Translator: AnubisTL
Another seven days passed.
The Tier 2 Iron Ore mine at the bottom of the Doomsday Abyss had been completely exhausted through relentless labor, yielding a total of 110,000 units of iron ore.
All the slaves were now working on the Tier 2 Copper Mine.
Once this copper mine was fully exploited, it would be time to officially leave the Doomsday Abyss.
According to his original plan, he was supposed to attend the Gathering today.
But...
An unexpected situation had arisen, forcing the Gathering to be temporarily canceled.
Since last night, dozens of tornadoes had been rampaging across the wasteland, indiscriminately tearing through everything in their path. Any train or monster caught in their vortex was hurled high into the sky before plummeting back to earth.
Across the wasteland, countless trains were now racing against death, desperately dodging the tornadoes' deadly embrace. Even monsters were fleeing in terror. Fortunately, the Doomsday Abyss remained safe, unaffected by the tornadoes' fury.
"Well then..."
Chen Mang shook his head, not giving it much thought. If he couldn't attend this Gathering, he'd just wait for the next one. There was no need to rush. He had mined a lot of iron ore recently, so he decided to upgrade the remaining accessories.
He stood up and glanced around the locomotive cabin, finally focusing on the "Single Bed"—an unremarkable white-grade accessory he had snatched from Master Kun.
Now that he had more resources, he could give it a try. He wondered what overpowered effect it would gain if he upgraded it to Tier 10.
He decided to get started right away.
After consuming 4,400 units of iron ore, he had a Tier 10 "Single Bed."
The upgrade effect was increased comfort.
The hard wooden board had transformed into a soft mattress with adjustable firmness.
As for the overpowered effects:
Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Pillow and bedding set can be freely chosen, including buckwheat pillows, silicone pillows, jade pillows, and more.Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Grants higher sleep quality and extends lifespan.
"Huh?"
Chen Mang stared at the Tier 10 Overpowered Effect of the Single Bed, his body stiffening slightly. Prolonged life? For a white-grade accessory, wasn't that a bit too much?
He'd heard about Single Beds that supposedly prolonged life countless times before, with many unscrupulous merchants selling them in his past life.
But this was the first time he'd actually encountered one that truly worked.
He quickly regained his composure, however. In the apocalypse, prolonged life was a false premise. Who in the apocalypse died of old age?
Even so...
He was still satisfied. Having something was better than nothing.
And...
The Single Bed was only Tier 10. He could continue upgrading it infinitely. At Tier 20, it would gain a third Overpowered Effect. If he had enough resources in the future, could he upgrade this accessory to Tier 100? Even Tier 1000?
Was it possible he could achieve immortality?
The path to immortality lay within this bed.
"Not bad," Chen Mang said with a satisfied smile. He turned to the next accessory, the Pure Water Filter. Though called a Pure Water Filter, after he upgraded it to Tier 2, it no longer needed to filter anything.
He could now create a bottle of mineral water with a single piece of bread.
After consuming 4300 units of iron ore to upgrade the accessory to Tier 10, he gained a new Overpowered Effect.
Each upgrade provided no improvement to the accessory's original function. The only change was the addition of the new Overpowered Effect.
"Pure Water Filter - Tier 5 Overpowered Effect": Long-term use effectively clears kidney stones from the body.
"Pure Water Filter - Tier 10 Overpowered Effect": Long-term use slightly enhances physical fitness.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow. Not bad. Paired with bread, continuous use for several months, combined with intense labor, should significantly improve his slaves' physical condition.
Next, he spent 500 units of iron ore to upgrade the Crafting Table to Tier 2.
This allowed him to craft Tier 2 Energy Stones.
Each stone cost 5,000 iron ore.
Its effect was ten times that of a Tier 1 Energy Stone—essentially equivalent to ten Tier 1 stones, but without the hassle of replacing them. As the train's accessories multiplied and energy consumption increased, this more practical and durable option became increasingly valuable.
Tier 2 was sufficient for this accessory. He wouldn't need higher-tier energy stones for a long time, and even Tier 2 stones were already excessive.
Normally, no Tier 2 train would use Tier 2 Energy Stones. There simply wouldn't be enough energy-consuming accessories to justify it.
He then spent another 9,000 units of iron ore to upgrade the remaining three Heavy Machine Guns to Tier 5.
Finally, he invested 32,000 units of iron ore to upgrade the armor of the two newly added open-air Carriages to Tier 3.
At this point, the fully equipped Tier 2 train was essentially complete.
Dawn had broken long ago. The slaves were already hard at work in the nearby copper mine, pickaxes in hand. Chen Mang stepped out of the train and stood a short distance away, gazing at the behemoth before him.
He felt a surge of satisfaction.
The train consisted of ten carriages:
The first three carriages housed heavy machinery like the Production Line, Resource Storage, and Generator.The middle five carriages served as living quarters for the slaves and thugs.The final two carriages were newly added firepower carriages.
The ninth carriage was equipped with eight Rapid-Fire Ballistas, while the tenth housed four 40-Tube Cherry Blossom Fall Rocket Launchers. These two carriages would provide ample firepower support.
The Stellaris lay still, like a slumbering Dragon.
Chen Mang raised his cane slightly.
In the next moment, all the ballistas, heavy machine guns, and rocket launchers swiveled in unison, aiming far into the distance. He possessed absolute control over the train, wielding it as naturally as his fifth limb.
Meanwhile, on the Regional Rankings, the Stellaris's score and ranking had surged dramatically.
Inside the train, Chen Mang checked the Stellaris's score on the Regional Rankings.
Iron Ridge Wasteland Power Value Ranking
Top Rank: Survivalist, Tier 3 Train, Power Value: 3010
Second Rank: Purple Cloud No., Tier 3 Train, Power Value: 2689
Third Rank: Stellaris, Tier 2 Train, Power Value: 2414
Fourth Rank: Black Tortoise No., Tier 3 Train, Power Value: 2312
Fifth Rank: -
Yes.
After several days of development, the Stellaris train had successfully climbed to third place in the Regional Rankings, standing out conspicuously amidst a sea of Tier 3 trains.
This was mainly due to its total accessory Tier, which had reached a staggering 169. Each Tier earned 10 points, giving it a whopping 1690 points just from accessory Tiers alone.
Normally, a fully equipped Tier 2 train would have a total accessory Tier of around 40. After all, one of the conditions for upgrading to a Tier 3 train was having a combined accessory Tier exceeding 40.
But Stellaris?
It had a total accessory Tier of 169—far exceeding the standard. Even a single refrigerator on the train was Tier 10. The requirement of a combined Tier of 40 was like child's play to him.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c160. [+10/+23.3k]
🎁All [3] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [600] Chapters and [1.05M+] Words.
🔔 Become a member before 8 August to enjoy 50% off. Just $3.