However, compared to mechas, exoskeleton armor still has some drawbacks.
For example,
If it were a mecha, it might be equipped with heavy firepower weapons like shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and handheld Gatling guns, but these aren't major issues. If such firepower were needed, his Train isn't just for show.
At this point!
All four craftable components after upgrading to Level 3 Train have been upgraded to Level 10 by him.
He's out of resources now.
"."
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look out the window at the Slaves working outside. If they finished today's work and worked one more day tomorrow, this Iron Ore mine would be completely dug out, and he could start searching for the next Iron Ore mine.
Moreover,
He looked up at the underground river map of the "Iron Ridge Wasteland" displayed on the control panel screen and chuckled softly.
He couldn't possibly measure every inch of the Iron Ridge Wasteland with the Stellar Train. The Iron Ridge Wasteland is quite large, and that would waste too much time. The last time he went to the ruins of Taiping City, he scavenged a lot of information from the library.
Including the underground river flow maps of the "Iron Ridge Wasteland."
The Iron Ore mine he's currently at is also located in an underground river cave. Through these recent underground mining trips, he discovered that underground Iron Ore deposits mostly appear in caves. With this map,
He no longer needs to search aimlessly like a headless fly in the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
By following the underground river's flow, he can basically find 70% of the mines deep beneath the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
As for the remaining 30%...
One can't be too greedy.
Tonight, he'll craft a "Combat Training Virtual Space" and place it in the Train cabin. It's quite fun.
Of course, what interests him the most isn't competing against others—it feels a bit dull. He's not too interested in ranked matches with other Trains either. He's more intrigued by the mission modes in solo training.
It's a chance to live out the fantasy of being an assassin.
On just his second attempt, he successfully assassinated an enemy, and he even used the high-end assassination method known as the "Leap of Faith." With a few more tries, he's sure he can achieve a flawless, injury-free run.
"What's your name?"
Biao Zi found the woman who was as strong as a man, currently mining, and asked coldly.
"Me..."
Seeing Biao Zi approach her, the woman hesitated before saying, "My name is Zhang San."
"Zhang San?"
Biao Zi frowned, "Do you have a brother named Li Si? I'm asking for your real name."
"My real name is Zhang San."
The woman quickly explained.
"I have two older brothers. The eldest is called Zhang Yi, and the second is Zhang Er."
"Although we were all in Taiping City, after the apocalypse hit, we never got the chance to meet up and eventually got separated. They're probably dead now. My brothers were incredibly strong."
"Stronger than you?"
"Yes, stronger than me."
The woman thought for a moment before giving an example, "They once lifted a treadmill from a gym and even carried it on their backs while running a few laps. They were really impressive, though a bit single-minded."
"Uh... did I do something wrong?"
"Lord Mang needs to recruit new Thugs, and I've taken a liking to you."
"Thugs?"
The woman was momentarily stunned before cautiously probing, "Biao Ge, I know Slaves can buy Male Meat based on the amount of ore they mine. How do Thugs earn Male Meat?"
"Through work hours and contribution points. If you make a significant contribution, Lord Mang will reward you. Come with me first, let's test your skills."
"Just being strong isn't enough."
"Thugs are sent on external missions to fight monsters. You need the right temperament and combat skills."
Biao Zi didn't say more.
He simply turned and walked straight toward Carriage 5 of the Thug Cars, with Zhang San following quietly behind.
The "Combat Training Virtual Space" is truly a great thing. With it, you can engage in life-and-death battles without holding back, allowing you to clearly assess a person's combat potential and abilities in critical situations.
Although this woman is indeed strong and has great physical strength,
Being a Thug isn't just about raw strength. If you freeze up at the sight of blood, you're definitely not fit for the role.
White space, on the arena.
Biao Zi stood coldly on the arena, holding a dagger, and looked at the mountain-like Zhang San across from him: "The moment the countdown ends, the battle begins. It ends when one person dies."
"Injuries sustained here won't carry over to the outside world."
"Use your strongest attacks."
"Remember, I won't go easy on you just because you're a woman. I hope you won't go easy on me just because I'm a Thug. Showing me mercy will only get you killed faster."
The next moment!
The countdown ended.
Both of them lunged at each other almost simultaneously—no, they collided!
Thirty seconds later.
"I lost."
Back in the white space, Zhang San looked at Biao Zi with awe in her eyes: "Biao... Biao Ge, you're the strongest man I've ever met. Even after I crushed your balls, you still managed to endure the pain and stab the dagger into my neck."
"I respect you."
This 1.8-meter-tall woman, covered in muscles, now looked at Biao Zi with admiration in her eyes.
At first, she feared Biao Zi because of his status—after all, he's a Thug, and she's just a Slave. She definitely didn't dare to act out in front of him.
But now, she respects Biao Zi for his strength.
This man is impressive!
"."
Biao Zi didn't speak. He just stood there expressionlessly, silently looking down at his crotch. Was this the second time today?
Brother, I've put you through a lot.
My fault.
But I have to admit, this virtual training space really helps you build a tolerance for pain. The first time Lord Mang crushed it, I felt like I was going to lose my mind. But the second time... I was still able to stab the dagger into this woman's neck before the pain killed me.
He suddenly felt a bit of admiration for himself. The progress was fast.
Could he really be a genius?
After a moment, he sighed lightly.
"Keep mining for the next few days. I've noted your name. When it's time to expand the Thug team, I'll submit your information."
"Master Fang, Master Fang, Master Fang!"
"Stop calling me Master Fang! You're the masters, I'll call you masters, alright?"
On the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
Inside a speeding Train, a man stood in the Train cabin, glaring at the two burly men in front of him, angrily yelling, his spit flying everywhere: "Last time I sent you to Taiping City to scavenge for supplies, you emptied out a gym and brought back all the gym equipment!"
"Damn it!"
"You really managed to carry all that!"
"That gym equipment is still sitting in the Train, unsold. Who the hell are you going to sell it to in the apocalypse, huh?"
"Why don't you go grab some protein powder while you're at it?"
"Master Fang..."
The burly man on the left spoke in a deep voice, "We looked, but there wasn't any protein powder in that gym. It was all taken."
"Damn it!"
The man nearly choked on his breath, taking a moment to compose himself before inhaling deeply, forcing himself to calm down.
"Alright, let's not talk about the protein powder for now, okay?"
"Let's put this damn gym business behind us."
"Let's talk about now."
"This time, when I sent you two to Taiping City to scavenge for supplies, what did I tell you before you left? Repeat it."
The burly man on the left answered without hesitation.
"Only look for Survivors, food, and alcohol."
"Good!"
The man nodded heavily, then pointed at the treadmill next to the Train cabin and roared, "Then what the hell did you bring back, huh?!!!"
"Why is it another damn treadmill?!"
"Huh?!"
"Weren't you listening? I said Survivors, food, and alcohol!!!"
"Uh... Master Fang."
The burly man on the right weakly raised his hand and said somewhat pitifully, "But we didn't find any Survivors, food, or alcohol."
"So you brought back another treadmill?!"
"We only saw that... and thought we shouldn't leave empty-handed, so we brought it back."
"Heh."
Master Fang plopped down in his chair, unable to help but laugh in his anger. It's true—people really do laugh when they're extremely angry. He didn't even know what to say. These two brothers' brains really don't work right.
But they're extremely obedient to him.
So no matter how angry he gets, he can only scold them a bit. He definitely can't do anything to these precious fools.
Besides being unsatisfied with their scavenging, these two brothers really haven't caused any other problems.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm down. After a long while, he finally spoke in a composed tone.
"Alright."
"Promise me, next time, don't bring back a treadmill, okay?"
"Let's bring back something else."
"Okay."
The two brothers exchanged a glance, then nodded solemnly in unison before tentatively asking, "Uh, Master Fang, can we eat now?"
"Eat."
The man nodded expressionlessly, "Let's eat. How could I let you two masters go hungry? I'll make it up to you, alright?"
Soon, night fell—
Inside the Stellar Train, Chen Mang looked at the Train Panel. Including the Iron Ore mined this afternoon, he now had a total of 48,000 units of Iron Ore. After one more day of mining tomorrow, this Level 2 Iron Ore mine would be completely depleted.
He looked at the remaining five craftable components.
"Central Air Conditioning," "Storage Box," "Permanent Shock Absorption," "Medical Bay," "Unknown Component"
He immediately spent 3,000 units of Iron Ore.
To craft "Central Air Conditioning," "Permanent Shock Absorption," and "Medical Bay."
These were all yellow-tier Vehicle Components.
He only crafted them but didn't upgrade them yet—there wasn't enough Iron Ore.
He couldn't craft the "Storage Box" yet, as it required wood, which he didn't have at the moment.
Each of these three components required 45,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade to Level 10. He just had enough to feed the Slaves tonight and tomorrow morning. He'd upgrade them once he had more Iron Ore tomorrow.
He then spent another 1,000 units of Iron Ore to craft a "Combat Training Virtual Space" and placed it in the Train cabin.
Once again, he took off his clothes and entered it.
Technically, he could wear clothes, but they'd get wet and need to be dried afterward, which was a hassle.
The nutrient fluid in the "Combat Training Virtual Space" looked thick, but it didn't feel sticky on the skin at all—it was as smooth as water. After emerging from the fluid, his skin even looked cleaner, as if he'd been scrubbed by a bathhouse attendant.
Back in the familiar white space.
Once again, he stood on the rooftop of an office building, holding a dagger, and looked down at the enemies patrolling the entrance. Playing a round of Leap of Faith before bed was indeed quite fun.
Time passed slowly.
By the next evening, the Iron Ore mine had been completely depleted, bringing the Train's Iron Ore count to 147,000 units.
On the Wasteland.
Under a sky full of stars.
The Stellar Train, now equipped with Wind-Fire Wheels, sped across the Wasteland, following the underground river's flow to continue searching for mines beneath the Iron Ridge Wasteland. After an hour,
When they were about half an hour away from the "Mohe Hills," the Radar finally beeped again.
And it was a big one.
"We've hit the jackpot."
Chen Mang squinted at the "Resource Detection Radar," which showed three Level 2 Iron Ore mines and one Level 2 Copper Ore mine in an underground river cave 8,000 meters below.
He couldn't help but grin.
This was truly a big haul.
He decided to have the Train rest for the night. They'd head down tomorrow. Although they could get enough oxygen underground with the "Oxygen Machine," it still didn't feel as free as breathing the flowing air on the Wasteland.
It gave a sense of freedom.
Even though he had to flee when chased in the Kunlun Mountains, no one dared to mess with him in the "Iron Ridge Wasteland." If a Level 3 boss tried to ambush him at night, it would just be delivering blueprints to him.
If a Level 3 Train tried to ambush him at night, then...
He'd really like to see it. So far, he's only heard about Level 3 Trains on the Train Radio but hasn't seen one in person. He wondered how they compared to his Level 3 Train.
When the sun rose over the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
The Stellar Train had already disappeared from the surface and appeared in an underground river cave 8,000 meters below. The Slaves were already lining up to receive their food and prepare for work.
The Headlights and Oxygen Generator were already running.
"This is great."
Chen Mang stood by the Train window, looking at the three Level 2 Iron Ore mines clustered together in the distance, and smiled.
With this batch of Iron Ore, he could finally upgrade all the remaining components for the Level 3 Train, then upgrade the Armor to Level 6, craft 100 Refrigerators, and finish mining the deep mines in the Iron Ridge Wasteland. After that, it would be time to leave the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
He'd head to the green zone to complete his class-change quest and upgrade to a Level 4 Train.
Everything was moving in the right direction.
After mining this batch, he'd go to the "Mohe Hills" to find a few Level 2 Wood Fields. By then, the Train would lack nothing—it would have everything.
Then,
He'd head to the "Kunlun Mountains" region and slaughter all the monsters there!
Kill every single one he sees!
(End of Chapter)