He couldn't contribute much to the conversation here, nor could he offer any constructive suggestions.
The only reason he was standing here was because Lord Mang trusted him.
But he didn't want to appear brainless, so all he could do was agree with statements he found reasonable.
"Li Shiji, do you know the population of Aqua Blue Star?"
"The latest pre-apocalypse data shows 14.7 billion people."
"Do you know how many Doomsday Trains there are?"
"No."
Chen Mang looked at Li Shiji and said softly, "Let me tell you—when we were still in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, there were 50 million Trains. Now, after all this time, that number might have decreased or increased."
"Every Train—"
"Needs at least 100 residents to develop smoothly. Otherwise, the progress of mining the Mine would be extremely slow. We only started selling 'Mining Robots' recently, and we haven't sold many."
"Let me be clearer—'Mining Robots' are gold-tier accessories, extremely rare. Not every Train has them."
"Do the math. If you divide 14.7 billion people among 50 million Trains, roughly how many people would each Train get?"
"294."
Before Li Shiji could answer, Xiao Ai gave an exact response.
When it came to calculations, no one on the Train was faster than him!
"Good."
Chen Mang nodded lightly again. "The 14.7 billion figure is the latest pre-apocalypse population data. One year after the apocalypse began, there were 50 million Trains. During that year, some people must have died, right?"
"You should be able to gauge the mortality rate."
"Using the most conservative estimate—half died, a 50% mortality rate—that leaves 7.35 billion people. Subtract the population of 50 million Train Conductors, and the remaining population is exactly 7.3 billion."
"In other words, each Train would average 146 people."
"To put it bluntly... if every Train had this population, I have reason to believe that 99% of the Trains would have already been destroyed. This number of residents can hardly sustain a Train's normal mining needs. It's too few—maybe enough in the early stages, but as development progresses, it becomes insufficient."
"So—"
"I see two possibilities."
"First possibility: Among the 50 million Trains in the Iron Ridge Wasteland at the time, two-thirds were newly built Level 1 Trains with almost no people on them. The remaining population was distributed among the other Trains."
"Second possibility..."
Chen Mang paused and didn't continue.
Li Shiji, however, had a flash of realization and took over, his voice tinged with shock: "The second possibility is that the 50 million Trains might not just include those on Aqua Blue Star, but also Trains on other planets?"
"Other planets also experiencing the apocalypse?"
"Mm." Chen Mang nodded softly and said, "That's a possibility, which is why I value this 'Withered Tree Revival' Serendipity Map so much. If this is truly the case, then the Mechanical Princess 'Tuo Tuo' wouldn't just select the most intelligent from a single planet—she would screen candidates from multiple planets."
"If we can make contact with Train Conductors from other planets also facing their apocalypse..."
"Then we could distribute the 'Neon City Entry Tickets' and see if we can link the Neon City to other planets, expanding and strengthening our reach!"
"..."
Li Shiji remained silent for a long while, his expression complicated, before murmuring, "I really want to say this—before the apocalypse arrived, the Federation never detected any planets with signs of life near Aqua Blue Star."
"Civilization levels are worlds apart. If we're not on the same tier, there's no point thinking about this."
As they spoke, the token in the drawer, which had been flickering incessantly, suddenly shattered. Countless red dots emerged from it, forming a deep-red portal ahead of the Train, slowly rotating like a black hole dyed in blood—both mesmerizing and eerie.
Everyone fears black holes.
But...
Who wouldn't want to keep one in their fish tank at home? They look so captivating, almost edible, as if you could take a bite.
Chen Mang fell silent.
He sat in his chair, gently pushing the control lever as the Stellar Train slowly entered the deep-red portal, once again stepping into the 'Withered Tree Revival' Serendipity Map.
Like a newborn seeing the world for the first time, everything suddenly opened up before them.
The Stellar Train appeared in a vast square.
An enormous square, spanning the size of several football fields, surrounded by white mist. At a glance, only the square and the 19 uniquely designed Trains parked there were visible.
The Targeting Radar was disabled.
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen—both his Targeting Radar and Resource Detection Radar were deactivated. He couldn't see the Accessory Levels of the other Trains, but they all looked formidable.
All 19 Trains had been expanded.
However, their Carriage counts were relatively short, mostly six or seven including the locomotive, with the longest being nine. In contrast, the Stellar Train had 15 Carriages, not even counting the Behemoth Car.
His Train was the most expanded here.
It stood out glaringly.
Big and long.
As if it were the flagship of a fleet, while the others were merely its escorts—completely outclassed.
The 19 Trains were arranged in a fan shape across the square. Though he couldn't see inside the other Trains, he could faintly sense many eyes on him—or rather, on his Stellar Train.
The next moment—
A massive screen materialized in the air above the square, ensuring every Train could see it clearly.
-
"Pioneers, welcome to the second stage of the Serendipity Map 'Withered Tree Revival.'"
"When humanity becomes the archaeologist of its own civilization, the answers are often more chilling than the apocalypse itself."
"After 108,000 years of relentless warfare, the Mechanical Civilization has finally conceded defeat."
"The fate of a defeated civilization is far more terrifying than any of you can imagine. The Mechanical Civilization was defeated, but... the seeds of the Mechanical Civilization will not be entirely eradicated. One day, a seed belonging to the Mechanical Civilization will sprout anew and declare to the entire universe—"
"The Mechanical Civilization is not yet extinct!"
"One hundred and eight thousand years—this number holds great symbolic significance in the history of the Mechanical Civilization. However, it dates back to a very distant past, so distant that even the historical databases of the Mechanical Civilization no longer contain records of it. Unfortunately, in the end, this symbolic number became the death knell for the Mechanical Civilization."
"Within the Withered Tree Revival Serendipity Map lies a seed left behind by the Mechanical Civilization. This reward will only be granted to those deemed worthy. If you possess the strength, take it."
"And let it take root and flourish!"
"Second Trial—"
"Now begins. You must strive to reach the endpoint ahead."
"Within this map, Trains cannot attack one another."
"Time limit: 48 hours."
"The first five to clear the trial will advance to the third round."
"Good luck, Pioneers."
-
The next moment!
The white mist surrounding the plaza suddenly dissipated, revealing a sheer cliff ten thousand meters deep encircling the area. Twenty bridges, each a hundred meters long, connected the plaza to the opposite side of the chasm.
The mist above also cleared.
As the mist vanished, tens of thousands of glass pods suspended from the ceiling dozens of meters above came into view. Inside each transparent pod were organs cultivated from flesh, blood vessels, human nerves, and wheels.
Heart, liver, lungs.
A Mechanical heart pulsed slowly within its container.
The twenty bridges, meanwhile, were composed of countless gears and steel blades, now spinning rapidly like a storm of metal—hardly resembling anything one could traverse normally.
Beside each bridge was a screen displaying the name of a Train.
Soon, Chen Mang spotted the words "Overturn Everything · Stellar" on the screen next to the bridge directly ahead.
Clearly.
There were twenty bridges in total, each assigned to a specific Train. The first to cross their designated bridge could leave this place. The opposite side of the cliff was not the endpoint—beyond it, the white mist still lingered.
Exiting the plaza merely meant leaving the starting point.
"..."
Inside the Train cabin, Chen Mang swiftly assessed the scene before him, remaining silent. He had at least seven or eight methods to leave this place!
Spider Silk, Spider Leg Leap, Bunny Cloud, and more.
Who needed to solve puzzles?
A hundred-meter-wide chasm could never hold back the Stellar.
But—
The problem was that the Trains here were all at least Level 15, hailing from the red zone. At this level, they were among the highest-tier Trains on Aqua Blue Star. How could they not fly? Crossing a hundred-meter chasm would be as easy as walking on flat ground.
Yet...
A full minute had passed since the second trial began, and not a single Train had moved. All remained eerily still, as if unaware the trial had even started.
"Two possibilities," Li Shiji said quickly from inside the Train cabin. "First, this is an obvious trap. Attempting to cross the hundred-meter chasm by other means might trigger a crisis capable of annihilating the Train."
"The only way is to decrypt and stabilize that bridge spinning like a metallic storm, then proceed normally."
"The second possibility is that this level rewards the trailblazer."
"This Serendipity Map keeps emphasizing the concept of trailblazers, suggesting it values trains that are first to face the unknown and choose to advance. This level might allow direct flight across."
"And most likely, only the first train can fly over this way. The rest would have to pass through the conventional way."
"..."
Chen Mang nodded without speaking, though it was obvious—everyone could see it, including the other 19 trains. Yet no one moved.
Trailblazer.
Sounds noble, but isn't it just a suicide squad?
Moreover, he truly believed his Level 18 Armor had nothing to fear from that metallic storm on the bridge. He refused to believe the storm could even scratch Level 18 Armor.
If he were alone here, he would have tried already.
But with so many trains present...
He wasn't keen on being the one to pay the price while others reaped the benefits.
For a while, everyone remained at a standstill. A full ten minutes passed without a single train making a move. Everyone stayed in their train cabins, observing their surroundings with remarkable patience.
"Notice anything?" Chen Mang rubbed his tired eyes as he stared at the tens of thousands of mechanical organs on the ceiling. He hadn't spotted anything useful. "I think these mechanical organs might not be clues for decryption but more like distractions."
Then he pushed the control lever, steering the Stellar Train slowly toward its corresponding bridge, ready to conduct an experiment.
As the train approached the bridge, he stepped out and gazed at the rapidly spinning structure composed of countless gears and steel blades. He wasn't fond of decryption, so he opted for a more straightforward test.
"Buzz—"
With a humming sound, a small drone from the Swarm Platform accessory took off from the Stellar Train and flew toward the opposite cliff. This accessory could produce reconnaissance drones, though he rarely used it.
Chen Mang's eyes remained fixed on the drone.
Unhindered.
It reached the other side effortlessly.
"Roar—"
The roar of an engine echoed inside the train as a Viper Unmanned Fighter, using the carriage interior as a runway, shot out from the rear. After circling halfway through the air, it too landed safely on the opposite cliff.
After these two experiments, Chen Mang waited patiently for a minute. Seeing no reaction from the other 19 trains, he sighed softly. These people truly had nerves of steel. Then he turned to Lao Zhu. "Bring him down."
Soon—
A ferocious, enraged strong man was dragged off the train by Biao Zi and the others.
This was one of the desperadoes who had ambushed Biao Zi in the ruins of the Stone Man Zone. Captured but not killed, they had been kept as expendable resources. A Train Token was activated, and the strong man was shoved into a newly constructed train.
This Level 1 train, of course, couldn't fly across.
The spider legs were non-detachable accessories, but he had his own methods.
The next moment!
Chen Mang slowly raised his staff, and a powerful magnetic force emanated from the "Powerful Magnet." The Level 1 Train slowly levitated into the air, shooting toward the opposite side of the cliff.
Can't fly?
He had too many tricks up his sleeve!
If he wanted to fly, he could perform various flight maneuvers in multiple ways.
However...
Just as the train reached the air above the cliff—
The space above the cliff suddenly began to tear apart. The unarmored Level 1 Train was instantly shredded into countless iron fragments, falling into the pitch-black void of the spatial rift and vanishing without a trace.
Dead beyond dead.
Instant annihilation!
The trap surrounding the plaza turned out to be "Space Shattering."
(End of Chapter)