With the combined effects of his perception and Light of the Mind, James Lone quickly assessed the situation of his potential adversaries.

This group of 20 to 30 people included six ability users. The man in iron armor leading them had the brightest aura, possessing three abilities. Aside from the obvious iron armor on his exterior, another ability seemed related to physique and endurance, and the third was unknown to James Lone.

Next was the middle-aged man sitting on the metal platform.

This man surprisingly had four abilities! His willpower bubble was nearly as strong as Olivia Brooks's, indicating he also had a willpower-related ability. Besides that, he had two other ability clusters that James Lone couldn't identify. The last ability was one James Lone recognized well: Physique Enhancement!

James Lone frowned slightly. "It seems Physique Enhancement fruits grow more frequently; I've seen three already."

Apart from these two, the female officer towing the string of metal platforms stood out. Though her glow wasn't as bright, her willpower bubble was notably stronger than an average person's.

Another willpower-related ability user?

James Lone found it odd. Were willpower-related abilities appearing too frequently?

In addition to the willpower ability, the female officer visibly had the ability to levitate a chain of metal platforms.

"Probably a gravity-controlling ability," James Lone analyzed quietly.

The officer managed to tow over a dozen floating metal platforms effortlessly, which were transporting heavy materials and personnel—a logistics genius.

Of course, it paled in comparison to James Lone's personal space ability.

The other three ability users were ordinary soldiers. Their glow was moderate, and their abilities varied, suggesting none of them had particularly strong powers.

At that moment, James Lone sensed a fleeting red glow within 50 meters, rapidly appearing and then vanishing.

Startled, James Lone quickly focused on it, discovering it was a massive bat.

The bat's glow was incredibly dim and constantly shifted, blending seamlessly with the background, making it nearly invisible unless scrutinized carefully.

This was James Lone's first time encountering an ability that could elude his perception!

Not until the bat was within 20 meters did it become completely visible in his perception range.

James Lone remained on high alert. So, perception wasn't infallible!

The bat flew in through a broken window, transforming into a soldier upon landing—another ability user!

This wasn't good!

The squad was too strong!

Their configuration was comprehensive, with scouts, support, main attackers, and a group of soldiers providing backup.

James Lone decided it wasn't worth the risk. He quickly put away his table, phased his body, and sank underground.

He descended to a depth of about 30 meters from the surface, silently observing the squad.

If they were just passing through, James Lone would let them be. If they intended to ascend the New York Pearl Tower, James Lone would consider taking action.

The bat man inspected the room, soon noticing marks left by table legs on the floor.

He sniffed the air, catching the lingering scent of roasted meat—James Lone's meal of mutant frog.

The bat man immediately became cautious. "Someone was here recently!"

He quickly reported through his earpiece: "Report! Survivor tracks detected!"

Edgar Hughes immediately raised his fist, signaling everyone to be on guard: "Full alert! Four of you, assist Big Eyes in checking around!"

"Yes!" Four soldiers left the group, delving into the dense violet mist.

The surroundings returned to silence, with only the incessant sound of insects.

The group kept Hector William and Jashen Gonzales at the center, as the atmosphere grew tense.

The violet mist surrounding them seemed to conceal endless dangers.

Encountering survivors was not always a good thing.

Jashen Gonzales felt anxious as well. His ability was immensely powerful among the group. But against hidden enemies, he might not fare as well. He could be ambushed and eliminated with no chance to react.

Fortunately, a report came back soon from Henry: "Report! All clear! All rooms checked, the survivor has left!"

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Edgar Hughes led them confidently into the abandoned foyer of the New York Pearl Tower. Plants sprouted from the ground everywhere.

Two soldiers stood guard at the door, guiding the group to the room where James Lone had been.

Edgar Hughes examined the traces on the floor, calmly stating: "The survivor has already left. Form groups for guard duty. The rest, take 15 minutes to rest and recover before we head up!"

Inside a relatively safer room, the group felt much more at ease.

In an indoor environment, as long as windows and doors were secured, safety was assured. Contrasting starkly with the outdoors, where enemies or mutant creatures could appear from any direction.

One soldier began using an ability to heal the wounded. A scratch from the bushes marred the cheek of one person accompanying Jashen Gonzales. Another soldier was in worse shape, having suffered a bite on his calf from a cockroach as big as a shoe sole—the wound was fouling.

Grimacing in pain, he nervously asked: "Medic Carter, can you fix this?"

The ability user medic, Alex Carter, examined the injury and reassuringly said: "No worries, it's not poisoned."

The soldier relaxed immediately.

Alex Carter took out a bottle of alcohol to clean the wound and a few anti-inflammatory pills placed in his palm.

A flash of light followed.

The alcohol and pills emitted a greenish glow. Their effects were amplified severalfold, sufficient for these superficial injuries.

After treating the two wounded, the atmosphere in the group relaxed considerably.

This squad had managed to traverse the dense forest without casualties, thanks in large part to ability user medic Alex Carter.

Of course, Sofie Barnes's ability to transport resources was crucial too. No matter how strong Alex Carter's ability was, he relied on Sofie Barnes to carry large quantities of supplies.

Then there was Henry, responsible for reconnaissance—using the bat's ultrasonic detection ability to preemptively identify threats and safeguard the team.

Edgar Hughes was the core, resolving any unsolvable threats with brute force.

For regular survivors, the woods teemed with danger. For this well-balanced squad of ability users, it merely posed some risks and fatigue.

To date, mutant creatures and survivors had posed less threat than the vision-obscuring violet mist.

Jashen Gonzales began delivering another clichéd speech: "Comrades! Brothers! We've reached the New York Pearl Tower. Today's mission has been smooth, yet previous actions revealed some issues. Let me emphasize crucial points: firstly, we must enhance communication and unify our thoughts..."

With renewed motivation, the squad felt confident about accomplishing their mission.

Concerns over the previously detected survivor traces evaporated. "With such a strong team and excellent leadership, what challenge can't we overcome!" "Under Director Gonzales's leadership, we can defeat any enemy!"