After a bittersweet argument, Bryce lost the verbal fight. Jason’s counter-argument was too strong for her to counter. She had to admit, that his points were convincing. He saved her twice, he killed all the monsters using his own strength alone with no shred of help from her and last but not least she picked up things that weren’t hers without permission. The biggest reason was the fact that he said.

 

“I’ve given you a chance of surviving the new world. With an ability like that, at least you won’t die being bitten by an oversized wolf.”

 

She was driving her Nord Bigo with a pout on her face. Jason, on the other hand, was having fun listening to the music and checking out the streets of New Jersey. On the surface, he was having fun and jolly but underneath, he was still cursing at the fact that he just lost a precious ability like that. He glanced to the side and saw that vex look on her face.

 

“Just be thankful that you’re going to buy me a few stuff. FYI, the ability you stole from me would be sold more than just a million, even ten million won’t be enough,” he said.

 

Jason just had to rub salt on her opened wounds. She started to felt regret over opening that scroll of his. If she knew she was going to be hounded by his salty words, she would have just ignored the scrolls laying on her carpet floor.

 

“I can’t understand one thing,” said Bryce.

 

“What?” he said.

 

“Why are we going to American Dreamyard? It’s too far. Can’t we just go to the nearest mall?” she didn’t understand why they were going to American Dreamyard. Although she had to admit it was the most gigantic mall in New Jersey but was it necessary? The place itself was just two bridges away from the monster-infested Manhattan.

 

“Just drive. Remember, you owe me ten million dollars,” his words shut Bryce’s mouth. She mumbled by her lone self cursing at the person sitting beside her.

 

While driving through the 35^th route state highway, Jason couldn’t keep his eyes off the sight of New York City. Even when most of the time he couldn’t see the city but he didn’t change the direction of his gaze.

 

Scarlet Rex.

 

He frowned while remembering that colossal beast. Everything went under because of that creature. He feared it but now, with the distance between them, Jason had a thought in mind.

 

Can I kill it?

 

He knew in his current state, defeating that colossal creature was only a pipe dream. Nevertheless, the thought of it alighted something inside of him.

 

“That’s strange, there aren’t many cars on the street like I expected,” the usual traffic was rather light.

 

“People are afraid. Who in their right mind would drive close to monsters? If they suddenly want to cross the bridge, who in the world can stop them.”

 

She pouted. She herself knew that fact. Him, reminding her of that fact seems like calling her stupid or something. A sudden realization passed by.

 

“Then shouldn’t we also stay away from those places?”

 

“Relax. There’s an island in between the mall and New York City, even if they start to move, we got plenty of time to run away,” he never takes no as an answer.

 

“There’s a saying in the medical field. Prevention is better than cure,” said Bryce as she tried to smack Jason with her knowledge.

 

“Then you should have prevented yourself from stealing my skill,” he fired back rendering her speechless once more. Jason was definitely the best in raking up the past.

 

Soon, they arrived at American Dreamyard. The parking lot was rather lax in numbers. Getting out of the car, Jason could saw a few people running to their cars.

 

“is something going on?” Bryce too saw them.

 

“They probably just saw the news,” said Jason in response.

 

“Are you sure? There might be something going on inside the mall,” Bryce was rather worried.

 

“It’ll be fine. As long as it’s not monsters. C’mon and don’t dawdle, I’ve got things to buy,” he motioned her to follow while taking the lead to the mall.

 

Stepping inside the mall, there weren’t many visitors walking around. A few here and there but the retail stores are still open despite the dwindling number of customers. Bryce was still worried but Jason didn’t pay mind to her.

 

First thing first, he bought a few decent clothes. Decent meaned expensive clothing brand, she stole his ability and he won't let it be paid by mediocre clothing. The jock like clothing didn’t really go well with him. Let it be just Bryce’s ex-boyfriend clothes and not his.

 

“Did you really have to buy this brand of clothes,” Bryce complained.

 

“Ten million. C’mon, move faster.” Bryce followed behind with resentment all over her face.

 

The duo went around the mall buying high-quality sneakers, a solid mountain hiking backpack, some survival tools like compass, flint, hand axe and every related thing with camping. To top it off, Jason bought the most expensive compound bow. The carbon base RZ-3 manufactured by Zoyt company.

 

Bryce was crying tears of blood as she lost one thousand and eight hundred dollars just for the sake of a bow. Her saving was being shredded just because she opened up a scroll. She felt like throwing a tantrum but the obnoxious gaze from Jason made her stopped.

 

“Are we done yet?” she asked with the corner of her eyes getting teary.

 

“Yet? Of course not, let’s go eat. I’m famished,” Jason led the way to an all you can eat buffet.

 

Two people sitting across each other in an empty buffer restaurant. It'd been half an hour since they sat there and Jason was still eating. She watched him eating with one corner of her lips rising. She was amazed by seeing how he could eat that much food. But then she sighed, looking down at her smartphone screen. She couldn’t believe her eyes seeing the almost empty bank account of hers. Again, she felt like she wanted to cry. But Jason had the knack to stop her from crying.

 

“Look at the bright side. At least now you can manhandle that pervert senior doctor of yours whenever he tries that stunt again, and you won’t be worrying about needle prick injury with that copper body of yours. See, two birds with one stone,” said Jason.

 

“One stone that equals ten million,” she whispered in a small voice as she didn’t want Jason to hear her.

 

She just sat there while deep in her own thought. Too many things to processed and she herself wasn’t familiar with this man that saved her life, twice.

 

“How did you get out of the hospital? With your body all broken, you walking like this isn’t possible,” she was really curious about that. Since she was a doctor of all occupations, Jason's current state was like a miracle to her.

 

“I healed myself,” said Jason in response as he gobbled down the chicken wing.

 

“Heal? Meaning? A skill?” asked Bryce.

 

He nodded.

 

The look in her eyes showed she was shocked. Since childhood, she had never played a game in her entire life. Surrounded by books and more books. All she had ever done was reading. Thus the reason she couldn’t understand the simplest thing about a game like skills. Compared to being strong like copper she was more interested in healing.

 

“Then you can even heal cancer?” she asked.

 

“How the hell would I know that. I don’t have cancer,” said Jason.

 

She was annoyed by the answer but she pressed on.

 

“Can you heal another person?” she asked.

 

He nodded.

 

“Then it must be possible,” she responded. Jason didn’t get the big deal about this healing cancer thing. Those monsters there in the city can kill you anytime compared to cancer that can kill you after ten or twenty years.

 

“Listen up Bryce,” she perked her ears since its the first time he called her name after she properly introduced herself.

 

“A word of advice, try not to let other people know about your ability,” he said.

 

“But why? Shouldn’t people have the right to know? This possibly can save their lives,” she said.

 

“Do you know why the military wants me?” he asked her.

 

“Ah, you’re supposed to be transferred to a military-sponsored hospital.” she just realized that Jason avoided being transfer to a military hospital.

 

“They paid your bills and insist on taking you under their care. The military is really great,” she complimented the force that protects their beloved country.

 

“You really believe that?” asked Jason.

 

“Of course, why else would they want you to be transferred.”

 

“Because of this,” he showed his hand glowing in green.

 

Bryce really couldn’t hide her surprise. Then it got her thinking.

 

“Your abilities?”

 

“Of course. Why else would they want me.”

 

“But how would they know?”

 

“I’m not sure but at least I have the assumption that they knew I have these abilities. Since no human can survive a fall from a collapse sixty-floor building and washed away into the bay and still breathing,” his words left her speechless. She didn’t know the backstory behind how Jason survived through the calamity in New York.

 

She was slack-jawed staring at Jason.

 

“One other thing, with the military incapable to kill even one of those things. What do you think would happen if they knew you have an ability.”

 

“They’ll conscript me into the army,” she was quick to catch on to things.

 

“Bingo.”

 

Speechless. She wanted to refute those claims. But she knew that the government at some point was corrupted in certain areas and with the current turn of events, those claims made by Jason might turn out to be true. But then.

 

BOOM.

 

Something exploded from inside the mall.