Translator: AnubisTL
"Excellent."
Chen Mang watched the scene unfolding in the sky, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to the residents who had already disembarked to mine. The Tier 4 Iron Ore mine from yesterday was nearly exhausted, with only about one-tenth of its original reserves remaining.
Once they finished mining the remaining iron ore, they could search for a new mine.
Two hours later, the Stellaris train resumed its journey. The Tier 4 Iron Ore mine had been completely depleted, adding another 10.29 million units of iron ore to the train's cargo. He continued the search for other mines, recalling a Tier 4 Copper Ore mine he had spotted on the way.
They would mine that copper ore first.
At this point, the total iron ore stored on the train had reached 39.16 million units!
They were halfway to their goal of upgrading their armor to Tier 16.
Just then!
"Lord Mang, I don't know how to explain it. Would you mind coming to take a look?"
Chen Mang received a message from Erdan on the train radio. Without hesitation, he immediately changed course and sped toward the coordinates Erdan had sent. It was likely a fortuitous encounter map, but the difficulty was too high for him to clear, so Chen Mang had to go for help.
Five zones intersect with the Stone Man Zone: several white, yellow, and green zones, and one Red Zone.
The Red Zone is the superior zone to the Purple Zone.
To advance to higher-level zones, one must enter the Red Zone. It's considered an absolute high-level zone, as only Gold, Pink, and Seven Colored zones lie above it.
The Seven-Colored Zone is practically the pinnacle of this planet's zones.
To establish oneself and reign supreme within the Seven-Colored Zone is to become the strongest train on this planet—undeniably a feat of immense prestige!
Not long after, Chen Mang arrived at the coordinates Erdan had sent. It was the intersection of the Stone Man Zone and the Red Zone. The Travel Frog was parked on the ground, and Erdan stood outside the train, gazing blankly at the Red Zone.
"..."
The Stellaris train slowly came to a halt. Chen Mang emerged from the locomotive cabin, stepping through the air to reach Erdan's side. He frowned slightly, gazing at the Red Zone ahead.
He finally understood why Erdan had summoned him.
The scene before him was simply...
too shocking.
Words failed to capture its grandeur.
Hundreds of fighter jets streaked across the sky above the Red Zone, locked in fierce combat with a swarm of flying monsters.
The piercing sonic booms, deafening cannon fire, and monstrous roars mingled together, creating a symphony of war.
A massive battle was raging in the Red Zone.
A war between trains and monsters.
It was similar to the zombie outbreak in the Zombie Basin, except this time they were spectators instead of participants.
Countless trains, some speeding across the ground, others soaring through the air, fought against the endless tide of monsters.
"..."
Chen Mang immediately checked his Train Log. No dropped items had been pulled into the train by the powerful magnet. Clearly, the magnet couldn't pull items across zones, it was a slight disappointment.
The Red Zone.
The highest monster level: Tier 18!
The scene was utterly brutal. Countless monsters exploded into bloody mists in the air.
But it had to be said: the Red Zone was truly extraordinary. Every train's combat power was terrifying. After watching for ten minutes, Chen Mang hadn't seen a single train destroyed. However, the fighter jets had been nearly wiped out.
Their defenses were simply too weak.
Any jet that was touched was doomed to crash.
Many of the attack methods used by these trains were completely new to him, things he had never seen or heard of before.
Take the deep blue train, for example.
Massive arcs of lightning crackled from an accessory atop its roof, like a lightning rod, creating a lightning field that enveloped dozens of meters around it. Any monster that dared approach was instantly reduced to ashes by the searing bolts.
Chen Mang lit a cigarette, silently admiring the spectacle. As trains reached higher Tiers, their battles became a feast for the eyes. Each train possessed its unique methods, a true display of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, each with their own divine abilities.
"The scene is truly breathtaking," he remarked, turning to Erdan, who stood beside him, looking utterly bewildered. "But did you call me here just to watch this? Is there nothing else?"
Erdan, still dazed, pointed a trembling finger toward the brutal combat unfolding in the Red Zone and murmured, "It's a long story."
"I was originally searching for fortuitous encounter maps. But this morning, I stumbled upon a special one—a Puzzle-Solving type. It wasn't a map for our zone; it was a map for the Red Zone right in front of us."
"I tried, but it ended in failure."
"The price was..."
"The Monster Resurrection event erupted in this Red Zone, and now it's like this. It wasn't this lively here at first."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he finally spoke softly: "Erdan, have you noticed you seem to be carrying a bit of bad luck?"
"A few months ago, the Green Zone: Ice and Snow Paradise was perfectly fine until you meddled with it, triggering an avalanche and unleashing the Mechanical Zombie King's slaughter."
"Now you've repeated the same thing."
"Are you secretly a human traitor?"
"Sworn to destroy humanity?"
"I..."
"Alright, let's not dwell on that for now." Chen Mang shook his head. "How did you enter the fortuitous encounter map in the Red Zone?"
A massive barrier separates different zones.
It's impossible to pass through it, whether from above or below. The Train Tunnel we encountered last time was a special case, and it's even more impossible to access a fortuitous encounter map in the Red Zone.
"Well..."
Erdan stood rooted to the spot, pointing at a patch of withered, yellow grass at the edge of the Red Zone, where it met the boundary: "As I passed by, I noticed a tiny green sprout peeking out from that pile of dry grass. It was quite remarkable, considering it's deep winter."
"I just happened to fire a burst from my cannon."
"Do you have more copper ore than you know what to do with?"
"It's not like that, Lord Mang. Based on my experience, such anomalies often trigger a fortuitous encounter map. Sure enough, after I fired the burst, a portal materialized before me, with a prompt stating that only the train conductor could enter the map. It turned out to be a puzzle-solving type."
"There were three stages."
"Completing each stage granted a reward. Clearing all three stages would earn three rewards and a grand prize. However, failing a stage meant permanent exclusion from the map and the emergence of a Regional Crisis."
"I failed the First Stage."
"And that's how we ended up here."
Chen Mang's expression gradually grew complex as he watched the trains in the Red Zone slaughtering monsters. The High-Level Trains in the Red Zone were formidable, each with its own unique abilities. Despite the fierce fighting, not a single train had been destroyed after all this time. In reality, it was a one-sided massacre.
But...
Every battle consumed vast resources. If these trains ever discovered that Erdan was behind this, he'd likely face permanent pursuit throughout this zone.
"They don't know you caused this, do they?"
"They probably do."
Erdan whispered, "After I failed the stage, a panel popped up saying that because of the Travel Frog's failure, the Red Zone, the Twilight Coast, would face the Monster Resurrection Event Crisis. Killing monsters would yield no rewards, and they would revive infinitely and rapidly for 48 hours."
Great.
Chen Mang's lips twitched slightly. No rewards for killing monsters? That meant they wouldn't even recover their investment—pure consumption. And with monsters reviving infinitely and rapidly, every kill would be a net loss.
"Erdan," Chen Mang said.
"Hmm?"
"When we go to the Red Zone, you should find a place to hide first. Wait until I've developed enough to dominate the zone before you show yourself. Otherwise, I'm worried I won't be able to protect you."
"Tell me about the First Stage."
"There's no way to pass it."
Erdan shook his head gloomily. "It's a test from the Mechanical Civilization. You have to fill out a questionnaire, but the questions are all about the Mechanical Civilization. For example, the first question asks when the Mechanical Civilization was born."
"There are four options."
"Who the hell knows?"
"I just picked something at random and failed. I chose C, 2932, but I didn't even know what calendar they were using or what year 2932 was in that calendar."
"There were five questions in total: four multiple-choice and one fill-in-the-blank."
"You only pass the First Stage if you get all the answers right."
"The first four multiple-choice questions weren't too difficult," Chen Mang said, his eyes narrowing slightly. He had plenty of train tokens. If he kept building new trains and trying them one by one, he was bound to stumble upon the correct answer eventually. But if each failed train triggered a major Event Crisis in the Red Zone, the Red Zone might as well be a G-rated zone.
Let's give it a shot first.
In the next moment, the Stellaris's test pilot appeared. He was driving a Tier 1 train equipped with a heavy machine gun, slowly emerging from the front of the Stellaris and stopping beside Chen Mang's group.
Yes, the man sitting in the locomotive cabin was the same burly man who had handled funeral affairs before the apocalypse.
He had practically become the Stellaris's designated trial-and-error agent. Whenever there was a risky task, this guy was always the first to volunteer. His advancement speed was the fastest among all civilians, almost without exception.
"Lord Mang."
The burly man from the locomotive cabin stepped out, his face resolute, and stood before Chen Mang. "Give me your orders!"
"Use the Heavy Machine Gun on your train to sweep the green sprouts hidden in that withered grass. This will trigger a fortuitous encounter map. In the first multiple-choice question, eliminate option C. If you answer correctly, attempt the remaining three questions. If you fail, remember the incorrect answer. If you get all of them right, remember the correct answers."
"Yes!"
The man nodded and returned to the locomotive cabin.
Three minutes later.
"..."
Chen Mang stared silently at the Red Zone. The entire zone was now covered in dark clouds, and bolts of lightning as thick as water buckets periodically struck the ground. Some hit trains, some struck monsters, and others struck rocks and dirt.
The lightning's power wasn't particularly strong.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, every train struck by lightning immediately went dead, plunging into a frantic, headlong rush.
"Lord Mang," the man said, returning from the fortuitous encounter map with a hint of shame. "I chose option B for the first question, but as soon as I selected it, I got a prompt saying I was wrong. I failed. Then a panel popped up in front of me."
"Because of the failure of the Live-Towards-Death train, the Red Zone's Twilight Coast will face the major crisis 'Rolling Thunder.' For all trains struck by lightning, ammunition consumption for all firearms will increase tenfold within one minute."
"It's fine," Chen Mang shook his head. He was indeed fine, but the trains in the Red Zone didn't look so lucky. Their panicked flight was quite pathetic. "Xiao Ai, call Li Shiji out of Neon City and have him take a look."
Experiments had proven that each failure triggered a new major crisis.
Therefore, they couldn't rely on trial and error to clear the map. They had to bring in Li Shiji directly. Puzzle-solving fortuitous encounter maps were his specialty. Sending him out was practically a guaranteed success!
If they cleared all three stages successfully, the Red Zone's crisis would be completely resolved.
No way!
Those trains looked powerful, and they must be carrying a lot of iron ore. Chen Mang was counting on visiting the Red Zone later to bring everyone into his Neon City for a spending spree. He couldn't let them all be wiped out by this crisis!
Soon—
Li Shiji, who had been given an emergency mission, drove a brand-new Tier 1 train with a grave expression. He swept the green shoots emerging from the withered grass once more before entering the fortuitous encounter map.
Twelve minutes later.
"Hiss..."
Chen Mang, still standing in place, inhaled sharply. He lowered his head to light a cigarette, watched the pale blue smoke curl upward, then turned to Erdan. "Actually, this 'Monster Resurrection' event... at most, it'll just deplete the Red Zone trains' resources. Even if it lasts for 48 hours, it shouldn't cause too many casualties, right?"
At that moment, the Red Zone was not only filled with monsters everywhere and thunderous Rolling Thunder echoing from the black clouds, but also snowing.
Great, fluffy snowflakes drifted down, blanketing the land in a picturesque scene.
"Lord Mang," Li Shiji said, shaking his head with a hint of guilt. "I chose A, but it failed. I searched for clues for ages, but couldn't find anything. In the end, I just guessed randomly. But with a 50-50 chance, I failed."
"Then a panel popped up in front of me."
"It said that because of the failure of the 'Little Zhuge,' the Red Zone's 'Twilight Coast' would face the Event Crisis 'Sky-Filling Snow.' All trains touched by the snowflakes would have their maximum speed reduced by 50%."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, but at least he knew the answer to the first multiple-choice question: D.
If this continued, he'd likely be the only train left when he reached the Red Zone.
He glanced around.
While the defenses of all the trains were mediocre, their firepower was truly fierce, preventing the monsters from getting close.
"Li Shiji."
"Lord Mang, what do you need?"
"Next time you name a train, don't call it 'Little Zhuge.' That way, even if we lose, it won't be so embarrassing."
"...Understood."
If the initial crisis event hadn't caused significant casualties in the Red Zone, they'd likely lose at least half their trains if they didn't act quickly.
Especially the train with the lightning rod.
It had started out cocky.
A massive arc of lightning enveloped the train, slaughtering any monsters that approached.
But after the "Rolling Thunder" crisis event, lightning bolts struck one after another, instantly silencing its defenses. It stopped releasing lightning arcs and just buried its head in a desperate dash. However, under the effects of the "Sky-Filling Snow" event, its speed visibly slowed by half.
Good.
"I'll give it a try," Chen Mang said.
Chen Mang paused, then decided to try one last time. If he still had no leads after entering, he would leave immediately. He couldn't afford to risk any further attempts.
The train in the Red Zone could barely withstand four Event Crises, but five would be absolutely catastrophic.
At least some of them might survive.
The Stellaris's cannon fired at the green sprout amidst the withered grass.
A portal materialized before Chen Mang.
He stepped through it and found himself seated in a classroom. A panel popped up, displaying information about this fortuitous encounter map:
[Brave pioneer, welcome to the Withered Wood Springs Anew Adventure Map.
In the forest ravaged by wildfire, the tenderest green shoots will emerge. In the post-apocalyptic world, the purest hope and beauty will also be born.
This is a puzzle-solving fortuitous encounter map.
If you possess sufficient intelligence or experience, you can claim corresponding rewards here. As a train conductor, you bear many responsibilities, but today, you must bear even more.
If you fail to clear the map, a Regional Disaster Crisis will befall this zone.
Strive to clear the map, or seek help from those with enough wisdom and sharp insight!
There are three stages in total.
Clearing each stage will grant you corresponding rewards. Clearing all three stages will earn you an ultimate reward.
First Stage—
Please answer the following four multiple-choice questions and one fill-in-the-blank question correctly. All correct answers are required to clear the stage. Time limit: 15 minutes.]
In the next moment—
A crisp voice echoed through the room. Chen Mang, seated at his desk, looked up to see a 15-minute countdown appear on the blackboard.
"00:14:59"
He didn't immediately turn to the exam paper. Instead, he scanned the classroom.
About 80 square meters.
The size of an ordinary classroom.
There was only a single desk and chair. No invigilator. The room was completely sealed—no windows, the door tightly shut, and no clues on the ceiling or walls.
A completely enclosed space.
After quickly surveying the classroom, Chen Mang took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to the exam paper with a hint of nervousness.
"Question 1: In what year did the Mechanical Civilization originate?"
"Question 2: What is the highest Tier currently achieved by trains in the Mechanical Civilization?"
"Question 3: Which scientist in the Mechanical Civilization has invented the most accessory blueprints?"
"Question 4: How many Habitable Planets does the Mechanical Civilization possess?"
"Question 5: How old is 'Tuotuo', the Mechanical Little Princess who has become incredibly popular in recent years?"
The first four questions are multiple-choice, and the last is a fill-in-the-blank.
Very good.
I don't know any of them.
When the Trial-and-Error Agent came out, they brought the questions with them. They asked Xiao Ai and Sister Qi from Neon City, but neither of them knew the answers. Sister Qi, in particular, was completely clueless.
Chen Mang glanced at the test paper and pen on the table, paused for a moment, then checked option "D" for the first question.
The next instant—
A white light flashed across the paper, and a red checkmark appeared next to the first question.
The paper was graded on the spot.
Correct.
One question right. It was always hardest at the beginning. At the cost of the Red Zone, "Twilight Coast," he had finally gotten the first multiple-choice question right.
As for the second question...
Sitting in his classroom seat, Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly. A sudden thought struck him. The panel for this fortuitous encounter map clearly mentioned three key pieces of information:
Brave Pioneer. Doomsday Train Conductor. Zone-Specific
This is a puzzle-solving fortuitous encounter map. If you possess sufficient intelligence or experience...
"Sharp Insight"
These three clues were incredibly clear!
First!
While he didn't know the origin or exact formation of this fortuitous encounter map, it was obvious it wasn't designed to test members of the Mechanical Civilization. Instead, it was meant for survivors from planets that had experienced the apocalypse—like him.
The first clue made this point perfectly clear.
Second!
This was a puzzle-solving fortuitous encounter map, meaning the answer must be hidden within this classroom. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a puzzle; it would be a knowledge-based fortuitous encounter map.
The phrase "possessing sufficient intelligence or experience" was particularly telling.
Experience could instantly reveal the answer.
Intelligence could deduce the answer through reasoning.
Finally, the last clue: "Sharp Insight."
Chen Mang didn't hesitate. He glanced at the countdown timer on the wall, which showed 13 minutes remaining. He immediately grabbed the exam paper, stood on the desk, and held it close to the light for a thorough examination. He found nothing unusual.
He jumped down from the desk.
He flipped the table over, but found no clues on its underside or in the drawers.
Scanning the classroom, he instinctively reached for his pocket to pull out a cigarette, only to find it empty. He remembered that the rules of this fortuitous encounter map forbade carrying any extra items; he had entered empty-handed.
No clues at all.
He walked to the classroom door, pushing and pulling, but it wouldn't budge. He then leaned against the walls, pushing hard several times, but they remained completely immovable. He tapped along the walls for a long time, but found no hidden compartments.
The countdown timer now had only seven minutes remaining.
"..."
Standing still, Chen Mang glanced around the room and murmured, "When we get out, I'll burn some incense for those trains that were destroyed on the Twilight Coast. Don't blame me when you get down there; blame that idiot Erdan. He's the one who started all this."
He looked at the floor, hoping to find some clue there, but the concrete surface was perfectly smooth, offering no hint of anything hidden.
He scanned the room again.
His gaze settled on the blackboard on the podium.
He walked forward.
His knuckles tapped lightly against the center of the blackboard, producing a crisp, hollow sound.
A spark of excitement flashed in Chen Mang's eyes as he began to search around the edges of the blackboard. He soon found a small, discreet button hidden in a recess along the bottom edge.
"Well hidden," he muttered, a thrill running through him.
He pressed the button, finally revealing the clue he'd been searching for. The countdown timer showed just six minutes remaining.
In the next instant—
As the button was pressed, the blackboard suddenly split down the middle and slowly unfolded to reveal a screen hidden behind it. The screen lit up, displaying a robot beauty in revealing clothing, gracefully swaying her hips.
A rhythmic, pounding beat filled the classroom.
Every dance move of the robot beauty was perfectly synchronized with the music, flawlessly executed. If it weren't for her mechanical left arm, she could easily have been mistaken for a world-renowned dancer.
Her top was a tight, short-sleeved crop top.
Very large.
"..."
Chen Mang frowned slightly, tapping the screen in an attempt to pause the risqué video, but it remained unresponsive. The video continued to play, quickly switching to the next woman performing a similar dance. After several women, the video even featured five or six bearded men and muscular figures doing the same risqué dance.
Long, hairy legs.
Long, white socks.
A playful tongue, and muscles bulging all over their bodies—it made him feel slightly nauseous.
But then—
Chen Mang suddenly realized something. He turned his gaze back to the risqué video, which had started playing from the beginning, and murmured intently, "One... two... three..."
The entire risqué video.
Featured four women and six men!
Four women.
The number four—the same as the number of questions in the "Multiple Choice" test. Could the answers to the four questions be hidden within these four women?
The countdown timer now showed only five minutes remaining!
Chen Mang couldn't afford to waste a moment. He anxiously watched the risqué video replay from the beginning, focusing on details about the four women. The backgrounds were chaotic: one was in a yoga studio, another on a rooftop.
He needed to extract a large amount of information at once and search for clues.
This mission would have been best suited for Li Shiji.
The video couldn't be fast-forwarded or rewound. Each time, he had to watch the risqué dance of the six men before he could continue to the risqué video of the four women.
"The multiple-choice answers are only A, B, C, and D. There's only one correct option."
"Where are the clues?"
"Is it the hairpin? Hair color? Age? No, none of those stand out. The background? It's too chaotic. We know the answer to the first question is D. Let's find a connection between the first woman and answer D... and D... Wait a minute."
"..."
Chen Mang suddenly froze in place. Though he found it hard to believe, he quickly grabbed a pen and scribbled on the table: The first woman had D-cup breasts!
He wasn't sure if this was the connection.
But he'd write it down just in case.
Soon, he had recorded the cup sizes of the remaining three women on the table:
C, A, D.
"Phew."
Chen Mang felt a slight tension. He took a deep breath, spread the test paper flat on the table, and tentatively circled 'C' for the second multiple-choice question without sitting down.
The next moment!
A flash of white light erupted from the paper, and a red checkmark appeared beside the question!
Correct.
The correct answer to the second question was indeed C.
Feeling slightly more confident, Chen Mang quickly circled the remaining two multiple-choice answers. All were correct! The answers to the first four multiple-choice questions were D, C, A, and D!
"Awesome!"
Chen Mang stared at the four perfect multiple-choice answers, unable to help but praise himself excitedly. Then, glancing at the three-minute countdown, he gripped his pen again, his eyes fixed on the risqué video playing on the screen before him.
Only one question left.
The final question was a fill-in-the-blank.
How old is the most popular Mechanical Little Princess, 'Tuotuo', this year?
He had two answers in mind.
They were:
10 and 6.
The former was the total number of people in the risqué video, while the latter was the total number of men in the video.
These numbers seemed plausible.
After all, she was the Mechanical Little Princess, so either 10 or 6 would fit. Perhaps 10 was more fitting, as 6 seemed too small.
Chen Mang stared intently at the video on the screen, unwilling to miss any clues. Both 10 and 6 felt wrong to him. This was the first time in his two lifetimes he'd ever watched a suggestive video so carefully and repeatedly.
Especially one featuring men.
How could this Mechanical Civilization have gays too?
Since the first four women had already provided multiple-choice answers, he leaned toward the idea that the final fill-in-the-blank answer should be found among the last six men, unrelated to the women. He needed to find a number among these six men.
Like 6!
The total number of men.
But this answer felt wrong. If the goal was simply to use the number 6, there was no need to specifically choose six obviously gay men. They could have used six genderless robots or six extremely dog-like creatures. The fact that they specifically chose six gay men meant...
Wait!
A bolt of lightning struck Chen Mang's mind, and a crucial clue flashed through his thoughts. He quickly grabbed a pen and, comparing it to the risqué video on the screen, scribbled furiously on the table:
"Bearded Man, white socks, white vest, rather rough."
The countdown had only 1 minute and 58 seconds left!
And he had just obtained a string of numbers:
「100110」!
That's right.
Since the video had deliberately emphasized that the men in the second half of the risqué video were gay, particularly highlighting their gay characteristics so prominently, the key clue must lie in the concept of gay itself. But what was the clue associated with gay?
It was 1 and 0!
By determining which men were 1s and which were 0s, he could derive this string of numbers:
100110!
Converting this binary code to decimal, he obtained a two-digit number: 38!
Therefore, the final fill-in-the-blank question—the Mechanical Little Princess 'Tuotuo's' age—must be 38! After all, it was highly unlikely to be 100110 years old.
"..."
Chen Mang gazed at the draft of his calculations on the table with satisfaction. Not many people knew how to convert binary to decimal using pen and paper, but he happened to be one of them. The positional values in binary are 1, 2, 4, 8, and so on. To calculate, first determine the number of binary digits. For example, the rightmost digit is multiplied by 1, the second digit by 2, and so on.
He carefully calculated the product of each digit and its positional value.
If a digit was zero, the product was zero.
Finally, he added all the products together to obtain the decimal value, which turned out to be 38.
The process was rather cumbersome.
He glanced at the countdown timer on the podium, which showed less than a minute remaining. He double-checked his calculations to ensure he hadn't made any mistakes, then rewatched the risqué video, confirming there were no other clues.
With only ten seconds left on the countdown, he picked up his pen and wrote the number 38 in the final fill-in-the-blank question.
The next moment—
A flash of white light swept across the test paper, and a red checkmark appeared after the final fill-in-the-blank question.
Meanwhile, the countdown timer on the podium froze at "00:00:06."
The risqué video on the screen slowly faded away.
Celebratory confetti cannons erupted on the side screens, and a panel appeared in the center.
"Brave pioneer, congratulations! Your keen insight and wisdom have allowed you to clear the first stage with ease within the time limit."
"All Event Crises in this zone will be immediately resolved."
"You will receive a special reward: the 'Wise One's Mining Pass,' which grants access to ten Tier 4 Iron Ore mines, ten Tier 4 Copper Ore mines, ten Tier 4 Titanium Crystal mines, ten Tier 4 Lumber Mills, and ten Tier 4 Red Heart Rock mines—all currently unexploited."
"The appearance of this fortuitous encounter map varies across different zones, but its core theme remains consistent: a tender sprout emerging from a wildfire, hope amidst despair."
"In this apocalyptic world, your ability to notice such details speaks volumes about your sharp observational skills as a train conductor."
"Currently, only 18 train conductors have successfully cleared the First Stage."
"Once the number reaches 20, this fortuitous encounter map will permanently close. The 19 train conductors from various zones will then join you in the Second Stage to compete for the ultimate treasure—a gift that will set countless train conductors' hearts racing."
"It is a grand prize bestowed by the Mechanical Little Princess 'Tuotuo' upon the wisest individual on this planet!"
"Please accept this train token."
"Before the Second Stage begins, the token will flash red. Prepare yourself within the next 48 hours. The Second Stage will commence precisely 48 hours after the red light begins flashing."
The panel on the screen slowly faded away.
Then the screen shattered. The fragments compressed in mid-air, reforming into a triangular token and an entry ticket. They fell to the ground, and a portal shimmered into existence beside them.
The First Stage had ended.
The Second Stage remained closed.
Chen Mang, having returned to Erdan's side, stared at the entry ticket in his hand with a dazed expression.
Special Item: Wise One's Mining Pass
Item Effect: Contains ten untouched Tier 4 Iron Ore mines and ten untouched Tier 4...
Before this, the most concentrated resource zone Chen Mang had encountered was the Mining Area guarded by the Two-Headed Monster at the end of the Train Tunnel. That area held a total of three Tier 4 Iron Ore mines, which had made him a fortune and left him feeling incredibly satisfied.
However...
The Mining Area accessible through this entry ticket contained ten Tier 4 Iron Ore mines alone.
Each Tier 4 Iron Ore mine held approximately ten million units of ore.
Ten mines meant a hundred million units.
"Enough, this is more than enough," Chen Mang murmured, gazing at the entry ticket in his hand. It was enough for both train upgrades and armor upgrades. With so much Titanium Crystal Mine, he could build countless unmanned fighter jets, and he had an abundance of Wood and Red Heart Rock he could never use up. He had so many resources he didn't know what to do with them all.
If only he could exchange all that Wood and Red Heart Rock for more Iron Ore.
He truly had no use for the Wood.
He needed Iron Ore. Twenty more Tier 4 Iron Ore mines would make his life unimaginably comfortable—he didn't even dare to imagine it.
"What do you mean, 'enough'?"
Erdan, standing nearby, craned his neck to look at the Red Zone in the distance, where the fighting had gradually subsided. He asked excitedly, "Lord Mang, the fighting in the Red Zone has stopped! How did you clear it? Those questions were so difficult! How did you know the answers?"
Chen Mang turned to Erdan, pulled him into a hug, and planted a loud kiss on his bald head before grinning broadly. "Good job! Your Travel Frog strategy was spot-on!"
"Keep doing this. I've always had high hopes for you!"
Erdan froze for a moment before hurriedly wriggling free and shivering slightly. He hesitated, "Lord Mang, don't you think my method of exploring the fortuitous encounter maps often leads to mistakes?"
"Like the Ice and Snow Paradise and the Twilight Coast."
"So what if you make mistakes?" Chen Mang waved his hand dismissively. "Make as many mistakes as you want! Everyone makes mistakes. Even the sages of old couldn't avoid making mistakes, could they?"
"If you're afraid of making mistakes, you'll never create anything truly remarkable."
"It's like crossing a single-plank bridge," Chen Mang explained. "On the left is the Abyss, on the right is wealth, and at the end lies stability."
"Only by falling can you hope to touch that wealth."
"From now on, be bold! Be even bolder! Whatever happens, I, Chen Mang, will have your back!"
"Alright!"
Erdan nodded heavily, a grateful grin spreading across his face. "Lord Mang, with your words, I'm reassured. I love doing this kind of thing. But Lord Mang, how did you actually do it? How did you know the answers to those questions? And how old is the Mechanical Little Princess 'Tuotuo'?"
"Thirty-eight."
"Huh? Thirty-eight and still a princess?"
"It's normal. Mechanical civilizations likely have longer lifespans."
"Oh, I see. Lord Mang, even though I now know Mechanical Civilizations exist in the cosmos and that our trains are their technology, I still don't know if they're robots or half-human, half-mechanical beings. How does their civilization endure? Through reproduction, or through AI awakening to sentience?"
"I don't know either, but it doesn't matter for now. If we live long enough, we'll eventually find out."
"And if we die?"
"If you die, I'll burn incense for you and tell you," Chen Mang said, patting Erdan's shoulder meaningfully. "The rewards for clearing the stage are generous. I'll take my leave now; I'm in a bit of a hurry. I've already had 1 million units of Tier 4 Iron Ore and 2 million units of Tier 4 Copper Ore unloaded from the carriage for you."
"Feel free to use the copper ore liberally from now on."
"If you see any flowers or plants you don't like, just spray them with a burst of bullets first."
"I trust you to handle things."
"I'm off."
Chen Mang didn't linger, but quickly headed toward his locomotive cabin. He was in a rush to see what the Wise One's Mine was like and to get this batch of ore mined as quickly as possible!
For the next period, his main focus would be the Wise One's Mine and Neon City, with all the resources he acquired going toward train upgrades.
He wasn't planning to venture into the Red Zone just yet.
Although it was only one level higher, the gap between trains seemed significant. The trains in the Red Zone looked incredibly powerful. He wasn't even sure he could win a fight against them.
(End of the Chapter)
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