Another person beside the bald guy went down. James Lone sighed, "Man, I'm really bad at this. Looks like I need more practice."

He raised his gun again.

The bald guy felt a chill as he looked down at his pants, which were wet. Frantically, he waved his hands, begging, "No! No! No! Don't shoot! Listen, I—"

Bang!

A bullet whizzed past his head, scorching a line on his scalp.

Another person collapsed.

Unable to bear the terror any longer, the crowd turned and fled in a panic.

The bald guy, still in shock, touched his head where it hurt.

Pain was good—it meant he was still alive!

Before he could say another word, James Lone walked over and stomped on his knee, shattering it with a crunch!

"Ahh!" The bald guy screamed, clutching his leg.

James looked down at him and said, "Oops, sorry about that."

Gritting his teeth through the agony, the bald guy replied, "I-it's fine."

James continued calmly, "Well, there's no hospital around. You're clearly beyond saving, right? Want me to help you out?"

Fearfully, the bald guy tried to crawl away, "Get away! Stay back!"

James kicked him square in the chest.

He tumbled down the stairs, his broken leg hitting every step, unconscious from the pain.

The leg, now a mangled mess, burst open at the knee, spraying blood.

As the injury was beyond severe, he was done for.

Staring at his leg in horror, the bald guy passed out.

Bang!

James Lone shot him in the head.

As he walked past, James muttered coldly, "Passed out already? Lucky you. I should have injected you with adrenaline."

Turning around the corner, he found the survivors huddled in the stairwell.

Byakugan, the husky, had a corpse in its jaws, slowly advancing upward.

Terrified, the survivors backed away, keeping their eyes on the large dog.

"Wh-what is that thing?"

"Where did such a big dog come from in the building?"

James calmly reloaded as he descended the stairs.

No one dared approach, and the crowd was finally cornered in the stairwell on the 31st floor with nowhere left to go.

Completing his reload, James engaged the safety and stood before them, Byakugan at his side.

The survivors realized in horror that the dog was also James's.

James smiled lightly, "Hello, everyone. The principal culprit is taken care of, so there's no need to worry."

The survivors felt relieved for a split second.

Perhaps... they'd get off without consequences?

James pointed to a window at the end of the hallway, already covered in ivy, and said, "Alright, everybody, one by one, jump out of here. This will be the end of it."

Their faces went pale.

"Are you crazy!"

"This is the 31st floor! Jumping is suicide!"

"James Lone, please, I lost my mind for a moment—blame it on that bald guy!"

"James, you know I've always respected you! I even helped gather herbs for you!"

James sighed, "Come on now, we're all adults here. And adults take responsibility for their mistakes, right? Just close your eyes and jump. It won't hurt, I promise."

The crowd began to wail:

"I don't want to die!"

"Have mercy! I won't do it again!"

"I was too hungry! It wasn't entirely my fault!"

"Why didn't you share your food?!"

Suddenly, James roared, "I said jump! Didn't you hear me?!"

Silence fell, but still, no one jumped.

James coldly ordered, "Byakugan, take them out."

"Woof woof woof!" Byakugan launched at the nearest person.

Screams of terror erupted as chaos ensued.

"Why do you get to eat well while we starve?!"

"Help! Somebody help!"

"James Lone, you monster! You'll die a horrible death!"

In these post-apocalyptic times, who could guarantee a peaceful death?

James felt nothing as he phased through the wall back inside.

Listening to the screams outside, Shirley Inr Won and the other women were anxious, "Master, what's happening?"

James washed his hands in the basin, replying composedly, "Nothing to worry about. Nobody will dare cause more trouble."

Wot Andrew shivered, asking in disbelief, "Mr. Lone, did you kill them all?"

James looked Wot Andrew in the eye and enunciated, "When they decided to act, they should have been ready to face the consequences. Right?"

Wot Andrew nodded nervously, filled with dread.

He couldn't afford to cross James Lone. This man was relentless!

Winnie Morgan trembled with fear. This young man was even more ruthless than Delwen Dowlin!

The other women's expressions fluctuated with fear at first, but Elsa Thomas spoke up, remembering a scene, "Everyone, think about it—if they had captured us today, what would have happened? It would've been a mercy to die. We'd have been caged like animals..."

Remembering the potential horrors, the women found James's actions quite reasonable.

"Yes! Kill them all!"

"They acted first, so there's no other choice but to eliminate them!"

"Would we really leave a group filled with hatred, just waiting for revenge?"

James flicked the water off his hands.

Lydia Johnson approached with a towel, helping him dry his hands.

Satisfied, James sat down, his gaze falling on Wot Andrew.

This incident wasn't without its silver lining; Wot Andrew had proven his loyalty.

Though alarmed, Wot Andrew's aura remained a pure green in James's perception.

James praised, "Dr. Wot, you did well. You've earned my trust. From now on, I'll provide you with more and better food and supplies."

Relieved, Wot Andrew thanked him, "Thank you, Mr. Lone!"

Silence fell outside.

James noticed it through his perception.

Good, the survivors were all dead.

'Byakuga n' jumped up through the floor, covered in blood, its eyes fierce as it growled at James.

"Roar~"

The women were alarmed.

Was the beast going to revolt after the killings?

With its size, who could possibly take it on?

James looked quizzically at 'Byakuga n'.

Though its glow remained green, why was it acting like this?

Ah, maybe...

This dumb mutt wanted to challenge me for leadership, to become the top dog?!

Seriously?

I'm human!

Whack!

James slapped the husky across the head.

Thud!

'Byakuga n' yelped as its jaw smacked the floor, breaking the tiles with the force, leaving it dazed.

James grabbed its ears, lifting its head before delivering a flurry of slaps.

Whap! Whap! Whap!

The husky instantly came to its senses, its tail wagging furiously like a helicopter blade, whining to please.

Clearly, it had reaccepted its place in the pack.

Amused and exasperated, James gave 'Byakuga n' one last swat, "No beef for you for three days!"

"Woof woof woof~" The husky whimpered, deeply aggrieved, but no longer dared resist, with its tail tucked tight.

The black cat, Kola, meowed in mockery.

Wot Andrew returned to the 28th floor.

James pulled out a heap of food. Having been away for two days, the women were starting to feel the pinch of hunger, so it was time for a feast.

Seeing the abundance, Winnie Morgan was wide-eyed, "Wh-where did all this come from?"

Shirley Inr Won laughed, "You'll find out soon enough. As long as you're with Master, you won't worry about food or drink. Just settle in!"

James, pulling out more supplies, ordered, "Cook up something nice. Winnie, go take a bath; you're starting to smell."

Winnie blushed.

In these times, even if she could create water, personal hygiene wasn't a priority, so it was no wonder she didn't smell good.

Yet inside, she felt a pang of both assurance and trepidation.

Surrounded by beautiful women, she suspected what might happen.

But she had nowhere to run.

And why should she?

Observing the women's spirits and conditions, it was clear James treated them well, not as objects but companions.

Furthermore, James's recent handling of the rioters gave her a rare sense of safety amidst the chaos.

Reflecting on his multitude of abilities, she felt herself drawn to him:

"Perhaps in times like these, only a man like James Lone can truly protect women..."