Translator: AnubisTL
How to put this...
This was the first time Zhang had seen the drill accessory's durability decrease.
The drill accessory had almost no mechanics.
Each time it leveled up, its overpowered effect was purely numerical: it became harder and spun faster.
The power of this move was immense!
Especially when the train reached 5,000 kilometers per hour, carbon-based lifeforms would have almost no chance of survival. Even Tier 12 Snow Monsters would be instantly annihilated, and Zhang suspected even Tier 13 or 14 Snow Monsters wouldn't stand a chance.
The cost, however, was steep.
The external accessories on the train had been completely destroyed by the violent impact, their durability plummeting to 0%. There was no chance of repair; they would have to be rebuilt from scratch.
"..."
On the control panel, the mechanical nanospiders began rapidly producing more nanospiders. The swarm of black nanospiders quickly climbed out of the locomotive cabin to repair the vehicle blades and the drill.
As for the remaining accessories, they would have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Vehicle Audio System
Powerful Magnet
Mechanical Tentacles
Headlight
Fortunately, except for the powerful magnet, all the other accessories were White Accessories. Rebuilding them wouldn't be too expensive. Zhang had also never upgraded the headlight, so he decided to level it up to Tier 100 this time.
Crafting a White Accessory and leveling it from Tier 1 to Tier 100 typically required 508,000 units of iron ore.
After consuming 2.2 million units of iron ore, these basic accessories were completely rebuilt and leveled to Tier 100. The headlight also gained a brand-new overpowered effect.
Headlight Tier 20 Overpowered Effect: Halves energy consumption.
Headlight Tier 50 Overpowered Effect: Halves energy consumption.
Headlight Tier 100 Overpowered Effect: Straight-line laser. Maximum illumination range extended to 10,000 meters with minimal brightness decay.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang glanced at the green-grade Accessory "Sled" and the yellow-grade Accessory "Snowmaker" in his drawer and frowned. At least he'd obtained the blueprints, though they'd cost him a hefty 2.2 million units of iron ore.
It felt like he didn't need to bother with the Death Spin at all.
He could just extend the drill and ram straight into the target at high speed. This would preserve the vehicle blade's integrity, saving iron ore, and the impact force wouldn't be any different. At extreme speeds, the slight power boost from the train's high-speed spinning technique would be completely negligible.
It was like only inadequate men would waste time pondering convoluted techniques.
True men of action just get straight to the point and finish quickly.
However...
The headlight incident served as a wake-up call. He had been neglecting some basic accessories within the train, failing to upgrade them to Tier 100. Now, he wanted to see what overpowered effects Tier 100 would bring.
For example, the refrigerator.
To put it bluntly, if the Stellaris truly became the most powerful train on this planet, this refrigerator would deserve a spot on the awards stage.
Without a refrigerator, the train's development would be severely hampered. Forget about using it for living space or storing looted strategic attributes; even the S-rank potential mechanical train mission would be impossible to complete without it.
After consuming 502,500 units of iron ore, the refrigerator in the locomotive cabin instantly reached Tier 100. Its appearance changed upon reaching this level. Though still a double-door model, it now seemed more upscale, whether due to a visual illusion or a material change.
At a glance, it simply looked expensive.
Tier 20 Overpowered Effect: Energy consumption halved.
Tier 50 Overpowered Effect: Minimum temperature reduced to -200°C.
Tier 100 Overpowered Effect: Within the range of the target acquisition radar, the refrigerator gains the train armor defensive strength (energy shields are ineffective).
"Hmm."
Chen Mang stared silently at the three overpowered effects. For 500,000 units of iron ore, buying these effects was a great deal. But... he didn't know what use they had.
-200°C was close to absolute zero.
Absolute zero environments were extremely rare in the cosmos. While many planets had frigid surface temperatures, they typically only reached around -200°C. It was said that at absolute zero, even light could be frozen.
This effect might be useful for Xiao Ai's experiments.
As for the Tier 100 overpowered effect...
Just looking at it, it was incredibly powerful!
With the train currently at Tier 14, hiding in the refrigerator within the target acquisition radar's range would make him virtually invincible.
But... what practical scenarios were there?
Would the guards carry the refrigerator during ground combat? Would they dive into it in emergencies?
Or perhaps Xiao Ai could remove the wheels from the off-road motorcycle and attach them to the four sides of the refrigerator, turning it into a land tank?
Hmm.
Though the image was somewhat abstract, it didn't seem entirely impossible.
When the Train Armor reached Tier 30 or higher, a large force of tanks with Tier 30 armor would indeed be quite formidable. The only downside was the cost—the refrigerator accessory required separate upgrades.
Not bad.
Chen Mang shifted his gaze from the refrigerator, abandoning the idea. He turned back to the screen to see how Biaozi would die next. Biaozi's persistence was remarkable; he hadn't given up yet and was still attempting the challenge, now on the third level.
He's making good progress.
Meanwhile, the Stellaris had begun its return journey. The mission was complete, and it was heading back to Crisis Valley.
The Extreme Cold Lands' frigid temperatures had caused the energy stones to deplete too quickly.
Soon—
The Stellaris returned to Crisis Valley and landed on the ground.
Outside the window, Zhang Yi was piloting the Pope Mecha, familiarizing himself with its controls in the open space.
"Pope."
"Melee Burst-Type Mecha."
"All firepower configurations have been removed to maximize the mecha's defense and speed."
"External armor and built-in hammer are Tier 12. Maximum speed reaches 640 km/h. A Tier 4 Energy Stone provides 50 hours of peak combat performance. Detailed mecha attributes are as follows:"
"Requires an Operator with comprehensive physical fitness above 23.0 to operate. Full power output is achieved at 23.5 or higher."
"No mental power requirements."
"Construction cost: 1,080,000 units of Red Heart Rock."
This incredibly expensive mecha cost 1.08 million units of Red Heart Rock just to build.
The Tier 3 Red Heart Rock mine they had discovered in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, even after being completely mined, yielded only 180,000 units of Red Heart Rock.
They would need to excavate six or seven such Tier 3 Red Heart Rock mines to gather enough material to build this mecha.
But as expected of a purple-grade mecha, its base stats were terrifying.
The most valuable component was the Tier 12 External Armor.
No train in Crisis Valley possessed Tier 12 defense; only the Stellaris did. In other words, Zhang Yi, piloting this Pope Mecha, could single-handedly take on a Tier 10 Train.
A Tier 11 Train would be a tougher match. Although it lacked Tier 12 armor, it was likely equipped with Tier 13 weapons.
Its top speed was also incredibly fast.
Standing ten meters tall, it was slightly larger than the "Thunder" mecha.
But...
Chen Mang stared calmly out the window at the mecha, which was nearly as tall as the Stellaris train. Inside, the mecha was swinging a massive mace that looked almost as thick as the mecha itself.
It gave off the impression of a child swinging a pickaxe—not quite fitting.
But—
Tiger's Might: Fierce, incredibly powerful, outrageously so. Its might was so overwhelming that it achieved twice the effect with half the effort!
The massive mace was the weapon of the monster they had defeated in the Train Tunnel's cavern. After the giant creature's death, the weapon hadn't shattered, but remained intact.
This weapon was Tier 15.
It was far stronger than the mecha's built-in weapons. Back then, a single swing had nearly crushed Carriage 5, which was equipped with Tier 13 armor. Its power was truly terrifying. However, the mace was quite heavy, so Zhang Yi had taken it up.
The only regret was that the Forced Block skill belonged to the monster itself, not the weapon.
Otherwise, it would have been perfect.
With built-in Forced Block, the mace wouldn't just have Tier 15 attack power, but also incredibly strong defense. Even after he had bombarded it with a Tier 17 cannon for half a day, the weapon showed no signs of cracking or damage.
It was practically a Divine Artifact.
Perfect.
I love it.
The next ten days passed peacefully, without any major incidents.
They also took a trip to another Blue Zone.
They didn't find any Tier 4 Ore, mostly Tier 3. They mined whatever they found, taking a relaxed approach.
It was like a vacation.
Chen Mang set aside a day to screen a new film by director Zhang Yiren for all the residents. The film's female lead became an overnight sensation, though it was unclear if something had gone awry.
Many pleasure workers on the train, having saved up their earnings, offered them to Zhang Yiren in hopes of landing the lead role in his next film.
If not the lead, they'd settle for a supporting role with a significant amount of screen time—one that showcased both beauty and sensuality.
This unexpected turn of events left Old Pig bewildered. Unsure whether to intervene, he sought Chen Mang's guidance.
After a moment's thought, Chen Mang decided to let the situation unfold without restraint. It was the residents' own affair, and the train was ultimately destined to evolve into an ecosystem. The emergence of such an unexpected ecosystem, in a sense, was a positive development—a sign of vibrant life.
Though it did sound a bit eerie.
Over the past ten days, the transformation of Neon City had been completed. Chen Mang, piloting the Stellaris, distributed a batch of "Neon City Free Entry Tickets" free of charge across several Blue and White Zones, securing the first wave of customers.
Now.
Chen Mang stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of Sun City Entertainment City's high-rise, accompanied by Old Pig and Sister Qi.
Sister Qi pointed towards the distance as she explained.
"Lord Mang, according to your plan, nearly sixty percent of the shops still in operation over the past ten days have relocated near Sun City. All shops near Sun City are currently open for business."
"The remaining shops couldn't be moved either because their machinery was fixed in place or for other reasons."
"All shop sales systems are directly connected to the core system you left behind, Lord Mang, so all revenue goes to you. However, I still need some clarification."
"What we've done is essentially robbed all the shops. If the shop owners come looking for us later..."
"The official procedure would be imprisonment, followed by execution."
"The unofficial procedure would be immediate execution."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked down at the dozens of train conductors below. The thirty-odd conductors were gathered inside a shop, standing before the glass window, their faces alight with curiosity as they gazed at the street outside.
Several pedestrians were strolling back and forth.
All of them were robots.
However, he had replaced their generic mechanical features with proper clothing, making them blend in as ordinary pedestrians. They walked back and forth along the street, creating a sense of liveliness. Without them, the area would have felt cold and desolate, hardly befitting a commercial center.
The shop was the starting point.
He had set it so that only on Mondays could people leave the starting point; at all other times, they had to stay there. The current population was still too small.
Moreover, he hadn't used the name "Stellaris" but rather "Fortuitous Encounter Map."
The entry tickets produced by the "Neon City Free Entry Ticket" could have their panel information freely altered. The Stellaris train had virtually no credibility and would need to be built from scratch, as many people had never even heard of it. But the Fortuitous Encounter Map already had full credibility.
"This is...?"
In the Neon City starting shop, a middle-aged man stood before the glass, his face filled with curiosity. He tiptoed to peer out at the bustling pedestrians outside, his voice filled with excitement. "This is the legendary Fortuitous Encounter Map, isn't it? It's truly extraordinary."
"Legendary Fortuitous Encounter Map?"
A tall woman nearby frowned slightly. "What Tier is your train?"
"Tier 2."
"..."
The tall woman rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "What kind of Fortuitous Encounter Map is this? Even a Tier 2 train is allowed in? It feels so low-class."
"Hey, little girl, that's a bit arrogant. What Tier are you?"
"Tier 11. Is there a problem?"
"Then it's fine."
The middle-aged man shrank his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "Senior, the Map Light Screen clearly prohibits train conductors from attacking each other. You can't just start trouble here."
"What are you so afraid of?"
"Even if her train is higher Tier, she's unarmed here. Afraid of her?"
Some onlookers began to jeer.
"You don't understand. I'm showing respect. It was already tough enough for me to reach Tier 2. I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to reach Tier 11."
"It's not that hard. I'm Tier 12."
"Huh? There's a big shot here too?!"
"By the way, where did you all get your Neon City Free Entry Tickets?"
"I found mine."
"Me too. I found mine too."
"So you all found them?"
"Yeah. Not me, though. I killed a zombie and found this thing in its mouth."
"That's practically the same as finding it. If it had dropped, it wouldn't have appeared in this form."
(End of the Chapter)
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