Chapter 36: "Accessory Name": Spider Legs
Translator: AnubisTL
Chen Mang casually tossed the Train Token into a drawer of the nearby cabinet, shaking his head with a smile. He wouldn't need it for now—each person could only own one train. Later, he might trade it for something else.
The rest of the loot consisted mainly of rare resources that couldn't be produced in the wasteland's mines. They could only be obtained by killing monsters, making them far harder to acquire than Iron Ore.
However, they weren't as versatile as Iron Ore, and most accessories wouldn't require them. Unlike Iron Ore, which could even be used to make bread.
Tsk, what a great thing. At least my body won't lack iron.
But this Vehicle Component Blueprint...
"..."
Chen Mang's expression turned slightly odd as he examined the flimsy blueprint in his hand. It was a Green Grade train component—not a bad grade, but its effect made him glance at the rearview mirror, where the wasteland was now empty, the zombie horde long gone.
He slowly reduced the train's speed until it came to a steady stop on the wasteland.
After consuming 100 Units of Tier 1 Fine Spider Silk, he crafted the component.
In the next moment—
The Windfire Wheels beneath the train vanished, replaced by several pairs of Spider Legs. Yes, these were actually a type of wheel. Each carriage had ten sets of Spider Legs beneath it.
The train now resembled a giant centipede.
Accessory Name: Spider Leg
Accessory Grade: Green
Accessory Tier: Tier 1
Accessory Effect: Sticky spider legs that allow the train to traverse even the most challenging terrain without hindrance. They can also move freely across 30-degree slopes, with a fixed maximum speed of 50 km/h.
Upgrade Requirements: 100 Units of Tier 1 Fine Spider Silk
Hard to evaluate.
"Sigh."
Chen Mang gazed at the train before him, which resembled a giant centipede. He sighed softly, not because he found its appearance ugly, but because he felt it had already strayed beyond the definition of a train.
Yet its performance was undeniably powerful!
The ability to traverse a 30-degree slope's cross-section freely wasn't just about climbing; it meant it could move freely across the cross-section of a slope at that angle.
While its speed was far lower than the Windfire Wheel, capped by a speed limiter, this train could prove invaluable in challenging terrains.
However, the resources required to build and upgrade this accessory weren't Iron Ore but Fine Spider Silk.
Killing the Boss had dropped 100 Units of Tier 2 Material: Fine Spider Silk.
Killing the Boss's cub had dropped 300 Units of Tier 1 Material: Fine Spider Silk.
100 Units of Tier 2 Spider Silk is equivalent to 1000 Units of Tier 1 Spider Silk and can be used interchangeably.
In other words, he now possessed a total of 1300 Units of Tier 1 Spider Silk. He had used 100 Units earlier for crafting, leaving him with 1200 Units. Since he hadn't found any other use for it yet, he decided to use it all to upgrade this train component.
Soon—
Consumed 200 Units of Spider Silk to upgrade to Tier 2.
Consumed 300 Units of Spider Silk to upgrade to Tier 3.
This train component has a maximum Tier of 3 and cannot be upgraded further.
Tier 0 Authority detected. This train component can be upgraded further.
Consumed 400 Units of Spider Silk to upgrade to Tier 4.
He could only upgrade it to Tier 4. He didn't have enough Spider Silk to reach Tier 5, which required 500 Units. He only had 300 Units left.
At this point, the panel for this grade of train component underwent a subtle change.
"Can traverse slopes up to 45 degrees freely, with a fixed maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour."
Chen Mang stared impassively at the panel effects of the "Spider Leg" accessory. He couldn't help but feel his plugin was a bit absurd. It was practically like cheating. The ability to traverse slopes up to 45 degrees freely was a concept that defied common sense.
It wouldn't be particularly useful in the wasteland.
But he wouldn't be stuck in the wasteland forever. Once he ventured into more rugged terrains, this accessory would prove invaluable.
Whether for travel or escape, it was unparalleled.
Especially...
It could be upgraded further. At Tier 13, it would allow him to run on surfaces up to 90 degrees—meaning he could drive on walls. At Tier 31, it would reach 180 degrees, allowing him to drive upside down on ceilings with the carriage facing downward.
This bordered on violating... the laws of physics.
But he loved it.
To be precise, the absurdity wasn't in the "Spider Leg" accessory itself, but in his plugin.
"Not bad," Chen Mang chuckled. His only regret was that he didn't have enough spider silk to upgrade the "Spider Leg" to Tier 5, which would have unlocked another "Overpowered Effect."
He loved this thing.
Especially with the Red Grade train component, the Wheel Changer, he could seamlessly switch between the two sets of Wheels. He quickly retracted the Spider Leg and deployed the Windfire Wheel once more.
Following the tracks, he sped back the way he had come, his destination the mine they had left earlier.
Mission: Continue mining.
Inside Living Car No. 3, Wildcat stood beside Biaozi with a deeply apologetic expression. "Brother Biao, let me check how bad the wound is. There's no medicine on the train. What if it gets infected?"
After a light cough, Biaozi carefully unwrapped the bandage from his left arm.
"I didn't think much at the time. I just didn't want you to die there."
"We're a team, after all."
Just as the bandage was fully unwrapped and the wound was barely exposed, Biaozi's lips twitched slightly. With lightning speed, he rewrapped the bandage, his face calm as he shook his head. "The man-eating spider's blood is still outside. I can't unwrap the wound to check it. If it gets infected, it'll be a disaster."
"It's enough that you care."
"It's nothing. I can handle this. Go rest. None of you slept last night. You must be exhausted. I'll take watch duty later. Wake me when you're ready to switch."
I didn't strike hard then.
I only grazed it with a car blade fragment. Now, though the wound hasn't scabbed over, the blood has clotted and stopped flowing. There's no need to show off such a minor injury.
Wildcat's eyes were slightly red. He obediently walked to a corner of the carriage and, without a word, closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep.
Soon—
Most of the carriage was asleep. They hadn't slept during the day yesterday and had spent the entire night battling man-eating spiders. This morning, they'd killed another batch of cubs. Both their bodies and minds were pushed to their limits.
The rhythmic swaying of the train made it easy to fall asleep.
"Brother Biao," Black Rat whispered cautiously after everyone had drifted off. "Did you really just hand over the Train Token like that? I thought you were so excited, I thought you were going to lead us to break away and start our own faction."
"I was ready to call you Lord Biao again."
"Fool," Biaozi scoffed, rolling his eyes at Black Rat. "What I handed over wasn't a Train Token. It was a letter of surrender, a golden death exemption token!"
"You know nothing!"
(End of the Chapter)
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