeared.
Dan had made sure of that.
As he pushed his cart toward the front, a grin slowly appeared on his face.
He had done it.
He had enough food and water to last an incredibly long time.
Forget the apocalypse.
Even if the world remained peaceful forever, the supplies inside his Inventory alone meant he would never have to worry about food or drinking water again.
For the first time in a long while, Dan felt genuinely relieved.
To hell with the pathetic salary.
To hell with his idiot boss.
The thought of never again having to live like a doormat, walking on eggshells around other people’s moods and constantly depending on someone else just to survive, filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
Freedom.
This was real freedom.
Dan was so caught up in the feeling that he almost didn’t notice the voice coming from behind him.
"Well, look who it is."