"The fire is out!"

James Lone's group finally reached the ground.

The twelve women, vibrant and lively, all donned matching field uniforms, sturdy mountain boots on their feet. Each one carried a close-range radio, a handgun, and a dagger, along with at least three unique abilities; they were armed to the teeth.

Wot, who lacked abilities, seemed to be the weakest link, perched anxiously on the back of a husky as it rolled its eyes.

Wot cast a terrified glance at the dog, fearing that the silly creature might accidentally bite him.

Sita cradled her white fox, Snowball.

April carried a cat backpack, inside which a black cat named Cola peeked out.

James Lone surveyed the women with a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Let's go. Stay close and don't get left behind."

"Yes, Master!" the women chimed sweetly in unison.

James pointed in a definite direction, leading the way.

As some survivors heading down towards the 910 base spotted the group of women, their jaws dropped in awe.

While those survivors were gaunt and starving, this group of women appeared healthy, beautiful, and well-kept! They even radiated the fresh scent of shampoo and perfume, clearly living quite well.

This spectacle sparked envy and jealousy among the onlookers, though none dared to take action against them—not even a hint of hostility showed.

Survivors who had managed to last this long weren't naïve. It was apparent that the women's well-being was a testament to the power of their protector.

Many survivors quietly trailed behind, gaining a small sense of security from following the well-armed group. However, James Lone noted the hostile red auras emanating from the survivors behind them.

He didn't worry. At this point in his strength, ordinary survivors could scarcely harm him, and he even allowed those with hostility to follow closely.

If danger struck, they would serve as the best meat shields for his group.

That said, the physical gap between both groups was too large. Even if James didn't push them away, the starving survivors couldn't keep pace with him.

James carved a path through the dense underbrush, carrying his women along for several hundred meters before reaching an unexpected clearing.

The thicket vanished suddenly, revealing a landscape littered with uprooted trees, some burnt to blackened husks.

The ground was pockmarked with deep craters, and after a day of torrential rain, murky puddles collected within those hollows.

The filthy water looked menacing, one could only wonder what mutated creatures might be lurking in its depths. James grimaced at the sight.

Making the weak survivors trek several kilometers along this treacherous pathway would be a gamble; even five of ten could consider themselves lucky if they survived such an ordeal...

"Good thing we don't have to walk," James reassured himself, scanning his surroundings with keen perception. Fortunately, the nearest survivors were over a hundred meters away—and just ordinary folks at that.

He promptly retrieved a tank, two off-road RVs, and a Hummer from his spatial storage.

The women sprang into action, efficiently connecting the three vehicles with multiple steel cables according to their plan.

The tank led the convoy, with the Hummer at the rear and the two RVs sandwiched in the middle.

Lancy and Shirley Inr Won took the lead in the tank, while Wot nestled in the back of the Hummer. James joined the remaining women in the two RVs.

Sofie pressed her palm against the RV's wall and activated her gravity distortion ability.

Through the cables, the weight of the four vehicles dropped by three-quarters.

After gauging her energy levels, Sofie reported, "I can probably maintain this for about an hour before needing a twenty-minute break."

James nodded. "No problem. There's no need to rush. Mixing in with the other survivors is our safest route."

He relayed orders through his mental link to the drivers of the four vehicles, "Let's move."

"Understood."

Lancy, brimming with excitement, rubbed her hands together and slammed her foot down on the gas pedal.

Driving a tank through New York City—such a wild thought! She had never imagined she'd be doing this even in peaceful times.

What a thrill! Not that it mattered whether she could drive...

After all, there were no traffic cops anymore; just had to avoid slamming into a building.

The tank's engine roared to life. As the thunderous roar erupted, the powerful machine smashed through every obstacle in its path, crushing the terrain under its weight.

The three other vehicles hummed to life, following closely behind.

With the aid of gravity distortion, the convoy glided effortlessly over the bumpy and obstacle-laden road.

Meanwhile, James kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, monitoring the path ahead. If they encountered particularly deep pits or steep slopes, he would use his Earth and Stone Transformation ability to smooth the terrain, allowing the convoy to pass through.

Their journey progressed smoothly, when...

The number of survivors along the road began to swell.

Among the crowd, Ling leaned on a makeshift wooden stick, laboriously hauling her only supply of food over the uneven ground.

Suddenly, the roar of engines echoed from behind through the purple mist.

"What's going on?" "Can vehicles still move?"

Ling followed the crowd, shocked, glancing back.

The engine noise escalated, accompanied by loudspeaker announcements blaring: "Clear the road! Move aside, everyone in front! Clear the road..."

Panic surged, and everyone stepped aside.

Ling, following suit, moved to the roadside.

Moments later, a monstrous metallic beast emerged from the mist!

"Holy crap! A tank!"

"It's really a tank! Is it military personnel?"

"That's fantastic! The military is here to protect us!"

The tank lumbered forward, flanked by two off-road RVs and a modified Hummer trailing behind.

The crowd stood agog, dumbfounded by the sight of such an extravagant convoy.

As the convoy passed slowly, the onlookers watched until it disappeared into the purple fog.

Some felt nothing but envy.

Others were filled with indignation. "Damn it! Why do they get military protection? And they've got vehicles!" "They must be rich!" "Rich people don't matter anymore! I bet they're just influential whacks!" "Damn it!"

"Shh! Keep it down; I'm a powerful superhuman!" "Holy crap! That's totally possible!"

Ling stood frozen for a moment before her eyes lit up, and she dashed after the convoy, waving her arms and shouting, "Wait! Wait! Give me a ride! I sprained my ankle!"

...

The women watched curiously out the windows.

In the vast, purple-hazed wilderness, the road lay in shambles.

Countless survivors trudged painstakingly along the wrecked path.

They hadn't seen so many people in ages. "There are so many survivors left!" "How did they manage to stay alive?"

James Lone also observed the scene outside quietly, realizing this was a rare opportunity to analyze the current state of the survivors.

The gender ratio starkly tilted, about ten men to one woman. The proportion of superhumans was quite high, estimated at around 1%.

In merely half an hour, they encountered thousands of survivors. It appeared the number of survivors was even higher than he'd anticipated.

At that moment, Sofie, drenched in sweat, exclaimed, "Master, I need to take a break."

"Okay."

James conveyed the message through the mental link to the four drivers, "Halt for 30 minutes."

"Understood, Master." "Got it, Mr. Lone."