Translator: AnubisTL
What truly piqued his interest was the special item Erdan gifted him, the Hero's Badge.
Special Item: Hero's Badge
Item Effect: When wearing this badge, it will soothe your fear in desperate situations, filling you with courage.
"Hmm."
Chen Mang toyed with the badge in silence for a moment. It wasn't as useful as his Salted Fish Hairpin, which allowed him to breathe underwater for ten minutes. He couldn't think of any situation where he'd actually need this badge.
Desperate situations?
He usually kept a pretty good mindset even in the direst circumstances.
He decided to save it for later, to reward someone below him.
As for the card, it had surprised him quite a bit.
Special Item: Laboratory Access Card
Item Effect: When in the "Geocore Nuke" fortuitous encounter map, this card can be used to unlock the door of a specific laboratory within the map.
Another special item! Though it's unlikely to be useful anytime soon—he'd never even heard of a fortuitous encounter map called "Geocore Nuke." Still, it was a good thing to have. If he ever encountered this map in the future, this card could open up new opportunities.
But the name...
Geocore Nuke.
What's the point of burying a nuclear bomb underground? Sounds like a complete waste of time and resources! What were they even trying to accomplish?
In the end, it was the train conductor of the "Only Love One" Train whose blueprint truly satisfied him.
Tea Production Line.
Excellent! Another beverage option for the train.
He immediately spent 11,000 units of iron ore to craft this accessory, obtaining two overpowered effects. Upgrading the accessory had no effect on these bonuses.
Tea Production Line Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Relieves phlegm.
Tea Production Line Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Long-term consumption slightly increases mental power.
"That's great."
Chen Mang couldn't help but laugh. This guy had truly given him a generous gift. This was the first food on the train that could increase mental power. The "Leech" mecha had high mental power requirements, and currently, only Li Shiji could meet them.
However, Li Shiji was a logistics personnel with limited combat talent.
He would need to entrust the mecha to someone else.
He recalled that the Third Squad Captain's mental power was 13.9, just a hair away from the minimum requirement of 14.0 to pilot the Leech. With the tea and Li Shiji's map design, he would soon reach that threshold.
This guy was truly generous.
He wondered if the guy would still have given him the accessory if he knew its Tier 10 Overpowered Effect could increase mental power.
Oh, he probably still would have.
After all, that guy probably doesn't even have seven Murphy Stones. He might not even possess the "Leech" Mecha Blueprint, let alone Red Heart Rock. He's been in the Sha River Plains for so long and hasn't even found a single Red Heart Rock mine.
This child...
How can he still look so pitiful even as a Tier 6 train?
Just then—
Doba and Mundo arrived outside the locomotive cabin and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Chen Mang glanced at Mundo. "Open your Inheritance Value Shop again. Let me take another look."
Mundo's expression immediately stiffened, his eyes turning cold.
"Foolish human, congratulations on encountering the mysterious, elusive, and magnificent black market merchant! You may..."
"Stop right there!"
Chen Mang glared at Mundo. "Can we skip the theatrics?"
Mundo, finally realizing his mistake, instinctively took a step back and stood behind Doba, whispering, "O-okay."
"Great human seer, please forgive him," Doba quickly explained. "He's only partially recovered his intelligence. Some deeply ingrained programs are still stuck in his mind. He..."
Chen Mang waved his hand, cutting him off. He simply looked at the Inheritance Value Shop floating before him and said casually, "It's fine."
"It's fine."
"Change that 'Great Human Seer' prefix for me from now on."
"Don't you think it's awkward?"
"Just call me Lord Mang or Train Conductor. Got it?"
"Got it, Lord Mang."
In the Inheritance Value Shop before him, six new, higher-value items had appeared alongside the four from last time.
1: Random Blue-Tier Accessory Blueprint - 400 Legacy Value
2: Random Blue-Tier Accessory Blueprint (specify one of five types: Defense, Offense, Life, Speed, Miscellaneous) - 600 Legacy Value
3: Special Item: Class Change Token - 500 Legacy Value
4: Doomsday Marriage Certificate - 300 Legacy Value
5: Special Item: B-Rank Difficulty Skip Ticket - 500 Legacy Value
6: Special Accessory: Desert Oasis - 500 Legacy Value
"..."
Chen Mang stared at the six options with a blank expression, silent for a long moment. According to the normal process, he was supposed to make his choice within a minute, or the opportunity would be lost. Of course, this restriction didn't apply to him.
Though the panel would indeed vanish after a minute.
But it's fine, I can just pick up where I left off.
He finally understood why people trafficked children. For example, Erdan had brought back those children from the abandoned train. Those children hadn't been granted train crew status on their original train, meaning their Legacy Value hadn't been transferred there. That's how Erdan had managed to pick up such a bargain.
The original train had been planning to sell those children, essentially selling their Legacy Value directly.
The Inheritance Value Shop was filled with incredible items.
He wanted every single one of the six items on display.
The special item, the Class Change Token, was something he'd never seen before. Normally, trains underwent class change from Tier 3 to Tier 4, becoming either flesh trains or mechanical trains. But with this token, even a Tier 6 mechanical train could use it to class change into a Tier 6 flesh train.
It was like getting a second chance to choose.
He didn't need it himself, but selling it would fetch a hefty price. After all, an S-rank potential flesh train could become an S-rank potential mechanical train after using this token!
It's like taking a shortcut!
The job advancement quest for a mechanical train is far more difficult than that for a flesh train.
Of course, an S-rank potential flesh train is also incredibly rare.
He actually really wanted that Doomsday Marriage Certificate. If he could find another couple truly in love, it would be like earning 200 Legacy Value for free. The downside was the long storage time. In the apocalypse, finding a couple worthy of the Doomsday Marriage Certificate wasn't easy.
Before the apocalypse, in that peaceful environment, business revolved around liquidity.
Even if profits were small, it was better not to hold goods for too long. Keep them circulating, ideally without even touching your hands.
Even more so after the apocalypse.
If you can grow stronger, do it quickly. Who knows what the future holds if you delay?
The Special Accessory: Desert Oasis.
An incredibly unique accessory with no grade distinctions. Trains equipped with this accessory are more likely to encounter entities like black market merchants.
How should he choose?
"..."
After a long silence, Chen Mang finally made his decision. He looked at Mundo and said, "Give me sixty white-grade accessory blueprints."
'There's no need for all this fancy stuff!, I will just get 120 overpowered effects from them'
"Even if 100 of those 120 overpowered effects are garbage, there are still 20 usable ones. That's a better deal than any other accessory, right?"
With the Tier 0 Authority "Infinite Upgrade," White Blueprints were a boon for him. They cost little to upgrade, and each one yielded two overpowered effects right off the bat. Could there be a better value?
Yet...
"White-grade accessory blueprints can only be exchanged for a maximum of five."
Chen Mang sighed softly. He immediately spent 50 Legacy Value to exchange for five White-grade accessory blueprints. After a moment's thought, he then spent another 500 Legacy Value to purchase the Special Accessory "Desert Oasis."
He had 50 Legacy Value remaining, which he decided to save for later.
After waving his hand to dismiss Doba and the others, Chen Mang turned his gaze to the control panel screen. A small, cute dogtail grass suddenly sprouted from the top of the train's 3D model—this was the Special Accessory he had chosen.
It didn't require materials to craft and couldn't be upgraded. Its panel displayed only one effect.
"It'll attract more special passengers for you."
"Alright," Chen Mang replied, stripping off his clothes and heading for the bed. Meeting a few more black market merchants like that wouldn't be bad. Goblins would be ideal—he could have Doba swindle them and turn them into residents of the train.
"Hmm," Chen Mang murmured as he lay in bed, recalling the wedding ceremony from earlier that day. After a moment of silence, he casually grabbed a Red Heart Nut from the bedside table and popped it into his mouth, whispering, "Xiao Ai, send Ji Chuchu over."
"Also, have her stop by Production Line 4 to order a high-precision wedding dress for herself."
"Yes, Lord Mang."
10 minutes later.
Wearing a wedding dress and veil, Ji Chuchu knelt obediently beside Chen Mang's bed in the locomotive cabin.
Chen Mang glanced at her, then reopened the screen to replay the variety show she had participated in.
After a long moment, he patted the bed. "Come up."
...
The night wind brushed past the train.
The bed trembled.
The stars in the sky twinkled incessantly, like sleepy workers forced out of bed.
Dawn broke.
"Hah..." Chen Mang stretched languidly, feeling refreshed as he rose and began reviewing the Train Log from the previous night.
Another peaceful night had passed.
Last night's monster wave was slightly larger than usual. A pack of zombie wolves attacked, one of them a Tier 5 zombie wolf. They were all wiped out brutally, barely making a ripple.
Prepare for departure to the Yellow Zone, the Zombie Basin.
He sat at the control panel, gazing at the five random White Accessory Blueprints he had exchanged from the Legacy Shop yesterday.
One blueprint in particular pleased him immensely: the Cigarette Production Line.
With this accessory, cigarettes on the train would finally become a renewable resource, and the Resident Store would no longer run out of stock. Many residents were eager to spend their stellar coupons on cigarettes.
It wasn't necessarily because they were heavy smokers.
Rather, lighting a cigarette after work made them feel like workers clocking out in the pre-apocalypse era, not slaves in the apocalypse.
He spent 22,500 units of iron ore to upgrade all five White Accessories to Tier 10, instantly gaining ten overpowered effects.
Besides the Cigarette Production Line, the other four White Accessories were:
Rice Noodle Roll Production Line, Single-Player Handheld Game Console Production Line, Coffee Production Line, Braised Pork Trotter Rice Production Line.
"That's great."
Chen Mang was quite satisfied with all five accessories. They were all lifestyle accessories that would improve the quality of life. It was just a bit late—if they had arrived yesterday, they could have significantly elevated the wedding's prestige.
Especially the Braised Pork Trotter Rice Production Line.
He had a sentimental attachment to braised pork trotter rice. In his previous world, it had provided him with the motivation to keep going through many late nights.
The Single-Player Handheld Game Console Production Line was also a welcome addition.
It would diversify the residents' entertainment options and could be sold in the shop.
The Coffee Production Line and Braised Pork Trotter Rice Production Line had no overpowered effects.
The remaining accessories, however, did.
Single-Player Handheld Game Console Production Line (Tier 5 Overpowered Effect): More game genres will become available.
Single-Player Handheld Game Console Production Line (Tier 10 Overpowered Effect): Online multiplayer functionality.
Rice Noodle Roll Production Line (Tier 5 Overpowered Effect): Users can choose between egg, chicken or crab flavour.
Rice Noodle Roll Production Line (Tier 10 Overpowered Effect): None.
Cigarette Production Line (Tier 5 Overpowered Effect): Users can choose between 'Regular Tobacco Leaf', High Grade Tobacco Leaf', or 'Premium Tobacco Leaf'.
Cigarette Production Line (Tier 10 Overpowered Effect): Provides mild pain relief.
Chen Mang leaned back in the control panel chair, exhaling deeply. After stretching languidly, he jumped down to stretch his limbs. He was quite satisfied with the new accessories.
His quality of life had improved dramatically.
Finally, he wouldn't have to eat those damn meat sandwiches anymore!
After eating them for over two months straight, the sight of one now gave him a headache.
He decided to slaughter a chicken later to make himself a special meal. He actually wanted fish, but that was difficult to obtain, and there were no fish in the Breeding Carriage.
He immediately turned to Xiao Fang, who was carrying a plate of steaming meat sandwiches.
"Go to Carriage No. 4 and bring me a bowl of steamed rice noodle rolls."
"Actually, make it three bowls."
"I want the meat noodle rolls, the egg noodle rolls, and the crab noodle rolls."
"Take all the cigarettes from this carriage and put them in the Resident Store. From now on, when you need to restock, get the premium tobacco leaf cigarettes from the Cigarette Production Line in Carriage No. 4."
"And brew me a cup of tea while you're at it."
All the accessories were white-grade, and their production cost was negligible—almost cheap. If the train were still at Tier 1 or 2, he might have felt some pressure and wouldn't have wasted iron ore on these quality-of-life improvements.
But for him now, it was like a drop in the bucket.
The train's daily fixed expenses alone were already a considerable sum, including daily necessities and food for all residents, as well as the oxygen generator, central air conditioner, and the constantly running target acquisition radar and resource detection radar.
And the tobacco leaf—ordinary tobacco leaf only required one unit of iron ore per pack of cigarettes. At that price, he was practically ready to become the tobacco emperor.
(End of the Chapter)
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