After successfully emptying most of the supermarket area products on the ground floor, they both didn't immediately leave the place. This time, Akane invited Azlan to look for better cooking equipment. After all, the cooking tools they used—a small pot and makeshift gas stove in the minimarket—greatly limited Akane from cooking better.
Not understanding why the girl was so enthusiastic about household matters, Azlan still agreed. If it were just him alone, he wouldn't care about living in bare minimum conditions. But Akane's presence changed that. His minimalist lifestyle could no longer be continued.
So, they headed to the second floor, where various kitchen equipment was sold.
Among the dark and dusty shelves, Azlan stood with a light ball in his hand, illuminating the surroundings like a living lantern. Akane stood before him, each hand holding a pot.
"Which one does Azlan-kun like?"
"Choose as you wish."
"You can't say that~ I want to hear your opinion."
"What's the difference? To me, both these pots are the same."
"You can't just choose carelessly! Good cooking starts with the right equipment!"
"Alright, tell me the difference."
Azlan gave in when Akane puffed her cheeks as if he was bullying her.
Enthusiastically, Akane began to explain. "Alright, I'll explain the difference. The pot in my left hand is Stainless Steel. Its advantages are that it's strong, durable, and easy to clean, but it conducts heat rather slowly and unevenly. The pot on the right is Non-stick (Teflon). Its heat is fast and even, very good for sautéing or making sauce, but it's more fragile—it can't be scratched or heated too high, and its chemical coating can deteriorate over time."
Akane raised both pots. "If we want something versatile for the long term and durability, we take the Stainless Steel. If we want more perfect cooking results, the Teflon. But I think, in a world like this, we need the strongest one."
Listening carefully, Azlan was impressed. "You know a lot about this, Akane. Aren't modern women not interested in cooking? They say they prefer ordering food through online applications rather than going through the trouble of cooking themselves."
Although he grew up in a war zone and was isolated from global information, Azlan wasn't unaware of the times' developments. The volunteers from various countries who had helped him often told stories about life outside.
He knew that many modern women no longer prioritized cooking skills, considering it an outdated domestic task.
"Well, Azlan-kun isn't wrong. But they are they, I am me. Besides acting, cooking is my hobby."
Puffing out her chest, Akane looked proud of her skill.
"I see. You're an extraordinary woman, Akane."
"Ngh... Azlan-kun is cheating."
It turned out that honest words from a sincere heart could have more impact than any praise embellished with lies. Her face suddenly reddened, Akane looked down, trying to hide an unstoppable happy smile.
"...?"
Azlan didn't understand why the girl in front of him suddenly blushed. With his practical logic, he chose the more durable stainless steel pot.
Of course, they didn't just take one or two pots, but a dozen!
Akane took various sizes of pots, pans, and several sets of quality kitchen knives. After all, the 4D Pocket space was very vast and capable of holding many items. She felt it would be a waste not to utilize it maximally.
This time, Azlan just accompanied Akane around taking whatever items caught the girl's interest.
(Why is Akane taking items that look exactly the same?)
That question bothered Azlan's mind as he observed Akane's choices.
What he didn't know, there was a term for it: couple items!
For example, glasses, plates, spoons, and so on. Whether intentional or not, Akane chose everything in sets of two, for both of them.
Twenty minutes later, they returned to the third floor where they first entered.
"Huuuh... The feeling of shopping to my heart's content without having to pay is very satisfying. This is an unforgettable experience." Akane said, raising her hands and stretching her tired body after nearly an hour of shopping.
Beside her, Azlan accidentally glanced at Akane's breasts swaying as she stretched, before quickly averting his gaze.
Women were very sensitive to lecherous looks. Of course, Akane noticed it, but she just smiled thinly without commenting.
Suddenly, the entire mall trembled slightly.
"Earthquake?"
Akane reflexively moved closer to Azlan and hugged his right arm tightly. After all, the safest side was beside him.
"This isn't an earthquake. This tremor comes from those creatures."
"Hm?"
Akane turned toward the direction Azlan pointed with a serious expression. Instantly, her eyes widened.
"What the hell is that?!" She screamed before hurriedly covering her own mouth.
On the streets, among the wandering zombies, there were now other creatures far more terrifying.
Those creatures resembled naked humans but without reproductive organs. Although they walked on two legs, their body proportions were deformed—some had enlarged heads, some had small arms, and various other deformities. Most had very wide mouths with rows of teeth.
The most striking thing was their size. Although varied, their height ranged from 2 to 15 meters.
"Titan..."
That name immediately came to her mind when Akane saw those creatures.
"Titan, huh... A fitting name to describe them."
Without thinking twice, Azlan adopted the name Akane gave.
"The question is, these Titans didn't exist before. They seem to have appeared suddenly out of thin air."
"Not good!"
Azlan's expression changed drastically. He didn't have time to think about the mystery behind these Titans' appearance. Reflexively, he hugged the still-confused Akane, activated his Divine Dividing, and blue light wings immediately manifested from his back. They shot into the air.
*BANG!*
Less than a second later, their previous position was attacked by a Titan that jumped from somewhere. The massive attack destroyed the area where they had been standing.
"You saved me again, Azlan-kun."
Akane returned to her senses, horrified at being stared at by the Titan looking at her as if seeing prey.
Not just that Titan, other Titans were like piranhas smelling blood. Initially wandering aimlessly, they now ran toward Azlan and Akane. In the process, they trampled zombies blocking the way.
However, the two humans were at a height of fifty meters. Although some Titans could jump dozens of meters, Azlan easily increased his flying altitude, moving away from the reach of those terrifying creatures.
"Where did all these Titans come from?" Akane asked, hugging Azlan tightly.
Her eyes were fixed on the terrifying creatures below trying to reach them.
"I don't know. During the three months I've lived in this world, besides the celestial phenomenon where hundreds of Light Balls fell like meteors from the split sky, this is the first time anomalous creatures have appeared suddenly." Azlan's tone was very serious.
Now, he had to reevaluate the threat level. Initially, he didn't take seriously the zombies who were just waiting for their time to become extinct naturally due to decay. Unexpectedly, other new threats appeared.
"It seems Titans are just like zombies, they target humans. Azlan-kun, I'm worried we need to find a new place to live."
Less than 24 hours stranded in this strange world, Akane had absolutely no nostalgia for the minimarket they had just left.
"Yes. You're right, Akane." Azlan agreed without hesitation.
Although there was a slight reluctance in his heart to leave the minimarket that had been his home for three months, he knew this was the right decision. They needed a safer place, more protected from the Titan threat that clearly had far greater destructive capabilities.
With the decision about a new residence made, Azlan tightened his embrace on Akane and began flying higher.