Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. Chapter 4: Putting facts together.

[Repair complete: Broken Cup - 10 points.]

[Repair complete: Jewelry Box - 25 points.]

[Repair complete: Bicycle - 50 points.]

Within the system's dimension, Sunshine toiled relentlessly through the night. It wasn't until five in the morning that she had amassed a total of six hundred and eighty points.

"System, how many points are required to upgrade the space?"

"A second-level space costs two thousand points. From there, it doubles to four thousand, and subsequent upgrades are multiplied by three. Host, do not forget that points can also be used to enhance any items you repair. Do you wish to upgrade the items you have fixed?"

She glanced at most of the repaired items, deeming them of little use. "No."

Just as she prepared to exit the dimension, a notification materialized. Large, yellow letters materialized out of thin air within the space.

[Congratulations on completing your first task! The phone booth and inter-world connection have been unlocked.]

A large, square-shaped structure appeared in the space. It was vibrantly colored, with four rows and columns. Each segment contained a telephone.

"What is that?"

"That is the phone booth, Host. When it rings, it signifies someone requires your services. You will perceive the ringing within your mind and can use the earbud to respond. If you accept the task, the item needing repair will manifest within the space.

Payments can be rendered in any currency, whether monetary or through barter."

"So, I can accept payment in the form of goods from other worlds."

"Yes, Host."

Sunshine nearly dropped to her knees in gratitude to the universe. With this, she'd never be short on supplies again. She could even procure weapons. It was no wonder the fool, or the eighth king as he was known in the apocalypse, had managed to create new armaments. Weapons potent enough to vanquish those alien monstrosities that emerged from the mist.

A broken laugh echoed from the depths of her being. She found it unbelievable that he had utilized the bracelet she gifted him without ever reciprocating any benefits. Then again, why would he? It was a dog-eat-dog world, after all.

Yet, even so, she had rescued him from the brink of death countless times. Why had he never revealed his special abilities to her, allowing her to face death's door at least ten times while she protected him?

"Forget it," she told herself.

She departed the dimension, carefully packing all her essential belongings. One item was conspicuously absent: a lottery ticket she had purchased in her previous life. That ticket had secured her twenty million dollars, a sum that had proven invaluable during the apocalypse.

She had informed Moon about the ticket upon their reunion. Could it be that her cousin had already pilfered it?

Determined to uncover what had transpired with Moon during this period, Suni made her way to the main house to conduct thorough inquiries [i.e., gather gossip from the servants]. The servants at Quinn Manor commenced their duties as early as 5:00 A.M. to get a head start on their chores.

Despite her current status as the lady of the house, they all knew her well. Having grown up as a maid's daughter on the estate, she was considered half a maid herself, expected to contribute in some capacity. Therefore, she knew precisely whom to approach for answers.

"Jill, Cathy, Savanna, Rakel, good morning," she greeted, starting with the kitchen maids.

"Good morning, Mrs. Quinn," they replied, a hint of nervousness in their voices.

"Do you require something?" Cathy inquired. "Does Master Quinn need anything?"

"Do not be overly anxious. I simply require some information swiftly. I sustained a bump on my head and have forgotten a few things. What has Moon been occupied with over the past week?"

Jill, eager for a bit of gossip, was more than happy to recount the peculiar behaviors she had observed. "She resigned from her new job at the fancy hotel three days ago. She awoke like a madwoman and began eating as though she were a starving specter."

"She vomited, rinsed her mouth, and continued eating," Rakel added, a look of disgust on her face.

Jill abandoned the flour she was kneading, moved closer to Suni, and whispered conspiratorially, "She's been pilfering food from the pantry. She believes no one has noticed, but I have. She took some flour, oil, spices, powdered milk, spaghetti, and other provisions. I'm surprised she hasn't absconded with the tomatoes and onions too."

The maids exchanged amused glances.

"What else?" Sunshine prompted them. She realized Moon was already stockpiling supplies.

"She joined that peculiar church... uh..." Savanna scratched her head, attempting to recall the name. Her eyes suddenly lit up, accompanied by a loud clap. "The Last Beacon Church!" she exclaimed, revealing the information.

Their eyebrows nearly shot off their faces, as Moon had never displayed any inclination towards religion; she was a staunch atheist, making her joining a church deeply bizarre.

"Of all the churches? I mean, those people are just odd, always talking about how the day of judgment is near, and we're all going to hell," Jill commented, her face twisting with disapproval.

Narrowing her eyes, Suni massaged her chin, wondering about Moon’s motives for joining the church. In the apocalypse, Pastor Salem, the leader of the Last Beacon Church, had created a cult following. He used those people as gatherers for the supplies he needed to survive.

He also had some followers with superpowers, and they called themselves the Redeemers of Fallen Earth. The cult reached a fever pitch when Pastor Salem awakened as a supernatural being with wings and declared himself an angel. He created his own base, and it was strong in terms of population.

Suni couldn't remember Moon and Pastor Salem joining forces. If they had, she wouldn't have found Moon in such a poor condition when they reunited. It seemed her cousin was already making all the right connections.

During that same conversation, Suni found out from Marissa, who was Cassius' personal caretaker, that Cassius was going out more often. It was believed he was visiting his psychologist and speech therapist. Marissa highlighted that his hard work was paying off because Cassius was speaking now and becoming more aware of his surroundings.

It was a joke to Suni, who let out an abrupt, hearty laugh. He wasn't becoming aware; he was already aware. Cassius was very normal and only pretending to be a fool. Now that Hades was down, more of his true colors were going to be revealed. He might have no knowledge of the past like her, but he was still the same selfish prick.

After gathering all the information she needed, she asked the maids if there was anything that required fixing. The question wasn't that surprising, and Sunshine had always been handy around the manor. But the fact that the mistress of the house was wearing a tool belt around her waist and working man's boots was very eyebrow-raising.

The maids pointed her to the garage. When she left, they started whispering about her.

"Talk about rags to riches; Suni really hit it big," Jill was the first to gush.

"Have you forgotten about the master’s condition? They say it's permanent. And there's the fact that he has four sons. Suni is twenty-four, and she has a twenty-five-year-old foolish son who is also her ex-boyfriend. I don’t think she hit it big," Savanna whispered.

Jill scoffed. "The boss is only thirty-five, the age difference between him and Suni is only ten years. I will take that deal any day if I can escape a life of scrubbing floors and waking up at five every morning to cook food I rarely get a taste of."

"Mr. Cassius is not Suni’s ex-boyfriend, Savanna. Stop saying that nonsense, especially now that Suni is Mrs. Quinn and she can fire us," Cathy hissed at the youngest maid, Savanna.

"Great, we're out of sugar! All ten sacks are gone," Jill slapped the kitchen counter angrily. "Miss Moon’s thieving habit is getting out of hand. I am going to tell Elder Mrs. Quinn about this."

The maids shook their heads and continued to gossip, and the gossip traveled from window to window. The news that Moon was a thief was known to all the staff and other Quinn relatives by 8 a.m.