Chapter Seven: A Survey of Traits

“Brother Cao, there’s something you might not know—nowadays, most of the larger settlements have modified noise-reducing vehicles. Unfortunately, during that last attack, we had to abandon ours. If we’d come on foot to fetch supplies, we wouldn’t have been able to carry back enough to cover our own needs, let alone anything extra.”

I nodded. I’d read about such vehicles in reports before—the engines and wheels make barely a sound whether starting up or running. The drawback is a significant drop in speed, but it’s still faster than running and much less likely to attract predators.

Of course, that’s unless you’re too close.

They’re commonly used for travel in the wild, but once you enter a city, you have to be far more careful—drive only when necessary. While the wilderness is hazardous, at least it’s open. Cities are a different story, with ruins and streets creating endless hiding places.

“So, Captain Tong, what’s the plan? Why not lay it out for us?”

I glanced at Tong Jia. No matter what, I was a temporary member now. Everyone’s in this together, and since there hadn’t been any conflicts, it was only polite to show some respect.

The convenience store was spacious enough inside. If we cleared it out, it would be quite a windfall for our survival.

Tong Jia silently pulled a map from her backpack. It depicted the streets and routes of ZM City—a testament to the valuable resources available in major settlements.

“We’re about a kilometer from where we abandoned the vehicle last time,” she explained, “and we’ll need to cross two streets. Given the visibility and our movement speed at night, it’ll take at least forty minutes on foot.”

“So, we have two options. Plan A: we rest here, replenish our strength, and set out before the moon rises. It’ll be dark, but the predators don’t get their nighttime enhancements. The downside? No light means our movement is hindered—and last time, a Nightmare Fiend struck when we couldn’t see a thing.

“Plan B: we wait for the moon to rise. With moonlight, the predators are stronger, but unless we run into a level-three corpse or a mutant, we should be fine. The light also makes it easier to reach our destination quickly.

“There’s a third possibility—wait until six in the morning, when the predators are asleep. But we can’t afford to wait. We need to leave as soon as possible; people back at camp are counting on us.

“If we can just reach the vehicle, we’ll be safe. Its defenses are strong enough to keep out low-level predators.”

Tong Jia’s gaze swept across the group, lingering on me at the end.

“In summary, Plan B is riskier—if we get surrounded by enhanced lesser corpses, we’re as good as dead. Plan A is more uncertain, but it has its own thrill. Maybe we’ll be lucky and reach the vehicle without incident.

“Personally, I prefer Plan A. Also, my eyesight is different from most—I can see better in the dark than ordinary people.”

There was one more thing I couldn’t say: with another enhancement to my vision, I might see even more clearly—if my guess was right.

“Oh? Brother Cao, you have night vision? In that case, let’s go with Plan A. Everyone, get some food and water. It’s noon now—we move in an hour!”

“Understood!”

After giving the orders, Tong Jia looked at me with a new expression. Night vision is a rare gift—a few people have it, letting them make out shapes in the darkness. It’s similar to activating a visual ability once.

“We had someone like that in our scavenger team before—most teams try to have one, but if you can’t find someone in the settlement, there’s nothing you can do. That teammate was eaten during the Nightmare Fiend attack. With so many casualties, we were left completely on the back foot,” Tong Jia explained, then turned to the group. “By the way, we can’t all leave. There are five of us—four will go, but one needs to stay and guard the convenience store.”

Huo Bing gritted her teeth and suddenly looked up at Tong Jia. “I’ll stay! You all go. I… I wouldn’t be much help on the road anyway.”

“Alright, you stay. The three of us will go with Brother Cao to the abandoned vehicle. Make sure you guard the store well.”

After the arrangements, everyone picked their favorite foods and began to eat heartily.

Who knew if we’d come back alive?

In this apocalypse, it’s best to expect the worst every time you set out. Never assume you’ll make it back unscathed.

I walked over to Huo Bing, patted her shoulder, and said with a smile, “We’ll leave you this candle. A little light is better than none—it keeps the fear at bay. I admire your courage for staying behind alone. Some men wouldn’t have the guts.”

Huo Bing smiled awkwardly.

I walked to a corner and pressed the sun-shaped mark on my left palm.

“Level 1 Gene Ecology Interface activated…”

“New attribute detected in Gene Ecology Chain. View now?”

“Yes.”

Host: Cao Fusheng

Human Gene Unlocking Phase: Level 1

Innate Traits: Firearms Mastery, Neural Reflexes, Melee Weapon Proficiency, Close-Quarters Combat, Driving Skills

Firearms Mastery (Advanced): Inherited from Swordfish Captain Cao Fusheng. Expert with all firearms, including ricochet shots, gun kata, extreme reloading and disassembly, and pinpoint accuracy.

Neural Reflexes (Advanced): Inherited from Swordfish Captain Cao Fusheng. Years of intensive training and missions have pushed the host’s physical indicators beyond ordinary limits. When encountering danger, the host’s cells can trigger defensive, evasive, or counterattack actions.

Melee Weapon Proficiency (Basic): Inherited from the Traveler Cao Fusheng. Due to lack of specialized training, melee weapon usage is straightforward. (Note: This trait can be enhanced by unlocking more of the gene chain.)

Close-Quarters Combat (Advanced): Inherited from Swordfish Captain Cao Fusheng. Master of military boxing, enemy restraint techniques, free fighting, and combat arts.

Driving Skills (Advanced): Inherited from Swordfish Captain Cao Fusheng. Expert in operating and repairing vehicles, speedboats, and aircraft.

Other Traits: Locked (unlockable by advancing the Gene Ecology Chain or completing tasks)

Remaining Available Gene Points: 101

I skimmed through the interface. This gene chain had me figured out almost to the bone—nearly down to my ancestors, it seemed.

Swordfish Captain—a title that brings back memories.

Firearms Mastery, Neural Reflexes, Close-Quarters Combat, and Driving Skills were all things I’d honed as Captain of the Swordfish Special Operations Team. Whether “advanced” meant much was debatable—it was just a rating, after all. There was no absolute in this world.