James Lone gazed at the beautiful women before him, filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Shirley Inr Won, Monroe Anne, Lily Green, and Lydia Johnson—all from the Sunshine Garden Towers.

Lulia Smith and Winnie Morgan were rescued from the New York Film Academy.

Sofie Barnes and Tailsa Evans were from the TV station base.

Elsa Thomas, April Jones, and Sita King had been rescued from outside.

Altogether, there were 11 women here.

Outside, there was Teresa Taylor, still at the TV station base.

Including Anna Karenina Wont and Olivia Brooks, whom he had killed, there were a total of 14 women.

Before the apocalypse, each of these women was an eye-catching beauty.

For an ordinary man to win over even one would've been a blessing.

Now...

They all belonged to him.

James Lone smiled faintly and said, "We'll soon be heading to the National Guard base. The journey will be dangerous. Regardless of the abilities you have now, I'll give each of you three ability fruits: one Body Enhancement Fruit to increase your physical strength, one Perception Fruit to help you identify enemies and allies, and one Phase-Through Fruit for emergency escapes."

The women were overjoyed.

Even the newly arrived Sita King was stunned. "Are ability fruits really so cheap?"

Sofie Barnes sighed and said, "Cheap? Not at all. Back at the TV station base, there were over 5,000 survivors at its peak, and the warehouse rarely had more than 2 or 3 ability fruits. To get one, you had to risk your life and earn massive credit with the base."

Shirley Inr Won said proudly, "Ability fruits aren't cheap—it's just that they're not worth much to Master."

Sita King gaped in shock.

A base of 5,000 people only had 2 or 3 fruits, and James Lone was about to hand out dozens at once?

Where did he get so many?

She glanced at the other women, hoping for answers.

The women who had been with James Lone longer wore expressions of pride.

Even the newer arrivals, like Tailsa Evans and Sofie Barnes, looked at him with admiration.

It was clear that James Lone possessing so many ability fruits was a fact. No matter how he got them, it was a testament to his power.

Just like in peacetime, women wouldn't question how a wealthy man earned his money. It was enough that he was rich.

Could he really have that many fruits?

Sita King looked at James Lone incredulously.

Without explanation, James Lone directly pulled out 11 2-star Body Enhancement Fruits.

"Here, one for each of you. Eat it now."

They needed to consume the Body Enhancement Fruits first, as several women had already reached the limit of three abilities.

Enhancing their physical bodies would allow them to bear more abilities.

Shirley Inr Won took the fruits and distributed them.

[Ding! Shirley Inr Won consumed a Body Enhancement Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Monroe Anne consumed a Body Enhancement Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Sita King consumed a Body Enhancement Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Tailsa Evans consumed a Body Enhancement Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.]

...

Other than Lily Green, who had already consumed a 2-star Body Enhancement Fruit, all the women felt their bodies grow stronger. Their skin excreted black, dirty substances, making the room smell unpleasant.

Although Lily Green didn't level up, she didn't complain, knowing James Lone was being fair.

"Ew, it stinks!" "I need a shower!" "Wow! I can lift the fridge now! I'm a superhero!"

The women laughed and chatted happily.

Sita King, trying an ability fruit for the first time, stared at her hands in disbelief. "So this is the effect of an ability fruit... It's incredible..."

James Lone glanced at her. She was just a plain green Ginger Type, nothing special.

He clapped his hands and said, "Hold off on the shower for now. Let's keep going."

James Lone then pulled out 11 Perception Fruits.

Most of the women already had perception abilities, but a few didn't.

To keep things simple, he gave one to each of them.

This also served to replenish his stock.

This time, Monroe Anne took over the task of distributing the fruits, leaving Shirley Inr Won pouting in frustration.

[Ding! Shirley Inr Won consumed a Perception Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Lily Green consumed a Perception Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Sita King consumed a Perception Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.] [Ding! Tailsa Evans consumed a Perception Fruit and received 1,400 additional fruits! They have been stored in your inventory.]

...

The women consumed the Perception Fruits.

This time, there was a surprise.

Shirley Inr Won, who already had a 2-star perception ability, exclaimed, "Huh? I can see farther now—I can see into the next 3 or 4 rooms! I can even see light clusters inside your bodies!"

James Lone was surprised.

This was a 3-star perception ability—able to detect up to 15 meters and even see the energy nodes inside people.

Shirley Inr Won was the first to reach 2-star perception and now the first to reach 3-star.

She had only consumed a few Perception Fruits and already advanced to 3-star?

Could she be especially suited for perception-based abilities?

James Lone thought about how he was particularly suited for willpower-based abilities and gained insight.

It seemed he could develop each woman in a specialized direction for maximum efficiency.

The other women were envious.

None of them had leveled up even once, while Shirley Inr Won had leveled up twice!

A perception range of 3–4 rooms was incredibly useful in the apocalypse—a divine ability, really.

The women secretly resolved to serve James Lone even better to earn more Perception Fruits!

Monroe Anne, gritting her teeth, muttered to herself, "Tonight, I'm going to Master's room—I want to level up too!"

At the same time, the women began to realize just how powerful James Lone must be.

If Shirley Inr Won's perception was this impressive after leveling up twice, how powerful must James Lone's abilities be, considering he consumed ability fruits like snacks?

The women were both shocked and relieved.

Following a man as strong as James Lone would give them the best chance of survival in the apocalypse.

And he wasn't stingy. Outside, ability fruits were worth their weight in gold, but James Lone handed them out like candy.

They knew they had made the right choice.

Their loyalty to James Lone reached new heights.

Even the newly arrived Sita King began to feel a special kind of admiration for him.

In any era—peaceful or apocalyptic—a capable man always captured a woman's heart.

James Lone thought to himself, "No more Perception Fruits for Shirley Inr Won for now. A few more, and her perception ability might surpass mine. If an unknown effect appears, it could be dangerous."

James Lone's rule for granting abilities to the women was simple—he had to remain in control.

There was no way he would let any woman surpass him in power.

This was the apocalypse. As long as he remained stronger, the women would stay obedient.

If he ever lost that control, who knew what these women might do?

James Lone, though kind on the surface, was always calculating in his heart.

The betrayal of his ex-girlfriend, Anna Karenina Wont, had left an indelible mark on him.

A woman's ruthlessness could be terrifyingly cold.

He would never give any woman the opportunity to turn on him.

Without saying much, James Lone smiled and distributed the third batch of Phase-Through Fruits.