Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Third Legendary Employee

"The unknown often holds the greatest surprises."

Bai Cheng stared at the golden employee card in her hand, which displayed nothing but a question mark, and decisively chose to use it.

The card dissolved into scattered motes of golden light, slowly gathering and coalescing in front of her and Zi Yuan, gradually forming the outline of a human figure.

Even before the figure fully materialized, Bai Cheng could roughly discern the physique of her new employee from the faint silhouette.

Not as burly and towering as Chi Yan, nor as petite and delicate as Zi Yuan. This one stood somewhere in between, at around 175 cm tall.

As the light grew denser, a curvaceous figure gradually took shape.

"A beauty?!" By now, Bai Cheng had already determined the gender.

And as the figure fully manifested, every detail became clear.

She wore an exquisitely crafted white corseted minidress, with arm guards strapped to her wrists. Her long, fair legs were completely exposed, not even covered by shoes.

Her skin was pale, her figure tall and slender, and the slightly form-fitting dress accentuated her ample curves.

But the most striking features were the cascading golden curls that fell over her shoulders and the pair of pointed ears that extended backward. The latter was one of the most obvious differences between her and a human.

As for her face, she had a high nose bridge, delicate white complexion, and a pair of deep, mesmerizing azure eyes.

Although her beauty was undeniable, compared to Bai Cheng and Zi Yuan, this new employee’s features leaned more toward Western aesthetics.

The moment she appeared, Bai Cheng suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

She froze for a second before realizing—

This feeling... it’s like the elemental aura from Carriage 1!

"Thank you for summoning me, Honorable Train Conductor. I pledge my service to you." The woman immediately knelt on one knee, her cool voice laced with reverence.

Zi Yuan pouted and quickly corrected her, "You should call her Young Lady."

But before the other party could react, Bai Cheng spoke up. "No need for such formality. Rise."

"Yes, Honora— ...Young Lady." She stood up straight.

Despite her outwardly aloof demeanor, her hands kept nervously clutching the hem of her dress, betraying her tension.

Bai Cheng turned to check her new employee’s information first, wanting to understand her better.

[Employee: Nameless (You may name her)]

[Race: Forest Elf Royalty]

[Rank: Elite Rank 1 (0%)]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Trait 1: Children of the Forest – Can absorb the power of plants, producing life force to heal wounds.]

[Trait 2: Nature’s Darling – Innate agility, dexterity, and eagle-like vision allow for flawless archery.]

[Trait 3: Wood Spirit Bow – A longbow formed from elemental energy that requires no arrows and possesses extreme penetration.]

"Support and ranged DPS, huh." Bai Cheng wasn’t too surprised. Coincidentally, she currently lacked effective long-range combat options.

But now came the question.

How should I name this new employee?

’Sen Lin’ was definitely out of the question.

Yet, there weren’t any obvious naming cues from her appearance either...

Just then, Bai Cheng’s gaze landed on a small green flower pinned to the woman’s dress, and inspiration struck.

"From now on, your name is Lü Duo."

Although the name wasn’t particularly elegant, it was just a nickname for convenience. Bai Cheng wasn’t too hung up on it.

Lü Duo blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the naming process, but quickly bowed her head. "Thank you, Young Lady."

As for this new colleague, Zi Yuan accepted her rather quickly. She even enthusiastically held out a bowl. "Want a bite?"

But the moment Lü Duo caught a whiff of the scent, she instinctively took a step back. "Apologies, I don’t—"

"Oh, right!" Zi Yuan smacked her forehead. "Elves don’t eat meat, do they?"

With that, she happily retreated to a corner to devour her meal alone, even casting a pitying glance at Lü Duo.

Seeing how tense Lü Duo was, Bai Cheng patted her shoulder reassuringly. "I’m not that scary, am I? Relax. There’s nothing urgent right now, so feel free to do whatever you like on the train."

"N-No... Young Lady, you’re not scary at all." Lü Duo hurriedly explained.

A classic introvert. She’ll loosen up over time.

Bai Cheng didn’t press further and instead claimed the special reward issued through the channel announcement.

She didn’t have high expectations. It was most likely just another functional blueprint.

Which would be useful, but nothing groundbreaking.

"This system is always stingy." Bai Cheng scoffed.

But when she received it, what appeared wasn’t a blueprint, but an Armor Core.

But... I already have one of these!

Just as her face was about to darken, she noticed something different.

At the center of this Armor Core was a slot, seemingly meant for insertiing something.

[Name: Customizable Armor Core]

[Quality: Epic]

[Attributes: – ]

[Description: Can be fused with an Element Core to customize the Armor Core’s properties, granting the train any ability of your choice! Once fused, changes cannot be undone.]

[Fusion Hint: – (Place an Element Core to preview post-fusion attributes.)]

[Evaluation: Customization is the GOAT!]

Bai Cheng was slightly taken aback.

If Armor Cores could be customized, then she could quickly gather the exact attributes she wanted.

Although she didn’t have any particular preferences right now, it was still far better than the basic defensive barrier.

Unfamiliar with the mechanics, she took out an Ice Element Core. It was not the one gifted by Leng Ningxue, but one she had collected during her time in the snowy mountains.

As the ice-blue core slotted into the Armor Core, the information on the screen instantly updated. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

[Fusion Hint: Frost Armament – Upon activation, transforms the train into an icebound train, increasing defense while freezing everything along its path. Duration: 15 minutes.]

[Would you like to proceed with the fusion?]

"Seems the effect also depends on the Element Core’s strength." Bai Cheng rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

This Frost Armament wasn’t much stronger than the basic defensive barrier.

She removed the Element Core and set both aside for now.

Then, she turned her attention to the detection desk.

[Distance to next station: 500 km]

"The station’s location really did change. And it’s quite close."

Bai Cheng checked the time. Barring any surprises, she would reach this open station by tonight.

Right then, Chi Yan returned with some wolf meat in tow.

The moment he boarded, he spotted Lü Duo and immediately understood.

After greeting Bai Cheng, he introduced himself warmly. "Hello, I’m Chi Yan."

Lü Duo was slightly flustered. "I-I’m Lü Duo. Please take care of me!"

At the same time, Bai Cheng fully released the brake lever, and the train accelerated to full speed.

"Alright, full speed ahead—to the promotion station!"