Which of these two rewards carries more weight?
It varies from person to person.
For him, the Murphy Stone was utterly useless, serving only as a means to exchange for resources—like when he tried selling it on the Train Radio. But Mundo had told him that the essence of a "transaction" was simply receiving payment. Whether the goods were actually delivered didn't matter.
No one cared.
As long as the payment was secured, it was a good deal.
Now, even that sole transactional value of the Murphy Stone was gone.
Half an hour later.
Chen Mang stepped out of the train compartment again, empty-handed. There was no consolation prize, despite Er Dan's earlier suggestion that there might be one. It seemed only the pioneers received such rewards.
However—
Er Dan had successfully upgraded his train to Level 4 and completed the job-change quest for an S-class Mechanical Train. Right now, he was busy choosing one out of three Train Stunts.
To put it simply—
"Rare Train Token" + "S-class Potential"!
This was practically the perfect start for a Mechanical Train, bar none. Of course, this didn't include Chen Mang himself, since his Level 0 privileges were innate—more like a cheat code, not something just anyone could have.
Meanwhile, the robot lay discarded to the side.
Xiao Ai had already hauled it back to the Armor Research and Development Center. It looked like Xiao Ai would soon have two bodies to his name.
Not bad.
At that moment, Er Dan came jogging over, excitement written all over his face. "Lord Mang, remember that purple-grade Vehicle Component, the Gilded Jet Nozzle, you gave me? Turns out my Azure Dragon already had plenty of acceleration parts, so I removed them all. Just now, out of the three Train Stunts, I picked one that boosts burst speed."
"When the Train Stunt is active, my train can hit a top speed of 6,000 km/h."
"..."
The corner of Chen Mang's mouth twitched slightly. That speed was already absurd—practically on par with the top speeds of many fighter jets. "What about that red-grade heavy firepower you got?"
"Uh..."
Er Dan sighed regretfully. "Pretty much useless. It gave me an 'Armed Black Hole Robot Production Line,' red-grade. It manufactures attack-type robots, but honestly, I don't see how this qualifies as a heavy firepower component. It needs to be installed inside a Space Gate."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes. "Manufacture one and put it in a carriage, then hand it over to me. I think I might have a use for it."
"Sure!"
He didn't elaborate further, instead turning his gaze to the train behind Er Dan.
This was likely the only Level 4 train in the entire Zombie Basin.
Higher-level zones didn't permit entry from lower-level trains, but if a train was built within a high-level zone, that was a different story. The catch was that such low-level trains couldn't leave the zone—they were stuck there.
From here on out—
Er Dan would keep upgrading until his train reached Level 6, but that would be the limit.
To advance further to Level 7, he'd first need to clear a Serendipity Map. Currently, the Travel Frog hadn't cleared any yet.
The upgrades consumed a small amount of wood, copper ore, and 1.8 million units of Iron Ore.
The bulk of the cost went into Armor.
Yes!
Chen Mang directly spent six Murphy Stones on the Travel Frog, boosting the armor of Er Dan's train's locomotive to Level 9!
Compact yet formidable!
Small in size, but tough as nails!
Armor is superior to energy shields in every aspect, at least for now. It can directly withstand both energy and physical attacks without consuming additional energy, and there's no risk of the shield failing to activate due to undetected threats.
For a train with 17 carriages, upgrading the armor to level 9 would require a massive amount of Murphy Stones.
But with just a locomotive, the required Murphy Stones are significantly fewer.
"Go ahead."
After giving the Travel Frog 200,000 units of Iron Ore and 1,000,000 units of Copper Ore, Chen Mang turned to Er Dan, who was sitting inside the train compartment, and waved with a smile. "Go clear a Serendipity Map early, level up the train to 9 quickly, so you don't fall behind me later."
"Bring me back some good stuff early."
"After clearing it, make a guide. I'll go through it again to double the rewards."
"No problem!"
The locomotive before them was embedded with 5 Makeshift Heavy Machine Guns and 10 Doomsday Cannons on its roof—all salvaged and installed haphazardly, making it look like a spiky steel hedgehog.
Chen Mang even spent 2 Murphy Stones to upgrade one of the Doomsday Cannons to level 10.
Now capable of killing level 10 monsters, it also had two Supermodel Effects that halved its energy consumption.
To put it simply,
though small, this train was practically invincible in the Zombie Basin. No other train could even compare. The only downside was how cramped it looked with all these parts crammed onto a single locomotive.
Especially on both sides of the locomotive.
There were seven different types of Tail Thrusters—no idea where he collected so many.
Now equipped with Bunny Cloud wheels,
the train shot forward at an insane speed as the 14 Tail Thrusters spewed flames of different colors. In seconds, it vanished beyond the horizon, leaving behind only a deafening sonic boom and a stark white trail in the sky—
straight and clear,
like a smoke line across the equator.
"That guy..."
Lao Zhu stared at the distant sky where the train had disappeared and sighed with mixed emotions. "Does this count as a temp getting promoted? Straight from a lone wanderer to an outpost elder of the sect. Look at the treatment—instant upgrade, even level 9 armor installed."
"Lord Mang, both are Traveling Frogs, but this one's cost is way higher than Mundo's."
"True enough."
Chen Mang chuckled and nodded. Earlier, he had also loaded the Travel Frog with supplies like bread, cola, cigarettes, and clothes.
The Stellar was now almost out of Iron Ore,
down to just 20,000 units.
But with the Solar Panel Blueprint, daily energy consumption wasn't much of a concern.
Next,
he piloted the Stellar, its locomotive transforming into a gaping maw that swallowed the Azure Dragon and the remaining carriages whole, reclaiming 370,000 units of Iron Ore—a small profit.
Now with a total of 390,000 units of Iron Ore.
The Travel Frog's Rare Train Token had yielded two red-tier parts:
a Wheel Changer, identical to the one on the Stellar.
This red accessory allows for seamless and instantaneous wheel replacement, making it an incredibly overpowered component. It enables the vehicle to speed across the ground one second and then shoot straight up into the air the next without any need to change wheels, saving a tremendous amount of time. In the face of danger, it also provides a significant advantage.
Another red-tier accessory is the
"Stellar Afterburner."
Also focused on acceleration.
This red-tier accessory is considerably more expensive to upgrade. Even at its default Level 1, upgrading it to Level 2 requires 100,000 units of Iron Ore. For now, there's no need to upgrade it—but even at Level 1, the speed boost it provides is substantial!
"A top speed of 6,000 km/h… that's truly insane."
Chen Mang let out a light sigh before leaning on his cane and heading back into the train's interior.
Exhausted, exhausted, exhausted!
He needed sleep!
It had been so long since he last slept!
This top speed far surpassed the Stellar Train's maximum velocity. With Level 9 Armor equipped, he strongly suspected that if he installed a Level 10 drill at the front, ramming into a Level 10 monster at full speed might not even be a problem.
As long as the speed was fast enough,
and the level could breach the enemy's defenses, the rest of the destructive power could be left to velocity.
Soon.
Once back inside the train, Chen Mang didn't dwell on those thoughts any longer, nor did he continue tallying his recent gains. Instead, he quickly washed up and climbed into bed, ready to sleep. Before dozing off, he set an instruction for Xiao Ai to pilot the train in search of Iron Ore.
Sleep first.
Even if the sky were falling, it could wait until he woke up.
"Incredible!"
Er Dan, soaring through the air at breakneck speed, couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, reveling in the unprecedented velocity. But soon, he switched to the "Wind-Fire Wheel" on the ground.
Both the afterburners and the Bunny Cloud consumed a significant amount of energy.
The train only had 200,000 units of Iron Ore left—just enough to forge six Level 3 Energy Stones.
Better use them sparingly.
Even though Chen Mang could remotely trade him more Iron Ore if he ran out, Er Dan hadn't brought back anything valuable yet. Lord Mang had already spent so many resources—he'd feel too embarrassed to ask for more without delivering results first.
"Mom."
Er Dan landed the train on the ground, chuckling as he watched the Zombies charging toward the locomotive, utterly incapable of breaching its defenses. "Suddenly, I feel like the weight on my shoulders has lightened a lot."
"I don't have to worry about anything anymore—just focus on exploring the Serendipity Map, which I love most."
"What do you think?"
The next moment—
A familiar voice echoed from inside the train: "I don't have any objections, but I'm glad you remembered to bring me along when you switched trains instead of letting my database perish with the old one."
"Of course! So now—"
"Let the Traveling Frog bring back the first bucket of gold!"
"Where in the Zombie Basin do you think we might find another Serendipity Map?"
"I suggest checking the village again. There might be some clues there."
"Good point!"
Inside the train, a Space Gate was embedded along the inner wall of the carriage. Behind it stood five Refrigerators, along with his Thugs and some daily supplies. From now on, they would all reside within the Space Gate.
Zombie Basin.
The Stellar Train raced across the wilderness, searching for any traces of high-grade Iron Ore.
Along the way, any Zombies blocking the path were crushed into minced meat by the Train.
The journey was smooth and unimpeded.
It was mid-afternoon, the sun not yet set, though the sky over the Zombie Basin carried a heavier scent of blood than usual. Through the windows, one could clearly see the number of monsters outside had surged dramatically.
"Sister Chu Chu."
Yan Yao sat curled up on a chair by the window, her feet tucked beneath her as she hugged her knees, speaking softly with a survivor's relief: "I really thought we were going to die this time."
"I've never seen so many monsters before."
"Even the most terrifying nightmares I've had growing up weren't as scary as what just happened."
"There were quite a few," Ji Chuchu admitted lazily, leaning against the window in her silk slip nightgown, chin propped on her hand. "But I wasn't too afraid. If even the Stellar were destroyed, then no matter which Train we were on, we'd still meet the same fate."
"I've watched the Stellar grow from the beginning, so I have absolute faith in its strength."
"And—"
"Have you noticed how Lord Mang is really good at letting everyone do what they're best at?"
"Like Er Dan, who loves exploring the Serendipity Map; Lao Zhu, who excels at internal governance; Biao Zi, who prefers solving problems with brute force and calls himself a reckless brute; Li Shiji, who seems to have unlocked his genetic potential; and... well, us, who are just pretty."
"Lord Mang always makes sure everyone is doing exactly what they're good at and love. Isn't that amazing?"
"Is that... hard?" Yan Yao tilted her head in confusion.
"It's very hard."
Ji Chuchu nodded seriously. "First, figuring out what someone is good at isn't easy. Many people don't even know their own strengths—or refuse to acknowledge them."
"And to take those strengths and turn them into concrete roles in the post-apocalyptic world? That's even harder."
"I think I get it now. But Sister Chu Chu, it's still afternoon—there's a long time before bedtime. Why are you already in your nightgown?"
"Oh."
Ji Chuchu rested her chin on her arm, gazing absentmindedly out the window. "Well, last time Lord Mang saw me in this silk nightgown, he definitely noticed. I figured after a battle, he might need to unwind."
"So I put it on early. Just in case he passes by and sees me, then—"
"What if he doesn't come?"
"Then he doesn't. Opportunities come to everyone, but only if you're prepared when they arrive."
"Not all efforts bring rewards. At least nine out of ten efforts in life go unrewarded. But you can't let that stop you from making the tenth."
"You have to keep trying—life only gets better when you do!"
Inside the Armor Research and Development Center,
Xiao Ai stood still, surveying the cluttered space before him—experimental equipment, scaffolding, the Armory and the Armed Black Hole Robot Production Line nearby. Even the Space Gate, which usually dominated the area, now seemed crammed into the overflowing scene.
"I feel like my workload just keeps getting heavier..."
Muttering to himself, Xiao Ai strode toward the Armed Black Hole Robot Production Line, dragging a robot behind him—the very one that had dropped from the S-rank Mechanical Train Job Transfer Mission.
"Armed Black Hole Robot Production Line."
A red-tier component.
Since it could be called a heavy firepower component, it must live up to its name.
Night had fallen.
Chen Mang rubbed his eyes and groggily got up from bed after a quick wash.
The Train was currently parked beside a level 3 Iron Ore deposit, where 3,000 residents were diligently mining.
"It's almost midnight already."
He glanced at the time displayed on the Train Panel.
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