Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Having Too Many Supplies Is Also a Problem

Trading away these supplies would be a complete waste, and it would still take a considerable amount of time to trade all of them.

Rather than doing that, it was better to focus on strengthening herself.

Use what could be used, and store whatever couldn’t in chests to take away!

Fortunately, the system’s design was quite user-friendly, allowing Bai Cheng to claim specific items from the loot settlement one by one.

And since the loot settlement period lasted a full day, she had more than enough time to process everything.

"Now that I have enough Train Cores, why worry about not being able to use up all these supplies?"

The first things Bai Cheng claimed were the key materials needed for upgrading the train and its carriages.

Most of the resources required for the locomotive upgrade were already gathered. She was only missing the Train Core and fine wood.

Without hesitation, Bai Cheng submitted the materials.

The next moment, a brilliant white light flashed across the entire locomotive, and the upgrade was completed almost instantly.

Bai Cheng looked around, but found that the train appeared unchanged from before.

At least, it hadn’t widened like last time.

Puzzled, she stepped back onto the platform to observe the train from the outside. Only then did she notice that the locomotive was now reinforced with steel armor.

Even the wheels were tightly protected, and the carriages had thickened.

The entire locomotive now had a more streamlined aesthetic, with a broad front plow forming a sharp triangular shape, like a steel beast on the verge of awakening.

The body of the train also had a faint bluish tint, giving it a more polished sheen.

Just from a glance, Bai Cheng could tell that the train had become much sturdier.

At the very least, if it collided with an ordinary train, the other party would be the one getting flipped over.

Satisfied, Bai Cheng returned inside to check the train’s updated information.

[Train: Steam Locomotive]

[Level: Lv.3]

[Armor Core: None]

[Maximum Connectable Carriages: 3]

[Top Speed: 70 km/h]

[Employee #1: Chi Yan, Elite Rank 9]

[Employee #2: Zi Yuan, Elite Rank 9]

[Upgrade Requirements: 0/100 Refined Leather, 0/300 Fine Wood, 0/300 Iron Ingots, 0/400 Bronze Ingots, 0/3 Train Cores]

"As usual, speed and the maximum number of carriages improved."

Bai Cheng rested her chin on her hand, feeling that this upgrade was rather underwhelming. Moreover, the next level required even more resources.

Still, she didn’t hesitate to submit the materials she didn’t immediately need.

[Upgrade Requirements: 100/100 Refined Leather, 0/300 Fine Wood, 200/300 Iron Ingots, 4/400 Bronze Ingots, 3/3 Train Cores]

The iron and bronze ingots came from her own stockpile. She only submitted them to free up space in the train.

The loot from the survivors didn’t include any smelted ingots, which led Bai Cheng to suspect that they had already submitted the ingots to their own trains.

Since smelting took a long time, she had no choice but to store them for now.

What a pity. If only submitted resources also counts as loot.

As for fine wood, Bai Cheng still had plenty, but she wasn’t planning to submit it to the train just yet. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Since carriage upgrades also required fine wood, she decided to upgrade her two carriages first.

The materials needed for the first carriage had already been submitted earlier. Now, it only needed a Train Core.

The moment Bai Cheng gathered the materials and initiated the upgrade, the entire carriage flashed with a blinding white light.

In the blink of an eye, the upgrade was complete.

At a glance, Bai Cheng noticed that the carriage had extended by at least three meters.

Measuring with her steps, she estimated its length to be around seven meters, which was more than enough space.

Spending 100 fine wood and 1 Train Core, Bai Cheng decisively upgraded her second carriage as well.

Now, with two carriages and a locomotive, the entire train stretched nearly twenty meters long.

"Hmm... If I get the chance later, I should have my own bedroom. And I can’t forget about Zi Yuan and Chi Yan’s."

Bai Cheng quietly made plans in her mind, although the extra carriage space was still quite limited for now.

Whether it was for planting or storage, she needed a lot more room. The train wasn’t luxurious enough to build dormitories for her employees yet.

She turned her attention to the next carriage upgrade but immediately frowned.

[Name: Carriage #1]

[Level: Lv.2]

[Train Core Attribute: Wild Growth]

[Upgrade Requirements: 0/200 iron ingots, 2/2 Train Cores]

"Why does it need iron ingots now?" She raised an eyebrow.

As for Train Cores, she had more than enough. Without hesitation, Bai Cheng submitted them in advance.

Upgrading the entire train now required a whopping 700 iron ingots.

Where am I supposed to get that many resources?

"The path to upgrading is getting harder and harder."

With a sigh, Bai Cheng synthesized all her remaining wood into fine wood and submitted it to the locomotive’s upgrade materials.

The most abundant of the remaining important resources were coal and charcoal.

Combined with her existing stockpile, the total had reached a terrifying 9,000 units!

What am I supposed to do with this much coal and charcoal?

Bai Cheng had no choice but to pack them into chests and stack them inside the new carriage.

Including miscellaneous items, the carriage was already filled to the brim before she could even use it.

As for iron ore reserves, they had also reached an astonishing 1,000+ units, but since they were unsmelted, Bai Cheng couldn’t use them directly.

"Sigh... Still not enough space."

Bai Cheng had never imagined that she would one day be troubled by having too many supplies.

She summoned the Book of Cheng and picked up a few initial backpacks left behind by the survivors, planning to use them for upgrades.

At the very least, this would help alleviate some of her storage issues.

But before Bai Cheng could start upgrading, she caught a glimpse of a barefoot figure in purple walking down the corridor, sword in hand.

It was the returning Zi Yuan!

She was as calm as ever, but her entire body radiated a thick, bloody scent, the lingering killing intent still palpable.

It was clear that she had killed quite a few people.

"Young Lady, Zi Yuan has taken care of them all."

With that, she dumped all the passes Bai Cheng had previously handed out onto the table.

Then, Zi Yuan tilted her head slightly and smiled, as if waiting for praise.

Bai Cheng set down the backpack and didn’t hold back. She stepped forward and hugged the other party, gently patting her on the back.

"Good job. Our Zi Yuan is the best."

"Ehehe!"

Zi Yuan’s face flushed red, beaming like a child.

Meanwhile, Chi Yan was standing by the door, closing the train’s entrance.

"It’s time to leave the station!" Bai Cheng’s gaze immediately turned forward.

Zi Yuan went to rest, Chi Yan took his position at the control room, and Bai Cheng raised her hand with a command.

"Let’s move out!"