When Biao Zi and the others had transported large quantities of iron ore and materials back to Carriages No. 2 and No. 3.
Chen Mang tossed a Level 2 Energy Stone into the funnel beside the Train Elevator.
The Train Elevator started up again.
Descending slowly.
Once more, it arrived at the Train Tunnel, bypassed the Mechanical City, and headed straight north!
What lay ahead, he didn't know.
But he knew he had the Train and the cannons.
No matter what was ahead.
It would be his.
After roughly half an hour of travel, they finally saw the end of the Train Tunnel. However, the path ahead suddenly lost all traces of mechanical craftsmanship, revealing instead a massive natural cavern, pitch-black without a single ray of light.
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen.
Both the Targeting Radar and Resource Detection Radar showed no activity ahead.
Yet for some reason, he felt uneasy. The screen indicated they were no longer in the "Peril Rail Valley" area but had entered an unknown region.
The moment the train's front entered the cavern, a shrill alarm blared inside the train cabin!
Flashing red incessantly!
The Targeting Radar screen also displayed a monster lurking in the cavern—Level 15.
Chen Mang's expression shifted slightly. His Train Armor was only Level 13.
At the same time—
The Resource Detection Radar began flashing wildly, showing mines scattered all around the cavern. Dozens of them densely covered the area, with at least three Level 4 Iron Ore mines visible at a glance!
The headlights instantly illuminated the cavern's interior.
A massive Two-Headed Giant charged out of the darkness, roaring as it swung its Spiked Club down hard onto the train!
"Boom!"
The Stellar Train, unable to dodge in time, took the full brunt of the blow. The cabin flashed red violently, and Carriage No. 5, where the impact landed, was nearly flattened—on the verge of total destruction!
Quickly pushing the control lever, Chen Mang maneuvered the train away from the monster into a corner, swiftly scanning the information on the screen.
「Carriage No. 5 Armor Integrity: 34% | No. 5 Doomsday Cannon Integrity: 0%.」
「Mechanical Nanite Spiders are rapidly being produced and dispatched for repairs.」
The monster didn't act recklessly again. Instead, it stood still, its eyes fixed intently on the Stellar Train, filled with bloodlust and savagery. Its body leaned slightly forward, ready to charge at any moment!
Standing over twenty meters tall, its body was bloated and entirely blue.
With two heads.
The sheer pressure it exuded was overwhelming.
"Damn it..."
Sitting in the train cabin, Chen Mang looked at the screen displaying the Doomsday Cannon's 0% integrity and muttered, "Crafting a Level 20 Doomsday Cannon is expensive as hell, you balls-on-the-neck freak!"
Zero integrity meant it was beyond repair—completely scrapped.
It would have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Despite the monster's enormous size, its explosive sprinting speed was terrifyingly fast—far surpassing the train's speed!
Just then—
"ROAR!!!"
The Two-Headed Giant roared again, leaning forward and raising its massive Spiked Club high, launching another death charge at the Stellar Train!
A faint Sonic Boom could even be heard in the air.
The well-prepared Stellar Train immediately switched to its Spider Leg configuration, nimbly scaling the wall behind it and climbing onto the ceiling, where the entire train hung upside down, successfully dodging the attack.
As the Stellar Train moved swiftly across the ceiling, the remaining nine Doomsday Cannons locked onto the two-headed monster, their barrels spinning rapidly!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Flaming shells erupted one after another, instantly enveloping the monster in a storm of projectiles!
The upgrades to the Doomsday Cannons didn't increase their power—only their range and rate of fire.
But rate of fire was power!
The faster the firing speed, the greater the damage!
With all nine Doomsday Cannons firing at full capacity, Level 17 shells were churned out without restraint, raining down on the two-headed monster like a metallic tempest!
But then—
"..."
Chen Mang's pupils constricted sharply. The two-headed monster was swinging its Spiked Club with terrifying speed, deflecting every single shell. After a full volley, it had only suffered minor injuries?
"How is this possible?!"
He didn't have time to dwell on it, immediately launching another barrage.
Then, still hanging upside down from the ceiling, he maneuvered the Stellar Train behind the monster and fired another volley—targeting its weak spots!
Yet...
Despite its massive size, the monster reacted with startling speed, spinning around to block the shells aimed at its back.
Chen Mang had even targeted multiple areas simultaneously—feet, legs, head, torso—yet the monster blocked them all.
So far, the two-headed monster had only sustained superficial damage from the explosions, with no critical injuries!
Fortunately, the cavern was tall—nearly a hundred meters high. As long as he stayed upside down on the ceiling, he could slowly whittle the boss down.
But the next moment—
He suddenly noticed the monster bending its legs. A sense of foreboding flashed through him. The Doomsday Cannons roared again, but the monster, already coiled to leap, had no time to react further. Its Spiked Club spun furiously, knocking shell after shell out of the air.
This damn thing was clearly about to jump up and attack him!
If it was preparing to leap, it could definitely reach him.
Should he retreat?
A shadow crossed Chen Mang's eyes. If he wanted to escape, he could use the Drill Bit to quickly flee the cavern. But... the abundance of Mines here was too tempting. He desperately needed that Iron Ore!
If he ran now, he could always come back later when the Train was stronger.
But that thought left him unsatisfied.
By the time the Train reached Level 15 or 16, the Iron Ore here wouldn't be as enticing.
He firmly believed that so-called "delayed gratification" was just an excuse for unfulfilled desires.
Would a toy you craved as a child bring you any joy if you finally got it at 30?
But if he stayed and fought, that damn Spiked Club was making it impossible to break through.
The moment he stopped firing, the monster would leap up and attack!
His Copper Ore reserves couldn't sustain this much Level 17 shell production!
Still...
Chen Mang's expression gradually turned peculiar. He tentatively fired a level-14 shell, which couldn't penetrate the defense at all. Yet, the opponent remained squatting in a horse stance, knees bent, brandishing the spiked club with formidable force, blocking every single shell.
Level 12.
Level 9.
Level 6.
All the way down to level 1. Now, every shell fired by the Doomsday Cannon was level 1!
Completely ineffective!
But that two-headed monster showed no intention of ignoring them. Its bloodthirsty and savage eyes remained fixed on the Stellar Train, while it continued spinning the spiked club in its hands, deflecting every shell.
Clearly.
This monster's unique mechanism allowed it to block every shell with the spiked club—unless the shell's level was high enough, say level 22 or 25, where even the shockwave would be unbearable for the monster. Otherwise, this creature was nearly invincible!
But...
Even a level-1 shell would trigger the monster's forced blocking mechanism.
There was no need to rush now.
"..."
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen and suddenly laughed.
The train originally had 4.62 million units of copper ore!
The cost of a level-14 shell was 3,000 units of copper ore.
Level 15: 3,500 units.
Level 16: 4,000 units.
Level 17: 4,500 units—two shots could deplete a level-1 copper ore deposit.
After three consecutive Halved Consumption reductions, the price dropped to 562.5 units.
He had already fired over 3,000 shells, consuming 1.813 million units of iron ore, yet the two-headed monster remained unfazed. Including the low-level shells used for testing, he still had 2.71 million units of copper ore left.
This amount would only cover around 4,000 level-17 shells.
That many level-17 shells clearly wouldn't be enough to kill this monster—that near-absolute blocking mechanic was too infuriating!
But—
A single level-1 shell cost only 5 units of copper ore.
After three Halved Consumption reductions...
0.625 units per shell.
His remaining 2.71 million units of copper ore could produce over 3 million level-1 shells!
From now on, he wouldn't do anything else. He'd just slowly fire level-1 shells.
He refused to believe it!
No matter how much of a boss you are, even a level-15 boss should get tired, right?
If this thing had to spin its spiked club in a horse stance all day, he refused to believe it wouldn't wear out.
If, after firing all 3 million level-1 shells, the boss still showed no signs of fatigue—fine, he'd admit defeat. He'd leave, develop a bit more, and come back next time.
In the blink of an eye, three hours passed.
If not for the constant explosions echoing through the cavern, the scene would have seemed like a frozen frame.
The Stellar Train hung upside down from the cavern ceiling, its nine Doomsday Cannons firing relentlessly, shells pouring out like they were free!
The massive two-headed monster had long since collapsed to its knees, unable to hold its stance. Yet, its spiked club still spun rapidly—though noticeably slower and less forceful than before.
"Already giving up?"
Leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the control panel, he took his eyes off the movie playing beside him. Holding a cigar between his fingers, he glanced indifferently at the struggling two-headed monster below and remarked lazily, "I thought you were supposed to be 100% adept at disarming bare-handed? Go on, take your time."
"Let's see just how far your forced blocking can go."
He had all the time in the world.
Three hours?
He could even spare thirty if needed—this mine was his for the taking!
Not even Jesus could stop him—that was his word!
"How should I record this..."
Seated in a private room within Guard Carriage No. 7, Lao Zhu frowned as he stared at the scene below, his pen hovering hesitantly over the paper.
"Today, Lord Mang piloted the Stellar Train northward through the underground train tunnel, accidentally entering an unknown cavern. There, it was ambushed by a Level 15 boss, resulting in damage to Carriage No. 5."
"Lord Mang... ultimately achieved an instant kill!"
The main dilemma was whether to include the words "instant kill."
Theoretically speaking,
even though it had taken three hours, if the Stellar Train ever ventured into space in the future, three hours there might as well be a blink of an eye. But after some thought, he decided to rephrase it.
"A fierce battle ensued, with Lord Mang gaining the upper hand!"
After all, this was a Level 15 monster, while the train was only Level 10. Defeating a boss above their level, even if it took some time, was still an impressive feat. Moreover, this version better highlighted Lord Mang's decisive choices in the face of danger, his unyielding will, and his brilliant tactics.
It would make for excellent teaching material.
Yes, this would do.
"...That was way too close."
In Carriage No. 5, now fully repaired thanks to the Mechanical Nanite Spiders, Ji Chuchu and Yan Yao sat by the window, still shaken by the ordeal. The moment the attack had struck, the carriage had nearly been flattened!
Thankfully, after the Train Expansion, its size had increased significantly—
now standing at a full ten meters tall.
Even after being smashed down to just three meters, the two of them had suffered only minor injuries, protected by the effects of the "Permanent Shock Absorption" component.
Had the train not been expanded, that single blow would have crushed Carriage No. 5 into a sheet of metal.
They would've died on the spot.
And—
if Carriage No. 5 had been instantly flattened, it would have lost its connecting function, severing the link to the following carriages. Everyone in the rear sections would have been left stranded, waiting for death.
Too close.
Ji Chuchu patted her chest lightly as she gazed out the window at the two-headed monster below, murmuring, "Survived another day. Feels good."
Though she was seated by the window, her head was tilted downward.
Gravity seemed to have no effect inside this carriage.
This was the result of the "Internal Space Stabilizer" component. While it didn't cause any physical discomfort, the perspective was admittedly strange. Still, she had mostly gotten used to it by now.
Another four hours passed.
Chen Mang checked the remaining Copper Ore reserves—120,000 units left, with over 1.5 million already consumed.
Four hours ago, the two-headed monster below had already looked like it was on its last legs, yet it had stubbornly held on until now.
Its stamina and endurance were truly top-tier.
But it seemed to have finally reached its limit.
The remaining 120,000 units of Copper Ore would be more than enough.
He'd wear it down if he had to!
Damn it!
Still, the earlier attack on Carriage No. 5 had reminded him of something.
"Xiao Ai, if the carriage containing the Space Gate is destroyed, what would happen to the Space Gate?"
"It would shatter."
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train compartment: "Theoretically speaking, this is the most powerful attack, nearly impossible to defend against. The shattered space fragments would instantly slice the entire Space Gate into countless pieces."
"..."
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully, as if realizing the potential uses for "Space Stasis"—that purple accessory he had never used before.
This accessory wasn't useless after all.
On the contrary, at critical moments, it could deliver the decisive blow!
Seven hours had passed since the Stellar Train entered the cavern. Apart from an initial encounter, the ensuing seven-hour battle could be described as stop-motion animation!
After seven hours of relentless combat,
the emotions in the eyes of that two-headed monster had shifted many times.
From initial savagery and bloodlust, to later exhaustion and fury.
Then to confusion and helplessness.
Until now—despair, resentment, and complete breakdown.
And just then—
Finally drained of all energy, with both physical strength and mental fortitude at their limits, the spiked club slipped from its grasp and was flung away!