Jack George stared in disbelief at the scene before him. A basic strengthening plant? A perfectly mutated peanut?

Observing Dale, he watched as she swallowed the peanut. Almost immediately, a glow started radiating from her body, gradually increasing in brightness. Within seconds, it appeared to rise by about 20%. Given her physique, that equated to an increase of 2 points!

The effectiveness was incredible! No wonder Giacomo had such a high composite physique; he must have been consuming these!

James Lone felt a surge of satisfaction.

Dale was stunned, looking at her hands as she flexed her fingers. "My strength... it feels like it's increasing!"

James handed out a peanut to each woman. "Everyone gets one. Don't throw away the shells—collect them and give them to Dr. Wot for research. They seem to have excellent anti-inflammatory and healing properties."

Unlike the mutated frog meat, which had differing effects, the system had clearly labeled these as "basic strengthening plants." That meant they were beneficial for the human body.

The women quickly consumed their peanuts. The glow surrounding each of them brightened noticeably. However, none of them experienced the dramatic increase Dale did—most had an increase of around 1 point in total physique.

James mused, "They've previously eaten physique-enhancing fruits; their base physique is significantly higher than Dale's. So, the effect of these peanuts is likely weaker the stronger the physique is?"

Deciding to test it for himself, James popped a peanut into his mouth. The impact was mild at best; he felt nothing more than a slight warmth spreading through his body.

His superb composite physique, rated at over 200, meant that even the perfect mutated peanut couldn't boost his stats much.

Still, it tasted fantastic, savory and rich, leaving him salivating for more.

He retrieved a handful of Nightshadow Fruits along with a few more peanuts and began consuming them.

After eating two handfuls, James heard the familiar chime:

【Ding! Composite Physique +1!】

Joy surged through him. It really did enhance his physique! The benefits were leagues above the mutated frog meat! He'd devoured who knows how many pieces of that, and it had only given him a meager 2 points. Having just eaten two handfuls of the perfect mutated peanuts, he had already gained 1 point!

After his physique improved, some of the exhaustion from his numerous abilities began to fade. Yet it wasn't enough; he needed to consume more.

At that moment, commotion broke out outside.

"That's my kill! Why are you taking it?"

"Bull! I was the one who brought it down!"

James turned to peer out the window. Two groups of survivors were engaged in a heated dispute over a massive green caterpillar.

With all decent food long gone, people were forced to hunt and gather plants for sustenance and water. Among the throngs of survivors, James spotted a familiar face—Bethan, anxiously running alongside her group, shouting encouragements.

James reclined back, quietly observing.

As they neared Saint Martin Town, the number of survivors only increased. They were converging from all directions. The convoy of tanks had become quite a spectacle.

The larger the crowd, the more mutant powers there were in play. Sooner or later, some daring souls would challenge the convoy.

While James Lone wasn't worried, he found it tedious. The convoy needed to stop moving forward.

Checking the smartphone map, he noted they were only 3 kilometers from Saint Martin Town.

"Let's stop here."

The convoy slowly came to a halt.

James communicated mentally to the drivers of each vehicle, "After lunch, let's take a break. This afternoon, we'll venture into the woods. We have about 8 kilometers to walk to Holiday."

The women quickly started bustling about.

This had been the plan from the start. The road from Saint Martin Town to Holiday lacked escape routes; it was entirely covered in dense forest, necessitating that they abandon the vehicles and proceed on foot.

During lunch, survivors following behind the convoy excitedly surged ahead, eager to reach Saint Martin Town. With it so close, they no longer felt the need for the tank convoy's protection.

As Eddy Lone passed by the convoy, he made a point to greet James.

"Mr. Lone, we're heading ahead."

James offered a mild smile.

Eddy added, "If you need me to gather any intel, just send word. With your strength, you'll find me."

James nodded appreciatively, though he was noncommittal, saying, "Safe travels."

Feeling slightly disappointed, Eddy led his group towards Saint Martin Town.

Watching Eddy's departing figure, James remained silent.

Wot witnessed the exchange and silently thanked his lucky stars—had it not been for his early involvement and his status as a doctor, gaining James Lone's trust would have been a significant challenge.

Everyone continued to dine.

【Ding! Shirley Inr Won consumed 1 basic strengthening plant—perfect mutated peanut, returning 1600 units! They've been stored in the personal space.】

【Ding! Dale consumed 1 carton of milk, returning 1600 cartons! They've been stored in the personal space.】

【Ding! Lulia consumed 1 piece of roasted mutated frog meat, returning 1600 pieces! They've been stored in the personal space.】

【Ding! Tailsa consumed 1 mutated peach, returning 1600 peaches! They've been stored in the personal space.】

After lunch, everyone switched into their gear for navigating the forest.

Seizing a moment when no one was watching, James stored all four vehicles into his personal space.

"Let's go!"

He led the group into the dense woods.

Aside from James, all the women were connected with thin steel wire at their waists, carrying a few metal pieces on their backs.

Sofie activated her abilities, providing everyone with some lift.

Everyone except Dale had consumed physique-enhancing fruits, allowing them to move quickly.

With James Lone leading the way, he cleared paths through foliage and avoided dangerous plants and animals with his psychic sword while evading encounters with wandering survivors.

After over an hour of continuous walking, they had covered more than six kilometers, with Sofie finally reaching her limit.

This pace was almost absurdly fast compared to other survivors.

Additionally, almost everyone possessed some form of sensing ability, making it easy to avoid lurking dangers hidden beneath leaves and bushes.

Surprisingly, throughout their journey, none had been injured!

Dale, clinging tightly to Byakuga n, was utterly amazed.

Having joined recently, she was oblivious to the fact that all the women possessed powers!

The strength of James Lone and these women exceeded her wildest imagination.

No wonder James Lone was thriving in this apocalypse!

As James neared the destination, he decided to take over Sofie's task.

"Let's push through to Holiday in one go! We'll rest in the sanctuary tonight, and each person will have their own room!"

Joy sparked among the women as they gathered their strength to forge ahead.

"Byakuga n, come here! Sofie, you look worn out; climb on its back."

Byakuga n snarled at Sofie, showing its teeth in annoyance.

"I'm a dog, not a donkey!" it seemed to say.

"Just one load is enough; why add another!"

Sofie hesitated, fear creeping in. "I—I'll manage for now."

With a swift motion, James slapped Byakuga n on the head.

The creature's demeanor instantly softened, its eyes clearing.

James helped Sofie onto its back, then gave the husky's rear a light pat. "Stick close and don't run off too fast, or there'll be consequences."

Byakuga n trotted obediently along.

Half an hour later, James arrived at the entrance to the Holiday community.

Before him stood an opulent residential area that had turned into a vibrant paradise of plants.