Natasha soon returned, carrying several weapons in her arms. She laid them out on the table one by one. Three M16 rifles and two Glock 19 pistols.
"Natasha, can you try holding this?" Jaxon said as he handed over his newly upgraded DMR to her
She took it without thinking. The moment she grabbed it, her body dipped forward.
"Wha..." The rifle suddenly felt unbearably heavy, dragging her hands down. It slipped from her grip and slammed onto the floor with a loud bang.
Natasha jumped back, startled. "What’s going on?"
"Can you try to lift it again?" Jaxon said calmly.
She bent down and grabbed the rifle again. Her arms shook. "I can’t. It’s too heavy."
"Try one more time," Jaxon said.
Natasha frowned but pulled again.
This time, the rifle felt light. Almost weightless. She lifted it easily and held it in her arms, staring at it in disbelief.
Jaxon smiled to himself. So it really was bound to him. He could decide whether someone else was allowed to use it, simply by willing it.
"Jaxon!" Natasha exclaimed, turning to glare at him. "Explain, now."
"Sorry," he said with a small chuckle. "It’s just a new function I wanted to test."
Natasha puffed her cheeks in annoyance when she realized he had used her as a lab rat. He explained the new functions of his upgraded rifle, but left one thing out. He did not mention the exclusive skill. Not yet, at least for now. Without enough coins for another full upgrade, there was no reason to bring it up.
She shot him a sharp look but stayed quiet.
Then Jaxon turned back to the table and picked up the rifles one by one.
(11 coins spent. Suppressor Lv.0 → Lv.1) x5
"Jaxon, this one too," Natasha said suddenly as she pulled out another pistol. A familiar Glock 17.
"You got this from the police infected that shot Haris?" Jaxon asked, his expression darkening at the memory.
She nodded. "Mm, I picked it up. It would be a waste to leave it behind."
Jaxon smiled at her. Of course she would. Every weapon mattered now. Anything they could keep might save a life later.
(50 coins spent. Suppressor successfully purchased.)
(11 coins spent. Suppressor Lv.0 → Lv.1)
He fitted the Glock 17 with the suppressor and applied the upgrade. After a few moments, the pistol was ready. He then used his remaining coins to restock their ammunition, ensuring they were well-prepared for any encounter.
(DMR Bullets x100 purchased. 20 coins spent.)
(5.56×45mm NATO x100 purchased. 15 coins spent.)
(9mm Bullets x200 purchased. 20 coins spent.)
Coins Remaining: 7
"Here. Try it," Jaxon said as he handed her pistol back.
Natasha caught the Glock 19 and fired a test shot at the floor.
Before, even with a suppressor, the sound had still been sharp and clear. Now, it came out dull and low. Still audible, but far more controlled.
"Feels better. Much quieter," Natasha said with a small smile.
Jaxon nodded, though he was not fully satisfied. He wanted it to be like his rifle, completely silent. He made a mental note to upgrade it again once he earned more coins. Silence was their greatest weapon.
Natasha’s brows furrowed, her eyes widening as a thought struck her.
"Elena might notice the changes here," she said, her voice low. "She’s observant. She’ll definitely recognize the changes. What are we going to tell her?"
"It’s fine," Jaxon said, shrugging slightly. "The upgrade isn’t very noticeable for now. But if I upgrade them more later, she’ll definitely get suspicious."
Natasha clicked her tongue, deep in thought. Even though Elena was now treated as a comrade, telling her about Jaxon’s secret was out of the question.
"Forget it. If she suspects something, so be it. If she asks, just tell her it was me. I’ll handle it," Natasha said, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"What exactly are you going to tell her?" Jaxon asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Of course I won’t tell her anything," Natasha said with a sly grin, her eyes sparkling as she imagined her plan. "Maybe I can trick her... get her to be obedient for a bit. Hehehe..." She giggled, clearly enjoying the idea.
Jaxon chuckled softly, letting her handle it. He trusted Natasha’s cunning and her ability to manipulate situations to their advantage. Though he also began preparing himself mentally.
With his current physique, he had already surpassed normal human limits. He knew that sooner or later, someone would notice, suspect him even if he tried to hide it. His solution? Become untouchable, so powerful that no one would dare mess with him and his family.
His system offered possibilities beyond mere survival. Maybe he could create his own network, his own group, a force to be reckoned with. The idea was tempting, but that would be for the future. He shook his head, refocusing on the present.
"Let’s go see Mom. I’m famished," Jaxon said, tugging on Natasha’s arm, who was still giggling and lost in her own mischievous thoughts.
.....
Arriving at the kitchen, Jaxon and Natasha saw Isabel and Cindy busily preparing the food, the aroma of cooking filling the air.
"Jaxon, are you hungry? Wait a bit, we’re almost done," Isabel said, offering him a warm smile.
Jaxon’s eyes drifted to the cabinet. A few stocks of canned goods were neatly piled, it seemed like a decent amount, but he knew it would only last them for a few days now that their group was larger.
"Worried about our supplies? Don’t worry, Brother. If we ration it well, it should suffice for us until we reach the safe zone," Cindy said, noticing his gaze on the food stock and misinterpreting his concern.
"No, it’s not like that, actually..." Instead of trying to explain, he decided it would be faster to simply show them. He summoned several boxes of food supplies he had gathered, willing them into existence.
Isabel, Cindy, and Natasha froze and stared with wide eyes at the boxes that appeared out of thin air, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
"Jaxon, what’s..." Before Isabel could finish her words, more boxes appeared, filling the kitchen with an abundance of supplies. This time, it wasn’t just food. Hygiene items such as soap, wet wipes, toothpaste, and tissue packs materialized, items that felt like a luxury in this chaotic world.
"It’s a new skill I got from the system," Jaxon said, smiling lightly.
"You bought it with coins?" Natasha asked, her mind racing to understand the implications of this new development.
"No, I gathered these from a convenient store. It’s a storage space. I can store items in it and summon them whenever I need them," Jaxon explained, gesturing towards the boxes.