James Lone exerted tremendous effort to chop off one of the mutated frog's legs and carved out over a dozen chunks of meat from it.

A group of women gathered around to watch.

"Wow! That frog is huge!" "The Master is amazing—he actually killed such a massive frog!" "Can mutated frog meat even be eaten?"

James wasn't sure either.

He cut the meat into pieces the size of an egg, releasing a strange but enticing aroma.

'Byakuga n' and Cola, his cat and dog, stared intently at the frog meat, drooling uncontrollably.

James threw two pieces to them.

'Byakuga n' and Cola immediately devoured the meat, their tails wagging as they ate.

Soon, both of them finished their portions and looked up at James, seemingly pleading for more.

James waited a few minutes. Neither showed any signs of poisoning. "At least it doesn't have any lethal toxins. Should I go downstairs and test it on a survivor?"

Instead, James skewered the meat on metal rods and started grilling it. He added cumin, chili powder, and salt, letting the juices sizzle over the flames.

Before long, the meat was perfectly cooked, releasing an even more mouthwatering aroma.

The women watched curiously, swallowing hard, but none dared to ask for a bite.

James was about to take the skewers downstairs to test them on someone when he sensed Teresa Taylor jumping back over, landing in the same 20th-floor room as before.

An idea struck him: why not let Teresa Taylor try it?

If she ended up poisoned...

Well, so be it. James didn't particularly care. Teresa Taylor was just a pawn he'd set loose; he was already prepared for the possibility of her dying at any time.

Decision made, James retrieved a bottle of ice-cold beer from his freezer, phased through the floors, and appeared in front of Teresa Taylor.

She froze for a moment. "How did you know I was here—"

Before she could finish her sentence, her gaze locked onto the steaming skewers in James's hand. Her mouth immediately began to water.

The sight and smell of the roasted meat, combined with the scent of the icy beer, was irresistibly tempting.

In this apocalyptic world, fresh meat was an incredibly rare commodity. Teresa had no idea how James managed to preserve it.

James smiled warmly. "I'm grilling meat right now and happened to see you come over. Want some?"

Teresa quickly shook her head, trying to be polite. "No, it's okay... gurgle."

Her stomach betrayed her, growling loudly as she swallowed hard. Embarrassment turned her cheeks bright red.

James shoved a handful of skewers and the beer into her hands. "Go ahead. Eat."

Teresa stared at the skewers, struggling to refuse. "This isn't right..."

James laughed. "It's fine. I've got plenty more at home."

"Alright..." Teresa finally gave in, unable to resist the temptation. She quickly devoured the food.

In just a few minutes, all ten skewers were gone.

[Ding! Teresa Taylor consumed 5 pounds of mutated frog meat. 4,000 pounds have been added to your storage space.]

James watched her with a smile.

Teresa blushed, slightly embarrassed by her ravenous eating.

But since she had already eaten, she decided to let go of her embarrassment. She downed the beer in one gulp.

The cold beer slid down her throat, cooling her entire body from her mouth to her stomach. Teresa closed her eyes, savoring the sensation.

[Ding! Teresa Taylor consumed 1 bottle of ice-cold beer. 800 bottles have been added to your storage space.]

The weather was gradually shifting toward summer, becoming hotter and more stifling by the day. BBQ and cold beer felt like the ultimate indulgence.

Reflecting on the meager food she normally ate, Teresa felt a moment of hesitation.

Should I just stay here?

Life by James Lone's side didn't seem too bad...

But she quickly shook the thought away. No! I must go to the official aid point. That's the only way to save more survivors in the future!

"Thank you. What kind of meat is this? It's delicious."

"Marinated lamb," James lied casually, pleased to see that after eating the meat, the yellow light around Teresa disappeared completely, and the green light grew brighter.

Unaware that James had used her to test for poison, Teresa nodded. "Thanks for the meal. If I get the chance, I'll repay you in the future. For now, I have to leave."

"Heading to the TV station?" James asked.

Teresa patted her full stomach, clearly satisfied. "Yes. That mutated frog seems to have fought something earlier. It's gone now, so I'm taking this chance to leave. You're staying in this area, so be careful of it."

That frog is already inside your stomach. James didn't bother explaining and simply smiled. "I'll be careful."

Teresa gave James a long, deep look. He was, after all, her first man—her only man.

Was she angry?

Not really. After all, she had been the one to confront him. If you can't beat someone, you have to accept the consequences.

Did she like him?

Not even close. They had only known each other for two days. There was no emotional foundation between them.

Besides, this man was a shameless rogue with a house full of women.

Teresa hesitated for a moment before saying, "You..."

James handed her a few boxes of ammunition. "These should come in handy."

The longer Teresa stayed alive, the more information she could provide him in the future.

The green glow around her grew brighter. "Thank you... I'm off now."

"Goodbye."

Teresa nodded and turned to leave.

She climbed to the rooftop and glanced back at the stairwell.

James hadn't followed.

"Sigh..."

She felt a faint sense of loss. In these times, every farewell could be a final goodbye.

But she quickly composed herself, setting her emotions aside. She gathered her strength and leapt back to her group.

Strangely, after eating the meat, she felt a surge of energy coursing through her body.

It's probably just because I haven't had meat in so long...

She didn't overthink it.

A few minutes later, Teresa led her group of fewer than ten people out of the building and into the dense forest beyond.

James watched her through his Perception until she disappeared from view. Only then did he relax.

Back at home, James had Monroe Anne grill another 20 pounds of mutated frog meat. He took it downstairs and distributed it to the other survivors.

"Life's tough for everyone. Let me treat you all to some lamb skewers!"

The survivors were ecstatic.

Most of them had been surviving on disgusting, cheap greens or even Andrew's so-called "premium edible wild plants," which tasted awful.

Finally tasting proper meat brought tears of joy to their eyes.

Everyone eagerly devoured their portions, except for a few cautious individuals who hesitated to eat right away.

James Lone, being this generous?

Once they saw the others eating without any adverse effects, they couldn't hold back anymore. The aroma of the BBQ was far too enticing.

Besides, the others were glaring at their skewers like ravenous wolves. If James hadn't been standing there, someone might have tried to steal their portions.

Forced to act quickly, they scarfed down their meat.

Satisfied that everyone had eaten, James finally left.

Testing on just Teresa Taylor wasn't enough. What if she was an exception?

The sample size had to be large enough to ensure safety. Only when everyone showed no signs of poisoning would James consider eating the mutated frog meat himself.

James found an empty room, phased through the wall, and opened a portal to his subspace.

"New York Film Academy... here we go!"

He casually picked a landing point.

Emerging from the portal, he found himself a bit off-target, about 100 meters away from the academy in the commercial district of a nearby residential area.

The street was lined with shops, now overrun by layers of plants. Only the shop signs were faintly visible:

Happiness Flower ShopOne Cut to the Heart Hair SalonHome Goods SupermarketLittle Bear Pet Grooming

Suddenly, James stopped in his tracks.

In his Perception, a dazzling white fox was peeking at him from inside the pet grooming shop, its body radiating light.

James immediately grew alert.

The white fox was no larger than a regular pet fox. However, its brightness was only slightly weaker than that of the mutated frog he had fought earlier. Inside its body, a blue-glowing "ginger" emanated energy.

Its eyes also glowed faintly blue, as it used some kind of ocular ability to observe James through the dense purple mist.

James pretended not to notice and continued walking forward casually, though he kept a sharp focus on the fox with his Perception.

The fox didn't attack. Instead, it turned and disappeared into a hole in the wall.

James sighed in relief and phased underground, making his way toward the New York Film Academy.