James Lone encountered numerous weeping survivors along the way.

Most had been killed by various mutated plants or bitten by poisonous bugs and snakes.

Last night, there hadn't been any large mutated animals like mutated cats or dogs.

Those large creatures were clever; the explosions from days prior had scared them away.

Some astute survivors, spotting the convoy, quickly followed behind, keeping close to the trucks.

They realized that the road the convoy traveled had smoothed out significantly, and they could take advantage of the tank's presence to deter would-be robbers.

James Lone didn't mind their presence.

If they could tag along, it was just an extra act of kindness to help someone in need.

If they couldn't keep up, that was on them; James wouldn't wait for anyone.

A few minutes later, the number of survivors around them clearly decreased as the convoy moved out of the supply point's range.

James noticed that Eddy Lone's group was also quietly trailing behind.

"This guy's pretty clever, maybe he could be useful," James mused.

The fact that Eddy managed to keep a band of misfits alive in the woods and maintain control over them was impressive.

As for Eddy's past of murder and robbery, James didn't worry about it.

Survivors who had made it this far practically all had blood on their hands.

Either they killed or were killed.

The world under the purple mist had entirely transformed into a ruthless battleground.

Those with moral qualms wouldn't survive for long.

As for Wilson, whom he met last night, he hadn't shown up again.

Perhaps he had died in the chaos.

Or maybe he was still alive.

James didn't really care.

He was just a low-ranking officer.

His sole value to James was the information he provided.

As James kept an eye on all movements within a 200-meter radius, he would shift his focus to any suspicious targets, eavesdropping on their conversations.

He tossed a few Ability Recovery fruits or Source Energy Infusion fruits into his mouth.

Until Sofie declared it was time for a break, his Source Energy Infusion hadn't upgraded.

James realized that his physique likely wasn't compatible with Source Energy Infusion.

He decided to stop using it for now and focus on the Ability Recovery fruits, aiming to boost that ability to nine stars first.

James instructed the convoy to rest in place while he walked into the nearby woods, keeping a distance of 150 meters from the convoy as he continued to gather infused steel pellets.

At this distance, he could avoid detection while also monitoring the convoy; if something went wrong, he could return swiftly.

...

"Finally, daybreak."

Wilson looked up at the sky wearily.

Sunlight pierced through the layers of purple mist, casting an eerie red glow over everything and turning the landscape into a strange dark hue, resembling a ghostly realm.

However, the survivors had grown accustomed to this sight.

Throughout the long night, everyone within the supply point had spent the hours restless.

Killing, robbing, betrayal, and ambush—all manner of evils had unfurled in the darkness.

No one knew how many lives were lost.

After an exhausting night, everyone was utterly worn out, finally beginning to settle.

Wounded survivors groaned in agony, while those who had managed to scavenge supplies hid away to savor their victories from the previous night.

Regardless, the survivors had to get to their feet and continue moving forward.

They only had seven days to survive.

Time was of the essence for everyone.

Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter filled the sky.

All eyes lifted in hopeful anticipation.

Unfortunately, the thick purple mist obscured their view, leaving them unable to see anything.

The helicopter risked everything, descending through the mist to land slowly next to Wilson's company's tents.

The pilot exhaled in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow as he muttered, "Damn! This job isn't for the faint of heart!"

Wilson hurried up to him, forcing a smile.

The pilot looked disdainfully at him. "You guys are too far out; I really didn't want to come here."

Wilson cursed inwardly, thinking, Who do you think wants to be here?

Yet he didn't show it. Hastily, he produced a pack of cigarettes and handed it to the pilot. "Here, have one! They're good stuff!"

The pilot's eyes lit up. "Dragon brand cigarettes! Didn't expect there'd be something worth cutting in on at a supply point!"

Wilson smiled, "No, just got lucky!"

The pilot took one cigarette out, handing it to another pilot.

Then he lit one up immediately, savoring the taste.

As chaos erupted, it seemed everyone was looking out for themselves, and the military's discipline was rapidly disintegrating.

"Ah~ That's good!" The pilot took a drag, then gestured behind him. "You guys could move the goods. That green box contains energy bars; you should take more than one."

Wilson felt a surge of joy.

Energy bars were a valuable resource—lightweight and high in energy—essential during urgent situations!

"Thanks a lot, brother!" he quickly produced another cigarette and handed it to the pilot.

The pilot grinned ear to ear. "Well, with only one supply point left behind you, you might as well clear out all those energy bars! Don't leave a single one behind!"

Wilson was thrilled but pretended to be concerned. "Won't that get you in trouble?"

The pilot shrugged casually. "Trouble? What trouble? If we don't say anything, how would they know about the energy bars?"

Wilson decided to take the man's word for it, quickly ordering his soldiers to unload the supplies.

He then asked the pilot about the situation at other supply points.

"Brother, it was pure chaos here last night; they were at each other's throats, and we lost two of my guys. What's the status at other points?"

"Don't even get me started! It's a disaster everywhere! You know the C line, right? The C5 supply point was completely wiped out! Our entire crew was annihilated! Not a body left to be found!"

Wilson felt a chill race down his spine. "It's that chaotic?"

"Absolutely! The purple mist already limits visibility, and come nighttime, it's like being blind. Those survivors have gone mad! I heard General Zhu sent a superhuman squad to quell this mess. It's likely to result in a river of blood, tsk, tsk."

"Ugh! Who knows what General Zhu was thinking, bringing such a wild bunch of survivors to 910? I worry our situation will go sideways too."

"Don't fret. Your supply point is short on people, so you're struggling to control the situation. Once you get to our territory, with all the artillery and support, plus a batch of superhumans, no one will dare try anything!"

After chatting for a while, the supplies were moved.

The pilot bid Wilson farewell and carefully piloted the helicopter into the sky, leaving the area.

Wilson ordered his men to distribute supplies to the survivors while worrying about his next move.

The news of the C5 supply point being wiped out weighed heavily on his mind.

If they encountered a powerful superhuman last night, it could have easily ended badly for him too.

Thinking about having to defend for five more days made Wilson's head spin.

He had been lucky the previous night, but could he remain fortunate for another five days?

No way!

He couldn't sit waiting for fate to decide!

He had to find a way to save himself!

After pondering for a moment, Wilson called over the shorter soldier.

"You heard the news; the brothers at the C5 supply point have been killed. We're in danger too; we need to reinforce our defenses!"

The shorter soldier understood the gravity of the situation. "Yes, Sergeant, what do you want us to do?"

Wilson laid out his plan, "First, gather a few brothers and recruit from the survivors, a hundred young men. We'll promise them two meals a day in exchange for digging trenches around our tents for protection!"

"Secondly, we need to recruit combat-oriented superhumans—aim for ten. Tell them they'll be protecting the supply point, and when we leave, we'll take them with us. However, they must have families; lone wolves are off the table!"

The short soldier snapped off a salute. "I'll make sure it gets done!"

After he left, Wilson took two guards and hurried toward James Lone's convoy.

James Lone was undoubtedly a powerful superhuman.

If he joined the defense, the supply point would be a lot safer.

But he couldn't help but wonder if James had made it through last night unscathed. It was likely he had succumbed to misfortune...