Translator: AnubisTL
After upgrading all the train armor to Tier 12, Chen Mang still had 20.21 million units of iron ore remaining.
This was enough to upgrade the armor to Tier 13, but he didn't proceed. Tier 12 armor was already sufficient, and Tier 13 wasn't immediately necessary.
He turned his attention to the other accessories.
"Hmm... Let's upgrade all the White Accessories to Tier 100 first. Whether they're useful or not, let's see what they do."
Upgrading a White Accessory from Tier 10 to Tier 50 typically consumed 125,000 units of iron ore. Upgrading from Tier 50 to Tier 100 required another 377,500 units.
In other words...
Upgrading all the Tier 10 White Accessories currently in the train to Tier 100 would only cost 502,500 units of iron ore—the price of a single movie screen.
That amount of money would have crushed him in the Iron Ridge Wasteland. He wouldn't have been able to scrape it together even if he'd been squeezed dry. But for Chen Mang now, it was a trivial matter.
Immediately, the upgrading process began!
When you have money, you spend it!
One day, he would upgrade every accessory to Tier 9999!
He, Chen Mang, would build a fully-equipped Stellaris!
Moldy Bread Slice Production Line Steamed Bun Production Line Pure Water Filter Clothing Customization Production Line Cola Production Line
These five White Accessories were currently the train's most essential life-support systems, and he had previously upgraded them to Tier 20.
This time, he would upgrade them all to Tier 100!
These were the five most essential White Accessories currently installed on the train. He had upgraded them to Tier 20 last time.
This time, he decided to max them out at Tier 100!
Although the Tier 20 overpowered effect of the Pure Water Filter was nothing special, and subsequent upgrades offered no further overpowered effects, he had a slight compulsion to keep these accessories perfectly aligned at Tier 100. It simply looked more aesthetically pleasing.
After consuming 2 million units of iron ore, he immediately gained 10 overpowered effects!
Moldy Bread Slice Production Line (Tier 50 Overpowered Effect): Improved taste.
Moldy Bread Slice Production Line (Tier 100 Overpowered Effect): Long-term consumption effectively enhances comprehensive physical fitness.
Steamed Bun Production Line (Tier 50 Overpowered Effect): Improved taste.
Steamed Bun Production Line (Tier 100 Overpowered Effect): Long-term consumption effectively enhances comprehensive physical fitness.
Pure Water Filter (Tier 50 Overpowered Effect): None.
Pure Water Filter (Tier 100 Overpowered Effect): None.
Clothing Customization Production Line (Tier 50 Overpowered Effect): Clothing produced maintains internal air pressure and resists radiation.
Clothing Customization Production Line (Tier 100 Overpowered Effect): Clothing produced comes with a built-in sealed hood and a miniature oxygen generator, requiring an energy stone for power.
Cola Production Line (Tier 50 Overpowered Effect): Improved taste.
Cola Production Line (Tier 100 Overpowered Effect): Long-term consumption effectively enhances comprehensive physical fitness.
A full ten overpowered effects!
Chen Mang was quite satisfied with the results.
Especially the Cola, bread, and steamed buns, which all gained the overpowered effect "Long-term consumption effectively increases comprehensive physical fitness." It was no longer a mere "slight increase." These two overpowered effects didn't conflict, meaning his residents and guards would experience another significant boost in their overall physical fitness.
"Damn," Chen Mang muttered, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Comprehensive physical fitness had no upper limit. If the Stellaris survived the apocalypse and escaped into the cosmos...
And if his residents lived long enough, he could use the Medical Pod to repair any hidden injuries they might have.
They wouldn't be residents anymore. They'd be superhumans!
He'd been waiting for some kind of "mechanical accessory" to speed up mining. Now it seemed the development direction was clear: turn survivors into superhumans and have them do the mining?
Or was it to withstand the strain of operating mechs?
Either way...
He was quite happy. These overpowered effects were incredibly useful, especially the "Clothing Customization Line." If this thing kept upgrading like this, it would practically become a spacesuit!
Maintaining internal air pressure, radiation resistance, oxygen supply, and temperature regulation...
This was basically a spacesuit, wasn't it?
And a spacesuit with a Doraemon pocket, where he could casually pull out a Giant Wave Gatling from his chest.
Perfect!
Most importantly, the price remained unchanged. Excluding the oxygen generator, this entire outfit cost only 1 unit of Wood.
He realized the train seemed to have trouble distinguishing between what was valuable and what wasn't.
A spacesuit cost him only 1 unit of Wood.
Meanwhile, a pound of sunflower seeds cost him 100 units of iron ore.
Could it be that in the Mechanical Civilization, sunflower seeds were a luxury item reserved for the nobility?
But he quickly understood. This pricing wasn't set by the Mechanical Civilization; it was simply that the Core Energy of "100 units of iron ore" could only produce one pound of sunflower seeds. Why this was the case, he had no idea.
Perhaps the Aquablue Star simply didn't like sunflower seeds.
He then turned his attention to the "Machine Gun Structural Armament Module" on the control panel screen. This little device had been brought back from the "Neon City" fortuitous encounter map and could only be used after the train reached Tier 8.
At the time, his Tier 7 train couldn't use it.
Later, after upgrading to Tier 8, he lacked the necessary iron ore to activate it.
Now, he had enough iron ore.
Currently, the train was equipped with ten Tier 10 Doomsday Machine Guns. He decided to upgrade all of them to Tier 20!
Upgrading a single Tier 10 Doomsday Machine Gun to Tier 20 required 165,000 iron ore.
After spending 1.65 million iron ore, all ten Doomsday Machine Guns reached Tier 20.
They also gained corresponding overpowered effects.
Doomsday Machine Gun (Tier 20): Halves ammunition manufacturing costs.
Huuu...
Chen Mang took a deep breath, temporarily pausing his work. He stepped out of the locomotive cabin, planted six cigars in the ground, and knelt down, his face reverently turned toward the starry sky above.
"Heavenly Father, you've worked so hard. I've offered you six incense sticks this time."
"You're making me feel a little embarrassed."
"I'm full, truly full."
"I hope this is a blessing from you, not something I traded my remaining lifetime's luck for."
Only then did he rise, brushing the dust off his clothes. Gazing at the star-filled sky in the distance, he couldn't help but grin.
Too many good things have happened today.
I can't help but feel so happy.
The Tier 20 overpowered effect of the Doomsday Cannon had been halved again. From now on, he could use it like fireworks. Three consecutive overpowered effects had halved bullet consumption.
No wonder he'd seen so many trains in the Zombie Basin. They must have been upgrading their Doomsday Cannons with murphy stones.
Though this information wasn't public, it was still shared privately among train crews.
Firepower accessories were incredibly expensive. The main theme of this world was for trains to avoid monsters while mining, not to go on a rampage, mowing down zombies with machine guns. Each battle, excluding any additional value, usually resulted in a loss.
But the Doomsday Cannon was an exception.
At that moment, Chen Mang stood still, turning to look at his train behind him. After upgrading its armor to Tier 12, the armor's thickness was even more pronounced, almost completely enveloping every corner of the train.
Pitch-black darkness.
The train stood there like a mechanical dragon.
Most striking were the ten Tier 20 Doomsday Cannons mounted on the train's roof, each with a crimson, silencer-like device attached to its muzzle.
This was the Machine Gun Structural Armament Module.
Its effect was simple and brutal: it increased the power of the cannon shells fired by the Doomsday Cannons.
With this upgrade, the Stellaris's defenses and offensive capabilities had reached a whole new level!
Next, Chen Mang decided to upgrade the Groundburst Missiles. While these accessories packed immense power, they were also expensive. He rarely used them unless absolutely necessary. They were just too costly. Still, he had to upgrade them. There was a world of difference between not wanting to use something and not having it available when you needed it.
He then dismantled the third-rate heavy machine guns mounted outside the train. These firepower accessories were completely useless now.
Originally, they were meant for dealing with weaker enemies.
But now, even the weakest foes could be dealt with using the Doomsday Cannons, whose shells were actually cheaper than the heavy machine guns' bullets.
He also dismantled the rapid-fire ballista in Carriage 12.
It was utterly useless.
After being crafted, it had only been used once or twice, with mediocre results. Chen Mang had initially created it with the intention of obtaining the only long-range firepower accessory among the White Accessories, but the outcome had been deeply disappointing.
When it came to firepower accessories, White-grade ones were simply not worth it.
For him, the truly powerful White Accessories were those with impressive mechanisms but low base stats, allowing him to continuously upgrade them and watch both their mechanisms and stats soar. The drill was a prime example.
This might not be the most accurate comparison.
The drill had no special mechanisms, only stat boosts. By continuously upgrading it, it would eventually become an Overpowered monster.
Once Carriage 12 was cleared, he'd install something else.
After upgrading the remaining life support accessories, everything would be perfect. The Stellaris would officially enter a stable phase, taking its first major step forward!
Back in the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang resumed his upgrading journey.
After consuming 377,500 units of iron ore, he finally reached Tier 100 with the vehicle blade. The Tier 100 overpowered effect was nothing special, but that didn't matter. The primary reason for upgrading this accessory was its self-enhancing effect: each upgrade increased its strength and power.
Perfect.
Chen Mang glanced at his remaining units of iron ore. He really wanted to craft the Red Accessory, the Comet Main Cannon. It was quite expensive and required Train Expansion before he could craft it.
He hadn't yet found a way to achieve both.
He turned his attention to the generator accessory, which he had previously upgraded to Tier 20.
After consuming another 520,000 units of iron ore, he crafted two Tier 20 generators.
One was placed in the Armored Research Center for Xiao Ai's exclusive use.
The other was placed in the Resident Car for the residents' exclusive use.
The original generator in the Resident Car would now be dedicated solely to supporting the energy needs of the train's various accessories. While the original setup was functional, this new arrangement laid the groundwork for future expansion.
As for the remaining tasks...
After a moment of thought, Chen Mang spoke, "Contact Old Pig. We can start work tonight. Clear out Resident Car No. 8 and Resident Car No. 9. I'll craft eight space gates later and place them in those carriages. Arrange the dormitories. We'll begin reorganizing the Residential District tonight."
"Yes."
Soon—
Under the starry sky, all the residents disembarked from the train in an orderly fashion, gazing back at the train that had visibly undergone yet another massive transformation. Their eyes were filled with awe, and a profound sense of security washed over them.
The train was packed.
There were already a staggering 5,000 people on board.
If this were a school, it would be like ten grades holding an assembly on the sports field.
Unlike the previous small, elite teams, the sheer number of residents now made even the simple act of disembarking from the train take seven or eight minutes each day. With so many people, maintaining order would inevitably become more challenging. Yet, remarkably, the train had managed to avoid any major management issues for so long.
This was due to several factors:
First, the benefits were excellent. Compared to their experiences on other trains, the residents recognized the superior conditions here.
Second, the train's firepower was formidable—specifically, its internal firepower. With so many Heavy Machine Guns mounted, no one dared to cause trouble.
Third, the residents had developed a strong sense of belonging to the Stellaris.
Finally, Old Pig's management was meticulous. He personally interviewed any resident showing signs of emotional distress, preventing potential suicides or acts of rebellion.
Actually, even suicide wouldn't matter much.
The train was always crowded, and one death wouldn't make a difference. Even if Biaozi died, the train would still run normally. At this stage of the train's development, anyone could die, and the train would keep moving.
Except for Lord Mang.
If Lord Mang died, the train would immediately be doomed.
The main problem with suicide was the negative impact it had on the train. The residents had been living in harmony recently, but a sudden death would inevitably lead to speculation: Did the train's leaders bully or oppress this person? Was there something else they didn't know? All sorts of rumors would spread.
That's why Old Pig usually started with a talk.
If the talk went well, everything was fine.
If it didn't, he'd simply execute the person.
They could be killed, but they couldn't commit suicide.
After all the residents had left the train, dozens of residents responsible for internal affairs, under Old Pig's command, began a thorough overhaul of the two Resident Cars.
First, they cleared out all the clutter.
In Resident Cars No. 8 and No. 9, two Tier 10 Space Gates were installed on each side.
Each space gate measured 1,000 meters in length and width.
The Tier 5 Overpowered effect of the space gates allowed for altering the interior environment after consuming iron ore, such as adding grass, flowers, and other decorative elements.
After consuming hundreds of thousands of units of iron ore, Chen Mang filled each space gate with lush grass, cobblestone paths, artificial rockeries, ponds, trees, and vibrant flowers.
He also newly crafted 100 Tier 10 Refrigerators!
Each refrigerator served as a dormitory, accommodating 30 residents.
With over 30 refrigerators placed inside each space gate, each gate could house 1,000 residents. Across the eight space gates, this provided ample space for 8,000 residents, with plenty of room to spare for future arrivals.
The entire renovation process was time-consuming, especially mentally taxing—particularly for Chen Mang.
(End of the Chapter)
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