Translator: AnubisTL
"Not bad," Chen Mang said, unable to suppress a chuckle as he pulled Ji Chuchu into his arms. He glanced at the woman in the ultra-short skirt standing beside Erdan. "Brother, you... you've eaten quite a lot too."
"Can I still get those beers we agreed on?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't you?" Erdan replied with a serious expression. "A bottle of beer is just one unit of iron ore. Erdan isn't short on that. Men, move the goods onto the Stellaris!"
The next moment—
The carriage doors of the Azure Dragon Train opened, and dozens of slaves jumped out, carrying crates of beer toward the Stellaris.
Meanwhile, the Stellaris's carriage doors also opened, and under Biaozi's command, the train residents jumped down to receive the beer and toss it onto the train.
"This..." Erdan began to say, but his gaze fell upon the Stellaris's slaves. His eyes widened in shock, and after a long moment, he murmured, "Brother, why do your slaves all look so healthy?"
"Ah, that." Chen Mang smacked his lips. How should he explain this? He couldn't exactly say his bread and other supplies were designed to boost physical fitness and provide essential vitamins. "I guess I just feed them well."
"How many people die each month from mining?"
"Die? Never."
"No one ever gets sick?"
"No."
"Why? Are your slaves made of iron?"
"Bro—Brother."
A slave on the Azure Dragon Train, carrying a case of beer, was about to hand it to a slave from the Stellaris when his expression suddenly shifted, a hint of fear flashing across his face. "Are you crazy? Your train conductor is still sitting right there! How dare you, as a slave, smoke so openly?"
"If those thugs find out you're hiding cigarettes, you're dead!"
"Huh?"
The man who had jumped off the Stellaris paused, then realized what was happening. He casually exhaled a puff of smoke and laughed. "What are you talking about? I'm not a slave. I have First-Class Resident Status now. I bought this cigarette with stellar coupons. Why can't I smoke?"
"Come on, just hand me the beer."
"First-Class Resident Status? What does that mean?"
"It means we earn stellar coupons from mining. We can use those coupons to buy things on the train, like cigarettes, houses, and..."
"Wait, what the hell do you mean by houses?"
"Hmm, I can't say. The train has rules about revealing classified information, and this is classified. Just know that it exists."
"Don't the train's thugs whip you to make you work?"
"Need to be whipped to work?"
"Huh? Aren't you tired?"
"Tired?" The man from the Stellaris train pondered for a moment before raising the beer the slave had handed him high in the air. "That's also a train secret, so I can't tell you. Anyway, my physical condition is getting better and better. I don't feel tired at all. Plus, we get Cola every day, and I have endless energy."
"Cola?"
"Yeah, that's classified too."
"Why is everything classified?"
"You didn't ask, so I hadn't thought about it. Now that you mention it, it does seem like everything is classified. It was tough at first, but it got much better later. It's even better than it was on other trains before. Besides, we have hope."
The man's eyes shone with satisfaction and pride as he smiled. "Our Resident Benefits keep improving. We can use the stellar coupons we earn to buy our own assets inside the train, and even find a wife to start a family again in this apocalypse."
"Do you have any hope?"
"Yes. I hope to die soon."
The slave from the Azure Dragon Train cautiously glanced at his train conductor, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground not far away, before lowering his voice, his eyes filled with longing and urgency. "Can I join your train?"
"Hmm..."
After a moment of thought, the man turned his head to look at Lord Mang nearby. "I'm afraid that won't work. It would spark a war, and I don't have the authority to decide anyway."
"I see."
The Azure Dragon Train slave bit his lip slightly, then glanced back at the other Azure Dragon Train slaves, whose eyes were also red-rimmed. He lowered his voice urgently. "We all want to join the Stellaris. Go ask your train conductor. If it's possible, we'll start an internal riot to help you when you attack."
"All the ammunition is stored in Carriage No. 2."
"We'll rush to Carriage No. 2 and blow it up for you. You can then seize the opportunity to break in!"
"This..."
The man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking in a serious tone. "Wait here. I'll relay this message to Brother Biao."
"Alright. I'll wait for your signal!"
"..."
Chen Mang glanced impassively at Biaozi, who was whispering a report in his ear. A slight twitch played at the corner of his mouth. He then turned to Erdan, who was still reeling from the shock, and sighed.
Brother, wake up.
Haven't you noticed the strange looks in your slaves' eyes?
He waved his hand, signaling Biaozi to dismiss the suggestion.
Erdan slowly snapped out of his daze, muttering, "Brother... has your train changed its system? Your slaves are all so energetic, nothing like the oppressed lot I'm used to."
"Yes, we've made some changes."
"Could you tell me about them?"
"Of course."
Half an hour later.
Erdan frowned deeply, lost in thought. While it might be a bit more troublesome, Chen Mang's explanation seemed far superior to slavery. The Stellaris crew's enthusiasm was undeniable, a stark contrast to the listless demeanor of his own slaves.
Especially...
Under this new system, the slaves' work ethic had soared. Stellaris's slaves were even working seventeen or eighteen hours a day!
Brother Chen Mang didn't keep anything secret. He told Erdan about the bread slices that enhanced physical attributes and the Cola that restored stamina. But where would he get murphy stones to upgrade these White Accessories? Even if he had them, he wouldn't waste them on such low-tier items.
After a long pause, Erdan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Brother, this system of yours is completely useless to me. You have too many overpowered effects. I simply don't have that many."
"In the apocalypse, you're truly one of a kind."
"I'm starting to suspect that after my slaves have contact with you, they'll all want to join the Stellaris."
"That's probably true," Chen Mang agreed, nodding. Without so many overpowered effects, a normal person would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. "That's why I told you from the start that this system isn't some secret. There's no harm in sharing it. It's just hard to implement without complete life accessories."
"Mm," Erdan nodded, frowning in thought. "But it did give me some inspiration. I'll go back and study it, see if I can come up with some kind of incentive system myself."
Later.
Erdan took a deep breath, his eyes filled with admiration and helplessness as he looked at Chen Mang. "Brother, you must be laughing at me. I really lost face in your maze. I came here to vent my frustration, but I never expected that despite being a Tier 4 Train, you'd surpass me in every way."
"Truly worthy of being the first S-Rank Potential mechanical train on the Sha River Plains."
"Even in the matter of women, I can't compare..."
Just then—
The door of Carriage 5 opened again, and Yan Yao, dressed in a spaghetti-strap dress, stepped out with a smile. She walked over to Chen Mang, knelt down on the other side, and whispered shyly, "Lord Mang."
"Yan Yao?!"
Erdan's eyes widened in shock once more. "You... you're that celebrity from the entertainment industry with the rumored powerful background? You... Chen Mang, you..."
But the most bewildered wasn't Erdan; it was Ji Chuchu.
Ji Chuchu stared blankly at Yan Yao, who was sitting on the other side of Lord Mang, still wearing her clothes. Didn't you say last night you'd rather mine ores? How could you have changed so drastically in just one night?!
Ji Chuchu quickly realized what had happened. She bit her lip slightly, inwardly cursing Yan Yao as a manipulative bitch.
She even just took a shower and used my lipstick!
Are you fucking schizophrenic?!
Chen Mang glanced at Yan Yao, kneeling beside him. He sized her up, noting that her beauty rivaled Ji Chuchu's. Ji Chuchu's beauty evoked a sense of vulnerability, while Yan Yao's possessed a cold, aloof quality.
Then, he turned to Erdan, whose jaw was nearly scraping the ground, and chuckled. "You know them all?"
"They're big stars! Who doesn't know them?!"
"Good," Chen Mang said, glancing at the countdown on the screen. "The countdown's almost up. Looks like it's just our two trains this time. Let's head back."
With that, he bid farewell to Erdan, leaned on his cane, and walked toward the locomotive cabin with Xiao Ai. The others returned to their respective carriages.
"What the hell is going on with you?"
In Carriage 5, Ji Chuchu stood with hands on her hips, staring at Yan Yao in disbelief. She couldn't help but raise her voice. "Are you schizophrenic? You said last night you'd rather go mining!"
"..."
Yan Yao lowered her head, a touch of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I admit I was a bit harsh last night. The refrigerator was too crowded, and I couldn't sleep all night. I thought... it would be more comfortable to stay in this carriage."
"How did you decide to come down here?"
"When the Resident Car opened earlier, I saw you sitting next to Lord Mang. I figured if I joined you, it would make Lord Mang look even more impressive, and he'd definitely like me even more. Plus, this was the first time I'd seen him in person, and he was nothing like I'd imagined—much, much more handsome. So I came to your carriage to take a shower and borrow your clothes, then came down here."
"That's not..."
Ji Chuchu took a deep breath, still struggling to understand. "Did someone give you this idea?"
"Yes."
Yan Yao threw herself into Ji Chuchu's arms, her eyes filled with apology as she gently bit Ji Chuchu's ear. "A pre-apocalypse celebrity gave me the idea. That's when I learned you specifically asked Lord Mang to come to Sha River City to save me."
"Thank you."
"If it weren't for you, I would have truly been left to die after we ran out of food."
"Just so you know." Ji Chuchu pushed Yan Yao away, annoyed. "Do you know how much courage it took for me to beg Lord Mang? Now that he's saved you, you're still acting reluctant. Get your attitude right."
"So, what do we do next?" Yan Yao asked hesitantly. "Should I report to Lord Mang?"
"No need. He'll call for you when he needs you."
"Does Lord Mang like you?"
"He does. He's only ever called for me."
"I mean, romantically."
"..." Ji Chuchu stared at Yan Yao in disbelief. "Are you crazy? Don't tell me you spent all night thinking about how to become his wife and take the second-in-command position? If you actually have the skills for that, more power to you. But I'm worried you'll get yourself killed."
"This is the apocalypse, people are going to die! You don't think you'll get half the assets in a divorce or half the train in a breakup, do you?"
"I was just asking! I'm not that stupid, Chu Chu. Does Lord Mang have any... quirks?"
"He does. Lord Mang likes watching variety shows."
"..."
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang calmly watched the countdown on the light screen tick down to zero.
The instant the countdown reached zero...
The countless gears within the Sky Piercing Tower suddenly ground to a halt. A crisp click echoed through the tower, followed by a three-second pause before the gears began spinning wildly once more.
Then—
Eight massive platforms, suspended by steel cables from the tower's peak, slowly descended from the sky until they rested on the ground.
Chen Mang exchanged a glance with Erdan in the Azure Dragon Train's locomotive cabin.
They each steered their trains toward the platforms in front of them.
The platforms were long enough to accommodate trains with over thirty carriages.
Once the trains had come to a complete stop, several clamps suddenly extended from the platform's base, firmly securing the train wheels. After a three-minute wait, the platforms began their slow ascent.
Chen Mang gazed out the window at the shrinking landscape, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation stirring within him. He wondered what awaited them on the platform above the Sky Piercing Tower. This was his first time entering a fortuitous encounter map, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
About five minutes later, the platforms, guided by the steel cables, successfully reached the 5,000-meter-high platform. The sound of gears meshing with the platform's mechanisms seamlessly integrated, leaving no visible gaps. The clamps on the platforms slowly retracted.
They had officially reached the top of the Sky Piercing Tower!
This was the Sky Piercing Tower Encounter Map!
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang, seated in the locomotive cabin, gazed at the scenery above the platform. His eyes narrowed slightly. The first thing that caught his attention were eight straight, slender roads for the train to pass through, each about several hundred meters long. At the end of these roads lay...
A colossal mechanical city!!!
Countless structures composed of various mechanical components, gears, and cogs formed this mechanical city. Though seemingly abandoned, not a single soul was in sight.
The first impression was desolation.
The second was... power!
On the rooftops of the mechanical city's countless skyscrapers, massive anti-aircraft guns with enormous calibers were clearly visible. Yet, the city appeared to have suffered a devastating attack, with many buildings collapsed into ruins.
Not a single corpse was in sight.
Nor was there a trace of greenery.
A city devoid of any greenery exudes an overwhelming sense of coldness, and this city was no exception.
"Hoo..."
Chen Mang exhaled softly, his hands resting on the control levers. If the mission in this fortuitous encounter map was to traverse this mechanical city while under full-scale fire...
He just wanted to say one thing:
"Can I withdraw from the competition? I'm not playing anymore."
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c214. [+4/+9.4k]
🎁All [2] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [700+] Chapters and [1.42M+] Words.
[MASS RELEASE: +13 | 31JUL25] ✍REQUESTING REVIEWS🙏