No wonder that frail old man had managed to survive until now!

The slanted-eyed man also noticed how clean and healthy the old man appeared.

This superhuman was incredibly powerful—not only could he guarantee a certain quality of life for himself, but he also enabled those around him to reach the same level!

The slanted-eyed man could scarcely fathom this.

In an era defined by food scarcity amidst the purple mist, how was this even possible?

Alarm bells rang in his mind, his body quaking slightly as the urge to escape grew stronger.

James Lone glanced at the slanted-eyed man, causing him to freeze in place, terrified of provoking the formidable figure.

James turned his attention to the burly leader. "Oh? How long can you extend food shelf life?"

The burly man replied impatiently, "Opened food can last for five days; half-eaten items can stretch for two to three more days. Now that you know, hand over that ability fruit quickly!"

James pondered for a moment.

It sounded like an ability that suppressed microbial growth.

He nodded, satisfied. "Thank you."

Then, in a single motion, he crushed the ability fruit in his hand!

Pfft!

Everyone was stunned.

The burly man quickly gathered his senses, furious. "You little punk! You're looking for death... Big brother! I was wrong!"

He stammered halfway through his threat when he noticed James Lone had inexplicably produced a handgun, the dark muzzle aimed straight at him.

James smiled pleasantly. "Hmm, don't make this mistake again; it's not good for your health."

The burly man: ???

Bang!

A bullet struck him in the forehead, and he collapsed backward.

The remaining six froze in fear.

Before they could even beg for mercy, James Lone began firing mercilessly.

Bang, bang, bang!

All six were dead in a matter of moments.

Wot felt both terrified and relieved; it was a stroke of luck that he had stayed close to James Lone.

Becoming James Lone's enemy was surely a nightmare.

Once James confirmed all seven were dead with his perception, he searched their belongings.

There was nothing of value.

"Let's move," James Lone directed Wot as they departed.

One minute later, a man crept up, glancing furtively at the bodies before quickly diving in.

To his surprise, he discovered there were still supplies in the backpacks!

Eagerly, he rummaged through the bags, not caring one bit about the blood on his hands.

Just then, he heard faint footsteps emerge from the purple mist.

Not daring to linger, the man shouldered his pack and hurriedly left.

Soon after, four figures cautiously approached:

"The gunfire should be coming from this direction." "I can't hear anything now; the shooter must have left." "We need to hurry."

The four saw the bodies and rushed forward.

"Damn! All the food is gone!" "Of course! Who would leave food for you?" "Grab whatever is useful; more survivors will be here soon."

As the four departed, waves of other survivors arrived, clamoring to scavenge the corpses.

A few minor scuffles broke out along the way.

Within ten minutes, the seven bodies were dragged away.

With the scent of blood in the air, all traces of their survival were purged.

...

James Lone and Wot returned to the RV, where Lydia prepared breakfast for the two of them.

The women exchanged bewildered glances at Wot.

James typically didn't allow Wot to dine with them, so they were curious about how Wot had gained his trust.

Wot consumed his meal gratefully.

Afterward, James asked, "What ability would you like to choose?"

Select? Wot was pleasantly surprised and thought for a moment. "I'd like to improve my physical abilities."

James had initially assumed Wot would ask for an ability related to plant growth since he had always shown immense interest in botany.

James inquired curiously, "Why that one?"

Wot replied, his voice cautious, "If my body were in better shape, I could have run back today. Being weak is what got me into trouble; if it weren't for Mr. Lone, I'd be dead. In this purple mist era, physical fitness is key to survival."

James nodded, satisfied. "Smart choice."

He produced a Body Strengthening fruit (2 stars) and a Plant Growth fruit (1 star). "These are rewards for you. One will enhance your physical abilities, and the other will accelerate plant growth—should aid you in your botanical research."

That had been his plan all along: if Wot did well enough to bring him an ability fruit, he would reward him with two in return.

Wot was ecstatic. "You mean it can accelerate plant growth?"

James nodded. "Jiang Bansha has that ability as well; you can talk to her about it. Oh, and she's also studying medicine, so you could share some medical knowledge with her. Jiang Bansha, come here; this is Dr. Wot from the Magic Sea Hospital. Make sure to learn from him."

James had long wanted Jiang Bansha to learn from Wot.

In case Wot fell one day, it would prevent their team from being left without a trusted doctor.

Jiang Bansha obediently answered, "Yes, Master."

She cautiously addressed Wot, "Dr. Li, if I'm not doing well, you can scold me freely."

Medical students often faced pressure and criticism from senior doctors during internships.

As Jiang Bansha hadn't graduated yet, she had heard many stories from her seniors about the strict nature of veteran doctors and was naturally anxious.

Wot, realizing the importance of maintaining a good relationship with James Lone and his women, quickly waved his hands. "Miss Jiang, I wouldn't dare say such things. We will learn from each other."

The two exchanged polite words, establishing a teacher-student relationship.

After dismissing Wot, James took out the newly acquired ability fruit.

Who should he give it to?

He thought for a moment.

Based on his previous plan, each woman should have a specialized ability.

In addition to perception, body enhancement, and phasing, many women possessed abilities others did not have.

For instance, Monroe had willpower linkage, Su Jin had life activation, and April had teleportation.

As it stood, Shirley Inr Won, Lily, Lydia, and Sita lacked unique powers.

Excluding Shirley Inr Won, whose physique was exceptionally suited for perception, she would focus on that skill moving forward.

Lily had just messed up and wouldn't be rewarded.

This time, it would go to the sweet, clumsy beauty, Lydia.

James called over Lydia, casually finding a reason: "Your cooking has improved significantly; this fruit is a reward for you."

Lydia beamed with delight. "Thank you, thank you!"

The other women looked on with envy.

Lydia carefully consumed the ability fruit. Ding! Lydia has consumed 1 Enlightenment Fruit - Base Source Energy Mastery, returning 1,500 units! Added to spatial storage. Base Source Energy Mastery (4 stars): After consumption, you can better master the source energy within your body; you can infuse source energy into your body or external items, generating substantial enhancement effects.

What was this Source Energy? James Lone was puzzled.

He hadn't expected such an unfamiliar term to arise.

Without hesitation, James pulled out a Source Energy Infusion fruit and consumed it.

In an instant, he felt his qi come alive!

No longer was it the dull, stagnant qi coiled within the Trickster Tree, only blasting forth when he activated his somersaulting methods.

Now, the qi flowed effortlessly within him like fingers dancing.

James marveled at the sensation of controlling his qi as it coursed through his body.

This feeling was incredible!

"Qi is Source Energy!"

He realized, quickly checking his panel for details on the newfound ability: Base Source Energy Mastery: 4 stars; you can better control the source energy within your body. You can infuse source energy into your body or external objects, producing significant enhancement effects.