Translator: AnubisTL
"I have the blueprint for a headlight accessory. What are you willing to pay?"
A simple, direct question.
"What's your price?"
"5,000 units of iron ore."
"Too high. A White Accessory blueprint isn't worth that much."
"You're currently ranked first on the Wilderness Train Leaderboard. You can't be short on iron ore."
"True. Send me your train's coordinates, and I'll deliver it."
"..."
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, idly toying with a small object in his hand. It was a sharpened tree branch, still stained with dried brown blood.
He had made this crude weapon for self-defense on his third day after transmigrating to this world.
Once, he had used this very branch to kill a man who had come to provoke him.
Though the train's current power rendered the branch completely obsolete, it held a special significance for Chen Mang. During those early days, when he felt utterly vulnerable and constantly feared death in the wasteland, this ordinary tree branch had been his only source of meager security.
He didn't mind making a trip to meet this person and perhaps rescue some survivors from their train. He no longer worried about being unable to support slaves; the iron ore deep beneath the Iron Ridge Wasteland was all his. His only concern now was that he didn't have enough slaves.
However, the other person didn't respond immediately. It was only after a long delay that they replied again.
Chen Mang suddenly smiled. It seemed this person had finally come to their senses. Perhaps they had received some guidance from a wise advisor.
"1,000 units of iron ore, deal?"
"Deal."
Chen Mang suddenly smiled. It seemed this person had just had a breakthrough. Could someone be guiding him from the shadows?
Through remote trading, he placed 1,000 units of iron ore on one side of the Heavenly Balance. The transaction was quickly completed, saving him the trouble of going out.
As soon as he received the accessory blueprint, he immediately slapped it onto the control panel. The blueprint dissolved into white light points and merged with the panel, granting the train the ability to craft the accessory.
He'd actually been suspecting something all along.
Was it possible that all trains inherently possessed the ability to craft all accessories, and blueprints merely served as keys to unlock these permissions?
Rather than the blueprints themselves granting the train the technology to manufacture the accessory.
Though this was as pointless to ponder as the chicken-or-the-egg dilemma, he couldn't help but think about it.
"Headlight."
A White Accessory he'd seen on several other trains. It wasn't particularly rare, yet for some reason, he didn't have one.
It could be mounted not only on the locomotive but also in various zones outside the carriages.
He crafted three, placing one on the locomotive, one in the middle carriage, and one on the last carriage.
He then spent 4,400 units of iron ore to upgrade the headlight on the locomotive to Tier 10. This upgrade didn't increase the headlight's brightness but reduced its energy consumption.
The accessory itself could switch between high beams and floodlights, making it quite effective.
It also gained two overpowered effects.
Headlight Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Consumes one energy stone to instantly unleash an extremely blinding flash of light. The intensity of the flash depends on the tier of the energy stone consumed.
Headlight Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: None.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang glanced at these two overpowered effects, raising an eyebrow. The first effect was straightforward: a flash of light, a support ability. It was exactly what he had expected.
But he hadn't anticipated the second overpowered effect to be "None."
This was the first time he had seen an overpowered effect described as "None."
This meant that not every accessory had an overpowered effect at every tier. Some accessories simply didn't have corresponding overpowered effects after reaching a certain level.
Good.
It seemed he wouldn't need to bother upgrading the Headlight accessory anymore. Tier 1 would likely be sufficient. The blinding flash effect wouldn't be useful most of the time anyway—more of a soft control skill.
At least he couldn't think of any immediate use for it.
But when all three Headlights were connected to the engine through the circuit system, the cavern, which had been dimly lit, suddenly became blindingly bright. The intense light banished every shadow.
The power consumption wasn't too high, far less than that of the Oxygen Generator.
"..."
As the cavern became incredibly bright, Chen Mang immediately saw all the slaves working. He also spotted a dozen slaves squatting in a distant corner, relieving themselves. Sometimes, it was better not to see things so clearly.
The number of slaves had reached four digits.
Relieving oneself was a major issue.
On the wasteland, it didn't matter. On the train, they held it in, and when the train stopped for repairs, they could simply relieve themselves wherever they were. But in the cavern, that wouldn't do. So Old Pig had designated a specific zone for them to use as a toilet.
However...
With over a thousand people, nature's call couldn't always be held back. Back when he was on Master Kun's train, it was common for slaves to relieve themselves in the carriages. If the train was speeding along, they couldn't stop just because someone needed to go.
The train desperately needed a toilet.
But Chen Mang hadn't seen any accessory blueprints for a "toilet." If nothing else worked, he'd just convert two refrigerators into toilets. Their spacious interiors would be more than enough. He could schedule regular cleaning shifts.
It would be crude, but it would work.
He had to admit—
The Refrigerator was truly a versatile accessory.
When powered, it functions as a massive cold storage. When unpowered, it can serve as a warehouse or even a dormitory. Now, it can even be used as a toilet. Who knows, someday when I'm in a bad mood, I might even use it to make soap.
Truly versatile.
This reminded him: the train was getting crowded. He needed more roles besides thugs and slaves. For example, cleaning staff were needed to regularly tidy the carriages.
Earlier today, when he went to the Goblin Carriage No. 10 to check the Oxygen Machine, the filth made him reluctant to even step inside.
He immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"Old Pig."
"Yesterday, over sixty female slaves chose mining. Women aren't as good at mining as men, so pick ten capable ones to specialize in cleaning the train."
"Also, choose one young, pretty, and quick-witted woman—someone who isn't stubborn—to clean my locomotive cabin exclusively."
"Their compensation will remain at Tier 3 slave level, with promotions based on days worked."
"Understood."
After assigning this task, Chen Mang turned his attention to the Train Panel.
The train still held over a thousand Units of iron ore and over 130,000 Units of copper ore.
It had originally been 140,000 Units of copper ore, but he had used several thousand Units to kill a dozen pangolins in the Kunlun Mountains. While a crossbow would have sufficed, the Heavy Machine Gun offered faster damage output and a more reliable rate of fire.
"If I had slowed down, those pangolins would have all ended up in that 'rock serpent's' belly!"
Copper ore is meant to be used.
Being stingy and refusing to use it, thus missing an opportunity, is true folly.
The iron ore reserves are nearly depleted, but it doesn't matter. Once these slaves finish their work today, a large influx of iron ore will arrive.
In a while, I'll go chop some wood. The train doesn't use much wood for accessories, but the 'Clothing Customization Production Line' needs it to make clothes. I've been wearing this outfit for ages.
Even after several washes, it's still inconvenient.
I'll have a custom-made outfit tailored for myself, and new clothes for the slave thugs as well.
Thinking of this, Chen Mang couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. He'd almost forgotten this outfit was from his past life. From initial rejection, he'd gradually integrated into this world, and memories of his past life were fading.
In a way, this world is more free.
Anything he imagines, he can bring into reality, provided he has the ability and means.
Soon—
The day ended. As over a thousand slaves lined up for bread, Old Pig nearly collapsed from exhaustion. When there were only 200 slaves, he could manage distributing food alone, but now it was simply impossible.
Following Old Pig's suggestion, ten women from the mining crew were selected to handle various miscellaneous tasks.
As the train's population grew, so did the number of chores.
Chen Mang had no objections. The Stellaris, which had initially only consisted of slaves and thugs, was gradually adding new roles. This signified the train's subtle shift toward a more organized structure.
One day, the Stellaris would become a miniature society in itself.
And finally, Chen Mang received today's haul: a staggering 110,000 Units of iron ore.
The Resource Detection Radar had estimated a total of only 380,000 Units of iron ore in these two Tier 2 Iron Ore deposits. At this rate, they could completely exhaust both mines in just four days—a far more efficient pace than in the Doomsday Abyss.
The new slaves, though still less efficient than the veterans after training, had significantly improved overall.
Indeed, Chen Mang thought, it was painful to feed the slaves, but when the harvest began, it all felt worthwhile.
"It was all worth it," Chen Mang said, walking specifically to Cargo Car No. 3. He gazed at the refrigerator crammed with Tier 2 Iron Ore, his eyes filled with emotion and satisfaction. All the effort he had poured into the past few days—rescuing survivors in Taiping City, risking his life in the Kunlun Mountains to find a pangolin—had been for this moment.
Now, seeing this bounty, all his recent hardships vanished. It was all worth it.
So...
He grinned. Now came the time to indulge!
First up: the Windfire Wheel. Originally a Tier 5 accessory, upgrading it to Tier 10 required 35,000 Units of Iron Ore. He had hesitated to upgrade it before, but now that he had more than enough Iron Ore, he immediately maxed out the Windfire Wheel's Tier.
In the wasteland, speed often meant safety—sometimes even more effective than armor. Theoretically, if you ran fast enough, a lower armor Tier wouldn't matter.
Each Tier upgrade to the Windfire Wheel increased its top speed by 20 kilometers per hour. After reaching Tier 10, its base speed jumped from 130 kilometers per hour to 230 kilometers per hour. And that was just the speed boost from the Windfire Wheel itself.
Adding to that, the Tier 2 train's base speed was already 130 kilometers per hour.
The train's theoretical top speed had soared to 360 kilometers per hour.
Of course, this was just theoretical data.
Considering the train's own weight, the Train Auxiliary AI on the control panel reported that the Stellaris, equipped with the Windfire Wheel, currently had a top speed of 322 kilometers per hour.
This speed was fast enough to outrun nearly every monster in the wasteland. In fact, even in the Kunlun Mountains, few monsters could catch up to it. However, the terrain of the Kunlun Mountains didn't allow for the use of the Windfire Wheel; instead, it required spider legs, which had a fixed speed limit.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang immediately noticed the white dashed lines representing the wheels on the control panel's 3D train model flickering constantly.
He stepped out of the locomotive cabin and gazed at the Windfire Wheel beneath the Stellaris, raising an eyebrow. "That's... pretty cool?"
The originally pitch-black Windfire Wheel had transformed into a deep crimson.
The color scheme paired well with the train's all-black exterior—black and red had been a classic combination since ancient times. The wheels had also grown slightly larger, and the wheel hubs appeared more aesthetically pleasing.
At the same time, he turned his attention to the Windfire Wheel's overpowered effect after reaching Tier 10.
Windfire Wheel Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: When racing with the wind during Gale Weather, the Windfire Wheel ignites, significantly boosting its speed.
"Ignite?"
Chen Mang stared at the overpowered effect, honestly a bit bewildered. On the wasteland, it was fine—mostly cracked earth. But what if he ever went to the grasslands, and it happened to be the dry season?
If the Windfire Wheel ignited then...
It would instantly become an unstoppable wildfire.
All the ashes would turn into fertilizer.
This effect... was actually pretty cool.
Chen Mang rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought. He'd only experienced Gale Weather once on the wasteland—during the recent tornado outbreak. The wind had been fierce that day, and though the Doomsday Abyss hadn't been directly hit, he'd still felt its power.
He'd have to try it next time Gale Weather struck the wasteland.
He wanted to see exactly what the Windfire Wheel's ignited effect was like. This overpowered effect was actually what he'd expected. Accessories of a certain type usually gained overpowered effects of the same type after upgrading.
For example, lifestyle accessories have lifestyle-related overpowered effects.
Speed accessories have speed-related overpowered effects.
There's no such thing as a lifestyle accessory like the "Refrigerator" suddenly gaining a bomb-like overpowered effect after upgrading, detonating wherever it's thrown. This is a fundamental rule of this world, with almost no deviations.
Of course, there's no accounting for unique accessories that might manifest bizarre overpowered effects.
This effect is quite good.
He's satisfied.
In special weather conditions, it significantly increases the train's speed, making it more effective for both escape and travel.
Next, he turned his attention to the "Train Auxiliary AI" accessory.
This accessory is arguably the train's core functional component.
Many other accessories are connected to the "Train Auxiliary AI."
Upgrading it from Tier 5 to Tier 10 cost 7,000 units of iron ore.
Upgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 5 had only cost 2,000 units of iron ore. The resource consumption for Tier 5 to Tier 10 had more than tripled.
(End of the Chapter)
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