All the way here, Number 9 had insisted on showing off—riding a bicycle while freezing the snow beneath it into solid ice so the wheels could roll smoothly. But that stunt came at a cost. It drained his abilities nonstop. A minute or two might not matter, but when the consumption piled up, it became significant.If he weren't locked in a brutal fight with Ray, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Against almost any other opponent, he would have been fine. But Ray's attacks were outrageously violent, shattering nineteen layers of ice walls in a row and pressing in like an army at the city gates.Just then, a steel rebar pierced straight through Number 9's body."Ah—!" He let out a scream. It was shrill at first, but by the end it had changed into something else entirely… disturbingly, it almost sounded like pleasure."Again—do it again, you bastard!"Ray shook his head. This underground research center had to be conducting illegal human experiments. Otherwise, how could they

Ray took out three cups of water and handed them to the three men. "Drink."The water in the cups came from melted snow. While he'd been sitting in the truck earlier, he'd scooped snow into the cups. With the warmth inside the vehicle, it had naturally melted.Did the three members of the Finley family dare to drink it?Who knew what kind of stuff was in there?But if they didn't drink, would Ray let them off?With miserable expressions, they had no choice but to take the cups and start drinking.They sipped slowly, all the while praying that Ray truly wasn't some kind of demon.No matter how slowly they drank, a cup of water didn't last long.Ray clicked his tongue.The earlier hail had been highly toxic—even after melting, it gave off a strong, pungent smell. Anyone with a functioning sense of smell or taste would notice immediately. This snow water, however, had no odor at all, something he could confirm with a single sniff.The fact that the three of them had drunk it mea

Ray had no intention of pinning his hopes on the chance that no one would discover this place.Fate had to be held in his own hands.So he left decisively.Still, he left behind some supplies.Fair trade was a principle Ray strictly adhered to, almost to the point of obsession. It was the apocalypse, after all. Everyone developed a few strange habits.After that, Ray headed home.In less than a single day, the snow had already piled up to two feet deep!Even with the G-Class's powerful engine, driving was a struggle. Fortunately, the distance home wasn't far, and he managed to make it back to the residential compound.Ray frowned. If the snow kept falling like this, getting around would become a serious problem.And there was more.The villa was only three stories tall. If the snow continued nonstop, what if it buried the entire house?Was that even possible?In the past, Ray would've dismissed the idea outright. But now, with the weather behaving so extremely, he couldn't

The snow at the villa's entrance had already been cleared, leaving a sloped path wide enough for two people to walk side by side.It wasn't particularly wide, but for Ray—who possessed an otherworldly storage space—it was more than enough.In theory, as long as he could get out, he could take anything with him.He could even store the entire villa itself——provided he dug up the foundation first.The wind had stopped and the snowfall had ended, but the world beyond lay vast and empty, blanketed in white. Even without sunlight, the accumulated snow reflected a harsh, blinding glow. Stare at it long enough, and you'd ruin your eyes.So, Ray put on a pair of goggles.He scanned the surroundings. Many buildings had been buried beneath the snow. High-rises remained visible, largely unaffected, but the small roadside shops had vanished completely.The residential compound's walls? The main gate? Gone. All of it.With a single glance, everything felt immeasurably open. Even the roads

Ray didn't charge in headfirst.They had guns.Although his spatial portal could swallow anything, the moment he moved, the gate would close on its own. Reopening it was just a matter of thought—but what if, just what if, a bullet happened to fly his way at that exact moment?The odds were slim, sure. But why take the risk?Ray would act—but definitely at night.Whether the fog would thicken again aside, darkness alone was enough. He could move in unseen, couldn't he?The night was nature's camouflage.And besides, he could use the time to observe.Ray set up a tent on the mountainside. It was white—completely invisible against the snow. Inside, a stove burned steadily. An electric heating blanket covered the ground, and three space heaters hummed away, all powered by storage batteries. It burned through electricity at an alarming rate, but so what?Even with the temperature outside plunging past minus forty degrees, Ray was sweating inside. In the end, he had to grit his teet