NOVEL WEB Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Mobile City on the Wasteland
Early morning, with wind and rain lashing down.
On the boundless wasteland, a colossal behemoth the size of a hill slowly moved forward through the curtain of rain.
Upon closer inspection, it was actually a town with a distinct steampunk aesthetic.
Underneath the town were rows of wheels and giant tracks, equipped with mechanical arms, cranes, watchtowers, cannons, heavy machine guns, searchlights, and a host of other machinery.
Buildings, water towers, warehouses, small processing plants, and farmlands… the structure of the town was layered and neatly arranged from top to bottom.
At that moment, Li Ye stood atop the watchtower, clutching the freshly compiled inventory list tightly, his expression grave.
This was his first week since transmigrating.
This was a post-apocalyptic world.
Zombie Swarms, Mechanical Lifeforms, Mutant Creatures, Monstrous Civilizations… this world was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
The survivors depended on the miraculous Mobile Cities, collecting resources, recruiting talents, and hunting other Mobile Cities to gradually strengthen and develop their own to survive.
This Mobile City was called the “Mole,” a bottom-tier Level 1 Mobile City.
On the very first day he transmigrated, Li Ye had unfortunately become a slave aboard the Mole.
Endless labor, appalling living conditions, meager daily rations and freshwater, along with frequent beatings from the lord and his loyal thugs…
Li Ye silently endured all of it.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but in secret, he began making plans.
He recruited other slaves to join him, prepared weapons, covertly swayed the former lord's disgraced confidants, and formulated a rebellion plan…
Last night, Li Ye led the others in seizing the opportunity to launch an uprising.
After a night of bloody battle, Li Ye succeeded in taking control of the Mole at the cost of over half his people being wounded or killed, thoroughly eradicating the former lord and his trusted thugs.
And so, he was unanimously chosen by the people as the new lord of this Mobile City.
With the intent to start anew, Li Ye renamed the Mobile City to “Tomorrow.”
【2 Standard Cannons, 6 Standard Shells】
【4 Standard Heavy Machine Guns, Over 200 Standard Machine Gun Rounds】
【6 Pistols, Over 40 Standard Bullets, 25 Standard Blades, 2 Level 1 Weapons, 87 Crystal Coins】
【35 Units of Iron Ore, 23 Units of Wood, 115 Units of Freshwater, 15 Units of Gunpowder】
【125 Steamed Buns, 68 Potatoes, 3 Cans of Meat, Half a Bag of Flour】
【Remaining Energy in Mobile City: 15%】
Staring at the rows of numbers on the inventory list in his hand, Li Ye let out a faint sigh.
The previous lord had no concept of resource management and spent lavishly day to day, so by the time Li Ye took over, this was all that remained.
Resources were critically scarce!
This issue was now an undeniable problem right in front of Li Ye.
Whether it was food and freshwater for survival, raw materials like iron ore and petroleum for the Tomorrow's upgrades, or bullets and shells for defense—he lacked it all!
Even more troubling was that, after the recent power reshuffle, the Tomorrow had no professional personnel like Mechanics, Gunners, Lookouts, or Combat Captains—right now it could barely sustain basic operations.
Thinking of this, Li Ye couldn’t help but sigh sorrowfully.
“So hard…”
Putting away the list, he slowly walked down the gangway toward the cockpit.
Inside the cockpit, a thin seventeen-year-old boy was flipping through a dictionary-thick Driving Manual with one hand while nervously operating the controls with the other.
Seeing Li Ye approaching, a hint of joy appeared on the boy’s face.
“You’re here, Brother Li.”
Li Ye gave a slight nod.
This boy was named Tang Fang.
He had once been a fellow slave alongside Li Ye—frail and often sick, but sharp-witted.
After capturing the Tomorrow, Li Ye, holding a “why not try” attitude, appointed Tang Fang as the Tomorrow’s Helmsman.
To his surprise, Tang Fang managed to grasp the operation procedures in less than two hours and even successfully started the Tomorrow.
This boy was far more talented than Li Ye had expected—perhaps he could truly become an excellent Helmsman.
Just then, a dark-skinned middle-aged man strode in with wide, confident steps.
“Ah Li, the bodies have all been dealt with, and the supplies sorted.”
As he spoke, something seemed to come to mind, and he added,
“That confidant of the former lord who had been swayed—we handled him as you suggested.”
Li Ye kept his eyes on the screen, his expression unchanged.
“Mm.”
The middle-aged man was named Old Zhou.
He was the first person Li Ye had met after transmigrating, and also the first slave to join his rebellion.
He now served as Li Ye’s right-hand man.
After a brief exchange, the three of them simultaneously turned to look at the words glowing on the control panel screen: “Remaining Energy: 15%.”
That was all the energy left in the Tomorrow.
Even under the most energy-saving mode, it still consumed 2% daily.
Which meant that if they didn’t find an energy source soon, the Tomorrow would completely shut down in a week.
In this monster-infested wasteland, stopping was incredibly dangerous.
Li Ye was the first to snap out of it, gently patting the shoulders of the two beside him.
“Don’t worry, things will get better. For now, let’s decide where we go next…”
Just then, a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.
【Intelligence System has been activated.】
【1. Tonight, due to the monsters at Glos Mine being too heavily defended, the Level 1 Mobile City “Azure” failed its assault. Azure suffered severe damage to multiple parts including its Water Tower. Its lord is gravely injured and unconscious, and over half of its forces were lost. (Intel Value: Common)】
【2. In fifteen minutes, a medium-sized Level 1 Iron Ore Vein will appear twenty kilometers southeast. (Intel Value: Excellent)】
【3. At the edge of the Rotting Lands, a convoy is currently trapped by a Zombie Swarm. (Intel Value: Rare)】
【4. In three days, the field BOSS “Molten Broodmother” (BOSS Level: 1) will descend upon the Firefeather Forest. (Intel Value: Outstanding)】
【5. Currently refreshing… (Intel Value: Epic)】
“Intelligence System?”
After a brief moment of ecstasy, Li Ye quickly regained his composure and began carefully reading the intelligence in front of him.
First, the first piece of intel—
Li Ye had never even heard of Glos Mine or the Azure, but judging from the context, the former was likely a resource point rich in minerals, and the Azure had launched an offensive to seize its resources.
In the wild, battles over resource points were a common occurrence.
The second piece of intel, however, excited him.
In just fifteen minutes, a Level 1 Iron Ore Vein would appear twenty kilometers southeast—and it was even a medium-sized one.
A medium-sized iron ore vein could typically yield around 500 units of Level 1 iron ore.
Iron ore was a fundamental resource needed for the production and upgrading of Mobile Cities, and in the wastelands, it was practically a hard currency.
Out in the wild, countless people would fight to the death over such a vein.
Now, Li Ye had the chance to mine it with ease.
The third piece of intel was quite interesting.
At the edge of the Rotting Lands, a convoy was currently trapped in a Zombie Swarm.
“Is this convoy made up of survivors, or…” Li Ye mused, “is it a scouting convoy sent by one of the factions in the wasteland?”
After all, the wasteland was a chaotic mix of various forces, big and small.
Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Li Ye continued reading the intel.
The value of the fourth piece of intel was on another level altogether.
In three days, the Molten Broodmother would descend upon the Firefeather Forest.
The Molten Broodmother was a Level 1 field BOSS. Killing it would not only drop a large number of resources but could also yield unique weapons and items it carried.
More importantly, it was guaranteed to drop a Level 2 item.
Li Ye was currently in a region called the “Wasteland Zone,” a Level 1 area where resources produced were generally of Level 1 quality.
The chance of obtaining Level 2 items here was extremely low, practically a miracle.
Field BOSSes were among the most powerful monsters in the wastelands.
Their attack and defense capabilities were absurdly high, and they often had powerful special abilities.
Generally speaking, the combat power of a Level 1 field BOSS was on par with a fully equipped Level 1 Mobile City. In reality, the latter had less than a 30% chance of winning.
This time, Li Ye could only sigh with resignation.
His Tomorrow currently lacked the personnel—no Lookout, no Combat Captain, no Mechanic.
He was nowhere near capable of taking down a field BOSS.
“Still, I could sell this piece of intel and trade it for some resources,” he thought.
The fifth piece of intel was still refreshing.
Staring at the "Epic" level marked on the intel screen, Li Ye felt his breathing grow hot.
Even “Outstanding”-level intel was remarkable—what kind of information could an “Epic” one contain?
He couldn’t help but look forward to it.
Following Li Ye’s instructions, Tang Fang, half skeptical, turned the Tomorrow toward the southeast.
After a short while, a medium-sized iron ore vein came into view.
Tang Fang and Old Zhou were instantly thrilled, while Li Ye nodded silently to himself.
“Gather everyone at once—we’ll start mining immediately,” he said.
The Tomorrow currently had only thirteen people. Li Ye left Tang Fang in the cockpit on standby, selected a sharp-eyed companion to temporarily act as Lookout in the watchtower, and led the rest toward the iron ore vein.
What surprised them was that the vein’s appearance had a distinct game-like aesthetic.
It was shaped like a small hill, its surface densely packed with stones of various sizes.
On the way, Li Ye glanced thoughtfully at the mining pickaxe in his hand.
【Item Name: Mining Pickaxe】
【Item Level: Level 1】
【Bonus Effect: +10% Mining Efficiency】
【Crafting Requirement: 3 Units of Level 1 Iron Ore】
After the apocalypse descended, many supernatural changes had occurred in this world.
The most notable change was the emergence of "levels."
Even the lowest Level 1 items were significantly more effective than ordinary ones.
Not only that, but the monsters in the wastelands had also acquired levels. Ordinary weapons could barely harm a Level 1 monster. To deal effective damage, one needed Level 1 weapons.
Item levels ranged from 1 to 7, with each level bringing a substantial boost in functionality.
Mobile Cities also ranged from Level 1 to Level 7.
A Level 1 Mobile City could accommodate 500 to 1,000 people and was classified as a “Town-Class.”
A Level 2 Mobile City could hold 5,000 to 10,000 people and was called a “Fortress-Class.”
A Level 3 Mobile City could support 50,000 to 100,000 people and was known as an “Island-Class.”
A Level 4 Mobile City could hold 200,000 to 500,000 people and was labeled “City-Class.”
A Level 5 Mobile City could house 1 to 5 million people and was termed “Kingdom-Class.”
A Level 6 Mobile City could support 10 to 20 million people and was called “Mobile Continent-Class.”
A Level 7 Mobile City could accommodate 50 to 100 million people and was deemed “Civilization-Class.”
After several hours of labor, Li Ye and the others finally finished mining the iron ore vein.
Putting away his mining pickaxe, Li Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead with satisfaction.
This time, he had mined 514 units of Level 1 iron ore—equivalent to an entire week’s haul for a Mobile City.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The Tomorrow was severely understaffed. To mine one ore vein, they had to deploy everyone—including himself, the lord.
Lack of manpower meant the mining process took too long, significantly increasing the risk of monster attacks.
After wrapping up, Li Ye returned to the cockpit, lowered his gaze to the third piece of intel in the system panel, and fell into thought.
“Should I rescue that convoy?”
Since the intel was labeled “Rare,” it was undoubtedly valuable.
That convoy could be packed with supplies—or might even include skilled people like a Mechanic...
Li Ye was tempted. But the moment he thought of the Zombie Swarm, he quickly calmed down.
Zombies.
The most common Level 1 monsters in the Wasteland Zone.
They often appeared as swarms, leaving desolation in their wake.
Even the weakest Level 1 Zombie Swarm was extremely difficult to handle.
“If only I had Level 1 Cannons or Level 1 Heavy Machine Guns…” Li Ye sighed.
The heavy machine guns and cannons on the Tomorrow were all just standard grade—they couldn’t inflict effective damage on a Zombie Swarm.
A single misstep could bring disaster and even result in the city’s destruction.
After much deliberation, Li Ye finally made his decision.
“Tang Fang, adjust course—we’re heading to the Rotting Lands.”