Chi Yan's ability to change his size was simply heaven-defying.
If Bai Cheng hadn't upgraded to a steam train, how could such a massive lion not pull a rail cart?
She refused to believe it.
And even if he was just used as a mount, he would be absolutely awe-inspiring!
"This is what a legendary employee is like—so satisfying!"
Bai Cheng watched excitedly from inside the train, feeling as if she was the one fighting outside.
But after Chi Yan annihilated all the wild beasts in the area with a single strike, he reverted to his human form.
Bai Cheng looked puzzled, but he turned and spoke first: "Young Lady, there are no more wild beasts around."
"None?" She blinked in surprise. "Do they only spawn near me?"
That was the only explanation she could think of.
"Then check if there are any treasure chests nearby and bring them back."
With a clatter, Bai Cheng opened the train door, still gripping her silver axe.
Since there was no danger outside now, leaving all this wood behind would be a waste.
It was still early, and Bai Cheng had no intention of carelessly ending the last night before reaching Station One.
"Young Lady, there are no treasure chests nearby," Chi Yan replied respectfully, his tone firm.
Now Bai Cheng was even more confused. "You can detect treasure chests?"
"Treasure chests, like you and this train, emit a unique magnetic field," Chi Yan explained before adding, "All magical beasts nearby can clearly sense this magnetic field, though treasure chests emit a much weaker signal."
Bai Cheng was stunned. She had never heard of such a thing before.
Is it because we're outsiders that the native creatures can sense us clearly?
"But you're just summoned to this world. How do you know all this?" she asked curiously.
Chi Yan neither confirmed nor denied it. "To be honest, Young Lady, my mind carries fragments of memories about Infinite Train. I'm familiar with you, the stations, and the train itself."
"I see." Bai Cheng nodded, assuming it was the system's doing, sparing her the trouble of explaining the worldview to an intelligent employee.
However, she couldn't shake the feeling that Chi Yan knew even more than she did.
But for now, she didn't know where to begin asking.
"Since there are no treasure chests," Bai Cheng said, handing him the silver axe, "then chop down all the trees nearby."
She had no reservations about ordering her employee around.
"Yes, Young Lady." Chi Yan nodded but didn't take the axe. "Young Lady, there's no need for that."
With that, he walked up to a tree, raised his clawed right hand, and struck.
Boom—!
A dull impact later, the thick trunk snapped cleanly and toppled sideways, transforming into several logs mid-air.
Bai Cheng's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can do that?!"
Even though the silver axe was efficient, it couldn't cut down a tree in one swing!
But Chi Yan had shattered a tree with what seemed like a casual strike.
Still, under the urging of the Book of Cheng, Bai Cheng had no time to rest. In the end, she and Chi Yan worked together to chop down trees around the train.
Chi Yan seemed surprised. "Young Lady, this subordinate can handle this alone. There's no need for you to—"
Bai Cheng waved him off. "In our world, there's a saying: 'A leader must lead by example'. As the train conductor, I can't just be a pretty vase and leave everything to my subordinates."
Chi Yan paused, then silently redoubled his efforts.
Soon, the forest around the train was reduced to flat ground, littered with countless logs.
Chi Yan carried them while Bai Cheng synthesized them into fine wood inside the train.
The materials needed for the train upgrade were submitted in no time, but there was still a surplus.
Originally, Bai Cheng had planned to stockpile iron ingots and coal before reaching the first station. But after upgrading the train, she added fine wood to her stockpile list.
After all, the train needed a lot of fuel, and wood could serve as a backup. Plus, iron ingots could be directly submitted as upgrade materials, saving space.
"Tonight's the last night, and with Chi Yan's help, I can gather a ton of resources. Plus, there's the furnace trades…"
Bai Cheng made up her mind—before arriving at the first station, she would submit all her existing resources!
"Oh right, the Book of Cheng also needs an upgrade. It's time to pick a new target."
But after scanning the train's interior, she realized that there was almost nothing left to upgrade.
The silver axe didn't lose durability, and the steam engine, materials, and living beings couldn't be upgraded. She frowned.
Should I upgrade the pickaxe?
But there are no minerals around…
[Dilapidated Mechanical Wristwatch: 0/1]
In the end, Bai Cheng had no choice but to upgrade the watch. Fortunately, basic upgrades weren't too demanding, just time-consuming.
After loosely strapping the watch to her wrist, she returned to managing the furnace trade.
Bai Cheng had assumed that it would be another peaceful and bountiful night.
Until Chi Yan returned with a few pieces of coal and asked, puzzled, "Young Lady, aren't we moving forward?"
Only then did Bai Cheng realize—
Right! Chi Yan controls fire. With his elite-level strength, he can clear the path ahead, so the train won't hit roadblocks!
This way, we can travel even at night!
"You're absolutely right—thanks for reminding me." Bai Cheng immediately ordered, "Chi Yan, go ahead and clear the path. Burn every black slime you see. It takes at least half an hour to burn, so you'll need to go far ahead…"
But she had clearly underestimated the power of an elite-level magical beast.
"Half an hour?" Chi Yan scratched his head, confused. "When this subordinate burns them, they just turn into coal, just like decomposed trees. They don't burn for long at all."
Hearing this, Bai Cheng was stunned.
"Huh?! So it's not a system rule?"
Then, a delighted smile curled her lips. "In that case, let's set off now!"
"Yes, Young Lady."
Bai Cheng decisively opened the firebox door, and a message popped up:
[Would you like to add fuel?]
[Boiler Fuel: 0/100]
Seeing this, Bai Cheng sighed in relief. It seems that she only needed a simple tap to add fuel.
Thank goodness this is a game world. Otherwise, I'd be stuck shoveling coal like a slave just to keep the train moving.
"That would've been exhausting," she muttered.
"But I'll need to stop along the way, so I shouldn't add too much fuel, or it'll go to waste."
She glanced at the odometer. There were 250 km left until the next station.
"Let's add ten pieces of coal first and see how far we get."
As the boiler ignited and pressure built, Bai Cheng slowly pushed the control lever.
Chooo—!
A whistle echoed through the forest.
Hiss—
Black smoke billowed from the chimney, followed by metallic clangs as the steam train roared to life like a mechanical beast awakening in the night.
The two headlamp-lit windows at the front glowed like a pair of eyes.
Finally, the train began to move.
Outside, Chi Yan transformed back into a massive lion wreathed in crimson flames.
This time, flames surged from all four paws, forming a fiery trail beneath him.
Then, he sprinted through the forest ahead, illuminating the path and clearing the way for Bai Cheng's train.
Bai Cheng leaned out the side window, the wind tousling her white hair as she grinned.
"Chi Yan, This Lady doesn't want to see a single living beast around us!"