Every monster has its characteristics.
The Red-Eyed Rabbit’s specialty was its extreme agility and speed. His "Heavy Machine Gun," even with auto-locking, had trouble hitting it on open ground. He had once test-fired 100 Level 1 bullets, and every single one had missed.
But in freefall, it lost almost all of its agility. The Train Auxiliary AI easily predicted its trajectory, and the Level 3 bullets it fired scored almost all direct hits.
He had spent 300 Level 3 bullets just to blow off the arms of that Level 3 zombie.
But to kill these two Level 3 Red-Eyed Rabbits, he had only used 51 Level 3 bullets.
Though they were both Level 3 monsters, their defenses were worlds apart. Of course, their size was also a key factor.
Chen Mang steered the train off the silk strands and, using the "Spider Legs," descended the cliff face to the bottom of the abyss. Only then did he smile with satisfaction as he looked at his haul. This time, the rewards were abundant.
Through his recent time spent on the Train Radio, he had learned much more about this world.
In this world, few train captains actively hunted bosses. A large part of the reason was that the effort and reward weren’t always proportional. Killing a boss required a large amount of copper ore; a train’s offensive power depended almost entirely on it.
Another reason was that the primary resources needed for a train’s development were still basic minerals. The blueprints and special items dropped by bosses weren’t bad, but even without them, a train could still develop steadily. They were more of a bonus—something that could increase a train’s upper limit.Many trains treated their copper ore reserves as a critical resource, only to be used in emergencies. They would only activate their heavy machine guns and other powerful accessories in a crisis. They wouldn’t normally go out of their way to provoke a boss. The best option when encountering a boss was to run.
To constantly move around the wasteland, dodging monsters and mining—this was the survival method for most trains.
It was a helpless choice.
He had spent five days painstakingly mining copper ore, and it was all gone in one night. Those Level 3 heavy machine gun bullets were truly not something an ordinary person could afford. At the very least, you’d need to occupy a Level 2 copper mine to sustain that kind of consumption.
His train’s copper ore reserves were now at zero, empty. All he had left were about 700 Level 1 heavy machine gun rounds.
In reality, he didn’t even have to open fire. Letting those two rabbits fall to the bottom of the Apocalypse Abyss would have been certain death. But that method likely wouldn’t have counted as his kill, nor would it have given him any loot.
"Now, time to take inventory."
Chen Mang stubbed out his cigarette in a nearby cola can, then took another ice-cold can from the refrigerator. He downed half of it in one go. The cold liquid instantly calmed his excited heart. With eyes full of anticipation, he looked at the large pile of loot in the carriage.
Nice.
His cola was, of course, sugared. He never drank sugar-free cola or room-temperature cola.
Was that sugar-free stuff even fit for human consumption? If it were also warm, it would taste worse than medicine.
He would set aside the loot from the zombie horde for now; there was nothing major there.
The biggest prize was, of course, the first-kill reward.
Although it was a Level 3 boss, the lowest level of boss in this world, it was still a first kill. The reward was much more generous than killing a normal Level 3 boss.
—
Choose one of the following first-kill rewards:
1: Level 2 Copper Mine, Level 2 Iron Mine, or Level 2 Lumberyard Refresh Scroll. Choose one.
2: Rare Train Token.
3: Yellow-grade vehicle accessory blueprint, "Compound-Eye Watchtower." For Flesh Train only.
—
With almost no hesitation, Chen Mang chose the first reward: the Level 2 Copper Mine Refresh Scroll. It was a special item. Its effect was simple: use it to create a Level 2 copper mine in any area.
It was a one-time use, however.
Unlike other naturally occurring mines, which had a chance to regenerate after a period of time. There was no specific standard for how long that took; it could be fast or slow.
With this, he could create a Level 2 copper mine at the bottom of the Apocalypse Abyss. For a long time to come, he wouldn’t have to worry about copper ore.
It would greatly compensate for his lack of firepower.
The three rewards were all good, but he didn’t have much of a choice. His Stellar had been built with a "Rare Train Token." He already had one. A train built with a Rare Train Token received an extra red-grade vehicle accessory.
Other than that, there wasn’t much special about it.
Most train captains’ first trains weren’t built with a "Rare Train Token." If they happened to acquire this special item, they might seriously consider starting over.
As for the third option, it was an exclusive accessory for a "Flesh Train." Its effect was almost identical to the "Search Radar," but it required thirty-six carbon-based lifeform eyes as a medium. It was an upgraded version, possessing all the effects of a Search Radar plus an attack function.
Besides that—
The two Level 3 Red-Eyed Rabbit bosses themselves had dropped some rich rewards. One male, one female.
—
1: Special item, "Doomsday Marriage Certificate."
2: Blue-grade vehicle accessory blueprint, "40-Barrel Sakura-Fall Rocket Launcher."
3: White-grade vehicle accessory blueprint, "Reproduction Spray."
—
"..."
Chen Mang stared at the loot dropped by the two rabbits, his eyes instantly turning red. He stared fixedly at the "40-Barrel Sakura-Fall Rocket Launcher," his breathing growing ragged. This was a real killer!
He didn’t even need to look at the grade.
Just from the name, you knew it was much more powerful than that "Tripod-Mounted Heavy Machine Gun"!
It could provide suppressive fire coverage, something a heavy machine gun could never do. Of course, the consumption of this thing would undoubtedly be immense. It was a super weapon to be kept in reserve.
But—
A super weapon is something you hope to never need but always must have.
It was like a man over 25. You can not use Viagra, but you can’t not have it on your nightstand.
This accessory, like the "Rapid-Shot Crossbow," couldn’t be directly installed on a carriage. It required its own "open-air carriage." One open-air carriage could hold four "40-barrel Sakura-Fall Rocket Launchers."
"Whew."
After a moment, Chen Mang looked up through the skylight at the sliver of starry sky above the Apocalypse Abyss and couldn’t help but grin.
Good stuff, this was really good stuff. Even if he built this thing and had no ammunition, just having it there to look at would be pleasing to the eye.
With four of these things installed on his train, which train on the Ironridge Wasteland would dare to mess with him?
As for the other two rewards...
Perhaps because the two rabbits had been run over while they were in the middle of their fun, the two special items they dropped were also related to reproduction.
"Reproduction Spray," a white-grade accessory.
It could be installed in a separate carriage, causing any unintelligent creatures in that carriage to enter a state of heat, and accelerating their reproduction and the growth of their young. It could be used to create a dedicated breeding carriage for raising chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, and other animals.
"Doomsday Marriage Certificate."
"..."
Chen Mang weighed the two red certificates in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly. This thing was quite good. It would be a great help when the train eventually upgraded to Level 3. But the trigger condition was difficult: he had to find a truly in-love couple, have them join the train, and hold a wedding for them.
But to find a truly in-love couple in the apocalypse... that condition was incredibly harsh.
Talking about true love in the apocalypse?
That was pure bullshit.
Any true love would be shattered by three blows in the apocalypse. Just as he would never ask Lao Zhu if he was truly loyal.
For Chen Mang, loyalty was defined by service. If an entity or resource proved useful, it was loyal; if not, its purpose ceased. Ownership, in its truest form, transcended mere sentiment or declared allegiance; it resided in the capacity to command and benefit.
The question of sincerity, the illusion of a genuine bond, held no bearing against the cold calculus of practical application.
Women and all things were the same.
As long as they were useful.
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