The world of disaster: become the admin of the shelter

Cris climbed back up the staircase, his breath still uneven from the exhausting pipe repairs. As he reached the surface, he leaned against the cold wall, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Trixie hovered beside him, her glow dimmer than usual.

"Master, you look exhausted," she noted.

Cris let out a weak chuckle. "Good thing I practiced swimming in high school before getting a job. If not, I'd be dead by now."

He glanced at the key in his hand—the key to the Surveillance Room. Holding it up, he turned to Trixie. "Do you know where the Surveillance Room is?"

Trixie's eyes flickered. "Yes, Master. Do you want me to guide you?"

"Yes, please. Let's get moving."

The two navigated through the dark hallways until they reached a heavy metal door. The lock mechanism was rusty, but the key fit perfectly. With a satisfying click, the door creaked open.

Inside, the room was a mess. Cracked monitors flickered, the floor was covered in debris, and the air smelled of burnt circuits. As Cris stepped inside, movement caught his eye—a Zeezo lurked in the corner. Before it could lunge at him, he swiftly grabbed his wand and swung it. The creature's body collapsed, motionless.

"Annoying pests," he muttered.

Turning to Trixie, he pointed at the broken screens. "Can you fix these?"

"Yes, Master, but it will take some time."

"Do what you can. I'll check outside while you work."

As Trixie worked on the repairs, Cris wandered the base, his stomach growling. He entered the storage room, looking for supplies. Boxes were stacked haphazardly, and in the dim light, he noticed the severed hand of the Zeezo he had killed earlier. Grimacing, he grabbed an empty box and placed it over the limb.

He searched through the shelves, opening crates, but most were empty. Finally, he found a box with food inside. His excitement faded when he realized what he was looking at—a slab of unknown meat.

"Trixie!" he called out.

The AI appeared instantly. "How may I assist you, Master?"

He pointed at the meat. "What is this?"

Trixie's sensors scanned it. "This is Merce—a type of edible flesh in this world."

Cris felt a shiver down his spine. "You're telling me this world's meat comes from… this?"

Trixie nodded. "Correct. The meal you had yesterday was from your world, but this is a native food source here."

Cris sighed. "So this is what they call edible? Great... just great."

Cris hesitantly cooked the Merce meat, using the old kitchen supplies he found. As he chewed his first bite, his expression soured.

"This… tastes like a rubber band," he grumbled. "Is this really considered edible?"

Just as he was regretting his life choices, a notification popped up.

[Quest Completed: Repair and Clean the Surveillance Room]

[Reward: Cup Noodles and box in the storage room]

His eyes widened. "No way! The system actually gave me food as a reward?!"

Trixie floated over. "Master, the Surveillance Room is now fully operational."

Cris laughed, holding up the cup noodles. "If you weren't here, I'd have to keep eating this awful meat. Let's check if there's more food in the storage room before heading back."

Cris and Trixie returned to the storage room. In the center, a large, untouched box sat waiting. When Cris pried it open, his jaw dropped.

Inside were all the foods he had missed from his world—rice, chips, canned goods, and more cup noodles. But most importantly, fresh meat that wasn't Merce.

"Finally! Real food!" he exclaimed. "I'll take the meat for now before it spoils."

He grabbed what he needed and headed back to the kitchen.

Cris prepared a real meal. He cooked the meat to perfection, boiled rice, and even made soup with what little ingredients he had.

As he ate, he leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "Man, that hit the spot. Now, let's check out the Surveillance Room."