Apocalypse Supermarket: My Four Overpowered Husbands Wontstop Hoarding

Chapter 70: Chapter 70 The dungeon II

WEEKS BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE

Rowan Asfaang had once again been rejected.

He stood outside the company building with the rejection still ringing in his ears, his hands tightly gripping the straps of his worn-out bag. He had graduated from college only recently, and when he first received his certificate, he had genuinely believed things would finally become easier.

He had been wrong.

This was the fifth job interview he had attended, and somehow, it had ended just like the previous four.

Rejected.

Rowan had graduated with a degree in Business Administration and had even managed to get good grades. He had spent years studying, believing that once he obtained his certificate, finding a decent job would be the easy part.

Instead, every door seemed determined to slam in his face.

And every rejection made returning home harder.

His mother’s patience was running thin. He could already imagine the questions waiting for him.

Did you find anything?

What have you been doing all this time?

What was the point of going to school if you can’t even find a job?

Rowan swallowed painfully.

He had prepared so hard for this interview.

The interviewer had told him what kind of questions they might ask and what sort of answers they expected. Rowan had spent the entire night preparing, barely sleeping because he was determined not to mess up this time.

But he hadn’t even been given a chance.

The moment he entered the interview room, it was as though his clothes had already answered every question for them.

Rowan’s shoes had weak soles that looked ready to tear apart. His shirt wasn’t fancy, and a loose thread dangled from one sleeve. His trousers were slightly too large for him because they had belonged to someone else before him.

Still, they were the best clothes he had.

He had worn them with pride that morning.

Now they only made him feel ashamed.

"What is your name, young man?"

Rowan looked up.

The woman sitting across from him had been staring at his shoes for several seconds. Beside her sat a man with an irritated expression, his arms folded across his chest.

"Rowan Asfaang, miss."

He forced a smile.

He didn’t want them to see how nervous he was.

He still believed that things could get better. Maybe this would be the opportunity that changed his life. Maybe if he answered their questions properly, they would look beyond his appearance and see what he could actually offer.

"So, what makes you think we should give you this job?"

The question caught him off guard.

It wasn’t what he had practiced.

But Rowan quickly gathered himself.

"Because I believe I can handle the office affairs and manage the transactions going on within the company. I studied business administration, and I’m confident that—"

A hand abruptly rose, stopping him.

The woman stared at him.

Then she laughed.

It started as a chuckle before turning into loud, mocking laughter.

Rowan’s smile slowly disappeared.

"Just look at yourself," she said.

Her eyes moved from his head to his shoes before returning to his face.

"You can’t even manage yourself, yet you’re here telling us you can manage an office?"

Rowan’s lips parted.

"I—"

"We need competent people," she continued coldly. "Not useless people who will come here and destroy our system. Do yourself a favor and leave."

The words struck harder than he expected.

Rowan instinctively looked down at himself.

What was wrong with his clothes?

They weren’t new, but they were clean.

His shirt had no stains. His trousers were washed. His shoes were old, but they still worked.

Had he really done something wrong?

"Please, sir."

His voice became desperate.

"You’re my only hope. I beg you. I don’t know where else to go. You can ask me anything. I’ll answer. Please don’t do this to me."

The woman who had been staring at him for so long suddenly picked up her phone.

"Security?"

Rowan froze.

"Come and drag this rag out of here."

His expression fell.

"Please—"

Before he could say anything else, two security guards entered.

They didn’t care about his explanations.

One grabbed his arm while the other pulled his bag away from him.

"Wait! Please! I can explain!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears.

His bag was thrown after him before he was dragged outside and shoved toward the entrance.

Rowan stumbled.

His knees hit the ground first, followed by his palms. Pain shot through his arms, and when he looked down, he saw blood slowly running from the scrapes.

Nobody came to help.

The guards simply turned around and went back inside.

The glass doors closed behind them.

Rowan remained there for several seconds, staring at the blood on his hands.

Then something inside him broke.

He lowered his head and began crying.

He didn’t care who saw him anymore.

He had tried.

He really had.

But no matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to be enough.

People walked past him without stopping. Some glanced in his direction before continuing on their way. Nobody wanted to get involved with a stranger crying on the street.

Eventually, Rowan wiped his face and forced himself to stand.

He took a taxi home, silently praying that somehow his mother wouldn’t be there.

Unfortunately, his luck had never been that good.

The moment Rowan entered the house, he heard his mother’s voice.

"Oh, he went looking for a job again? I hope he doesn’t come back here without finding one."

Rowan stopped at the doorway.

His mother, Lady Asfaang, was sitting with his younger sister, Jacqueline.

"I can’t believe someone can be so useless that finding an ordinary job has become impossible," his mother continued angrily. "What’s the point of that certificate? And all the money I spent on his school fees? All of it went to waste."

Jacqueline remained silent.

"Look at you," Lady Asfaang continued. "Can’t you be more like your sister? How can your younger sister already be more useful than you? Is this some kind of curse?"

Rowan’s fingers curled into fists.

His heart thumped painfully.

That couldn’t be his mother.

Not after everything.

He had come home hoping for support. Even if she couldn’t help him find a job, he had wanted someone to tell him that everything would eventually be okay.

Instead, he had walked straight into another rejection.

The door creaked behind him.

Both women turned.

Rowan stood there with red, swollen eyes and scraped hands.

Jacqueline immediately lowered her gaze, sympathy flashing across her face.

But she said nothing.

His mother simply stared at him.

"As I was saying," Lady Asfaang continued, "I don’t understand why you’re so useless."

"Stop."

Rowan’s voice trembled.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Stop saying that about me when I’m standing right here."

His voice grew louder.

"I’m trying, Mom! Why can’t you see that? Do you think I enjoy living like this? Do you think I like being unemployed? I want to find a job! I want to help! But I’m trying everything I can!"

He staggered toward the kitchen, desperately looking for water.

"I came back here because I thought my family would support me. Instead, every time I walk through that door, all I hear is how useless I am. Is that fair? Tell me, Mom. Is it?"

Lady Asfaang followed him.

"You’re not getting anything from this house."

"I’m thirsty."

"I don’t care."

Rowan reached for the jug.

She grabbed his hand and yanked it away.

"As long as you’re still broke, you have no right to behave as though you’re entitled to anything here."

Rowan stared at her.

His breathing became uneven.

"Get out," she said coldly. "I’m tired of feeding a grown man who can’t contribute anything. Do something useful with your life."

Rowan looked toward Jacqueline.

His younger sister was standing nearby.

For one brief moment, he hoped she would say something.

Anything.

But Jacqueline only looked away.

She always did.

Cowardly.

Silent.

Never willing to stand between him and their mother.

Something inside Rowan finally snapped.

"Fine."

His voice was strangely calm.

"You know what? I won’t even call you Mom anymore."

Lady Asfaang’s expression changed.

Rowan’s eyes burned with tears, but he refused to let them fall.

"I wish you were the one who died instead of Dad."

Silence.

His mother’s face went blank.

For the first time, she had nothing to say.

Rowan immediately regretted the words, but his anger was stronger than his guilt.

He turned around.

The door slammed behind him.

The moment Rowan stepped outside, he heard screaming.

At first, he thought it was an argument between neighbors.

Then the ground shook.

People began running through the streets.

"Run!"

"What’s happening?!"

"Get out of here!"

Rowan turned around.

His blood ran cold.

A gigantic wave was approaching the town.

It wasn’t a normal wave.

It towered above the buildings, sweeping across the streets with terrifying speed.

"What the—"

Rowan immediately started running.

Everyone around him was doing the same.

Cars crashed into one another as people desperately tried to escape. Buildings shook. Windows shattered.

Then the ground beneath Rowan’s feet cracked.

He stumbled.

"What?!"

The road split open.

A massive hole appeared beneath him, swallowing the pavement and everything around it.

Cars disappeared first.

People screamed as they fell.

Rowan grabbed onto the edge of the broken road, desperately trying to keep himself from being dragged down.

"Help!"

His fingers slipped.

"No!"

The ground collapsed beneath him.

Rowan fell into darkness.

His scream echoed through the enormous hole before everything went black.

For a moment, there was nothing.

No sound.

No light.

No pain.

Then—

Thud.

Rowan’s body slammed onto something hard.

He gasped.

His eyes flew open.

"Ah!"

He scrambled backward, breathing heavily.

This wasn’t the town.

It wasn’t the road.

It wasn’t even Earth.

The surroundings were dark and enormous, illuminated only by strange blue crystals embedded within the walls.

Rowan stared around in confusion.

"What... is this place?"

A low growl answered him.

His entire body froze.

Slowly, Rowan turned his head.

Something enormous stood several meters away.

It had the body of a beast, but nothing about it looked natural. Its eyes glowed in the darkness, its teeth were far too large, and its claws scraped against the stone floor as it slowly approached.

Rowan’s blood ran cold.

"No..."

The creature growled again.

Rowan scrambled backward.

"Stay away!"

The monster opened its mouth.

Rowan screamed.

"AAAAAH!"

He turned and ran blindly through the darkness.

He didn’t know where he was.

He didn’t know how he got there.

He didn’t know what had happened to his family, his town, or the world outside.

All he knew was that something was chasing him.

And somewhere far beyond the walls of that terrifying place, the world he had known was already beginning to change.

The apocalypse had begun.

And Rowan had just awakened inside a dungeon filled with creatures that should never have existed.