The Train continued its journey northward.
The "Nitrogen Tailjets" on both sides of the Train were fully activated, spewing blue flames, propelling the Train to even greater speeds. From a distance, the Train, adorned with dozens of pale blue flames, resembled a land-bound rocket.
Its speed was astonishing.
If other Trains lacked the "AI Automatic Target Acquisition" supermodel effect in their firepower accessories, or if the AI's computational power was insufficient, hit rates would be hard to guarantee. Of course, unless the Train maintained this speed and moved in a straight line, the AI could easily calculate the projectile's landing point.
They had set off in the late afternoon, nearing dusk.
By the time the sky had darkened, with stars, the moon, and the sun all hanging in the sky, Chen Mang could clearly see the distant mountain range. They were about half an hour away. The Shahe Plain was no smaller than the Iron Ridge Wasteland.
Along the way.
They had encountered several Level 2 Iron Ore deposits, but other Trains were already mining them, so he didn't linger.
Just then—
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang's brow furrowed, and he instinctively slowed down the Stellar Train. On the Targeting Radar screen, there had always been only red and green dots—green dots representing the Stellar Train Crew, and red dots representing other creatures.
This was the first time he had seen a yellow dot.
Soon, he saw a cloaked figure standing in the distance, waving slowly toward the Stellar Train.
Could it be a Black Market Merchant?
Chen Mang thoughtfully maneuvered the Stellar Train to a stop beside the cloaked figure, though he didn't open the carriage. At the same time, the Train's external weapons swiveled their barrels to lock onto the figure.
When a Train possesses Inheritance Value, encountering a Black Market Merchant allows the use of that value to purchase rare Accessory Blueprints, items, and more. There's also a chance to enter the End of the World Black Market, or to install certain accessories that require a specific amount of Inheritance Value.
As the Train came to a halt.
Chen Mang turned his head to look at the cloaked figure who had stopped waving, standing beside the Train. His lips twitched slightly. Although the person was cloaked and hooded, obscuring their face, he immediately recognized their identity.
It was that damn Goblin Merchant!
Even with black gloves, through the gap between the gloves and sleeves, he caught a glimpse of green skin, along with the short stature and the extremely pointed ears that the hood couldn't conceal.
If it wasn't a Goblin, what else could it be?
He had recently obtained a Special Item—a map coordinate to a "Goblin Ruins." He planned to dig up some Iron Ore to further upgrade the Train before heading there.
He hadn't expected the so-called Black Market Merchant to be a Goblin Merchant. These Goblin Merchants really had a wide range of business.
Just then—
The cloaked figure who had stopped the Stellar Train stood coldly in place and rasped, "Foolish human, congratulations on encountering the mysterious, elusive, and great Black Market Merchant. You may use your Inheritance Value to purchase any item from me."
"Here is the product list."
"Please state the item you wish to purchase."
"Remember, provide the item number. The great Black Market Merchant has no time for idle chatter."
"You have one minute to decide."
Immediately!
The Train's control panel screen quickly displayed four items, the most expensive costing 100 Inheritance Value. It seemed none of the items exceeded the Train's available Inheritance Value.
At the top of the screen was a line of crimson text:
"Fortuitous Encounter at the End of the World, the Black Market Merchant."
"Elusive and unpredictable, any Train may encounter a Black Market Merchant. However, only Trains with Inheritance Value can purchase rare and precious items from them."
"Attacking, imprisoning, or harming the Black Market Merchant is prohibited."
-
1: Special Item 'Murphy Stone,' 100 Inheritance Value.
2: Random Yellow-Grade Accessory Blueprint, 100 Inheritance Value.
3: Random White-Grade Accessory Blueprint, 10 Inheritance Value.
4: Special Item 'C-Rank Difficulty Skip Ticket,' 100 Inheritance Value.
-
"..."
Chen Mang first glanced at the four items on the control panel screen, then at the Black Market Merchant standing beside the Train. His expression turned slightly odd as he lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and made no immediate choice. Instead, he turned to Xiao Ai.
"Bring Doba out to deal with him."
Soon—
Doba, carrying a pickaxe, led a hundred Goblins as they jumped out of the rear carriage of the Train and marched toward the front.
"Foolish human, what are you—"
Before he could finish.
Doba's pickaxe flew from a distance, landing heavily in front of the Black Market Merchant, accompanied by Doba's roar: "Foolish Black Market Merchant, how dare you address the great Human Prophet in such a manner?!"
"You—"
The Black Market Merchant, clad in a black cloak, turned to Doba, frowning with a dark expression. "Foolish... foolish... Goblin?"
The Black Market Merchant suddenly froze, finally realizing.
"You're Goblins?"
By then, Doba had walked up to the Black Market Merchant and said darkly, "Address me as Doba, the Goblin King!"
"To think I'd encounter a Black Market Merchant here. Out of thousands of Goblin Merchants, only one can become a Black Market Merchant. It seems the heavens favor the Goblin race!"
"I—"
"Doba, the newly crowned Goblin King."
"Under the guidance of this great Human Prophet, Goblin civilization is slowly being restored. These behind me are my people. Will you rejoin the Goblin race, pledge your allegiance to me, and assist in the revival of our civilization?"
"I—"
The Black Market Merchant trembled, suddenly pulling off his hood and kneeling on one knee before Doba, tears streaming down his face as he shouted hoarsely, "I swear to follow in the footsteps of Doba and restore the Goblin race!"
"Good."
Doba nodded with satisfaction, stepping forward to help the Black Market Merchant to his feet. "Let the Goblin race become great once more."
"Now, follow me back to the Train."
The Black Market Merchant nodded solemnly, his eyes red as he followed Doba toward the rear carriages of the Train.
"The Goblin race... finally has a king again."
"Let the Goblin race become great once more."
"Hey, wait—"
Inside the Train, Chen Mang, still in a daze, finally snapped out of it. He quickly stuck his head out the window to look at the group of Goblins who had already reached the rear carriages. Glancing at the cigarette that had burned out in his hand, he was about to say something when the Goblins all disappeared into the carriages.
He looked back at the screen, at the line of text:
"Attacking, imprisoning, or harming the Black Market Merchant is prohibited."
Imprison? Attack?
He hadn't done anything. The Black Market Merchant had offered no resistance, simply following Doba while shouting something about making Goblins great again, and then boarding the carriage.
A few seconds later.
The line of text on the control panel screen gradually disappeared, as if nothing had happened. Only the Targeting Radar showed a yellow dot now located in Carriage 11.
"Did that just happen?"
Chen Mang sat in his chair, slightly dazed. After a while, he exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples. "Bring Doba here."
He had initially sent Doba out.
Thinking that, since they were both Goblins, maybe he could get a discount or something. He hadn't expected much, but it was worth a try. He hadn't anticipated the Black Market Merchant being so accommodating.
Doba had just flexed his authority, and the previously arrogant Black Market Merchant had immediately knelt in submission.
Are Goblins really that simple and pure?
If you say you're the king, they just believe you?
Why not claim to be the Goblin God next time?
He had been so engrossed in the spectacle that he hadn't purchased any of the four items. He wondered if he could still buy them from the Black Market Merchant now.
Soon—
Doba, carrying his pickaxe, made his way through several carriages and arrived at the Train's control room.
Chen Mang looked at the pickaxe on Doba's shoulder and frowned. "When did you develop the habit of carrying that pickaxe everywhere?"
"Great Human Prophet."
Doba raised the pickaxe solemnly. "For a race to have cohesion, it must have a symbol. The revival of Goblin civilization has been achieved through the efforts of over a hundred Goblins wielding pickaxes."
"Thus, I have designated the pickaxe as the symbol of the Goblin race. When Goblin civilization is fully restored, I will record our allegiance to the Stellar Train as part of our history, and this pickaxe will be the emblem of the Goblin race."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded expressionlessly, remaining silent for a long while before speaking. "What's the deal with that guy?"
"Great Human Prophet."
"Among the Goblin race, there exists a special type called Goblin Merchants. Their unique traits, as you've witnessed before, include exceptional carrying capacity and speed, often traveling as itinerant merchants. This is an innate ability."
"And among Goblin Merchants, there is an even more special type."
"The Black Market Merchant."
"Black Market Merchants don't possess the same carrying capacity or speed, but they can traverse space. With a mere thought, they can appear in an entirely unfamiliar location. This ability is completely uncontrollable."
"Thus, Black Market Merchants are often hard to find, as even they don't know where they'll appear next. Many Black Market Merchants, upon first using this ability, essentially become orphans, unable to return home."
"As they age, they can teleport randomly up to ten times a day."
"I've spoken with him. Unlike me, he hasn't regained full intelligence, but he's more articulate than other Goblins, capable of speech and basic reasoning. Though his mind seems to have been programmed by some unknown force to stop Trains and sell items."
"Much like how I was once compelled to head to the Mohe Hills."
"Yet, deep within his memory, he still recalls the greatness of the Goblins, the fall of our civilization, and the desire to restore it, just as I do!"
"Great Human Prophet, may he join the Train?"
"..."
Chen Mang didn't respond immediately, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temples as he processed this information. He had always felt that the Goblins seemed out of place.
He had been to the Mechanical City, to the Kunlun Mountains region.
He had seen Mechanical Trains and heard of Flesh Trains.
He had encountered shoulder-mounted rocket launcher mechs and been chased by terrifying worm monsters dozens of meters long.
Everything he had encountered could be divided into two categories:
"Mechanical" and "Monsters."
Only the Goblins... they didn't fit into either category. They weren't mechanical, nor were they monsters. It was as if they had emerged from some obscure corner, seemingly out of place in this world.
Those monsters had no intelligence, only a thirst for blood.
But these Goblins, though they had initially appeared as monsters, lacked that bloodlust. Instead, they sought to prove their greatness.
After a moment of silence, Chen Mang looked up at Doba. "Fine, but he's still a Black Market Merchant. I'm not sure if he can join—"
Well, as soon as he agreed in his heart, he noticed the yellow dot on the radar had vanished, replaced by a green dot. The Black Market Merchant had officially become a member of the Stellar Train.
Good.
He wondered how many wandering Black Market Merchants there were on this planet. The chances of others encountering one must have just decreased slightly.
"Bring him here."
"Yes."
Soon—
The Black Market Merchant, still clad in his black cloak, was summoned. He stood solemnly behind Doba.
"Hmm..."
Chen Mang paused before speaking softly. "Show me the items you have. I won't take them by force."
"I don't have any."
The Black Market Merchant shook his head decisively, then glanced at Doba before hesitantly adding, "Great Human Prophet, I carry no items. Only when you spend Inheritance Value will the corresponding items appear."
"Can you do that now?"
"Yes."
Chen Mang said nothing more, waving his hand to dismiss Doba and the others. As they left, he pondered the implications. Essentially, his Train now had a permanent Black Market Merchant.
In the future, if he wanted to spend Inheritance Value, he wouldn't have to wait for a chance encounter with a Black Market Merchant. He could simply make his purchases directly from the one on his Train.
This effect alone was worth it.
After all, one more mouth to feed wouldn't make much difference.
It was possible that many Trains had Inheritance Value but struggled to find a Black Market Merchant. He could charge a hefty referral fee.
And...
He glanced at the Train's accessory information on the control panel.
The Black Market Merchant couldn't control his teleportation points. Once he teleported away, he might never return to the Stellar Train.
But—
He had the "Train Ticket" accessory. As long as a Train member tore the ticket, they could instantly return to the Train. He had already upgraded it to Level 10, but the range was only 10,000 meters. Only members within
that range could return.
Perhaps, when upgraded to Level 100, the range would become more substantial. After all, it was a white accessory, and upgrading it wouldn't consume too many resources.
This required further consideration.
He needed to explore more potential uses. The random teleportation effect was conceptually powerful.