"Phew."
Chen Mang let out a light sigh, turning his head to glance out the window at the Train Residents who were already having their meal. He lit a cigarette, gazing up at the faint blue smoke drifting on the ceiling, his expression complex as he remained silent.
He had input the coordinates into the control console.
They were indeed coordinates in the Kunlun Mountains region.
His first thought was, could this be a trap set by the Ziyun Train, in collaboration with several other Level 6 Trains, to ambush him?
Firstly, he wasn't that familiar with the Ziyun.
If one were on the brink of death, it wouldn't make sense to talk so much to someone they weren't close to. Did they not have any friends?
Secondly,
The person had spoken too much before dying. Even as the monster was slowly gnawing on their body, they were still able to talk so much. Isn't that mental resilience a bit too strong?
Under normal circumstances, pain of that intensity should have caused them to pass out long ago.
Even if they didn't pass out, their mind would be blank, without the strength to speak, let alone say so much.
It defies common sense.
But upon further reflection, the likelihood of it being a trap was minimal. There was no bait; the person died immediately, and their name in the chat window turned gray and dimmed. This couldn't be faked.
Without any bait, it was almost certainly not a trap.
However—
The temptation for him was indeed great.
"."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly. His "Ground Burst Missile" had already been upgraded to Level 6. No matter how many monsters were hiding in that valley, or if there were a few Level 6 monsters, one missile strike would clear the area.
Moreover, according to the Ziyun Train Conductor, there were many monsters in that valley.
Even if a single Level 6 missile cost a whopping 300,000 units of copper ore, it wouldn't be a loss.
The more monsters there were, the more he would profit.
It was indeed very attractive to him, but no one knew he had missiles, so it couldn't be used as bait to lure him there.
After pondering for a while.
"Have all the residents return to the Train. We're preparing to depart."
"Understood, Train Conductor."
Under a sky full of stars.
The Stellar Train was speeding across the Shahe Plain toward the Kunlun Mountains region, heading straight for the coordinates sent by the Ziyun Train Conductor before their death.
It was quite a distance. The mountain peak was located at the northernmost edge of the Shahe Plain, and beyond that was another white zone. The Kunlun Mountains region was to the far west.
Three hours later.
The Stellar Train gradually slowed its speed, switching to "Spider Legs" as it entered the Kunlun Mountains region.
Just as described in the Train Radio, there wasn't a single monster in sight. The "Targeting Radar" also showed no red dots. This was his second time entering the Kunlun Mountains region, and it was completely different from the last time. Back then, monsters were everywhere, chasing him relentlessly.
He maintained a speed of 100 km/h.
Swiftly navigating through the mountain ranges.
Half an hour later.
"."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly, bringing the Stellar Train to a slow halt. The coordinates were now within the detection range of the Targeting Radar, but the radar showed the coordinates as quiet, without a single monster or red dot.
A trap?
After a moment of silence, recalling the words of the Ziyun Train Conductor before their death, he decided to abandon any further exploration.
There were only two possibilities.
The first possibility was that the Ziyun Train Conductor had lied to him. This had already been dismissed earlier, as the probability was low.
That left only the second possibility.
There were indeed monsters at those coordinates, but his Targeting Radar couldn't detect them. His Targeting Radar was already Level 15, yet it still couldn't detect anything. This was enough to indicate that something major had changed at that location.
This wasn't particularly unusual.
Back in Sand River City, there was that large, Amoxicillin-like iron canister. As long as a creature hid inside, his radar couldn't detect it either.
Now, he was faced with only two options.
One: Maneuver the Stellar Train closer to the coordinates and visually inspect whether there were indeed monsters hiding in the valley.
Two: Turn back and leave the Kunlun Mountains region.
Instead, he chose a third path.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
The sound of gears turning slowly rose from Car 14. Hydraulic supports extended like the skeleton of a steel behemoth, as a pitch-black Level 6 missile was slowly pushed out by the lift platform.
He decided to first throw a Level 6 missile at the coordinates. Whether there were monsters there or some ambush waiting for him, one missile would end it all.
It was only 300,000 units of copper ore.
He had worked so hard mining to avoid encountering more risks. If after all that mining, he still had to personally drive over to see what the danger was, then what was the point of all that mining?
The next moment—
The missile's silvery warhead glinted with the cold light of death under the moonlight. A large burst of orange-red flame shot out from the missile's tail, roaring toward the horizon, as the ground below cracked faintly with spiderweb-like scorch marks.
The piercing sound of detonation abruptly echoed through the silent mountain ranges under the starry sky.
Like a crimson meteor streaking across the heavens, trailing a tail of flame, it descended at a near-vertical angle toward the valley at the coordinates.
Then—
In the distance, under the night sky, a blazing white light instantly enveloped the entire valley. The visible shockwave, like a transparent wall, rolled outward in waves.
The once silent and somewhat desolate mountain range was as if God had pressed pause, then suddenly hit fast-forward.
At that moment.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!"
The delayed, thunderous roar of the massive explosion resounded like a funeral bell in a cathedral.
In the night.
A mushroom cloud slowly rose.
"So beautiful..."
Inside the Train, Chen Mang momentarily forgot the purpose of his journey, his gaze fixated on the mushroom cloud rising over the distant valley, murmuring to himself.
The scene shifted from extreme stillness to sudden explosion.
With the perfect combination of sound and visual effects.
The entire spectacle looked as if Satan himself had descended to paint on the canvas of the world, with a kind of extreme, tragic beauty.
It was indeed a Level 6 missile.
In terms of sheer power, it far surpassed the Level 1 missile he had used last time. His previous Level 1 missile hadn't made such a grand display, though it might also be because it was nighttime. Missiles always look more impressive at night.
"Phew..."
A moment later, he exhaled lightly, then reassured himself as he continued to guide the Stellar Train toward the coordinates.
It should be safe now.
This was the benefit of having plenty of copper ore. When faced with unknown danger, just send a missile ahead. No matter what the danger was, the missile would show them what Satan's handwriting looked like.
Ten minutes later.
The Stellar Train slowly pulled up alongside the valley and came to a stop.
By now, the valley had been completely transformed into a massive crater. The stones at the bottom, still not fully cooled, emitted a faint, bloody glow, like stars reflected in water. Countless fragments of monster flesh were scattered everywhere.
And even more monster flesh had been vaporized on the spot.
Additionally,
Numerous glowing white loot items were scattered across the crater floor.
Just as the Ziyun Train Conductor had said, this crater had indeed been hiding a large number of monsters, though for some reason, they were completely undetectable by the "Targeting Radar."
He suddenly felt relieved that he had decided to throw a missile there.
It only took a few seconds to launch the missile, not much time, but if he had waited until he saw the monsters before firing, it would have been too late. The monsters would have already charged out of the valley toward him, and the coverage wouldn't have been as wide. There would have been stragglers, making the cleanup much more troublesome.
If a few Level 6 bosses had escaped, dealing with them would have been quite challenging.
He wasn't too worried about the missile affecting him.
After all, he had Level 6 Armor, which made him immune to all Level 6 and below attacks. In theory, even if he dropped the missile directly on top of his Train, aside from damage to external components, the Train and its residents would remain unharmed.
Of course, that was just in theory.
Only someone with a serious mental illness would drop a Level 6 missile on their own head just to test a theory.
Although his "Spider Legs" and "External Loudspeaker" components were of a higher level, they weren't defensive components. They couldn't completely immunize against damage of the same level or below like the Armor could.
Even a Level 30 Spider Leg or External Loudspeaker would still take damage from a Level 6 missile attack.
However, the higher the level, the greater the attack intensity they could withstand. They wouldn't be reduced to zero durability. As long as durability didn't hit zero, they could be repaired with Mechanical Nanite Spiders. Once it hit zero, though, they'd have to be completely rebuilt.
You can't expect a loudspeaker to withstand a missile strike. That's just unreasonable.
The Stellar Train's current "Powerful Magnet," a green-tier component, was at Level 5, capable of collecting all loot from monster deaths within a 500-meter radius.
After consuming 19,500 units of iron ore.
He directly upgraded the component to Level 20, increasing its absorption range to 2,000 meters.
And gained two additional Supermodel Effects.
-
"Powerful Magnet Level 10 Supermodel Effect": Can directly absorb monster flesh after death.
"Powerful Magnet Level 20 Supermodel Effect": Possesses a strong magnetic effect, with specific magnetic force depending on the grade of Energy Stones consumed.
-
"Not bad."
Chen Mang chuckled lightly, maneuvering the Stellar Train around the cliffs of the valley to suck up all the loot dropped by the monsters into an empty refrigerator in the Train. He also collected all the monster flesh into another refrigerator.
Monster flesh wasn't edible.
Someone had tried it before and died on the spot.
This monster flesh wasn't like "Corpse Meat," which could be used as a material drop. It was literally chunks of flesh, only useful for Flesh Trains. Since the Stellar Train had plenty of refrigerators, he collected it all anyway.
It might come in handy during a trade with a Flesh Train someday.
In reality, there wasn't much flesh left, as most of it had been vaporized. Only some higher-level monsters had left behind scattered chunks.
After collecting all the loot and flesh with the "Powerful Magnet," Chen Mang turned to Xiao Ai and said softly.
"Have all the Guards disembark and check for any anomalies at the bottom."
"Give each of them a Train Ticket."
"Understood."
Something was clearly off here. It was obvious that these monsters had gathered here for a reason. It would be strange if nothing was amiss. But since the Targeting Radar showed no information, the only option was to send people down to investigate.
With the protection of Individual Exoskeleton Armor and Train Tickets, nothing too serious should happen.
He wasn't planning to leave just yet. He wanted to figure out what exactly had happened here.
"Team One, all members, assemble!"
At the Stellar Train parked beside the valley, the door of Guard Car 7 swung open. Biao Zi, holding a Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle, stood at the entrance, scanning the nine members of Team One before speaking in a deep voice.
"Director Ai, the other two captains, and I have joined the Hive Mind. If something unexpected happens and we get separated, I'll immediately issue commands through the Iris Chips."
"Stay close to me."
With that, he took a deep breath and jumped off the Train, leading the nine Team One members toward the crater floor. Although the valley had already been leveled by Lord Mang's missile, since Lord Mang had ordered them to investigate, there must be something unusual here.
Feeling the intense heat in the air and the pungent smell of gunpowder and blood, he cautiously gripped his flashlight, carefully advancing step by step, leaving no stone unturned.
The nine members behind him did the same.
Lord Mang had equipped them all with "Individual Exoskeleton Armor." Although it didn't provide defensive effects, it significantly enhanced their Physical Fitness Index, doubling it.
This was an opportunity to make a contribution.
There were more and more talented individuals in the Train, and if he wanted to maintain his position, he needed to make a mark. Being the first to discover what was unusual would count as a contribution. If he could resolve the anomaly, that would be a major achievement.
"Team Two, assemble. Let's move."
At the entrance of Guard Car 7, Zhang Da Mei tightened her combat suit and cinched her belt tighter, her expression cold as she jumped down with a large machete in hand. The rest of the team followed.
This machete was custom-made by Director Ai.
By combining Train Blade Fragments with a pickaxe handle, she had created a weapon that, while a bit odd-looking, was highly lethal.
She was already strong, and with the enhancement from the Individual Exoskeleton Armor, her strength was even greater. This weapon was perfect in her hands.
"Sigh..."
"Team Three is last again."
A rather handsome young man glanced at the two teams already ahead by more than ten meters, then turned to look at the nine members of Team Three behind him, sighing lightly. After checking the number of magazines in his pockets, he jumped out of the car with a Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle in each hand.
This young man's good looks were on par with those pretty boys brought from the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
He looked like the type who would call the crematorium to reserve a spot if he got a paper cut.
But...
The fact that he held the position of Team Three captain, and the nine members behind him showed no signs of dissatisfaction, spoke volumes.
In the Stellar Train, anyone who rose to prominence was no ordinary individual.
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