Translator: AnubisTL
"Where are we now?"
Sitting in the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang thoughtfully surveyed his surroundings. Ultimately, he decided to continue south. Heading north would likely lead him back to the ruins of Mechanical City in the Red Zone.
The tunnel was remarkably clean.
Dust had been swept to the sides of the tracks, as if someone had been tidying up.
Yet...
Just as he was expecting to pass through an Area Barrier to another zone, he quickly saw the end of the Train Tunnel. The train had barely started moving, having traveled only a few steps.
At the tunnel's end, a vertical space stretched straight upward at a perfect 90-degree angle, resembling an "L" shape.
The Stellaris extended its spider legs and began rapidly climbing the wall.
After ascending several hundred meters, it reached a vast plaza with a 20-meter ceiling, roughly the size of two soccer fields. The spectacle was made even more impressive by the hundreds of robots and drones parked there.
"Damn it!"
Chen Mang immediately realized what was happening. He jumped out of the locomotive cabin and stared at the hundreds of robots standing motionless like terracotta warriors.
How could he have missed it?
He knew these robots all too well, having captured two of them before.
When completing the S-Class job change quest for the mechanical train, a large drone would fly in from afar, carrying a robot. It would then drop the robot on the ground and fly away.
When the drone arrived, a line of text had appeared on his screen:
[Do not attack! Do not attack!
This drone is the mission target! This drone is the mission target!
Attacking it will result in mission failure.]
He had always wondered where those drones came from.
Now it was clear.
If things went as planned, each zone should have a similar location—a pre-programmed system. When someone triggered the S-Class Mechanical Train job change quest, a drone would follow a predetermined sequence, towing a robot to the designated train's location.
He was now pondering a question: Could he take anything from this place?
This was clearly another bug.
This Tunnel, seventy thousand meters deep, should have been impossible to discover. Even if discovered, it should have been inaccessible. But thanks to his Tier 100 target acquisition radar and Tier 100 drill, he had forced his way in.
If he took anything, people in this zone would never be able to complete the S-Class Mechanical Train job change quest in the future.
But this was already a high-level zone.
Most residents who needed to class change had already done so. How many more could there possibly be, unless someone, like him, was creating alts?
"..."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly, quickly coming up with a solution. "Xiao Ai, find a warrior among the residents. Give them a train token and have them move all those items onto the train. Once they're done, grant them First-Class Resident Status."
He wasn't sure if taking the items without authorization would incur a penalty.
So he devised a more cunning plan: have another train conductor take them, then steal the items from that conductor. Even if there were consequences, they wouldn't fall on him, since he hadn't taken the items himself.
A generous reward always attracts a brave warrior!
For residents who had just joined the Stellaris, First-Class Resident Status was highly desirable. Normally, it would take them dozens of days to achieve that status through the standard channels.
The residential district was already selecting a warrior.
Meanwhile, Chen Mang stepped off the train alone, standing before it and gazing at the robots standing quietly in place and the drones parked on the ground. He realized his courage had grown considerably lately.
He used to be terrified of even stepping off the train.
He'd spend all day cooped up in the locomotive cabin, especially in places like this, where unknown dangers lurked.
Now, he dared to take a stroll around the train. It was mainly because his strength had grown, making him much more confident in his actions. But he still only ventured within a three-meter radius. If danger struck, he could sprint back to the train immediately. He'd explore further when he became even stronger.
"Train Conductor," Xiao Ai's voice echoed from the locomotive cabin. "If you give me all these robots, I'll have hundreds of bodies. You might need to upgrade the Train Auxiliary AI. I feel like I'm running out of computing power."
"Already?" Chen Mang raised an eyebrow. "Other trains' Train Auxiliary AIs are mostly Tier 3. You're Tier 20. Shouldn't your computing power crush theirs? If you're running out of power, how are they supposed to cope?"
Xiao Ai remained silent for a long moment before finally replying in a resentful tone.
"Train Conductor, you might not fully understand my workload. Let me give you a rough overview. The AIs on other trains generally only manage the target acquisition radar and resource detection radar accessories, leaving them with little else to do."
"Let me break down my responsibilities here."
"The target acquisition radar, resource detection radar, oxygen generator, and central air conditioner all require 24-hour computing power to ensure optimal oxygen levels and temperature for human health."
"Our train has significantly more basic accessories than others. Far more."
"After all these days, do you know the exact amount of food we consume daily, train conductor? I need to use computing power to calculate our daily needs and produce supplies on schedule."
"Then there are the Iris Chips of over 5,000 residents. Each purchase, stellar coupon transaction, daily mining overflow calculation, and real-time monitoring of comprehensive physical fitness all require computing power."
"And the 80 armed robots currently patrolling, plus the hundreds more coming soon..."
"I still have to manage the Armored Research Center, replace the 'Executioner' armor on Biaozi and the others with higher-grade materials, debug the 'Cosmic Receiver,' study the experimental data brought from the Geocore Nuclear Bomb Laboratory, and continue the unfinished experiment on the 'Cosmic Receiver' that the train conductor ordered me to complete."
"I also have to use the Mechanical Eye to monitor each resident's emotions and any rule violations, reporting them to Old Pig, Biaozi, and the others in a timely manner."
"And I still have to..."
"Alright, alright," Chen Mang interrupted with a slight cough. "I know you're working hard. I see all the effort you're putting in. I never said I wouldn't upgrade you. We have plenty of iron ore. I was just curious."
"Uh, when we get back, I'll upgrade you to Tier 100."
By the end, Xiao Ai's voice was even tinged with tears.
When you really thought about it... Xiao Ai's workload was indeed a bit excessive. But that was from a human perspective. Once she reached Tier 100, her computing power would increase, allowing her to run more processes simultaneously.
Chen Mang suddenly felt a pang of regret. What if other trains also had so many accessories?
But he quickly realized that other trains probably didn't need to worry about this.
The things Xiao Ai was responsible for—
Other trains didn't have them.
Iris Chips, Armored Research Centers, Cosmic Receivers, Black Hole Armed Robots, monetary systems...
These were all excessive.
At least among all the trains he'd encountered so far, his was the only one with a monetary system. In a stage where resources weren't abundant, a monetary system simply couldn't function.
Just then—
The hero was chosen.
"Lord Mang, he's willing to give it a try."
"Excellent."
Chen Mang turned to the middle-aged man following Old Pig. He nodded in satisfaction, about to say something, but then paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Isn't this the man who opened the safe last time?"
"Hasn't he already been granted First-Class Resident Status?"
"No," Old Pig replied, leaning close to Chen Mang's ear. "That middle-aged man has a twin brother. This is his brother. They used to work together in funeral affairs."
"Alright," Chen Mang said without further comment. He pulled out a train token from his pocket and tossed it to Old Pig. "Go. The mission is simple: activate the train token, become the train conductor, and then move all those drones and robots onto the refrigerator on your train—alone."
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone."
Chen Mang nodded. After all, this action was akin to robbing an NPC's silver vault in an online game—a clear violation of the rules. He wasn't sure if any punishment would fall solely on the train conductor or extend to the entire train crew.
If he were alone, any mishap wouldn't result in significant losses.
About an hour later, the middle-aged man lay panting on the ground, his body nearly limp. Old Pig jogged over to Chen Mang and reported, "Lord Mang, it's all taken care of."
"Mm."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, patiently waiting for a moment before clearing his throat.
"While passing through this area today, I encountered a train loaded with robots. I don't know what it is, but I believe that treasures of heaven and earth belong to those destined to possess them."
"Old Pig, send people to move everything from this train onto the Stellaris."
"Yes, sir!"
Disclaimer: This is just a disclaimer. I don't know if it will work, but I'll say it anyway. It won't cost me anything to speak up.
Soon, all the refrigerators from the train were transferred to the Stellaris. The Geothermal Core Furnace devoured the train itself as a snack. Zhang Yi and Zhang Er were assigned to the task, but their eyes were filled with resentment as they glared at Old Pig.
Just now, those two also signed up.
Old Pig rejected them.
So many robots and drones lined up in perfect rows.
If they had been assigned to move the cargo, it would have been incredibly satisfying. Could anything be more satisfying?
Yet the task was given to a resident.
If they had been in charge, it would have been finished long ago! The efficiency wouldn't even be comparable.
Now, all they could do was move what others had already finished. It was utterly unsatisfying. What was the difference between this and washing dishes?
This space at the end of the Train Tunnel, 70,000 meters deep underground, was the only area.
There was nothing else.
The Stellaris, laden with cargo, returned to the hole it had emerged from and ascended to the surface. Chen Mang wasn't ready to explore the Mechanical City zone yet. He had to take things one step at a time. He still had a mountain of unfinished tasks.
Back on the surface.
The Stellaris remained stationary. There were no mines nearby, and the residents hadn't disembarked.
No mining today. Today was for rest and repairs.
The first thing Chen Mang did after returning to the surface was to upgrade the Train Auxiliary AI directly from Tier 20 to Tier 100!
This consumed 1.28 million units of iron ore.
And it unlocked two overpowered effects.
[Train Auxiliary AI Tier 50 Overpowered Effect]: Enhanced Logical Reasoning.
[Train Auxiliary AI Tier 100 Overpowered Effect]: Enhanced Learning Ability.
"Full upgrade, huh?"
Chen Mang looked at the Train Auxiliary AI on the control panel. "Is there enough computing power now?"
Xiao Ai's excited voice soon echoed through the locomotive cabin.
"Definitely! I feel incredibly clear-headed. Right now, all the train's accessories only consume 7% of my computing power. I'm barely using any of it!"
"Let's go check out the Cosmic Receiver."
Chen Mang stretched, worked out his stiff muscles, and finally rose from his chair. He walked toward the space gate in Carriage No. 2, the armored research center named the Armored Research Center.
Xiao Ai usually spent most of his time here.
Most of Chen Mang's communication with Xiao Ai occurred through the Train Auxiliary AI's core system.
No person, only voice.
As he pushed open the door, the rhythmic whirring of mechanical gears filled the air. Hundreds of robots stood there, moving their limbs. At that moment, they all turned their heads toward Chen Mang in unison and greeted him:
"Train Conductor!"
"Just control one," Chen Mang frowned slightly. "Don't control so many at once. It looks a bit creepy."
"Yes!"
Soon, hundreds of robots entered a state of silent dormancy. But one, modified by Xiao Ai and unlike the others, strode purposefully toward Chen Mang. "Perhaps due to the passage of Time, many robots are damaged. To get them working properly, we'll need to dismantle functional parts from the other robots for repairs."
"Train Conductor, follow me."
Xiao Ai led the way, eventually stopping beside the massive red "Cosmic Receiver" apparatus. "This device is divided into three parts," he explained.
"The Receiver, the Converter, and the Solidification Zone."
"The Receiver, resembling an old-fashioned antenna, can be placed on the surface or atop the train. The Converter, this red machine, compresses the Core Energy drawn from the cosmos. This compressed energy is then channeled through pipes to a completely sealed and airtight chamber."
"Once the compressed core energy reaches a tangible state within this chamber, it forms solid iron ore."
"Currently, we can only produce iron ore."
"The exact reasons are still under investigation. We can generate Tier 1 – Tier 4 Iron ores. The time required to upgrade each tier of iron ore varies."
"A sealed and airtight chamber..."
"Yes, similar to the large glass dome in that laboratory."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "A refrigerator would be perfect, wouldn't it?"
(End of the Chapter)
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