My Apocalypse Train

Translator: AnubisTL

The Stellaris train was already at full speed!

But...

The distance between them was rapidly closing. The speed difference was too great. Even if he upgraded the Windfire Wheel to Tier 2 and escaped by cutting the train short, shedding all the carriages, he'd still struggle to escape.

Unless the discarded carriages could distract the pursuer, giving him a chance to flee.

But that was unlikely. After all, the previous trains that had escaped had already lost several carriages, yet they were still relentlessly pursued.

Perhaps because his train was the only one visible on the wasteland, the giant spider had locked onto the Stellaris. Its eight massive legs pounded across the wasteland at incredible speed, showing no signs of giving up.

"What the hell is this?"

Inside the train, Chen Mang glared at the rearview mirror, watching the mountain-sized spider rapidly closing in. He couldn't help but curse, "A spider running this fast? Is that even possible? Just because it has more legs, does that make it faster?"

"Then what about my train with all these wheels? Why can't it outrun a spider!"

"Lord Mang..."

Old Pig, sitting beside him, gripped the handrail inside the train cabin tightly. His voice trembled with a hint of despair as he said, "This is a Tier 3 monster leader from the Tier 2 monster, the man-eating spider. When it mutates into a monster leader, its size increases dramatically, making it a true Boss. Ordinary Tier 1 and 2 offensive vehicle components simply can't pierce its defenses."

"Only Tier 3 and above offensive vehicle components can inflict effective damage on this monster leader."

"Normally, a Tier 3 Man-Eating Spider Leader wouldn't move this fast. It would only unleash such speed in extreme rage, and this burst of power would leave it weakened for a long time afterward."

"Even if we cut off the locomotive's tail to escape, it still wouldn't outrun it. The locomotive's Tier 1 armor wouldn't withstand its attacks."

"We..."

"Might die."

"Hmm?"

Chen Mang, seated at the control panel, was taken aback by Old Pig's words. He instinctively glanced at the rearview mirror, where the giant spider was rapidly closing in. So, any vehicle equipped with a Tier 3 or higher offensive component can effectively damage this monster?

Then... my Vehicle Blade is Tier 5!

Chen Mang had originally assumed that this White Vehicle Accessory would need to be upgraded to Tier 10 or even Tier 20 before it could truly make a difference. He hadn't expected the world's Tiering system to be so strict. Could a Tier 3 offensive vehicle component really inflict enough effective damage on this Boss?

If that's the case...

Chen Mang's eyes narrowed slightly. Running was clearly out of the question. He might as well take a gamble.

The man-eating spider's abdomen was practically glued to the ground, with eight legs furiously scurrying along its sides. If he could sever all of its legs, the rest would be much easier.

Now then!

"Vehicle Blade activate!"

Two 70-centimeter-wide, high-speed rotating blades, flashing with cold light, rapidly extended from the sides of the Stellaris train's carriage.

Under Chen Mang's control, the Stellaris train swung around in the widest possible arc, turning back the way they had come. In mere seconds, the train had completed its U-turn. However, without Universal Wheels, the turning radius was too wide, forcing them to take a long detour and wasting precious time.

By the time the U-turn was complete, the mountain-sized man-eating spider was only a few hundred meters away.

"Lord Mang!"

Before Old Pig could even react, he saw the scene through the train's observation room. His heart leaped into his throat, and he cried out in a trembling voice, "We can't ram through it!"

"Don't panic."

Chen Mang, on the other hand, remained completely calm. He sat at the control panel, his brainwaves merging entirely with the train. His breathing gradually steadied as he gripped the control stick, preparing to make minute adjustments. His eyes were fixed on the man-eating spider, now mere meters away.

Everything around them seemed to slow down.

Hundreds of meters.

At their full speed, the distance closed in the blink of an eye.

In an instant!

They were only a few meters apart. Just as they were about to collide, Chen Mang gripped the control panel tightly and tilted the train slightly to the left. The entire train, like a long serpent, swept past the spider's massive head and aimed straight for its right front legs!

As the train rapidly passed, the high-speed rotating steel blades on either side of the carriages, amplified by inertia, sliced through the spider's right front legs like a guillotine, severing all four.

True, the blades were positioned a meter above the ground, so they didn't sever the legs completely. But the partially severed legs were clearly useless now.

As the train turned around to face the man-eating spider again, Chen Mang, standing inside the train cabin, couldn't help but laugh at the scene before him.

The man-eating spider, as large as a small mountain, had lost its balance and crashed heavily onto the wasteland. It was struggling to get back up, emitting piercing hisses.

This was the first time he had ever seen a spider with vocal organs.

All he needed to do now was sever the remaining four legs, and the spider would be trapped on the wasteland, unable to maintain its previous speed.

A few more passes, trimming away the shortened legs, and the spider would be completely immobilized.

The spider's four legs weren't aligned in a straight line. To sever all four legs at once with the Vehicle Blade, he needed to use the control stick for precise maneuvering, making the entire train twist and snake forward like a long serpent.

This was a high-difficulty maneuver; one wrong move could lead to disaster. Chen Mang was attempting this advanced control technique for the first time. Judging by the results, it seemed he had done well. He had spent the past few days practicing train control during his downtime.

"Huh?"

Old Pig stared at the scene before him, quickly realizing what had happened, yet still muttered in bewilderment, "What's going on here?"

But—

Chen Mang didn't answer. Instead, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes. If he could kill this Boss, he was sure to get some great loot. His eyes narrowed slightly as he prepared to launch another all-out attack.

Though greed had clouded his mind, he remained highly vigilant. He remembered the fleeing trains earlier, their armor coated in a thick, green, corrosive-like substance. Clearly, this Boss's attacks weren't limited to its legs.

Moreover, their initial victory had been a surprise attack. The spider hadn't reacted in time, allowing them to achieve such a result. Now, fully alert, the spider was completely aware of the situation.

Its eight legs, writhing in pain, pounded against the wasteland floor, each strike gouging a large crater into the ground.

He could break through defenses, sure, but his own defense was utterly worthless against this spider.

A classic case of high attack, low defense.

If he drove the train forward now, it would be riddled with holes.

But Chen Mang had a better solution.

He stopped the train on the wasteland, disconnected the locomotive from the four carriages behind it, then detached the fourth carriage from the third. Finally, he reconnected the fourth carriage to the locomotive.

Now—

A short, streamlined train was assembled.

"A cigarette would be perfect right now," Chen Mang muttered inside the locomotive cabin, licking his lips and trying to steady his breathing. Then he slammed the accelerator to the floor.

The next moment!

The entire train, like a wild horse, charged toward the giant spider thrashing on the wasteland, its target the four intact legs. Just before impact, Chen Mang severed the connection between the locomotive and the carriage. Simultaneously, he yanked the steering wheel hard to the left, veering away from the Boss.

Under the force of inertia, this carriage shot straight towards the four legs repeatedly striking the ground!

"Screech! Screech!"

Accompanied by several screeching sounds and the Boss's roar, the two intact legs on the Boss's left were sliced off by the high-speed spinning Vehicle Blade. The carriage itself was pierced by the other two legs and lifted high into the air, swinging wildly before being hurled to the distant ground with a heavy thud.

The plan succeeded!

Inside the locomotive, Chen Mang watched this scene in the rearview mirror and grinned. He really should light a victory cigar right now. Each carriage cost only 100 Units of Iron Ore. If he repeated this a few more times, the Boss would be buried here.

As long as your mind doesn't falter, there's always a solution to every problem.

Meanwhile, inside the train's locomotive cabin, Old Pig had witnessed the entire scene. His face was a mixture of shock and bewilderment as he unconsciously opened his mouth slightly again.

"Huh?"

(End of the Chapter)

📚 Read [MAT] on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c88. [+4/+9.5k]

☕ Support me and Read Ahead for just $5/mo.

🎯 Translated [3] Novels [1.05M+] Words and counting!