LOSS System: Last Store Standing

Jack waited several seconds after the mission announcement, expecting the system to explain what he was supposed to do.

Nothing came.

“LOSS, what about the mission details?”

The system didn’t answer.

“Stop playing dead,” Jack said. “What am I supposed to do? You give me one vague sentence and expect me to figure everything out myself?”

Still no response.

Jack quickly lost his patience.

“At least I could guess what you meant last time when you told me to improve the surrounding environment. But now you’re doing this again? Paint this place? What does that even mean?”

Then a thought struck him, and his face darkened.

“You’re not telling me to go after those raiders, are you?”

The system finally answered.

“Human, missions are generated automatically. I am only responsible for passing them on to you. I do not know the exact requirements or how they are meant to be completed.”

Jack laughed in frustration.

“Then how do you decide whether I succeed or fail?”

“That is my concern. You do not need to worry about it.”

“So basically, you get to decide whether I pass or fail?”

“Yes. You may understand it that way.”

Jack was speechless.

After a long pause, he said, “LOSS, has anyone ever told you that this whole mission system is pretty shameless?”

“Mind your language,” the system replied. “The mission has already been issued. Complaining will not change anything. Instead of wasting time, you should focus on finding the correct way to complete it.”

Jack wanted to argue, but the system had a point. The mission wasn’t going away, and his only option was to figure it out.

“Fine. I’ll work it out myself.”

The system immediately sounded pleased.

“Very good. A true strongman does not retreat when faced with the unknown.”

Jack’s mouth twitched.

“Don’t try to flatter me. I’m just an ordinary convenience store owner. Ever since you dumped me here without a proper explanation, I’ve had raiders showing up at my door and mutant beasts trying to kill me. If I were really a strongman, I wouldn’t have nearly been slapped to death by a giant cat yesterday.”

The system: “…”

Jack was about to continue mocking the system when he noticed a small figure outside the glass door.

Ava stood with both hands against the glass, curiously peering into the store.

Jack ended the conversation with the system and waved her in.

Ava pointed at herself as if to make sure he meant her. When Jack nodded, she opened the door and walked over to the folding cot.

“You’re Ava, right?” Jack asked with a smile. “Did you need something?”

Ava nodded, then immediately shook her head.

Jack stared at her in confusion.

“You’re not Ava?”

“I am Ava,” she said seriously. “But I don’t need anything.”

“Then why did you come in?”

Ava lowered her head and played with the corner of her shirt.

“Uncle Cass and the others said it’s cool in here. But I don’t know what ‘cool’ is, so I wanted to come and see.”

Jack fell silent.

Feeling cool was perfectly normal to him. When the weather was hot, he could turn on the air conditioner or find some shade.

But Ava had spent her whole life in the wasteland, surrounded by the same constant temperature. She didn’t even know that another kind of temperature existed, much less what people meant when they said somewhere was cool.

Jack felt something stir inside him, but he kept smiling.

“Do you know what ‘cool’ is now?”

Ava gave it some serious thought before shaking her head.

“I don’t know.”

After a moment, she looked at Jack curiously.

“Is it something to eat?”

Jack burst out laughing.

Ava looked at him, clearly not understanding what was so funny.

Jack noticed her old clothes covered in dust and soon had an idea.

“Go get Ray for me. Once I’ve talked to her, I’ll tell you what ‘cool’ is. How does that sound?”

Ava’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll go find Ray!”

She turned and ran out of the store.

Jack watched Ava skip away and smiled.

Outside, everyone was sorting through the belongings they had just brought with them. Ava found Ray helping Marg and immediately called out, “Ray, Uncle Jack is looking for you.”

Ray raised her head. “Jack is looking for me? Did he say why?”

“I don’t know.”

Cass heard them and asked, “Ava, did you go see him?”

“Yes.”

“What did you want from him?”

Ava looked at Cass and answered seriously, “Uncle Cass, you said it was cool inside, so I went to see what ‘cool’ was and what it looked like.”

“But I didn’t get to see it. Uncle Jack sent me to get Ray.” She suddenly remembered something and added eagerly, “He said he’ll tell me what ‘cool’ is later.”

Ray stopped what she was doing. The others nearby also looked at Ava, but she didn’t notice their reaction.

For a moment, no one said anything.

To the adults, the temperature outside was simply part of life in the wasteland. They had lived with it for so long that they rarely stopped to think about it. But Ava had been born into this world. She had never experienced anything different, so she had no reason to know that another kind of temperature even existed.

Ava didn’t notice the silence. She only tugged lightly on Ray’s hand.

“Ray, let’s go.”

Ray put down what she was holding and took her hand.

“All right.”

They returned to the convenience store together.

“You wanted to see me?” Ray asked when they reached the folding cot.

Jack looked at Ava beside her. “Could you go upstairs and find something she can wear? Bring down a few sets, then take her to have a bath.”

Ray was caught off guard for a moment but quickly understood.

“All right.”

Ava looked between them in confusion.

“What’s a bath?”

“You’ll find out soon,” Jack said with a smile.

Ava still didn’t understand, but she obediently answered, “Okay.”

Ray went upstairs and returned with several pieces of clothing. She had chosen two loose shirts that were large enough for Ava to wear as dresses.

As Ray led her toward the door, Ava looked back at Jack.

“Uncle Jack, you still haven’t told me what ‘cool’ is.”

“I’ll tell you after your bath. How about that?”

Ava considered his answer seriously, then agreed.

“Okay.”

She was about to leave with Ray when Jack stopped them.

“One more thing, Ray. Could you ask Vane to come inside?”

“All right.”

Ray led Ava outside, and the glass door closed behind them.

Jack looked at the air conditioner and thought about what to do next. Simply explaining what it meant to feel cool didn’t seem like enough.

He rubbed his chin as a smile appeared on his face.

He was going to give Ava a surprise.