Olivia huddled in the corner of the sofa, pressing herself as far from Jake as possible, whimpering softly. Guilt, fear, shame, and even a flicker of anger warred within her.
I can't believe... I let a convenience store clerk touch me...
Tears of regret streamed down her face as she looked at Jake with utter revulsion.
Jake despised that look. He stepped forward, fingers closing around Olivia's chin, tilting her face up. A slow, predatory smile touched his lips.
"What's with the waterworks? Putting on a funeral show?"
Olivia shrieked, slapping his hand away. "Don't you touch me!"
Jake wasn't about to play games. He casually pulled out his dagger, the steel glinting under the apartment lights.
"Right. Show's over. Get out!"
Olivia flinched, then stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd give me food! You lied?!"
Jake's smile sharpened into a cold slash across his face. "So what if I did? Go call the cops. See if they arrest me. shrug Good luck with that."
She stared, wide-eyed, wanting nothing more than to run, to slam the door on him. But the thought of her empty apartment, the gnawing hunger that promised a slow, agonizing death, crushed her will. She was utterly defeated.
Swallowing her pride, Olivia lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "Please... just give me something to eat."
"Ah, now that's the right attitude for begging." A satisfied look spread across Jake's face. He gave her a small, almost patronizing pat on the cheek. "Much better. That's the look I like."
Her will broken, Olivia shrank back into the sofa corner, watching Jake with wide, terrified eyes, the quiet sobs continuing.
Jake simply held out his hand. With a flicker, a piece of bread materialized in his palm. Olivia's eyes went wide. Magic?
But the sight of the bread in that instant wiped away all other thoughts. She hadn't eaten a proper meal in three days.
Like a starving animal, Olivia lunged, her hand shooting out for the bread. Then, she froze.
Jake had raised the dagger.
Olivia whimpered, her voice trembling. "What... what are you doing...?"
A cruel grin touched Jake's lips. He lightly tapped her cheek. "You want to eat? Fine. Stop crying. Smile for me! Give me a smile!"
Tears welled in Olivia's eyes, but she forced her trembling lips into a strained smile.
Jake's expression was pure distaste. "That's your smile? Looks like you just swallowed a lemon. Try again. Give me something I actually want to see."
Olivia's control shattered. "I am smiling! What else do you want?! How can you be like this!"
Before she finished, Jake strolled to the window and tossed the bread out. "Can't manage a smile? Then you don't eat!"
"No! Don't throw it!" Olivia shrieked, scrambling to the window, watching in despair as the bread vanished into the empty red fog below. She couldn't see it at all.
Olivia crumpled, devastated. "Talk to me! Why did you throw it?! Boo hoo hoo~"
Jake merely reached out. Another bag of bread materialized in his hand. Olivia stared, eyes fixed on the bread.
"You... you can do magic?"
Jake didn't answer her. Magic? Close enough.
"Still want to eat?"
Hunger overriding everything, Olivia nodded frantically. "Yes..." She proactively squeezed out a flattering, eager smile.
"Smart girl." Jake's smile was faint. He tossed the bread at her feet. "You can eat. But you'll do it on your knees."
On your knees, where you belong right now. This is almost too easy.
Olivia recoiled, her face contorted in fury. "No! I'd rather starve to death!"
Jake pointed at the door. "Then you can leave. I hate forcing people... much." He added the last word under his breath, a private joke.
You hate forcing people?! Olivia's mind reeled, her tears returning as she cried out in pain. "How can you be like this!"
Jake remained perfectly calm, watching her struggle. "Stop the funeral crying! Smile for me! Smile beautifully!"
Olivia yelled back, defiance flashing in her eyes. "You can't tell me what to do!"
Jake calmly tore open the bread package. The rich aroma wafted through the air. Olivia's cries choked off instantly. Her eyes locked onto the bread, wide and fixed, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled the scent.
Jake's voice was low, tempting. "Want to eat? Get on your knees."
Olivia agonizingly hesitated...
Snap!
Jake's foot slammed down on the bread.
My bread! It felt like Jake was stomping on her heart. Her heart was shattering.
Jake unhurriedly ground the bread under his heel. Casually, he stated: "Are you going to eat it? Or should I just toss it in the trash!" Your call, princess.
Olivia's last shred of resistance crumbled. She plopped down onto her knees, eating and crying at the same time, feeling her dignity, like the bread, being ground beneath Jake's heel.
But Jake kicked her onto the floor. Coldly, he said: "I told you! Smile! Or else."
Incredibly wronged, Olivia could only painstakingly hold back her tears, forcing a smile onto her face.
Jake's expression was dismissive. "That crying is ugly. I'll let it slide this time, but if you cry like that again, you don't get to eat."
Olivia paid him no mind, desperately stuffing the bread into her mouth.
Boo hoo hoo. He's a devil!
Boo hoo hoo. But it's so delicious!
...
[Ding! Olivia consumed one piece of bread, returned 200! Already placed in Portable Space.]
A surge of raw power and dark pleasure ran through Jake. This bread was a replicated item returned to him after Sophia ate a piece. Sure enough, women consuming replicated bread also triggered returns!
This means... infinite supplies, baby!
Jake looked at the 200 newly added pieces of bread in his space, his mood soaring. From now on, he would never lack food!
But the return rate wasn't high enough yet. And having only Olivia was too few women; if she died, no one would help him farm food. He still needed to find more women.
After Olivia finished eating, her stomach finally settled. She looked at Jake timidly, her eyes red-rimmed. Now, she was truly afraid. This man... he was a devil!
Jake raised a finger. A bottle of bottled water instantly appeared in Olivia's arms out of nowhere. She was startled. Magic? No!
This was an ability!
Olivia remembered the gym coach in the group chat whose muscles glowed. This man must have also obtained some kind of ability, perhaps something like spatial storage. In the apocalypse, that kind of power was a life-saving treasure! Olivia couldn't help but feel a surge of envy. A flicker of expectation ignited in her heart.
Maybe... maybe following him was the only way to survive longer...
Unconsciously, a subtle shift occurred in Olivia's mindset.
Jake smiled:
"Drink."
Olivia wasn't very thirsty. With power and water still on, without food, she could only drink more plain boiled water. However, she didn't dare contradict him, unscrewed the bottle, and took a small sip.
[Ding! Olivia consumed one bottle of bottled water, returned 200 bottles! Already placed in Portable Space.]
So that's how it is! Jake was secretly delighted. Turns out she didn't need to drink it all; just taking a sip counted as consumption, and then it would return. He could completely let women waste things recklessly to quickly farm large amounts of supplies! Waste makes haste. This is gonna be easy.
Jake continued to test the system's capabilities. He took out an unopened box of tissues and handed it to Olivia:
"Don't cry, you're too ugly, wipe your tears."
Olivia didn't dare resist. She tore open the package, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her face clean. However, Jake didn't hear a system prompt. If it wasn't edible supplies, could it not return? Interesting.
Jake was deep in thought.