My Apocalypse Train

Translator: AnubisTL

Chen Mang snapped back to reality and continued to study the train component information displayed on the screen beside the control panel. He currently had 831 Units of Iron Ore.

First, he should upgrade the Moldy Bread Slice Production Line to Tier 2.

Let's see what changes.

After consuming 100 Units of Iron Ore, the panel quickly updated to reflect the change.

Accessory Name: Moldy Bread Slice Production Line

Accessory Grade: White

Accessory Tier: Tier 2

Accessory Effect: Consumes 1 Unit of Iron Ore to produce 10 Bread Slices.

Upgrade Requirements: Fully upgraded.

"Not bad," Chen Mang nodded slightly. After the upgrade, the quality of the bread slices had improved without increasing resource consumption. White-grade train components generally capped out at Tier 2, though this limit didn't matter to him. He had no plans to upgrade it further for now.

It was enough.

The bread slices had gone from moldy to normal.

Theoretically, eating moldy food in large quantities could be life-threatening. But after his first business venture failed in his previous life, he'd survived a month of eating moldy steamed buns. As long as you removed the mold spots, it was fine. In this environment, no one cared about mold anyway, though it wasn't something you should consume long-term.

The upgrade would reduce the likelihood of slaves getting sick.

Master Kun, a former Second-Class Train Conductor, hadn't even been willing to spend 100 Units of Iron Ore to upgrade this accessory to Tier 2. In fact, the guy hadn't even bothered to craft Universal Wheels. Chen Mang had no idea where he'd squandered all his resources.

The Universal Wheel was a Special Accessory that significantly enhanced a train's maneuverability, allowing for tighter turns. At higher Tiers, it could even enable lateral movement for docking.

It wasn't among the twelve craftable accessories.

Nor could it be upgraded.

Its Tier would automatically align with the current train's Tier.

Next, Chen Mang upgraded the Pure Water Filter to Tier 2, and the panel changed accordingly.

Accessory Name: Pure Water Filter

Accessory Grade: White

Accessory Tier: Tier 2

Accessory Effect: Consumes 1 Moldy Bread Slice to produce 1 bottle of Mineral Water.

Upgrade Requirements: Fully upgraded.

While the requirement is 1 Moldy Bread Slice, non-moldy bread can also be used.

This means 1 Unit of Iron Ore can produce 10 bottles of Mineral Water.

With this, the train's basic living facilities are nearly complete. While not luxurious, they're no longer critically short of food and water—a survival condition that's more than enough in the apocalypse.

From now on, he wouldn't waste resources on such trivial matters. He'd focus on upgrading defenses and attack capabilities.

In the wilderness, danger is the only constant!

Inside the mine.

"Hiss..."

A middle-aged man, covered in dust and his body aching, paused his work. He set his pickaxe down, sat on its handle, and carefully pulled a crumpled cigarette from his shirt pocket.

He held it horizontally to his nose, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a long, satisfied breath. Then, he carefully tucked the cigarette back into his pocket.

He murmured with a touch of emotion, "Before the apocalypse, I wouldn't have bothered with cigarettes this cheap. Now, I can't bear to smoke them."

"Oh?"

A young man beside him paused his work, shook his aching arms, and teased, "Looks like you were quite the Big Shot back then, Uncle. How can you accept such a fall from grace now that you're a slave?"

The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment before finally speaking softly, "I wasn't really a Big Shot back then. I was barely Middle Class."

"My income wasn't low. I earned in a year what an ordinary person would make in a decade."

"But to be honest, I was several times more anxious than most people. I constantly worried about my income declining. I didn't want to return to the life of an ordinary person. To maintain that superficial facade of prosperity, my mental state had deteriorated to the point where I often felt a strong sense of impending death."

"Now that I'm a slave, I actually feel much more grounded. Aside from worrying about whether I'll see the sun tomorrow, I don't have to worry about anything else."

"Oh?"

The young man's interest was piqued, and he leaned closer curiously. "So, aren't you trying to climb the ranks and become a deputy train conductor or something?"

The middle-aged man shook his head.

"Climbing the ranks isn't that easy. Everyone wants to be a deputy train conductor, but someone has to be the slave to keep the train running smoothly and developing. The train's Power Structure is pretty stable now, so trying to climb the ladder at this point would likely end with you being made an example of."

"Besides..."

"This train conductor treats the slaves pretty well. Not only do we get fed every day, but he even gave us two cigarettes. Those things are absolute luxuries in the apocalypse."

"That's true."

The young man patted the two cigarettes in his pocket and grinned. He'd actually adapted to the apocalypse quite well. Before it hit, he was an orphan who couldn't afford a home, had no savings, and no parents. His monthly salary was only 2,800, and everyone looked down on him, calling him a loser.

After the apocalypse, everyone was a loser, and no one looked down on him anymore.

How wonderful.

He thought being a loser was just fine. He'd never had any ambition to rise above his station. If the sky fell, it would crush the tallest first.

Soon—

As the sun rose and set, another day passed.

When the group of slaves returned one by one, carrying their pickaxes and forming a long line in front of the train to receive their daily rations, a large amount of Iron Ore was brought back as well.

"Huh?"

The man took the bread slice from Old Pig, instinctively reaching to scrape off the mold spots. But today's slice was flawless, not only free of mold but also emitting a faint malt aroma. After a moment of stunned silence, he looked up at Old Pig with a bewildered expression.

"Here you go."

Old Pig waved his hand with a smile, gesturing for the next person to step forward. "Lord Mang is aware of your hard work in the mines. From today on, all slaves will receive bread slices of this quality. Keep working hard, and you'll have everything you need in the future."

The man quickly grasped the situation. He hastily expressed his gratitude and excitement in a flurry of hurried thanks before eagerly rushing to a corner to savor his pristine bread slice.

"..."

Inside the train, Chen Mang leaned on his cane, his gaze drifting away from the slaves outside. It was nearly nine in the evening, and many of them had worked sixteen or seventeen hours straight that day.

They had started working at dawn yesterday.

He had even sent Biaozi down to deliver food and water in the middle of the day.

He was genuinely worried his slaves would collapse from exhaustion in the mines. They were truly ruthless, working themselves to the bone!

Of course, the rewards were plentiful. Today's mining yielded a total of 1,620 Units, the highest single-day haul in recent times.

Adding to his remaining Iron Ore, the train now held 2,251 Units in total.

This was more than enough for him to craft numerous items.

"Time to splurge!"

Chen Mang's eyes darted across the screen, scanning the names of various accessories as he began to prioritize them.

(End of the Chapter)

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