Translator: AnubisTL
"How wonderful," the middle-aged woman murmured, her eyes welling up as she watched the scene unfold near the Stellaris train.
For days, she had been mining tirelessly, just to save enough stellar coupons to buy a refrigerator and claim a small space of her own within the train.
It wasn't that she was particularly obsessed with having a private space.
But...
After the apocalypse came, her husband died before her eyes, her child perished, and she lost contact with her parents. She had nowhere to go, no idea where to go, and no idea what she could do.
Even if she lived to see tomorrow, what would she do then?
Nothing.
A person's connection to the world is forged through friends, family, and loved ones. When those bonds are severed, it can feel as if the world itself is rejecting you, leaving you with no place to belong. In peaceful times, there are many ways to alleviate this feeling, but in the apocalypse, it is amplified infinitely.
Even if she lived a few more days, how much longer could she truly survive in this apocalyptic environment?
In truth, many shared her sentiments. Everyone was deeply pessimistic and despairing about the future. Even while mining, their faces were numb with apathy.
But—
At the instant the missile exploded!
Her eyes welled up uncontrollably. It felt as though humanity had found hope again, as though the future wasn't entirely hopeless. One day, the Stellaris would carry them toward a brighter future!
In that moment, the train became the vessel of hope for all its residents.
The first glimmer of hope born from the apocalypse.
Perhaps she truly could build her own home within the Stellaris, find a family again, and the train would truly protect them forever.
In the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang sat in his chair, gazing with satisfaction at the distant explosion. This was the largest firework he'd ever set off in both his lifetimes combined. Fireworks, after all, were best when they were big and spectacular.
But just then—
The control panel screen began flashing red frantically. A long, golden-framed text scrolled rapidly across the top of the screen, while fireworks continued to burst around the edges. Simultaneously, a voice echoed in the ears of every train conductor on the Sha River Plains:
[Sha River Plains Regional Broadcast]: Congratulations to the Stellaris, the first mechanical train on the Sha River Plains to complete the hidden quest "Train of Hope."
"Huh?"
Chen Mang stared at the announcement, slightly bewildered. What had he done?
Then, several lines of text flashed across his panel:
[Successfully completed the hidden quest "Train of Hope." Legacy Value +100, Reputation Value +20.]
After reading the description of the hidden quest, Chen Mang finally understood what had happened. To complete this mission, over 500 survivors needed to harbor a strong emotion called "hope" toward the train itself.
These survivors believed the train would lead them toward a brighter future.
Completing the mission would reward him with 100 Legacy Value. The 20 Reputation Value came from the Regional Broadcast, which always added 20 Reputation Value for each broadcast in the Green Zone.
This was an unexpected bonus.
Chen Mang exhaled deeply, leaned back in his chair, and gazed out the window at the crowd. His initial plan had been simple: he just wanted to set off a firework display. After all, Tier 1 Missiles had no other practical use.
He also wanted to show off the train's power to everyone on board.
Instead, through a series of coincidences, he had completed the hidden quest.
Not bad, he thought.
Next, Chen Mang turned his attention to the "Sha River Plains Reputation Ranking." He ranked 6th with 50 Reputation Value. So far, there were only two ways to earn Reputation Value:
First, by regional broadcasts.
Second, he could earn Reputation Value by achieving a high ranking in the Combat Training Virtual Space.
He didn't yet know what Reputation Value was used for, but he was certain it wouldn't be useless.
Meanwhile, his Legacy Value had finally increased from 0 to 100. This was mainly because he couldn't use the Doomsday Marriage Certificate. Otherwise, his Legacy Value could have reached 200. According to the information he had gathered, a higher Legacy Value could lead to more fortuitous encounters. For example, some fortuitous encounter maps might have requirements related to Legacy Value and Reputation Value.
He decided to continue searching for iron ore.
After all the residents had returned to their carriages, the Stellaris gradually accelerated across the wasteland. As for the missile, it had only caused minor damage to the terrain without killing a single monster.
Twenty minutes later, the resource detection radar suddenly began beeping frantically.
"Hmm?"
A flicker of anticipation crossed Chen Mang's eyes as he quickly glanced at the radar screen. It showed three Tier 2 Iron Ore mines clustered together on the ground 10,000 meters away, with two Tier 2 Copper Mines nearby.
Damn.
This was definitely a high-grade resource zone.
Such a dense concentration of mines, all on the surface, couldn't possibly have remained unclaimed for so long.
But when he saw two Tier 5 Monsters and a swarm of Tier 4 Monsters on the target acquisition radar, Chen Mang realized the reason. Could it be because of these monsters?
Even if a Tier 4 Train couldn't handle them, Tier 5 and Tier 6 Trains should have no problem. There was no reason for Tier 5 or Tier 6 Trains to overlook such a rich source of high-grade resources.
Let's investigate.
Without hesitation, Chen Mang immediately changed course and sped towards the red dot on the resource detection radar.
Minutes later.
"Ah, so that's it."
Chen Mang's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the dark, murky swamp before him. He finally understood why no one had ventured into this resource zone. The high-grade resource mine lay right in the middle of the swamp, and the control panel screen displayed a warning: the swamp's corrosive properties were extremely potent against both energy shields and armor.
The lower the Tier, the faster the corrosion.
The monsters lived within these swamps. Now, with the target acquisition radar blaring warnings, over a dozen red dots were already charging towards the Stellaris, which was parked at the swamp's edge.
"Stinking Swamp."
"The toxic fumes and swamp water here are highly corrosive to trains. The lower the train's Tier, the faster it corrodes. Flying and burrowing are strictly prohibited."
This wasn't a fortuitous encounter map, but rather a high-grade resource mine with extremely harsh extraction conditions.
But—
While others can't go, he can.
His train's Steel Car Armor's Tier 5 overpowered effect grants immunity to corrosion from liquids, mists, and swamps, allowing him to pass through safely. Windfire Wheels are useless here; special wheels like tracks are required. But he has spider legs, which will also allow him to pass without issue.
Though his spider legs don't resist corrosion, their high Tier—a full Tier 13—means the corrosion rate is extremely slow. Even if corrosion does occur, it can be rapidly repaired by his Mechanical Nanospiders!
"Promised Land."
Chen Mang glanced at the information on the control panel, then at the red dots rapidly approaching the train on the target acquisition screen. A smile spread across his face. "It's like Heavenly Father has given me my Promised Land."
This land was meant to be his, and his alone.
In the next moment!
"ROAR!"
With a roar of fury, a dozen crocodiles burst from the swamp, their terrifying momentum carrying them straight toward the Stellaris. Carriage 12 was already prepared; eight rapid-fire ballistas were raised by the lift platform.
Locked onto by the Train Auxiliary AI, several long crossbow bolts shot out. Nearly all of them hit their targets, achieving a 96% accuracy rate. In an instant, three Tier 3 crocodiles were struck in the eyes and instantly collapsed. The remaining crocodiles, pierced by crossbow bolts, gritted their teeth against the stinging pain and charged toward the train!
The fastest Tier 4 crocodile, reaching the train first, roared and leaped into the air, raising its claw to slam down!
Bang!
With a deafening crash, the claw shattered.
Another swipe, and the other claw broke.
A bite followed, and all its teeth were gone.
The defenseless crocodile stared at its scattered teeth on the ground, then at the unscathed armor before it. A flicker of human-like confusion crossed its eyes as it instinctively glanced back at the two Tier 5 crocodiles behind it.
But then, in the next instant—sizzle!—vehicle blades, crackling with electricity, extended from both sides of the carriage and began spinning rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they sliced the nearby Tier 4 crocodiles in half, forcing the remaining crocodiles to flee in terror.
Tutututu!!
The four third-rate heavy machine guns mounted on the carriage locked onto the fleeing Tier 5 crocodiles and the other remaining crocodiles. As the dull, piercing gunfire erupted, a storm of metal bullets enveloped the area.
The battle lasted only a few seconds.
Like an iron dragon perched on the edge of the swamp, the Stellaris remained as steady as a tiger throughout the entire encounter. In the blink of an eye, the swamp's local overlords were completely wiped out.
The "Powerful Magnet" mounted on the locomotive flashed with a white light, sucking all the dropped items into the train.
"What a bunch of trash," Chen Mang sighed dramatically, gazing at the pile of monster corpses outside the window. "Three days apart, and you should look at me with new eyes. How many days have passed since I was that little punk who went to Kunlun Mountain?"
Tier 6 Armor.
Even if he hadn't attacked at all and had simply spent the night there, these monsters wouldn't have been able to touch him. Their attacks couldn't even scratch his defenses.
Even among firepower accessories of the same quality, their power varied greatly.
For example, the "Vehicle Blade" was far more powerful than the "Rapid-Fire Ballista." After all, the latter was a ranged weapon, inherently flawed. It was already an extremely rare White Accessory capable of ranged attacks, so its power couldn't be too great.
Unlike the Vehicle Blade, which had truly shone just now.
At high speed, even Tier 4 Monsters had to avoid its deadly edge.
This is the benefit of upgrading armor!
Back when he went to the Kunlun Mountain Region, his vehicle blade was also Tier 10, but he had to run from every monster he encountered. The main reason was his armor was too weak. By the time his vehicle blade could damage the monster, his vehicle would likely be split in two.
Only with sufficient defense could he afford to attack without restraint.
And...
The Heavy Machine Gun Bullet Production Line has two overpowered effects: the bullets it produces split mid-air and pierce armor, all at the same price.
Tier 5 bullets cost 50 units of copper ore each.
He had just used over 400 bullets, totaling 20,000 units of copper ore. Compared to the copper ore stored inside the train, this was negligible. Yet the bullets' power was truly dazzling. Each bullet split into three mid-air, and each of the resulting fragments retained armor-piercing capabilities.
In an instant, the Tier 5 crocodile's scales shattered, and the bullets pierced its flesh.
Both were Tier 5.
But under his Tier 5 bullets, these two Tier 5 crocodiles melted like snow in the sun, completely outmatched.
"Awesome!"
Chen Mang switched out his "spider leg" accessory with a satisfied expression and pushed the control stick, aiming the train directly into the depths of the swamp. He wasn't just talking when he said he'd slaughter Kunlun Mountain. What had he been developing for all this time if not to avoid a humiliating retreat when facing monsters?
Beep beep.
An alarm blared through the carriage.
External toxic gas detected penetrating the train. Central Air Conditioner fresh air intake closed. Oxygen generators activated.
In an instant, under the control of the Train Auxiliary AI, several accessories within the train sprang into action. The AI sealed off the train's interior from the toxic gas, while the rapidly spinning oxygen generators ensured an ample supply of breathable air.
Hmm, not bad at all. This Tier 10 overpowered effect of the Central Air Conditioner is actually quite useful, especially right now.
Suddenly, Chen Mang felt a faint sense of understanding the underlying logic of this world.
Bitten by a Seven-Step Snake? The antidote must be within seven steps.
A high-grade resource mine lies deep within the "Stinking Swamp," but entry requires a Tier 10 Central Air Conditioner, Tier 5 Armor, and special wheels.
And conveniently, the Kunlun Mountain Region was right next door.
Once he figured out how to obtain enough murphy stones, he could enter the swamp, where the high-grade resource mine awaited as his reward.
The logic should be as follows:
He, however, has transcended the Five Elements.
A few minutes later, the train successfully reached the center of the swamp. Before them lay a desolate expanse of land, completely surrounded by the swamp on all sides. No toxic fog permeated this area; the control panel showed normal air quality, indicating that the fog couldn't reach this zone.
And on this land lay three Tier 2 Iron Ore mines and two Tier 2 Copper Mines, quietly awaiting them like shy brides veiled in red.
"Excellent," Chen Mang said, leaping from the train and gazing at the scene before him. A satisfied smile spread across his face. The sun had just risen, and the morning was the perfect time to work.
Good fortune truly favors those who strive.
After taking a deep breath, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted, "Let's get to work!"
In the next instant, several carriage doors were violently flung open from within. Countless train residents, brandishing pickaxes, poured out of the carriages, their faces alight with excitement and anticipation as they charged toward the Mining Area.
"Stupid humans, stop pushing me!" Doba roared in fury, shoved aside by the surging crowd of train residents who had just poured out of the carriages.
"Foolish humans, what are you doing?!"
(End of the Chapter)
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