CHAPTER 2
The First Quiet Preparations
Ren did not rush.
That alone already made him different from his past self. In his previous life, panic had driven every decision he made. Every warning sign had been ignored, every small advantage wasted because survival always felt immediate and desperate. This time was different. This time, he had knowledge. He had time. And more importantly, he had Akane beside him.
The city outside their apartment continued its ordinary rhythm. People walked their dogs, argued over phone calls, complained about work, and laughed without a care in the world. Ren watched them from the window with an unreadable expression. To them, this was just another day. To him, it was a countdown.
Two years.
Two years before the world would begin to rot.
"The first infected won't even realize what's happening," Ren said quietly, his eyes still fixed on the street below. "They'll think it's exhaustion, stress, or some kind of flu. By the time panic spreads, it'll already be too late."
Akane leaned against the wall near the window, her arms folded loosely. She looked calm, but Ren could see the tension in her shoulders. She remembered everything too. The screams, the chaos, the smell of blood and decay. That kind of memory didn't fade easily.
"So we prepare before anyone notices," she said. "Quietly."
Ren nodded. That was the only option. Any aggressive move now would only draw attention, and attention was dangerous. Governments, corporations, even criminal organizations would eventually play roles in the early days of the apocalypse. None of them could be trusted.
He turned away from the window and sat down at the table. A laptop, several notebooks, and printed documents were already laid out neatly. Bank information. Property listings. City maps. Timetables.
"Money comes first," Ren said. "Without it, nothing else matters."
In the past, money had become useless once the world collapsed. But before that point, it was still power. It allowed movement, preparation, and control. Ren knew exactly when money would lose its value. Until then, he intended to use it properly.
Akane stepped closer and glanced at the screen. "We don't have much saved."
"I know," Ren replied calmly. "That's why we won't rely on savings alone."
He opened another file and turned the screen slightly toward her. Numbers filled the display, along with charts and notes.
"Short-term investments," he continued. "Legal ones. Nothing flashy. We don't need huge profits, just steady growth. Enough to secure properties before prices spike."
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Prices will spike before the apocalypse?"
"Yes," Ren answered without hesitation. "Disasters don't start with monsters. They start with rumors. Once disappearances increase and emergency broadcasts begin, people with money will rush to buy 'safe' places. Underground shelters. Remote buildings. Hotels with generators. By then, everything will be overpriced."
He paused briefly, then added, "We'll buy before fear does."
Akane let out a slow breath. "You really thought this through."
"I had fifty years to regret my mistakes," Ren said quietly.
He closed the laptop and stood up. "Next is territory."
They walked through the apartment together. It was small. Too small. Thin walls, limited space, no real defensive value. Even with Safe Zone active, it barely covered the living room. Ren activated the skill again, feeling the familiar pressure spread around him.
The world within the zone felt different. Sharper, cleaner. His thoughts aligned more easily, as if distractions were being stripped away.
"Safe Zone isn't just defense," Ren said, observing the faint sensation in his chest. "It stabilizes the area. Mentally and physically."
Akane nodded slowly. "That explains why it feels… comforting."
Ren deactivated the skill. The sensation vanished instantly.
"At Level 1, it's weak," he continued. "Five meters, low stability, high drain. But it grows with territory control."
"Meaning?" Akane asked.
"Meaning the larger and more stable the area I claim, the stronger it becomes," Ren replied. "Buildings matter. Structure matters. Ownership matters."
Akane's eyes widened slightly. "So it's not just a skill. It's tied to land."
"Yes," Ren said. "Which is why a hotel is ideal."
Hotels were large, reinforced, designed for long-term occupation, and often equipped with backup power systems. In his previous life, hotels had become fortresses for powerful survivor groups. This time, Ren intended to claim one before anyone else even considered the idea.
He returned to the table and pulled out a printed map, marking several locations with a pen. "These are the candidates. Older hotels. Not too famous. Still structurally sound."
Akane studied the map carefully. "This one," she said, pointing to a building near the edge of the city. "It's close to a hospital."
Ren's gaze sharpened.
"That hospital," he said slowly, "is where the first outbreak happens."
Silence settled between them.
"If we secure that hotel early," Akane continued, "we'll be right next to the origin point."
"Which makes it extremely dangerous," Ren replied. "But also extremely valuable."
He folded the map carefully. "We won't move yet. Not until we've secured the funds and the paperwork. Everything must be legal. Clean."
Akane hesitated. "And when it starts?"
Ren looked at her, his expression calm but heavy.
"When it starts," he said, "we don't save everyone."
Akane stiffened slightly, but she didn't interrupt.
"We save those who can contribute," Ren continued. "Those who can follow rules. Those who won't panic and destroy everything from the inside. Mercy without control destroyed countless safe zones in the past."
Akane lowered her gaze, then nodded slowly. "I understand."
Ren stood up and walked back to the window. The sun was beginning to set, painting the city in warm orange light. It was beautiful. Fragile.
"Two years," he said quietly. "That's all we have."
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint echo of divine power respond to his resolve.
This time, the apocalypse would not take everything.
This time, he would be ready.