MDT Chapter 136 (Patreon)

Chapter 136: Coordinates of the Dying

Half an hour later.

The smile on the captain of the "Purple Cloud" train's face grew broader, because he could already see many monsters in a valley ahead. Those creatures were all kneeling on the ground, as if performing some ritual.

He could see them with his naked eye, but the "Sensing Tentacles" transmitted no information.

Just then—

All the monsters in the valley suddenly turned their heads toward him, their scarlet, ferocious, bloodthirsty eyes making the man's face change drastically. He immediately controlled the train to turn around and flee the way he'd come!

Damn it!

What was he thinking!

He was only a Level 4 Flesh Train. The Kunlun Mountains region contained many Level 5 and even Level 6 monsters. How could he dare venture so deep!

Run!

At this moment, this thought firmly occupied all space in his mind. If he didn't flee now, he would surely die!

The valley was packed with high-level monsters. Once they caught up, he had no chance of survival.

But before fleeing, he quickly pressed the green "flesh pad button" on his control console, recording the coordinates of this location. Perhaps... perhaps he could cooperate with that guy.

He'd provide the coordinates, let that guy come kill all these monsters. That guy could take the dropped blueprints and special items.

And he just wanted the flesh and blood of these creatures.

It was just...

Although that guy was very strong, he was only a Level 4 train now. Could he handle so many monsters in this valley?

He'd seen at least four Level 6 bosses kneeling in the center, with more than a dozen Level 5 bosses on the periphery. The rest were all high-level elite monsters, with only a few scattered small monsters on the outermost edge.

This was just a small portion. After all, if all the monsters in the Kunlun Mountains region were here, this small valley couldn't possibly contain them all.

…..

Time passed quickly.

Three days flew by in the blink of an eye.

The sky had already darkened.

This marked the third day the Stellar had remained on this mountain peak. In these three days, the train residents had produced a full 510,000 units of iron ore.

A total of five Level 2 iron mines, and one and a half had already been excavated.

The results were quite satisfactory.

"..."

Chen Mang reviewed the messages on the Train Radio. Over the past few days, there'd been no change in the Kunlun Mountains region. The monsters had all vanished, and most Flesh Trains had already crossed the Kunlun Mountains to another green zone.

After all, the Sand River Plains were indeed safer than other regions, with very few wandering monsters.

Fortunately, he operated a Mechanical Train.

It didn't affect him.

After all, monsters might hide due to some merger, but mines couldn't disappear for mysterious reasons, right? That made no sense. Mines didn't have legs—how could they run?

He checked the resource quantity on the train's panel. He currently possessed exactly 700,000 units of iron ore.

The quantity was somewhat modest. At this rate, within ten days maximum, everything would be mined out.

Just then—

"Brother!"

Erdan, captain of the Azure Dragon Train, sent a private message: "I've upgraded to a Level 6 train! Hahaha, you should hurry up too. It's been so long, and you're still Level 4."

"..."

"Long? Has it even been a month since I entered the Sand River Plains?"

"Mm, I suppose so, but you're S-rank potential, after all. Keep it up, brother. I'll wait for you at Level 6. Build up some foundation, and when you're also Level 6, we'll head to a yellow zone together and see what's what."

Chen Mang didn't reply, simply looking at the "Radar Jammer" accessory on his control console screen.

It was yellow-grade.

He'd just constructed it and hadn't upgraded it yet. After consuming 90,000 units of iron ore, he upgraded this accessory to Level 10 in one go.

After reaching Level 10.

Any "Search Radar" of Level 10 or below couldn't detect his train. Although the upgrade price was somewhat higher than a normal yellow-grade accessory, the cost-effectiveness remained excellent.

Of course.

It could only conceal his train. If all train members remained inside the train, it was equivalent to being invisible on enemy radar. But if train members left the train, they could still be detected.

Simultaneously, he obtained two advanced effects.

[Radar Jammer Level 5 Advanced Effect]: None.
[Radar Jammer Level 10 Advanced Effect]: None.

Both advanced effects were nonexistent, but this accessory truly didn't need any advanced effects. The post-upgrade effect was already powerful enough. The train that had ambushed him outside the swamp back then had used some method to evade his Level 10 radar's detection.

The armor on that guy—he'd seen it. It was identical to the paint on the goblin train's armor from back then.

….

Another seven days passed.

The five Level 2 iron mines on the mountain peak had been completely exhausted. At this point, the resource quantity on the train's panel showed 1.75 million units of iron ore.

This amount of iron ore was sufficient for many projects.

First, he spent 95,000 units of iron ore to upgrade Carriage #15, the reproduction carriage, to Level 6.

Then he examined the cost of upgrading armor to Level 7.

Upgrading one carriage's armor from Level 5 to Level 6 required 100,000 units of iron ore. Level 6 to Level 7 required 200,000 units of iron ore. He now had sixteen sections of armor to upgrade, including the locomotive. Upgrading everything to Level 7 armor would require a full 3.2 million units of iron ore.

In a green zone, Level 6 armor was sufficient. Level 7 armor wasn't necessary for now.

He considered for a moment.

He allocated 405,000 units of iron ore and upgraded the remaining nine "Combat Training Virtual Spaces" in the guards' carriage to Level 10. That way, the Stellar, including the one in his locomotive, possessed ten Level 10 Combat Training Virtual Spaces.

This would allow the guards' virtual space training to also enhance their physical fitness in reality.

It would greatly increase their combat capabilities.

Then he spent another 600,000 units of iron ore, had all 30 guards on the Stellar report to Carriage #2, and custom-made a "Soldier Exoskeleton" for each of them, once again boosting their combat capabilities.

These 1 million units were entirely devoted to increasing individual combat capabilities.

There were still 740,000 units of iron ore remaining.

Just as Chen Mang was reviewing all the train's accessory information on the control console screen, preparing to consider which accessory to upgrade next, a piercing and urgent voice, filled with terror and sobbing, suddenly burst from the Train Radio's walkie-talkie.

"..."

Chen Mang's brow furrowed slightly. Only people he'd replied to in private messages could use the walkie-talkie to contact him so abruptly. But he didn't recall responding to such a rude person.

This could easily startle someone.

But after he heard the message, he froze.

"Brother, I... I can't escape. I'm going to die..."

"I've sent you the coordinates. Most of the monsters in the Kunlun Mountains region are hiding there. If you're strong enough, you can kill them and get some valuable stuff. You'd be avenging me, too."

The voice was high-pitched and panicked, but Chen Mang could also hear the raw terror and despair beneath it.

In the background were horrible sounds—flesh being torn, bones snapping.

"AH!!"

A scream of agony suddenly burst through the walkie-talkie. Soon, the voice grew weaker, and it was obvious his life was slipping away.

"Brother..."

"A few days ago, I spotted them... they caught up to my train... dragged me and my train back to the valley... pulled me out, but they didn't kill me... I just managed to get back to the train..."

"I can't run anymore... I can only send you these coordinates."

"It hurts... God, it hurts so much..."

"They're not killing me outright... they're eating my flesh piece by piece..."

"If I'd known green zones were this dangerous... I would've stayed in the Ironridge Wasteland..."

"Brother, are you there?"

"..."

Chen Mang's brow furrowed. He opened the Train Radio, looked at the string of coordinates sent by the "Purple Cloud" train, and said in a low voice: "I'm listening. Do you have any last words?"

"Why don't you try smashing your head against something sharp? That might be a quicker death—less painful."

"I..."

The voice on the other end of the Train Radio's walkie-talkie had shifted from extreme fear and despair to extremely weak, murmuring like a mosquito.

"I... I miss my mom..."

"She didn't give birth to me to be eaten by monsters bit by bit..."

"It hurts so much."

The next moment—

"Crack."

A sound like a skull being crushed suddenly came through, and then the chat was instantly cut off. After a train captain died, the train would enter an ownerless state, and all accessories would automatically shut down, including the Train Radio.

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