Translator: AnubisTL
Biaozi's words had barely left his lips when a commotion erupted from the crowd behind them. A group of people had suddenly been enveloped in a red energy field and vanished in the blink of an eye. Judging by their actions before disappearing, they had clearly been preparing to rob someone.
"Uh..."
Biaozi sheepishly averted his gaze, continuing to straddle his off-road motorcycle and follow Lord Mang. It seemed their plan was doomed to fail; the fortuitous encounter map strictly prohibited violent acts like robbery.
He wondered if the vanished group had been teleported back or simply killed.
Probably teleported back, he thought.
Nearly all members of the guard squad knew how to ride motorcycles. Even those who didn't could pick it up quickly with a little practice.
If you could walk, you could ride a bicycle; if you could ride a bicycle, you could ride an electric scooter; and if you could ride an electric scooter, you could ride a motorcycle. Learning was easy, especially in the apocalypse where traffic laws were nonexistent—you could ride however you pleased.
Chen Mang led the way on his off-road motorcycle, constantly scanning the shops lining both sides of the street. Only about half were open for business, and through the glass doors, he could see robot attendants waiting inside.
There were many shops, but Customs Shops were the most prevalent.
The streets were wide enough to accommodate twenty trains running side by side. Every road in the Mechanical City he'd encountered seemed designed with trains as the primary mode of transportation.
"Pleasure Paradise."
The neon sign flickered incessantly. Chen Mang gazed at the sign and stopped in front of the shop, a storefront beneath an office building. He had passed many Customs Shops without stopping, as he wasn't here for thrills.
Even for thrills, Ji Chuchu was far more entertaining than these robots.
But the shop's blatantly explicit name piqued his curiosity, compelling him to see what exactly lay inside.
By now, the street behind them was deserted, save for their group.
In this fortuitous encounter map, having transportation was a massive advantage. They could reach any corner of the city, while others were forced to rely on their own two feet.
"This doesn't seem right..." Biaozi coughed awkwardly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he followed Lord Mang into Pleasure Paradise.
Li Shiji, who had been on edge, let out a slight sigh of relief.
He admitted he was capable and had achieved some successes, but he wasn't omnipotent. Lord Mang's insistence on having him participate in gambling had been putting immense pressure on him.
Now, things were looking up.
A little fun and relaxation would be perfect. He genuinely had no gambling skills.
The shop's interior was a dopamine rush, with walls painted in a riot of colors and illuminated by garish, multicolored lights—pure visual pollution.
There was no sense of aesthetics whatsoever.
Chen Mang frowned slightly, surveying the decor. He realized the Mechanical Civilization had no concept of aesthetics. To them, bright colors were simply pleasing and relaxing, without any attempt at harmonious combinations.
The overall effect was chaotic and jarring.
The shop had no shelves, only a robot server holding a tablet. As the group approached, it flashed a standard smile and presented the tablet to them.
"Welcome! Select your service on the first floor, and enjoy it on the second floor."
The tablet displayed various options:
1: AI Peak Pleasure - A unique code that sends AI into euphoric overdrive. Price: 998 points.
2: AI Mild Pleasure - Suitable for more docile AI personalities. Price: 668 points.
3: AI
This was essentially a Customs Shop.
Though the niche was narrow, it was a Customs Shop specifically catering to AI.
After realizing what the shop offered, Chen Mang shook his head and led Biaozi and the others out. If he ever returned, he might consider bringing Xiao Ai along to let her experience some pleasure.
After all, she worked for him, and he wouldn't deny his people the chance to enjoy themselves.
Before leaving, however, a self-service machine near the entrance caught his eye.
The machine displayed various items:
Lemon Cola - 10 points
Lemon Cake - 18 points
Eden City Virtual Map Chip - 1000 points
Eden City Paper Map - 20 points
...
After searching high and low for a convenience store, Chen Mang finally found one here. Without hesitation, he spent 30 points to purchase a paper map and a bottle of lemon cola. The chip-based map required an AI or robot to operate, and since he hadn't brought Xiao Ai, he had to settle for the paper version.
He placed his wristwatch against the payment interface.
A can of cola and a rolled-up map were dispensed into the delivery slot.
Chen Mang opened the lemon cola and sniffed it. It hadn't expired. He took a small sip—normal, no strange taste. Only then did he hand the opened can to Biaozi, who was standing nearby.
"Drink this and see if it restores your stamina or has any other special effects."
He had bought the cola purely out of curiosity.
The Mechanical Civilization was likely long extinct or on the brink of collapse. This city hadn't been restocked in ages, so he was intrigued to see if the food had expired. To his surprise, it hadn't.
The can bore no brand name or production information, only the words "Lemon Cola" in large letters.
There were only two possibilities:
Either this vending machine possessed a permanent preservation effect similar to the Tier 5 Overpowered refrigerator, or the cola itself was manufactured to never expire.
The term "Mechanical Civilization" had always been Chen Mang's own conjecture, but the luminous display of the fortuitous encounter map explicitly mentioned those four words.
This seemingly minor detail revealed much.
It confirmed that their "train" and "accessories" were inherited from the Mechanical Civilization, and that their common enemy was the myriad of monsters.
As the saying goes, "From a single leaf, one can glimpse the autumn."
Such inconspicuous places often held a wealth of information.
After leaving the shop, Chen Mang spread the paper city map on the ground. The map was enormous, covering a staggering nine square meters when laid out, with each side measuring three meters.
The city itself was surprisingly small—smaller even than the city they had encountered during the Geocore Nuke incident, roughly a quarter of its size. The map's immense scale was due to its meticulous detail, marking every street-level shop and establishment with excessive precision.
Chen Mang crouched down, his brow furrowed in concentration as he studied the map spread before him. The city lacked any residential districts; instead, it was a chaotic jumble of shops, their names so cryptic he couldn't even guess their purpose.
"Three Odd Entropy Core Pawnshop."
"Daily 'Love' Pain-Sensing Charging Station."
"Paradox Clock Shop of Exquisite Experiences."
"Mechanical Train Confessional."
"Garden of Eden Memory Bank."
Among these bizarre shops, only the "Garden of Eden Memory Bank" offered a clue—it likely dealt with memories. The rest remained utterly baffling.
The map highlighted three zones with prominent five-pointed stars, each covering a vast area:
Entertainment City, Entertainment City, and Entertainment City.
"Perfect," Chen Mang muttered, rolling up the map and tossing it to Zhang Yi beside him. He glanced at the street signs for directions, hopped onto his off-road motorcycle, and twisted the throttle. With a roar, he sped down the street.
Biaozi and the others quickly mounted their own motorcycles and followed close behind.
This city truly lived up to its reputation as a haven for entertainment and relaxation. All three major zones were dedicated to Entertainment City.
The shop names also revealed a crucial insight: the Mechanical Civilization wasn't solely populated by robots. Humans still existed, and their status couldn't be low, given the presence of Cola and Casinos.
At least.
He figured a robot—a being composed of countless lines of code and data—wouldn't have much of a passion for gambling, a game of pure chance.
"Private Custom Brothel."
The train conductor of the King of Electronic Music train had finally reunited with his thug and now stood before this "Private Custom Brothel," nodding and smiling with satisfaction.
His train had already reached Tier 4.
Originally, when heading to the Sha River Plains, he'd wanted to see how Stellaris, which had thrived so well in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, would fare in the new zone. But upon arriving, Stellaris's name was nowhere to be found on any of the leaderboards.
He initially assumed Stellaris had either faded into obscurity or been destroyed in some crisis.
Curious, he sent a query over the train radio.
The only response he received was a series of three dots: "...".
Later, he learned that while he was still mining in the White Zone, Stellaris had already conquered the Sha River Plains and moved on to higher-tier zones.
So fast...
He'd only managed to jump to Tier 4 thanks to a lucky break, which he considered quite rapid. How could Stellaris be so much faster? It was absurd. It was as if, while he'd struggled to find a single opportunity in the apocalypse, that guy was stumbling upon them every few days.
But—
Now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
The dwarf, who was none other than the train conductor of the King of Electronic Music train, pushed open the door with a satisfied expression. The shop was hidden in a narrow alley; he wouldn't have discovered it if he hadn't been looking for a secluded place to relieve himself.
The interior was decorated primarily in red, creating a distinctly suggestive atmosphere.
At the entrance knelt a female robot attendant, holding a tablet aloft in her arms.
Private Custom Brothel.
Our Customs Service Personnel are all lifelike humanoid robots.
Customize any type you desire.
Height, race, skin color, gender, age, etc.
"Hmm."
The dwarf man seemed quite pleased with the kneeling service upon entry, as it meant he didn't have to strain his neck to look up. Perfect for him. He then glanced at the various options on the tablet, his mouth widening slightly and a flicker of shock in his eyes.
"Forty-eight skin color options? Impressive."
"Let's see..."
"Hmm, the default only allows selecting the opposite gender, right?"
"Yes, sir. Same-sex options are illegal."
"Understood. I'm not that kind of person anyway."
"...Requires additional payment."
The dwarf man stared blankly at the kneeling robot attendant before pointing to the small print on the screen. "What's the difference between 'Full Simulation Human' and 'Half Simulation Human' prices being the same?"
"By law, all Mechanical Creatures must display clearly visible mechanical components to distinguish them from humans."
"Using Full Simulation Humans as Customs Shop personnel is illegal."
"So...?"
"Requires additional payment."
"Wait, doesn't this law seem rather toothless?"
"In Eden City, the laws can be slightly relaxed."
"How much exactly?"
"Depends on how much you're willing to pay."
The dwarf man pursed his lips, not pressing further. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke: "Give me a custom-made one, three meters tall, with a perfect hourglass figure—you know, the kind with a pronounced bust and curves. How much?"
"Please select the tier of Smart Chip you require."
[ Tier 1 Smart Chip ]: Performs basic movements and vocalizations. Price: 1,800 credits.
[ Tier 2 Smart Chip ]: Possesses intelligence comparable to my own. Price: 4,900 credits.
[ Tier 3 Smart Chip ]: Exhibits near-human intelligence. Price: 12,800 credits.
The robot waitress, kneeling on the floor, explained in a calm voice with a practiced smile: "The higher the Smart Chip tier, the more immersive the experience. Moreover, if you develop feelings for a Tier 3 Customs Service Personnel..."
"...you can redeem her."
"Since she's transferred between different bodies each time, there's no need to worry about her being 'tainted.' Her core remains pristine. Simply commission a new body for her, and she'll retain the virgin status your kind values."
"..."
The dwarf man stared expressionlessly at the kneeling woman for a long moment before murmuring, "You guys really know how to have fun."
"Give me a Tier 1 Smart Chip."
He then turned to his thugs, "See if there's anything you want to try. I'll cover the bill, but be mindful of the budget—I only have 10,000 points. Don't go over."
He had already checked the Mechanical Train Parts Store.
With only 10,000 points, he couldn't buy anything worthwhile. He might as well enjoy himself here.
The thugs trailing behind him perked up at this. They admired their boss for always sharing the spoils—he always made sure they got their share of the gravy.
"Can I get a zombie version? Nothing too gory, just something a bit sexy."
"I want a miniature one, about thirty centimeters tall."
"Just a normal one for me, but make the face pretty. Hmm... make it look like you."
"Can I order you?"
"..."
Nearly half of the hundred train conductors entered the Customs Shop, eager to experience the unique customs of the Mechanical Civilization—a completely novel experience.
If not for the apocalypse, they would never have had such an opportunity.
Though many of the services pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, labeling them as "experiences" made them far more palatable.
(End of the Chapter)
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