Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Weapon Conversion Card, Ebony

[All Train Captains have departed the sixth station!]

The loud broadcast prompted the remaining two thousand-odd Train Captains to halt whatever they were doing, gazing at the broadcast in stunned disbelief.

[After tonight, Train Captains whose Train level is below Level 2 will perish during the nighttime survival phase.]

[The surviving Train Captains will enter the Trading Station at the seventh station.]

[Inside the Trading Station, you may make a one-time purchase of items corresponding to your current Train level. Please ensure you retain sufficient Train Coins.]

[As the number of Train Captains in E-3 Block is about to fall below 2,000, block consolidation will take place after the seventh station.]

[Friendly Reminder: Nighttime survival will begin promptly at midnight and will last for two hours and thirty minutes.]

[Special Notice: If your Train takes damage from attacks, Train speed will decrease. Please use materials to repair your Train in a timely manner.]

The long stream of announcements battered the hearts of countless Train Captains.

The Chat Room was flooded with wails of despair.

They begged desperately everywhere, just to obtain some resources to upgrade.

However, no one was willing to lend a helping hand at a time like this.

The broadcast had stated that damage to the Train would reduce its speed.

That meant even Train Captains who had reached Level 2 were by no means completely safe tonight.

But none of this had anything to do with Ye Qiyan.

Returning to the Endless Wilderness, aside from the broadcast echoing overhead, a light screen automatically floated before his eyes.

[Congratulations on departing the Level 4 Slaughter Station under external interference.]

[The Train System expresses its apologies for the interference you experienced.]

[Therefore, you will be granted the following rewards.]

[Ding-dong! Congratulations, you have obtained Module: Free Processing.]

[Free Processing]

[After equipping this Module, you can summon and use the Processing Table at any location.]

“…Couldn’t you have given me this sooner? Seriously.”

Swiping his fingertip across the light screen, he accepted the Module.

If he had possessed this Module at the last station, he wouldn’t have needed to waste so much effort hauling corpses and lugging lumber around.

After grumbling a bit, Ye Qiyan’s gaze fell upon the tree stump—or more accurately, the treasure chest—in his hands.

[Level 4 Treasure Chest] (Openable)

“Heh, thank goodness for Wall-E. Otherwise, where would I have gotten so many treasure chests?”

Nighttime survival was of no concern to him; compared to that, he had more important things to do.

“Sublimation.”

[Stamina: 80→50] [Mental Power: 115→95]

[Level 5 Treasure Chest] (Openable)

“It only took fifty points?”

Ye Qiyan marveled inwardly.

“This is way better than before.”

[Open Treasure Chest]

[Obtained: Train Coins x10]

[Train Captain Module: Lightning Dash] (Level 4)

[Weapon Conversion Card] (Level 5)

[Blueprint: Lightning Wolfskin Boots] (Level 4)

Aside from the Train Coins, there were 3 items in total, with only one being Level 5. Ye Qiyan inspected them one by one starting from the first.

[Lightning Dash]

[Consumes 30 points of Stamina to envelop the entire body in lightning, forcefully accelerating for a short-distance, high-speed dash.]

[Weapon Conversion Card] (Level 5)

[When used on any weapon, uses that weapon as a template to transform it into a Level 5 weapon of the same type.]

[Blueprint: Lightning Wolfskin Boots]

[Requirements: Lightning White Wolf Pelt x1]

[When equipped, can consume 20 points of Mental Power to summon lightning to envelop the body, increasing Attack/Casting/Movement Speed by 50% for 10 seconds. Can be cast consecutively; the Mental Power cost doubles with each consecutive cast.]

Although there was only one Level 5 item, the other two rewards were exceptionally good as well.

The first Module could be regarded as a forced movement skill in a video game; whether used to dodge attacks or flee, it was a solid ability.

The third blueprint needed no explanation—the white wolf’s capabilities were still fresh in his memory.

As for the second…

Ye Qiyan pondered slightly, twirling the card in his fingers.

Which weapon should he use it on?

Honestly, there wasn’t much to deliberate.

He unholstered the Black Light Pistol strapped to his waist. This gun had accompanied him through multiple stations; even in stations above his level, it had proven effective thanks to its armor-piercing round effect.

Besides, it looked extremely cool.

“Sublimation.”

[Stamina: 50→30] [Mental Power: 95→45]

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. Sublimating from Level 5 to Level 6 had consumed a whopping seventy points, which was undeniably steep.

But it was worth it.

[Enchantment: Heaven Plunderer Weapon Conversion Card]

[After weapon conversion, grants the additional enchanted effect “Heaven Plunderer.”]

Without hesitation, Ye Qiyan pressed the card onto the Black Light Enchanted Pistol.

The weapon card radiated an intertwining glow of black and white.

It was as though angels from Heaven and demons from Hell had manifested simultaneously.

The Black Light Pistol floated into midair, dazzling light and gloomy shadow mirroring each other.

The massive surge of energy made the entire Train tremble.

Weng—!

With a soft hum, the light and darkness dissipated completely. A lustrous black pistol engraved with angelic and demonic wings settled back into his grasp.

[Unnamed] (Level 6)

[Special Effect: Heaven Plunderer: Each time a target is killed, absorbs a portion of their life force to restore the wielder’s injuries, Stamina, and Mental Power.]

[Consumes 1 point of Mental Power to condense a Black Armor-Piercing Round.]

[Consumes 1 point of Stamina to condense a White Explosive Round.]

[Consumes 10 points of Stamina and 10 points of Mental Power simultaneously to condense a Dual Black-and-White Armor-Piercing Explosive Round.]

[Please name this weapon.]

Insanely powerful! Through enchantment, the pistol had jumped straight from Level 3 to Level 6.

Not only that, but even its effects had received a massive enhancement.

Ye Qiyan couldn’t wait. Opening the Train window, he scanned against the biting cold wind outside, spotted a mummy monster not far away, raised the gun, consumed 1 point of Stamina, and fired.

A pure white bullet erupted from the muzzle. The instant it struck the mummy, an explosion detonated in a one-meter radius centered on it.

This blast was completely comparable to a hand grenade’s power—perhaps even greater.

“A Level 6 weapon… what should I name it? Hmm… oh, right!”

Looking at the firearm in his hand, Ye Qiyan recalled a name.

“Ebony. That’s a good name.”

It was one of the guns used by a protagonist in a video game he had once played.

Back then, he had thought it was unimaginably cool, and after being enchanted, this gun indeed shared some resemblance to Ebony.

Using this name could serve as a nod to the past.

[Naming Successful]

[Ebony (Heaven Plunderer Enchantment (Suffix Hidden))]

He didn’t sublimate the remaining items, apart from the Module.

If he sublimated that blueprint, the required crafting materials might no longer even be that wolf pelt.

After crafting the boots, a substantial amount of wolf pelt was left over, which happened to make for quite a nice sleeping blanket for the night.

Having finished everything, he lay in bed, humming a cheerful tune in high spirits.

It was already past midnight.

Outside the Train, monsters began chasing after the carriages.

However, while this nighttime survival was a grueling ordeal for everyone else…

…for him, it was still just another ordinary, unremarkable night.

“Tomorrow, reach Level 4.”