Chapter 18. Monster Train (4)
"Phew, after all that rolling around, it's time for a well-deserved break."
I sank deep into the plush cockpit sofa, stretching my arms with a big yawn. Today, I decided on milk. Even with the fridge, I felt uneasy about storing it too long. Glancing out the window, I could see the drones still buzzing furiously through the poison fog. They were hunting plant monsters with deadly venom and transporting mana stones and items.
It wasn't just about farming mana stones and items with the drones. Every time I looked outside after a hunt, I'd noticed one intriguing phenomenon.
Thud-thud-thud—crack! The combat drone's gun shredded a plant monster's stem, and the scout drone yanked it out by the roots. Each time, the thick, nauseating poison fog pressing down on the surrounding space would thin out just a little.
"If my hunch is right... those bastards are the source of this fog..."
What if my drones wiped out every plant monster in this radius? Would the poison fog clear completely?
"Alright. Let's push it all the way."
While the drones normalized the ecosystem, I planned to leisurely gather info inside the train. I pulled out my smartphone and logged into the Survivor Gallery.
Thanks to the train, I hadn't felt it, but objectively, this area's difficulty was sky-high. Were there other places like this? I attached photos of the plant monsters and poison fog captured from the drone's view and posted.
"..."
My finger paused while scrolling through the comments. Everyone seemed to be in similar straits. Survivors scattered across the country were all sensing changes in the monsters.
Solitary hunters forming packs. Even altering the environment.
"Is the difficulty really ramping up?"
If so, that was a real pain. "Higher difficulty means better mana stones and items..."
I knew from dungeon experience that tougher monsters dropped superior loot. But if monsters outpaced awakeners' growth—
Beep. A report from the drones chimed on the monitor.
Looking out the window, the suffocating poison fog nearby was vanishing like a lie. The hazy view cleared, revealing the original colors of the polluted asphalt and ruined buildings.
Around the train, the poison fog had completely lifted—the AC shut off naturally, signaling normal contamination levels.
"It's really clearing."
I set down my cola, nodding in satisfaction, when a dazzling golden system window flashed before my eyes.
Status Ailment Resistance Lv.1
"It gives rewards for this too?"
Like the first dungeon clear, I'd earned recognition for an achievement. Nodding at Status Ailment Resistance, it granted resistance to various debuffs. Level 1 meant modest effects, but better than nothing.
I was basking in the achievement glow when—
ZZZzt—! Over the blue achievement window, another message intruded. Text cascaded like a waterfall.
⸻ The Covert Schemer feels a sense of kinship toward you, who slays monsters without lifting a finger.
⸻ Guardian of the Forest expresses gratitude for purifying the ecosystem.
⸻ Observer of the Swamp marvels at your achievement.
⸻ Machine God yearns to peer inside your train.
"..."
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my spine. Not one, but four. Unknown entities fixating on me was unnerving.
"...But they can't see inside the train, right?"
It had said uninvited guests couldn't enter without permission, and it seemed to hold for them too—constellations or whatever. They couldn't break the rule.
Forcing nonchalance, I swiped the messages aside. No time to react to every one. Monsters were growing stronger, so I needed to boost my forces. For this peaceful life.
"Dungeons needed me before, but..."
If drones could solo them, upgrading them before difficulty spiked would enable efficient auto-farming.
"What they need... is firepower?"
Stroking my chin, I muttered. Their speed and judgment were dungeon-ready. They just needed a one-shot boss-killer.
"Oh yeah, hangar upgrade unlocked new drones."
I headed to car 2 without hesitation. The mana stone-fueled upgraded hangar greeted me with a majestic mechanical hum.
Operating the panel, I pulled up the new drone blueprints.
"Found it."
I tapped the sniper drone blueprint.
Required Materials: Low-grade Mana Stone x30, Metal 20kg, Plastic 10kg, Lowest-grade Monster Materials 1kg (Condition: Drone Hangar Lv.2+)
A specialized sniper drone designed for long-range single-target elimination.
The low-grade mana stones from sponsorships were perfect. Monster materials from trades were plentiful too.
"Materials check out. Let's build."
I dumped everything into the input chute.
All materials confirmed.
Sniper Drone production starting.
Time required: 30 minutes
Whirr— Robot arms whirred inside, sparks flying.
"Way different design from the others..."
I grinned at the assembling sniper drone's sleek metal surface.
Hiss—! Exactly 30 minutes later, the hangar doors slid open. Amid billowing white gas, my third drone emerged.
"...Whoa."
An involuntary gasp escaped. Its body was coated in matte black that absorbed light, with razor-sharp manta-ray wings minimizing drag. Bigger than the others, and I saw why at the underside: a ridiculously long barrel integrated into the frame like a massive sniper rifle.
Stroking my chin, I met its red main lens.
"Hover up."
Whirr! It ascended silently on cue—perfect stealth mobility.
"Hold position."
I parked it and returned to the cockpit. Time to test its firepower firsthand and compare.
"Scout drone. Find the toughest-looking monster within 500m."
The scout drone rocketed from the roof. The monitor displayed its map—crystal clear now the fog was gone.
Soon, a massive red dot blinked in one corner. Zooming in: a truck-sized wild boar rooting through building rubble. Its back and flanks were covered in grotesque, iron-plate-thick armor.
"Poison fog gone, and animal monsters show up right away..."
A precariously hanging shop sign fell on its shell from the digging—clang! It staggered slightly but shrugged it off.
Perfect tough guy. I deployed the sniper drone.
"Can you hit from here?"
Whine— It soared high, silently aiming.
I switched to its view.
"Ah... ducked behind the wall."
Only its tail peeked out now. But the drone held aim.
"...Gonna shoot?"
Boom—! No ordinary gunshot—the train's insulation couldn't fully muffle it.
And then—crack! The boar's torso exploded on-screen.
Wall be damned—the bullet punched through and obliterated it. That power could boss a dungeon.
"Good. Retrieve the mana stone."
Scout and combat drones flew off tandem; the sniper, drained from the shot, followed slowly to haul loot.