A New Path Uncovered

Operating an excavator wasn't rocket science.

Two joystick levers for movement, a third for the bucket arm.

Ethan Cross located the fuel tank and poured in a drum of diesel from his dimensional space.

Then he climbed into the cab and twisted the ignition.

VROOM.

To his relief, the cold hadn't ruined the engine. It still ran fine.

He started scooping snow, flinging it to the sides.

At first, his movements were jerky. But within minutes, he found a rhythm.

After thirty minutes, he'd dug a trench three meters deep—and the tracks could even crawl forward slowly.

"Hell, this thing could be a transport if needed."

It was slow, sure, but the tracks crushed the snow effortlessly. Mud, slush, snow—it didn't matter.

Ethan worked for two hours straight, finally hitting something solid beneath the ice.

His eyes lit up.

He shifted the bucket to one side, sweeping snow away with wide arcs.

There it was.

The rooftop of the gas station.

With that as a reference point, he traced along the building's perimeter, clearing the surrounding snow.

His inexperience slowed him down, but after four or five hours, he finally exposed a store window of the station's convenience shop.

Good thing he'd used the excavator.

If he'd tried this by hand?

He'd be dead from exhaustion.

Ethan climbed out, stored the excavator, and shattered the window glass.

Inside, he found what he expected—snow everywhere.

The entrance had been smashed open and snow had flooded over half the interior.

Still, he could see the back door. That was his target.

Wading through snow, he made his way toward the rear. Gas stations always had underground fuel tanks—less likely to be buried.

It didn't take long to find the door to the storage chamber.

Gas stations look big on the outside, but their operational zones are actually compact. Finding the hatch was easy.

Ethan popped the metal door open with his crowbar and turned on his miner's headlamp.

And what he saw?

Made him inhale sharply.

Four enormous fuel tanks, each with at least 50 cubic meters of storage.

Rough estimate?

Enough to last a decade.

He stepped back, carefully removed any static electricity from his clothes, and re-entered.

Safety first.

Inside was pitch black. The systems had shut down long ago.

He sealed off the valve pipes, wrapped them with layers of plastic and insulation to prevent any leak.

Then—

One by one, he loaded all four tanks into his spatial vault.

Three full of gasoline. One diesel.

"Well, that solves the fuel problem."

"Forever."

Then something struck him.

"Wait… if I can dig out this place…"

"Then I can dig out any place."

His eyes widened. Heart pounded.

"The entire city... the entire world... buried treasure waiting for me."

"And it's all mine."

Ethan Cross had just unlocked a new survival strategy.

Snow had turned the world into a grave.

But with an excavator?

He could resurrect it.

He climbed back up the trench, hopped on his snowmobile, and roared off.

Time to wrap up for the day.

—

He made a quick stop at the Liberty Hills Shopping Complex, looted a couple bags of junk food, and headed home.

As soon as his snowmobile neared Crestview Heights, faces popped up behind windows.

Watching. Waiting.

He parked behind his building, pretending to store the vehicle in the garage.

Then walked inside with two bulging bags.

He didn't need to say a word.

The neighbors were already assembled, eagerly waiting.

Claire wasn't among them.

She'd finally understood—Ethan wasn't giving her anything ever again.

But Natalie still hadn't given up. She made another approach.

Ethan didn't even glance at her.

"Yesterday's defense effort was solid. Today's food is your reward."

"We'll distribute it based on contribution, as always."

Food was limited.

More for some, less for others.

And if you didn't pull your weight?

You didn't eat.

Since the sniper incident, everyone feared Ethan even more. No one dared question him.

And they all knew—he killed more enemies than all of them combined.

Leo and Jesse, who hadn't been on watch last night, only got a single portion.

Which meant?

Enough to stay hungry.

They looked disappointed.

"Ethan," Leo asked. "If we just wait here, what if no one comes? You already killed most of the Terra Gang. They're scared. If they don't attack…"

"How do we earn rewards?"

Ethan smiled faintly.

"I never said you have to wait for them."

Leo and Jesse lit up.

"You mean… we can go after them?"

"If we kill people from other buildings, we get rewards too?"

They were excited.

Not just for food—but to prove themselves.

They wanted Ethan's trust.

To become his inner circle.

Ethan thought it over.

So far, only the Terra Gang in Building 26 had made hostile moves.

But with his snowmobile now exposed, others were definitely eyeing him.

Leo and Jesse's suggestion was interesting.

They were cannon fodder anyway.

If they wanted to risk it?

Fine.

He smiled.

"Absolutely."

"Everyone outside this building is a threat."

"Kill them. Bring back the results. You get food."

"Anyone not from our building is fair game."

In reality, the snow and freezing temperatures limited their range.

So the most likely target?

Building 26.

Leo and Jesse pumped their fists.

Other residents murmured among themselves.

Some were tempted.

Because food… was everything.