Chapter 573: The Newcomers at the End of the Tenth Station

["Hehe, it's not certain yet. Actually, I don't really know what's happening. It's just that Fate's whisper tells me that within that city, there are lost lambs needing us to go and save them~"]

["Speak normally."]

["I want to get back at that golden, shiny Mr. Order!"]

["Heh, not because of the Card Sequence?"]

["Of course not~"]

["You think I believe that?"]

["Hehe, well, there's also a tiny, little bit of that reason..."]

["Fate Card? Didn't you collect them all? What, haven't you retrieved the last one yet?"]

Ye Qiyan said this on purpose, idly playing with the Fate Card named [Heaven's Unequal Exchange] in his hand.

Now that this card was in his possession, there was absolutely no way this charlatan could get it back, unless one day he used it up, or, he produced a Demon Card or a fragment of a Blasphemy Card to exchange for it.

["Brother Ye... isn't that card in your hands?"]

["How could that be? If it were in my hands, I would definitely return it to you. So, which Card Sequence are you looking for?"]

This was a lie.

["It's Gina's Ritual Cards~ Sigh, look how considerate I am for everyone, toiling and suffering for your Card Sequences, enduring everyone's disdain, and even losing one of my own cards, boohoo..."]

No wonder Menrojina was starting to take action against Miranda City; it was related to the Ritual Cards.

But... was that all?

Would just a Ritual Card that would end up with Menrojina make this charlatan stir up another big commotion?

He didn't believe it.

["And what else?"]

["Hmm... there is indeed a little something related to me too. It's a state that allows for better utilization of the Fate Card's power~ Hehe, that thing is currently in someone else's hands, and I want to get it back."]

This was probably the real goal.

Although Ye Qiyan felt this charlatan definitely still had more to say, this was about enough.

However, Zhu Xingshu's words did leave Ye Qiyan somewhat puzzled.

["Why would equipment for a Fate Card end up in someone else's hands? Also... equipment?"]

["Huh? Oh right, Brother Ye has only been in this world for a few months, your Train level probably isn't too high... Well... you'll know about equipment matters later when you reach some special levels. As for why it's in someone else's hands...

Equipment exclusively belonging to a Card Sequence only reveals its true abilities in the hands of the Card Sequence collector. In someone else's hands, it's just a normal piece of equipment. Hmm... the same goes for enhancement items and such."]

Level, did that refer to special upgrade shops at levels like 10 or 20?

So, Card Sequences not only had enhancements but also exclusive equipment.

What would the exclusive equipment for a Demon Card be?

He was a bit curious.

["Aha~ Anyway, Brother Ye, thank you for being willing to help me. Hehe, don't worry, this time it absolutely, positively won't be as dangerous as that time in Suoluo City~"]

Just not as dangerous as Suoluo City didn't mean there was no danger.

And that time in Suoluo City, the End had appeared.

["Oh yes, the invitation to enter the city has been sent to you. But this time it's a bit different; you can't enter through the main gate."]

A prompt arrived in his mailbox, and a brand new email appeared within it.

[Permanent Invitation to Miranda City · Yishi Magical Potion Company Station Platform]

[Using this invitation allows entry into a special Subspace Station Platform within the Yishi Magical Potion Company]

Yishi... this name clearly showed Menrojina had come up with it.

She really had no intention of changing the name at all.

["By the way, one more thing, Brother Ye. After today, that special batch of novice Train Conductors will enter the Wasteland~ Guess how many of them are left?"]

["Not guessing, not interested."]

["It's one hundred and sixty thousand~ By the way, the vast majority of Sectors have been completely wiped out. Right now, only thirty-seven Sectors still have survivors. Ah, probably before long, they'll be merged with the previous batch of Train Conductors, hehe."]

From one million to one hundred and sixty thousand, that rate of attrition was truly astonishing.

And to think, they hadn't even experienced the tenth station yet.

How many would survive after the tenth station?

Ye Qiyan instinctively glanced at the names on his Friends List. Fengfeng's avatar was still lit up. As for Mo Shi, it was better not to look.

Wait, no. Ye Qiyan remembered another piece of information from Russell's previous report.

Someone was selling Trial Coupons that allowed entry into Novice Station Worlds.

And the one who possessed those coupons was Zhu Xingshu.

["Was that your doing?"]

["No, this time it really wasn't me. I only sold that experience coupon to you guys for use. What's being sold outside now... is something cooked up by the believers of an A-grade God called Fate."]

Zhu Xingshu's fate had changed; the God of Fate could ultimately still scavenge some scraps.

As a former Supreme, even with its Divine Kingdom shattered, it still had some trump cards up its sleeve.

However, if Zhu Xingshu completely denied that God of Fate, it wouldn't be able to do anything either. It's just that Zhu Xingshu didn't do that this time; she chose to stand by and watch.

The chat ended.

Ye Qiyan pondered for a moment. What impact would a new batch of Train Conductors entering the Wasteland have?

Hmm... it didn't seem to have much impact?

Except for... that one called Mo Shi, [Death].

"They won't merge into my Sector, will they?"

He had a strong feeling the probability of that was not small at all.

He pulled up the Public Chat Room and took a look at the current remaining population of this Sector.

[2199/10000]

The number hadn't decreased too much compared to last time. Under normal circumstances, merging would only occur after it dropped below two thousand.

But that was a matter for the Novice Station Worlds. By now, Ye Qiyan understood clearly that so-called rules were no match for the permissions the Train Conductors themselves possessed.

"Forget it, why worry so much? If I run into trouble, I can just use the Anchor to run away."

He gave up thinking, picked up [Nefeti] who was sitting hesitantly by the hot spring on Lisette's thigh, wondering whether to also get into the water, and placed it in the spring to heat it up.

————

Novice Station World – The Tenth Station.

Entering the station platform from 1 PM, one novice Train Conductor after another, in this final station of their novice period, was conducting the final conquest alone.

A strange old man riding a nag.

A tall man wearing a smiling mask.

A white-haired girl covered in technological constructs, accompanied by a monster the size of a small hill named the Disaster-Avoiding Colossus.

An elf entwined with an aura of wind.

A black-haired girl with black cross-shaped light stars shimmering in her eyes, who was smiling yet made people feel an indescribable terror.

And many more...

They were the ones who completed the conquest first, waiting only for the moment the docking time ended to leave this initial novice period and enter the real Wasteland!

"Ah~ It's really troublesome not using my original power, but, so interesting~ This is being a Train Conductor, experiencing the joy of continuous growth and progress~ Hehe."

Mo Shi lightly licked her lips, looking playfully at the Goblin General lying on the ground before her, whose neck she had twisted with her bare hands. Ignoring the fleeing Green-Skinned Monsters around her, she whispered with a light chuckle~

"Conquest complete~ Hmm~ System, could you assign me to Ye Qiyan's Sector later? Thank you~"

[Death Protocol Triggered]

[Required Count: 4/5]

[Conforms to rules, no unreasonable demands detected]

[Approved]

[During Sector assignment: A-0-0-Mo Shi, will be assigned to the previous batch's E-3 Sector]