CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 46: SUPPLY REPLENISHMENT

The old 1998 Toyota TownAce rattled slightly as Kael drove along the highway, the steering wheel warm beneath his hands. The early sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the pine trees lining the road. The breeze pushed in through the open window.

Kael scratched his neck and muttered, "It’s old, but still runs like a damn champ..."

The 1998 Toyota TownAce—a reliable, no-frills Japanese mini truck with a flatbed cargo area and a humming 1.5-liter inline-four engine. The steering felt light, and despite the vehicle’s age, everything responded smoothly—like a well-kept machine that had seen years of loyal service. Eli had kept it in near-pristine condition.

Kael turned off the main road and pulled into the lot of a large discount supermarket. Bright red and white signs loomed overhead, peeling slightly at the edges.

Kael parked at the edge of the lot, beside a van loaded with crates of spring onions. He shut off the engine and sat in silence for a moment.

Kael needed a lot of products. At one point, he’d even considered buying the entire supermarket—because buying products over and over again was a tedious task. But he didn’t have enough money for that. Not yet.

Right now, Kael had about $35,000 from his business. He also had around $125,000 from Red Morn’s lair and $106,589 from the Artificer. That meant he had a total of $266,589. However, he couldn’t spend all that money right away.

Money was power—but only if used correctly. The cost of expanding the business, renovating his grandfather’s house, and covering emergencies... it all added up fast. He figured he could afford to spend maybe $10,000 today—at most.

Kael stepped inside. The automatic doors slid open. Calm instrumental music played overhead, and employees in red aprons were already restocking the shelves. One of them gave him a polite nod as he passed.

He grabbed a flatbed cart—meant for bulk shopping—and pushed it slowly down the first aisle.

He wasn’t just grabbing things randomly. That would be stupid.

He had a list in his pocket, but much of it was already memorized.

His shop in the other world was big now.

He turned into the first aisle. Medical supplies. He started stacking boxes.

The world he was trading with didn’t have modern medicine. Healing potions existed, yes—but they were expensive and unreliable for non-adventurers. People in villages still died from infected cuts.

In the next aisle, he loaded up on hygiene items: soap bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo packets, menstrual pads, and razors. Then came the pantry aisle—Kael scanned labels for shelf life and density.

He then moved into the tools section and grabbed many things.

Everything was meant to be sold—or used—to bootstrap development. His real plan wasn’t just to sell goods. It was to replace dependence. If he could create demand, he could eventually fill it with things made in the fantasy world itself. Locally produced.

But for now, Earth’s cheap mass production gave him a competitive edge.

"Big order"

At the front, a quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts.

The cashier was a Vietnamese man, probably in his 40s, with tired eyes and a polite expression. His name tag read Nam.

Kael gave a short smile. "Something like that. Just stocking up."

Nam glanced at the stacked flatbed. "Hmm... so many."

Kael hesitated. "I’ve got a small business. Market stall. It’s growing."

"Good to hear," Nam said, scanning items quickly. "Hard to grow anything these days."

"Yeah. Rent, costs, fuel. Everything adds up."

Nam smiled faintly. "Better to spend on things that matter."

Nam slid the last item over the scanner.

Kael nodded, quietly agreeing. The final total came to $2,941.78.

He handed over the cash. Nam counted it without blinking.

Two workers helped load the boxes into the truck bed, and Kael tipped them each a few bills before driving off.

Kael didn’t head home right away. Instead, he drove a few miles down the road until he found a wide turnout on the side of the highway.

He parked, turned off the ignition, and stepped out into the open.

He walked around the back of the truck, took a breath, and held out his hand.

"Storage."

Then a crack forms in the air.

Kael then began putting the products into his storage, one by one.

[Storage Lv. 3 – Capacity: 300 kg]

Current Load: 299.1 kg

Stored Items Included:

24 antiseptic sprays

12 gauze roll multi-packs

20 bandage packs

10 medical tape rolls

6 digital thermometers

5 soap bar packs (24-count)

6 toothbrush packs (12-count)

8 toothpaste packs (6-count)

5 shampoo sachet bundles (60-count)

6 razor packs (20-count)

20 microfiber towels

10 compact mirrors

5 rice sacks (5 kg)

8 dried bean packs (2 kg)

100 tuna cans

4 sardine packs (12-count)

6 peanut butter jars (1 kg)

8 dried fruit packs (1 kg)

4 instant noodle boxes (40-pack)

30 cooking oil bottles (1 L)

100 snack chip packs (assorted, single-serving)

8 duct tape packs (6-roll)

10 nylon ropes (20 m)

8 stainless steel mug sets (8-pack)

10 can openers

200 flashlights (battery included)

50 water bottles (1 L)

Kael then got in the truck and started it up. He still had more products to buy.

However, it would be stupid to go back to the same store and buy another truckload.

People noticed. And he didn’t want someone—anyone—looking too closely at what he was doing.

So Kael drove across town to another supermarket.

He shopped for many items this time. He added matches, batteries, and more high-demand goods. At checkout, an older woman looked up from behind the counter.

"You opening a shelter or something?"

Kael smiled faintly. "You could say that."

She chuckled and waved him through.

This purchase came to about $2,107.12—and again, he paid in cash.

By the time he left the second store and stashed everything into his truck, it was early afternoon.

Kael let out a breath as he sat in the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel loosely.

"I think these products will last me for several days."