Translator: AnubisTL
After Biaozi and the others had finished transporting the large quantities of iron ore and materials back to Carriage No. 2 and Carriage No. 3, Chen Mang inserted a Tier 2 Energy Stone into the funnel beside the train elevator.
The train elevator began to activate once more.
It slowly descended.
It returned to the train tunnel, passing through the Mechanical City and continuing north.
He didn't know what lay ahead.
But he knew he had his train and his cannons.
Whatever lay ahead would be his.
After about half an hour of travel, they finally saw the end of the train tunnel. But instead of the meticulously crafted mechanical structures, the tunnel abruptly opened into a vast, natural cavern. It was pitch-black inside, with no trace of light.
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen.
Both the Target Acquisition Radar and Resource Radar showed no activity ahead.
Yet, for some reason, he felt a sense of unease. The screen indicated they had entered an unknown area.
As the train's front end entered the cavern, a piercing alarm suddenly blared through the locomotive cabin!
Red lights flashed incessantly!
The Target Acquisition Radar screen displayed a Tier 15 monster within the cavern.
Chen Mang's expression shifted slightly. His Train Armor was only Tier 13.
At the same time—
The resource detection radar began flashing wildly. Mines dotted the landscape, dozens densely packed across the cavern walls. At a glance, Chen Mang spotted three Tier 4 Iron Ore mines alone!
The train's headlights instantly illuminated the cavern's interior.
A colossal two-headed monster, its massive form emerging from the darkness, roared and slammed its mace against the Stellaris train with tremendous force!
Boom!
Caught off guard, the Stellaris train took the full impact. Alarms blared red inside the locomotive cabin, and Carriage 5, struck directly, was crushed nearly in half, teetering on the brink of total destruction.
Chen Mang, who had quickly pushed the control lever to steer the train away from the monster and into a corner, swiftly scanned the information on the control panel screen.
Carriage 5 Armor Integrity: 34%
No. 5 Doomsday Cannon Integrity: 0%
Mechanical Nanospiders are rapidly producing and heading to repair.
The monster remained motionless, its eyes fixed on the Stellaris train, filled with bloodlust and savage glee. It leaned forward slightly, poised to charge at any moment.
Standing over twenty meters tall, the monster was a massive, obese creature with blue skin. It had two heads, radiating an overwhelming sense of menace.
"Damn it..."
Chen Mang, still seated in the locomotive cabin, stared at the 0% integrity of the No. 5 Doomsday Cannon on the control panel screen. "Building a Tier 20 Doomsday Cannon is expensive, you egg-laying neck-balls!"
Integrity: 0%. Beyond repair. Completely scrapped.
We'll have to build a new one.
Don't let its sudden size fool you. This monster's explosive charge is incredibly fast, far faster than a train!
Just then—
"ROAR!!!"
The two-headed monster roared again, leaning forward and raising its massive mace high, launching another death charge at the Stellaris!
A faint sonic boom even echoed through the air.
But the Stellaris train, already prepared, immediately switched to its spider leg configuration. With incredible agility, it climbed along the wall behind it and onto the ceiling, hanging upside down to successfully dodge the attack.
As the Stellaris train moved rapidly across the ceiling, the remaining nine Doomsday Cannons locked onto the two-headed monster, their barrels spinning rapidly!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Flame-trailing shells erupted from the cannons, instantly engulfing the monster in a hail of fire!
Upgrading the Doomsday Cannons doesn't increase their power, only their range and firing rate.
But firing rate is power!
The faster the firing rate, the greater the power!
With all nine Doomsday Cannons firing at full power, Tier 17 shells were produced without restraint, raining down on the two-headed monster like a metallic storm!
Yet...
"..."
Chen Mang's pupils suddenly contracted. He saw the two-headed monster spinning its mace with Tiger's Might, deflecting every single shell. After a full barrage, it was only lightly wounded?
"This is even possible?!"
He didn't have time to dwell on it. He fired another volley.
Then, quickly inverting himself, he crawled along the ceiling, maneuvering the Stellaris to position itself behind the monster and unleashed another barrage—a weak point attack!
But...
Despite its massive size, the monster reacted swiftly, spinning around again to block the shells aimed at its back.
Chen Mang had targeted multiple parts simultaneously—its feet, legs, head, and belly—yet the monster deflected every shot.
The two-headed monster was only grazed by the explosions, suffering minor injuries. So far, it hadn't sustained any fatal wounds!
Fortunately, the cavern was tall, towering over a hundred meters. As long as he remained inverted on the ceiling, he could slowly wear down this boss.
But the next moment—
Suddenly, Chen Mang saw the monster's legs bend. A sense of foreboding flashed through him. The Doomsday Cannon roared again, but the monster, already in a crouch, had no time to react. Its mace spun rapidly, deflecting shell after shell.
That damn monster is clearly about to jump at me!
Since it was preparing to jump, it was clearly capable of leaping that high.
Should I retreat?
A shadow crossed Chen Mang's eyes. If he wanted to escape, he could use the drill to quickly tunnel out of the cavern right now. But... the numerous mines within the cavern were incredibly tempting. He desperately needed that iron ore!
If he ran now, he'd have to return later when his train was upgraded and stronger.
That didn't sit right with him.
By the time his train reached Fifth or Sixth Tier, the iron ore here would no longer be so enticing.
He firmly believed that so-called delayed gratification was just an excuse people used to justify their inability to obtain what they truly desired.
Would you feel the same satisfaction if you finally got the toy you wanted as a child when you were already thirty?
But if he tried to fight, the monster's mace, wielded with Tiger's Might, was completely impenetrable.
The moment he stopped firing, the monster would leap up and attack!
His copper ore couldn't sustain firing Tier 17 shells for so long anyway!
But...
Chen Mang's expression gradually became strange. He cautiously switched to Tier 14 shells. These shells couldn't penetrate the monster's defenses at all, yet the monster remained crouched in a horse stance, twirling its mace with Tiger's Might and blocking every shot.
Tier 12.
9th-tier.
Tier 6.
He kept lowering the tier until he reached Tier 1. Now, every shell fired by the Doomsday Cannon was Tier 1!
Completely ineffective!
Yet the two-headed monster showed no sign of ignoring the attacks. Its bloodthirsty eyes remained fixed on the Stellaris train, and it continued to twirl its mace, blocking every shell.
Clearly, the monster's special mechanism allowed it to block every shell with its mace, unless the shell's tier was high enough—like Tier 22 or Tier 25—to inflict damage even through the splash radius. Otherwise, the monster was virtually invincible!
But...
Even a Tier 1 Shell would trigger the monster's Forced Block mechanism.
Now there was no need to rush.
"..."
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen and suddenly chuckled.
The train originally held 4.62 million units of copper ore!
The price of a Tier 14 Shell was 3,000 units of copper ore.
Tier 15 was 3,500 units.
Tier 16 was 4,000 units.
Tier 17 was 4,500 units—two shots could obliterate a Tier 1 Copper Mine.
After three consecutive half-price discounts, the cost dropped to 562.5 units.
He had already fired over 3,000 shells, consuming 1.813 million units of iron ore, yet he still couldn't make a dent in the two-headed monster. Adding in the low-tier shells he had used for testing, he had only 2.71 million units of copper ore remaining.
At this price, he could afford at most 4,000 Tier 17 Shells.
Even that many Tier 17 Shells wouldn't be enough to kill the monster. Its near-absolute blocking mechanism was simply too annoying!
But—
The price of a single Tier 1 Shell was only 5 units of copper ore.
After the three-fold resource reduction, it cost only 0.625 units of copper ore per shot.
With his remaining 2.71 million units of copper ore, he could craft over 3 million Tier 1 Shells!
From then on, he did nothing but slowly fire Tier 1 Shells.
I don't believe it!
Even if you're a boss, even a Tier 15 Boss, you must get tired eventually, right?
If I just keep firing these Tier 1 Shells, like squatting and swinging a mace all day, I refuse to believe you won't tire.
If, after firing over 3 million Tier 1 Shells, this boss still shows no signs of fatigue, then I'll admit defeat. Fine, I'll admit it. Next time we meet, I'll come back after I've had a chance to level up.
In the blink of an eye, three hours had passed.
If it weren't for the constant crackling explosions echoing through the cavern, the scene would have looked like a still image.
The Stellaris train hung upside down from the cavern ceiling, its nine Doomsday Cannons firing relentlessly, bullets pouring out like water from a broken dam.
Meanwhile, the massive two-headed monster, its legs long since unable to support its weight, had collapsed to its knees. Yet the mace in its hands continued to spin rapidly, though its initial Tiger's Might had clearly diminished.
The two-headed monster's speed had slowed considerably.
"Is this all you've got?"
Leaning back in his chair, with his feet propped up on the control panel, Lord Mang glanced away from the movie playing on the side screen. He held a cigar between his fingers, casually surveying the struggling two-headed monster below. "Didn't you claim to be able to disarm anyone barehanded? Come on, take your time."
"Let's see just how far you can push that Forced Block of yours."
He could afford to wait.
Three hours? No problem.
Even thirty hours wouldn't matter. He was determined to claim this mine!
Not even Jesus could stop him, he declared!
"How should I record this?"
Old Pig, seated alone in a private room of Guard Car No. 7, watched the scene below with a furrowed brow. He hesitated, pen poised but unable to write.
Today, Lord Mang piloted the Stellaris train north through the Underground train tunnel. The train accidentally entered an Unknown Cavern and was ambushed by a Tier 15 Boss. Carriage 5 sustained damage.
Lord Mang... delivered an instant kill!
He was mainly debating whether to include the phrase "instant kill."
Theoretically speaking...
Three hours had passed. If the Stellaris ever sailed into the cosmos, three hours would be but a fleeting moment. But... after some thought, he changed the wording.
Fierce Battle! Lord Mang Takes the Upper Hand!
After all, this was a Tier 15 monster, while the train was only Tier 10. Overcoming a boss several tiers higher, even if it took some time, was still an impressive feat. Moreover, it highlighted Lord Mang's decisive choices in the face of crisis, his unwavering resolve, and his clever tactics.
This would make an excellent textbook case.
Yes, that's how I'll write it.
"...We almost died."
In Carriage 5, now fully repaired by the mechanical nanospiders, Ji Chuchu and Yan Yao sat by the window, their eyes still filled with lingering fear. In that instant of the attack, the carriage had been nearly crushed flat!
Fortunately, the train's expansion had increased its size.
It now stood a full ten meters tall.
The carriage had been smashed down to a mere three meters. Thanks to the "Permanent Shock Absorber" accessory, they had only suffered minor superficial injuries.
If the train hadn't undergone expansion, that single blow would have turned the carriage into scrap metal.
The two women would have died instantly.
Moreover—
If Carriage 5 had been smashed into a sheet of metal, it would have severed the connection, causing the carriages behind to decouple. The people in those carriages would have become ghosts beneath the monster's club, left to await death.
That was close.
Ji Chuchu patted her chest lightly, gazing out the window at the two-headed monster below. She murmured, "I lived another day. That's wonderful."
Though she was sitting by the window, her head was facing downward.
Gravity seemed to have failed in this carriage.
This was the effect of the "Built-in Space Stabilizer" accessory. The body felt no discomfort—only a slightly disorienting perspective. After a brief adjustment, it became almost normal.
Four more hours passed.
Chen Mang checked the remaining copper ore: 1.2 million units. Over 1.5 million units had already been consumed.
Four hours ago, the two-headed monster below had looked like it was about to collapse, yet it had endured until now. Its stamina and endurance were truly top-tier.
But it seemed to have reached its limit.
The remaining 1.2 million units of copper ore should be enough.
I'll wear you down!
Damn it!
But the attack on Carriage 5 just now reminded him of something.
"Xiao Ai, if the carriage containing the space gate is destroyed, what happens to the space gate?"
"It shatters."
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the locomotive cabin. "Theoretically, this is the strongest attack, almost impossible to resist. The spatial fragments will instantly slice the entire space gate into countless pieces."
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully. He seemed to have figured out how to use the "Space Stasis" Purple Accessory he'd never used before.
This accessory wasn't useless at all.
In fact, at a critical moment, it could deliver a decisive blow!
Seven hours had passed since the Stellaris entered the cavern. Apart from a brief initial encounter, the subsequent seven hours of combat had been like a frozen animation.
After enduring seven hours of relentless assault, the emotions in the two-headed monster's eyes had changed repeatedly.
From initial bloodlust, to later fatigue and rage.
Then came confusion and helplessness.
Finally, despair, resentment, and collapse.
Just then—
Utterly exhausted, with both its physical and mental reserves depleted, the monster could no longer grip its mace, which flew out of its grasp!
(End of the Chapter)
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