"So this is how you earn Train Coins?"
"Four coins... in that case."
Ethan Ye opened the Train Details interface. The options that had appeared after his upgrade were still listed there.
After spending three Train Coins to purchase the Low-Level Water Reservoir blueprint and an extra hour of docking time, Ethan was down to a single coin. If he could stumble upon another treasure chest at the next station, he might just be able to scrape together enough for the Burst Acceleration Device.
Seeing the departure countdown reset to 01:15:00, Ethan turned his attention to the rewards from the chest.
The Colt M1911. Compared to the crude firearms he had scavenged from the armory, the craftsmanship of this pistol made it look like a work of art.
"It seems the guns in this world all use the same type of ammunition."
He loaded a magazine with low-level bullets and aimed the muzzle at a wooden crate outside the train.
He squeezed the trigger. In an instant, the crate was blown into splinters.
"Whoa... that power isn't right."
Rubbing his slightly aching palm, Ethan stared at the weapon with a look of genuine surprise. Both were handguns, and the ones from the armory used the same caliber, yet their power was at least fifty percent lower than this Colt.
"If I were to Sublimate this as well..."
Ethan quickly shook his head, tossing the dangerous thought aside for now. Now was not the time for another Sublimation. Both his Stamina and Spirit were hovering near the red line; it wouldn't be too late to reconsider once he had recovered.
Stowing the pistol, Ethan pulled up the two newly acquired blueprints on the control system.
[Low-Level Water Reservoir Blueprint] [Stores water; keeps water from spoiling or evaporating for ten days.] [Required: 10kg Metal, 20 Machine Parts.]
[External Waste Collector] [Scavenges waste within the station; the automated device returns to the collector before departure.] [Required: 30kg Metal, 100 Machine Parts.] [Optional Addition: 300 Machine Parts for special modification.] [Post-Modification: Automatically recycles and deconstructs collected waste at the workbench into usable materials.]
"I think I can build both of them."
Ethan muttered to himself as he tallied his total collected resources.
[Wood: 210kg] [Metal: 60kg] [Machine Parts: 220 units]
The resources were sufficient, but if he constructed these two facilities, the first actual carriage would have to be put on hold.
"I'll wait a bit."
He wasn't in a rush. Since he had gained extra docking time, he figured he might as well get some proper rest.
With one hour left on the departure clock, Ethan opened the Trading Platform.
The platform operated under specific rules. Any Conductor currently docked at a station was prohibited from listing items for sale; they could only sell once they had departed. This rule was likely designed to prevent people from using the platform as a loophole to bypass storage limits by transferring station resources mid-scavenge.
However, purchasing items was not restricted by this rule.
In other words, Ethan, currently docked, could buy items listed by Conductors who had already left their stations.
But the logic of this rule seemed flawed, or perhaps intentionally porous. It didn't restrict private messaging for trades, nor did it stop those at stations from buying. Such a glaring oversight didn't seem like a mistake from whatever entity had orchestrated this survival game.
It felt like a hint: Rules can be ignored—to a certain extent.
Ethan didn't dwell on it. He had only one objective: trade for metal.
As for what to offer?
His gaze swept over the low-level rifles and compressed biscuits sitting beside him. In times like these, the one thing people lacked most was a sense of security. And nothing provided security like weapons and food.
"Nothing?"
Ethan repeatedly refreshed the platform. Although a few people had listed the metal he needed, the quantities were minuscule and the prices were absurd—clearly, those sellers weren't actually looking to trade yet.
"Everyone is just testing the waters."
He opened the Chat Room. Other Conductors had already departed their first stations, and the dialogue was scrolling at a frantic pace.
["Man, how was everyone's first haul? I spent ages in a junkyard and found nothing but scrap tires. I'm pissed. Though, I did scrap the tires for a lot of rubber. DM me if you want to buy!"]
["Be grateful. My first stop was a meadow. Nothing but grass! You couldn't even walk; it was all black mud and smelled like a sewer. Disgusting."]
["Meadows are good, though. Black soil is highly valuable."]
["Valuable for what? Can you eat it?"]
["Black soil is for growing vegetables. It's useful."]
["Tch, I thought you meant it was edible. What's the point? We're stuck in a tiny engine room; where are you going to grow veggies? You're kidding me."]
["Anyone selling Machine Parts? I have a blueprint that needs them."]
A blueprint was shared in the chat, immediately causing a stir.
[Low-Level Mechanical Fishing Rod] [Enables automated fishing.] [Required: 20 Machine Parts, 1kg Metal.]
["Holy crap! What is that, a blueprint? Why didn't I get one!"]
["Luck of the draw, I guess. But is it okay to post that in the chat?"]
["Heh, I can tell you guys don't have blueprints. This is just a screenshot; you need the actual item to craft it. Hey friend, I have 20 Machine Parts. I'll trade them for the bread and water you got at the start."]
["You idiot. 20 parts for food and water? Keep dreaming. I'll give you the parts for just the bread!"]
["I—I'll take half a loaf! But I only have 15 Machine Parts..."]
["It's just a fishing rod. What's the big deal?"]
Not many people had found significant hauls at their first stations.
["Anyone selling water? I'm dying of thirst..."]
["Did anyone else find a treasure chest?"]
["What's a treasure chest?"]
["Uh, never mind. Forget I said anything."]
["God, I hate people who talk in riddles. We're in this mess together; if you have info and don't share it, are you even human?"]
["Exactly! We're all just trying to survive. What's wrong with helping each other out?!"]
A mob began to condemn the person who had mentioned the chest. Even through a screen, their malice was palpable. The individual eventually buckled under the pressure and posted a screenshot of their system log.
[Opened Level 1 Treasure Chest] [Obtained Train Coins: 2] [Obtained: Golden Sore Ointment] [Obtained: Level 1 Blueprint: Aluminum Insulation Pad]