The system screen flickered alive in front of Sunny, casting a faint blue hue across the dim cabin walls. Line after line of text scrolled rapidly before freezing into sharp clarity.
---
[System Log Update Detected…]
> Scavenger Tram – A city tram turned into a refugee carrier; powered by converted iron ore energy systems scavenged from ruined industrial cities.
Fuel Source: 2000 units of iron ore = 40 days of operational time (includes power for all interior systems).
> Blueprint Unlocked: [X92 Heavy Machine Gun]
Stronger and more durable than the standard mounted variant.
Manufacturing Cost: 1500 Iron Ore + 200 rounds per unit.
> Blueprint Unlocked: [Advanced Food Production Line]
Converts refined iron ore into consumable food portions.
Available items: Buns, Bread, and Eggrish.
Cost per Portion: 2 Iron Ore.
> Carriage Extension:
Adding a new carriage requires 250 Iron Ore.
> Train Tier Advancement:
Upgrade defense systems to the maximum for current tier to unlock next stage.
(Required ore amount hidden until partial or full upgrade attempt is initiated.)
> Blueprint Acquisition Methods:
Slay monsters, mutated zombies, or Children of the Night.
The higher the rank of your kill, the higher the chance of obtaining a rare or advanced blueprint.
> Ore Grade Hierarchy:
Tier 2 Iron Ore = 2 Tier 1 Iron Ores (and so on).
---
And then the light dimmed. Silence fell.
Sunny stared blankly at the screen for a few heartbeats, the hum of the tram's ancient generator echoing faintly behind him.
> "So... this is my path forward," he muttered, voice low. "Iron and blood."
Leaning back, he carried Lilith to a nearby chair. Her breath was soft and steady, her silver hair spilling over her shoulders. She looked peaceful — fragile even — a sharp contrast to the chaos that ruled the world outside.
Sunny returned to his own seat and stared at the sleeping angel for a while. His mind wandered through countless questions. Since the day he was brought into this world, his Summoner System had been frustratingly quiet — functioning only for scanning monsters, never once revealing his own stats or Lilith's progress.
He clenched his fists. A dormant system in a dying world… but still, it's something.
---
Hours passed. The cabin lights dimmed, replaced by the pale glow of dawn seeping through the cracked windows. The world outside was gray, suffocating, and endless.
Then —
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A sharp alarm ripped through the silence.
[Resource Detection: Tier 1 Iron Ore Vein Detected Ahead]
Sunny's eyes snapped open. He glanced at the radar screen flashing with a pulsing red dot deep inside what looked like an old mining valley.
He grinned faintly. "Looks like luck's finally on our side."
Gripping the rusted throttle, he steered the tram forward. The Scavenger Tram rumbled down the worn-out rail, its lights piercing the mist until the dark maw of a mine appeared — like the open mouth of death waiting to swallow them whole.
---
The tram screeched to a halt at the entrance. The iron gates hung twisted and half-buried in rubble.
Dracula emerged from the rear carriage, sword slung casually over his shoulder, followed by a dozen thugs armed with makeshift weapons.
Sunny hopped down beside him, scanning the terrain. After a quick survey, he confirmed the mine was rich with raw ore and no immediate danger — for now.
"Prepare everyone," he ordered.
Moments later, the train doors hissed open.
The slaves — over a thousand of them — stumbled out into the cold morning air. Their skin was pale from confinement; their clothes ragged. Chains clinked around wrists and ankles. Yet in their eyes burned a faint, desperate spark — hunger, hope, and fear all mixed together.
Each was handed a rusted pickaxe — one of the thousand the system had gifted him earlier. Dracula and his men stood guard with cold eyes, ready to enforce order.
Before they began, Sunny raised his voice. His words cut through the clatter of chains.
> "Listen up, all of you!"
"I'm Sunny — your captain, your owner, and your only chance at survival."
A chilling wind swept across the mine as all eyes turned to him.
> "Today marks your first day of labor under my command. The rules are simple."
"Whoever mines the most ore gets two hours of rest and an extra portion of food."
"Slack off…" He paused, his voice dropping lower, darker. "...and you'll be left to rot in the mine."
The words struck like thunder.
The slaves looked at one another — some trembling, others clutching their pickaxes tighter. For the first time, something flickered in their gaze — ambition, however faint.
> "Now, get to work!" Sunny barked.
---
The mine erupted with motion.
Men and women rushed in, swinging their tools at the rocky walls. Sparks flew as metal met stone, the rhythmic clang echoing like a grim symphony.
Sunny climbed atop the tram roof, watching the chaotic scene below.
He knew the math — an average adult could mine one unit of iron ore per hour. A stronger worker, or one used to labor, could manage more. But swinging a pickaxe wasn't easy. After a few dozen minutes, fatigue would creep in; arms would grow numb.
Still, under Dracula's cold stare and the thugs' ruthless oversight, none dared stop.
---
From his vantage point, Sunny rubbed at his tired eyes. He hadn't slept in days, and the weight of responsibility gnawed at him.
> "Humans are too inefficient…" he murmured. "Maybe someday, I'll find a machine that can mine better than flesh."
For now, though, this was his reality — sweat, hunger, and iron.
He gave Dracula a final nod, entrusting him with supervision, before quietly returning to the control room.
Lilith was still asleep when he entered, her chest rising and falling gently.
Sunny sank into the chair beside her, exhaustion finally catching up.
> "We'll build something better out of this ruin…" he whispered, closing his eyes.
The rumble of distant pickaxes faded into the background. The Scavenger Tram stood like a silent titan at the mouth of the mine — a beast waiting to be fed.
And as Sunny drifted off into sleep, the ore harvest of a new era had begun.