Another seven days passed.
The Level 2 Iron Ore deposit at the bottom of the Doomsday Abyss had been completely mined out through overtime work, yielding a total of 110,000 units of Iron Ore.
All the Slaves were now mining the Level 2 Copper Ore deposit.
Once this Copper Ore deposit was fully exploited, it would be time to officially leave the Doomsday Abyss.
According to the original plan, he was supposed to attend a gathering today.
But.
An unexpected situation arose, and today's gathering was abruptly canceled.
Since last night, dozens of tornadoes had been rampaging across the wilderness, lifting any Train or monster caught in their path high into the air before letting them plummet back to the ground.
On the wasteland.
At this very moment, many Trains were racing against death, trying to evade the tornadoes' onslaught, including numerous monsters that were also fleeing in panic. However, the Doomsday Abyss remained safe, unaffected by the tornadoes.
"Oh well."
Chen Mang shook his head, not dwelling too much on it. Missing this gathering wasn't a big deal; he could always attend the next one. There was no rush, especially since he had mined a significant amount of Iron Ore these past few days and could use the time to upgrade the remaining accessories.
He stood up and glanced around the Train's cabin, finally focusing on the "Single Bed," a plain white-grade accessory he had snatched from Master Kun.
With more resources now, he decided to experiment. He wondered what kind of Supermodel Effect a Level 10 Single Bed would have.
No sooner said than done.
After consuming 4,400 units of Iron Ore, he now possessed a Level 10 "Single Bed."
The upgrade effect was increased comfort.
The hard mattress had transformed into a soft one, with adjustable firmness.
As for the Supermodel Effects—
"Single Bed Level 5 Supermodel Effect": Pillow and bedding sets can be freely chosen, such as buckwheat pillows, silicone pillows, jade pillows, etc.
"Single Bed Level 10 Supermodel Effect": Enhanced sleep quality and longevity.
—
"…Huh?"
Chen Mang stared at the Level 10 Supermodel Effect of the Single Bed, his body stiffening slightly. Longevity? For a white-grade accessory, wasn't that a bit exaggerated?
He had heard of longevity-promoting single beds more than once in his previous life, with many unscrupulous merchants selling such things.
But this was the first time he had encountered one that actually worked.
However, he quickly calmed down. In the apocalypse, longevity was a moot point. Who in the apocalypse died of old age?
Even so.
He was still quite satisfied. Having it was better than not.
Moreover.
The Single Bed was only Level 10. He could continue upgrading it infinitely. At Level 20, he would unlock a third Supermodel Effect. If he had enough resources in the future, could he upgrade this accessory to Level 100? Or even Level 1000?
Was it possible to achieve immortality?
The path to immortality might just lie within this bed.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang smiled contentedly and turned his attention to the next accessory, the "Purified Water Filter." Despite its name, after upgrading it to Level 2, it no longer needed to filter water.
A single slice of bread could now produce a bottle of mineral water.
After consuming 4,300 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the accessory to Level 10, he unlocked new Supermodel Effects.
The accessory itself didn't improve with each upgrade; it remained the same. The changes came solely from the Supermodel Effects.
—
"Purified Water Filter Level 5 Supermodel Effect": Long-term consumption can effectively eliminate kidney stones.
"Purified Water Filter Level 10 Supermodel Effect": Long-term consumption can slightly enhance physical fitness.
—
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow, finding it decent. Combined with the bread slices, continuous consumption over several months, coupled with intense labor, should significantly improve the physical fitness of his Slaves.
Next, he spent 500 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the "Fabrication Table" to Level 2.
It could now produce Level 2 Energy Stones.
Each required 5,000 units of Iron Ore.
—
The effect was ten times that of the original, essentially equivalent to 10 Level 1 Energy Stones, but without the hassle of swapping them out. As the Train's accessories increased, so did energy consumption, making this a more practical and sustainable solution.
Level 2 was sufficient for this accessory. For a long time, he wouldn't need higher-level Energy Stones, and even Level 2 Energy Stones were more than enough.
Normally.
No Level 2 Train would use Level 2 Energy Stones. Where would you find so many energy-consuming accessories to justify it?
He then spent 9,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade all three "Heavy Machine Guns" to Level 5.
Next, he consumed 32,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the armor of the two newly added Open-Air Carriages to Level 3.
And with that—
A fully-equipped Level 2 Train was essentially complete.
By now, the day had fully dawned. The Slaves were already carrying their pickaxes, starting their daily work at the Copper Ore deposit nearby. Chen Mang stepped out of the Train and walked a short distance away, gazing at his creation.
He felt quite pleased.
There were ten carriages in total.
The first three carriages housed production lines, resources, generators, and other heavy machinery.
The middle five carriages served as living quarters for the Slaves and Thugs.
The last two carriages were the newly added firepower carriages.
The ninth carriage was equipped with eight "Repeating Ballistas," while the tenth carriage housed four "40-Tube Cherry Blossom Rocket Launchers." These two carriages would provide ample firepower support.
The Stellar Train lay there quietly, like a slumbering dragon.
Chen Mang gently raised his cane.
In the next moment—
All the Ballistas, Heavy Machine Guns, and Rocket Launchers swiveled in unison, aiming into the distance. He had absolute control over the Train, as if it were an extension of his own body, and he wielded it with seamless familiarity.
Meanwhile.
On the "Regional Leaderboard," the Stellar Train's score and ranking had seen a significant leap.
Chen Mang stood inside the Train's cabin, looking at the Stellar Train's score on the Regional Leaderboard.
—
"Iron Ridge Wasteland Power Value Ranking."
"Rank One": Survival Train, Level 3 Train, Power Value 3,010.
"Rank Two": Ziyun, Level 3 Train, Power Value 2,689.
"Rank Three": Stellar, Level 2 Train, Power Value 2,414.
"Rank Four": Xuangui, Level 3 Train, Power Value 2,312.
"Rank Five": —
Indeed.
After several days of development, the Stellar Train had climbed to the third position on the Regional Leaderboard, conspicuously sandwiched between several Level 3 Trains.
The main reason was that the total Accessory Level of his Train had reached a staggering 169. Each level contributed 10 points, meaning the accessories alone had earned him 1,690 points.
Normally.
A fully-equipped Level 2 Train would have a total Accessory Level of around 40 or so, as one of the conditions for upgrading to a Level 3 Train was having a combined Accessory Level exceeding 40.
But he.
Had reached 169.
Far surpassing that threshold. Even his Refrigerator was already Level 10. The requirement of 40 total levels was child's play to him.
(End of Chapter)