"Lucas, brother, what a move you pulled off!" Ethan Cole said, his eyes brimming with admiration. "Did you already predict that woman wouldn't dare kill me?"
Lucas Kane's expression remained calm, his tone sharp as a blade. "Don't flatter yourself. My goal was to kill her. Whether you lived or died had nothing to do with me."
Ethan inhaled sharply, an embarrassed smile tugging at his lips. "You really are merciless. Still… regardless, thank you for saving us. I promised you supplies, and I'll keep my word."
No sooner had he spoken than hurried footsteps echoed from the mouth of the alley. Survivors who had stayed behind to inventory resources were making their way in. Unable to find Ethan and the others, they'd grown worried and come searching—only to be greeted by the sight of blood-soaked corpses scattered across the alley.
The stench of iron hung heavy in the air, so thick that several retched violently at the gruesome display.
"Boss… what happened here? Were these… zombies?" asked Ryan Blake, the man in charge of resource management.
Ethan shook his head. His face hardened. "No. These were Neon Survivors. That woman was one of them too. They lured us in to kill us and steal our supplies. If not for Lucas, we'd already be corpses ourselves. Quick, hand over half of what we collected from the supermarket to Mr. Kane!"
"What? Half? That much?" Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Do as you're told!" snapped one of the two young survivors still pale with terror. "This man slaughtered four in a single strike! He said it himself—either we give him half, or he takes everything and kills us all. You're the accountant, Ryan. Do the math. Which choice is wiser?"
Ryan froze. These weren't men easily frightened—they were reckless hotheads who had once charged headlong into packs of three or four zombies. Yet now, they trembled, unable to stand steady. What had Lucas shown them to leave such fear branded in their bones?
Ethan noticed Lucas's faintly impatient look and quickly pressed on. "Enough debate. Give him half. And make sure it's exact—no skimming, no tricks. This is an order!"
Ryan let out a low groan of frustration, then began unloading crates one by one. Because he managed the camp's inventory, all Storage Ring Fragments found so far had been consolidated into his possession, upgrading his ring to hold vast amounts of supplies. He was essentially a walking warehouse—protected as such by the camp.
Soon, mountains of supplies filled the alleyway: instant noodles, frozen goods, snacks, spices, cigarettes, liquor, tea, soft drinks, clothes, and more. The pile nearly blocked the entire passage.
"Half," Ryan muttered sourly. "The noodles came out odd in count, so we threw in one extra bag of vermicelli. Same with the drinks—we added an extra bottle of wine. That's fair."
He pursed his lips but said no more. Ethan, however, stepped forward, his tone steady and formal. "Mr. Kane, rest assured. Ryan was a mid-level accountant for ten years. His professional integrity is beyond doubt. And our camp's principle is to treat others with honesty. You also know where our camp is located—we couldn't deceive you even if we tried."
Lucas nodded. "Fine. I'll believe you for now." With a wave of his hand, all the supplies vanished into the spatial depths of his Storage Ring.
Then, without pause, he bent down to harvest the corpses of the Neon Survivors.
Ding!
Congratulations, you've obtained: [Energy Crystals] ×350+70, [Mutated Fertilizer] ×3265, [Clean Cloth] ×1233, [Canned Luncheon Meat] ×12, [Self-Heating Hotpot Meals] ×33, [Sake] ×43, [Unknown Vibrating Device] ×12, [Professional Attire] ×3, [Nurse Outfit] ×1, [Handcuffs] ×3, [Whip] ×3, [Waterbed] ×3, [Strange Wooden Horse] ×1, [Sharp Katanas] ×7, [Dagger] ×1...
Blueprint: [Sharp Katana] ×1, Blueprint: [Enhancement Serum] ×1, [Enhancement Serum] ×15, [Recon Drones] ×3, [Off-Road Vehicle Keys] ×1, [Hotel Master Keycard] ×1, [Storage Ring Fragments] ×275...
Another massive haul.
Upgrade Progress: 1212/800 ×2
Storage Ring Upgrade Progress: [Fragments] 275/200, [Energy Crystals] 1212/100
Storage Ring upgrade requirements met. Proceed with upgrade?
"Yes."
Ding!
You consumed [Storage Ring Fragments] ×200 and [Energy Crystals] ×100.
Congratulations, your Storage Ring has advanced from Level 3 → Level 4!
Inventory space expanded from 48 slots → 72 slots.
Vehicle slots expanded from 1 → 2.
Next upgrade (Level 5) requires: Storage Ring Fragments ×500, Energy Crystals ×1000.
Tip: At Level 5, the Storage Ring unlocks the Building Warehouse feature—enabling storage of entire structures.
Lucas's lips curled faintly. "Two vehicles now, huh?"
Turning, he strolled to the end of the alley and slid behind the wheel of the off-road truck the Neon Survivors had driven. One tap on the accelerator, and the engine roared as he sped away into the distance.
Back in the alley, Ryan frowned. "Boss, we just let him walk away with half our supplies? We had eight people here! And we gave up half of what we risked a life to collect. Doesn't this feel… wrong?"
"Silence!" Ethan's sudden shout cracked like a whip, startling everyone. For a man who always carried himself with gentle composure, his fury was shocking.
Ryan stiffened, wide-eyed.
Ethan exhaled, his tone lowering into a steady weight. "It's just us brothers here, so I'll allow you to say that. But never repeat such words again. If they ever reach Mr. Kane's ears, our entire camp could be wiped from the map."
The alley fell silent. Ethan rarely exaggerated—when he spoke, his words bore the weight of truth. And in their hearts, the others knew: Lucas Kane truly had the power to do it.
Even Ryan, still shaken, glanced at the two reckless young men. Their faces were chalk-white, their bodies trembling, as if they were still caught in the echo of Lucas's terrifying presence.
Just what kind of man is Lucas Kane, to inspire such fear?