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

As he stepped out of the alley, he took a deep breath of fresh air.

The stench had disappeared, but the line of bloody words seemed to be branded onto his retina, impossible to erase.

Su Mu leaned against the wall at the alley entrance and remained silent for a long time.

After a long time, he calmed down.

He remembered something... Judging from the degree of decomposition of the body, the posture of the body, and the state of the flour bag, the man had probably been dead for between half a month and a month.

This means that the apocalypse in this city will occur in about a month at most.

One month.

At this moment, a light shone in Su Mu's mind.

If that's the case, then besides the military, there might be other indigenous people who survived in this city.

Those who didn't die in the alley like this man, those who found shelter, those who were lucky... they might still be alive, hiding in some corner of the city, barely surviving on their remaining supplies.

Su Mu shook his head, not wanting to think about it any further. Those things had nothing to do with him.

He reorganized his backpack, checked his bearings, and continued towards the zoo.

......

North Suburb Power Plant.

In the darkness, the makeshift defensive line resembled a gray-black serpent, winding between ruins and open spaces. Rows of sandbag bunkers were stacked up, and behind them, soldiers held their guns, muzzles pointing outwards, aimed at the dark mass of monsters outside the defensive line.

The gunshots were scattered and muffled.

It wasn't a fierce firefight, but more like a rhythmic suppression... Every few seconds, a gunshot pierced the night sky, and a monster attempting to approach fell to the ground. The ground outside the defensive line was already piled high with monster corpses, some still twitching, others already stiff.

Inside the defensive line, on an open space near the power plant wall, a few people were sitting in twos and threes.

They were dressed in all sorts of clothes, carrying backpacks of varying sizes. Some were talking in hushed tones, some were organizing their gear, and some were huddled together, resting with their eyes closed. Their posture and demeanor were clearly not those of soldiers... relaxed, casual, even somewhat aloof.

These are the survivors.

The survivors who arrived here from different cables chose to join the military.

Under the military's protection, they spent their days grinding monsters near the defensive line and their nights resting in the camp. Within days, their levels skyrocketed, and many had already completed their class advancement.

Inside an office on the top floor of the power plant's main building, the atmosphere was far less peaceful than outside.

There were only two people in the office.

A middle-aged man in military uniform stood by the window, his hands behind his back, looking at the defensive line that was faintly visible in the darkness outside the window.

His rank insignia were obscured in the darkness, but his posture and demeanor exuded the imposing presence of someone long accustomed to a position of authority. His name was Han Zhengming, the supreme commander of the Ash City garrison.

Another man stood to his side and slightly behind, dressed in the same combat uniform as the soldiers, but without a hat, revealing a sharp, middle-aged face. He was Chief of Staff Zhao Huaiyuan.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Come in."

A young officer pushed open the door and entered, carrying a folder in his hand. He walked quickly, but when he reached Han Zhengming, he deliberately slowed down, stopped, stood at attention, and saluted.

"Report, we just obtained a piece of intelligence from the survivors." The young officer opened a folder. "A survivor witnessed a battle in the residential area south of the city... Someone killed a 20-meter-tall giant with a long spear. The witness said the battle lasted no more than ten seconds, and the person was fighting alone, completely crushing the giant."

Han Zhengming's brow twitched slightly. He didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the darkness outside the window.

"A giant of the 20-meter class." His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight. "Level 10. Maybe even higher."

"Yes." The young officer nodded. "Based on the eyewitness descriptions, the Titan's size and attack methods suggest it was a Special Titan of green quality or higher."

Han Zhengming turned around and looked at the young officer: "Is the information reliable?"

"Several witnesses have confirmed the incident on public and regional channels. Some people even took photos at the scene..." The young officer opened a folder, revealing a printed black-and-white image tucked inside, "but it's too blurry to see the details."

Han Zhengming took the photo and looked at it for a few seconds.

The photo shows a blurry black shadow and the massive silhouette of a giant. Under the cover of night, it's impossible to tell who the person is, or even whether they are male or female.

He was silent for a moment, then handed the photo to Zhao Huaiyuan.

"Check it out," Han Zhengming's voice was calm, but there was a hint of seriousness in his tone. "During that time period, did we have any special forces operating in that area?"

Zhao Huaiyuan took the photo, glanced at it, and shook his head: "No need to check. The special forces are all clearing the area on the northern front today, the furthest one is in the logistics park 15 kilometers north of the city. There's no one in the south of the city."

The office fell silent for a moment.

Han Zhengming frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed. He walked back to the window, put his hands behind his back, and looked towards the south of the city... even though he couldn't see anything from there.

“If they’re not one of ours,” he lowered his voice, “then they came down from the cable car.”

Zhao Huaiyuan placed the photo on the table and adjusted his glasses: "It's unlikely. The average level of those survivors is currently between level three and four, with the top being no more than level five. A 20-meter giant would be at least level ten and of at least green grade. Even among those trial participants we speculated were from the 'earliest batch' to arrive in this world... if they were still alive... only a few could solo a monster of this level."

Han Zhengming didn't answer immediately. He stared out the window for a long while, then slowly spoke: "If you're neither a trial participant nor a survivor... then what do you mean?"

Zhao Huaiyuan was silent for a few seconds before uttering the word: "Awakened One."

The air in the office seemed to freeze for a moment.

Han Zhengming's back stiffened visibly. He turned around, looked at Zhao Huaiyuan, and there was something indescribable in his eyes... not fear, but something deeper than fear.

"Awakened Ones." Han Zhengming repeated the word, as if he were pondering its weight.

Zhao Huaiyuan nodded: "Humanoid monsters, only..."

He didn't continue.

Han Zhengming raised his hand, interrupting him.

That's enough.