The whole nation is trying to survive on the cable car; I'm choosing one of three options at ea

There is no flame icon.

Su Mu's lips twitched slightly.

Sure enough, washing your hands didn't help much. Luck comes when it's meant to, and when it's not, washing your hands raw won't help.

He shook his head and looked at the three options that had been flipped over.

[Option 1 (Information): Area Awareness. Upon entering an area, automatically obtain the level distribution, estimated number, and danger level assessment of monsters within that area. Permanently gain 10 shield points for each unrecorded area explored. The shield can absorb an equal amount of damage and takes precedence over Constitution. The shield automatically refreshes if no attack is received within 8 seconds. Current shield limit: None.]

[Option Two (Personal): Enhanced Sense of Smell. Olfactory sensitivity increased by 300%, allowing for the detection of more subtle odor information. Rule-based ability. Note: Overly strong odors may cause discomfort.]

Option 3 (Building): Energy Saving Expert. Reduces resource consumption by 5% when constructing living quarters (granaries, water houses, planting platforms, etc.). Ineffective for combat buildings.

Su Mu's gaze swept over the three, almost without hesitation.

Option two, enhanced sense of smell... triples the sensitivity of one's sense of smell. Sounds impressive, able to distinguish subtle odor information, which is indeed useful in tracking and reconnaissance.

The problem is that in a post-apocalyptic world, there are far too many smells that are too strong... the smell of blood, the stench of decay, the smell of gunpowder, the smell of poison gas.

Three times the olfactory sensitivity means these smells will be amplified five times. Things that would make a normal person want to vomit could make him faint.

This isn't a buff; it's putting a debuff on yourself.

Option three, Energy Saving Expert... Reduces resource consumption of residential buildings by 5%. This is a typical late-game skill; once he has built all the buildings, this skill will save him a lot of materials. But right now, he hasn't even collected all the basic buildings, so the 5% reduction is practically nothing to him.

Furthermore, the "living buildings" limitation is too narrow. Combat buildings... such as quivers, traps, and fortifications... do not enjoy this bonus.

Option 1: Area awareness.

Upon entering an area, he automatically obtains information such as monster distribution, level, quantity, and danger level. This is an information-based talent, and an extremely powerful one at that. When exploring unknown areas, this ability helps him avoid danger, accurately locate targets, and at least double his efficiency.

What excited him even more was the following sentence: "For each unrecorded area explored, permanently gain 10 shield points."

Shield.

It takes effect before Constitution and automatically refreshes if the user is not attacked within 8 seconds. This means he has an extra layer of health, and this layer of health will regenerate on its own.

Ten points of shield isn't much, but it can be stacked.

"Every time he explores an unrecorded area..." Ash City is so large that it could be divided into dozens or even hundreds of areas. If he explores the entire city, his shield value could accumulate to hundreds or even thousands.

Moreover, the earlier you acquire this ability, the better. It automatically adds a shield whenever you arrive in a new place, and over time, it becomes a huge hidden asset.

Su Mu did not hesitate at all.

Choose one.

[Selection successful.]

The gilded card transformed into specks of light and merged into his body.

Su Mu closed his eyes and sensed for a moment. The "regional perception" ability was like an invisible map slowly unfolding in his mind.

But at this moment he was still in the cable car, and his perception range was limited, only vague information about the area around the cable car.

He opened his eyes and glanced out the window.

The sky was already beginning to lighten.

The outline of Ash City gradually became clear in the morning light... towering office buildings, low-rise residential areas, crisscrossing streets, and a tall building in the distance that looked like a television tower. The city was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist, so quiet it didn't seem like the real world.

Su Mu leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

He stayed up too late that night.

He hadn't slept a wink since entering Ash City last night. First, he dealt with the attack of the piercing beetles, then the thrilling escape outside the city walls, followed by handling private messages, researching new talents, and waiting for the cable car to upgrade. His mind had been constantly on edge; even though the restorative effects of the Blood Ginseng Wine made his body feel less tired, his brain needed rest.

He dared not sleep too soundly.

Su Mu placed the M500 beside him, leaned against the pile of supplies, and closed his eyes.

"Sleep for an hour," he told himself.

An hour isn't long, but it's enough for the brain to recover somewhat. Besides, it's already daylight now, so those strange creatures will be much less active during the day, and the cable car is safe for the time being.

He fell asleep quickly.

But he slept very lightly. Every sound outside the window... the distant roar of a monster, the whistling of the wind blowing through the cable car, even the occasional "whoosh" of the quiver... could make his eyelids tremble slightly.

An hour later, Su Mu opened his eyes precisely on time.

Without an alarm clock or any reminders, his body woke up automatically at the preset time, as if wound up. He sat up, stretched his neck, picked up the M500 to check the magazine, and then began to organize his equipment.

This was his habit. Before each landing, everything had to be prepared to ensure everything was perfect.

First, there are the weapons.

The M500 revolver, with its extended magazine already loaded with 27 rounds of 9mm ammunition, plus the one already in the chamber, made a total of 28 rounds. The suppressor was tightened. He took two more quickloaders from his backpack and stuffed them into the left pocket of his tactical chest rig.

Glock 17, as a spare. Although I don't plan to use it as my primary weapon, it's always good to have it on hand. 17-round magazine, two spare magazines, all loaded.

One M4A1 carbine, three magazines, 90 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. This is for situations that may require sustained firepower... While pistols are sufficient in most situations, the suppressive fire of a fully automatic rifle is irreplaceable when encountering dense groups of monsters.