Translator: AnubisTL
"True," Erdan nodded in agreement. Though he didn't understand why Chen Mang would waste so many murphy stones on a refrigerator, upgrading it to Tier 10 required eight stones. How could he sell it?
It was like slapping four holographic Titan skins onto a groundwater TEC-9.
The price would definitely be high, but nowhere near as high as selling the murphy stones individually. Selling it in the Green Zone was clearly unprofitable; they couldn't afford to pay much.
The fact that he managed to trade two cartons of cigarettes for it was purely thanks to his friendship with Chen Mang.
Speaking of which, he sometimes admired himself.
Despite their initial conflicts—Chen Mang's maze had tormented him for half an hour—most people would have sought revenge. Yet he had managed to maintain a good relationship with Chen Mang.
Not everyone possessed such diplomatic skill.
Having an enemy like Chen Mang would keep you up at night, but having him as a friend made sleeping much easier.
More friends were always better than more enemies.
"Alright, that's enough."
Chen Mang deftly steered the conversation away. "Enough about that. Tell me how you managed to pull this off?"
"That's a long story."
Erdan took a deep breath, glanced around, and said with a sigh, "Can we talk in your carriage? It's freezing out here."
"You don't look cold."
"But I really am! Look, my nose is running. If I catch a cold, it'll just waste resources."
He certainly wouldn't invite Chen Mang to his own train—that would be far too presumptuous. In this apocalyptic world, inviting another train conductor onto your train was akin to sleeping with their wife right in front of them. It would be an insult that could only be avenged with bloodshed.
But going to Chen Mang's train was different.
He wasn't afraid.
Inside Carriage 6, the Tier 6 male elite talent carriage:
"Phew..."
Erdan sat down, accepted a cup of hot water from Xiao Fang, and glanced up at the ten heavy machine guns mounted on the ceiling, their muzzles pointed inward. His lips twitched slightly as he took a deep breath.
It was just like the maze back then.
The carriage containing the maze had also been equipped with ten heavy machine guns aimed inward.
That's exactly the feeling.
Erdan sipped his hot water, gathered his thoughts, and continued, "Initially, I received intelligence that a massive mountain in the 'Ice and Snow Paradise' Green Zone had partially collapsed due to a blizzard or avalanche, causing a landslide."
"This revealed a colossal arm."
"The mountain was towering, several thousand meters high, and no train could reach its summit. Since my train could fly, I decided to investigate, hoping to find another fortuitous encounter map or something."
"When I arrived and saw that enormous arm, I was truly stunned."
"But the most crucial thing was—"
"My target acquisition radar showed that this zombie was still alive!"
"Just think about it! Such a massive boss, sealed here yet still alive and unable to resist. Killing it at this moment would be a huge win, right?"
"Since the arm wasn't a vital point, I used my drill to bore deep into the mountain, aiming for the zombie's head."
"I'm not sure if it was my actions that triggered it, but the zombie suddenly broke free, and then—"
"It turned into what you see now."
Erdan sighed deeply before saying with a hint of resignation, "I nearly died in that zone, but it wasn't a complete loss. I rescued over 300 people, including dozens of children, gained over thirty Legacy Value points, and acquired over 200 slaves. Not bad, I guess."
"Children?" Chen Mang frowned slightly.
"Yeah," Erdan nodded. "They're all around ten years old. It's the first time I've seen kids in the apocalypse. They're surprisingly mature, lacking the usual childish mischief. The apocalyptic environment forces people to grow up too fast; they all seem prematurely mature."
"They were on a destroyed train."
"The train conductor must have brought them from a school. They all seemed to know each other."
"What do you plan to do with the children?"
Erdan fell silent, his expression complex. After a long pause, he said, "My Legacy Value points were credited the moment they joined the train. I plan to have them try mining. If they're slow, so be it. I'll take care of them."
"Many trains sell or abandon children the instant their Legacy Value points are credited."
"They can only increase Legacy Value once."
"These children have already increased Legacy Value here. Taking them to other trains won't increase it again. Those who buy them usually..."
"After the apocalypse..."
"Under immense psychological pressure, many people do things they would never have done in peacetime. They find ways to release their stress, which I understand, especially for train conductors who already face greater pressure."
"I also indulge in women, multiple women."
"But I still believe that some excessively bestial behaviors cannot be justified by the apocalypse."
"Humans must retain some humanity, even if only a sliver."
"They won't have a good fate after being sold."
"..."
Chen Mang frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, "Give me these children. I'll raise them. For you, having these extra mouths to feed would be too much of a burden."
"You... you'll raise them?"
Erdan was slightly taken aback. "They have almost no labor value. They're a real hot potato!"
To a heartless train conductor, they might be a source of wealth. But to any conductor with even a shred of humanity, they were indeed a burden.
"Mm-hmm," Chen Mang nodded. In his mind, he was certain he would break free and wander in the cosmos within five years. Once he reached the cosmos, time would stretch out infinitely. These children, raised entirely within the Stellaris, would become fiercely loyal to the train, forming the future backbone of the Stellaris.
A few dozen mouths to feed meant nothing to him.
Their young age was perfect. They were too young for mining, allowing him to nurture them slowly. Through the Combat Training Space, nutritious food, and comprehensive training in both theory and practical combat skills, these children would become his future confidants.
"Brother, let me remind you again: adding them to your train won't increase your Legacy Value at all."
Chen Mang nodded, then smiled. "I know. I'll take care of them. Do you have any use for your Legacy Value?"
"Not at the moment."
Erdan shook his head. "You can only use Legacy Value in special fortuitous encounter maps like the Black Market, or when you encounter a black market merchant. We'll have to wait until we run into one. They don't appear in fixed locations—it's all about luck. Who knows when we'll see one again?"
"Wait half a minute."
"What do you mean?"
Thirty seconds later, a hooded black market merchant strode through several carriages and arrived at Carriage 6. Standing expressionless before Erdan, he rasped, "Foolish human, congratulations on encountering the mysterious, elusive, and magnificent black market merchant. You may use your Legacy Value to purchase any item from me."
"Here is the item list."
"State the item you wish to purchase."
"Remember, state the item number. The magnificent black market merchant has no time for idle chatter."
"You have only one minute to choose."
"..."
"..."
Erdan stared at the semi-transparent panel that had suddenly popped up before him, utterly bewildered. After a long moment, he turned to Chen Mang, who was sitting beside him, and muttered, "What the hell is this?"
"A black market merchant, I guess."
"No... but why is he on your train?"
"Oh, he joined Stellaris."
"What the hell? A black market merchant joining the train? Aren't they supposed to be mysterious and elusive?"
"Isn't that mysterious enough? Would you have ever met this black market merchant if you hadn't met me?"
"..."
Erdan fell into a silent, expressionless contemplation. After a moment, he quickly selected two items, then glanced at the blueprint in his hand and the retreating figure of the black market merchant. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
A black market merchant... becoming a train resident.
The sheer incongruity of those two phrases was jarring!
"Brother, if only one train survives this apocalypse, it'll definitely be Stellaris."
"Let's hope so," Chen Mang replied with a smile.
"Make sure to take me with you then."
"Sure thing."
Half an hour later, their conversation concluded.
Chen Mang saw Erdan out of the carriage.
"Brother," Erdan said, his face serious as he looked at Chen Mang. "My train has sustained too much damage to wait for you. I need to hurry back to Sha River Plains for repairs. I won't waste words—I'll never forget you saving my life. I'll definitely find a way to repay you someday."
"Try to leave as soon as possible too."
"This Ice and Snow Paradise zone is strange and unsettling. Even in summer, the temperature remains frigid, and the ground is perpetually covered in a thick layer of snow. Most trains wouldn't even stop here if it weren't for the snow monsters."
"Be extra careful."
"Mm."
Chen Mang watched Erdan return to his Azure Dragon Train, waving goodbye through the window as the train gradually shrank into the distance until it vanished from sight.
After parting ways with Erdan, Chen Mang turned his attention to the massive zombie corpse nearby. It had been almost completely dissected, with only remnants of flesh still being carved away.
Scattered across the snow were human remains and train wreckage—all extracted from the zombie's stomach.
"We should make a tomb."
"Hmm."
The frigid temperatures instantly froze the water they threw making an deformed ice slab. If left undisturbed, it would stand indefinitely in this frozen landscape.
Chen Mang stepped forward, lit three cigarettes, and stuck them into the ground as a final farewell.
Lord Mang turned to Old Pig, who stood beside him, and said softly, "We currently have four Resident Carriages, but we'll be reducing that to one. Everyone will live inside the space gate, and the remaining three carriages will be repurposed."
"There's no rush on this, though."
"I just created a space gate in Resident Car No. 8. Have someone move a refrigerator in there to serve as the children's dormitory."
"Also, find a few former teachers to train the newly arrived children. The curriculum should cover firearms, close combat, mecha piloting, train operations, basic literacy, and logic. You can design the specifics, but it must include the history of the Stellaris train, the setbacks we've faced, and other relevant details. Feel free to embellish as needed."
"I want these children to grow up utterly loyal to the Stellaris and become its pillars of strength."
"Do you understand?"
"Understood," Old Pig nodded solemnly, his expression grave. He turned to leave and begin organizing the arrangements, but as he did, a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes.
Lord Mang was thinking far ahead.
If these children continued to live on the Stellaris, they would undoubtedly develop absolute loyalty to the train and surpass Biaozi and other untrained personnel in every aspect, having been nurtured from childhood.
However, the initial investment would be immense, and the returns would take a long time to materialize.
Most train conductors wouldn't even consider such long-term strategies. Lord Mang's foresight indicated his unwavering confidence in surviving the apocalypse.
Twenty minutes later, the Tier 6 Zombie's flesh had been completely dismembered and stored in the train's refrigerator.
Despite their prolonged stay in the area, no further zombie hordes had appeared.
It remained unclear whether the death of the Zombie King had caused the other hordes to lose control and wander into the Kunlun Mountains, or if they had simply entered the region from different directions.
With the matter resolved, Chen Mang steered the Stellaris, switching to its "Bunny Cloud" wheels to soar high above the ground. He continued deeper into the "Ice and Snow Paradise" Green Zone, heading straight for the coordinates Erdan had given him—the very spot where the Zombie King had broken free.
He needed to see it for himself.
As they ventured deeper into the Ice and Snow Paradise, the blizzard intensified. They encountered several other trains along the way, but none of them were equipped with Windfire Wheels or spider legs.
Instead, they were "Tracked Wheels" and "Sleds."
These were the two main types of wheels used here.
Tracked wheels provided direct propulsion, while sleds required assistance. Trains equipped with sleds typically had multiple "Tail Jets" that propelled them forward across the snow.
Nearly all the train armor they encountered was damaged, a clear sign of the Zombie King's recent impact on this region. The area was small, much smaller than the Sha River Plains.
Snow-covered mountains were abundant, with several continuous ranges visible, though fewer than in the Kunlun Mountain Region. There were still some flat areas, though whether the actual terrain was level remained uncertain—the snow itself was uniformly flat.
The snow here was densely packed.
A footstep sank only a few centimeters, though the snowpack beneath might be several meters thick.
"Mining will be a problem," Chen Mang muttered, his brow furrowing as he surveyed the surroundings. Prolonged exposure here would risk snowblindness, and the area seemed even less hospitable than the Kunlun Mountain Region, with maintaining warmth being another concern.
So far, the resource mines he'd detected were mostly located on mountain slopes, with virtually none underground.
(End of the Chapter)
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