"Hmm?"
Xiao Ai's voice rang in his ear. Chen Mang raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Are you saying the Zombie flesh and blood I just collected happens to be the key?"
"What a coincidence."
"Yes."
Xiao Ai continued, "According to the information recorded in the chip, the entire creation process of this Mechanical Zombie King involves first controlling a Level 6 Zombie that is about to evolve into a Level 7 Zombie."
"Then, following the normal evolution process, when the Level 6 Zombie evolves into a Level 7 Zombie after obtaining enough flesh and blood nourishment, its plasticity will greatly increase."
"The flesh and blood brought back by the Corpse Tide can not only serve as evolutionary nourishment but also trigger the mechanism. During the period when the Zombie's plasticity is at its peak, firepower weapons like rocket launchers and chainsaws are permanently embedded into the Zombie, thereby gaining even greater power."
"The giant funnel next to it is where the flesh and blood are to be placed."
"The flesh and blood placed in the funnel will flow into the depression on the square that was just pointed out. When the blood fills the patterns on the entire square, that will be the moment when this Mechanical Zombie King reaches its complete form."
"..."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly, not speaking. It was truly a stroke of luck to stumble upon this. Who would have thought that the Ice and Snow World would hide such a ruin? It seems that each region has a special ruin.
For example, the "Tower of Heaven" and "Goblin Ruins" in the Shahe Plain, as well as the "Underwater Labyrinth."
The "Armory," a unique encounter map for the Flesh Train in the Kunlun Mountains.
This Mechanical Zombie King in the Ice and Snow World.
These places all belong to the category where, if you enter and can make it out alive, you can basically bring back an opportunity. The difference lies in the size of the opportunity, meaning there are likely many other lucky individuals in different regions who have obtained these opportunities and developed extremely rapidly.
Even the Iron Ridge Wasteland, a beginner's white zone, has a unique place like the Doomsday Abyss.
From this perspective.
The main improvements for the Train, besides speed, defense, attack, and living conditions, should also include adaptability to different environments. This way, it can explore more encounter maps. Trains like the Azure Dragon, which can operate on land, water, and air, have a natural advantage when exploring these encounter maps.
His Stellar Train still doesn't have the ability to dive underwater. Although he obtained the "Propeller" in the Kunlun Mountains region last time, which allows the Train to travel underwater, it still lacks some special components to officially gain the ability to navigate underwater, such as waterproofing.
Chen Mang didn't linger too long. He immediately controlled the Stellar Train to fly in the air, hovering it above the giant funnel on the nearby overpass. Then, the door of Carriage No. 3 opened.
Biao Zi and the others moved a refrigerator to the door and tilted it at a certain angle.
The next moment—
"Boom, boom..."
Like a floodgate releasing water, a large amount of viscous blood formed an arc in the air and heavily poured into the funnel in front of them, followed by chunks of Zombie flesh.
Zhang Da Mei stood to the side, occasionally poking her curved knife into the refrigerator to unclog it when it got blocked.
Although the refrigerator contained a lot of Zombie flesh, its weight remained unchanged.
After pouring for more than ten minutes, the Zombie flesh in the refrigerator was finally completely emptied.
The Zombie flesh in this refrigerator was all obtained from slaughtering the Corpse Tide.
As for the flesh of the Level 6 Zombie King, Chen Mang didn't want to use it. After all, it was of a higher level, and the flesh was also of a higher grade. Although he didn't know what the higher grade was good for, there might be a use for it in the future. For example, wasn't the flesh from the Corpse Tide also useful?
This further strengthened his resolve: as long as he didn't lack storage space, he would take everything he saw. Sooner or later, it would come in handy.
It could remain unused for a long time.
But he couldn't afford to not have it when it was needed.
At this moment, the funnel was already filled with Zombie flesh. A large amount of blood flowed down the funnel into the depression on the square, gradually filling the patterns on the entire square. When the patterns on the square were completely filled with blood—
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
Suddenly, the sound of rapidly spinning gears echoed.
The incandescent lamps inside the mountain above them also began to emit red light and flash rapidly.
The square cracked open in the middle, splitting into eighteen petals and slowly rotating clockwise inward.
Soon.
The original square transformed into a dark hole.
Below the hole was a workshop filled with various instruments.
Countless mechanical arms began to swing rapidly, picking up weapons from the nearby overpass and stabbing into the void, as if executing a pre-set program. All the firepower weapons, without exception, clattered down into the workshop below the square.
"Let's go down and take a look."
Chen Mang controlled the Stellar Train to descend into the workshop below the square. Inside, the indicator lights of countless instruments were flashing red, green, and various other colors. He couldn't understand them, but...
He saw a blueprint on the table.
That, he could understand.
Soon, this blueprint was retrieved by Biao Zi and the others and handed to him.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang looked at the blueprint in his hand and smiled. A new Mecha Blueprint, a yellow-grade Mecha Blueprint called "Leech," which was of a higher grade than Zhang Da Mei's "Executioner" Mecha, and its focus was also different.
This Mecha had almost no melee weapons, relying entirely on long-range firepower weapons.
In addition.
There was something even more precious: the chip currently inserted into the Train Auxiliary AI.
"Train Conductor."
In the train room, Xiao Ai's cold and mechanical electronic voice sounded, "This chip contains a lot of information, data, and details about Mecha modification and manufacturing. There are many tools and materials here. After collecting them, I can modify and upgrade the Mecha inside the Train in the future."
"Including those instruments, some are for testing armor data and rating it, such as whether it's Level 4 or Level 3 defense."
"Some are Mecha space compression instruments, which can compress a Mecha to the size of a briefcase."
"The circuits of these instruments can be connected to the generator. There should also be an Energy Stone here, and its level is not low. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to keep this laboratory in standby mode for so long."
This chip was what they had just found, right here in this laboratory.
The smile in Chen Mang's eyes was almost overflowing. He immediately waved his hand.
"Pack it all up!"
"Not leaving a single brick, tile, needle, or thread!"
Theoretically, Mecha are not allowed to be upgraded. For example, the armor and giant axe of the "Executioner" Mecha, created using a green Mecha Blueprint, are both Level 4. This cannot be upgraded. As the Train grows stronger, such a grade of Mecha can only be abandoned.
But with these tools.
He can use Level 5 armor materials to replace the Level 4 armor on the "Executioner" Mecha, modifying and upgrading it.
The laboratory had a large amount of raw materials and instruments.
The raw materials were easy to move, and they were basically left to Zhang Da Mei to handle, as they were too heavy. Using a Mecha to move them was the most suitable. However, the instruments required careful disassembly. But with the AI remotely directing through the Iris Chip, there were no major mistakes.
After emptying the entire laboratory.
They also stuffed all the overpasses and firepower weapons on the square into the "Space Gate" embedded in Carriage No. 2.
In addition.
They found a Level 10 Generator and a Level 5 Energy Stone, both of which were packed up and taken away.
One hour later.
Chen Mang had already controlled the Stellar Train to fly out of the mountain.
They returned fully loaded and triumphant, but the mysterious base behind them was left in complete disarray. Everything that could be taken had been taken.
Including the square and the gears inside the mountain, Chen Mang also wanted to pack them up and take them away.
However, during the violent disassembly process, perhaps some mechanism was triggered, causing the entire mountain to collapse rapidly. They had no choice but to give up and leave.
"Level 5 Energy Stone."
In the control room, Chen Mang looked at the pigeon egg-sized Energy Stone in his hand with a smile. This was his first Level 5 Energy Stone. His "Fabrication Table" could also create Level 5 Energy Stones, but he had never made one before.
Firstly, there was no need.
Both his Train head and generator were each embedded with a Level 3 Energy Stone.
But that was already more than enough.
A Level 3 Energy Stone required 50,000 units of Iron Ore, which was not cheap.
To create a Level 5 Energy Stone, it would require a whopping 5 million units of Iron Ore. He didn't have that much Iron Ore. Although, due to who knows how long it had been in standby mode, this Level 5 Energy Stone's capacity was only 19%.
But it was enough.
It was equivalent to picking up nearly 1 million units of Iron Ore for free.
At this moment, everything from the mysterious base had been moved and stored in the "Space Gate" in Carriage No. 2.
"Xiao Ai."
Chen Mang turned his head to look at Xiao Ai and tossed him a brand new Level 3 Energy Stone, "Name this Space Gate 'Mecha Research and Development Center.' From now on, this place will be under your management."
"For now, we can't create the kind of giant Mecha we encountered in the Mechanical City."
"This Level 3 Energy Stone should be enough."
"You've absorbed the data from both chips now. Make something out of it, okay?"
"No problem."
"Then let's head back and prepare for some rest!"
Chen Mang played with the Level 5 Energy Stone in his hand for a while before putting it into a drawer. Using this Energy Stone to provide energy would be a waste. Currently, the components inside the Train didn't require this level of energy. It could be stored for future use in some "Energy Cannons" as a strategic reserve.
As dusk approached.
The Stellar Train returned to the Shahe Plain. They found a flat area and began to rest in place, not in a hurry to search for Iron Ore. After working non-stop for 48 hours, even a man of iron needed a day's rest.
It wouldn't be too late to continue tomorrow.
There was no need to rush.
A lot of things needed to be prepared first, such as the yellow-grade Mecha Blueprint "Leech" in his hand.
3 meters tall.
Equipped with Level 6 Armor, some essential Mecha components, and no melee weapons whatsoever.
On its back was a twin-mounted large-caliber cannon, serving as the main gun.
On each shoulder was a square rocket pod containing nine rockets.
It carried two arm-mounted rotating automatic cannons.
There were propulsion jets on the soles of its feet, the lower back, and the arms.
Pure firepower suppression!
The only means of dealing with enemies at close range was to shove the rotating automatic cannon into their mouths. All firepower weapons were up to Level 6, using Energy Stones as ammunition, and could choose between Level 1 to Level 6 bullets.
If using Level 1 ammunition, a Level 3 Energy Stone could sustain full combat for 600 minutes.
If using Level 6 ammunition, a Level 3 Energy Stone could sustain full combat for 30 seconds.
The cost-performance ratio was quite high.
A Level 3 Energy Stone only cost 50,000 units of Iron Ore, which was a drop in the bucket for the Train. The most energy-consuming part was the twin-mounted large-caliber cannon on the back. If not using this, it could extend to 60 seconds.
Crafting it required 28,000 Crimson Heartstones.
Without hesitation, Chen Mang immediately crafted this "Leech" Mecha.
The physical fitness index requirement for piloting it was extremely low, only 10.5.
Basically, everyone on the Train met this condition, even the Train Residents, as they worked every day and ate bread that could enhance their physical fitness. Their physical fitness index had long surpassed that of a normal adult male.
However, the mental requirement was quite high.
"The pilot's physical fitness index must be above 10.5, and mental strength must be above 14.0. At above 14.5, it can unleash its full power."
"Xiao Ai."
"The Iris Chip Resident Data Panel doesn't have a mental strength option, right?"
"Add the option to quantify mental strength and see who has a mental strength above 14.0."
"Okay."
This Mecha's consumption was much higher than the "Executioner," but that was normal. After all, one was Level 4, and the other was Level 6, and there was also the difference between melee and long-range combat. Naturally, the energy consumption was different.
If the Train ever ran out of Copper Ore.
This "Leech" Mecha could provide the Train with its final firepower support, as Energy Stones were made from Iron Ore.
And in areas where the Train couldn't enter.
The Mecha unit could also extend the Train's influence and attack range, acting like the Train's tentacles, delivering a heavy blow to the enemy under the guidance of various data and information provided by the Iris Chip AI.
However, he had only ever seen one Crimson Heartstone mine.
To create a Mecha squad.
They would still need enough Crimson Heartstones and a sufficient physical fitness index for the Guardian squad.
"By the way, Xiao Ai."
"Take that 'Biohazard' map chip and insert it into the Combat Training Virtual Space. Let them know about this."
"Understood."
"Biao Zi."
Under the dusk, Lao Zhu walked up to Biao Zi, who was standing in a daze, and sighed lightly before patting his shoulder, "Don't be too down. It's just a Mecha. And didn't you prefer Zhang Da Mei's melee Mecha? Li Shi Ji's firepower support Mecha doesn't suit your personality anyway."
Yes.
The second Mecha of the Stellar Train, the yellow-grade Mecha "Leech."
Its owner was Li Shi Ji.
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