Early the next morning, the train raced across the muddy swamp at 60 kilometers per hour.

Zi Yuan sat cross-legged on the roof, sword in hand, eyes closed in meditation. The fierce wind whipped her hair wildly, but she remained unmoved.

Meanwhile, Chi Yan stood before the control panel, gazing ahead. His expression was much more relaxed than it had been at night.

Although there was still a chance of encountering an Elite Rank solitary magical beast after dark, Bai Cheng hadn’t run into one.

She guessed that the timing wasn’t right yet. Perhaps they might meet one if they stayed for a few more days.

The train’s wood reserves were still full, and even Bai Cheng herself couldn’t tell exactly how many kilometers they had traveled. Rubbing her eyes drowsily, she pushed open the door and stepped inside the carriage.

A glance at the detection desk revealed:

[Distance to Next Station: 1,060 km]

Over a thousand units of wood could be converted into an equal amount of charcoal at a 1:1 ratio, but it would only last for a little over 500 kilometers. The train’s speed was still too slow, and daylight hours were short.

In reality, even if Bai Cheng didn’t stop to replenish wood along the way, the charcoal stored inside the train would be more than enough to last until nightfall.

She scratched her head irritably. "There are only about nine hours of daylight left today, and the fuel is just enough."

Bai Cheng wanted to push forward at full speed and reach the station quickly. However, the remaining distance clearly made it impossible to achieve that goal in a single day.

Besides, even without deliberately traveling at night, she was ahead of Yu Nian by more than 300 kilometers. Fortunately, after Bai Cheng’s supply assistance the previous day, Yu Nian no longer lacked any resources except fuel and could also travel at full speed.

"New species from yesterday’s kills?"

Her attention was suddenly drawn to two green employee cards placed on the driving platform.

One depicted a red-eyed humanoid monster, an ugly creature that was impossible to identify. The other was a large, slimy mass resembling a slime.

Bai Cheng skimmed their information, gaining a basic understanding of the two creatures.

"A ghoul and a slime..." She rubbed her chin. "Just from the names, they sound like undead creatures."

She realized that the swamp was mostly populated by these social undead magical beasts. Individually, their strength wasn’t much different from ordinary beasts.

They weren’t particularly strong, but they were disgusting.

"Must be a regional trait." Bai Cheng stored the two employee cards away. With five green employee cards in total, she planned to start upgrading directly from green next time.

She then checked her own and her two employees’ levels. All of them had leveled up again, but only by one.

Chi Yan and Zi Yuan had both reached Elite Rank 4, while Bai Cheng had advanced to Common Rank 5. She no longer felt like an ordinary human, and her three attributes were nearing 20 points.

[Strength: 18]

[Constitution: 17]

[Spirit: 13]

"The higher the level, the slower the progress." Bai Cheng wasn’t surprised.

But since she wouldn’t reach Station Two today, she could continue grinding levels at night.

By noon, most of the wood in the carriage had been consumed. Bai Cheng ultimately decided to stop to replenish supplies and have lunch.

The three of them sat by the train. Thanks to Chi Yan’s abilities, food was never a concern.

Bai Cheng roasted meat, while Chi Yan devoured raw flesh, his mouth smeared with blood like a wild beast.

Mhm, he’s not human either.

At this point, the smell of roasted meat made Bai Cheng nauseous. Watching Chi Yan, she couldn’t help but ask, "Does this world not have any cooking techniques? Do all magical beasts just eat raw meat?"

Chi Yan seemed puzzled by the question, as if to say, ’Isn’t that how it is?’.

Zi Yuan suddenly spoke up beside her. "Some social creatures do have a habit of processing their food."

Without hesitation, Bai Cheng shoved a piece of roasted meat into her hands. "Try it. It can’t possibly be worse than raw meat, right?"

Zi Yuan was surprised but accepted it uncertainly.

The aroma wafting under her nose caused her to hesitate. Meanwhile, Chi Yan had already taken a big bite and started chewing.

Seeing this, Zi Yuan finally took a small nibble.

Then her eyes lit up in astonishment. "Young Lady, it’s... delicious!"

Even Chi Yan reluctantly nodded in agreement. "It is indeed better. But for me, food is just about filling my stomach. Processing it is too much trouble."

Bai Cheng chuckled. "If you like it, eat more. I’ve roasted plenty."

Her own appetite was small, but Zi Yuan and Chi Yan were different. Despite her petite frame, Zi Yuan could eat even more than Chi Yan.

After sweeping away her meal, Zi Yuan stared expectantly at Chi Yan.

He immediately understood. "You want more?"

Zi Yuan didn’t speak, only nodding.

While the two employees continued to eat outside, Bai Cheng returned to the train.

She used the fine wood paneling blueprint to upgrade the carriage’s interior.

In an instant, the cheap, rough wooden walls and ceiling transformed into something refined.

The overall color shifted from a dull greenish-brown to a rich, polished brown. Exposed wiring disappeared, and the floor and walls took on a glossy sheen. New windows opened on both sides, brightening the space.

"That’s it?" Bai Cheng wasn’t particularly impressed.

Next, she took out the previously rewarded random blueprint and used it.

[Name: Cooking Pot (Blueprint)]

[Description: A simple cooking tool.]

[Evaluation: Finally, you can cook inside the train!]

[Materials Required: Iron Ingot ×2, Wood ×2, Stone ×2]

Bai Cheng’s face darkened. "Seriously? Just a pot!?"

Still, it was useful. At least she wouldn’t have to eat roasted meat all the time.

The pot consisted of a square stone base, supported by a wooden frame, with a medium-sized iron cauldron suspended on it. Bai Cheng placed it on the front side of the carriage.

Soon after, the train started moving again.

Before she knew it, evening of the second day arrived, and Bai Cheng was now only 10 km away from Station Two.

Standing at the front of the train, she peered into the distance. The faint outline of a massive triangular curtain was just barely visible on the horizon.

The train gradually slowed, not just in preparation for the arrival of Silent Night, but also to wait for Yu Nian to catch up.

"We can’t move at night, so we’ll have to wait until noon tomorrow to enter the station."

Now that the platform was within reach, Bai Cheng wasn’t in as much of a hurry.

"Might as well use this last night to try and level up again!"

But before she could give orders to her two employees, the detection desk suddenly blared an alarm.

At the same time, Chi Yan snapped his gaze toward the window, and Zi Yuan’s eyes snapped open on top of the carriage.

"This is—"