Jet used to stay home as the house guard and only on rare occasions did Caroline bring him along. But now that they had the mobile base, their home was secure. He didn't need to stand watch anymore. She had been planning to start taking Jet out more often so he could learn to scout. But this trip would involve a lot of ground to cover and possibly running into many ability users. She was worried the little guy couldn't handle it. Especially since he'd gotten chubby from staying home. Whenever he flew, his round belly puffed out, and with that silly sprout of feathers on his head, he looked less like a smart bird and more like a delicious one. But since he sneaked out on his own today... Fine. This would be the start of Jet's training to lose weight. Jet chirped happily twice. Raven immediately slapped him out of the air. Raven bared his teeth at him. Rule number one outside: stay quiet. Are you asking to get smacked, you fat bird? Jet froze and clamped his wings around his beak. He looked guilty and whispered, "Human, I'm sorry... I just got too excited. I haven't been out in a while..." Caroline tapped his little head. "Speak less. Best not to talk at all. When you fly, be careful. Don't hover in one spot. Don't fly in straight lines. Don't let anyone guess your pattern. You're our eyes. Scout ahead, but never too far. Your limit is 150 yards. Now go." Jet puffed out his tiny chest and flew ahead. Caroline patted Raven. "Off we go." Raven shot forward immediately. Caroline planned to spend two or three days sweeping every nearby mall for jewelry and gems to upgrade the storage space. Judging by the energy bar inside the system... This mission was going to be heavy. As usual, she hid her trail, let Jet scout, and used both Raven and a car to travel fast. After covering more than ten miles and staying far from home—no eating grass near the den—she began her proper search. The heat had grown brutal. Caroline put on the thermal suit from the storage space. It actually felt even better in great heat than during the deep freeze.Even after walking in full sunlight, she didn't feel dizzy or short of breath. What surprised Caroline the most were Raven and Jet. By all logic, Raven should have been struggling. Thick fur, blazing heat, dogs prone to overheating... It should have been a problem. But somehow, in this scorching weather, Raven was thriving. Even after sprinting at full speed, he didn't show a single sign of discomfort. Caroline even checked his paws, worried the burning-hot ground might have scorched them. But Raven's pads were perfectly fine. Not a mark, not even a hint of redness. And Jet kept scouting ahead, circling back over and over to report to Caroline and Raven. By the time she added it up, the miles Jet spent flying under the sun were nearly double the distance they were actually traveling on foot. But he said he only felt a bit warm, and the heat made flying feel energetic and refreshing. Mutated animals clearly adapted better than humans. Soon, they reached the first mall. After Jet checked the surroundings, Caroline and Raven went inside. Like most malls before the apocalypse, the first floor was full of jewelry stores. The acid rain had flooded the lower level earlier, but that preserved many of the gold, silver, crystal, and gemstones. After the great heat hit, people cared only about food and water. All the jewelry and gems that used to be chased after before the world fell apart were now completely ignored. Caroline swept the entire floor into her storage space without hesitation. Many accessories had been washed loose by the acid rain and were scattered across the ground. Some pieces were slightly corroded, but that didn't matter. Caroline even saw a few jewelry shops that had been looted, their shelves emptied and glass smashed everywhere. She circled the floor once and felt disappointed. Lots of gold and silver, but not many gems good enough to upgrade the storage space.Most of the jade here was low grade and barely boosted the system. She glanced at the price tags and almost choked. Bracelets worth maybe 2,000 on the actual market were priced at 50,000 to 60,000 dollars here. What a scam.