CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206: STOCKING THE SHELVES

Liora walked back towards the store and stood there for a moment, but soon a strong determination flashed in her eyes, and she mumbled, "The store can’t be empty like this. She has to fill it soon."

She opened the store panel once again and looked at the locked grids.

Her eyes were fixed on the glowing interface hovering in front of her, showing the [Inventory Panel] of the Supply Hub. Ten grids were lit with available items—but the remaining ninety were still grayed out, each marked with a faint [Locked].

Liora exhaled slowly.

"It’s time to see what I’m working with," she muttered to herself.

She reached forward and tapped on one of the locked slots.

A soft chime rang, and the details of the item appeared.

[Locked Slot—Item Preview]

Item: Kitchen Cooking Set (Includes pot, pan, ladle, chopping board, and knife)

Unlock Requirement:

Complete Mission: [Feeding Futures]—Deliver 10,000 base-made meals from the canteen.

OR Purchase Unlock from Mall—Cost: 60,000 Resource Points

Liora’s brow lifted slightly.

"Useful," she said quietly. "But the mission... 10,000 meals?"

She made a mental note. It was achievable—especially with the population growing—but it would take time. Or a good amount of Resource Points.

She tapped on the next locked slot.

Item: Basic Undergarment Set (Male/Female)

Unlock Requirement:

Upgrade Base to Level 4.

Not available in the mall currently.

"Level four again," she muttered.

She was already preparing to upgrade. It would take a while, but that was her goal anyway. Still, it frustrated her a little—something as basic as underwear, locked behind a level gate.

Another tap.

Item: Childcare Kit (Includes diapers, small-sized clothes, and a baby blanket)

Unlock Requirement:

Complete Mission: [Future Generations] – Have at least 3 newborns recorded within the base.

OR Craft at the Textile Workshop

Liora blinked.

"Newborns...?"

Her lips pressed together. "Well... she had not seen any pregnant women at all." She did not know when this would be achievable. So she threw this to the back of her mind. It’s not like her base had any newborns—all the children were at least five years old or above.

She tapped on another grid... and a soft chime echoed.

Item: Sewing Repair Kit (needles, thread, patches, scissors)

Unlock Requirement:

Build a Textile Workshop

OR Purchase from Mall—4,500Contribution Points

OR Upgrade Storage Warehouse to Lv. 2

Liora’s eyes narrowed slightly.

That one she could do. The Textile Workshop wasn’t listed as too high-level. She had already decided to purchase this. She marked it in her mind for construction.

One more tap.

Item: Simple Furniture Set (small table, chair, shelf)

Unlock Requirement:

Complete Building Milestone: Have 25 residential units in the base.

(Current: 20/25)

OR Use Special Lottery Ticket ×1

OR Trade 15,000 Wood + 10,000 Iron with system

Liora stared at that one a little longer.

Furniture. She hadn’t even thought of it yet. But of course... people were living in those rooms with almost nothing inside.

Just beds, walls, and doors.

This could make their homes feel like real homes.

"I need this one," she said softly.

It was the first one that sparked something deep in her. A longing not just for safety—but for comfort. For a sense of normal life.

She leaned back and took a breath.

So far, most of the items required either

Base upgrades

Resource Points

Special missions

Blueprints from the mall

Or simply waiting for time and growth

There were no shortcuts. And yet... none of them were impossible. They just required patience, effort, consistency, and faith.

So she had decided to buy all the items that could be purchased so the store would not look empty. She had abundant Survival Points that could be converted into Resource Points at a ratio of 2:1. Even if it became half, it was still enough to buy many things.

Her hand hovered over the glowing interface, specifically on the [Locked Grid – Kitchen Cooking Set].

She had thought long and hard about it. The mission required 10,000 meals served from the canteen to unlock it—but that would take weeks, maybe longer. And while it was achievable, her people needed it now.

She tapped the alternate option.

Purchase Unlock with Resource Points—Cost: 60,000 Points

The number didn’t even make her hesitate. It was expensive, yes, but completely worth it.

"Confirm," she said quietly.

[System Notice: Kitchen Cooking Set unlocked successfully. Item added to Supply Store Inventory.]

The moment the message faded, a new box in the grid glowed to life. Liora walked slowly down the aisle and found the matching shelf lighting up on her right. And there it was—neatly arranged sets wrapped in transparent packaging. Pots, pans, ladles, cutting boards—everything clean and durable.

She smiled faintly.

"This’ll help so many people."

She turned back to the panel.

If she was going to do this, she would go all in.

Liora opened the Mall Catalog, filtering it to show only items available for purchase with Resource Points. She had a large sum stored from the recent night fight in the Misty Forest and decided now was the time to spend it.

Her people needed more than just a shirt, a toothbrush, and a bar of soap. She exhaled slowly and tapped another of the locked grids.

Her fingers moved across the screen with purpose. She clicked on Induction Stove, and the price flashed: 80,000 Resource Points. Costly, yes, but vital. She added it instantly.

Next came a cutlery set—knives, spoons, and forks, clean and stainless steel for 30,000 points. She bought it without blinking.

Then, her gaze softened as she spotted an item she had long hoped to see available: sanitary napkins. There was no mission listed for it—only the cost: 50,000 points for a 100-count pack. She pressed confirm immediately. There was no way she’d let the women in her base suffer in silence.

She scrolled further and opened the slot for detergent—40,000 points. Another slot for liquid hand wash bottles—25,000 points. She purchased that too.

And then, something less practical but somehow more important caught her attention—the Flower Pot Set. They were of different varieties, complete with sunflower, daisy, and lily seeds. She hesitated just for a second before buying it for 35,000 points.

The total Resource Points spent rose rapidly on the screen, but Liora didn’t stop. When the final confirmation message popped up—

[Total Spent: 320,000 Resource Points]

—She didn’t regret a single one.