"Bro, save me!" A man with a bloated face clutched a gaping wound on his foot, panic in his eyes. His complexion turned bluish, and his breaths came in rapid gasps—whether from fear or poison, it was unclear.

Linkon turned to an aged man weathered by life. "What's the verdict, Old Meng? Can he be saved?"

Old Meng examined the snake's corpse impaled on the end of a stick and shook his head. "It's a mutated rattlesnake. No hope for him now."

Before the apocalypse, Old Meng was a geologist, spending years outdoors and having an understanding of snakes.

The wounded man yelled in terror, "No! You're lying! It's not a rattlesnake!"

After just a few strained words, his breathing became increasingly labored.

Within half a minute, black blood began oozing from the wound.

Linkon knelt before the man and sighed. "Brother, if you must find something to blame, let it be this damn world."

He then gestured to Dawson. "Dawson, escort our brother on his final journey."

Dawson stepped forward brandishing a dagger. "Brother, close your eyes. One quick stab, and it'll be over before you feel a thing!"

The man shook his head violently. "No! Amputate! Cut it off! I can still live!"

Dawson scoffed, "Pathetic."

With a swift, practiced thrust, he plunged the knife into the man's chest.

"You... you... you're so ruthless..." The man's eyes widened in shock, fingers clutching the blade embedded in his heart before he succumbed moments later.

Silence enveloped them as everyone stared in solemn awe.

Jack George's expression remained emotionless.

Linkon gently closed the man's eyelids with his hand before standing. He scanned the subdued faces around him and raised his voice. "Brothers, don't think me heartless. In the past, if someone got bitten by a venomous snake, I'd make sure to get you to the hospital! If there was even a sliver of hope for survival, I'd sell everything to save you! But where are the hospitals now? We can't carry him along with us. Leaving him here? He would suffer a far worse fate! Either the snake venom will kill him in agonizing pain, or he'll be eaten alive by other beasts—what a miserable end! Xu Wei is beyond saving!"

The group fell into a somber silence, yet they understood Linkon's grim logic.

Were there not enough survivors who had died at the jaws of wild animals?

Cats loved to play with their prey until death.

Dogs would devour their victims alive—such scenes were too gruesome to contemplate!

It was better for a quick end.

Linkon continued, "From now on, if anyone suffers severe injuries or is poisoned beyond redemption, I will help them pass peacefully. If it's me who gets poisoned, it will be the same! Dawson, do it!"

Dawson, his voice gruff, responded, "Got it, Governor Linkon."

Linkon shot him an annoyed glance.

Damn it! You oaf!

You think I meant that seriously?

Jack George internally cursed Linkon for being so devious: "Damn it, only you have the code! If you die, who can get into the shelter?"

But he couldn't say that out loud.

He could only interject, "Alright, Governor Linkon is just trying to spare Xu Wei some suffering. Let's move on."

Everyone tightened their pants and continued forward.

Dawson, with no care in the world, stepped up to take the man's backpack, relishing the spoils, and led the group onward.

After the recent unfortunate event, the atmosphere became notably grim.

An hour later, three more companions encountered mishaps.

One was suddenly snatched away by a lurking cat.

Another was ambushed by a mutated Venus flytrap.

By the time the others hacked the plant away, the victim's body was horrifically corroded by acid.

Another was injured by a thorny bush, with the wound becoming inflamed and a fever raging.

On top of that, five others had sustained varying degrees of minor injuries.

The mood among the group grew even heavier.

As night descended, Linkon took stock of their surroundings and attempted to pinpoint their location.

He conferred with Jack George. "We can't keep moving tonight; the brothers have reached their limits!"

"Holy shit! This godforsaken forest is treacherous!"

Without the 910 Brigade clearing paths with their bombs, they were experiencing firsthand the perils of the dense woods.

In just a little over 2 kilometers, they had lost so many people.

"We covered two kilometers, and there are still six to Dill Holiday. Let's rest for the night, and we can continue tomorrow. If we do that, we can reach Dill Holiday by afternoon the day after!"

"Agreed."

The group found an overgrown substation, partially hidden by thick vegetation.

After spending some time clearing debris, they all sheltered inside, relieved to finally escape the relentless encroachment of foliage.

James Lone lightly landed on a branch not far from the substation.

"Diving into the forest without sensing anything—what audacity!"

He was accompanied by his women, having traversed several kilometers through the dense underbrush unscathed. Their greatest asset was not any one specific power but rather their sensory abilities.

With nearly all members possessing some form of sensing capability, they could avoid dangers early on, resulting in a casualty-free journey—an experience that felt almost effortless.

In stark contrast, Linkon, Jack George, and their group's casualty rate reflected the grim reality for survivors in the woods.

At that moment, a bug disguised as a dried leaf wiggled its way toward James Lone.

He flicked the bug away with a stick before retrieving some Nightshade fruit and mutated peanuts to snack on.

After consuming for an unknown length of time, a notification chimed: [Ding! Overall physique +1!]

James Lone smiled slightly.

The mutated peanuts had great effects!

He continued eating.

Soon enough, a second notification followed: [Ding! Nightshade has upgraded to 4 stars...]

Throughout their trek, he had continuously consumed Nightshade fruit, achieving multiple upgrades along the way.

Now he had finally reached four stars.

James Lone promptly opened up his ability panel: [Nightshade: 4 stars. You can create a shadow clone of yourself and share visual and auditory input; at night, your resolve increases by 100%; Will: 20.]

Sharing auditory input!

Will: +20.

James Lone felt quite satisfied.

By now, twilight had faded completely.

The sun had set.

The 100% boost to his will triggered immediately!

James Lone felt a surge of energy, and the world around him sharpened in clarity. Opening his attributes: [Host: James Lone] [Overall physique: 214] (average adult 10) [Will: 180 + 180 (Nightshade effect)] (average adult 10)

James Lone retrieved a black hoodie and a mask from his storage space.

Once clad, he donned a pair of plain glasses, transforming his appearance entirely.

An idea struck him.

A perfect replica of himself appeared beside him.

After testing several times before, James Lone had determined the effective range of his shadow clone was equal to his will multiplied by ten meters.

Now that his will had surged to 360, the maximum range for the clone was 3,600 meters!

This location was just over two kilometers from St. Martin Town.

He could remain here while sending the clone to scout the situation in St. Martin Town!

This way, he could cover both bases.

Given that the clone could share auditory input, it was perfectly capable for reconnaissance.

Furthermore, dressed in a hoodie and mask, the clone wouldn't be recognized even if spotted by others.

If danger arose, he could easily dismiss the clone.

James Lone descended to the ground, searching for a hidden corner to modify some dirt and stones into a temporary shelter, crawling inside.

Once he ensured his safety, he focused on controlling the clone.

The clone floated effortlessly into the forest, gliding away at astonishing speed.

Before long, it arrived at St. Martin Town.