eat, a pack of AA batteries, a box of basic painkillers

bills bought luxury. Now, paper money was wort

and flashlights, had suddenly become far more valuable th

tation near the entrance

cautiously. "Do you really h

t for an iron crowbar. Painkill

he man sa

nged items, a faint, impercep

t Ability surg

d, an absolute rule took effect: che

as honest. If someone tried to hand over defective goods or break the

airness, people immediately

, tins of food, packs of batteries, medical supplies, and flashlights for useful su

essful. Lif

essful. Lif

wever, quickly

d man, his aggressive wife, and their adult son,.marched

, staring greedily at Maya's inventory. "Give us four bottles of

de?" Maya asked calmly,

ps. "We are a desperate family! You're sitting on a mountain of supp

coldly. "No trade, no supplies. Br

k you can talk to us like

look to his son. "She

k, while the father and mother frantically grabbed the bottles of water, c

or fight back physically. She simpl

nforcement, Maya co

zed the forcible acquisition as an illegal breach of tr

g weight slammed down o

a mountain. The mother shrieked as her arms involuntarily moved backward agai

r yelled, horror breaking through his a

oving on their own!" the

he Contract Ability, the three of

their bodies moved lik

is coat, pulled out the stolen water bottle

x of medicine and flashlight. The son's shaking fingers neat

the contract force completed the forced return, sending all thre

cold temperatures. "Attempt to rob me again, and

bling uncontrollably, they backed out of the store and r

s her first real face-slapping moment in this apocal

the fortified school base, a very

ng its food rapidly. Dozens of survivors, panicked and anx

looking into the nearly empty suppl

tarve by tomorrow

nding. "Wright! The emergency stock you brought is almost

fed out his chest and slapped his hand against hi

us out of the first disaster, and I know this city like the back of my hand. We will simply find

avior once again. Ashley stood behind him, clu

of five armed survivors out into

blocks away," Gregory s

ved, Gregory's confiden

ces. The entire interior was stripped completely bare

ird Street!" Gregory said hastily,

Third Street

Fifth Avenue. Burned to the ground, it

nearby. Broken boxes and trash litt

re had already been completely emptied by de

nothing le

e aisle, his knees shaking. His confident mask shatt

mpty hands, realiz

running ou