The "Acrobatic Console" had already been successfully upgraded to level 10.
Both Supermodel Effects were absent. After upgrading this accessory, the only option was to gain more slots.
"Hmm."
Chen Mang pondered for a moment before spending 240,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the Energy Shield to level 3. This item was priced based on the number of carriages and was not cheap. It could only defend against energy attacks. The level 5 Supermodel Effect would allow it to defend against physical attacks, but using it would consume energy.
Level 3 was sufficient.
With the Train Stunt "Absolute Defense" activated, his defense level could reach level 9. In the Shahe Plain, there was nothing that could pose a threat to him with this level 9 defense.
He still had 139,000 units of Iron Ore left.
It was about time to consider upgrading the Train to level 5.
He looked at the upgrade conditions for the level 5 Train.
Upgrade Conditions: All five required Vehicle Components must be crafted, 20,000 units of level 2 Iron Ore must be consumed, and all accessories in the carriages must be above level 100.
The conditions were much simpler than before.
There were no longer any requirements for the carriages, and he had already ignored the latter condition regarding accessory levels. All he needed was to consume 200,000 units of Iron Ore. After today's mining was complete, he could start the upgrade immediately.
"Moreover,"
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly. Each time the Train was upgraded, the number of accessories that could be crafted would decrease, and the upgrade conditions would become fewer. If this trend continued, by the time he reached levels six or seven, there would be almost no accessories left to craft.
In other words, by then, he would have to find ways to obtain all the accessories himself.
It felt like the early-stage tutorial missions in a game.
Once the tutorial was over, he would have to figure things out on his own.
On the third day, at dawn.
The level 2 Iron Ore mine had been completely excavated, yielding a total of 210,000 units of Iron Ore.
Without hesitation,
He immediately took out 200,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the Train.
Soon—
A line of text appeared on the Train's screen.
Your Train has been upgraded to level 5.
More craftable accessories have been unlocked.
After upgrading to level 5, the number of craftable accessories decreased further, leaving only four.
However, a new function appeared on the console.
Mecha Crafting.
"Huh?"
Chen Mang was slightly taken aback. He looked at this new function, which was not an accessory but an entirely new feature that allowed him to customize a mecha using an Individual Exoskeleton as the frame.
This was a mecha that truly possessed defense and long-range attack capabilities.
Not like the Individual Exoskeleton.
The stronger the mecha, the higher the Physical Fitness Index required of the operator.
However, crafting a mecha required a "Mecha Blueprint," and currently, he didn't have a single one.
But there was good news.
Crafting a mecha didn't consume Iron Ore but rather "Crimson Heartstone," a rare resource. Back in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, he had mined a total of 180,000 units, which had been sitting unused in the Refrigerator, almost rusting.
He had thought it would be a long time before he could use this resource, but now that the Train had reached level 5, it could finally be put to use.
"This is a good thing."
Chen Mang smiled. It seemed that his 180,000 units of Crimson Heartstone could finally be of use.
Next, he took a card from the drawer and inserted it into the console. Looking at the coordinates displayed on the screen, the Stellar Train immediately sped off into the wilderness!
The item was good, but without a Mecha Blueprint, it was still unusable for now.
He decided to first check out the "Goblin Ruins" to see what was there.
Two hours later.
After speeding along, the Stellar Train slowly came to a stop in front of a low hill. The hill looked rather unremarkable, standing only about a dozen meters tall. If it weren't for the fact that the surrounding area was a plain with only this one protruding feature, he wouldn't even consider calling it a hill.
The next moment—
As the card in his drawer emitted a flash of white light,
The low hill in front of him suddenly cracked open, revealing an entrance large enough for the Train to pass through.
It seemed that this card was not just a map but also a key.
As the Stellar Train entered the passage, a line of text appeared on the console screen.
You have successfully entered the Goblin Ruins map.
When the Train fully entered the passage, the small hill closed up again, leaving no trace of the entrance from the outside.
The passage led downward.
Moving along the passage, after about a dozen minutes, the Train arrived at an underground square.
The walls around the square were covered in numerous murals depicting Goblins mining, living, dancing, singing, and conducting rituals.
At the edge of the square was a "Goblin Train,"
Though it was in a state of disrepair.
The next moment—
A light screen appeared in the air above the square.
Welcome to the Goblin Ruins.
The Goblins were once one of the most hardworking races in the universe. They never sought to dominate the cosmos, nor did they harbor any ambitions. They only wished to coexist peacefully with humans, quietly building their underground cities.
Then, from time to time, they would curse the foolish humans—a hobby they had developed. It wasn't always this way, but after humans often ridiculed Goblins for their ugliness, this became their sole pastime.
However...
The apocalypse brought about the complete extinction of this minor race in the universe.
Perhaps, in the distant future, Goblin civilization will have a chance to revive. But until then, you may accept the final gift left by the dying Goblin civilization to make yourself stronger, so that human civilization may endure a little longer in the face of this disaster.
Please, Train Conductor, choose one of the following five difficulty levels of gifts. Upon completion, you will receive the corresponding reward.
If you fail, you will not be able to accept any other tasks.
S-level difficulty gift: A single spark can start a prairie fire. Even when a civilization is declared completely extinct, there are always some remnants of hope. In the days to come, you must gather the remaining Goblins and provide them with shelter on your Train. When more than 50 Goblins are under your protection, the task will be considered complete.
PS: After a civilization falls, all Goblins will lose all their intelligence and become monsters. They may attack you or cause trouble, but try to be a little tolerant, for the sake of the Token of Civilization.
Reward: Token of Civilization.
A-level difficulty gift: You will sleep here for 30 days. During this time, your consciousness will be pulled into a virtual space—the site of the final battle that marked the fall of Goblin civilization. Survive for 30 days, and you will complete the task.
PS: Your Train will manifest in the virtual space.
Reward: A random blue-tier Accessory Blueprint.
B-level difficulty gift: Only you will be able to see a video depicting the fall of a Goblin city. After watching the video, you will be asked five questions. Answer four correctly to complete the task.
PS: The answers are all in the video.
Reward: A random yellow-tier Accessory Blueprint.
C-level difficulty gift: Your consciousness will possess a Goblin and enter an extremely dark place. You must find a pickaxe and a Mine in the darkness and mine 12 units of Iron Ore within 24 hours.
PS: If the search fails, this difficulty cannot be selected.
Reward: A random green-tier Accessory Blueprint.
D-level difficulty gift: An opposite-sex Goblin will appear. You must share a room with them.
PS: Try to mold one that fits your aesthetic.
Reward: A random white-tier Accessory Blueprint. All Accessory Blueprints produced in this map are exclusive to the "Goblin Train" and can only be obtained through places closely related to Goblins, such as the Goblin Ruins. They can be used on the "Mechanical Train" but not on the "Flesh Train."
"..."
Chen Mang's eyes flashed with shock. Naturally, he would choose the S-level difficulty task. There was no question about it; he could complete it as soon as he selected it.
However,
This panel made him realize that some of the monsters in this world were formed in this way.
When a civilization fell, the remaining members of that civilization would turn into monsters. For example, Goblins... or... Zombies.
The Zombie monsters in this world were not created by some virus, nor were they transformed from the people of this world. Instead, they suddenly appeared in this world after the apocalypse.
In other words, those Zombies,
Were once humans from some planet, but when that planet faced the apocalypse, their civilization was completely wiped out, turning them into these monsters.
If the human civilization of this planet were to fall, they too would become Zombie-like beings, joining the next planet as one of the apocalyptic monsters.
Hmm... This probably had nothing to do with him, right?
He was a transmigrator!
His previous world had no apocalypse. Even if the human civilization of this planet were to fall, it shouldn't affect him, right? Probably...
Chen Mang felt a bit uncertain. But what exactly constituted the complete fall of a civilization? Was it when the countdown ended? Or were there other determining factors?
After a while,
Chen Mang shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Instead, he asked Doba to get off the Train to see if he could select all the options—well, except the last one, since this was the Goblin Ruins, after all, the home of the Goblins.
Sure enough,
As soon as Doba jumped off the Train and saw the murals of Goblins on the walls, his eyes welled up with tears, and he fell to his knees, wailing. Clearly, he was homesick, thinking of his family from before the fall of Goblin civilization.
It was quite moving.
But now was not the time to dwell on this. Chen Mang jumped off the Train and pointed at the light screen in the air, asking Doba, "Can you help me select all these options except the last one?"
"What options?"
Doba, who had been kneeling on the ground in sorrow, looked up at the direction Chen Mang was pointing. His eyes showed a hint of confusion as he shook his head. "Great Human Prophet, I can't see the options you're talking about. There's only air there."
"..."
Chen Mang furrowed his brows. It seemed that only he, as the Train Conductor, could see this light screen. Since that was the case, there was no other choice. He immediately selected the S-level difficulty gift.
Almost as soon as he made his choice, a voice sounded in his ear.
You have successfully completed the S-level difficulty gift in the Fortuitous Encounter map 'Goblin Ruins.'
You have obtained the special item 'Token of Civilization.'
This is a rather special item. It may not enhance the strength of your Train, but for a long time to come, it will reignite your hope in the midst of despair.
Chen Mang looked down at the Token of Civilization in his hand. It was shaped like a token, made of an unknown material, and felt quite heavy when he weighed it in his hand.
Special Item: Token of Civilization.
Special Effect: This token can help you rebuild a civilization. It is recommended to use it with caution, at least after upgrading your Train to level 20. Whether you rebuild your own civilization or someone else's, it will put you back on the table, attracting the attention of countless enemies.
In the universe, there are only two types of beings: hunters and prey.
Activating this token will allow you to enter the 'Goblin Tomb,' an extremely dark space filled with abundant resource mines. Each visit lasts 48 hours, and you can enter once a month.
PS: When a civilization falls, the last remaining belief of that civilization will form this special item. Each special item is born from the materialization of belief, and each special item has a story behind it.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang weighed the token in his hand and smiled. Doba had once told him that after each death, he would appear in a dark space filled with resource mines and various scattered items.
It was in that space that Doba had built his own Goblin Train.
Now,
With this Token of Civilization, he could enter that space as well. It would become his private Eden, filled with bountiful fruits for him to harvest at will.
Although special items had no tier distinctions,
Among all the special items he had obtained, this one undoubtedly ranked first.
The "Mechanical Heart," a reward from another S-level difficulty quest, paled in comparison to this special item. Well, it wasn't entirely incomparable, but they had different focuses.
Then, Chen Mang turned his attention to the rapidly fading light screen in front of him.
A 30-minute countdown appeared on it.
He needed to leave this Fortuitous Encounter map within 30 minutes.
As for the C-level difficulty gift...
Your consciousness will possess a Goblin and enter an extremely dark place. You must find a pickaxe and a Mine in the darkness and mine 12 units of Iron Ore within 24 hours.
The back of this difficulty gift showed "Search Failed," meaning it could not be selected.
In other words,
In that pitch-black space, the only Goblins left were the ones behind him?
Wait, no.
Back in the Iron Ridge Wasteland, many Goblins had been killed by other Train Conductors. Those Goblins should have also returned to the dark space known as the "Goblin Tomb," right?
So why couldn't h
e select this option?
Chen Mang pondered for a while but couldn't figure it out. In the end, he decided not to dwell on it. He had a good habit: if he couldn't understand something, he wouldn't overthink it, avoiding unnecessary mental strain.
Many people's psychological issues often stemmed from obsessing over things they couldn't understand.
(End of Chapter)