Translator: AnubisTL
Chen Mang had successfully upgraded his Special Effects Control Console to Tier 10.
Both of its overpowered effects were currently nonexistent. Upgrading this accessory only provided additional accessory slots.
"Hmm..."
After a moment's contemplation, Chen Mang spent 240,000 units of iron ore to upgrade his Energy Shield to Tier 3. The cost of this item scaled with the number of carriages, making it quite expensive. At Tier 3, it only defended against energy attacks; the Tier 5 overpowered effect would provide physical defense as well, consuming energy upon impact.
Tier 3 would suffice.
With the train's special ability Absolute Defense activated, his defense value reached Tier 9. On the Sha River Plains, nothing could pose a threat to him with such a high rating.
He had 139,000 units of iron ore remaining.
It was almost time to consider upgrading to a Tier 5 train.
He checked the upgrade requirements for a Tier 5 train.
Upgrade Requirements: All five essential train components must be crafted, and 200,000 units of Tier 2 Iron Ore must be consumed. All accessories within the carriages must be Tier 100 or higher.
The requirements were significantly simpler than before.
Even the carriage requirement was gone. Chen Mang disregarded the accessory tier requirement entirely; all that mattered was consuming 200,000 units of iron ore. Once today's mining operation was complete, he could immediately begin the upgrade process.
"Moreover," Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly, "with each train upgrade, the number of craftable components decreases, and the upgrade requirements become increasingly sparse. If this trend continues, by Tier 6 or 7, there will likely be practically no components left to craft."
In other words, he would have to find his own ways to acquire all future accessories.
It felt like the early-game tutorial missions.
Once the tutorial was over, you were on your own.
The third day dawned.
The Tier 2 Iron Ore mine had been completely exhausted, yielding a total of 210,000 units of iron ore.
Without hesitation, Chen Mang immediately withdrew 200,000 units of iron ore to upgrade the train.
Soon, lines of text appeared on the train's display:
[Your train has been upgraded to Tier 5.]
[More craftable accessories have been unlocked.]
After upgrading to a Tier 5 train, the number of craftable accessories actually decreased to just four.
However, a new function had appeared on the control panel:
"Mecha Fabrication."
"Huh?"
Chen Mang paused, glancing at the unexpected addition. It wasn't another accessory blueprint, but an entirely new feature that allowed him to customize a unique mecha using a single-soldier exoskeleton as its base.
These weren't mere enhanced exoskeletons; they were true mecha, equipped with both defensive capabilities and long-range weaponry.
The stronger the mecha, the higher the operator's comprehensive physical fitness requirements.
However, fabricating a mecha required a "Mecha Blueprint," and he currently didn't have a single one.
But there was good news:
Mecha fabrication didn't consume iron ore, but rather "Red Heart Rock," a rare resource he had mined a whopping 180,000 units of back in the Iron Ridge Wasteland. It had been sitting unused in one of the refrigerators ever since, practically rusting away.
He had assumed he wouldn't need it for a long time, but it turned out he could use it as soon as his train reached Tier 5.
"This is a good thing," Chen Mang grinned, finally seeing a use for his 180,000 units of Red Heart Rock.
He pulled a card from the drawer, inserted it into the control panel, and glanced at the coordinates displayed on the screen. The Stellaris train immediately sped off across the wilderness toward its destination.
The resource was valuable, but without a Mecha Blueprint, it couldn't be used yet.
He decided to investigate the Goblin Ruins first.
Two hours later, after a long journey, the Stellaris train gradually came to a halt before a low hill. The unremarkable hill stood only a dozen meters tall. Had it not been the only elevated feature on the vast, flat plains, Chen Mang wouldn't have even considered calling it a mountain.
In that instant, a white light flashed from the card in his drawer.
The low hill suddenly cracked open, revealing an entrance large enough for the train to pass through.
It seemed the card was more than just a map; it was also a key.
As the Stellaris train entered the tunnel, a message appeared on the control panel screen:
[You have successfully entered the Goblin Ruins Map.]
As the train fully entered the tunnel, the small mountain closed seamlessly behind it, leaving no trace of an entrance from the outside.
The tunnel sloped downward.
After about ten minutes of travel, the train emerged into a subterranean plaza.
Countless murals adorned the surrounding walls, depicting goblins mining, living, dancing, and performing sacrifices.
At the edge of the plaza stood a derelict goblin train.
The next moment—
A luminous screen materialized in the air above the plaza.
[Welcome to the Goblin Ruins.]
[The goblins were once one of the most industrious races in the cosmos. They never sought to dominate the universe, nor did they harbor any grand ambitions. All they desired was peaceful coexistence with humans, content to build their underground cities in the depths.
Their only indulgence was occasionally grumbling about foolish humans. This wasn't always the case; it arose after humans frequently insulted them as ugly.
However...
The apocalypse descended, signaling the complete annihilation of this once-humble race.
Perhaps, in the distant future, Goblin Civilization may rise again. But until then, you can accept the dying gift of the Goblin Civilization to strengthen yourself and help human civilization endure this catastrophe a little longer.
Train Conductor, please select one of the five difficulty-tiered opportunities below. Upon completion, you will receive the corresponding rewards.
Failure will prevent you from accepting any other missions.]
---
[S-Rank Difficulty Opportunity: A Single Spark Can Ignite a Prairie Fire
Even when a civilization declares its complete demise, embers of hope always remain. In the days ahead, you must gather the scattered remnants of the goblin race and grant them sanctuary aboard your train. The mission will be completed when over fifty goblins have found refuge with you.
P.S.: After the fall of their civilization, all goblins lost their intelligence and devolved into monstrous forms. They may attack you or cause trouble, but try to show them as much compassion as possible, for the sake of the civilization token.
Reward: Civilization Token.]
---
[A-Rank Opportunity: You will fall into a 30-day slumber here. During this time, your consciousness will be drawn into a virtual space representing the final battle that marked the end of the Goblin Civilization. Surviving for 30 days will grant you successful completion.
P.S.: Your train will materialize within the virtual space.
Reward: A random blue-tier accessory blueprint.]
---
[B-Tier Opportunity: You will be the only one to witness a vision of a Goblin Civilization city just before its destruction. After watching, you will be asked five questions. Answer four correctly to pass.
P.S.: All the answers are in the vision.
Reward: A random yellow-grade accessory blueprint.]
---
[C-Grade Difficulty Opportunity: Your consciousness will possess a goblin and plunge you into pitch-black darkness. You must grope through the darkness to find a pickaxe and a mine, then mine 12 units of iron ore within 24 hours.
P.S.: This difficulty cannot be selected if the system fails to locate a suitable instance.
Reward: A random green-grade accessory blueprint.]
---
[D-Rank Difficulty Opportunity: A goblin of the opposite sex will appear. You must share a bed with them.
P.S.: Try to make them match your aesthetic preferences.
Reward: A random white-grade accessory blueprint. All accessory blueprints obtained from this map are exclusive to the "Goblin Train" and can only be found in goblin-related locations such as the Goblin Ruins. These blueprints can be used for the "Mechanical Train" but not the "Flesh Train."]
A flicker of shock crossed Chen Mang's eyes. He would, of course, choose the S-Rank Difficulty Mission—there was no need to hesitate; if he selected it, he knew he could complete it.
But...
The mission panel revealed something profound: how some monsters came to be.
When a civilization fell, its surviving members were reduced to monsters, like goblins... or zombies.
The zombies in this world weren't created by a virus, nor were they transformed from humans. They simply appeared suddenly after the apocalypse.
In other words, those zombies...
...were once humans from other planets. Their civilizations had been utterly destroyed by apocalypses, leaving them transformed into these monstrous forms.
If human civilization on this planet were to meet the same fate, its survivors would become mindless undead creatures, joining the ranks of apocalyptic monsters on the next world.
Hmm... this shouldn't affect me, right?
I'm from another world!
My previous world never faced an apocalypse. Even if human civilization here collapses, it shouldn't impact me, right?
Chen Mang felt a knot of uncertainty in his chest. But how was the complete collapse of a civilization defined? Was it merely the end of a countdown, or were there other criteria?
After a long silence, Chen Mang shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. He instructed Doba to disembark and attempt to select all the options, except for the last one. After all, this was the Goblin Ruins, the goblins' ancestral home.
As expected, the moment Doba jumped off the train and gazed at the goblin murals adorning the surrounding walls, his eyes reddened and he collapsed to his knees, wailing uncontrollably. He was clearly overcome with homesickness, mourning the families of the Goblin Civilization before its demise.
It was a touching scene, but now wasn't the time for sentiment. Chen Mang hopped down from the train, pointed at the luminous screen floating in the air, and turned to Doba. "Can you help me select all these options except the last one?"
"What options?"
Doba, still kneeling in anguish, looked up at Chen Mang's gesture. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes as he shook his head. "Great human seer, I can't see any options there. There's only air."
"..."
Chen Mang frowned slightly. It seemed this luminous screen was visible only to him, as the train conductor. With no other choice, he immediately selected the S-Rank Difficulty Opportunity.
The instant he made his selection, a voice echoed in his mind once more.
["You have successfully completed the S-Rank Difficulty Opportunity on the fortuitous encounter map 'Goblin Ruins'."
"You have obtained the special item 'Civilization Token'."
"This is a rather unique item. It may not directly enhance your train's capabilities, but for a long time to come, it will rekindle your hope in the face of despair."]
Chen Mang lowered his head to examine the Civilization Token in his hand. Shaped like a command medallion and made of an unknown material, it felt surprisingly heavy when he hefted it.
[Special Item: Civilization Token
Special Effect: This token can help you rebuild a civilization. Use it with caution; it is recommended to wait until your train reaches Tier 20 before activating it. Whether you rebuild your own civilization or someone else's, doing so will place you back at the dining table, making you a target for countless covetous enemies.
In the cosmos, there are only two kinds of beings: hunters and prey.
Activating this token grants access to the Goblin's Tomb, a pitch-black space teeming with resource mines. Each entry allows a 48-hour stay, and you can enter once per month.
PS: When a civilization falls, its last vestiges of belief coalesce into these special items. Every special item is a manifestation of faith, and each carries its own unique story.]
"Not bad at all," Chen Mang murmured, tossing the Civilization Token in his hand with a grin. Doba had once told him that after each death, he would find himself in a pitch-black space filled with resource mines and scattered items. It was there that Doba had forged his own goblin train.
Now, with this Civilization Token, Chen Mang could enter that realm himself—a personal space accessible only to him, with vast quantities of resources for the taking.
Though special items weren't graded by tier, this one undeniably ranked first among all his acquisitions. Even the Mechanical Heart, another reward from an S-Rank Difficulty Mission, paled in comparison. Well, perhaps "paled" was too strong a word—their strengths simply differed.
Finally, Chen Mang turned to the rapidly fading light screen before him. A thirty-minute countdown timer had appeared, indicating the time he had left to exit the fortuitous encounter map.
As for the C-Rank Difficulty Encounter:
"Your consciousness will possess a goblin, transporting you to an utterly dark place. You must grope through the darkness to find a pickaxe and a mine, and within 24 hours, mine 12 units of iron ore."
This encounter was marked as "Search Failed" and was unselectable.
This meant...
In that pitch-black space, were the sleeping goblins behind him the only ones present?
That couldn't be right.
Back in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, many goblins had been killed by other train conductors. Logically, those goblins should have returned to this dark realm called the "Goblin's Tomb," shouldn't they?
So why was it unselectable?
Chen Mang pondered for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He simply gave up. He had a good habit: if he couldn't understand something, he wouldn't dwell on it, preventing unnecessary mental exhaustion.
Many psychological problems stemmed from obsessively trying to solve unsolvable puzzles.
(End of the Chapter)
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