James Lone soon arrived at what appeared to be a countryside retreat, now overgrown with thick vegetation. The remnants of outdoor tables and barbecue grills hinted at the area's former purpose, but the rest was hidden beneath layers of wild growth.

Past the retreat's main area, a large factory loomed in the background, partially visible through the foliage.

As James Lone entered the grounds, a bizarre-looking insect lunged at his calf. Its sharp mandibles passed cleanly through his leg, biting only air.

Confused, the insect retreated into the leaves, instinctively hiding once again.

James Lone didn't bother with the insignificant creature and continued forward. His Perception painted a vivid mental image of his surroundings. The ground was teeming with various insects and critters of all shapes and sizes, but none of them were worth his attention. Unless a mutated creature posed a significant threat or had special abilities, James Lone simply ignored it.

As he approached the factory, he saw the people inside through his perception field.

There were six survivors in total, but what caught his attention was that two of them were ability users.

It wasn't unusual to find ability users among survivor groups—without abilities, surviving in this new world was nearly impossible. But for two out of six people to have abilities? That was a disproportionately high number.

The six survivors were clustered in a series of rooms deep within the factory. At the opposite end of the structure was an indoor parking area, filled with dozens of heavily modified vehicles.

James Lone couldn't hide his excitement. "Jackpot," he muttered as he sank into the ground.

He had no intention of causing trouble. All he wanted was the vehicles. If he could take them quietly, all the better.

Emerging silently in the parking lot's underground level, James Lone immediately noticed the unusually thick walls surrounding the area. "This is definitely the work of an ability user," he thought.

In the factory, Linkon and Lancy George were busy tinkering with a portable diesel generator. The device, shaped like a compact suitcase, was a plaything one of their wealthy clients had purchased for outdoor adventures. Now, it was a critical source of electricity for the group.

Lancy, dressed in practical coveralls with her hair tied back in a neat ponytail, inspected the machine with a wrench in hand. Unlike most women, she had a passion for mechanics and engineering—an interest that had led her to open this modification workshop in the first place.

"Wait," Linkon said suddenly, his expression turning serious. "Someone's here."

He turned his gaze toward the parking area, his vision seemingly piercing through the walls. Sure enough, he saw a man wandering among the vehicles, though his intentions were unclear.

The man's body was coated with an almost imperceptible layer of invisible dust, particles that Linkon's ability allowed him to spread throughout the area. Anyone passing through the dust was immediately seen by him, their location and movements fully exposed.

Grabbing his modified nail gun, Linkon said, "I'll handle it."

"Be careful," Lancy said, though her tone lacked concern.

In her mind, Linkon's ability made him nearly invincible in the Purple Mist. He could observe his target from a distance without being seen and strike them down before they even knew he was there. Combined with his long-range weapon, Linkon had eliminated many would-be threats in the past.

"I'll be fine," Linkon replied confidently. "If he's useful, I'll bring him in. If not, I'll send him packing. You four, come with me."

The four ordinary survivors—two men and two women in their 50s—grumbled quietly. They hated these encounters. Anyone brave (or foolish) enough to wander outside in this world was rarely someone to be trifled with.

Still, they had no choice but to obey. Linkon's word was law here.

Reluctantly, they grabbed makeshift weapons and followed Linkon toward the parking lot.

James Lone stood in the parking area, marveling at the rows of modified vehicles.

There were Hummers, Jeep Wranglers, G-Wagons, and even an over-the-top off-road RV. One particular Jeep had been fitted with comically oversized wheels, each nearly 1.5 meters tall. The RV, built on a MAN heavy-duty truck chassis, had similarly massive tires and a raised suspension, making it over five meters tall.

"These must've cost a fortune," James Lone thought, grinning. "Well, they're mine now."

As he prepared to store the vehicles in his dimensional space, his Perception alerted him to movement.

A group of five—one ability user and four ordinary survivors—was approaching. The ability user was lingering behind a wall, carefully observing him. James Lone immediately understood the nature of the threat.

"This guy isn't just hearing me—he can see me through walls. That's his ability," James Lone realized.

His expression darkened. This was bad.

For James Lone, his greatest advantage in the Purple Mist was his ability to see others while remaining unseen himself. If this ability user could do the same, it posed a significant threat.

Moreover, with this person monitoring him, James Lone couldn't freely use his dimensional storage to take the vehicles. He never revealed his abilities unnecessarily, especially not to strangers.

There was only one solution.

"I need to kill him," James Lone decided coldly.

He turned slightly, feigning ignorance as he called out, "I know you're there. Why are you hiding? Come out!"

Linkon stiffened, caught off guard. How did the stranger know? But then he noticed something: the man wasn't looking in the right direction.

"He must've heard us," Linkon thought, smirking. "But he doesn't actually know where we are."

Feigning bravado, Linkon shouted back, "This is my territory! Leave, or else!"

All the while, he crept into a better position, raising his nail gun. Once he had a clear shot, he'd end this quickly.

But before he could pull the trigger, James Lone moved.

Blood Burst: 500%. Ghostly Mobility. Gravitational Warp.

James Lone's body launched forward with explosive force, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The ground shook as he landed in front of Linkon, whose eyes widened in shock.

Before he could react, James Lone grabbed him by the hair with one hand. In the other, a shimmering silver greatsword materialized out of thin air.

Slash!

Linkon's head hit the ground before he even had a chance to scream.

For James Lone, there was no such thing as overkill. He didn't know the full extent of Linkon's abilities and had no intention of taking chances.

The remaining four survivors froze in terror, their weapons slipping from their hands as they stared at James Lone.

He turned to them, his expression calm but icy.

"Run," he said simply.

Without hesitation, they fled.

Satisfied, James Lone turned back to the parking lot. It was time to collect his prize.