The palms were slightly sweaty from excessive tension.

"Hurts."

Chen Mang looked down at Yan Yao with a slightly displeased expression.

"I... Master Mang, then I'll be gentler..."

...

Forty minutes later.

Chen Mang leaned against the chair, opened the window to cool down, took a chilled bottle of mineral water, drank half of it in one gulp, and finally exhaled deeply, lighting a cigarette and staring at the smoke swirling on the ceiling.

"Massage, I'm tired."

Ji Chuchu did not immediately get up; instead, she tidied up a bit before placing her fingers on Master Mang's calves, kneading with a gentle force.

Yan Yao also approached, kneeling on the ground to massage Master Mang's other leg.

Master Mang doesn't have much leg hair.

"The face is still delicate."

Chen Mang lifted Yan Yao's chin with his toe, examining her closely before casually saying, "From now on, you will receive the same level 3 talent advanced treatment as Ji Chuchu."

After a while.

As a cigarette burnt to ashes, Chen Mang threw the butt out the window and waved his hand, "You may leave."

...

Ji Chuchu hurriedly got up and picked up the crumpled tissues scattered on the floor of the room, then left the train compartment with Yan Yao and returned to Carriage No. 5.

"Hoo..."

Back in the carriage, Ji Chuchu let out a long breath, lying on her bed with a smile, turning her head to look at Yan Yao beside her, "Never thought I'd live to see you like this; you were once famous for being pure and unattainable."

"Quite bold."

"Far behind you." Yan Yao lay on the bed in a daze, silent for a long time, eventually turning over to rest her arm on her head, looking at Ji Chuchu lying beside her, biting her lip softly and hesitantly saying, "Is it over?"

"I thought it would..."

"Far more awkward than me, what's your level versus mine."

"Besides, Master Mang seems to dislike 98, he only loves 95."

Ji Chuchu closed her eyes wearily, muttering with fatigue, "I'm going to take a nap, feeling a bit tired."

...

On this day.

The Fixed Star Train went nowhere, remaining where it was to rest until the afternoon.

The train then slowly started, gradually speeding up, heading deep into the Shahe Plain rapidly.

"..."

In the train compartment.

Chen Mang had already handed over complete control of the train to the AI. With Ai's current computing power, it could easily handle controlling the train, reconstructing its brain, controlling various attachments, and even making deductions at the train shop simultaneously.

Human power cannot achieve these feats.

He turned his gaze to the chat screen in the Train Radio, usually not so lively; when it gets lively like this, something has happened.

The last time it was this lively was when he became the first in the Shahe Plain to complete the S-level Mechanical Reassignment task.

He initially thought the commotion might have been caused by an incident at the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

But the outcome...

"Kunlun Mountain area?"

Chen Mang frowned slightly; the Flesh and Blood Trains that usually barely speak were now rapidly sending messages in the Train Radio, making it exceedingly lively, though typically reserved.

Train Radio has three modes of use.

One is similar to this "chat room," chatting via text; another is forced private chat between two nearby trains, where only text can be sent; and the third is one-on-one private chat, using either text or walkie-talkie for voice communication.

However, most instances prefer text communication because it is more precise, avoiding misunderstandings due to accents. Voice chat can only be used after the other party replies; initially, any chat to strangers is text-only.

The reason behind the enthusiasm on the Train Radio is—

The monsters in the Kunlun Mountain area have all disappeared.

Since early this morning, there has been a rapid decrease in the monsters in this area, resulting in their total disappearance by noon, not a single monster is left. Many Flesh and Blood Trains have circled the Kunlun Mountain area today, and the Target Detection Radar failed to activate.

This is a fatal blow for the Flesh and Blood Trains!

Regardless of the potential of a Flesh and Blood Train, they all need to hunt numerous monsters to upgrade their trains and parts; now, without monsters, it's as if the iron mines on the Shahe Plain suddenly vanished.

The Shahe Plain does have monsters.

But after all, not as many or as densely as in the Kunlun Mountain area, also known as the Holy Land for Flesh and Blood Trains; among the nearby regions, none are as filled with monsters like the Kunlun Mountain area.

"..."

Chen Mang frowned slightly, quickly sorting through each piece of news in the Train Radio; these unusual, eerie messages are clearly bizarre, as the apocalypse's main threat stems from the monsters causing them. If the monsters vanish, doesn't the apocalypse immediately end? That, of course, is impossible.

The reason could only be...

The calm before the storm.

"Could they be gathering troops?"

He suddenly considered a possibility, mumbling in confusion, the monsters in the Kunlun Mountain area hiding in a corner, gathering in numbers until they burst out to attack the Shahe Plain?

Monsters from the green area cannot enter the white area.

But...

He truly doesn't know whether the monsters from the green area can invade the green territory.

Thinking about this.

Chen Mang couldn't help but chuckle, thinking the monsters wouldn't gather troops to attack the Heaven-Reaching Tower like in the animation he watched, right?

Quickly, he brushed aside this unrealistic thought.

It's clearly impossible, especially considering that terrifying worm monster, which the Target Detection Radar couldn't even gauge its level, already indicating it can't be a creature born in a green area.

If that monster really came to the Shahe Plain, anyone slower than it would die instantly.

Except—

Chen Mang's smile gradually froze; currently, his activity region is locked within the "Shahe Plain" and "Kunlun Mountain" areas. Areas adjacent to the Shahe Plain are white; however, the Kunlun Mountain area is next to a yellow and green area.

Though the terrifying worm coming to Shahe Plain is highly unlikely.

But if it does happen, his only chance of survival lies in passing through Kunlun Mountain to the other green area; he can't enter the yellow area without at least a level 6 train.

"..."

Chen Mang stared silently at the screen on the control panel; as long as nothing unexpected happens, even if all the monsters from Kunlun Mountain rush out, he won't fear them, given his level 6 armor provides unrivaled defense.

What needs to be done now is—

First, locate some mines.

The train is heading northward; when at the Heaven-Reaching Tower, he saw a very steep mountain in the far north akin to a sword plunged into the earth, its hilt exposed above the clouds.

That's his target destination.

He doesn't know if the mountaintop has mines, nor whether the mountain lies within the Shahe Plain, but he's going to investigate it; if there are mines at the top, it would be fortunate; its steep terrain assures no one else could reach it.

Comparable to the Heaven-Reaching Tower in height, its altitude won't be low.

If he detects a level 2 iron mine en route, he'll land to extract it; otherwise, he'll head directly to that great mountain, seeking those minerals only he can excavate. Typically, geological adversity enhances mineral richness.

Like the mines deep in the swamp.

Those mines won't refresh for another 61 days. If after 61 days he hasn't left the Shahe Plain, he can return to that swamp area to mine again.

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