38: Chapter 38 Metal Storm, Get on Board! Manganese Steel Ramming Horns Forged!

A cutting line appeared out of thin air on the thickened composite armor plate atop the vehicle's roof.

The system's blue light split the armor along this line, forming a circular opening half a meter in diameter at the front of the roof.

Metal components began growing frantically from within the opening.

The first thing to emerge was a rotating base; a brass bearing ring was firmly embedded into the edge of the opening, providing a 360-degree rotation capability with no blind spots.

Then came the gun mount. Thick steel supports rose from the base, with a set of three-barreled gun arrays fixed on each side.

Six pitch-black barrels were arranged in a circle, muzzles facing forward.

The rear of the barrels connected to a compact steam-driven rotating mechanism. A pipe extended from the bottom of the mechanism, passing through the roof and leading directly to the distribution valve of the steam hub.

Finally, the ammunition feed system: two massive metal ammo boxes were positioned on either side of the gun mount. The boxes were currently empty, but standardized feed link ports were left at the top.

From the opening to the driving in of the final rivet on the ammo boxes, the entire installation process took less than twenty seconds.

[Modification complete. Twin-Linked Six-Barreled Heavy Machine Gun is online. Turret control has been integrated into the fire control center.]

[Current ammunition reserves: 0/500 (single box capacity 500 rounds). Please exchange Truth Points for ammunition, Host.]

Lu Chen looked at the newly added gray trigger on the fire control console—it was the fourth trigger.

Black represented the repeating crossbow, white represented the high-pressure spray gun, and blood-red represented the Harpoon Cannon.

The new gray trigger was engraved with a tiny rotating barrel icon.

"Load it first."

Lu Chen gave the command in his mind.

"Consume 10 Truth Points to exchange for 100 rounds of standard ammunition."

[Ding! 10 Truth Points deducted. Standard caliber ammunition × 100 rounds generated.]

[Automatically loading into ammunition boxes. Current ammunition: 100/500.]

[Current Truth Points balance: 590 points.]

The heavy sound of metal clashing came from the roof. One hundred brass-cased bullets were generated directly inside the ammo boxes, neatly stacked on the feed belt.

"I'll use a hundred for now and refill when they're gone."

Lu Chen nodded.

He wasn't in a hurry to test the heavy machine gun because there was an even more important node to unlock.

"System, invest five hundred Truth Points to unlock Infrastructure Armor Lv.2 Node 1: Homogeneous Manganese Steel Ramming Horn."

[Ding! 500 Truth Points deducted. Infrastructure Armor Lv.2 (Node 1): Homogeneous Manganese Steel Ramming Horn successfully unlocked!]

[Current Truth Points balance: 90 points.]

This modification was the most disruptive because it involved changing the front of the vehicle.

On Polaris's front armor belt, the inverted V-shaped ramming horn previously welded from scrap steel began to dissolve in the system's blue light.

There was no heat, no sparks.

The scrap steel directly defied the laws of physics, deconstructing into a semi-fluid state and flowing slowly along the armor surface to the bottom of the vehicle, where it was sucked away by the recycling port on the modular chassis.

Then, new material surged out from the reserved ports in the chassis.

It was an alloy with a deep color and a dark silver metallic luster on its surface.

Manganese steel.

In his previous life, manganese steel was the preferred material for manufacturing safes and bulletproof armor due to its extremely high hardness and immense toughness.

The system used high-dimensional forging to mold this alloy directly onto the front of the vehicle into a brand-new ice-breaking ramming horn.

The new ramming horn was sharper and heavier than the old one, with the angle of the inverted V optimized to an extreme acute angle.

Viewed from the front, it looked like a giant axe meant to split the ice.

There wasn't a single rivet on the surface of the ramming horn; it was a single, integrated piece with no weld seams or signs of assembly.

It was the brutal aesthetics of solid-block forging.

As the last glimmer of blue light faded from the surface of the horn, Lu Chen saw the shiny manganese steel tip through the thickened bulletproof windshield.

Under the pale sky, that tip reflected a cold, silver glint.

"City Lord, you changed the front of the vehicle?"

Lin Wan leaned forward to take a look.

"Yeah. It used to be scrap iron; now it's manganese steel."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that before, hitting things would hurt me too. Now, when we hit things, only the other side will feel the pain."

Lu Chen leaned back against his chair, his gaze lingering for a moment on the number 90 in his balance.

From 2,500 points down to 90 points.

One thousand four hundred points filled the gap for the rank advancement.

One thousand points were dumped into two Lv.2 nodes.

The remaining 90 points were just enough to reforge nine harpoons or exchange for nine hundred rounds of machine gun ammunition.

By any calculation, today's operation was the most frantic spending spree he had embarked on since transmigrating.

But he didn't feel the slightest bit of regret.

Turning Truth Points into combat power was the only absolute truth.

"Lin Wan."

"Here."

"Move that grade a seed vault to the starboard planting area."

Lu Chen stood up and walked toward the brand-new living area in the middle of the carriage.

"There's space for five cultivation boxes there now. When the system leveled up, it automatically provided five simple cultivation boxes identical to the original one. Use them for now."

Lin Wan quickly ran to the starboard planting area, where five brand-new Simple Soilless Cultivation Boxes were lined up before her eyes.

They were neatly arranged in that dedicated space, with UV light strips glowing softly and the nutrient substrate emitting a scent of damp earth.

Including the one already in use, there were six cultivation boxes in total.

Lin Wan stood there, looking at this verdant paradise—a sight unique in the wasteland—and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Six boxes... two boxes for Winter Wheat, one for sweet potatoes, one for Carrots, and keep one for Chinese Cabbage."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"The last box..."

At this point, her voice turned into a sob.

"City Lord."

"Speak."

"Thank you."

Lin Wan turned around to look at Lu Chen.

The girl's eyes were red, as was the tip of her nose.

"Things were already so good. Having hot food to eat, heating, and pure water to drink."

She sniffled hard.

"I never imagined I would have such a large space to grow things."

"When I escaped, I thought I would die in the Snow Shard Gang's attack. You saved me, gave me food and a place to stay, and even let me continue doing what I love most."

"I'm truly grateful."

As she finished speaking, she could no longer hold back her tears, and they slid down her cheeks.

Lu Chen stood there, watching her cry with a cold expression for five seconds.

Then he pulled that already filthy rag from his pocket and tossed it over.

"Wipe your face. Don't let your tears drip into the cultivation boxes; the salt will affect the pH levels."

Lin Wan caught the rag and let out a laugh through her tears.

This was the only way this man knew how to express kindness.