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

in the desert.

The sandstorm had subsided somewhat, and the edge of the basin, which was partially obscured by sand dunes in the distance, was now faintly visible.

Su Mu and Lin Yuwei walked side by side on the sand ridge. Under their feet was sand that had been soaked by rain and hardened again, making it feel more solid than usual.

The two were very close to the Loulan ruins. According to the map, they should be able to see the stone foundation that Zhou Zhenguo and his team had discovered in less than two kilometers.

Just then, a system announcement sounded.

[Announcement: Cable 47291 (merged) is challenging Cable 886 (merged).]

[Rules: During the challenge, members of both teams may choose to land in areas that the other team has traversed.]

[Winning requires meeting any of the following conditions: the average level of all players on the cableway reaches 12; the average level of all players on the cable car reaches 6; the individual level (priority) reaches 15; or the individual cable car level (priority) reaches 7.]

At this moment, Su Mu received another notification.

[Your current personal level is detected to be above 15. Since you already met the winning conditions when the opponent challenged you, you have the following three options:]

[I. If you choose to win directly, this player will receive 20% of the challenger's resources and experience for the first three days (evenly distributed), and you will receive an additional 1%.]

[II. Before the opponent wins, prioritize obtaining the total experience from levels 13 to 15. This cable will receive 20% of the challenger's resources and experience for the first three days (evenly distributed), and you will receive an additional 2% experience.]

[Part Three: Disengage from this Challenge.]

Please make your choice within 30 minutes.

Su Mu paused for a moment.

Lin Yuwei also heard the announcement at the same time. She was stunned for a moment, then frowned: "South Korea? They're here to challenge us?"

She turned to look at Su Mu, her tone full of confusion: "Their highest level is only 10, and they're challenging us? Isn't that just giving away experience and resources?"

Su Mu did not answer immediately.

He looked at the three options on the panel, his gaze lingered on the second option for two seconds, and then made his selection.

[Option 2.]

After making his choice, he finally spoke: "Of course they didn't come to deliver it."

Lin Yuwei looked at him.

Su Mu continued walking forward, his tone calm: "They came to challenge us, not to level up by killing monsters. They know they can't catch up with me, so they only have one goal... to prevent us from leveling up."

Lin Yuwei frowned even more deeply: "You want to prevent us from leveling up?"

"That's right," Su Mu said. "If it were just a normal challenge, they would be at a huge disadvantage. But they still came, which means they have confidence. And that confidence doesn't come from within themselves."

Lin Yuwei's pupils contracted slightly: "You mean... the United States and Japan?"

"Highly likely," Su Mu said. "It's even possible that the three have already joined forces. They'll let South Korea launch the challenge first, muddying the waters, and then the US and Japan will follow suit and press forward. They're using three lines of attack on one of our targets, and they think they have a chance."

Lin Yuwei was silent for a few seconds, then her face darkened: "That's troublesome. With the three cables combined, they'll have far more people than us. The Loulan Ancient City is already a mixed bag; if they get in early, they'll definitely be the first to grab the unsealing stones."

Su Mu nodded: "That's why we have to be careful. There are other dangers in Loulan besides the Unsealing Stone. If they want to come, let them come. But don't give them a chance to surround us."

Lin Yuwei glanced at him and softly hummed in agreement.

Meanwhile, the public channel of the 886 cable has been destroyed.

"South Korean cables are challenging us? Are they out of their minds?"

"No way, their highest level is only 10, right? How are we supposed to fight them?"

"I checked, and the highest level in their channel is only 10, which they reached by stacking up challenge win streaks. It's impossible for the hidden level to be 11."

"Then what are they here for? To deliver resources?"

The chat was initially filled with laughter, but people quickly realized what was happening.

"Wait. They dare to challenge us at a time like this; they're definitely not here to die."

"That's right. They knew Su Mu was already level 13 or higher, yet they still dared to launch a challenge, which shows they weren't afraid of losing at all."

"What are they trying to do?"

"Could it be for the ancient city of Loulan? They can land in the area we pass through during the challenge, and if they act quickly, they can enter the arena ahead of time."

"But that's too much to ask. Losing the challenge will deduct 20% of your experience and resources, just to enter Loulan two days earlier? That's too high a price to pay."

"Unless they have a deeper hand."

The channel was silent for a few seconds.

Then a message popped up.

"Japan. The United States. You remember them, right? We defeated Japan before, and the United States also suffered losses at our hands. What if these three sides joined forces?"

"Hold."

"South Korea, Japan, and the United States—three cables are being routed to target us?"

"No wonder South Korea dared to challenge them; it turns out they have someone backing them up."

"They're clearly trying to steal the sealing stone from the ancient city of Loulan!"

"They're operating from three lines, and their numbers are several times ours. Once they get in, they'll definitely surround us first."

"It's too dirty. We found the ancient city of Loulan first, and they came to rob it right away."

"Scolding won't help. We need to think of something. Has Su Mu found out yet?"

"You should know by now. The announcement was broadcast throughout the entire region."

Zhou Zhenguo's message quickly appeared in the guild channel: "Don't panic. The Korean challenge is just the first step; they'll definitely have more to do. Before the Loulan Ancient City opens, no one should act alone. The core team should stay together as much as possible and avoid being picked off one by one."

Han Lei also sent a message: "They have a three-pronged attack and a numerical advantage, but we have Su Mu. If it really comes down to a fight, it's not certain who will come out on top."

Zhao Hongyuan was silent for a moment, then added, "Let's see how Su Mu arranges things. He should have his own judgment."

........