It was precisely with the descent of this charged heavy blow that the nitrate ore began to partially turn into powder, splashing to the side.
At the same time, a system prompt appeared in Shawn's ear.
"nitrate powder +79 (60% bonus)"
Hearing this prompt, Shawn showed a smile.
With the combined buffs from tools and skills, a single swing could yield 79 portions of nitrate powder, significantly increasing efficiency.
In the past, Shawn, using the most basic Stone Axe for excavation, would probably only get a single-digit amount of nitrate powder per swing.
As soon as he thought of this, Shawn couldn't help but speed up his movements.
He continued until he had dug a large pit beneath his feet, and no trace of 'nitrate ore' could be found, then Shawn flipped out of the pit and returned to the road he had come from.
Looking at the 870 portions of nitrate powder in his backpack, Shawn was quite satisfied.
Shawn also made a discovery: after adding points to level three of "Motherlode," many faint small dots appeared on the system "map."
Upon closer inspection, Shawn found that these small dots varied in color and distribution patterns.
Without a doubt, these should be the minerals distributed in the surrounding area; the ability to actively discover minerals at level three was manifested by the system in this way.
"From now on, excavating these basic ores won't be a problem."
"However, there are some minerals that I still need to get more of when I have the chance, as they might not be available in nearby areas."
For example, 'oil shale,' which can be directly refined into a large amount of gasoline using a 'chemical workbench,' is only found in deserts. In areas with lush vegetation like North Carolina, it's impossible to find.
However, currently, gasoline can be obtained by dismantling various vehicles, so there's no shortage for now. It's better to save it for later.
Back in the car, Daryl was telling Merle what had happened on the other side of the jungle.
Hearing that Shawn and his group had eliminated the car full of fanatic survivors and driven Vechita and her companion away, Merle slapped his leg and burst out laughing.
"That's how it's done, brother! Don't forget we're a team, and I'll always back you up."
Daryl glanced at him: "What you should be worried about now are those guys entrenched in northern North Carolina. We need to pass through their territory."
Columbus interjected at the opportune moment: "There shouldn't be few of them; what we eliminated was just a small portion."
Unconsciously, Columbus also started using the word 'we.'
From the information provided by Vechita, this was a disciplined and ideologically driven organization.
They acted in groups and held strong malice towards outsiders. If there were only a dozen or so people, they wouldn't dare to act to this extent.
The only plausible explanation was that they had many more people behind them, which was one of the reasons for their fearlessness.
Coupled with their crazy mode of operation, this made them a potential enemy and obstacle that could not be ignored.
"Perhaps we can take a detour, would that work?"
Tallahassee pointed to the unfolded map of the United States, his finger tracing a circle from North Carolina, entering the left side of Tennessee, and then detouring into Virginia.
This was an option, but Shawn hesitated after hearing it.
He would need to return to Prison and then prepare defensive measures in advance to deal with the fourth Blood Moon.
Detouring through Tennessee would add almost half the distance of Georgia, making time a bit too tight.
If they encountered anything in Virginia that caused a delay, there wouldn't be enough time left.
But Shawn hesitated for a moment and then relented.
"Let's take the detour."
Detouring through Tennessee might be better than confronting that unknown organization directly.
Although Shawn already had a basic understanding of that organization, it still remained full of mystery in his mind.
Shawn still didn't know their exact numbers, their distribution, or the quantity and types of weapons they possessed.
Just based on their crazy mode of operation, perhaps taking a detour was the right choice.
Although it would incur some additional time cost, it could minimize the risk.
After Shawn made the final decision, Tallahassee drove the fire truck back along the jungle road they had come from for the first time.
After driving for half a day, they returned to the small town where they had rested last night.
This time they did not stop, taking a different fork in the road from the other side of the town, heading towards Tennessee.
However, this time, Shawn underestimated the conviction of this unknown organization and never expected their mobility to be so high.
Before Shawn and his group arrived at the town, a muscle car quickly sped down the jungle road.
The muscle car didn't notice the road on the other side of the jungle, but instead drove straight along the road, eventually finding the muscle car that Shawn had directly sent flying.
Several men and women, also wearing black neckbands, got out of the car. They squatted down, looked at the overturned muscle car and the survivors inside who had already been thoroughly killed, and said nothing.
They just fell into an uncharacteristic silence, their wavering eyes becoming steady.
The man stepped forward, lit an old-fashioned roller lighter, and then directly threw it onto the gasoline-leaking ground.
The flames shot up the moment they touched the gasoline, forming a wall of fire that surrounded the overturned muscle car and the dead survivors.
They stood in a five-pointed star formation, quietly watching from not far behind the wall of fire.
They didn't seem to worry about the muscle car exploding instantly and harming them. The flames flickered in their small pupils, and they muttered something under their breath.
It wasn't until the great fire gradually dissipated, leaving only a charred, blurry mass, that they finally said in unison:
"You have atoned."
This sentence seemed to be a comfort, and also a part of their philosophy.
After saying this, their eyes, as they looked at the charred mass, flickered with a morbid envy and anticipation.
Death and infection were not the great terrors for them; the great terror was hidden in their hearts.
The man from before raised his head again: "Gandhi and his group should be dead. We must hurry back and inform Elijah."
The man's suggestion was approved by everyone.
"You're right, brother."
...
On the fire truck.
The group still didn't know that all of this was happening.
They drove straight towards Virginia, following the border region of Tennessee.
"Do you know?"
"Usually, people seeking revenge prepare two graves."
"One for the big girl to lie in, and one for the little girl to lie in."
Tallahassee was still preoccupied, constantly muttering the 'carefully' crafted dark jokes about Vechita and her companion.
Tallahassee
"Wow, you're really something."
Daryl replied indifferently.
Tallahassee turned his head smugly, flicked his cowboy hat at Daryl, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, I know."
"But," Tallahassee changed his tone, "although you may not be able to compare to me, you are still a remarkable group of people."
"Especially that guy." Tallahassee pointed in Shawn's direction.
-------------------------------
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