After Chen Mang upgraded the "Wind-Fire Wheel" to Level 5, it greatly increased the train’s speed. The speed of the Fixed Star Train was already not slow, and in a few days, when it reached Level 10, the speed would be even faster.
This was the first real departure of the Fixed Star Train from the Doomsday Abyss these days.
A few days ago, when leaving the Doomsday Abyss to pick up those goblins, it only stopped briefly at the cliff’s edge and didn’t truly leave the Doomsday Abyss.
He still held onto a bit of luck in his heart.
Maybe he might actually encounter a new monster boss. Given the current strength of his train, as long as the monster isn’t an exceedingly abnormal Level 3 boss, he thinks he can handle it, though it might take a while.
Even if he doesn’t get the first kill, just killing a boss would drop plenty of rewards.
He was quite satisfied with the rewards dropped by the last Level 3 Cannibal Spider boss he killed.
Chen Mang gazed into the distance. Without the train’s headlights, the front was almost entirely dark. He lightly tapped the accelerator, not daring to go too fast.
The adrenaline rush made his arms tremble slightly. Although the train currently has Level 3 armor, not much on the wasteland can crash through him. But without the yellow-grade accessory "gyroscope," if the train tilts excessively, it could still tip over.
This accessory is one of those that can be crafted once the train is upgraded to Level 3.
However, he was a bit puzzled about something.
A "train headlight," such a ordinary and basic accessory, not only isn’t available to craft in Level 1 and Level 2 trains, it isn’t even available in Level 3 trains. Could it be that it can only be crafted in Level 4 trains?
Or perhaps, is its blueprint only found randomly in the wild?
He drove through the wasteland for half an hour, during which time the "Target Detection Radar" and "Resource Detection Radar" remained extremely quiet, with no activity.
"There are big scores tonight..."
But the quieter it was, the more excited Chen Mang became. He squinted slightly, staring into the dark depths of the wasteland. Logically speaking, in a place like the wasteland, it shouldn’t be possible that he didn’t encounter a single monster in half an hour.
Yes, just like last time, when a boss appeared, the pressure it released would cause all monsters in the wasteland to hide.
There’s definitely a big catch in the wasteland tonight.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
The Target Detection Radar started sounding first, followed by the Resource Detection Radar beeping as well. Within the radar’s range, a Level 1 iron mine was detected nearby, with a Level 1 train parked beside it.
For some reason, Chen Mang suddenly laughed, the train’s external sound system blaring loud DJ music at full volume, roaring past that Level 1 train like a gust of wind, honking three times.
In the blink of an eye.
That train and iron mine were left far behind.
As for how he distinguished it as a Level 1 train, it was really easy to tell: only three carriages, no armor or heavy machine guns, definitely a Level 1 train, just a newbie.
He didn’t plan to stop and steal this mine.
On the one hand, he didn’t really care about these small Level 1 mines right now. On the other hand... when he first crafted the Fixed Star Train, while mining in the wasteland, a Level 2 train roared past him without stealing from him.
His original worldview and values were established in his previous life.
But in the process of integrating into this world, the tone of this world was subtly influencing his actions.
If that Level 2 train had stolen from him back then, he definitely would have stolen from this Level 1 train now.
But since that train didn’t steal from him, he didn’t mind imitating his predecessors and teasing the newbie.
Satisfying his twisted humor, Chen Mang suddenly thought of something, his smile slowly stiffening.
This scene seemed so familiar.
Back then, that Level 2 train roared past him so arrogantly to fight the boss and then fled back in a panic.
He’s now planning to seek the boss, too.
Could it be he’ll also...
Soon, he shook his head, tossing these messy thoughts from his mind. Thinking about these things late at night is unlucky.
In the "Tieling Wasteland."
A small train with only three carriages was parked beside an iron mine. Inside it, a young man with dyed white hair stared at the direction the train left, sighing before gritting his teeth slightly.
"This guy... really made a splash!"
"Why can he be so arrogant on the wasteland? Isn’t he afraid the music will attract monsters?"
When he clearly saw the whole train just now, his throat almost leapt into his mouth.
Eight carriages in total, each including the train head covered in thick, pitch-black armor, and four large-caliber heavy machine guns on top of the carriages. If such a train wanted to rob him, he’d have practically no resistance.
If the train fell, everyone could possibly survive, but the Train Captain must die.
However, the other party seemed to still be in good faith.
Not intending to rob him.
He, too, would like to, , play deafening music and drive his train arrogantly and recklessly roaring across the wasteland.
This young man with dyed white hair clenched his fists, secretly determined to take that train he had only once seen as his goal.
But when he looked at those 49 survivors on the Train Panel, his face was full of worry.
Before the apocalyptic dawn, he was a junior in college. After Doomsday arrived, he and his classmates had been hiding in the bomb shelter of the university. It had enough food, water, and other supplies, so they stayed in the shelter safely waiting for rescue.
But the rescue never came.
A few days ago, a monster broke into the bomb shelter, and after he bravely killed it, a Train Order unexpectedly dropped, and everyone discussed it, deciding to embrace the new era and no longer hide in the bomb shelter, and build their own train, living through the new century by depending on the train.
As the class leader and the only one who had killed a monster, with the Train Order in his hands, he naturally and deservedly became the Train Captain.
After exerting immense effort to find an iron mine, his classmates kept slacking and only mined two to three units of iron ore a day. He had to personally go every day, and could mine around 10 units daily.
He kept appeasing, but everyone’s resentment grew...
There were even complete work stoppages.
He didn’t know how to handle it, so he kept persuading, making everyone understand that if the train couldn’t quickly upgrade to Level 2, it would break down on the wasteland. But... the effect was minimal.
Many people’s opinions were to return to the bomb shelter, where the food could last for another five years. By then, the world would surely have returned to peace, and the rescue would have arrived. There was no need to risk wandering the wasteland and work so painstakingly.
If, by chance, a monster breaks in again, he could kill it.
The young man stood in the train, looked at the direction the train just disappeared, and mumbled dazedly, "If you were in my situation, what would you do? You must have a good solution since you have such a strong train."
"I’ve explained all the reasons."
"But they just don’t listen."
"The reasoning is so simple, concerning everyone’s survival, but... why won’t they listen?"
Meanwhile on the other side—
Inside the Fixed Star Train, sitting at the control panel, Chen Mang looked towards the black mass of zombies running wildly in the distance and the beeping sound from the Target Detection Radar, and was slightly stunned, before he couldn’t help but laugh.
"I really ran into it."