From the surrounding residential buildings, countless people emerged, shouting excitedly at the sky, venting their despair from the past weeks.

The nation was finally taking action!

Shirley lnr exclaimed with joy,

"The government is finally stepping in!"

Monroe Anne and Lily were also overjoyed, as if they could see a glimmer of hope for returning to the world they once knew—a world where they could shop, chat, and dress up beautifully.

Herbicide?

James Lon frowned slightly.

He didn't believe that it would be so easy to end the apocalypse.

The existence of Enlightenment Fruits and abilities made him feel that this apocalypse was more than just natural evolution.

Even if the plants were eradicated, would that really mean the end of the apocalypse?

What about the purple mist?

As long as visibility in the mist remained limited to five meters, transportation would never recover.

In short, James Lon wasn't overly optimistic about the government's actions.

However, the fact that the government was taking action proved that some level of leadership still existed and that there was a chance for order to be rebuilt.

James Lon had no desire to live as a wild man in a primitive jungle.

As for having killed Hawson Wer in public, he wasn't particularly worried.

How many people had died in the past few days?

At least a third of humanity was likely gone.

Among the survivors, how many had blood on their hands?

At least hundreds of millions.

How could the government deal with so many? Kill them all? That would be insane.

Doing so would risk outright rebellion.

The principle of "the law does not punish the masses" would likely prevail.

Moreover, even if order were restored, powerful ability users like himself would inevitably become part of the ruling elite.

So James Lon wasn't in a hurry.

No matter the outcome, he was poised to benefit.

Watching the scene outside with a calm, detached demeanor, he said,

"Monroe Anne, go make breakfast. We're staying in today."

Monroe Anne replied obediently,

"Yes, Master."

The previously silent group chat buzzed with activity:

"The government is finally taking action!"

"They'll probably start distributing food soon, right?"

"Of course! The government won't let us die!"

"Hah! Some people wouldn't trade a gold necklace for instant noodles. Regret it now, don't you?"

"Exactly! Greedy fools!"

"Someone even wanted to trade instant noodles for slave girls. Ridiculous!"

"Some stupid women believed it, and they'll regret it later!"

"Director Won won't let certain people off the hook!"

James Lon smirked at the messages.

Let's see if you're still laughing in a few days.

Half an hour later, a dozen transport planes flew overhead at low altitude.

White mist sprayed from their tails, spreading a pungent odor.

In the past, citizens would have complained or even called to report such a smell.

But now, the survivors in Sunshine Garden cheered loudly.

"Long live America!"

"End the apocalypse!"

"Kill those damned plants!"

It seemed as if hope for the end of the apocalypse was within reach.

James Lon quietly observed the planes.

"A dozen transport planes for just one city—New York. It seems the government still retains significant power."

Suddenly, a flock of red giant birds dove from the clouds.

Their speed was incredible, streaking through the sky like crimson lightning.

In mere moments, they went from tiny red dots to looming over the transport planes.

Their size was comparable to the aircraft themselves.

One of the birds dug its claws into the top of a plane, piercing through the steel shell as if it were paper.

With a powerful flap of its wings, the bird dragged the multi-ton transport plane into the clouds.

The planes, heavy and cumbersome, were no match for the sheer strength of the birds.

The leader of the flock, a particularly massive bird with wings that glowed fiery red, let out a sharp screech.

Clang!

The sound shattered windows, echoing like a thunderclap.

Following the leader's command, the flock soared higher into the clouds, vanishing from sight.

The cheers of the survivors abruptly stopped, as if their throats had been gripped.

Everyone stared blankly at the sky.

A single bird had dragged off a plane weighing tens of tons?

Could such creatures even be considered carbon-based life forms?

How strong would their bones, skin, and muscles need to be? Could a missile even kill them?

James Lon felt a chill run down his spine.

With his enhanced physical attributes, his eyesight had also improved, and he had noticed something peculiar.

When the leader bird screeched, the air around its body visibly distorted.

"That wasn't an ordinary sound—it was some kind of ability."

These red giant birds were far more terrifying than the mutated frog in the courtyard below.

And this was just one city—New York—a place with relatively few wild animals.

Across the globe, in places like Shennongjia, the Amazon, and the vast oceans, how many creatures had evolved to unimaginable levels?

Could humanity truly reclaim Earth as its own?

James Lon wasn't optimistic.

Whatever happened, he knew one thing: growing stronger was always the right choice.

Taking out a pile of Enlightenment Fruits, he began eating them one after another.

Eventually, a pleasant notification rang in his mind:

[Ding! Perception upgraded to 5 stars! You can now perceive inanimate objects! Perception range increased to 100 meters!]

James Lon smiled to himself.

Finally, an upgrade!

Now, the entire building was fully under his surveillance. Not a single movement could escape his [Perception].

His range now extended across the gaps between buildings, allowing him to monitor parts of both Buildings A and B.

More importantly, he could now [see] inanimate objects. The information available to him had increased dramatically.

Previously, his perception had been limited to living entities like animals, plants, and humans.

Now, he could see furniture, walls, floor tiles, and other non-living objects.

Although they appeared dimmer, the clarity was nearly identical to vision—and in 360 degrees, no less.

The next morning, James Lon woke up and looked out the window. The purple mist had continued to rise, now reaching the 21st floor.

But something else caught his attention.

Many plants were dead.

The towering banyan trees had shed their leaves overnight, leaving only bare trunks.

The trees' internal glow had dimmed, resembling candles about to be extinguished.

The ivy covering the outer walls had withered, exposing the mottled concrete beneath.

Did it really work?

"Phasing!"

James Lon passed through the building's floors and walls, arriving at an empty first-floor room.

Cautiously observing his surroundings, he finally located the mutant frog.

It was resting at the bottom of the courtyard pool, seemingly asleep.

The frog's position was over 80 meters from the Building C entrance. Without his upgraded perception, James Lon would have never found it.

Looking outside, he saw the devastation.

Most plants—grasses, vines, trees—had withered, revealing the ground for the first time in weeks.

The ground was littered with the corpses of rats, cockroaches, and various insects, casualties of the herbicide.

However, due to the red giant birds' attack on the transport planes, the herbicide had been unevenly distributed.

Some areas still teemed with plants.

Others, like the first-floor lobby, had sheltered vegetation that only appeared slightly wilted but hadn't died.

James Lon also noticed that these surviving plants glowed even brighter than before, as if adapting rapidly to the herbicide.

"In an apocalypse of rapid evolution, could herbicide really wipe out all plants? As long as they survive, they'll adapt and evolve further."

James Lon sighed.

"This might just be the final glimmer of hope for human civilization."

Meanwhile, bolder survivors began venturing out of their rooms.

"Holy crap! This herbicide is incredible!"

"The National Academy of Sciences is amazing!"

"Don't waste time—let's raid the supermarket for food!"

...