"To think it directly gave me the skills of a sharpshooter."
With this ability, Ye Qiyan felt that if he encountered those zombie monsters again, there would be no need to hide and dodge as before.
Having digested all his rewards, Ye Qiyan idly munched on some fruit while opening the private chat interface.
With his minor reputation among this batch of survivors, someone might proactively seek him out for trades. Missing out on potential blueprints or Train Coins would be a shame.
"Hmm? Li Xiaosheng? Isn't that the three-station guy?"
"Inviting me to join an alliance? What was that again?"
After some careful recollection, Ye Qiyan remembered what Li Xiaosheng meant by "alliance".
"An alliance... feels incredibly unreliable."
After some hesitation, Ye Qiyan accepted Li Xiaosheng's friend request.
On the other side, Li Xiaosheng—currently embroiled in competing for fishing rod sales—noticed his friend request had been accepted.
He remembered only sending one proactively.
"Finally decided to reach out, huh?"
Ye Qiyan: ["Finished making those fishing rods?"]
"Huh?"
Li Xiaosheng frowned at the message.
["Brother Ye, long time no see. Have you completed your first train upgrade?"]
["Selling fishing rods? What's the price?"]
Ye Qiyan ignored the question and repeated his demand.
["Heh, of course I sell them. Though I could also give you one for free."]
Nothing in this world came without strings attached. Ye Qiyan waited for the inevitable "but".
["Just join my alliance. Members only need to contribute five kilos of wood or one Train Coin, and I'll provide daily rations plus a fishing rod. You've probably seen—after reaching Level 2, I can produce survival rations."]
["I know you've stockpiled food and water from gun sales, even took over a hundred kilos of metal from me—doubtless for firearms. But supplies run out, and guns won't always sell. Join me, arm our alliance members, and when we finally meet, we'll instantly become the strongest faction!"]
Ye Qiyan calmly finished reading the lengthy message, chewing his White Forest Fruit as he typed:
["So, selling rods or not? If not, forget it."]
Li Xiaosheng wasn't the only one selling rods.
Someone had obtained a mechanical fishing rod blueprint at the very first station and survived to sell them—though buyers were scarce.
When Li Xiaosheng stopped responding, Ye Qiyan didn't bother waiting.
A quick search in the chat room led him to the other seller.
["Selling rods?"]
["Yes!"]
Now this was a seller he could appreciate.
Twenty mechanical parts and one biscuit later, Ye Qiyan acquired a mechanical fishing rod.
"Hey, it's even automated. Beats wooden rods by miles."
Satisfied, Ye Qiyan immediately initiated sublimation.
[Basic Mechanical Fishing Rod → Basic Alluring Mechanical Fishing Rod]
[No bait required. More effective at attracting fish when cast.]
Setting the rod aside, Ye Qiyan noticed a new friend request—from the seller, named Zhao Lin.
He accepted.
—
BOOM!
Time: [12:30:00]
A thunderous roar split the gloomy sky.
From his climate-controlled carriage, Ye Qiyan watched through the window as oppressive black clouds choked the atmosphere. A single raindrop fell, swiftly multiplying into a torrential downpour.
["Ding dong!"]
The announcement system crackled to life.
["Today is Thunderstorm Day"]
["All conductors, note: Next station will likely enter thunderstorm conditions"]
["Rain gear recommended"]
"Since when was this a thing? The wasteland's weather affects stations too? They don't even seem like the same world."
Ye Qiyan checked his Crossroads of Fate for the next stop.
[Crossroads of Fate activated. Choose between the following stations:]
[Station 1: Thunderstrike Goblin Tribe (Level 3 Hunting Station)]
[Station 2: Mistveil Manor (Level 3 Mission Station)]
"Station levels increased again, huh? Train upgrades, station upgrades... and why goblins again?"
Ye Qiyan couldn't shake the feeling he had some bizarre connection to goblins. This was only his fourth station, yet three had involved them. At this rate, he'd inevitably have to choose a goblin station someday.
Not today, though.
Self-awareness was key—currently, he had no intention of entering hunting stations that reeked of danger.
As for the second option, the name revealed little, but that didn't mean safety.
Recall the last mission station—Doomsday Town—had been fraught with peril. Without his gear and alert systems, no ordinary person could've cleared it, let alone completed hidden objectives.
"Choose Station Two."
[Selection confirmed]
[Please remain seated. Next stop: Fourth Station—]
[Mistveil Manor]
The train accelerated.
Space ahead dissolved into nothingness.
Falling raindrops formed a thin film over the locomotive as thunder boomed and darkness swallowed everything.
The surroundings warped dramatically.
[Current Station: Mistveil Manor]
[Docking countdown: 4:59:59]
[Good luck]
[Warning: Hazardous]
Through the window, Ye Qiyan surveyed the scene.
The train had stopped on a broken mountain highway.
In the darkness, only the relentless patter of rain could be heard.
A flash of lightning revealed a police car billowing smoke nearby, surrounded by uniformed corpses.
"...Not zombies again, right?"
"Whatever. WALL-E first."
[WALL-E, activate!]
Inserting one of his last two Train Coins into the robot, Ye Qiyan watched the little machine wobble out before making final preparations.
Three special storage units: White Forest Fruit, bullets, and—in the last—three vials of virus serum obtained from the previous station and enhanced via sublimation.
[Blessed Virus Serum]
[Cures zombie virus/vampirism/spectral corrosion/disease infection. Heals wounds when damaged]
Originally limited to zombie viruses, the serum now doubled as health potions.
Next: pistol, rifle, dagger, bulletproof vest, and the Mithril Cross.
Fully armed and clad in a traded raincoat, Ye Qiyan pressed the door release.
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