"."
Inside the Stellar Train, nestled under the starry wasteland sky, Chen Mang squinted slightly as he gazed at the blueprint in his hand.
It was a white-tier Accessory Blueprint.
「Repeating Ballista」.
Clearly, this was an offensive accessory, and it couldn't be installed on the roof of any regular carriage. Instead, it required a dedicated「Open-Air Carriage」, where up to eight ballistas could be placed.
The drawbacks were obvious—its firepower certainly wasn't as direct and formidable as a Heavy Machine Gun.
But its advantages were equally clear.
Being white-tier meant it consumed less energy, allowing for more frequent use without the heartache. Unlike a Heavy Machine Gun, where a single burst might not even hurt the enemy but would undoubtedly hurt your wallet.
The hundred or so Slaves had toiled for two days mining copper ore, only for it to be depleted in the blink of an eye.
Moreover—
He could upgrade the「Repeating Ballista」to a high enough level, stacking multiple Supermodel Effects, and its power might just surpass that of a Heavy Machine Gun. This was the first white-tier accessory he had encountered with long-range attack capabilities.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang smiled as he tucked the white-tier Accessory Blueprint into his chest. He had high hopes for this「Repeating Ballista」. Just by the name alone, he felt its power couldn't be insignificant, and it would definitely be useful in the early stages.
Of course, it was pretty much only useful in the early stages.
Chen Mang returned to the front of the train and slapped the「Repeating Ballista」blueprint onto the control panel. As it dissolved into faint white light and merged with the panel, he could now craft this accessory at any time. Even if the accessory was destroyed, he could still craft it again as long as he had the blueprint.
However.
If the train itself was destroyed, and he used a Train Token to create a new one, he would lose the ability to craft this accessory.
As for the remaining loot, he didn't go through it in detail, only giving it a rough sorting.
He would return to the Doomsday Abyss first and do a thorough inventory once he was back.
The mines in the Doomsday Abyss weren't fully excavated yet. Tonight, he would let the Slaves rest, and tomorrow they would continue mining.
After today's events, he had witnessed firsthand the power of a level 5 Heavy Machine Gun paired with level 3 bullets. It was indeed impressive. With just a bit more ammunition, taking down a level 3 boss would be as easy as slaughtering a pig.
However, until he found a level 2 copper mine, he wasn't planning to use this thing again. It was simply too costly.
In the night.
The gradually accelerating Stellar Train began to turn, heading toward the coordinates of the Doomsday Abyss.
Time to go home!
In the No. 5 enforcer carriage, the group of enforcers who had been clutching their Soaring Dragon Assault Rifles tightly, ready to join the fight at any moment, finally let out a collective sigh of relief as the outside grew quiet and the train smoothly traversed the wasteland.
"It's over."
Biao Zi, sitting by the window, looked out at the crimson wasteland rapidly disappearing behind them. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled back down. "The fight's over. Everyone, relax. No need to stay so tense."
Fear? Who wouldn't be afraid? He was scared too!
If the train couldn't hold, they, the enforcers, would be the last line of defense. They would have to step up.
Even if they wanted to run, there was nowhere to go.
Out in the wasteland, if the train broke down or was destroyed, they would likely meet their ancestors in no time.
After the Stellar Train's last upgrade and renovation.
Their No. 5 carriage had been converted into a hard sleeper carriage, with each enforcer having their own dedicated bunk. It was also the only carriage with windows, and they had all witnessed the battle firsthand.
The ten-meter-tall Zombie had brought a suffocating sense of pressure.
But thankfully.
Lord Mang held the line and emerged victorious in the end.
Then, Biao Zi turned to Shan Mao Zi, who was tightly clutching a photo, and asked with a smile, "What's that? A picture of your girl?"
During the train battle, Shan Mao Zi had been gripping a photo he had pulled out from somewhere, his face pale, clearly shaken. Ever since Biao Zi had risked his life to save Shan Mao Zi last time.
This once unruly troublemaker had become extremely obedient to him.
And Biao Zi had started to take a liking to the kid.
With his short buzz cut, he handled tasks cleanly and efficiently.
Shan Mao Zi sheepishly tucked the portrait photo back into the hidden compartment of his necklace and whispered, "My ex. We broke up just before the apocalypse."
"Ah."
Biao Zi lit a cigarette and took a drag, exhaling a puff of smoke before leaning back in his seat and glancing at the necklace around Shan Mao Zi's neck. The pendant was a steel square resembling a "wish-fulfillment" charm, with a hidden compartment perfect for storing photos.
"Was she pretty?"
"Yeah, she was. Not just pretty, but really gentle too."
"I don't know how to explain it. Before the apocalypse, I wasn't much of a success. I worked at a container factory, but she never looked down on me. She said life gets better slowly when two people work on it together. We should focus on living our own lives, not envying others."
"If there's one thing I regret most in my life, it's not taking her out for steak before we broke up."
"She always wanted to take me out for steak, said she'd treat me. Of course, I couldn't let her pay. The place was a bit pricey, but I could afford it."
"I just felt this inner sense of inferiority, never daring to step into that kind of setting. I thought there'd always be time later when I had more money, but..."
Shan Mao Zi, who was usually quiet, suddenly had a light in his eyes as he spoke of his ex, but it quickly dimmed.
"."
Biao Zi was silent for a long while before looking down at the flickering cigarette in his hand and murmuring, "In the apocalypse, being good-looking isn't necessarily a good thing."
Shan Mao Zi didn't respond, just stared out the window, gently stroking the steel wish-fulfillment charm in his hands for a long time before speaking.
"Surviving is already a blessing."
"Why did you break up?"
"She left without a word. A few months after we broke up, I heard from a friend that she had gotten married. She met him through a matchmaker. I saw a photo of the guy. Pretty chubby. Probably rich."
"You don't hate her?"
"No." Shan Mao Zi shook his head. "Everyone has the right to choose a better life. She stayed with me for a long time. It's just that I didn't fulfill the promises I made to her."
At this moment.
Lao Zhu, who had been sitting silently nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Brother, I gotta point something out. Based on what you said, you two had a good relationship, and she didn't seem like the type to chase wealth. This whole situation sounds like she might've had some terminal illness and left you to avoid dragging you down."
"."
Shan Mao Zi was momentarily stunned. "That's too melodramatic, isn't it?"
"Could be."
Lao Zhu said earnestly, "Just think about it. What if she really did have a serious illness and needed a lot of money for treatment? If she told you, what would you have done?"
"I would've died with her."
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