Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Hosting Dinner
Rayne practically ran back to her house to tell Julian about her chance discovery. City R was definitely far away, at least a 2 or 3-day trip from here, but it was a good lead on finding a chemist.

After bursting through the front door Rayne paused to catch her breath.

Startled, Julian jumped up from the couch, “Are you okay? Did something happen?”, he asked, running over to her side.

“I…No…I’m okay!”, she said, panting. She finally looked up at him after a few breaths.

“I shouldn’t have sprinted back, haha. But I have news to share!”, she said looking at him.

“What is it?”, asked Julian. He was still concerned, not sure why she was sprinting.

“I have a lead on a chemist!”, she announced happily.

Julian smiled, “What? How did you find a lead, weren’t you just taking a walk?”.

“I’m just skilled like that”, she joked, telling him the story of how she overheard the two women discussing the nephew.

“Hmmm, so City R. That is a bit far away, but it’s worth going to. The sooner we learn about this substance, the better prepared we can be”, he said in a more serious tone.

Rayne agreed with him, wanting to know what that substance was. She’s never seen anything like it.

“We can set off as early as tomorrow? I’ll ask Ella to keep an eye on this place while we’re gone!”, Rayne said excitedly. She was feeling adventurous and figured the sooner they left the better chances they had of finding the chemist.

Julian smiled at her enthusiasm but agreed with the proposal. “Yes, leaving early will be better. We’re not sure what the weather will be like but the sooner we leave the better”.

After discussing their future plans a bit more Rayne went over to the corner of the kitchen and began to place boxes of supplies around the house.

Before she left she wanted to make sure that Ella and her family were in good condition and taken care of. She places a few boxes of panty items like rice, flour, dried peas, noodles, canned food, spices, jars of sauces, peanut butter, and cans of broth.

She would tell Ella that they were more than welcome to take what they needed.

She also went to their bedroom and added a few stacks of blankets, towels, and pillows in the corner of the room. The small closet was also filled with warm coats, boots, and clothing for males and females.

“Why are you stocking up the house so much?”, asked Julian. He could understand the food items if she planned on sharing some with Ella, but their closet too?

“A few reasons. First, if Ella or her family find themselves in a position where they need these items. Second, If we ever get separated somehow I don’t want to leave you completely empty-handed”, she replied seriously.

She had realized while they were out on their trip that while she had permanent access to her system, that was not the case for Julian.

Julian looked at her silently, but then eventually nodded. He hated the idea of them ever being separated and would do anything in his power to prevent that from happening, but the reality was that anything could happen.

“Then I thank you for looking out for me”, he smiled and walked over to hug her.

Rayne smiled and proceeded to take out a large gun safe and placed it in their bedroom. Inside she placed a few guns that he let her copy back at the bunker, along with different types of ammo and even a few combat knives.

Outside of weapons, she placed a copy of his resident card and a few small valuable items like rare cigars that could be sold or traded for a high amount if needed.

She still had some time before having to start dinner so she joined Julian on the couch and watched a few episodes of the current TV show they were watching.

A little over an hour before Ella and her family were supposed to come over Rayne got up to start cooking.

While she would’ve loved to just pull things out of the system, she felt that actually cooking the meal would give a more personal touch, as well as make it less suspicious.

She pulled out another electric cooktop and placed a pot of rice to start cooking. Meanwhile, she pulled out the chicken thighs she marinated earlier from the mini fridge under the counter.

She reflexively went to place the chicken into her system after prepping it earlier but realized that the chicken wouldn’t benefit from the marinade since there was no flow of time in the system.

As the rice was cooking, Rayne used the second cooktop to sear the chicken until the skin was a beautiful golden color. She lowered the heat so that it could cook through and went to set the table.

She chose basic white plates and standard silverware.

“What do you think we should do for drinks? I can pull out a standard wine so that it doesn’t seem too over the top?”, she asked Julian.

“Haha, this is already over the top, why stop now? Don’t worry, I’ve already talked to Reginald and told him that I have a very large stock of supplies, he won’t suspect you”, replied Julian.

“Ah really? That’s great then!”, exclaimed Rayne and went to add a salad to the menu. If Julian said it was okay, she would really go all out.

She pulled out a number of fresh vegetables and began chopping them into uniform pieces. Just as she finished the salad she heard a knock on the door.

Julian walked over to open the door, “Hey, come on in. Thank you for coming”.

Ella ran in, looking around the apartment with interest! Behind her Reginald and his wife walked in elegantly.

“Thank you for inviting us today”, greeted Reginald.

“Rayne! What smells so amazing?!”, Ella ran over to Rayne’s side in the small kitchen area.

“It’s just some chicken and rice”, smiled Rayne.

Ella’s mother walked over, “It really does smell amazing. We’re in for a real treat today”.

Reginald took a seat at the table and looked around the room. He noticed the various furniture and appliances, thinking that Julian was very capable.