The video began.

The Conqueror 8 rover was slowly moving across the surface of the moon.

The sky was the pitch-black void of space, and the ground was the desolate, barren landscape of the lunar surface.

And then, the most terrifying scene appeared.

A person suddenly descended in front of the camera!

Due to the angle of the camera, only the lower half of the mysterious figure was captured.

The upper body was bare, while the lower half wore an ancient-style golden pair of trousers. The figure was barefoot, standing directly on the moon's surface, where temperatures exceeded 100°C.

Even though Erics Peterson had watched this video countless times, it still sent chills down his spine.

Because of the camera's perspective, the figure's head and face were not visible, but the muscular build indicated that it was likely a man.

His chest and abs were well-defined and adorned with intricate, golden tattoos. Even staring at the tattoos for more than a few seconds made Erics Peterson feel dizzy.

These golden tattoos emitted a faint glow, forming an unusual aura around the man's body.

In the video, the mysterious figure stood facing the Moon Rabbit rover, seemingly curious about the machine.

Then, a giant flaming hand reached out toward the camera.

Crack!

The screen went black.

The ten-second video ended.

Erics Peterson shut the video off, his scalp tingling, unable to calm down for a long time.

This short video held too much terrifying information!

Who was this mysterious figure?

If it was an alien, why did they look so human?

If it was a human, the implications were even more chilling.

Was it possible that such a powerful being had been hiding within human society all along?

What was he doing among humans?

How did he get to the moon?

Why was he on the moon?

How could he walk barefoot on the moon's vacuum and scorching surface?

What was the purpose of the tattoos on his body?

According to NASA New York, this video was recorded five days after the violet mist descended.

Was there a connection between the mysterious figure and the violet mist?

Or, was the mysterious figure simply a powerful ability user?

Perhaps he had eaten a miraculous ability fruit and gained the power to traverse 380,000 kilometers of space?

What kind of fruit could grant such an overwhelming ability?

The questions were endless, and these were only Erics Peterson's speculations.

The purpose of NASA New York sharing the video with various research institutes was to gather collective insights and ideas for dealing with potential future crises.

As the situation worsened, the authorities could no longer concern themselves with such a distant threat, focusing instead on immediate survival.

Later, contact with the central government was entirely lost.

In fact, from the tenth day after the violet mist's descent, all communication with the Washington area ceased entirely. Not a single piece of information had emerged since then.

No one knew what had happened in Washington.

As such, Erics Peterson had not shared this video with anyone else, instead choosing to hide it for himself.

Since the video came directly from NASA New York, Erics Peterson didn't question its authenticity.

However, it wasn't certain whether other countries had received the video.

Erics Peterson speculated that, knowing the character of NASA New York's upper management, they probably hadn't shared it.

Even if they had, foreign governments would likely dismiss it as a fake, thinking it was propaganda meant to showcase the power of American ability users.

This violet mist disaster was clearly no simple matter.

Erics Peterson sighed, his resolve to create more ability users growing stronger.

This video made the origins of the violet mist even more mysterious and complicated.

The future was entirely uncertain.

No matter what, strengthening his own power was an urgent priority!

Even if the worst-case scenario came true and the mysterious figure was indeed an alien, as long as they could communicate, Erics Peterson could surrender and become a collaborator.

Of course, even as a collaborator, he needed leverage.

The stronger his own forces were, the more valuable he would be to the aliens.

Resist them?

Don't be ridiculous.

A lifeform capable of crossing the vastness of space and standing on the moon with its bare body was far beyond human resistance.

Erics Peterson's thoughts swirled as he carefully stored the encrypted military-grade USB drive in a hidden corner.

He glanced at his watch.

It was late.

Time to rest.

Tomorrow, he would have to sit down with Teresa Taylor for a proper conversation, and he needed to be well-rested for it.

An Alpha-class ability user was an invaluable asset to the base.

However, Erics Peterson was confident in his ability to convince Teresa Taylor to follow orders.

After all, she was one of the ability users he had personally selected. She was one of the few in this era who still believed in the nation and genuinely wanted to help ordinary people.

"A good person... heh." Erics Peterson let out a cold laugh before slowly closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.

Pure-hearted good people wouldn't survive this era.

I'm only helping her live longer.

James Lone returned home, feeling slightly exhausted.

It had been a long time since he'd felt this tired.

The side effects of the Refinement ability were truly draining.

He took out some skewers of mutant frog meat and began eating.

Shirley Inr Won, noticing how tired he looked, tactfully approached him and massaged his temples.

Monroe Anne, meanwhile, lightly tapped his thigh with a longing look in her eyes. Her voice was filled with a hint of complaint: "Master, it's been days since you've come to my room."

James Lone chuckled, patting Monroe Anne on the cheek. "Don't worry. When it's your turn, you'll be begging me to stop."

Monroe Anne's heart soared. As long as James Lone didn't dislike her, that was enough. Thinking about the intense scenes from the past, her cheeks turned red with shyness.

James Lone swallowed a few ability fruits and continued eating the mutant frog meat.

As the frog meat entered his stomach, its warmth spread, releasing tiny bits of energy that nourished every cell in his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

After eating for a while, he felt as though he'd reached some sort of limit.

Suddenly, his entire body relaxed, and the exhaustion from using Refinement disappeared.

His body instantly returned to peak condition!

James Lone was stunned. "What just happened?"

At that moment, the system chimed in:

[Ding! Comprehensive Physique +1.]

James Lone was overjoyed.

His comprehensive physique had improved!

He had been stuck at 90 physique for ages.

Even after upgrading his physique enhancement ability to 4 stars and consuming countless physique enhancement fruits, he hadn't improved at all.

James Lone had nearly given up hope, thinking he would never progress further.

And now, he had suddenly leveled up!

Why?

What had he done?

James Lone stared at the skewer of mutant frog meat in his hand.

Mutant frog meat could increase physique!

Even when physique enhancement fruits couldn't, mutant frog meat could!

James Lone's eyes lit up.

From now on, he needed to eat more mutant frog meat!

And not just him—every woman in his group needed to eat it too!

Every meal, every day!

This would not only make them stronger but also ensure he could stockpile more mutant frog meat for himself.

The Violet Mist Era was far too dangerous.

The terrifying giant sea serpent had put immense pressure on him.

James Lone couldn't guarantee these women's survival forever.

If they died, he needed to ensure he had enough reserves to last until he could find a new group of women.

Monroe Anne noticed James Lone's silence and asked cautiously, "Master, what's wrong?"

James Lone suddenly grinned, picking her up in his arms. "Let's go. Time to fill you up! Don't even think about begging for mercy, haha!"

Monroe Anne shyly buried her face in his chest, her eyes filled with anticipation.

In the dead of night, James Lone got out of bed.

He glanced at his watch—it was 3:40 AM.

This was the time when people were at their most drowsy.

Perfect for stealing the Enlightenment Fruits!

With a smirk, James Lone tore open a blue portal and stepped through.

Five kilometers away, the subspace was a void of darkness.

The anchor point on Teresa Taylor's body illuminated the space around her, forming a glowing sphere.

James Lone could clearly see Teresa Taylor sleeping soundly.

When she was asleep, she looked soft and gentle, far removed from her usual sharp and commanding demeanor.

She was actually quite beautiful in her sleep, exuding a distinctly feminine charm.

As he observed, James Lone noticed something else: the dormitory area where Teresa Taylor was sleeping had dozens of rooms.

In every room, there were one or two people.

And every single one of them... was an ability user!