March 24, 2025 | Author: Medieval Rabbit
Chapter 260: "The Standard Procedure Would Be Imprisonment, Then Execution."
Well, this was unexpected.
It was the first time he'd seen the "Drill Bit" attachment's durability drop.
This part had almost no mechanics to it.
Every upgrade's Supermodel Effect purely boosted stats—making it harder and spinning faster.
The move packed a serious punch!
Especially when the Stellar Train hit 5,000 km/h. At that speed, carbon-based lifeforms stood little chance. Forget Level 12 Snow Monsters—even Level 13 or 14 ones would be instantly obliterated!
The cost was just a bit steep...
The train's external attachments had been completely wrecked by the impact, their durability plummeting to 0%. They couldn't even be repaired—they'd need to be rebuilt from scratch.
"..."
On the control panel, the "Mechanical Nanite Spiders" sprang into action, swarming out in a dark mass to repair the "Car Blade" and "Drill Bit."
As for the other attachments, they'd have to be remade entirely.
"Car Audio," "Powerful Magnet," "Mechanical Tentacles," "Headlights"...
Fortunately, aside from the "Powerful Magnet," the rest were all white-tier attachments. Rebuilding them wouldn't break the bank. He'd never upgraded the "Headlights" before, so this was a good chance to take them to Level 100.
Crafting a white-tier attachment and leveling it from 1 to 100 generally cost about 508,000 units of Iron Ore.
After burning through 2.2 million units of Iron Ore, all the basic attachments were remade and maxed out to Level 100. The "Headlights" even gained a brand-new Supermodel Effect.
-
"Headlights Level 20 Supermodel Effect": Halved Consumption.
"Headlights Level 50 Supermodel Effect": Halved Consumption.
"Headlights Level 100 Supermodel Effect": Laser Beam—maximum illumination range extended to 10,000 meters with minimal brightness decay.
-
"Not bad."
Chen Mang glanced at the green-tier "Sled" and yellow-tier "Snow Machine" blueprints in the drawer, curling his lip. At least he'd secured these two, even if they'd cost him another 2.2 million units of Iron Ore...
Honestly, the "Death Spin" might be unnecessary.
Just extending the Drill Bit and ramming at top speed would do the trick. That way, the Car Blade's durability wouldn't take a hit, saving some Iron Ore. The damage output would be identical—at such insane speeds, the extra oomph from the Train Stunt's high-speed rotation became meaningless.
It's like how only inadequate men waste time on gimmicks like "seven shallow, seven deep."
Real men go hard and finish fast.
Still...
The "Headlights" situation served as a wake-up call. He'd been neglecting some of the train's basic attachments, leaving them below Level 100. Time to see what their max-level Supermodel Effects could do.
Take the "Refrigerator," for example.
To put it bluntly, if the Stellar Train ever became the planet's most powerful locomotive, that Refrigerator would deserve a spot on the podium during the victory ceremony.
No fridge, no glory.
The development of the train would be significantly delayed. Forget about its strategic attributes for habitation and storage of plundered resources—without this refrigerator, even the S-Class Potential Mechanical Train mission would be impossible to complete.
After consuming 502,500 units of iron ore, the refrigerator in the train compartment instantly reached Level 100. Upon reaching this level, its appearance changed. Though it remained a double-door refrigerator, whether due to an illusion or a change in material, it now looked far more high-end.
At first glance, it exuded an air of luxury.
-
「Refrigerator Level 20 Supermodel Effect」: Halved energy consumption.
「Refrigerator Level 50 Supermodel Effect」: Minimum temperature can drop to -200°C.
「Refrigerator Level 100 Supermodel Effect」: Within the range of the Targeting Radar, the refrigerator will possess the same defensive strength as Train Armor (Energy Shields are ineffective).
-
"Hmm."
Chen Mang silently examined these three Supermodel Effects. Spending 500,000 units of iron ore for these effects was undoubtedly a bargain—but he wasn't sure how they'd be useful.
-200°C was close to absolute zero.
Environments at absolute zero were exceedingly rare in the universe. While many planets had extremely cold surfaces, most only reached around -200°C. It was said that even light could freeze at absolute zero.
This effect might come in handy for Xiao Ai's experiments.
As for the Level 100 Supermodel Effect...
At a glance, it was incredibly powerful!
The train was currently at Level 14, meaning that within the Targeting Radar's range, hiding inside the refrigerator would make one practically invincible.
But...
What scenarios would that be useful in?
Would the Guardians carry the refrigerator during ground operations and duck inside in emergencies?
Or maybe Xiao Ai could dismantle the wheels of the off-road motorcycle and attach them to the refrigerator, turning it into a land tank?
Hmm.
Though the mental image was a bit abstract, it wasn't entirely implausible.
Once the Train Armor reached Level 30 or higher, an army of tanks with Level 30 armor would indeed be nearly unstoppable. The only downside was the cost—the refrigerator's upgrades were separate and expensive.
Still, not bad.
Chen Mang averted his gaze from the refrigerator and stopped dwelling on it. Instead, he turned to the screen to see how Biao Zi might die next. Biao Zi's endurance was impressive—he still hadn't given up and was now on the third stage of the challenge.
He was making quick progress.
Meanwhile, the Stellar Train had already begun its return journey. The mission was complete, and it was heading back to Crisis Valley.
In the "Land of Extreme Cold," the frigid weather had caused Energy Stones to deplete too quickly.
Soon—
The Stellar Train returned to Crisis Valley and landed on the ground.
Outside the window, Zhang Yi was piloting the "Pope" mecha, familiarizing himself with its controls in the open field.
-
「Pope.」
「Melee Burst Mech.」
「All firepower configurations removed, maximizing defense and speed.」
「External armor and built-in giant hammer are Level 12. Maximum speed: 640 km/h. A single Level 4 Energy Stone can sustain full combat for 50 hours. Detailed mech attributes as follows...」
「Requires operator Physical Fitness Index above 23.0. Full power can be unleashed at 23.5 or higher.」
「No Mental Strength requirement.」
"The construction cost is 1.08 million units of Crimson Heartstone."
-
An extremely expensive mecha, with a construction cost of 1.08 million units of Crimson Heartstone alone.
Back when they discovered that level 3 Crimson Heartstone deposit in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, mining it entirely had only yielded 180,000 units.
They'd need to mine six or seven such level 3 Crimson Heartstone deposits just to build one of these mechas.
But it was indeed worthy of being a purple-grade mecha, with terrifyingly high base stats in every aspect.
The most valuable component was undoubtedly the level 12 external armor.
In the entire Crisis Valley, no other train possessed level 12 defense except the Stellar Train. In other words, Zhang Yi piloting this Pope mecha could single-handedly take on a level 10 train.
Level 11 trains would be more challenging, as while they might not have level 12 armor, they likely carried level 13 weapons.
Its maximum speed was also exceptionally fast.
Standing ten meters tall, it was slightly larger than the "Thunder" mecha.
Only...
"..."
Chen Mang calmly gazed out the window at the mecha that was almost as tall as the Stellar Train. The mecha was currently wielding an enormous spiked club that appeared nearly as thick as the mecha itself.
It gave off the feeling of a child swinging a pickaxe.
Not exactly matching.
But—
The sheer force was overwhelming, terrifyingly powerful, exaggeratedly massive, flamboyant in its display, achieving twice the result with half the effort!
That gigantic spiked club had been the weapon of the monster they encountered in the train tunnel cavern. They had confiscated it after the battle. For some reason, when the massive monster died, the weapon didn't shatter but remained intact.
This weapon was level 15.
Far superior to the mecha's built-in weapons. Back then, a single strike from it had nearly crushed their level 13 armored Carriage No. 5—its power was undeniable. Naturally, such a heavy weapon was assigned to Zhang Yi's use.
The only regret was that the "forced block" skill had belonged to the monster itself, not the weapon.
Otherwise, it would have been perfect.
A weapon with built-in forced blocking—not only would its attack power be level 15, but its defensive capabilities would also be formidable. Back then, even after being bombarded by a level 17 automatic cannon for an extended period, the weapon showed no signs of cracking or damage.
Truly a divine artifact.
Excellent.
Absolutely loved it.
The next ten days passed peacefully without any major incidents.
They took a trip to another Blue Zone.
Didn't come across any level 4 mines—mostly level 3 ones. They mined whatever they found, leaving it mostly to chance.
It felt like a vacation.
They set aside one day to screen another new film directed by Zhang Yiren for all the residents. The female protagonist's popularity skyrocketed again—something must have gone right.
Many of the train's "working girls" pooled their savings to offer gifts to Zhang Yiren, hoping to land the female lead role in his next film.
Failing that, they'd settle for a supporting role with significant screen time—one that showcased their beauty and sex appeal.
This trend left Lao Zhu utterly bewildered. Unsure whether to intervene, he came to report the situation to Chen Mang.
After pondering for a moment, he decided to let the situation develop naturally without interference. This was the residents' own affair. The train would inevitably evolve toward an ecosystem, and the emergence of such an unexpected ecology was, in a way, a good sign—a symbol of vitality.
Though it did sound a bit eerie.
Over the past ten days, the renovations in Neon City had been completed. Chen Mang had the Stellar Train distribute batches of "Neon City Free Entry Tickets" in several Blue Zones and White Zones free of charge, securing the first batch of customers.
At this moment.
Chen Mang stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the "Sun City" entertainment complex in Neon City, flanked by Lao Zhu and Sister Qi.
Sister Qi pointed into the distance and began explaining.
"Lord Mang, as per your plan, nearly 60% of the still-operating shops have relocated to the vicinity of Sun City within these ten days. All the stores around Sun City are now open for business."
"The remaining shops couldn't be moved due to fixed machinery or other reasons."
"The business systems of all shops are directly connected to the core system you left behind, so all revenue goes to you, Lord Mang. However, I still need to remind you of something."
"What we're doing is essentially robbing all these shops. If their owners come looking for them in the future..."
"The standard procedure would be imprisonment, followed by execution."
"The non-standard procedure would be immediate execution."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded slightly, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the dozens of Train Conductors below. At the moment, over thirty Train Conductors were gathered inside a shop, pressing their faces against the glass as they curiously observed the bustling street outside.
Pedestrians moved back and forth along the street.
All of them were robots.
However, he had dressed these robots—lacking obvious mechanical features—in proper clothing, allowing them to roam the streets as passersby and create a lively atmosphere. Otherwise, the area would have felt desolate, far from the vibe of a commercial hub.
That shop was the starting point.
He had set it so that only on Mondays could they leave the starting point; the rest of the time, they had to stay there. The number of people was still too small.
Moreover, he hadn't used the name of the Stellar Train but rather the Serendipity Map.
The "Neon City Free Entry Tickets" produced from the ticket machine had customizable panel information. The credibility of the Stellar Train was practically zero—it needed to be built from scratch, as many had never even heard of it. But the credibility of the Serendipity Map was entirely different.
It was maxed out.
"Where is this...?"
Inside the starting shop in Neon City, a middle-aged man stood on his tiptoes by the window, peering excitedly at the pedestrians coming and going outside. "Is this the legendary Serendipity Map? It's truly extraordinary."
"The legendary Serendipity Map?"
A tall woman nearby frowned slightly. "What level is your train?"
"Level 2."
"..."
The tall woman rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "What kind of Serendipity Map is this? Even Level 2 trains can get in? Feels like it cheapens the experience."
"Hey, girl, that's a pretty arrogant thing to say. What level is your Train Conductor?"
"Level 11. Got a problem with that?"
"Never mind then."
The middle-aged man shrank his head sheepishly. "Senior, the map interface clearly prohibits train conductors from attacking each other. You can't just act recklessly here."
"What are you, chicken?"
"Even if her train level is higher, she's unarmed here. Why be afraid of her?"
Some troublemakers nearby started egging them on.
"You don't understand. It's about respect. It was already tough for me to upgrade to a level 2 train—I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to reach level 11."
"It's not that hard. I'm at level 12."
"Wow, there's a big shot here?!"
"By the way, where did you all get your 'Neon City Free Entry Tickets'?"
"I found mine."
"Me too, I also found mine."
"So you all just picked them up?"
"Well, not me. I killed a zombie and found this thing in its mouth."
"That's pretty much the same as finding it. If it had dropped normally, it wouldn't have appeared in that form."
(End of chapter)