Insert materials, press the button, collect the output.
Such a simple, almost mindless, process.
Chen Yuan stared at the machine before him as if he had just grasped a life-saving rope. He grabbed a piece of scattered construction lumber from the floor and shoved it directly into the black feeding port.
It was strangely miraculous. The feeding port, no bigger than a pot lid, swallowed the entire plank whole. And the inside was a dark, bottomless void; there was no telling how much it could hold.
But none of that mattered now. Chen Yuan looked at the red button and slammed his palm down on it.
「Ding-a-ling~ Material insertion successful. Exchanging product automatically. Please wait...」
「Ding-a-ling~ This insertion: one wooden plank. Output: one high-polymer compressed biscuit.」
As his eyes followed the text on the screen, Chen Yuan's gaze instinctively shifted to the platform on the right. An opening slid open above it, and a silvery-gray, robotic-looking arm extended out.
Zzzzt...
The sharp metal tip of the arm sparked with a blue, flame-like light. It traced a few lines on the surface of the platform, and a square, palm-sized compressed biscuit materialized.
Having been starving for two days, Chen Yuan didn't hesitate. He violently tore open the silver packaging and began to devour it.
It was crispy and slightly sweet. After a few bites, a warm current seemed to envelop his entire body.
One second, two seconds, three...
Ten seconds later, Chen Yuan was astonished to find that he was filled with strength. Not only had his fatigue and headache vanished, but a comforting warmth spread through his stomach.
He looked again at the Apocalypse Store machine, a look of ecstatic joy on his face.
He began grabbing all the nearby construction materials and stuffing them into the feeding port. If he could just get one piece of warm clothing, he would make a run for the shelter immediately.
「Ding-a-ling~ Material insertion successful. Exchanging product automatically. Please wait...」
「Ding-a-ling~This insertion: three wooden planks, five ceramic tiles, half a water pipe, various screws.Output: three high-polymer compressed biscuits, one bottle of Mineral Life Water, one durable heating stove, one bag of eco-friendly combustion pellets, one infinite-use outdoor lighter.」
As the scrolling text disappeared from the screen, the robotic arm extended from the platform again.
Zzzzt... Zzzzt...
Since there were more items this time, the machine paused after producing the three biscuits and the bottle of water for Chen Yuan to collect.
What amazed him most was that the arm had actually produced a real heating stove. It looked something like a cylindrical metal trash can with handles on both sides and a hollow center. There were no complex patterns; it was pure, unadulterated utilitarianism.
For the shivering Chen Yuan, this thing was a literal lifesaver.
He took the stove from the platform and waited a moment longer, then collected a five-kilogram cloth bag. Inside were square combustion pellets, looking a bit like the dice used in bars. After another short wait, a lighter with a handle and an extended nozzle appeared on the platform.
Chen Yuan carried the three items to the living room, placed the stove in the center, and tossed in a handful of the combustion pellets.
He pressed the ignition button on the lighter.
CLICK... FWOOSH!
A jet of blue flame shot out from the nozzle. Chen Yuan was taken aback. This wasn't just a lighter; it was no different from the blowtorches used for starting campfires. And the most crucial part was, this thing had infinite uses?
He aimed the flame at the pellets. In less than three seconds, they were glowing red-hot. The entire stove began to radiate heat, and a reddish-blue flame flickered from the opening at the top.
Chen Yuan placed his hands near the side of the stove and felt a deeply penetrating heat wash over him. In less than five minutes, the temperature in the room shot up from negative ten degrees to over twenty degrees Celsius.
Looking at the thermometer on the wall, Chen Yuan felt like he was in a dream. How could a simple pellet-burning stove have such a powerful effect? Not only was the heat output incredible, but there wasn't even a hint of smoke or soot in the room.
He instinctively took a step back. The heat coming from the stove was becoming almost unbearable. This wasn't a heating stove; it was practically a miniature, man-made sun.
And what astonished him most was that he had only used a single handful of pellets.
Puzzled, he picked up the bag of combustion pellets. After carefully reading the instructions on it, his expression became strange.
「Combustion pellets fused from special materials. Releases a large amount of heat during combustion and can purify the air.」
It released heat, and it could also purify the air? No wonder there was no smoky smell. He reached into the bag and felt around. Conservatively, he estimated there were enough pellets to last for a week.
Well, his basic heating needs were now met. In fact, he was starting to sweat in his windbreaker.
He took off the jacket and walked back to the warehouse. This time, he took a large swig of the purified water produced by the store. The clear, sweet liquid flowed down his throat, and his spirits were instantly lifted.
Wait, that's not right. The taste is a little strange.
He immediately stopped his frantic drinking and found the instructions.
「Mineral Life Water: Replenishes essential vitamins and trace elements for the human body. Has antibacterial and antiviral effects.」
He was numb... completely numb...
He had never imagined that a simple, unremarkable bottle of mineral water could have such powerful effects. No wonder the sore, swollen feeling in his throat had disappeared. This was practically medicine.
He then looked at the compressed biscuits... Compared to the other items, these now seemed almost mundane. One a day would satisfy all his energy needs.
He carried everything to the living room and placed them ceremoniously on the coffee table.
A new question arose.
With all this heaven-defying gear, should he still go to the shelter?
One bag of pellets, one bottle of water, three biscuits—that would last him two to three days. But that wasn't the point. The warehouse was still full of construction materials. He could just throw everything in. And even if he ran out of things in his own apartment, he could go to someone else's.
It was the ice age, everyone was hiding in shelters. Would it be too much to "borrow" a couple of chairs from a neighbor's house?
In other words, the existence of this Apocalypse Store had solved Chen Yuan's survival crisis.
"Ugh, this is so annoying..."
Chen Yuan scratched his head and went back to the warehouse. He decided to produce a set of warm clothes first. Even if he didn't go to the shelter, he needed to go out and observe the situation. He couldn't just stay cooped up at home.
Looking at the machine that operated automatically without needing electricity, he directly tossed in one of his own T-shirts.
「Ding-a-ling~ Material insertion successful. Exchanging product automatically. Please wait...」
「Ding-a-ling~This insertion: one T-shirt, various screws, half a ceramic tile, various rivets, various glass shards.Output: One Thermostatic Suit.」
Looking at the items that appeared on the platform, the corner of Chen Yuan's mouth twitched violently.
A hat, gloves, goggles, a jacket, pants, and boots. The whole set.
This time, the instructions were placed right on top.
「Thermostatic Suit: Features self-cleaning function. Requires the insertion of one combustion pellet to maintain temperature control for one day (temperature control range: 0-30 degrees Celsius).」
Chen Yuan: ...
It was over. Now he really didn't want to go to the shelter.