Translator: AnubisTL
The next moment!
The two figures collided, their movements chaotic and devoid of any martial arts technique. Only pure, primal killing intent filled the air.
You stab me, I stab you.
Pure and simple.
Thirty seconds later, Chen Mang, covered in wounds, pulled his bloodied fingers from Biaozi's eye socket. He staggered to his feet, then grimaced in pain and forced a strained smile.
"Can't do it."
Suddenly, a white light flashed. Chen Mang's injuries vanished, and he disappeared from the arena, reappearing in the white space. This time, Biaozi was standing beside him.
"Lord Mang... it hurts!" Biaozi whined, his eyes filled with frustration. "I almost won! I want to try again. I didn't hit a vital spot. You gouged my eye earlier. Can I gouge yours this time? I didn't dare before."
"Sure, come on."
The moment the countdown ended on the arena, the two men charged at each other again.
"Aaaah!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the arena.
Biaozi, lying on the ground, clutched a dagger and frantically stabbed at his own neck. After a few seconds, he dissolved into white light and vanished from the arena.
In the white space, Biaozi stared at the panel that had popped up before him.
Detected: Your mental state is on the verge of collapse. Do you wish to clear the pain and phantom pain to prevent lasting side effects?
"Confirm!"
After a few seconds, Biaozi, his breathing gradually evening out, finally exhaled deeply. He turned his head to Chen Mang, his eyes filled with shadows and fear, and trembled, "Lord Mang, having your balls explode really hurts."
"Can we call it quits?"
"Sigh." Chen Mang patted Biaozi's shoulder, still somewhat unsatisfied. "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Haven't you ever been in a fight before? When you're fighting, you always target the weakest spot first."
"Well... we usually don't go for the balls or gouge out eyes in our fights. That's a bit too extreme."
"Enough," Chen Mang waved his hand and continued, "You'll remain the First Team Captain. Over the next few days, select another twenty thugs for me. I'll create eight more Combat Training Virtual Spaces later. Each day, one team will patrol and supervise, while the other team stays in the carriage to train."
"Understood."
After leaving the virtual space, Chen Mang glanced around Guard Car No. 5.
He had spent 4,500 units of iron ore to craft a Tier 10 Refrigerator. After storing the two Combat Training Virtual Spaces inside, he created eight more and placed them in the refrigerator as well.
While these virtual spaces couldn't improve physical attributes, they did enhance practical combat experience, pain tolerance, battlefield tactics for different terrains, and teamwork skills.
It was a remarkably useful accessory.
Moreover—
Chen Mang had spent 45,000 units of iron ore to upgrade one of the devices to Tier 10.
The upgrade effect of this accessory was to increase the tier of the nutrient solution and extend its usage time. A Tier 1 Combat Training Virtual Space could be used for about 5 hours, while a Tier 5 version lasted for 9 hours, and a Tier 10 version could be used for 14 hours.
He also gained two overpowered effects.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Allows you to connect with other train users for ranked matches and compete for leaderboard rankings. You can only connect with users of trains at the same Tier.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Training in the virtual space enhances your physical fitness in the real world.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang smiled as he read these two overpowered effects. They were both incredibly powerful.
The first overpowered effect allowed him to connect with other train users for ranked matches. He had already seen this on the panel in the white space. For example, by entering this space now, he could participate in ranked matches against all Tier 3 train users of the Combat Training Virtual Space in the world.
Fair arena battles.
As his rank increased, he would climb the leaderboard, boosting his train's Reputation Value.
He had already learned about Reputation Value from the Train Auxiliary AI. Both Regional Broadcasts and climbing leaderboards like this would increase Reputation Value. He had experienced this once before when he achieved the First Kill of the two rabbit bosses, triggering a Regional Broadcast.
However, it didn't manifest then.
Reputation Value only becomes visible at Tier 4 trains. All Reputation Value earned before that is hidden and only revealed when the train reaches Tier 4, along with its corresponding effects.
The second overpowered effect was truly insane, an utterly overpowered ability.
He had initially thought it only improved combat experience, but now it also enhanced physical fitness, significantly boosting the combat capabilities of his thugs.
Excellent.
He liked it.
Yellow-grade accessories could only be upgraded to Tier 5 at most, so the first overpowered effect was something everyone had a chance to obtain. However, the second overpowered effect wasn't so easily acquired; it required Murphy Stones.
Most importantly...
"..."
Chen Mang's expression gradually became strange. Not all accessories had overpowered effects, and not all overpowered effects were equally powerful.
He could already imagine the scene: someone smashing two Murphy Stones onto the green "Crafting Table" accessory, eyes glued to the Tier 5 overpowered effect, only to find "None" displayed afterward.
What a mood that would be.
They'd probably smash the Crafting Table to pieces on the spot.
Who could possibly stay calm after that?
He glanced at the train panel. He still had 92,000 units of iron ore. Without hesitation, he spent 45,000 units to upgrade the "Built-in Space Stabilizer" accessory to Tier 10.
Each carriage, including the exterior of the locomotive cabin, was equipped with one of these devices—a miniature, level-like gadget.
Its function was to keep the carriage level and stationary even when the train was in an abnormal, non-level state. It was a form of black technology.
Upgrading this accessory didn't actually improve its core function. Even at Tier 1, it could keep the carriage stable even when the train was rotating 360 degrees.
However, reaching Tier 10 unlocked two special overpowered effects.
[Built-in Space Stabilization Device (Tier 5 Overpowered Effect)]: During rapid ascent or descent, train crew members remain unaffected.
[Built-in Space Stabilization Device (Tier 10 Overpowered Effect)]: When the train is in a vacuum, all items and members inside remain unaffected.
Two incredibly overpowered effects.
But...
He definitely wouldn't need them anytime soon. "Rapid ascent" sounded utterly foreign when applied to a train. His train didn't even know when it would take off. As for the second overpowered effect, "vacuum"...
Well, you can rest for now, old man.
Chen Mang glanced at the remaining 44,000 units of iron ore. It was almost used up. He decided to save this for emergencies.
Once they finished mining these iron ore deposits, it would be time to retreat.
Two hours later, the slaves began returning to the carriages in an orderly fashion, bringing back 30,000 units of iron ore. The two Tier 2 Iron Ore mines had been completely exhausted.
Then—
"Vroom..."
With the roar of the engine, the Stellaris train plunged once more into the depths of the earth, heading straight for the Tier 3 Red Heart Rock mine.
Two hours later.
The Red Heart Rock mine had been completely excavated, yielding 1,800 units of Tier 3 Red Heart Rock Mine.
One unit of Tier 3 Red Heart Rock Mine was equivalent to 100 units of Tier 1 Red Heart Rock Mine.
In other words, despite spending very little time, they had obtained 180,000 units of Red Heart Rock Mine.
Inside the Stellaris, which had already broken through the surface and switched to its Windfire Wheel mode, speeding toward the Mohe Hills, Chen Mang gazed at the 180,000 units of Red Heart Rock Mine displayed on the train panel, his face filled with emotion.
"This Tier 3 ore is truly amazing."
The return was simply too high.
If only they could find a Tier 3 Iron Mine.
Twenty minutes later.
Chen Mang frowned slightly, glancing at the Resource Detection Radar, which had remained silent. It wasn't entirely silent; it just hadn't detected any high-grade resource mines. Along the way, it had picked up a Tier 1 Iron Ore deposit 800 meters underground.
However, he didn't bother to stop. It would be a waste of time. In the time it would take to excavate the Tier 1 Iron Ore, he could find several Tier 2 Iron Ore deposits. He parked the Stellaris on the wasteland and left the locomotive cabin alone, walking off to the side.
He lit three cigarettes and stuck them into the ground.
After patiently waiting for them to burn out, he looked up at the cloudless sky above and murmured, "Heavenly Father, can you bless me with finding a Tier 3 Iron Mine?"
Logically speaking, the Iron Ridge Wasteland should be capable of producing Tier 3 Iron Mines. After all, even Tier 3 Red Heart Rock Mines had appeared, so Tier 3 Iron Mines wouldn't be unusual. However, he had never seen one.
After completing this ritual, he returned to the locomotive cabin and continued to roar the Stellaris train onward into the distance.
Hmm...
Had he forgotten to offer incense to Master Kun? Though they had some grievances in the past, Master Kun had helped him greatly after his death, sending him slaves, blueprints, and starting resources—truly a benefactor. Without Master Kun, his rise to power would have been far more difficult.
He was a man who remembered kindness. He should have offered incense to Master Kun.
He'd let it slide this time. He'd offer incense when he had the chance.
Half an hour later, the Resource Detection Radar began beeping. It had located a Tier 2 Iron Ore deposit 300 meters underground within a cavern, estimated to contain 150,000 units of iron ore.
"Tier 2 Iron Ore, huh?"
"Alright, let's go with that."
The drill at the front of the Stellaris train's locomotive immediately began spinning at high speed, accompanied by a buzzing noise. The train plunged straight down into the depths of the earth, quickly reaching the cavern 300 meters below.
As the train came to a halt, the Oxygen Generator kicked in.
Under the prodding of the thugs, the slaves disembarked from the carriages and headed to the nearby mining area to pick up their pickaxes and resume their work.
The rhythmic clang of pickaxes striking iron ore echoed once more through the cavern.
Back in the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang turned his attention to the final accessory he needed to build: the Single-Person Exoskeleton Armor Production Line. With the recent influx of 30,000 units of iron ore, his total had reached 73,000 units, easing the resource shortage.
He spent another 45,000 units of iron ore to upgrade the production line to Tier 10.
He placed the production line in Carriage No. 2, which he had designated specifically for production lines like the Pickaxe Production Line.
The upgrade effect of the Single-Person Exoskeleton Armor Production Line allowed him to craft higher-tier Bone Armor.
A Tier 1 Bone Armor provides a 1.1x boost to the wearer's comprehensive physical fitness.
At Tier 10, this boost reaches 2.0x—effectively doubling the wearer's strength!
This is already an absurdly high figure, but its effectiveness still depends on the wearer's base physical condition. Someone with naturally good physical fitness will become even stronger with the armor, while someone who is already weak and frail won't see much improvement even with a 2x boost.
Moreover, Tier 1 and Tier 10 Bone Armors cost the same: 40,000 units of iron ore per set.
Reaching Tier 10 also unlocks two overpowered effects:
Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Single-Person Exoskeleton Armor Production Line: Automatically repairs itself slowly when damaged.
Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Single-Person Exoskeleton Armor Production Line: Halves resource consumption during production.
The overpowered effects are rather underwhelming.
The first is only useful during combat, while nanomechanical spiders can repair the armor in peacetime. If there's no rush, one could simply wait for it to repair itself slowly. As for the second effect, it's undeniably mediocre.
The original price was already exorbitant, at 40,000 units of iron ore per set. Even with resource consumption halved, it would still cost 20,000 units of iron ore.
However...
This armor isn't just for thugs; it can also be used by slaves. Equipping each slave with a set would effectively double their work efficiency.
The problem is the price.
At 20,000 units per set, equipping a thousand slaves would cost a staggering 20 million units of iron ore.
Forget it!
With that much iron ore, why even bother considering this? He could just charge into Kunlun Mountain and slaughter everything in sight, wiping out all the monsters in that zone!
Moreover, he realized that his slave count and work efficiency were already quite high. A thousand slaves were more than enough. After all, in high-level zones, he was bound to encounter Tier 3 Iron Mines.
With his thousand slaves, he could exhaust a Tier 3 Iron Mine in a day or two, yielding several times more iron ore than a Tier 2 Iron Mine.
A thousand slaves was more than enough.
The real challenge now was finding higher-tier iron ore and mining it successfully.
He walked to the front of the production line. A sensor extended, quickly scanning him up and down several times before recording his complete physical information. After consuming 20,000 units of iron ore, a Single-Soldier Skeletal Armor perfectly tailored to his physique was forged.
It looked like...
the skeletal frame of a cadaver from medical school.
Except it was entirely black and made of steel.
Like putting on clothes, he pressed the armor against his skin. It felt weightless, almost as if it had become one with his body, like an extra layer of bone growth.
Boom!
Chen Mang cautiously threw a punch. A faint sonic boom echoed through the air, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. This thing actually worked! More importantly, it lacked the bulky feel of a mech.
It didn't hinder his movements at all.
Worn under his clothes, it was completely invisible from the outside. And it didn't require any energy stones; the armor alone was enough to enhance his comprehensive physical fitness.
(End of the Chapter)
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