The city lay shrouded in the thick veil of night. Streetlights flickered intermittently, casting long, wavering shadows over cracked sidewalks and empty alleys. Kane moved like a ghost through the darkness, his silhouette blending seamlessly into the urban decay surrounding the weapon store he had targeted. The cold night air bit at his skin, but adrenaline kept him steady.
Inside the store, shelves lined with tactical gear, rifles, ammunition crates, and explosives stood in eerie silence, the hum of a security system the only sound breaking the stillness. Kane's mind raced through the plan: swift, silent, and clean. No alarms, no traces. He had done this before, but never with such high stakes.
As he approached the heavy steel door, he paused for a brief moment. Fingers brushed over the small device strapped to his wrist, running final checks. The system was still locked down — no powers to rely on, only skill, stealth, and the infinite storage ability that had become his greatest asset.
He slipped inside.
Back at home, Reina sat cross-legged on the floor surrounded by her toys, her small hands gently resting on the stuffed rabbit's head. The artifact's soft golden light pulsed faintly on the table nearby, responding to the energy in the room.
"Okay, Mr. Bunny," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "time to help Kane."
The rabbit's button eyes gleamed as it slowly rose, standing upright and beginning to mimic gentle movements. But now, Reina's concentration was sharper — her commands more precise. The little toy moved with a fluidity and grace that hadn't been there before, circling around her with increasing confidence.
She smiled. "You're listening better now, aren't you?"
Meanwhile, Kane's hands moved quickly among the weapon racks, selecting the highest priority items: tactical rifles, magazines, grenade launchers, and carefully packed explosives. Each piece, the moment his palm touched it, vanished without a trace from the physical world and reappeared safely inside the infinite storage the system provided.
The process was seamless — no weight, no bulk, no burden. Just the cold efficiency of supply gathering before the storm.
He paused only when he heard footsteps approaching. Ducking behind a stacked crate, Kane held his breath as a security guard's flashlight swept past the aisle. Timing his movement perfectly, he slipped into the shadows, deeper into the store.
With practiced stealth, he exited through a rear door into an alley and melted away into the night.
Later, with the stolen arsenal secured, Kane drove silently to the abandoned industrial park. Here, away from prying eyes, he planned his next critical experiment — testing the limits of the system's storage capabilities.
A vast warehouse loomed before him, broken windows and rusted metal framing the dilapidated structure. Kane paused, considering the enormity of the space and what it might represent in terms of size.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and began the process.
"Alright, system," Kane muttered, "let's see how big you can handle."
His hand hovered over a large cargo container, a relic from the park's forgotten days. With a firm press, the container vanished into the void, the system's inventory accepting the massive object without hesitation.
Next, he moved to a rusted forklift, then a stack of shipping pallets, and finally an entire four-story scaffold frame erected on the lot.
One by one, each massive piece disappeared from the physical world and was safely stowed away.
Kane stepped back, a mix of awe and disbelief washing over him.
"Four stories," he said softly, eyes wide. "That's the limit... at least for now."
Back home, Reina's toy rabbit hopped excitedly toward her as she clapped her hands. "I'm getting better, Kane! I promise."
Kane smiled tiredly over the comm-link, "Good. You'll need that."
Outside, the countdown still ticked relentlessly.
Global Collapse Countdown: 47 Days, 7 Hours, 15 Minutes
The war was coming. And Kane's arsenal, along with Reina's growing powers, was ready to meet it.