"That..."
Xiao Ai spoke with a trembling voice, "Train Conductor, you're overestimating me a bit. This is really beyond my capabilities. If I had this kind of ability, I'd first upgrade the Stellar Train to level 100."
"..."
Chen Mang frowned slightly, "How did you make your voice tremble like that?"
"Oh, just a little trick."
"Stop wasting your time on such trivial matters. After this is over, I want you to focus on researching this experiment thoroughly and push the progress further."
"..."
Xiao Ai silently nodded and made a note in the data: he still needed to create a twitching-lips expression function. At this moment, he felt that expression would best match his state of mind.
He was indeed skilled, but not that skilled.
It was like a child scoring 100 on an elementary school test, ranking first in the class, and happily showing off to their father. The father was also pleased but then assigned a new task: "Your goal for next semester is to elevate human civilization from level 0.8 to 5.0. Work hard."
What else could he do?
At times like this, all he could do was sigh inwardly—old man, subway, phone.
"We'll discuss this later."
Chen Mang massaged his temples thoughtfully before lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. He looked up at the faint blue smoke drifting in the train compartment. "So, zombies, man-eating spiders, and other monsters all belong to the Zerg Civilization?"
"Actually, no."
Xiao Ai spoke seriously again, "To be precise, the monsters on 'Aqua Star' are quite scattered. Some are from the Zerg Civilization, like the 'Death Bat.' Others are new mutants caused by the apocalypse, and then there are creatures like Doba—I'm not entirely sure about their origins, but they definitely didn't come from any good place."
"As for the zombies..."
"They're mostly not Zerg Civilization monsters."
"They're the manifestation of 'Aqua Star's' anger."
"Anger manifested?"
"Yes. According to the database records, a planet may not have consciousness, but it does have instincts—one of which is to protect its core energy. The core energy has been rapidly leaking due to the Mechanical Civilization's serums and constantly exploited and plundered."
"Even a planet can get angry."
"So, some of the overflowing core energy manifests as 'zombies.' The form they take is usually based on the planet's native inhabitants. These zombies instinctively seek to destroy the mining trains."
"To the zombies, these trains are like robbers. Imagine walking down the street peacefully when some brat comes up to your face and starts picking at your pimples with a needle."
"So, theoretically..."
"These zombies could also be transformed into 'mines,' since they're made of core energy. But this is just a theory—the actual implementation is far too difficult."
"The database only mentions this idea briefly before it was quickly dismissed. Not only is it extremely hard to research, but it's also considered pointless. For a civilization, how much ore could a bunch of zombies even produce as mines?"
"One thing worth noting is..."
"The researcher who proposed this theory later resigned."
"And these Zombies not only attack the Train but also target those monsters—going all out, treating everyone as enemies."
"Is that so?"
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully, the cigarette butt in his hand having burned out unnoticed. He stubbed it into a nearby cola can and fell silent, lost in contemplation. He had always assumed Zombies were like Doba—defeated civilizations with their souls erased, leaving only empty shells.
Now it seemed...
He could finally understand why the Corpse Tide always caused trouble during mining operations back then.
If they could speak,
they probably wouldn't just cause trouble—they'd curse him out too.
"So that Level 11 'Ancient Giant Zombie King' I encountered in the Zombie Basin was..."
"Oh, that one's a senior from another planet." Xiao Ai nodded knowingly. "Right now, the Zombies on our 'Aqua Blue Star' are divided into multiple factions. Broadly speaking, they're either manifestations of this planet's rage, remnants of fallen civilizations from other worlds, or even some from the Zerg Civilization."
"..."
Chen Mang's lips twitched slightly. His headache was getting worse. Looking at it this way, this planet was a complete mess.
So many factions fighting each other.
No wonder it's the apocalypse.
Anywhere else would be doomed too.
If not for the Train, he'd have been dead long ago—his arrival here was a death sentence from the start.
This world had no flashy battle auras or magic, only the Train—developed to its absolute, purest extreme!
Just then—
Biao Zi and the others returned.
"Lord Mang!"
Biao Zi rushed to the Train compartment and reported earnestly, "Those six doors all lead to the same corridor. Below it is a research base. We've cleared all the rooms but found no monsters."
"The entire base is empty."
"There's an elevator to exit the base, but it's not a Train Elevator—it's a single-person lift requiring a Level 1 Energy Stone. I didn't dare enter recklessly, so I came back to report first."
"The base has three levels."
"We're on the third—the highest. The second floor has many instruments, and the first is staff quarters."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded, deep in thought. "Leave the single-person elevator for now. Focus on moving all the instruments from the second floor onto the Train with Xiao Ai's help. That's the top priority—no mistakes!"
"Understood!"
"Director Ai, Lord Mang asked—"
Before Biao Zi could finish, Xiao Ai cut him off. "I've already received the data from your Mechanical Eye. That instrument on the second floor is indeed a core component of the 'Cosmic Receiver.'"
"For caution's sake,"
"nothing in this plaza should be damaged."
"Go back to the second floor and scan that red instrument from every angle with your Mechanical Eye—down to the last nut. Then I'll guide you on how to dismantle it."
"Got it, Director Ai!"
After several trips,
Biao Zi stood sweating nervously in front of the red instrument on the second floor. The ceiling wasn't too high—just three meters, sufficient for a standard research base but cramped compared to the Train Tunnel's near-hundred-meter height.
The red apparatus before them was massive, occupying a full 10 square meters. Made entirely of steel, it stood two meters tall and was coated in red paint.
Two flexible tubes extended from the device, connecting it to the ceiling.
"Let's dismantle this first."
Biao Zi crouched on the ground, carefully using a wrench to loosen the bolts securing the apparatus to the floor, while Li Shiji assisted and directed from the side.
Too much time had passed.
Yet the bolts showed little rust, as if they had only been installed a couple of years ago. They weren't too difficult to turn.
It took over an hour.
"Whew..."
Biao Zi stood up, his legs weak, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Part of it was exhaustion, but mostly it was fear. Lord Mang clearly valued this apparatus—if they damaged it, he might as well consider himself done for.
The main apparatus was finally dismantled.
Nearby, four or five other devices with screens had their red and blue wires connected to this one. Those were removed as well.
All that remained were the two tubes leading to the ceiling.
One of them came loose easily, stretching about seven or eight meters long.
But the other tube was much harder to pull free.
He tugged a few times without success.
"Biao Ge," Zhang Yi stepped forward, his voice muffled. "Let me try. I'm stronger."
"Are you fucking stupid?!"
Biao Zi shoved Zhang Yi aside angrily. "Showing off your strength, huh? If you snap this thing, you and your brother can reunite in the afterlife!"
"Everyone, stay put."
"Li Shiji, keep an eye on these two idiots."
"I'll go ask Lord Mang for further instructions."
Soon—
Biao Zi returned and looked at Zhang Yi and Zhang Er. "You two, come with me. Lord Mang says this pipe might lead to the surface. We need to take the elevator outside to check."
"No problem."
Zhang Er grinned, slapping his chest confidently. "Leave any tough job to us brothers."
"..."
Biao Zi rolled his eyes. He was worried these two would wreck the equipment—they were too reckless.
Then he led them toward the "Living Elevator" on the first floor.
After inserting a Level 1 Energy Stone, the elevator doors opened quickly.
The three stepped inside, and the doors closed. The elevator was transparent, allowing them to see clearly up and down the shaft, as well as the flashing red warning lights along the walls.
"Whew..."
Biao Zi exhaled softly, lighting a cigarette. He had a slight unease about elevators—the shaft was so deep he couldn't even see the top when he looked up.
The control panel had no floor buttons.
"Biao Ge, aren't you not supposed to smoke in elevators?"
"Yeah, but it's the apocalypse. Everyone here's already dead. One cigarette won't hurt, right?"
"Oh... Smoking's bad for your health, though."
"Relax. You two will definitely die before me."
The elevator ascended rapidly.
He could feel his heart pounding as the speed increased steadily. The flashing red warning lights along the shaft blurred into two continuous streaks.
"Damn it..."
Biao Zi clutched the handrail tightly, his panic rising. The elevator screen displayed its current speed—
120 km/h
"Since when do elevators show speed?!"
He felt all his blood rushing to his head, his chest tight and breath short. Gripping the railing with panic in his eyes, he stared straight up at the top of the elevator shaft. Was this damn thing going to send him flying out?
Wasn't this supposed to be a residential elevator?
Could it be a trap?
He clenched the "Train Ticket" in his hand. Damn it, he should've brought a parachute. The train had a "Parachute Production Line," though he'd never used it before. After this, he'd have to practice using a parachute in the Combat Training Virtual Space.
That way, he'd have another way to handle emergencies in the future.
Just then—
The elevator's ascent gradually slowed, and the end of the shaft came into view. Before long, the elevator stopped with a ding, and the doors slid open.
"Whew."
Biao Zi's legs felt weak as he shook them out, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. He turned to the two men in the corner, about to speak, but froze expressionlessly at the sight before him.
"What's wrong, Biao Ge?"
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er were climbing out of the refrigerator, looking at Biao Zi with admiration. "The elevator was rising too fast just now. We felt sick, so we hid in the fridge. Who knew you'd be completely unfazed, Biao Ge? As expected of you—amazing!"
"..."
Biao Zi stared at them blankly. He'd been looking up at the elevator shaft the whole time and hadn't noticed them at all. He really wanted to say, Aren't you two supposed to be idiots? How'd you come up with this idea?
But after a moment's thought, he held back.
Instead, he said coldly, "What kind of men can't handle a little discomfort? Double your training when we get back. There'll be worse situations ahead—are you just going to hide in a fridge every time?"
"Is running away all you're good for?"
"Follow me!"
With that, he stepped out of the elevator first and scanned the surroundings.
The residential elevator stood alone on the ground, its exterior opening into a small valley—no larger than half a soccer field—surrounded by low hills a few hundred meters away.
Perfectly square.
The entire terrain looked like a square ashtray.
His eyes immediately landed on the exposed instrument resembling an old-fashioned "signal receiver"—a concave circular device with a sizable footprint, its base alone measuring three meters in length and width.
A pipe extended from underground, connecting to the device.
No wonder he couldn't pull it free earlier.
The pipe was fixed to the device.
There was no question they had to take this thing back, but it was too big to fit into the fridge. Biao Zi pulled out the Mechanical Eye from his pocket, approached the device, and scanned every detail.
He'd report to Director Ai first.
Then come back to dismantle it.
After six or seven trips—
Not only did they have to dismantle the exterior, but there was plenty more inside—they finally managed to disassemble the old signal receiver-like device and stuff it into the fridge. The pipe was detached and set aside to be pulled out from below later.
"Alright, one, two, three—lift!"
The red device was a single piece, so it didn't need dismantling.
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, their faces flushed and veins bulging on their necks, each lifted one side of the red instrument and carried it outside.
"Careful now, watch your step!"
Biao Zi stood by, directing with alertness: "Hey you, pull that wire away, don't trip over it."
"Slow down, slow down, no rush. That's it, keep going, move!"
(End of chapter)