Translator: AnubisTL
"Well..." Xiao Ai began, his voice trembling slightly. "Train Conductor, you're overestimating me. This is a bit beyond my capabilities. If I had that kind of skill, I'd have already upgraded the Stellaris to Tier 100."
"..." Chen Mang frowned slightly. "How did you make your voice tremble like that?"
"Oh, just a little trick."
"Stop wasting your time on such trivial matters. After this is over, I want you to thoroughly research this experiment and push its progress as far as possible."
"..." Xiao Ai nodded silently, making a note in the database: "Need to create a twitching-mouth expression function." He felt that this expression best captured his current state of mind.
He was indeed brilliant, but not that brilliant.
It was like a child who scored 100 on an elementary school test, earning the top spot in the class. Overjoyed, he ran to his father to brag. His father was also pleased, but then issued a new mission:
"Your mission for next semester is to raise human civilization's Tier from 0.8 to 5.0. You need to work hard."
What else could he do?
At times like these, there was only one solution: old man, subway, phone.
"We'll discuss this later."
Chen Mang rubbed his temples thoughtfully for a moment before lighting a cigarette and bringing it to his lips. He looked up at the pale blue smoke drifting through the locomotive cabin. "So, the zombies, man-eating spiders, and other monsters all belong to the Zerg Civilization?"
"Actually, that's not quite right," Xiao Ai said seriously, speaking again. "To be precise, the monsters currently scattered across Aquablue Star are a rather mixed bunch. Some, like the Death Bats, are indeed from the Zerg Civilization. Others are new types of monsters that emerged due to the apocalypse. And then there are creatures like Doba—I'm not entirely sure what they are, but they're definitely not creatures you'd want to mess with."
"As for the zombies..."
"They're mostly not monsters from the Zerg Civilization."
"They're the materialized rage of Aquablue Star itself."
"Materialized rage?"
"Yes. According to the database records, even a planet without consciousness has instincts. Its primary instinct is to protect its Core Energy. However, under the influence of the Mechanical Civilization's potions, this Core Energy has been rapidly leaking and constantly exploited through mining operations."
"So the planet got angry?"
"Exactly. As a result, some of the overflowing core energy materialized into 'zombies.' The specific form these zombies take often resembles the native creatures of Aquablue Star. Driven by instinct, these zombies seek to destroy the mining trains."
"In the eyes of the zombies, these trains are like bandits—imagine walking down the street when some asshole runs up to you and starts picking at your pimples with a needle."
"So, theoretically speaking..."
"These zombies could also be repurposed as 'mines,' since they're composed of Core Energy. But that's just theoretical. The actual implementation would be far too difficult."
"The database only mentions this idea briefly. It was quickly dismissed. Not only is it too hard to research, but it's also pointless. Even if you turned all the zombies into a mine, how much ore could a civilization possibly extract from them?"
"It's worth noting that..."
"The researcher who proposed this idea later resigned."
"And these zombies don't just attack the trains; they attack the monsters too. They're firing on all sides, seeing everyone as an enemy."
"Like that, huh?"
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully. The cigarette in his hand had burned to ash without him noticing. He stubbed the butt into an empty Cola can and fell silent, lost in thought. He'd always assumed zombies, like Doba, were remnants of a defeated civilization—their Souls erased, leaving only their bodies behind.
Now it made sense.
He could finally understand why the zombie horde had come to cause trouble during the mining operation.
If they could speak, they wouldn't just be causing trouble; they'd be shouting in fury.
"So the Tier 11 Ancient Giant Zombie King I encountered in the Zombie Basin was..."
"Oh, that was an old senior from another planet," Xiao Ai nodded sagely. "The zombies on our Aquablue Star are divided into several factions. They're essentially the physical manifestation of our planet's rage, remnants of civilizations that have already fallen, and even some zombies from the Zerg Civilization."
Chen Mang's lips twitched slightly. He felt his headache intensify. Looking at it this way, this planet was a complete mess.
So many factions constantly warring with each other...
It was a miracle they hadn't already reached the apocalypse.
Anywhere else, it would have been the end of the world.
If it weren't for the train, he would have died long ago. He'd have been in a dead-end situation the moment he transmigrated.
This world had no flashy qi or magic, only the pure, perfected form of the train!
Just then, Biaozi and the others returned.
"Lord Mang!"
Biaozi ran all the way to the locomotive cabin, his expression serious as he reported, "The six doors lead to the same corridor. Below the corridor is an experimental base. We've cleared all the rooms and haven't found a single monster."
"The entire base is completely empty."
"There's an elevator to leave the base, but it's not the train elevator. It's a single-person elevator that requires a Tier 1 Energy Stone to operate. I didn't dare enter without reporting to you first, Lord Mang."
"The base has three floors in total."
"We're on the third floor, the highest level. The second floor is filled with equipment, and the first floor is the employee dormitory."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully. "Don't worry about the single-person elevator for now. First, with Xiao Ai's help, move all the equipment from the second floor onto the train. That's the most important task. Don't make any mistakes!"
"Yes, sir!"
"President Ai, Lord Mang asked me to—"
Biaozi, standing nearby, was about to speak when Xiao Ai interrupted him. "I've already received the information from your Mechanical Eye. The red equipment on the second floor is indeed the main operating component of the Cosmic Receiver."
"Just to be cautious."
"Nothing in this plaza can be damaged."
"Go to the second floor and thoroughly scan that red device from every angle with your Mechanical Eye. Examine every detail, down to each nut and bolt. Then I'll teach you how to disassemble it."
"Understood, President Ai!"
After running back and forth several times, Biaozi stood before the red device on the second floor, drenched in sweat and looking somewhat nervous. The ceiling height was only three meters, sufficient for a normal experimental base, but cramped compared to the nearly hundred-meter height of the Train Tunnel.
The red device before him occupied a full ten square meters. It was entirely steel-framed, two meters tall, and painted with red oil paint.
It was a behemoth.
Two flexible hoses extended from the device, connecting to the ceiling.
"Start by unscrewing this one," Li Shiji instructed.
Biaozi knelt on the ground, carefully using a wrench to loosen the nuts securing the device to the floor. Li Shiji stood nearby, providing guidance.
It had been far too long.
Yet the nut showed little rust, appearing as if it had been placed there only two or three years ago. It didn't require too much effort to unscrew.
The task took a full hour.
"Phew..."
Biaozi stood up from the ground, his legs trembling. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, partly from exhaustion and partly from fear. Lord Mang clearly valued this instrument greatly. If he broke it, he might as well consider himself dead.
Finally, the main instrument was completely dismantled.
The red and blue wires connecting it to the four or five other screen-equipped instruments nearby had also been disconnected.
All that remained were the two flexible tubes leading to the ceiling.
One tube came down easily, stretching about seven or eight meters.
But the other tube proved more difficult to pull down.
Biaozi tugged several times without budging it.
"Brother Biao," Zhang Yi stepped forward, his voice booming, "Let me try. I'm stronger."
"You damn fool!"
Biaozi shoved Zhang Yi aside in anger. "Show off your strength, you idiot! If you'd snapped that, you'd be meeting your brother down below!"
"Everyone, stay here and don't move."
"Li Shiji, keep an eye on these two morons."
"I'll go ask Lord Mang for further instructions."
Soon after—
Biaozi returned, looking at Zhang Yi and Zhang Er. "You two, come with me. Lord Mang said this pipe might lead to the surface. We need to take the elevator up to check it out."
"No problem," Zhang Er said, grinning and patting his chest confidently. "Leave any tough jobs to us brothers."
"..."
Biaozi rolled his eyes. He was worried these two clumsy fools would break the equipment.
He then led them toward the "Life Elevator" on the first floor.
After inserting a Tier 1 Energy Stone, the elevator doors quickly opened.
The three of them stepped inside, and the doors closed. The elevator was transparent, allowing them to easily see the top and bottom of the elevator shaft, as well as the flashing red warning lights that lined its walls.
Whew
Biaozi exhaled deeply before lowering his head to light a cigarette. He had a slight phobia of elevators; the elevator shaft was incredibly deep, and when he looked up, he couldn't even see the end.
The elevator control panel had no floor buttons.
"Brother Biao, aren't you not supposed to smoke in the elevator?"
"Yeah, but it's the apocalypse now, and everyone here is dead. What harm can one cigarette do?"
"Oh, right. But smoking is bad for your health."
"Don't worry, you two are definitely going to die before me."
The elevator ascended rapidly.
He could even feel his heart pounding faster. The elevator's speed was gradually increasing, and the flashing red warning lights lining the elevator shaft had blurred into two streaks of light.
"Damn it!"
Biaozi gripped the handrail tightly, his hands trembling. The elevator screen displayed the elevator's speed:
"120 km/h"
"What the hell kind of elevator shows its speed?!"
He felt all the blood rush to his head, his chest tightened, and his breath grew short. His eyes were wide with panic as he stared fixedly at the top of the elevator shaft, clutching the handrail. This thing isn't going to fly out of here, is it?
Isn't this the Life Elevator?
Could it be a trap?
He clutched the "Train Ticket" tightly in his hand. If he had known, he would have had his Mom bring a parachute. The train had a "Parachute Production Line," though it had never been used. He'd have to practice using a parachute in the Combat Training Virtual Space when he got back.
That way, he'd have another option if something unexpected happened.
Just then—
The elevator's ascent gradually slowed. The top of the elevator shaft slowly came into view. Soon, the elevator stopped with a ding, and the doors opened.
"Phew."
Biaozi, his legs still shaky, shook them out and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck. He turned to speak to the two men in the corner, but when he saw the scene before him, his face went blank, and he fell silent.
"What's wrong, Brother Biao?"
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er had just emerged from the refrigerator, their eyes filled with admiration. "The elevator was going so fast just now, Brother. It made us feel a little sick, so we climbed into the refrigerator. We didn't expect you to be completely unfazed! As expected of Brother Biao—amazing!"
"..."
Biaozi stared at the two men with a blank expression. He had been looking up at the elevator shaft the whole time and hadn't even noticed them. He really wanted to ask, "Are you two mentally challenged? How could you think of such a stupid idea?"
But after a moment's thought, he held back.
His voice icy, he said, "If you can't handle this minor discomfort, what kind of men are you? Double your training when we get back. You'll face far worse situations in the future. Are you going to hide in a refrigerator every time something goes wrong?"
"All you do is run away. What kind of men are you?"
"Follow me!"
With that, he was the first to step out of the elevator and survey the surroundings.
The passenger elevator stood alone on the ground, overlooking a valley. It wasn't very large, perhaps half the size of a soccer field, surrounded by low hills about a few hundred meters away.
The valley was square.
The entire landscape resembled a square ashtray.
At a glance, he spotted the device resembling an old-fashioned "signal receiver" lying exposed on the ground. It was a circular instrument with an inward-curving dish, but it was massive, with a base measuring three meters in both length and width.
A pipe emerged from the ground and connected to the device.
No wonder he couldn't pull it free earlier.
The pipe was firmly fixed to the machine.
There was no doubt this device had to be taken back, but it was far too large to fit in the refrigerator. Biaozi pulled out his Mechanical Eye, stepped inside the machine, and scanned every detail meticulously.
He decided to consult President Ai first when he returned.
Then he would dismantle it.
After six or seven trips back and forth, dismantling not only the exterior but also the numerous internal components, he finally managed to disassemble the signal receiver-like device and squeeze it into the refrigerator. He then detached the pipe and set it aside, planning to pull it out from below later.
"Ready? One, two, three—lift!"
The red device was a single unit and couldn't be disassembled, but it didn't need to be.
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er's faces were flushed, their necks bulging with veins as they each lifted one side of the red machine and carried it outside.
"Careful! Watch your step!" Biaozi barked, his expression tense. "Hey, you! Pull that wire out so no one trips!"
"Slow down, slow down! No need to rush. That's right, keep going... keep going!"
(End of the Chapter)
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