42: Chapter 42 Arrival, the Core Hub of East China

Watching Zhang Man's berserk posture, which resembled a Valkyrie from hell, Su Chen nodded in satisfaction.

[Ding! Modification product identification complete!]

[Item Name: Valkyrie Exoskeleton Armor Generation I (Bronze Top-Tier)!]

[Stat Bonus: Wearer's total stats +30!]

[Special Enchantment I: High-Frequency Vibrating Bone Blade. Comes with extreme physical cutting and armor-piercing effects.]

[Special Enchantment II: Micro-Thrusters. Allows for short-range high-speed burst movement and mid-air jumps, greatly enhancing melee burst power and survival rate.]

"Total stats plus thirty? No wonder even Zhang Man, a pure strength-based talent user, can jump this high."

Su Chen marveled inwardly.

With the support of this top-tier bronze Valkyrie Exoskeleton Armor.

Zhang Man's current overall combat power has definitely firmly stepped into the ranks of Silver-tier powerhouses!

"The remaining four sets: Qingxue, Mo Mo, and you two, the captain and vice-captain of the combat squad, one set each."

Su Chen waved his hand and distributed the remaining armor.

As the secondary damage dealer of the combat squad, with the mobility of the Valkyrie Exoskeleton Armor, Chu Qingxue's [Extreme Cold Frost] talent will be able to exert an even more terrifying crowd control effect.

And Lin Momo, the soft and cute support who originally could only hide in the back and sing, will have her survival capability greatly guaranteed after putting on the armor.

Looking at these five stunning female warriors wearing dark silver Valkyrie Exoskeleton Armor, as if they had walked out of a sci-fi movie.

A flash of overbearing pride shone in Su Chen's deep eyes.

With this batch of equipment, his female legion had finally shed its initial inexperience and possessed the prototype of a true wasteland regular army!

In this cruel world, any petty villain who dares to covet his wealth and women will be torn to pieces under the bone blades of these Valkyries.

...

The train continued to travel east.

Over the next two days, the [abyss roarer] did not encounter any Silver-tier BOSS as troublesome as the Iron-Clad Earth Dragon.

The occasional Bronze-tier monsters didn't even require Su Chen to take action.

Zhang Man led the four Valkyries, directly activating their micro-thrusters to charge off the train, slaughtering the monster groups in just a few minutes as if they were chopping vegetables.

This overwhelming combat efficiency pushed the entire train's travel speed to the limit.

The morning of the third day.

When the first ray of sunlight on the wasteland struggled to pierce through the blood-colored mist.

Su Chen, sitting in front of the panoramic glass of the driver's cab, finally saw the silhouette of a shocking and massive building complex.

It was an extremely massive steel city!

Countless metal towers reaching into the clouds, crisscrossing three-dimensional rails, and trading zones emitting various neon lights.

On this desolate and dead wasteland, it appeared so abrupt and spectacular.

This was the [East China Region Core Hub] established by the Heavenly Dao.

It was also the largest survivor gathering place and absolute safe zone in the entire East China Region.

"Train Master, that is the core hub ahead."

Su Xiaoxiao pushed up her glasses, looking at the dense green dots on the radar screen representing other trains, her tone filled with a hint of excitement.

"According to intelligence, not only is there an official trading house established by the system inside, but there are also underground black markets formed by various factions."

"As long as you have enough supplies, you can even buy Silver-tier blueprints and top-tier girl-transformation potions!"

Su Chen nodded slightly, his deep gaze fixed on the steel giant city that was gradually becoming clear.

After so many days of slaughtering and accumulating in the wilderness, his current supply reserves could definitely be called truly wealthy enough to rival a nation.

It was time to go to the largest trading center in the region for a wave of thorough resource liquidation and crazy shopping.

However.

Just as the [abyss roarer] was about ten kilometers away from the hub entrance and about to enter a long, narrow canyon area.

The cold and beautiful AI older sister, Ling Yi, suddenly projected herself in mid-air.

"Beep—! Warning!"

"A large roadblock has been detected on the essential rail at the exit of the canyon directly ahead!"

"High-frequency radar scanning confirms the target is three Level 1 armored trains parked side-by-side."

"The other party has locked onto this unit and sent a forced communication request."

Following Ling Yi's report, the image on the holographic screen instantly zoomed in.

At the narrow rail junction ahead, three massive Level 1 armored trains, their exteriors welded with various rough steel plates and barbs, were like three steel walls, completely sealing off the road to the hub.

On the roofs of these three trains, an extremely arrogant black flag was flying.

In the center of the flag was drawn a hideous long blade dripping with blood.

"A blood-dripping long blade? This is the symbol of the 'Iron Blood Alliance'!"

After Su Xiaoxiao saw the flag clearly, her expression changed slightly.

"Train Master, this Iron Blood Alliance is currently the second-largest player organization in the East China Region."

"It is said that they are formed by an alliance of dozens of Level 1 trains. Their style is very domineering and cruel; they specialize in setting up checkpoints on the outskirts of the hub, collecting road tolls, and exploiting lone players without backgrounds."

"Ranked second?"

Su Chen's lips curled into an undisguised sneer.

"A bunch of rabble relying on huddling together for warmth, daring to act like kings and hegemons in front of me?"

"Connect the communication; I want to see what kind of tricks they want to play."

"Command confirmed."

Ling Yi quickly cut off the other party's signal jamming and connected the communication feed.

The light and shadow on the holographic screen flickered for a moment.

Then, a burly man with a face full of flab and a hideous scar running from the corner of his eye to his chin on his bald head appeared in the center of the screen.

This scarred burly man was shirtless, revealing his exaggerated muscular build and the tattoo of a blood-dripping long blade on his chest.

He was toying with a blood-stained machete in his hand, his eyes filled with a nauseating greed and arrogance.

"Hey! The train on the other side, listen up!"

The scarred man brought his big face close to the screen, exhaled a thick cloud of cheap cigar smoke, and roared with a raspy voice.

"I am the captain of the Third Brigade of the 'Iron Blood Alliance', Kuang Dao!"

"This canyon area leading into the hub has been completely taken over by our great Boss Zhao!"

"No matter who you are, if you want to enter the hub alive, you have to follow the rules of our Iron Blood Alliance!"

Kuang Dao tapped the console in front of him with the back of his blade, revealing a mouthful of jagged, yellow teeth, and arrogantly stated his conditions.

"First, hand over fifty percent of the supplies on your train, including all food, clean water, and high-level cores!"

"Second..."

At this point, Kuang Dao's lecherous triangular eyes swept greedily through the screen over Chu Qingxue, Liu Ruyan, and the other women behind Su Chen.

Although he couldn't see their specific faces due to the screen pixels, the vaguely visible hot curves already made him swallow his saliva several times.

"Second, pick the three prettiest, juicy-looking dames on your train and send them over to me and my brothers as a 'road toll' for some fun!"

"As long as you do as you're told, I guarantee you'll be able to drive into the hub safely."

Kuang Dao became more excited as he spoke, even arrogantly raising the machete in his hand.

"Otherwise!"

"The dozens of heavy cannons on the three armored trains behind me can instantly turn your piece-of-junk train into a honeycomb!"

"Do you understand?!"

Watching the scarred bald man on the screen, spitting while talking and not knowing he was courting death.

Su Chen was neither angry nor did he refute.

He just leaned back on the large leather chair, as if looking at a mentally challenged clown performing hard, and couldn't help but let out a few low, mocking chuckles.

"Hehe... Hahaha..."

Su Chen's laughter echoed in the large panoramic driver's cab, causing Chu Qingxue, Zhang Man, and the others standing behind him to have a flash of pity in their eyes, as if looking at dead men.

This group of clowns who didn't know the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth.

I'm afraid they still don't know what kind of terrifying abyss demon they have intercepted.

At this time, train no. 0099, because Su Chen had activated the [Optical Camouflage] disguise module attached to the top-tier Silver armor in advance.

To external radar and the naked eye, the [abyss roarer]'s massive double-decker dark gold body and ferocious dragon ram were disguised as an extremely ordinary single-decker heavy train.

Even the [Thunder Electromagnetic Pulse Cannon] on the roof, capable of instantly killing a Silver-tier BOSS, was perfectly hidden.

It was this disguise that gave this group of Iron Blood Alliance robbers the illusion that they had "gotten you."

"You want half of my supplies?"

Su Chen stopped laughing.

He slowly straightened up from the leather backrest, his deep and cold eyes staring fixedly through the screen at Kuang Dao opposite him.

A terrifying, tangible killing intent instantly made Kuang Dao, who had been extremely arrogant, shiver.

"And... my women?"

Su Chen's gaze moved away from the bald, scarred face on the holographic screen and slowly turned to look at the stunning beauties standing behind him.

Chu Qingxue was wearing a form-fitting white tactical base layer; her cold and ethereal pretty face was now covered with a layer of frost, and dangerous ice-blue light danced in her beautiful eyes.

Liu Ruyan was leaning lazily against the edge of the console, her plump and proud figure wrapped in a wine-red silk robe.

Upon hearing the other party's death-courting request, she not only wasn't afraid but instead covered her red lips and giggled.

"Oh my, Train Master, it seems that the sisters on our train are quite popular in this wasteland."

Liu Ruyan's soul-stirring peach blossom eyes looked at Su Chen with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"It's just that I don't know, since they want us to go and sleep with them, are you willing to let us go, Train Master?"

Even at a time like this, she didn't forget to use the charm unique to a mature woman to tease him, and Su Chen shook his head helplessly.