Translator: AnubisTL
The Solar Energy Panel.
He had bought it from the Mechanical Train Parts Store in Neon City at a considerable price.
A blue-grade accessory.
He had spent 110,000 units of iron ore to upgrade it to Tier 10.
In return, he had gained two overpowered effects:
1: Can generate energy at a slower rate even at night.
2: Excess energy is converted into energy stones.
This accessory could cover a significant portion of his train's daily accessory consumption, roughly equivalent to 8,000 units of iron ore per day.
He immediately spent 4.5 million units of iron ore to upgrade the accessory to Tier 100 in one go.
Because it was a blue-grade accessory, the resource consumption was slightly higher.
The overpowered effects at Tier 20, Tier 50, and Tier 100 were all nonexistent.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was that his daily iron ore income had reached 200,000 units. This was more than enough to cover the train's daily accessory operations, leaving him with a surplus of 180,000 units of iron ore each day.
This meant he would recoup his investment in just 25 days, after which everything would be pure profit.
Not bad.
Combined with the Cosmic Receiver, the train's passive income now totaled 660,000 units of iron ore per day, even without doing anything.
Though it might not sound like much, this passive income provided Chen Mang with a sense of security he often needed.
Before the apocalypse, why were so many people obsessed with building passive income? Because with a job, you only got paid if you worked. But with passive income, you could earn money even while doing nothing.
Chen Mang glanced at the Train Unit Panel.
There were still 3.2 million units of iron ore.
He should probably stop spending for now.
He decided to hold off on using any more.
The three Tier 4 Iron Ore mines in the Train Tunnel had propelled the Stellaris to its peak potential. Now, he needed to continue mining and then head to the Mechanical City to search for an antidote.
Where the Seven-Step Snake appeared, an antidote must be within five steps!
He refused to believe he was the only one facing the dilemma of choosing between the drill and train expansion. Other trains must be facing the same problem, and since this challenge only existed in the Blue Zone, he reasoned there should be a corresponding antidote there as well.
Soon—
Half a day had passed in a flash.
The iron ore mine was completely depleted, Erdan's quest had been successfully completed, and it was time to part ways. Chen Mang had also received his reward.
S-Rank Difficulty Reward: Special item—the Drill Manipulation Token.
"..."
Chen Mang stared expressionlessly at the spinning top-like special item in his hand. Its only effect was to allow the size of the "drill" accessory to be freely adjusted.
The maximum size couldn't exceed the train's cross-section.
The minimum size couldn't be smaller than one centimeter.
It was essentially a low-budget version of the Size Manipulation Token.
He felt he might have overthought things. He'd assumed the antidote must be within seven steps, or at least required a journey to the Mechanical City Ruins in the Red Zone. Yet here it was, right in the White Zone.
Truly, within seven steps.
With this special item, the "drill" could now perfectly integrate with "Train Expansion."
"Uh..." Erdan hesitated, "Lord Mang, is this item even useful to you? The reward seems a bit... trashy."
He wouldn't use it himself. He had no intention of expanding his train. His focus was on agility and speed, and the few cannons he had were more than enough. He wasn't planning on fighting anyone.
His mission was essentially a courier role.
Speed was his specialty.
"This is very useful," Chen Mang sighed softly before tucking the small spinning top into his pocket and patting Erdan on the shoulder. "Go now. Today, you and I will explore Crisis Valley's fortuitous encounter map here. Tomorrow, you'll soar with me across the Sea of Stars."
"Believe in your own talent and luck," Chen Mang urged. "You're a born adventurer."
Erdan didn't speak, but nodded firmly, his face resolute. Then, he strode toward his "Travel Frog" locomotive cabin. Soon, the locomotive soared into the sky, shooting off into the distance!
Watching Erdan disappear, Chen Mang returned to the locomotive cabin and placed the item on the control panel. It dissolved into countless shimmering motes that vanished into the air, completely integrating into the control panel. A line of text appeared on the control panel screen:
[The Stellaris train has been equipped with the Drill Manipulation Token. From now on, the white accessory drill can freely adjust its size.]
Perfect.
Chen Mang then turned his attention to Train Expansion. The exact dimensions after expansion were entirely up to him, with a maximum limit of 100 meters wide, 300 meters long, and 100 meters high per carriage.
"..."
Chen Mang mentally envisioned the scene: a carriage 100 meters high, equivalent to a 30-story residential building. Each carriage would be this massive. That thing could no longer be called a train.
It was a Land Battleship.
While such a vessel might not seem out of place in the cosmos, on land it would be utterly incongruous.
A train of this size would inevitably suffer a significant reduction in speed and consume far more energy. Moreover, it would be completely unable to access many locations, such as the Train Tunnel, even though most of the fortuitous encounter maps he had explored had been designed with train travel in mind.
For example, the Train Tunnel had a ceiling height of nearly 100 meters.
But that was barely enough. It was utterly insufficient to accommodate a train of this scale.
After maxing out Train Expansion, the required iron ore units displayed were:
"140 million."
"What an unfamiliar unit," Chen Mang muttered.
Chen Mang silently adjusted the Train Expansion to the left. This was the first time he'd seen the unit "100 million," and it felt so unfamiliar. When had iron ore prices reached such astronomical figures?
One person, one pickaxe, working in a Tier 1 Iron Ore mine, could earn roughly 10 units of iron ore per day.
To accumulate 140 million units, it would take 14 million consecutive days—a task that would have to begin in the Jurassic period.
He adjusted a carriage to 10 meters wide, 30 meters long, and 10 meters high, bringing the price to 14 million units of iron ore.
"Hmm." Chen Mang nodded. This price felt much more reasonable.
A 10-meter-wide carriage was spacious enough to accommodate numerous large accessories, and it would give the train a powerful, violent aesthetic when in motion. He was still short on iron ore, but he could earn a bit more and then begin the Train Expansion.
As for where to get the remaining iron ore...
Half an hour later, Erdan's voice echoed from the locomotive cabin: "Confirmed, Lord Mang. The fortuitous encounter map I accepted is indeed a 'long-lasting' type. Any train passing through here can accept it without any conditions, though each train can only accept it once."
Most fortuitous encounter maps were limited to a single acceptance per train, not only tied to the train itself but also to its train conductor.
For example, Erdan once entered the "Eternal Imprisonment" map in the Zombie Basin while driving the "Azure Dragon" train. Even after switching to the "Travel Frog" train, he couldn't re-enter.
"Excellent," Chen Mang nodded with satisfaction. He could infinitely produce Tier 1 Iron Ore, generating one every half hour. This "long-lasting" fortuitous encounter map could become his infinite refresh point!
He could assign anyone he wanted to complete the S-Rank Difficulty Mission.
The only question now was whether he should:
Complete the mission multiple times himself to obtain enough Drill Manipulation Tokens, then sell the tokens directly.Sell the rights to mine Tier 1 Iron Ore, allowing other trains to do the digging.
Though these options seemed similar, the benefits were clearly different.
Drill Manipulation Tokens weren't essential for everyone, but the unknown rewards for completing an S-Rank Difficulty Mission were something everyone desired.
While the former would be easier to trade, the latter would yield greater profits.
The next moment, a pinned message reappeared on the Crisis Valley train radio:
[Tier 10 Mechanical Train, Stellaris: Selling Tier 1 Iron Ore mining rights. Complete iron ore deposits, clear ownership. Only three mines available. First come, first served. Highest bidder wins!]
Soon, the train radio erupted in a flurry of chatter.
"Tier 1 Iron Ore? Can you really find Tier 1 Iron Ore in Crisis Valley? I've been here for so long, and I've never seen any."
"Maybe. I heard an old-timer in this zone once completed that quest. But that train moved on to a higher-tier zone long ago."
"Are the three Tier 1 Iron Ore mines all clustered together?"
"He's a Tier 10 Train, isn't he?"
Then:
"Send me the coordinates. If I really see Tier 1 Iron Ore there, I'll give you 2 million units of iron ore."
"Alright," Chen Mang replied, his voice sharp and decisive. His eyes narrowed slightly. While this trading method would yield higher profits, it also left him vulnerable to those with malicious intentions.
But he wasn't afraid.
With Tier 12 armor at his disposal, what did he have to fear?
Even if someone possessed Tier 13 or even Tier 14 firepower accessories, didn't he have his own? His Absolute Defense would render any attack useless.
He wasn't afraid.
But this approach would hinder his trading. To gain an advantage, he needed to take decisive action, at least making everyone aware that even though he was just a Tier 10 Train, he had earned the right to sit at the table and compete for resources.
Even if he killed one thug, two more would remain. Then three more. There would be no end to it.
He needed to establish his authority.
Without hesitation, he didn't privately send the coordinates to the person. Instead, he posted them as a pinned message on the train radio.
Tier 10 Mechanical Train, Stellaris: These are my coordinates. All are welcome to come and verify their authenticity.
"I'm mining right now, so I can't go. Otherwise, I'd really like to see how the Stellaris, only at Tier 10, has remote trading and train radio pinning. Why don't I have those features?"
"I'm just wandering around. I'll go."
"Me too. If there's really Tier 1 Iron Ore, then..."
"Cough, let's see first."
"Let's go, let's go! I've been eyeing that S-Class Adventure Mission for ages, but I've never found Tier 1 Ore."
The sky was turning golden as dusk approached.
Chen Mang sat in the locomotive cabin, mentally reviewing countless contingency plans. No one could guarantee a perfect response to a sudden crisis unless they had prepared and rehearsed beforehand.
All the residents had returned to their carriages.
"Xiao Ai."
"Yes."
"Manufacture a 1st-Tier Groundburst Missile and launch it."
"Understood!"
The next moment—
A Groundburst Missile slowly rose from Carriage 14. Flames instantly engulfed the entire carriage, carrying a cloud of smoke as it ascended from the train. But then, the missile abruptly veered in mid-air.
It even performed a brief, twisting dance.
Finally, it landed far away.
"..."
Chen Mang watched this scene, his eyes narrowing slightly. It seemed missiles could indeed be controlled using the powerful magnet.
But...
He glanced at the screen. The energy consumption was a bit higher than expected, but it didn't matter. This tactic was meant to intimidate!
As long as he could intimidate all the approaching trains today, he would gain absolute control over the trading negotiations!
Just then—
"They're here."
Within the target acquisition radar's range, three or four trains had simultaneously appeared from various directions, all heading toward the Stellaris. His radar's detection range extended a full 100,000 meters.
As the saying goes, "Know your enemy before you strike."
The control panel screen quickly displayed the data and information of these trains.
Tier 11 Mechanical Train: Maximum defensive component: Tier 8 Zaibatsu Energy Shield. Maximum offensive accessory: one Tier 12 Doomsday Cannon. No other Special Accessories. Overall threat assessment: zero.
Tier 10 Mechanical Train: Maximum defensive component: Tier 7 Zaibatsu Energy Shield. Maximum offensive accessory: one Tier 12 Doomsday Cannon. Other Special Accessory: Red-Tier accessory "Spacetime Leap," usable once per day. When activated, a portal appears in front of the train, teleporting it to any location within the zone. Overall threat assessment: zero.
Tier 12 Mechanical Train: Maximum defensive component: Tier 10 Star Ring Energy Shield. Maximum offensive accessory: Tier 11 Comet Main Cannon. No other Special Accessories. Overall threat assessment: zero.
Tier 12 Flesh Train: Maximum defensive component: Tier 8...
"..."
Chen Mang stared at the information scrolling across the control panel screen with a slightly strange expression. He realized he might have overestimated the other trains. His initial expectation was that even if they had Tier 13 or Tier 14 offensive accessories, his "Absolute Defense" would be enough to handle them.
But now it seemed...
No train possessed attack accessories of this caliber.
And these trains couldn't be upgraded infinitely.
To upgrade the Doomsday Cannon to Tier 14 would require a significant amount of murphy stone, and murphy stone wasn't just lying around everywhere.
Among the three Red-Tier accessories that a Tier 10 Train could craft, the Comet Main Cannon could indeed be upgraded to Tier 14.
Red-Tier accessories could reach Tier 20 without murphy stone, but this was a Red-grade, large-caliber firepower weapon. Just imagine the price! In some ways, it was even more expensive than the Groundburst Missile, since this thing could fire continuously!
Just crafting it required 50,000 units of iron ore.
Thinking about it this way...
He didn't need to prepare so many contingency plans. He could simply stay here and wait for the unsuspecting to approach, instantly eliminate them, and then establish his dominance in the trade!
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c298. [+2/+11.9k]
🎁All [2] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [900+] Chapters and [1.79M+] Words.