"I don't like the awful weather here!"
Sitting atop the tank, Ryan sighed. He took a Mixed Color from his coat pocket and lit it.
During his time in Field Operations at Blackstone Security, he had made quite a bit of money. At Blackstone, Kolef and cigarettes had basically become essential supplies.
As long as they went on a field operation, the specialized Field Operations supply packs would inevitably contain two packs of cigarettes and three Kolefs. Of course, no one should expect these things to be very good—they were all the mass-market variety.
The Field Operations allowance itself was already quite high. Being given some extra cigarettes and the like had satisfied many people. At the very least, they had saved that expense.
Some nonsmokers would share these things with their colleagues or sell them to people outside the company, which also counted as a source of income.
Ryan had not liked this stuff at first. Mixed Color was essentially made for people suffering from nicotine addiction. It used blended tobacco that could be inhaled into the lungs in small puffs, satisfying the need for more and more nicotine.
For him, cigarettes were enough.
But on the battlefield, that oppressive feeling always made people seek some way to vent. To a certain extent, nicotine did an excellent job of easing tension.
With nicotine's help, people's emotions quickly calmed down, so it had also become one of the supplies.
Ryan had nearly died more than once, and he began smoking more after every military operation.
Soon, smoking could no longer bring him any greater pleasure, and he began consuming Kolef.
At first, the intense nicotine accompanied by the terrifying throat hit made it difficult for him to adapt. It felt as though someone had punched him hard in the throat.