The women stood in shock. What did this have to do with them?

The onlookers were similarly taken aback.

"N-no, brother, we didn't do anything!" one of them stammered.

James Lone sneered. The old woman hadn't just been arguing with his women—these folks had been lurking nearby, watching with ill intentions, thinking he couldn't see through their facade? Also, the red light surrounding them was increasingly darkening!

James was well aware that parading around with a squad of beautiful women in a tank and RVs made them the target of envy. If he showed any sign of weakness at all, they would pounce on him in an instant!

While James had little fear of them, it would still be a hassle.

Thus, he would leave them no space for delusions; he would crush any budding aggression before it had a chance to sprout.

With a calm yet commanding voice, he stated, "Since you're not willing to take action, allow me to handle things."

The crowd erupted into chaos.

None of the survivors present were pushovers; they burst into anger.

"What does this have to do with us?" "Who are you trying to scare with that silly sword?!"

A large man raised his arm and rallied the others, "Brothers, let's take him out! The vehicles and the women will be ours!"

Upon hearing this, their expressions shifted.

Of course! How could one man stand against all of us?

What were we afraid of?!

Weapons began to slide from their pockets and packs, the eyes of many glinting with danger and greed.

A horde of beautiful women! A safe tank! Comfortable RVs!

Unfortunately, the purple mist was too thick, obscuring the sight of James throwing the SUV earlier. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the guts to raise their weapons against him.

An oppressive atmosphere descended as shadows lurked in the mist, and weapons began emerging from the crowd.

The larger the group, the bolder they felt. They started to close in on James.

Then...

They saw a glint in James's hand, as he suddenly wielded an assault rifle!

The crowd gasped in disbelief.

"What the hell?!" "He's got a gun!" "Motherf—! This isn't fair!" "He really is military!" "It's a fake! It's gotta be a fake!"

Those in the front reconsidered their choices, while those in the back couldn't see the unfolding situation well due to the mist.

Panic swept through the crowd, transforming it into chaos.

But it was too late.

James Lone showed no mercy as he opened fire.

Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!

With his excellent marksmanship and the short range, the mob barely had time to react.

"Ah!" "Help!" "Run! Run!" "Shit! Run!" "Please, spare me, big brother! I won't do anything again!"

Within seconds, bodies lay strewn about the ground, all who had dared to confront him now lifeless.

Silence enveloped the scene.

Nearby survivors, startled by the unexpected gunfire, darted into the surrounding woods, none bravely approaching.

James turned to the women.

Their faces were blank, staring at the pile of corpses in a state of shock, their bodies cold with fear.

James's ruthless efficiency had not only intimidated the survivors but had also frightened the women badly.

He coldly questioned, "Why are you waiting for others to bully you? What do you think I gave you guns for? To be mere decorations?"

Lily gasped, fumbling for words, "I-I was worried about the backlash."

She was the one who had directly dealt with Ling just moments before.

James's calm voice cut through, "Backlash? What backlash? Allowing her to get in your vehicle creates consequences! If she gets in, will she demand food? What will you say? If she demands to sleep in your bed or take your ability fruit? People will always take advantage! And if she gets on the vehicle, what happens when the other onlookers try to climb aboard? Will you just let them in?!"

With each question, the color drained from the women's faces.

They finally recognized how dangerous that moment had been.

Had they genuinely let their kindness show and allowed the old woman on board, the mob could have swarmed them in an instant.

That would have truly been disastrous.

James's voice dropped to a razor-sharp edge, "Have you forgotten what time it is? This is an apocalypse! This is a survival-of-the-fittest world! You all need to remember: from this moment on, anyone who dares to threaten, coerce, or morally blackmail you—shoot them dead! If anything goes wrong, I will have your back!"

"Put away your excessive kindness! It will only lead to everyone's deaths!"

"Today, you have all let me down. I hope that doesn't happen again."

"Everyone will go without dinner; let's all feel hunger for a while so you remember what kind of world we live in. Lily, come here and kneel!"

Lily's tears began to flow.

The other women looked pale, worried their turn was next.

Wot remained silent, reflecting on what James had said.

He couldn't help but admit that this young man understood the world better than he ever could.

James tossed the gun into his spatial storage and stepped back into the vehicle. "Drive."

Only then did the women rush to get inside. Sofie powered up her ability once more, and the convoy rolled forward, leaving a trail of bodies behind that would deter any daring followers.

Lily knelt in front of James, feeling utterly wronged, tears flowing freely.

James shot her a disdainful look, "Cry one more time, and I'll throw you out of this vehicle!"

Lily bit her lip, holding back tears and silent sobs.

James glanced at her, still sensing the green light surrounding her before focusing on the slow-moving landscape outside.

He couldn't care less about her sentiments.

If she came to realize the harsh reality, good for her, and if not, well, that was her problem.

Frankly, he had enough supplies to last a lifetime and couldn't be bothered by the fate of one woman.

Their previous lack of power was one thing.

Now that they had the ability to fight back yet held back out of fear, that was a totally different issue!

He had no need for a group of women weighing him down.

To put it bluntly, even if only 1% of women remained, there would still be plenty of beauties out there.

With James's resources and strength, he could easily draw in women willing to come to him.

As the vehicle jolted along down the road, Lily knelt for two hours, her knees bruised and swollen, causing her unbearable pain.

Finally, James allowed her to rise. "Winnie, tend to her."

Winnie and Monroe rushed to help Lily up and guided her to the back for care.

As Lily lay on the makeshift bed, she felt her legs almost entirely numb, tears escaping from the pain.

Winnie placed her hands on Lily's knees, a green glow radiating forth, and soon Lily felt the pain dissipate.

Yet, recalling her public humiliation just moments ago made her feel a deep sense of shame and grievance, her tears continuing to flow softly.

Monroe offered encouragement, "Lily, don't blame the Master. He's looking out for us; this is a predatory world. It's not a time for friendliness and peace. We can't be weak, or we'll be stepped on."

"I know. The Master did nothing wrong; it was too dangerous. I can't believe I was so oblivious." Lily replied softly, "I'll remember this; I won't let it happen again."

Monroe had seen the fate of women trapped in cages and fully supported James's ruthless methods against the enemy.

She felt a sense of relief that she hadn't drawn James's attention from the incident involving the old woman.

As a matter of fact, Monroe felt a pang of satisfaction.

Now four women had faced the Master's punishment; at least she wasn't in the worst position...

At that moment, James Lone's voice cut through the tension, "Monroe, you've earned yourself a punishment now! Your earlier comments about that old woman have disappointed me greatly."

Monroe's face turned ashen, and in front of the sympathetic looks of the other women, she despondently knelt again before James Lone.

"Master, I was wrong..."