End of the World? I'm the Boss novel Chapter 404

End Times, Surviving with My Beastly Army

Chapter 404 Never Go Hungry

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*Finished

More and more people gathered around the vending machine. When Sharon and the others came downstairs, the crowd immediately swarmed them with questions. “Commander Cantrell, what is this thing? Can it really be used to exchange for supplies?”

Hearing herself being called “Commander” still felt surreal to Sharon.

But she snapped back quickly and replied, “Robin left this here. As for exactly how it works, we’ll probably have to wait until she wakes up before we know all the details. Everyone can be patient for a little while.”

The moment they heard it had been prepared by Robin, the crowd became even more excited.

Especially after watching her casually produce an enormous amount of supplies yesterday, they had developed an almost instinctive trust in her.

Nobody grew impatient. Instead, they kept circling the vending machine, studying it from every angle. Only after Robin woke up and saw that everyone had gathered around it did she finally speak, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

The moment they saw

the way to the machier approaching, the crowd automatically stepped aside, clearing a path for her all

Someone couldn’t hold back any longer. “Robin, what is this thing? I see pictures of rice and other supplies on it. Don’t tell me it can actually create rice out of thin air?”

That question hit surprisingly close to the truth.

“You’re not wrong, though that’s not entirely accurate.”

Facing a sea of curious and expectant faces, Robin explained, “As you can see, this is a vending machine. Everything displayed on it can be purchased. The difference is that you don’t pay with money–you pay with points.

“These points can be exchanged using zombie crystal cores. Different levels of crystal cores are worth different amounts of points. The point cost of every item is clearly displayed on the machine. As for the exchange rates for crystal cores, I’ve posted a chart here

Robin attached a chart to the side of the vending machine before continuing calmly, “Ravenholt Base doesn’t support freeloaders, but we won’t exploit anyone either. Everything here must be earned through your own efforts. Every item has a clearly listed price. As long as you have crystal cores, as long as you have points, and as long as you have enough of them, you can live the same kind of life people enjoyed before the apocalypse.”

Hearing those few lines, the crowd’s breathing visibly quickened.

What she was describing sounded almost impossible. As long as they had points, they could exchange them for an endless supply of resources?

From that little machine?

It sounded like a fantasy.

Robin could see the skepticism in their eyes. Words alone wouldn’t convince them. So she turned toward Ella.

10:32 Sat, Jul 4 MO

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Chapter 404 Never Go Hungry

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Ella immediately understood. Stepping forward, she raised her wrist and held it against a designated area on the vending machine.

A soft beep sounded. A green light lit up on top of the machine.

The machine had been activated.

Truthfully, Ella wasn’t lacking supplies. But to demonstrate how it worked, she casually selected a self- heating stew and spent 38 points.

Another pair of beeps followed. She bent down and reached into the collection compartment. Sure enough. she pulled out a box of self–heating stew.

The crowd’s eyes widened.

It actually came out!

That tiny machine really contained supplies!

To them, it was like seeing the first ray of sunlight after an endless night. And of all things, it had produced a self–heating stew. Many of them couldn’t even remember the last time they’d eaten something like that.

For some people, self–heating stew had already been considered a luxury even before the apocalypse. Now, in a world where resources were desperately scarce, it seemed almost unbelievable.

“If it even has self–heating stew, then the rice and flour listed on there must be real as well!”

“Does that mean we’ll never have to go hungry again?”

“If we stay here forever, and the base defenses hold up, we’d never have to leave to search for supplies again. That’ll be no different from life before the apocalypse!”

“Are you kidding? There’s no such thing as a free ride. Didn’t you hear Ms. Neel? Everything in there costs points, and points come from zombie crystal cores. Sure, we won’t have to waste our lives hunting for supplies anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can sit around all day. We still have to go out and earn points.”

“So what?” another person shot back. “As long as I can eat. I’m satisfied. Supplies aren’t guaranteed to be out there, but zombies are everywhere. As long as we’re willing to kill them, we’ll never go hungry!”

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