First, before leaving Vegas, we decided to do as much shopping online as possible, only buying what was absolutely necessary in person. To start, the three of us scoured Vegas, bought every reloadable credit card we could find, and maxed them out until we had a million dolrs i. The down at the puters and started . I had to help Al with some shopping sites; he was okay with phones but still got a bit fused with puters. He got the hang of it, eventually.

  Because some orders came from overseas, we had to stay in Vegas for another week until everything arrived, even with express delivery. I didn’t want huge orders piling up at the hotel, so I rented a warehouse for the week, and we scheduled rotations to stay there and receive shipments—with the necessary jured dots, of course. We ordered most of the tools we needed, books, craft supplies, musid movies, which we downloaded directly to a crystalline disk, fabrics for the boat and the balloon, spare parts for all our toys, and much more.

  We went all out with our metal wire order, ensuring we had every thiess and type. Mahya also insisted on buying ingots of every metal avaible oh in rge quantities. So, we ordered aluminum, iron, steel, copper, broitanium, silver, gold, nickel, ptinum, tungsten, zinc, magnesium, cobalt, lead, paldium, rhodium, , mangain, vanadium, beryllium, hafnium, iridium, osmium, ruthenium, sdium, tantalum, and niobium.

  I didn’t even know what half of them were, but Mahya was adamant we hem all, and I had long since learned not tue.

  We ordered five million paintballs with extra guns, all the photography supplies I needed, office supplies, part from wherever we could find it, and all their iory. We also bought out-of-circution s by weight from Etsy, eBay, and Amazon. The s aloaled around one and a half tons in hundreds of separate shipments.

  After deleting all the online shopping from our inal list, it looked more manageable. The only things left on the list were items we wao buy personally, such as clothes and shoes, most heavy equipment, like furniture and work surfaces, ons, tires, and alcohol.

  , we raided the stores in Vegas and bought another sizeable k of the list, includiying five liquor stores, and I bought a massive stock of coffee. Before leavih for the first time, I bought a lot of coffee, thinking it would st me for years. But with Lis at the beginning and then as the group grew, everyone discovered that coffee was great, and my stock dropped to less than five pert of the inal purchase. This time, I bought coffee online and in person, aiming to stock up on enough coffee to st five people for a hundred years. I also made a mental o buy more coffee wherever we stopped on the way to ada.

  You ever have too much coffee.

  We discovered two uling facts as we delved into the whirlwind of shopping and research. The first was a real bummer: there were some truly incredible pieces of armor on the market. Gear that could probably stop a onball—or at least looked the part—but we couldn’t eve close to buying it. Turns out, you o be military or w enfort to access that tier of prote. Not even jured dots, which had worked wonders for us in the past, could crack that code. It wasn’t just a dead end; it was a reinforced crete wall.

  The sed revetion ected the dots of a story I’d only half-heard years ago. Ba 2026, after the sed pandemic hit and the riots that followed turned parts of the U.S. into chaos zones, gun ws in the try underwent a seismic shift. I’d overheard murmurs about it while in London—some newscaster droning on in the background—but it hadn’t felt relevant at the time. Now, it was front aer, staring me down. A few states still g to their looser firearm ws, but they were on the far side of the try, entirely out of our way.

  By 2029, those ges in U.S. policy had rippled outwards, prompting the introdu of iional firearm regutions. The result? Buying anything firearm-reted online had bee a pipe dream. Ammo, parts, accessories—it was all locked behind an imperable s of red tape. You could scour the i all you wanted, but unless you were willing to jump through legal hoops the size of the moon, you’d e up empty-handed every time. For us, with our journey already mapped and time pressing down like a weight, this was just another avenue firmly closed.

  We had seventy-funs in our stash, and Mahya insisted we least half a million rounds to feel fortable. I couldn’t bme her, but after hours of sc the i and ing up short, it became clear that assembling that kind of stockpile would be impossible. So, I suggested something that I knew would rattle her: ditch the guns and focus on handguns. They were slightly easier to buy in the U.S. sihe ws were a bit more rexed, and the ammo was more accessible. Plus, we could still use jured dots to get around some of the red tape.

  Mahya’s rea was immediate. She froze, staring at me like I’d suggested burning her entire colle. Then, without saying a word, she picked up one rifle and started stroking it, whispering softly to it like a mother soothing a distressed child. She was trembling. This went on for a solid two minutes before she finally calmed down, still cradling the gun as if it had feelings. Needless to say, the idea of letting go of her babies wouldn’t fly anytime soon.

  She turned puppy-dog eyes on me, her lower lip stig out just a little, and said, “You’ve got that Luck trait. I’m sure you find some.” Her voice was soft, pleading, the kind of tohat always hit me in the ot. She knew what she was doing, and I hated how well it worked.

  I leaned against the hood of the jeep, folding my arms. “e on, Mahya. You know this is a long shot. We’re talking about half a million rounds—ammo isn’t just sitting around in bulk for ao grab. Even if I find some, there’s a ton of risk. We’re already pushing it.” I tried to sound firm, but even I didn’t fully believe it.

  She kept staring at me, eyes wide, brimming with hope. I looked away, trying to steel myself, but damn it, Mahya had a way of making me give in. She didn’t o say anything else; I could already feel my resolve slipping. The sileretched between us, and I could almost hear the gears turning in my head, weighing the risk against the iable, relut ‘yes’ that was ing.

  I let out a long, drawn-out sigh, rubbing the bay neck. “Alright, alright... But I’m not happy about this. You owe me big time for this one.”

  Mahya’s face lit up instantly, like I’d just told her Christmas came early. “Thank you!” she squealed, and I could hear the relief in her voice. I waved her off before she could make it worse by hugging me or something.

  With another resigned sigh, I climbed into the jeep and smmed the door. “Let’s get this over with,” I muttered to myself, already regretting the decision as I activated my Luck. The familiar pull in my gut immediately kicked in, pointing me in a dire, and I followed it, knowing full well that it was leading me somewhere I wouldn’t like.

  The drive stretched on for over an hour, with the sun dipping lower as I passed the city limits. As the instinctual pull led me toward the outskirts of Vegas, the roads grew quieter, and the buildings became more spaced out until I eventually reached my destination.

  The warehouse stood like a fortress in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by desert and dust. It was rge, bigger than any regur ste facility. What really caught my attention, though, were the guards. They were everywhere—dozens of them, maybe more—patrolling the perimeter with military precision. They all carried what looked like top-grade ons, but it wasn’t just the hardware that made them stand out. Tattoos covered all of them, and they were practically dripping with gold jewelry. s, rings, bracelets—each looked more like gahan your typical hired security.

  I pulled the jeep to a stop a good distance away and cut the engine. From here, I could see the guards enough to know this wasn’t just some casual warehouse operation. These guys were serious, and if Luck had led me here, it probably would not be easy getting out.

  “Fantastic,” I muttered, my eyes sing the se, knowing I was about to dive headfirst into trouble.

  I doubted jured dots would help, so I sat there thinking of a solution. My first thought was to use Spellbinding, but the only time I used it made me feel so dirty and slimy that I didn’t want to repeat the experience. I wasn’t a saint—after all, I didn’t hesitate to “milk” Caesar’s o, nor did I feel bad about robbing my in-ws—but taking aerson’s power of choid mentally trolling someo wrong.

  After some hesitation and deliberation, I decided to go inside while invisible. Taking a deep breath, I cast the invisibility spell and slipped out of the jeep. Moving silently, I approached the warehouse, carefully avoiding the guards patrolling the perimeter. Their footsteps echoed in the quiet night, but I glided past them, raising no suspi.

  Reag the warehouse door, I examihe security system. It was a heavy-duty eleic system, but nothing I couldn’t handle. A eling of mana into the system, and the door clicked open. I slipped inside, and the door closed softly behind me.

  The warehouse was dimly lit and filled with rows of pallets, crates, and shelves stacked high with supplies. The air was thick with dust and the faint st of oil. I moved cautiously, aware that any noise could give me away. My Luck was still active, guiding me deeper into the building.

  As I navigated through the maze, I noticed a staircase leading down. Bingo. The feeling grew stronger, almost tuggiowards it. I desded the steps, careful to keep my footsteps light and inaudible.

  The underground part of the warehouse was even more impressive. Shelves lihe walls with ons, ammunition, and various equipment. My eyes wide the sight—this was an arsenal. My Luck tugged me to crates marked with the distinctive beling of M4 carbine ammunition, which recisely what Mahya wanted.

  Still invisible, I moved toward the crates, cheg for any signs of an arm or other security measures. There were hat I could see at first gnce, but I couldn’t afford to be careless.

  I quickly stored all the boxes. Then, out of habit more than anything, I pulled out a stack of ten thousand dolrs and pced it on the shelf where the boxes had been.

  As I walked toward the exit, my steps slowed, and I stopped in the vast space. Surrounded by crates of ammunition, I gnced back at the pce I’d just cleared out. A nagging thought crept in. Mahya. I could picture her face right now, eyebrows raised, lips pressed into that thin line, a look that said, “Really? You were in a massive armory and didn’t bring me anything?” She’d never five me for that.

  I groaned and turned back, sing the area. Maybe I could grab her a couple of extra toys—just to avoid that wrath.

  But curiosity got the better of me as I moved closer to one of the rger crates. I cracked open a box, my hands w fast but carefully. Inside, I found what looked like standard pag—stamunitioly lined up. But somethi off. I sifted through the top yer, pulling aside the bullets, and that’s when I saw it: packages. Not just any packages—ed tight, with no bels. I tore one open with a pocketknife. Sure enough, I discovered it was filled with white powder. Drugs.

  A sinking feeliled in my gut, quickly repced by a kind of bitter amusement. Of course, it wasn’t just a warehouse full of bullets. This was a full-blown criminal operation. A smuggling ring, maybe worse. The guards, the tattoos, the gold s. It all clicked into po wohe security was so tight. They weren’t just proteg ammo; they were running drugs too.

  I couldn’t help but smirk. Suddenly, I felt a lot better about what I was doing here. Sure, I might’ve been sneaking around, grabbing things that didn’t teically belong to me, but robbing a bunch of criminals? That was different. That didn’t sting the searly as much. If anything, I was doing the world a favht?

  Sighing again, I deployed my mana sense, walking up and down the rows and st all the iory in the warehouse, including my ten thousand. The process was nerve-wrag, each sed stretg as I listened for any sound of approag guards. After the underground part was empty, I went back up to the ground floor aed the operation. I didn’t know what was in all the boxes and crates, but I was sure Mahya would approve.

  The tension was almost unbearable. Every creak of the floor, every distant shout from outside made my heart race. My Luck was holding steady, but even I k could only stretch so far before it snapped. Finally, after what felt like ay, the warehouse looked like ay space for rent, pletely cleared out. I’d even taken the shelves—after all, I needed something to store all the boxes on once I got back. In fact, I had te my Ste twice just to fit everything.

  To leave some sembnce of honor, I pced five huhousand dolrs in cash in a big backpack, pced the backpa the ter of the space, and crept out. Maybe they were criminals, but I o feel okay with myself.

  The guards outside were still patrolling, oblivious to the heist happening right uheir noses. I held my breath, moving silently, my invisibility spell still in pce. Reag the door, I slipped through and made my way back to the jeep. The adrenaline coursed through my veins, making every step feel like I was walking on air.

  Ba the jeep, I deactivated my invisibility and allowed myself a slight grin. Mission aplished. It was time to return and show Mahya what I’d found.

  I called Al and Mahya and told them to e to the warehouse. When I told them about my “heist,” They ughed and called me a Looter Extraordinaire.

  Yay me!

  It took us two days to gh the whole tent, and oh boy, it was a doozy:

  SpoilerFrom the Underground Space:

  Boxes of rounds of M4 carbine ammunitionBoxes of rounds of 9mm handgun ammunitionBoxes of rounds of .50 caliber sniper rifle ammunitionSeveral cases of shotgun shells (12 gauge)Boxes of hollow-point bullets for various calibersHundreds of rounds of .45 ACP ammunitionCases of .223 Remington ammunitionAssorted exotic ammunition (tracer rounds, indiary rounds)Dozens of Glock 19 handgunsMultiple AK-47 riflesSeveral Remington 870 shotgunsA few Barrett M82 sniper riflesA crate of SIG Sauer P320 handgunsUzi submae gu Eagle pistolsSeveral AR-15 riflesCases of C4 pstic explosivesSeveral crates mentation grenadesA few boxes of smoke grenadesFshbang greick grenadesinesImprovised explosive devices (IEDs)Bulletproof vests and tactical body armorKevr helmetsNight vision gogglesTactical gloves and bootsunication radiosTactical belts and holstersGas masksRiot shieldsSuppressors (silencers) for various firearmsRed dot sights and scopesTactical fshlights and ser sightsExtended magazinesBipods and gripsBayosMuzzle brakes and pensatun ing kitsSpare parts for firearms (springs, firing pic.)on lubrits and solventsToolkits for disassembling and repairing onsArmor repair kitsEleic repair kitsTwo crates with bundles of cash (various denominations) totaling 615, 954A few small crates taining gold bars and silver ingotsA big bag of precious gems and jewelryRare s and stampsAntique firearms and collectiblesFake passports and identification dotsLaptops and encrypted hard drivesBurner phones and SIM cardsSurveilnce equipmentDrones ae-trol devicesHag tools and softwareMultiple kilos of coeBoxes of methamphetamineSeveral crates of marijuanaBottles of prescription pillsA lot of heroiasy tabletsLSD blottersSpare tires and vehicle partsFuel istersGPS trag devicesToolkits for vehicle repairMotorcycles and ATV parts for over thirty different models and makesJet skisDismantled engines

  From the Ground Floor:

  Boxes of assorted sex toysAdult DVDs and magaziish gear and bondage equipmentInftable dollsErotiesA pallet of sex lubeA pallet of Trojan s in various sizesA crate of fidget spinnersy gag giftsCases of rubber chisHigh-end kit appliancesDesigner clothing and accessoriesLuxury watches and handbagsCrates of vintage wineHigh-eronics (TVs, game soles)Rare ic books and memorabiliaCases of imported champagneBulk packages of energy drinksProtein bars and supplemeic spices and dry cooking ingredientsHigh-end coffee beansCigars and tobacco productsA crate of whoopee cushionsBoxes of fake mustaches and gssesHundreds of rubber duckiesInftable uni pool floatsLife-size cardboard cutouts of Elvis PresleyBoxes of y toilet paper with jokes printed on itA colle of garden gnomes in various outfitsAn assortment of kazoos and harmonicasA giant hamster wheel for humansA meical bullSeveral cases of prank dy that tasted terribleA crate of glow-in-the-dark paintLife-size dinosaur esA dozen mannequins dressed in 80s fashionBoxes of “World’s Best Boss” mugsInftable sumo wrestling suitsA colle of haunted house props (fake blood, skeletoc.)Several disco balls and party lightsA box of talking fish quesDozens of boxes of oversized y sungssesA giant inftable gorilA colle of rubber stamps with funny sayingsA set of velvet Elvis paintingsBoxes of fake dog poopSeveral crates of wind-up chatterihA box of y oversized foam fingersHundreds of pstic fmingosA crate of moon shoes (mini-trampolines for your feet)Several sets of y lise ptes (e.g., “I LUV MY CAT”)Three life-size replicas of a UFOA giant slingshot for ung water balloonsBoxes of “invisible ink” pensA crate of singing birthday cardsA colle of bobblehead dolls in bizarre outfitsSeveral crates of “grow-your-own” chia petsA colle of y beach towels with funny sayingsBoxes of y toilet paper that tell your fortuneA colle of garden gnomes in various states of existential crisisBoxes of “World’s Most Average Employee” trophiesA set of sandpaper Einstein sculpturesHundreds ami penguinsA colle of garden gnomes dressed as famous movie charactersLife-size dinosaur es with realistic r aA crate of singing birthday cards that op singingBoxes of smartphonesPallets of DVDs and CDsA crate of luxury watchesStacks of passports and IDsBoxes of stole cardsPallets of imported cigarettesCrates of softwareArtwork in secure packagingPallets of eleics (ptops, tablets, etc.)Pallets of pharmaceuticalsCar parts (airbags, catalytiverters, etc.)Boxes of booksPallets of designer clothingBoxes of industrial equipmentPallets of toysCrates of copper wirePallets of power toolsCrates of eticsBoxes of vintage winesPallets of video gamesCrates of bicycle partsBoxes of sports memorabiliaPallets of office suppliesPallets of auto partsCrates of stific equipmentPallets of designer sungssesCrates of perfumesPallets of softwareCrates of camera equipmentBoxes of sp goodsPallets of household appliancesA box of prescription padsBoxes of rare metalsPallets of safety equipmentCrates of industrial chemicalsPallets of puter posCrates of designer shoesPallets of imported alcoholCrates of struaterialsBoxes of designer belts and accessoriesPallets of art suppliesCrates of medical suppliesPallets of baby products—7 pallets of diapersCrates of automotive diagnostic equipmentCrates of eleic accessoriesPallets of textbooksCrates of industrial robotsPallets of designer fabricsCrates of military surplus gearBoxes of high-end audio equipmentPallets of home security systemsPallets of designer kitwareCrates of car accessoriesTwo pallets of ptes with the MGM Grand logoBoxes of beadsBnk wedding invitationsOrthopedieck pillowsVacuum ersA pallet with boxes of party decorations and balloonsA pallet with boxes of disposable tableware and cutleryBoxes of paper napkins that looked fancyA pallet of small bottles of shampoo, liquid soap, and body lotion with the Wynn Las Vegas logoHello Kitty pajamas in all sizesDinosaur bubble handheld bubble maesDisney McQueen Pixar cartoon slippersDang and talking cactus toysSmart trashs with a sensorA box of rare seedsPallets of surveilnce equipmentCrates of industrial molds and diesBoxes of sports equipmentPallets of designer light fixturesCrates of satellite phonesBoxes of vintage movie postersPallets of pet productsPallets of high-end camping gearBoxes of collectible a figuresPallets of Barbie dolls, barbie outfits, and housesBoxes of o chips for over ten os that looked real, totaling 378,520A pallet of Vegas showgirls’ outfits with a lot of feathersA crate of rubber chis wearing superhero esBoxes of inftable bananas and palm treesSeveral cases of glow-in-the-dark bubble wandsA colle of talking parrot toys that mimic everything they hearA giant inftable dinosaur with LED lightsA crate of voice-ging megaphonesHundreds of pstic fmingos dressed as various historical figuresA life-size mannequin dressed as a wizard with glowing eyesSeveral crates of edible glitter and glow-in-the-dark dyBoxes of edible body paintA giant inftable slide shaped like a dragonA colle of medieval knight armor replicasSeveral crates of prank spring-loaded snakes in a A box of holographic projector devicesA giant inftable uni e with sound effects[colpse]After we finished going through all the loot, we just sat there, stunned.

  I g Mahya, who had a wide grin, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Look at all these guns and ammunition!” she excimed, practically boung in her seat. “And the eleics! This is incredible! Half of it be broken down and used as parts fitech.” She reached out to touch a Barrett M82 sniper rifle, her fingers caressing the etal with a kind of reverence.

  Meanwhile, Al’s rea was something else entirely. He lifted a bag of coe and scruti. “This be a fantastigredient for potions.” He looked at me with aed glint in his eyes.

  I shifted unfortably, my stomach twisting in knots. The money I’d left behind didn’t even cover a tenth of what I took, and now the full weight of what I’d stumbled upon sank in. I had suspected it earlier, but the realization hit me like a punch to the gut. “I think I robbed a criminal anization,” I muttered, my voice thick with unease.

  Mahya, still giddy with excitement, barely noticed my tension. “This is the score of a lifetime,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “We’re set for a long time, guys.”

  I forced a smile, trying to shake off the lingering unease. “Yeah,” I mumbled, though my mind was still rag. “Set for a long time.”

  It was time to move on from Vegas, and fortunately, there were only two st deliveries left to handle. Ohose arrived, we ged mour, visited the os for which we had the chips, gambled a bit, and cashed everything out.

  I returhe rented Jeep, purchased our own, a the road. Vegas had been an adventure, but it was time to move on. On the drive out of the city, I thought about how much I loved my Lud trusted it not to have a backsh. But just in case, we all ged gmours and dots.

  It’s better to be on the safe side.