Brain Storage… “Buzz buzz buzz—”
His phone vibrated impatiently on the desk, the screen lighting up to show the name ‘Liu Papi, Killer for Manuscripts.’
Jiang Chen, twenty-five years old, an ordinary corporate drone at an advertising company, was currently wearing noise-canceling headphones, his fingers flying across the keyboard, trying to finish the cursed proposal before knocking off work.
He wore a simple white T-shirt and washed jeans, his hair a bit messy, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Behind the lenses, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, clearly from another all-nighter spent ‘cultivating immortality.’
In the cubicle farm, keyboard clatter rose and fell, and the air was filled with the mixed scent of instant coffee and takeout lunchboxes, occasionally punctuated by a few suppressed coughs.
Jiang Chen glanced at his phone and simply put it on silent.
“Liu Papi, just you wait! I’m quitting as soon as I submit this draft, I’m not serving you anymore!”
After a fierce mental rant, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and continued to battle the words on his PPT.
“Ugh, when will these days end?” he muttered softly, his eyes filled with confusion about the future and weariness of his current situation. If he could get something for nothing, and lie around counting money every day, how wonderful would that be?
Just then, a small commotion suddenly broke out in the office.
“Hey, hey, hey, look out the window!” a female colleague whispered, but the astonishment in her voice was unmistakable.
“What is it? What happened? Did some celebrity come to our crappy office building?” Wang Lei, the chubby guy next to her and the office’s gossip hub, craned his neck.
Jiang Chen was also drawn in, temporarily stopping his work, taking off his headphones, and turning to look out the window.
Their company was on the fifteenth floor, so the view was quite open.
At this moment, the originally clear sky was, at some unknown point, enveloped in an eerie dark red. The red was not uniform; it looked as if someone had randomly smeared a few strokes across the sky with a giant paintbrush, so thick it seemed about to drip down.
“Holy crap, why does the sky look like it’s got a hell filter on?” Wang Lei exclaimed, pulling out his phone to take a picture.
“Don’t bother, there’s no signal on my phone!” another colleague shouted anxiously. “Mine too, no signal at all, and the Wi-Fi’s out!”
The office instantly erupted into chaos.
“What’s going on? A total solar eclipse? Doesn’t look like it!”
“My phone’s dead too, can’t make calls, can’t get online!”
“It’s not the end of the world, is it? Haha, just kidding, right?”
Jiang Chen also tried his phone; sure enough, the signal bars were empty, and the familiar 5G icon in the upper right corner had disappeared.
A strange sense of unease welled up in his heart.
He stood up and walked to the window, carefully observing the scene outside.
Under the dark red sky, the distant city skyline remained, but the vehicles on the street seemed to have stopped, and pedestrians looked as if they had been paused, frozen in various strange poses.
The entire world seemed to have fallen into an eerie silence.
Only the dark red in the sky continued to spread and deepen, like a living entity.
“This… this isn’t right,” Jiang Chen murmured. He had read many web novels about apocalyptic survival, and this scene had that exact vibe.
“Everyone, don’t panic! It might be a solar flare affecting communication devices!” the department manager shouted, trying to maintain composure. “Building management should notify us soon!”
However, before he could finish speaking, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from outside the window!
The white light was so intense it instantly swallowed all color. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes, letting out gasps of surprise.
Jiang Chen only felt his vision go white, his brain feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he instantly lost consciousness… He didn’t know how much time had passed.
“Clang… clang… clang…”
Rhythmic metallic clanging sounds roused Jiang Chen from his stupor.
He suddenly opened his eyes and found himself sitting on a cold metal seat.
This was a completely unfamiliar environment.
He was in a small space, about ten square meters, with all four walls made of gray-black metal, exuding a cold chill. Above him, a dim yellow light bulb illuminated the entire space, making it feel somewhat oppressive.
Directly in front of him was a small, scratched glass window. Outside the window, a desolate, dark red land sped by, devoid of any vegetation, only jagged strange rocks and stirred-up sand.
The sky was still that unsettling dark red.
“Clang… clang…”
The seat beneath him vibrated with a regular rhythm.
“A train?” Jiang Chen realized immediately.
He suddenly stood up and looked around. This small space was like an independent train car; besides the seat he was on and the window in front, there was only a tightly shut metal door with a small observation window.
“What’s going on? Wasn’t I working overtime at the company?” Jiang Chen vigorously rubbed his temples; the hangover-like headache made him wince.
He tried to push the metal door, but it wouldn’t budge, as if it were welded shut.
“Is anyone there? Hello? Moshi moshi?” Jiang Chen knocked on the door, then leaned into the observation window to look out.
Outside was a metal corridor, also empty, with only dim yellow lights extending into the unknown distance.
“It’s over, I’m barbecued now.” Jiang Chen plopped back into his chair, feeling like his CPU was about to burn out.
Just as he was at a loss, preparing to shout for help, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“All global survivors have been deployed.”
“Welcome to the Train Survival Game.”
“Each survivor will receive an initial train car and basic survival supplies.”
“Your goal is: to survive and continuously upgrade your train.”
“The road ahead is full of unknowns and dangers, but also opportunities.”
“Newbie protection period: 72 hours. During the protection period, the train will not suffer active attacks.”
“We wish you all a pleasant journey.”
A series of messages flooded Jiang Chen’s mind, making him completely speechless.
“Train Survival Game? Global survivors? Initial train car?” Jiang Chen’s eyes widened as he processed the information. “So, the strange celestial phenomenon in the office, the communication blackout, and that white light… it was all because of this?”
It wasn’t a drill, it wasn’t team building—he had really transmigrated! And it was a mass transmigration into a damned apocalyptic survival game!
“My fervent horse!” Jiang Chen complained weakly.
One second he was tearing his hair out over a proposal, the next he was struggling to survive on an apocalyptic train? The gears of fate had turned too suddenly!
However, as an experienced gamer, Jiang Chen’s adaptability was quite strong. After the initial panic, he began to think calmly.
“System, or rather, the game interface?” He tried to think it silently.
The next second, a translucent light blue screen appeared before his eyes.
“Survivor: Jiang Chen” “Level: 1 (0/100 XP)”
“Status: Healthy” “Talent: Not Awakened”
“Train Car: Initial Car (ID K8888)”
“Status: Intact”
“Speed: 40km/h (Auto-cruising)”
“Energy: Basic Coal (95% remaining)”
“Resources: None”
“Inventory (5 slots): Newbie Gift Pack * 1”
The interface was simple and clear, full of online game style.
“Talent Not Awakened?” Jiang Chen noticed this entry. “Newbie Gift Pack?”
With a thought, he looked at the Newbie Gift Pack in his inventory.
“Newbie Gift Pack: Open to receive basic survival supplies. Do you want to open it?”
“Open!” Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate.
With a flash of light, the Newbie Gift Pack disappeared, and several items appeared in his inventory.
A 500ml bottle of mineral water.
A dark, unappetizing-looking compressed biscuit.
A rusty entrenching shovel.
And… a rolled-up parchment scroll?
Jiang Chen first picked up the bottle of mineral water.
“Name: Ordinary Mineral Water”
“Type: Consumable”
“Effect: Restores a small amount of stamina and relieves thirst after drinking.”
“Note: Pure water from an unknown brand; at least it looks drinkable.”
“Better than nothing, I guess.” Jiang Chen pouted, then picked up the compressed biscuit.
“Name: Inferior Compressed Biscuit”
“Type: Consumable”
“Effect: Restores a small amount of satiety after consumption.”
“Note: Tastes like a brick, but it’s better than starving to death.”
Jiang Chen’s face fell. These starting supplies were too meager, weren’t they? With just these few things, after the 72-hour newbie protection period, he’d probably starve to death on the train!
He sighed and then picked up the entrenching shovel.
“Name: Rusty entrenching shovel”
“Type: Tool/Weapon”
“Attack Power: 2-4”
“Function: Digging, Chopping (low efficiency)”
“Note: It might be slightly better than your fists, but only slightly.”
“…” Jiang Chen was already too tired to complain. This broken thing would be a pain to use even for digging holes; he was supposed to rely on it as a weapon? He probably wouldn’t hurt the monster, but the shovel would break first.
Finally, he looked at the parchment scroll.
“Name: Talent Awakening Scroll”
“Type: Special Item”
“Effect: Use to awaken survivor talent.”
“Note: Everyone gets one chance to awaken a talent. Whether you’re a mule or a horse, it all comes down to this one shot! Good luck, you little rascal!”
“Talent Awakening Scroll!” Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up!
This thing sounded much more high-end and impressive than all those other broken items!
In any game, talent often determined a character’s potential. A good talent was enough to give someone an immense advantage.
“I hope I get a powerful talent, otherwise this apocalyptic train will be impossible to play.” Jiang Chen took a deep breath, calming his excited heart.
He rubbed his hands together, as if performing some sacred ritual.
“God bless me, Buddha, Jesus, Mother Mary, all you gods and immortals, please show your divine presence and give me an S-rank talent! No, SSS-rank!”
Jiang Chen silently prayed in his heart, then chose to use the Talent Awakening Scroll.
The parchment scroll in his hand transformed into a brilliant golden light, instantly surging into his glabella.
A warm current spread throughout his body, as if every cell was activated, filled with an unprecedented vitality.
Immediately after, the cold mechanical voice in his mind sounded again:
“Talent awakening in progress…”
“Detecting special soul fluctuations…”
“Talent matching in progress…”
“Congratulations, survivor Jiang Chen, for successfully awakening the SSS-rank unique talent: Infinite Amplification!”
“Holy crap!” Jiang Chen suddenly sprang up from his seat, so excited he almost hit the ceiling of the train car.
SSS-rank! Unique Talent! Infinite Amplification!
Each of these words exploded in his mind like a bombshell!
The happiness came too suddenly, giving him an unreal feeling.
He pinched his thigh hard.
“Hiss—it hurts!”
It was real! Not a dream!
Was this immense fortune finally his turn?
Jiang Chen’s face flushed with excitement. He impatiently opened his attribute panel to check the talent details.
“Talent: Infinite Amplification (SSS-rank, Unique)”
“Effect 1 (Passive): Any item the host touches or possesses can undergo 10 basic amplifications and 1 special amplification per day, supported by current mental power.”
“Effect 2 (Active): The host can consume mental power to specify the amplification direction. If not specified, the optimal amplification will be performed randomly.”
“Effect 3 (Growth): As the host’s level increases and understanding of the talent deepens, the amplification effect and daily usage count will improve.”
“Note: You are the child of destiny! Please begin your performance! Friendly reminder: This talent is unique in the universe; please be cautious about exposing it.”
“Gulp.” Jiang Chen swallowed, his heart pounding.
Infinite Amplification!
A minimum of two times, with no upper limit! And he could even specify the amplification direction!
This talent was simply heaven-defying!
This was the treatment of a protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel!
Jiang Chen felt his whole body’s blood boiling. With this talent, what apocalyptic survival, what struggling to get by? Non-existent!
He could completely use this talent to comfortably enjoy this apocalyptic game.
“Calm down, calm down.” Jiang Chen forced himself to calm down.
Although the talent was powerful, it had a daily usage limit and was also linked to mental power.
“10 basic amplifications per day, or 1 special amplification…” Jiang Chen stroked his chin in thought.
Basic amplification was probably a simple, automatic amplification, while special amplification should allow for more precise control or the amplification of higher-grade items.
“Let’s test the effect first!”
Jiang Chen’s gaze fell on the bottle of ordinary mineral water in his inventory.
This was the most common item, and also the most suitable for experimentation.
He took the mineral water out of his inventory and held it in his hand. It felt cold, no different from an ordinary bottled water.
“Amplify!” Jiang Chen thought silently.
A faint, almost imperceptible golden light glowed from his palm, swiftly enveloped the entire mineral water bottle, and then instantly receded.
The entire process took less than a second.
The appearance of the mineral water bottle in his hand remained unchanged.
“That’s it?” Jiang Chen was a bit puzzled. He opened his attribute panel to check the mineral water’s information.
“Name: Energy Spring Water” “Type: Consumable”
“Effect: Moderately restores stamina and mental energy, slightly improves physical fitness, and relieves thirst and hunger after drinking.”
“Note: Spring water containing weak energy, sweet in taste, an invaluable drink. Long-term consumption is beneficial to health.”
“Holy crap! Awesome!” Jiang Chen’s eyes widened.
The original ordinary mineral water only restored a small amount of stamina and relieved thirst.
After amplification, it became Energy Spring Water!
The effect was directly upgraded by a notch! Not only could it moderately restore stamina and mental energy, but it could also slightly improve physical fitness, and even relieve hunger!
The note also changed from “at least it looks drinkable” to “an invaluable drink, long-term consumption is beneficial to health.”
This was a qualitative leap!
“Gurgle gurgle.” Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate to twist open the cap and take a big gulp.
A sweet and refreshing spring water slid down his throat, instantly dispelling the dryness in his mouth. Immediately after, a warm current rose from his lower abdomen, rapidly spreading to his limbs and bones.
The fatigue and headache he had experienced from the transmigration were significantly reduced after that one sip of water!
His spirits also lifted!
“Awesome!” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but exclaim.
The effect of this Energy Spring Water was hundreds of times stronger than any energy drink he had ever had!
Moreover, he noticed that the talent information stated the minimum amplification effect was two times.
This meant that this was just the most basic amplification effect.
If he specified the amplification direction, or when his mental power became stronger later, and the amplification multiplier was higher, wouldn’t the effect be out of this world?
Jiang Chen then looked at the dark, inferior compressed biscuit.
He picked up the biscuit and activated his talent again.
“Name: High-Energy Nutrition Bar” “Type: Consumable”
“Effect: Greatly restores satiety, moderately restores stamina, and provides necessary vitamins and trace elements after consumption.”
“Note: A nutritious food compressed with special technology, surprisingly good in taste, can keep you vital in harsh environments.”
Indeed!
The original inferior compressed biscuit, after amplification, became a High-Energy Nutrition Bar!
The effect was also greatly improved!
Jiang Chen broke off a small piece and tasted it. The brick-like texture he had expected didn’t appear; instead, it was a crispy texture with a faint hint of wheat and nuts, and the taste was actually quite good!
“Hahahahaha!” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
With this Infinite Amplification talent, would he still have to worry about food and drink?
Just find some ordinary food, amplify it, and it would turn into high-grade nutritional products.
This wasn’t apocalyptic survival; this was clearly a tailor-made vacation mode for him!
Slacking off? No, this was enjoying life!
Jiang Chen was in a great mood, and his gaze fell on the rusty entrenching shovel.
This thing could also be amplified, right?
He picked up the entrenching shovel and, with a thought,
“Amplify!”