The number of trains within the Targeting Radar's range gradually increased.
At first, a few trains stopped about 1,000 meters away from the Stellar Train, maintaining a safe distance without approaching further. They seemed to be observing, waiting for something.
As more trains arrived, the Stellar Train was completely surrounded.
Around a dozen trains had now parked around it, each maintaining some distance from the others. Occasionally, familiar trains would group together.
"Seriously?"
Inside the train compartment, Chen Mang wasn't particularly concerned about the encircling trains. According to the information on the Train Panel's Targeting Radar, none of them posed any real threat to him. The strongest among them only had a level-12 "Comet Main Cannon"—still incapable of breaching his defenses!
He had level-12 Armor!
Moreover, many of these trains were still using "Tycoon Energy Shields," clearly unable to afford upgrading to "Star Ring Energy Shields." This made him pessimistic about the upcoming trade. It seemed like everyone was strapped for cash.
Could they even afford his Iron Ore?
His goal was to sell a level-1 Iron Ore deposit for 2 million units.
2 million for an S-rank difficulty unknown reward—wasn't that a fair deal?
But now…
It felt like these people couldn't even scrape together 2 million. They all seemed miserably broke. Were Star Ring Energy Shields really that expensive?
"Xiao Ai."
"Here."
"Calculate the cost of upgrading a Star Ring Energy Shield from level 1 to 12 for a 10-carriage train."
"320 million units of Iron Ore."
"Never mind."
Chen Mang silently lit a cigarette and glanced out the window at the distant trains watching from afar. This was only the second time he had encountered such a staggering figure, and it genuinely shocked him.
320 million…
And that was just for 10 carriages. For 20 carriages, it would cost 600 million.
Now he understood why so many trains had become shorter and more compact. Many only had four or five carriages, with very few exceeding twelve.
In other words…
If a train had only one locomotive, upgrading its Star Ring Energy Shield to level 12 would cost 32 million.
That was equivalent to mining four level-4 Iron Ore deposits.
The price was far steeper than upgrading Armor!
Back when he had recklessly upgraded the Traveling Frog's Armor to level 9 using Murphy Stones, it had only cost him a few hundred thousand units of Iron Ore. Even pushing it to level 12 would've likely been under a million, or just slightly over.
After all, the level-10 Supermodel Effect halved upgrade costs.
Upgrading the Stellar Train's Armor from level 10 to 12 had only cost him around 2 million.
No wonder he couldn't spot a single level-12 Star Ring Energy Shield among the surrounding trains—hell, even those with Star Ring Energy Shields were rare. Most were still relying on Tycoon Energy Shields.
Some hadn't even maxed out their Tycoon Energy Shields, still stuck at level 7.
"Tch."
Chen Mang sighed softly. He rarely interacted with other trains, so he hadn't realized just how tough they had it. He had always thought upgrading defensive components was already a massive resource drain—often leaving him breathless under the pressure.
But now he saw…
Other trains surviving in such conditions—that's truly not easy!
Especially the one with the level 7 "Tycoon Energy Shield." He genuinely couldn't fathom how that train had managed to survive in "Crisis Valley." If it only had level 7 armor, forget "Crisis Valley," even Zombie Basin would be a stretch.
He had always believed that defensive components should match the regional threat level.
Whatever the highest-level monsters in an area were, you should have defensive components of that level—only then could you feel secure.
But others clearly didn't share his view.
He noticed many trains were loaded with speed-boosting components, clearly operating on the principle that outrunning danger was enough—whether they could fight it or not didn't matter.
Under normal circumstances, that approach worked fine.
But if they encountered a regional crisis like "Zombie Volcano," those trains would be wiped out entirely—nowhere left to run. Well, Crisis Valley still allowed escape, given its adjacent Blue Zone with plenty of maneuvering space.
Nearly all the trains outside had undergone expansion.
Expansion was far cheaper than upgrading an "Energy Shield."
Theoretically, expanding the train meant each carriage could hold more components, reducing the number of carriages needed and making Energy Shields more cost-effective.
Slaves and production lines could naturally be stored inside Space Gates.
But components that needed to be mounted on the train required either a sufficiently large train or enough carriages.
"..."
Seated inside the train compartment, Chen Mang waited patiently. Not enough trains had arrived yet—the protagonist of this gathering hadn't even shown up. But as he glanced at the train's screen, he realized something odd: ever since entering the Blue Zone, all rankings had disappeared.
The Power Value Ranking, the Supermodel Effect Quantity Ranking—all gone.
It felt...
More real.
"15 carriages, no expansion. What a damn rookie."
Inside the level 12 Mechanical Train "Iron Dragon," a middle-aged man stood in the control room, scrutinizing the configuration of the nearby Stellar Train through a telescope before sighing in frustration. "What a wasted trip!"
He had been highly optimistic about the Stellar Train.
With capabilities like remote trading and the ability to pin messages atop the Train Radio, not to mention its assertive tone, it had seemed promising.
Its broadcasts on the Train Radio even prefaced it as an "S-Class Potential Train."
He'd assumed the Stellar Train had something special—that it wasn't just another ordinary train.
He didn't even need that level 1 Iron Ore; he'd long since completed that Fortuitous Encounter quest. He'd come purely out of curiosity about the Stellar Train, only to find...
15 carriages.
The material cost to upgrade its Energy Shield would be astronomical—enough to bankrupt three level 12 trains without breaking a sweat.
Why were there so few Flesh Trains in this region?
Simple: the monster population here was too sparse. Those Flesh Train guys were practically starving, having long since fled to other zones.
"Huh?"
Just then—
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes as a crimson-hued Mechanical Train slowly approached in the distance. He recognized it—Shen Ye!
A notorious train in Crisis Valley.
Rumor had it that back in the lower-level zones, Shen Ye had made a habit of swindling others during gatherings with underhanded tricks. After being hunted down, he'd fled into "Crisis Valley" and, through sheer dumb luck, managed to carve out a foothold there.
And it has already been upgraded to a level 12 Mechanical Train, equipped with a level 10 "Star Ring Energy Shield."
In Crisis Valley, this places it among the top-tier trains.
Moreover, Crisis Valley has only one train that is entirely crimson in color. Customizing carriage colors is a feature available from level 2 trains, and one can even imprint the train's name on the carriages—though hardly anyone bothers to do so.
First, no one wants to waste resources on such utterly meaningless details.
Second, it's also a bit too flashy and ostentatious.
"Hmph."
The middle-aged man sneered coldly. This train had a terrible reputation in Crisis Valley, but its formidable strength and speed meant no one dared provoke it. Its arrival here was likely with ill intentions, but...
His eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with a cold light as he quickly sent private messages through the Train Radio to his acquaintances.
In Crisis Valley, Shen Ye wasn't the only strong one. This train had always relied on its unmatched speed to act arrogantly, knowing no one could catch it. But now that it was here, if they could form an encirclement, perhaps today would be the day to take it down.
At this moment—
On the wasteland, over twenty trains had surrounded the Stellar.
Sitting in the train compartment, Chen Mang silently studied the equipment details of each train. He realized he really should have interacted more with other trains—his information was far too outdated.
If nothing else, he should build a dedicated reconnaissance train to gather intel on other trains.
He had always thought he wasn't particularly strong.
But...
After comparing himself to the others, he realized he was absurdly overpowered. To put it bluntly, if he had just a bit more Copper Ore, he felt he could single-handedly take on every train in Crisis Valley.
One against many.
Just then—
A private message buzzed through the Train Radio.
"Hey, I'm here. Where's the level 1 Iron Ore? I don't see it. Are you messing with me, Shen Ye?"
Immediately after, the train's control panel flashed red, and a warning alarm sounded.
-
「Detecting incoming firepower attack. Estimated arrival in two seconds.」
「Attack intensity: level 10.」
「Recommended response... Ignore it.」
-
The next moment!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Hundreds of shells erupted from the automatic cannon atop the crimson train in the distance, instantly engulfing the Stellar in a storm of smoke and flames.
In an instant!
Every Train Conductor in the surrounding trains froze in shock.
When the Stellar had announced its occupation of three level 1 Iron Ore mines and shared its coordinates, everyone knew one thing for certain: a level 10 Mechanical Train had no right to sell those mines.
Seizing them was the fastest and most convenient method.
But no one wanted to be the first to act. After all, if someone dared to sell openly, they couldn't be a pushover—they must have the strength to back it up.
Especially after broadcasting the coordinates publicly. It didn't seem like the move of someone without confidence.
They had arrived early, but they were all waiting...
Waiting for someone else to make the first move.
And now, that someone had arrived.
And this "someone" was a big one—the level 12 Mechanical Train, "Shen Ye," a force to be reckoned with.
The first round of probing was a Level 10 Doomsday Cannon, which was perfectly normal. Just as they were preparing to see whether the Stellar Train would counterattack, deploy a Level 10 Energy Shield, or perhaps reveal some unique "Train Stunt"—
The battle ended.
Nothing happened.
The Stellar Train remained as still as if it were asleep, sitting quietly in place without any reaction, allowing itself to be engulfed in flames.
"Huh?"
Inside the train compartment, Shen Ye stared blankly at the scene before him. The button he had been about to press remained untouched. After all, the Energy Shield was supposed to activate automatically upon detecting an attack.
Where was the opponent's Energy Shield?
Why hadn't it even activated?
He had only intended to test the waters, but ended up obliterating them in one move?
He was fully prepared for a response, yet the other side had just... fizzled out.
Then—
As the flames and smoke gradually dissipated, the Stellar Train reappeared in everyone's line of sight, completely unharmed, as if it had never been attacked at all.
The previously calm Train Radio suddenly erupted into chaos.
Surrounding Train Conductors quickly took to the radio to voice their confusion and bewilderment. What on earth was going on?
"Level 10 Armor?"
Inside the "Iron Dragon" train, the middle-aged man gazed thoughtfully at the unscathed Stellar Train. He had noticed that its armor looked quite different from his own, though he hadn't dwelled on it earlier. Now, it seemed all the armor on that train must be Level 10.
How much Murphy Stone had that cost?
Wouldn't it have been better to use all that Murphy Stone to upgrade the Doomsday Cannon instead?
Still, he had to admit—if it truly was Level 10 Armor, then this train had earned its place at the table.
"Sigh."
Inside the Stellar Train's compartment, Chen Mang let out a weary sigh. His initial plan had been to intimidate everyone and secure absolute control over the trade negotiations. But he hadn't expected his opponents to be this weak.
He was half-tempted to dig into his own pockets and upgrade their Targeting Radars for them.
Please.
Just look at his Accessory Levels. Why couldn't they even see the accessory levels of other trains?
At this point, he didn't want to waste any more time.
A Level 12 Mechanical Train wasn't bad. Best to wrap this up quickly and move straight to the trade negotiations. He needed that Train Expansion!
The next moment—
"Vrrrrrrm!"
A deafening roar erupted from Carriage No. 14 of the Stellar Train as flames burst forth. A missile rose into the air and shot skyward!
"It's a missile!"
The Train Conductors in the surrounding trains paled slightly, scrambling to put as much distance between themselves and Shen Ye as possible to avoid collateral damage. Only Shen Ye remained rooted in place, utterly bewildered. He could hardly remember why he'd even come here—everything about this encounter was just so bizarre.
His train's screen displayed:
「Attack Strength: Level 1.」
Level 1?
Was the screen malfunctioning? Had it missed a zero?
But then—
A clear male voice boomed from the Stellar Train's External Loudspeaker. For some reason, the sound system was exceptionally loud—even from this distance and inside their own compartments, everyone could hear it perfectly.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Chen Mang, Conductor of the Stellar Train. I was the one who invited all of you here for this trade."
"Friends are welcomed with fine wine, but jackals are met with hunting rifles."
"To ensure our upcoming transaction proceeds smoothly, I'll first help everyone clear out some clowns."
The next moment—
People finally saw the missile's trajectory clearly.
The missile didn't strike the Train where Shen Ye was. Instead, it traced an eerily unnatural arc in the air, spinning rapidly in place until it formed a massive character composed of black smoke:
「Reckless」.
(End of Chapter)