The range of James Lone's perception had increased, and his eyes lit up.

He immediately activated his perception ability and noticed two additional changes:

This perception ability could penetrate walls!

James could sense the potted plant on the windowsill, even though there was a wall between them.

The glow surrounding objects now revealed their shapes.

For instance, the light around the succulent plant hinted at its form, and Shirley Inr's glow faintly outlined her body.

James walked to his bedroom and could still "see" Shirley's glow through the wall as she stood in the bathroom.

Beyond that, he could now "see" what was happening in the apartments above, below, and on either side of him!

Each floor of the building was just over three meters high, and James could clearly "see" into the apartment below. A woman was sitting on a sofa scrolling on her phone.

Since the glow now had discernible contours, James could distinguish between men and women by the shapes around their chests and hips.

The woman's glow was weak and neutral yellow.

The room above his was empty.

Shirley's apartment on the right was empty, as was the neighboring unit on the left.

When the Purple Mist descended, it was daytime, and most people were at work, leaving many apartments unoccupied.

This is like having a radar with wall hacks!

James was ecstatic at the potential of this ability.

He wondered, Can it penetrate the Purple Mist?

Eager to push his limits, James ate more perception fruits. This time, it took over 50 fruits—enough to nearly fill him—before his perception upgraded to the next level.

[Ding! Perception upgraded to 3 stars. Range increased to 15 meters.]

The increase from 5 meters to 15 meters meant a tripling of the radius and a 27-fold increase in the volume of his perception field!

Suddenly, James's "vision" expanded dramatically.

Sunshine Garden was a tower-style building with eight units per floor. James lived on the second-highest floor, the 33rd.

With his new perception, James could sense everything from the 33rd floor down to the 27th—56 apartments in total.

After reaching 3 stars, the glowing outlines of people and objects became clearer and more defined. James could now distinguish genders with ease.

"One, two, three..."

"Thirteen occupied apartments, 21 people total—12 women and 9 men."

James silently counted the occupants.

He also noticed that among all these people, only he and Shirley Inr had exceptionally bright glows, far more radiant than anyone else's.

However, his glow was noticeably brighter than Shirley's.

"This must be the result of awakening an ability. The others don't have abilities yet, so their glows are dimmer."

He also "saw" a giant dog curled up and sleeping in an apartment on the 28th floor. It was likely the mutated dog from earlier.

The dog's glow was incredibly bright.

If James's glow was like a candle, then the mutated dog's glow was akin to a flashlight!

James watched the dog cautiously. He wouldn't dare leave his apartment until he was sure he could handle it.

Afterward, James began exercising—push-ups, sit-ups, weighted squats...

In this post-apocalyptic world, physical fitness was paramount.

If I can outrun others, I'll have a better chance of surviving.

"It'd be great to have a treadmill," he thought as he worked out. Or maybe a stationary bike...

Meanwhile, Shirley Inr sat curled up on the bed, lost in thought.

Too much had happened that day. She had lost her virginity—a burden she'd carried for over 20 years—to a man she barely knew. Her mind was in turmoil.

She couldn't help but think about James Lon.

He was a capricious devil!

He had been cruel and relentless, showing no pity for her, and her body still ached.

Yet he had casually given her an ability fruit.

Though James spoke harshly and acted roughly, Shirley found it hard to truly hate him.

In this apocalypse, what use is a man with sweet words?

Shirley unknowingly reached for her phone again.

The internet was still filled with bad news.

Mutation was rampant everywhere, and the government had yet to announce any large-scale rescue plans, only calling for self-reliance.

But people are starving—how can they save themselves?

Despair settled over Shirley again.

At that moment, James walked in.

Startled, Shirley quickly stood up.

"B-brother... what is it?"

James pulled out a black Nephelium and smirked.

"Call me Master. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll reward you with another one."

This was the second fruit from the succulent plant.

Shirley's eyes lit up when she saw it was another ability fruit. Ecstatic, she repeatedly thanked him,

"Thank you, Master! Thank you so much!"

Her glow became even brighter, completely green without any trace of hostility.

Eagerly, Shirley ate the fruit.

[Ding! Shirley Inr consumed one Enlightenment Fruit (Physical Enhancement). 200 fruits have been returned and placed in the spatial backpack.]

[Enlightenment Fruit (Physical Enhancement): 1-star. Increases overall physical fitness. Repeated consumption may increase star level.]

After eating, Shirley looked at herself in surprise.

"I feel stronger!"

She eagerly tested her strength by lifting the bedside table, which she did with ease.

James observed calmly.

"This is a physical enhancement. It improves your physical fitness."

Shirley was overjoyed.

Moments later, she noticed black gunk being expelled from her skin. It looked filthy.

Being a clean freak, Shirley rushed to the bathroom to shower.

This is like a mythical cleansing of the body, James thought.

He flipped his hand, producing another physical enhancement fruit, and ate it without hesitation.

Instantly, James felt power coursing through him. His body brimmed with energy, and he felt like he could punch through the floor.

The sensation of sudden strength was exhilarating, and he understood why Shirley had been so excited earlier.

[Physical Enhancement: 1-star. +5 to overall physical fitness.]

[Ding! Attribute Panel unlocked!]

Attribute panel?

James opened it in his mind and saw a simple interface:

[James Lone]

[Overall Physical Fitness: 15] (Average for a normal adult: 10)

Holy crap! My fitness increased by 50% in an instant!

Without hesitation, James began eating more physical enhancement fruits.

He didn't care about the black gunk on his skin; he could shower later.

One, two, three...

It took over 30 fruits before the system notified him:

[Ding! Physical Enhancement upgraded to 2 stars. +15 to overall physical fitness.]

James felt an unparalleled sense of comfort, as though he were floating.

But he wasn't done. In the apocalypse, strength is survival!

He ate over 100 more fruits, nearly making himself sick, before finally reaching 3 stars.

[Ding! Physical Enhancement upgraded to 3 stars. +40 to overall physical fitness.]

By now, James's physique had visibly transformed.

His abdomen now displayed eight-pack abs that looked like chiseled steel. His muscles rippled like tightly coiled steel cables, exuding explosive power.

The average person's fitness is 10, and I'm at 50!

James realized that in addition to enhanced strength, his speed, reflexes, and sensory acuity had also improved.

He tested his perception ability and found that its stamina drain was now negligible—like taking a leisurely walk. He could maintain it for at least 10 hours or more.

Improving my physical fitness by five times results in benefits far greater than fivefold!

James also noticed that his glow had brightened significantly, surpassing even the mutated dog on the 28th floor.

Curious about his new strength, James punched the wall.

Boom!

The paint cracked and flaked off, revealing fractured hollow bricks beneath.

James felt only a slight vibration in his arm, with no pain at all.

Delighted, he punched again.

Boom! Boom!

Large sections of paint fell, and the hollow bricks beneath crumbled.

James grabbed a piece of the hollow brick, his fingers digging into it like steel pincers.

Crack!

With a sharp pull, James tore the brick free.

Crash!

A chunk of hollow brick came out in his hand!