Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Are You Using Cheats? (Bonus Chapter)

[Current Erosion Progress: 2%...4%...6%...]

[Hint: As erosion progress increases, the fuel combustion rate of the train will multiply. When erosion reaches 100%, all equipment on the train may be damaged!]

[Flames can dispel the cold. You may try using the steam engine to resist the freezing temperatures!]

Seeing the sudden notifications, Bai Cheng was momentarily stunned.

Her gaze remained fixed on the rapidly climbing erosion progress bar, visibly increasing by 2% at a time.

In the brief moment she hesitated, the progress had reached 18%.

By now, Bai Cheng noticed that the entire train’s surface was coated in frost, and the invisible resistance while moving had grown even stronger.

The cold was invading the entire train. The temperature inside the carriage had plummeted to freezing levels.

The once-calm flames in the boiler were now roaring wildly. Bai Cheng focused and realized that the fuel was depleting at an alarming rate!

[Boiler Fuel: 45/100 (Fuel Combustion Rate ×4)]

The frigid erosion of the Snowy Mountains’ night was probably similar to the obstructive dead trees of the Muddy Swamp.

Bai Cheng quickly pieced it together, because she couldn’t think of any other explanation.

More importantly, she was completely clueless about how to mitigate the cold erosion.

If she wasted any more time thinking, the train’s erosion progress would likely hit 50%.

Without hesitation, Bai Cheng yanked the brake lever.

Due to the thick snow blanketing the ground, the train’s braking distance lengthened.

As the train gradually came to a stop, Bai Cheng stared at the screen and sighed in relief, before suddenly tensing up again.

[Boiler Fuel: 43/100 (Fuel Combustion Rate ×2)]

This time, the boiler fuel didn’t stop burning when the train halted.

Not only was it still burning, it was also burning at double the rate!

Bai Cheng was dumbfounded. "What the hell is this?!"

Losing fuel while stationary is bad enough, but now it’s double the waste?!

She glanced around the carriage and noticed that the frost on the surface was slowly melting. The erosion progress was visibly decreasing.

The temperature was gradually rising, and the warning on the screen disappeared.

Clearly, cold erosion was the system’s way of hindering survivors from traveling at night.

But compared to the previous two obstacles, this one was far more annoying.

Bai Cheng frowned. "If stopping still burns fuel, how am I supposed to reach the next station?"

Her eyes fell on the detection desk.

[Current Region: Frigid Snowy Mountains (Silent Night)]

[Current Status: Cold Erosion (14%)]

[Distance to Next Station: 2,999.4 km]

"Three thousand kilometers..."

Originally, an extra thousand kilometers to the third station was manageable. But now, with this cold erosion mechanism, her fuel consumption would skyrocket.

Outside the window, a blizzard raged like a natural disaster.

The hardest part wasn’t just the increased fuel consumption, but also the scarcity of resources. Bai Cheng hadn’t seen a single tree in the Frigid Snowy Mountains.

Am I supposed to rely on trading for charcoal fuel the entire way?

But after some thought, she couldn’t come up with a better solution.

Although she herself wasn’t affected by the cold, and neither were Chi Yan and Zi Yuan, the train was still vulnerable.

The fuel was slowly depleting. Her stored charcoal would last the night, but Bai Cheng now wondered if she should buy a large amount of charcoal.

Just then, Yu Nian sent a message.

"Little Cheng, guess what I got from my random blueprint?"

Seeing her cheerful tone, as if she was completely unbothered by the cold erosion, Bai Cheng replied:

"What?"

"A heating stove! It can resist cold erosion!"

Before Bai Cheng could react in surprise, she received an attached item in the mail, the exact stove Yu Nian mentioned!

"Wait, crafted items from blueprints aren’t supposed to be tradable..." Bai Cheng was baffled, then suddenly realized—

"Nian Nian’s replicated items aren’t restricted!?"

In other words, Yu Nian could mass-produce and sell blueprint structures after obtaining the first one. Even if she was exposed as a Talent user, most people wouldn’t be able to figure out her Talent.

And yet... she chose to sell her ’used’ items instead?!

Thinking of this, Bai Cheng clenched her fists, frustrated beyond words.

"Why is she so smart one moment and so dumb the next?" She sighed. "I’ll have to teach her a lesson the next time we meet!"

Since she knew that Yu Nian still had another stove, Bai Cheng claimed the item without guilt.

But despite being called a ’heating stove’, it looked nothing like what Bai Cheng expected.

It was a small, square device with crisscrossing iron pipes on top and a fuel compartment at the bottom.

[Name: Cold-Resistant Heating Stove]

[Description: Its emitted heat can dispel cold erosion within a three-meter radius and reduce boiler load. However, accumulated cold from prolonged travel will eventually render it ineffective.]

[Evaluation: Do trains also need warmth?]

Bai Cheng skimmed the details, then immediately pulled out the Book of Cheng and set the stove as the upgrade target.

"Trying to drain my resources? Not a chance!"

[Cold-Resistant Heating Stove: 0/100%]

When she saw the upgrade condition, Bai Cheng smirked.

"Absorb cold energy?"

"I’ll let you absorb all you want!"

With that, she turned around and pushed the throttle forward, restarting the train.

The cold erosion resumed, and the boiler’s efficiency doubled again. However, the moment Bai Cheng activated the stove at the front, everything changed.

Cold air surged in from the windows, funneling straight into the stove.

Before the train even reached full speed, the stove flashed green.

Soon after, a golden light burst forth, and it had reached max level!

"Had enough?"

For Bai Cheng, this upgrade method was ridiculously easy.

[Top-Grade! Integrated Infinite Heating Stove!]

[You have gained 1 distributable attribute point!]

[Name: Integrated Infinite Heating Stove]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Description: When connected to the train’s output circuit, it radiates warmth throughout the entire vehicle. Can also be placed independently, affecting a 10-meter radius.]

[Evaluation: Now the train really won’t freeze.]

Normally, Top-Grade items wouldn’t bind automatically. Bai Cheng had confirmed this when upgrading the stove to Epic.

Without hesitation, she sent the legendary stove back to Yu Nian.

Meanwhile, since she hadn’t replied for a while, Yu Nian started complaining:

"Waaahhh... Little Cheng, you heartless woman! Do you know how much effort I wasted breaking it? And you didn’t even praise me! I’m so pitiful, Sob Sob..."

But the next second, a flood of exclamation marks arrived.

"!!!!!"

"WTF! Little Cheng, what is this?!"

"Are you using cheats?!?"