Wilson arrived at the convoy's station only to find it had already departed.

Deep tracks were all that remained on the ground.

Wilson was taken aback. "They made it out unscathed? Did no one come looking for trouble? Or did they just flee after being attacked?"

He tracked down a few survivors who hadn't left yet and asked them a few questions.

As it turned out, there hadn't been any major riots in this area last night—the thugs seemed completely unaware of the convoy's presence.

"Guess we really lucked out..." Wilson mused to himself.

However, James Lone had already moved on, and he could only return in frustration.

The following nights presented great challenges for his survival...

...

Morning broke.

Dale led her weary group into the dense woods by the roadside, searching for a few abandoned shops.

Survivors needed to clear out garbage, waste, and overgrown plants from these shops before they could rest.

After a hasty cleanup, the survivors collapsed in exhaustion.

For many city dwellers, running all night was a grueling experience they had never faced before.

Yet Dale didn't take immediate rest; she still needed to assign patrol duties.

Once she organized the patrols, she called over a few of the leading survivors to discuss the plan. "Visibility is much better during the day compared to at night. As long as we stay inside a building with someone on patrol, we should be quite safe. Tonight, we'll wait until 6 PM to head out."

A middle-aged man glanced at the exhausted crowd and voiced his concern. "Wanqing, everyone looks beat. Plus, we got drenched with rain yesterday, making it easy for someone to get sick. We should rest for the night."

Dale shook her head firmly. "No way. We traveled all night yesterday, and I didn't see a single large beast around, so the military's gunfire must have scared them off. But I suspect this safety won't last long. If we take too long, those animals will return. If another mutated cat comes around, half of us could be dead. We need to seize this time to move!"

The group shivered at the thought of the orange mutated cat, which had once stormed their settlement, killing a third of the survivors. It had only been thanks to Dale's bravery that it was lured away; otherwise, they would have all perished.

This was one reason why everyone was willing to heed Dale's orders.

The mention of the mutated cat silenced any dissent about resting for another night.

It was better to be tired than dead.

If anyone truly fell sick, they would just have to face the brutal realities of survival.

That said, Dale also made preparations: "Uncle Wang, take a few people to search for any mutated phoenix trees nearby. Get some tree sap and bring it back; we'll boil it for everyone to drink."

"Got it!" The middle-aged man grabbed a few survivors and headed off.

One survivor had discovered that the sap from a mutated phoenix tree could be boiled for drinking.

Although it didn't taste good, had astringent notes, and carried a bitter flavor, it was still a water source they could use.

No one had the luxury to be picky.

Moreover, the sap appeared to have mild antipyretic effects, barely qualifying as herbal medicine.

...

The convoy made slow progress, passing by groups of survivors.

All the survivors were taken aback, staring in astonishment at the vehicle.

No one had expected that even in these dire circumstances, they could still drive a convoy.

Some survivors entertained bad thoughts, but the lead tank intimidated them enough to abandon their intentions.

Even the strongest survivors wouldn't dare challenge a tank.

This convoy, with its tank, likely indicated that it belonged to the 910 unit—the lucky few being rescued by elite forces.

Survivors cursed the "damn elites" in their hearts, but outwardly they dared not express it, simply standing by obediently while the convoy passed.

This was already the third day of their escape journey.

James Lone noticed some changes along the route; more and more large survivor groups had emerged, often containing over a hundred people—some even numbering three to four hundred, generally led by superhumans.

One such group even had three superhumans!

James Lone observed the various superhuman auras, expanding the database of his mind's eye.

As time passed, he began to piece together a vague understanding of the superhuman system.

Even if he hadn't encountered some of these powers before, he could now roughly recognize their functions.

However, until now, aside from himself, all other superhumans exhibited the aura of "ginger," and none possessed the aura of the "Tree of All Laws."

The vast majority of superhumans likely still had no knowledge of source energy (qi) either.

The convoy had also been stopped several times by would-be robbers.

However, seeing the tank, they wisely chose to back off, sensing the futility of their efforts.

Shortly afterward, the convoy passed another large group of survivors.

These survivors were resting beside the road, even roasting meat over an open flame.

They appeared to be relatively tall, and within their ranks were two superhumans who gazed in awe at the tank convoy.

James Lone was unfazed; he'd seen that look countless times along the way—nothing particularly special.

Yet amid that group of survivors, a few didn't look like they hailed from Long Country.

With round faces, mono-lids, and small eyes, they seemed to be Koreans?

James Lone merely glanced at them and dismissed the thought.

Sofie, panting heavily, said, "Master, I can't keep going; I need to rest for a moment."

James nodded and, after eating a Willpower Fruit, notified everyone through their mental link, "Let's take a twenty-minute break."

As the primary combat strength of the team responsible for monitoring their surroundings, he wouldn't waste energy on gravitational distortion right now.

The convoy came to a gradual halt.

They adjusted their formation, with one tank and three vehicles forming a protective circle, just like before, creating an open space in the center.

Sofie lay on the bed, munching on a chocolate bar, trying to regain her strength.

The other women climbed out to stretch and move around.

Wot exited to observe the surrounding flora.

After consuming the Body Enhancement fruit, he felt much more agile.

The white fox leaped onto the roof of the vehicle, curiously surveying the area.

The lazy white-eyed dog lay on the Hummer, not moving a muscle.

The black cat, Cola, was curled up on the white-eyed dog, sleeping soundly.

James Lone surveyed the situation and noticed there were quite a few superhumans nearby.

Deciding against trying to accumulate infused steel pellets in the forest, he chose to stay inside the vehicle and eat more Willpower Fruits.

Suddenly,

Ding! Willpower Fruit upgraded to 8 stars! Your willpower weapon's form can now be changed at will; Willpower +25!

James's eyes lit up.

Eight stars!

Just one step away from nine!

He opened the abilities panel for his willpower weapon: Willpower Weapon: 8 stars. You can consume energy to refine a powerful willpower weapon within your body. It must be sufficiently refined before it can be wielded. When the weapon is drawn, you can infuse various materials into it to enhance its attributes. If any superhumans nearby die, you can absorb their willpower fragments to accelerate your weapon's refinement. Your willpower weapon's form can be changed at will; Willpower +25.

It can change forms at will?

James Lone took out his willpower sword.

The sword transformed at his command, quickly shifting shapes.

Long sword, sabers, machetes, tridents, a Green Dragon Crescent Blade...

It could even transform into a bow.

"Interesting!"

James Lone played around with this impressive ability for a while before stopping.

"Back to eating! I have to reach nine stars today!"

...

As dawn broke, Wilson arrived at the convoy area, only to find that the convoy had already left.

Deep tracks were all that remained on the ground.

Wilson was astounded. "They made it out safe? No one came after them? Did they get attacked and flee?"

He found some survivors who hadn't left yet and asked a few questions.

It turned out that no large-scale riot had unfolded last night; it seemed the thugs hadn't even noticed the convoy.

"What luck..." Wilson sighed.

However, with James Lone gone, he could only retreat in frustration.

The next few nights would only present greater survival challenges for him...

...

As morning broke, Dale led her exhausted team into the nearby forest, searching for a few abandoned shops.

The survivors had to clear out the trash, waste, and overgrown plants before they could rest in the stores.

After hastily completing the cleanup, the survivors collapsed in exhaustion.

For many urbanites, a sleepless night on the road was a challenge they had never faced before.

But Dale didn't rest immediately; she had to assign patrol duty.

Once the watch was set up, she summoned a few of the leading survivors for discussion. "Visibility during the day is far better than at night. As long as we stay inside the buildings and have people patrolling, we should be quite safe. Tonight, we'll wait until 6 PM to head out."

A middle-aged man, glancing at the utterly spent group, expressed concern. "Wanqing, everyone looks exhausted, and with yesterday's rain, someone could easily fall ill. Getting sick now could spell death; let's rest for the night."

Dale shook her head firmly. "No way. After walking all night yesterday, I didn't encounter a single large beast; the military's guns frightened them off. However, I estimate our safety won't last long. If we take too long, those creatures will come back. If we run into another mutated cat, we could lose half our group. We need to take advantage of this window and keep moving!"

The group shuddered in recollection of the massive orange mutated cat that had once burst into their settlement, killing a third of the survivors. Dale had once again risked her life to lure it away, or everyone would have perished.

This was why they willingly followed Dale's orders.

The mention of the mutated cat silenced any discussions about resting for an extra night.

Ending up like that thing would mean certain death.

Being tired was better than being dead.

If anyone truly fell sick from exhaustion, nature would take its course, weeding out the weak.

That said, Dale made further preparations: "Uncle Wang, take a few people to see if there are any mutated phoenix trees nearby. Bring back some sap and boil it for everyone to drink."

"Okay!" The middle-aged man gathered a few survivors and left.

It had been discovered that boiling the sap from a certain type of mutated phoenix tree could be consumed.

While it didn't taste great, with a bitter and astringent flavor, it was still a valid source of hydration.

No one could afford to be picky.

Moreover, it appeared that this sap had slight antipyretic properties and barely qualified as herbal medicine.

...

The convoy moved forward slowly, passing by groups of resting survivors.

All of them gazed in astonishment at the convoy.

They hadn't anticipated that the situation had allowed for driving at all.

A few survivors considered taking advantage of the moment, but the leading tank intimidated them into submission.

Even the strongest survivors wouldn't dare take on a tank.

The presence of a tank suggested that this convoy likely belonged to the 910 unit, likely a rescue team made up of high-ranking officials.

Survivors cursed the "damned elites" in their hearts, but outwardly they dared not express it, obediently standing to the side as the convoy passed.

This was already the third day of their escape route.

James Lone noticed changes in their surroundings; several large groups of survivors, each with over a hundred people, began appearing.

Many of these larger survivor groups exceeded one hundred people, with some even numbering three to four hundred, and most had superhumans leading them.

In one group, there were even three superhumans!

James Lone witnessed a variety of superhuman auras; this enriched his mind's eye's record.

As time passed, he began to develop a vague understanding of the superhuman system.

Some ability auras, even those he hadn't encountered before, he could now roughly recognize based on their functions.

However, up to this point, besides himself, every superhuman he'd seen radiated the aura of "ginger," not a single one emanating from the "Tree of All Laws."

The vast majority of superhumans still seemed unaware of the existence of source energy (qi).

The convoy also faced a few waves of attempted robbery.

However, seeing the tank convinced them to wisely retreat.

Shortly afterward, the convoy passed another large group of survivors resting by the roadside, even roasting meat over an open fire.

Their height varied, with two superhumans among them, all of whom looked astonished at the tank convoy.

James Lone didn't pay them much mind; he had seen that curious expression many times during the journey—it was nothing new.

However, a few individuals in that survivor group didn't appear to be from Long Country.

With round faces, single eyelids, and small eyes, did they seem to be Koreans?

James threw the thought aside.

Sofie gasped for breath and said, "Master, I can't keep going; I need to rest for a moment."

James nodded, popped a Willpower Fruit into his mouth, and notified everyone through their mental link, "Let's take a twenty-minute break."

As the primary combat force of the team, responsible for monitoring the area, he wouldn't waste energy on gravitational distortion at this moment.

The convoy gradually came to a halt.

They adjusted their formation, with one tank and three vehicles setting up a protective circle, creating a clear open space in the center.

Sofie lay back, munching on a chocolate bar, seizing the moment to regain her stamina.

The other women exited the vehicles, stretching and loosening their bodies.

Wot stepped out to examine the surrounding plants.

After consuming the Body Enhancement Fruit, he felt sprier than before.

The white fox leaped onto the roof of the vehicle, curious as it surveyed its surroundings.

The lazy white-eyed dog lounged on the Hummer, unfazed and motionless.

Cola, the black cat, was curled comfortably atop the white-eyed dog, sleeping soundly.

James Lone surveyed the area, noting the abundance of superhumans nearby; he chose not to venture into the woods to gather infused steel pellets.

Instead, he opted to stay in the vehicle, focusing on consuming more Willpower Fruits.

Suddenly,

Ding! Willpower Fruit upgraded to 8 stars! Your willpower weapon can now change forms freely; Willpower +25!

James's eyes widened in excitement.

Eight stars!

Just one step away from nine!

He opened the abilities panel for his willpower weapon: Willpower Weapon: 8 stars. You can consume energy to refine a formidable willpower weapon within your body, which must be sufficiently refined before it can be wielded. When the weapon is drawn, you can infuse various materials to enhance its properties. If a superhuman dies nearby, you can consume their willpower fragments to accelerate the refinement of your weapon; your willpower weapon's form can be changed at will; Willpower +25.

It can change forms at will?

James Lone took out his willpower sword.

The sword switched forms at his command, effortlessly morphing into various weapons.

Longsword, saber, scimitar, trident, Green Dragon Crescent Blade...

It could even turn into a bow.

"How interesting!"

James Lone played with this new ability for a moment before stopping.

"Back to eating! I need to hit nine stars today!"

...