"Did you kill someone just now?"
After the fierce battle, Lisa suddenly remembered the gunshot.
Though she had grown accustomed to the harsh realities of their world, the idea of those close to her taking lives still troubled her.
She feared that one day Miles might kill so many that he would become the cold, heartless monster who no longer recognized anyone—an unstoppable, tyrannical force.
With a self-assured smile, Miles casually replied, "Ryan and I found a police station today. We grabbed a sniper rifle from there. I just tested it out, and its power is absolutely unrivaled!"
He conveniently omitted any mention of Nicole.
After all, how appropriate would it be to talk about another woman right after someone had just satisfied your desires?
Even if Miles were the epitome of a straightforward man, he wouldn't bring up other women in front of his own.
Besides, Nicole was likely already being mistreated by Anthony and his gang. Although Miles found her attractive, he wouldn't bother with someone else's leftovers.
Upon hearing that Miles hadn't engaged in indiscriminate killings, Lisa's admiration deepened. "Master, you're amazing! You can even use a sniper rifle."
She cupped her face with her hands, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him.
But to Miles, her words sounded more like teasing.
This girl had witnessed his sharpshooting skills firsthand—if this was what she considered impressive, then Ryan's marksmanship must have been divinely inspired.
Miles feigned indifference and remarked, "Aren't you worried that one day I'll become addicted to killing, turning into a merciless demon?"
"I'm not afraid!"
Lisa shook her head firmly. She lifted her hand to caress his cheek, gazing at him earnestly. "My man is a hero who will save the world. Even if one day he becomes ruthless in his killings, it will only be because there is no other choice."
Such words reflected the wisdom of a clever woman.
She never expressed anything too overtly; instead, she understood exactly what kind of man Miles was.
Her words, "no choice but to kill," not only subtly guided Miles on how to handle the future but also reminded him to maintain his humanity, no matter the circumstances.
Miles smiled, tapping Lisa gently on the forehead. "You really are smart. Meeting you has been my luck."
At the Machinery Factory.
After Miles had killed Augus, the Thirteenth Faction was forced to disband and rebranded as the Twelve Brothers.
Nathan remained their leader.
It was unclear whether he had watched too many martial arts movies as a child or if these people were simply lacking in imagination, but the names they chose were progressively more ridiculous.
Yesterday, Nathan, along with his eleven brothers, ventured out to hunt zombies. They had astonishing luck when they stumbled upon an abandoned electronics factory, where they encountered a super-zombie.
Everyone was elated.
Miles had once said that capturing a super-zombie could earn them half a month's worth of food.
Now, not only were they no longer afraid of zombies, but they almost wished for one to appear every morning as soon as they opened their eyes.
However, life, as always, had its unexpected turns.
Just as Nathan and his group were about to capture the zombie, an entire horde of super-zombies suddenly emerged, numbering over thirty!
Though they were frightened, their excitement still outweighed the fear.
The plan was to take them down one by one, and they would never have to worry about food for the next year.
But they had clearly underestimated the intelligence of these super-zombies. These beasts not only ambushed them but even coordinated their attacks. Before long, the group was surrounded.
In the end, amidst the relentless assault of over thirty super-zombies, the Twelve Brothers suffered devastating losses. Only seven managed to escape, while the rest were torn to pieces by the undead.
"Boss, Alan... he didn't make it."
In the cold, desolate room, someone suddenly cried out. "We lost half of our brothers in one day!"
Nathan, who had been tending to his wounds, abruptly stood up.
He walked over to the bed, gazing at the young man lying there. His eyes instantly reddened.
"Alan, I'm sorry. I failed you."
Alan, who was only twenty, had a deathly pallor. He weakly managed a faint smile and said, "Boss, don't cry. To be brothers with you... it's been worth it."
Hearing those words, Nathan could no longer hold back his tears. He gripped his brother's hand tightly. "Don't worry, I swear I won't let any of our brothers die in vain!"
"Yes!"
The fourth brother slammed his fist into the wall, his voice choking with emotion. "We have to kill those bastards! We'll avenge our brothers!"
But the sixth brother sighed helplessly, his voice bitter. "Those monsters are too powerful, and they know how to work together. We can't win... we just can't."
"We may not be able to win, but we have to fight!"
Nathan's tone was resolute. "I'm going to Cloud City. Didn't Miles claim that he's capable of anything? We need to ask him for help. We must avenge our brothers!"
That's right, Miles was a powerhouse!
They all clearly remembered how Miles had effortlessly killed Augus with just a glance.
Such skill was bound to make him fearless of a few zombies.
Besides, they had no other options left. If they wanted revenge, their only hope was to seek external help, and the only person capable of taking on that many zombies was Miles.
Without hesitation, Nathan wrapped his coat tighter around himself and headed out.
He trudged through the wind and snow for over two hours before finally reaching Cloud City.
After wandering around the neighborhood for half an hour, Nathan froze in place, his teeth chattering in the cold... He had no idea where Miles lived.
How the hell am I supposed to find him?
Nathan, nearly frozen to death by the biting wind, was in no better state mentally.
"Ugh..."
After a brief moment, he had no choice but to continue forward, fearing he might freeze to death before even finding Miles.
He wasn't sure how long he had walked, but the sky had grown darker, and the cold seemed to intensify.
Suddenly, he saw a faint flickering light coming from a villa ahead.
A smile spread across Nathan's face.
At this point, most people had already burned whatever they could find to stay warm, with some even chopping up their bed frames for firewood.
Anyone with a fire now must be Miles!
Somehow, Nathan found a burst of energy and began to jog, quickly reaching the villa.
He pounded on the door with all his might.
"Mr. Miles, it's Nathan!"
"Open up, Mr. Miles! I have something important to tell you!"
Inside the villa, Nicole, who had just lit a fire, wore a satisfied smile on her face.
In the depths of winter, nothing felt more blissful than a small flame to warm the body.
The firewood had been delivered by Anthony earlier that morning, as an apology for the events of the previous day.
Nicole had no other resources to burn, and Anthony, fearing Miles' wrath, had come to offer an act of reconciliation.
But he didn't think it through—would a woman of Miles' standing lack something as trivial as firewood?
Sitting by the fire, Nicole muttered to herself, "He must be terrified of Miles... I didn't realize just how powerful Miles really is, able to scare even that big thug into submission..."
"Mr. Miles!"
"It's me, Mr. Miles!"
Nathan's frantic calls finally jolted Nicole from her reverie.
She leapt to her feet, her eyes wide with alarm as she glanced toward the door.
A tall man was frantically pounding on the door, repeatedly calling out, "Mr. Miles!"