After clearing out the entire arsenal, Miles wasn't about to leave the rest behind.
Bulletproof vests, helmets, riot shields—and, to his utter delight, an unopened crate of grenades.
This was the real jackpot.
Who cares about lousy aim when you've got these?
Grenades didn't require precision; they promised indiscriminate destruction. Within their blast radius, nothing survived.
Pair them with his psychic abilities, and Miles felt as if he'd unlocked a whole new realm of possibilities.
He chuckled at the thought: an enemy mocking him for being unarmed, only to have a grenade silently drop from above.
Even gods wouldn't survive such a fate.
Today was proving to be his lucky day—not only had he scored a treasure trove of weapons, but he'd also gleaned an important realization:
Beneath the city's frozen surface, vast reserves of untouched resources still lay waiting.
The apocalypse had struck without warning, leaving little time for anyone to salvage supplies before snow and ice buried everything.
In these frigid conditions, without specialized vehicles, ordinary people couldn't survive more than a few kilometers before succumbing to the cold.
As the two returned to their snow vehicle, their faces shone with satisfaction—but also a lingering hunger for more.
"Hey, Miles," Ryan began, his voice tinged with excitement, "why don't we hit up another spot? There's still plenty of daylight left."
Miles nodded, his eyes scanning the frozen cityscape.
With the snow vehicle at their disposal, nowhere seemed out of reach—except, perhaps, for areas reduced to rubble.
"Let's do it," he agreed, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
The snow vehicle roared to life, its engine's echoes cutting through the desolate city. They drove until they came upon a familiar sight.
"central Tower," Ryan read aloud, glancing at the large sign affixed to the building.
Miles smiled nostalgically. "That's where my company used to be."
Ryan let out a low whistle, his admiration evident.
"Man, what a prime spot. Someone like me wouldn't have gotten near this place back in the day."
The central skyscraper stretched seventy-five stories into the sky. With the ground floors buried under ice, they had to enter through a window on the thirteenth floor.
After cutting through the glass with practiced ease, they stepped inside.
Miles approached an electronic door scanner and casually gave it a kick.
Crash!
Shattered glass rained down around him.
"I always told the building manager this door was flimsy," he muttered. "Kept claiming it was blast-proof glass. What a joke."
Brushing shards off his jacket, he strode confidently into his old office.
Ryan trailed behind, chuckling. "Feeling nostalgic, huh?"
Miles shrugged. "Just here for a little bonus round."
He headed straight for a hidden compartment behind the bookshelf. With a firm push, the concealed space was revealed.
"A secret stash?" Ryan asked, intrigued. "What'd you keep in there?"
Miles smirked, pulling out a hard drive from a hidden compartment.
"Two terabytes of, uh… films. Should keep me entertained for a long time."
In the chaos of stockpiling essentials, he'd nearly forgotten this crucial treasure.
Ryan's eyes lit up. "Don't forget to share, man."
"Don't you have Betty now?"
"Come on, you've got Lisa. This is for inspiration… and maybe to learn some new moves."
"Fair enough," Miles replied with a laugh, tucking the drive away.
On their way out, they passed a mall entrance. Ryan slowed to a stop.
"Hey, Miles. Ever wonder about those fancy boutiques with stuff so pricey it made your head spin? Wanna see what all the fuss was about?"
"Let's."
They ventured inside. The first floor, though partially covered in ice, still bore traces of its former grandeur. Display counters held shimmering treasures, dusted with frost.
Ryan wasted no time. Spotting a jewelry display, he smashed through the glass, scooping up gold jewelry and miniature ingots with the enthusiasm of a bank robber.
Miles strolled past, drawn to a jade exhibit. In one corner, a piece of translucent jade caught his eye—a flawless pendant with a serene glow.
Kicking open the cabinet, he retrieved the pendant, marveling at its smooth, cool surface.
"Lisa's been here almost a month now," he mused. This would make a nice gift.
Pocketing the pendant, he turned to find Ryan buried in high-end men's fashion, clutching armfuls of luxury suits and ridiculously priced bespoke clothing.
"Need a hand?" Miles asked, amused.
"Can you stash this?" Ryan replied, piling on more designer finds—along with women's handbags, jewelry, and dresses, likely for Betty.
Miles didn't comment, his gaze sweeping over the pile before it disappeared into his storage space.
They spent another thirty minutes looting the mall before heading back. This time, Ryan did most of the pillaging while Miles observed, quietly entertained by his companion's enthusiasm.
By the time they returned to the villa, night had fallen.
Ryan headed to the storage room, but to his surprise, Betty wasn't there.
Miles entered the main villa and immediately spotted her.
Betty sat by the fire, cradling her child and nursing openly. The sight of her exposed chest, intentionally framed against her child, struck a deliberate and calculated pose.
Lisa stood nearby, her expression cold. It was clear she wasn't impressed.
When Miles appeared, Lisa seized the opportunity.
"Betty, Miles is back. You should head out now before Ryan starts worrying."
Her tone left little room for argument—it was a clear dismissal.
But Betty, unfazed, stayed seated. If anything, her movements became more deliberate. She adjusted her posture, emphasizing her full figure, and gently coaxed her child to nurse, even though the infant had clearly had its fill.
"Of course, Doctor," she replied sweetly, her voice laced with faux urgency.
"Just a moment longer—my little one hasn't finished yet."
The child, oblivious to the theatrics, lazily suckled without purpose.