Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

August 30th, Apocalypse Day D93 — 1 day until the Great Evacuation of Xilan City.

The city howled beneath a raging blizzard. Temperatures had plummeted to minus 60 degrees. Everything was a sheet of white—icicles hung like spears from the buildings, snow flew in swirling gusts across the streets.

Near Central Avenue, the roads were jammed with convoys preparing to evacuate. Countless survivors wore heavy expressions. City-wide announcements echoed nonstop across public and convoy communication frequencies.

Two words dominated every channel.

Evacuate. Defend.

Just those two simple words brought a crushing sense of dread to the tens of thousands packed in the city—the calm that once reigned in Xilan was completely shattered by the quake and attacks before dawn.

Everyone knew one thing: Xilan City was no longer safe. What awaited them was a mountain of battles and the looming specter of death.

“Where are we evacuating to?”

“No idea. Just follow orders—asking won’t help.”

“It’s over... Will we even make it? I heard there are massive Eerie Entities in the city now. Even the Phoenix couldn’t respond in time.”

“Shut it. Don’t spread panic.”

“Keep tight with the vehicle behind you!”

“Stay away from tall buildings. Watch where you stop.”

“Pass it on—clear the snow off your vehicles every hour. Don’t slack!”

The snow-covered streets were packed bumper to bumper. Under the Phoenix’s direction, convoys were diverted into various sectors.

Inside the lines of vehicles, the extreme cold and thick snowfall all but blocked out visibility. Wipers were going full-speed, but it was useless. Frost had long caked the armored windshields, and even with heaters on max, drivers’ hands and feet were red from the cold.

“Some convoys left at dawn to evacuate early.”

“Whatever. In this weather, not sticking with the main group is a death sentence. Staying with the Phoenix gives us a better shot.”

“What if even they can’t hold?”

“What are you, a jinx? If the Phoenix falls, you think anyone else has a chance? Got a better plan?”

“Heard a whole carload froze to death at Sun Park—heater failed last night.”

“Trade for heaters and heating supplies, now!”

“Car broke down at Tongzhou Road. Detour ahead. Repair team can’t get through!”

“…”

Tension and fear crackled nonstop across all comms frequencies.

To the east, the Northwind Alliance led over a thousand vehicles toward key areas: East Park, Capital Commercial Plaza, and along the Baiyu River. They were near the 2nd Regiment of the 7th Investigation Corps. Heavy firepower and ammo poured into the eastern Demon Defense Line.

To the south, the largest convoy area couldn’t fully evacuate. Under Phoenix’s command, they spread into lower-density neighborhoods. School sports fields were converted into rally points.

To the north, dozens of apocalypse trains and the joint convoys of Qian Dele, Zhou Li, and even Monica’s Queen Mo train were stationed. Firepower was formidable. With the northern airport open for aerial operations, the area was relatively spacious.

To the west, under Fenglan Mountain, was the West Freight Rail Station, home to the Infinite Train and Longshan No. 1. This was once Xilan Mining Group’s industrial zone, mainly filled with dormitories. Terrain was open, wind and snow less intense due to the mountain’s shielding. However, it was furthest from the evacuation routes—few chose to stop here. Aside from the two trains, only a few scattered convoys camped nearby.

The beauty of train convoys? Once onboard, you’re ready to go at any time.

Inside Longshan No. 1, the crew bustled with activity. After returning, Shi Deyuan canceled all free time and ordered a full combat prep. The train’s internal atmosphere grew tense.

Due to the dropping temperature, the heating system was pushed to full capacity. Steam rose continuously from the carriage joints.

After the recent ability testing and Queen Mo’s inspection, Shi Deyuan had made significant adjustments to Longshan No. 1’s defense layout. Heavy weapons and anti-aircraft cannons had been deployed by the engineering team. Unlike the Infinite Train’s modular customization, Longshan could only install the AA guns on roof weapon stations. Ammunition feeds were manual, and firing was handled by personnel in each carriage.

On the Infinite Train, Chen Sixuan and Shasha sat at the Information Center, eyes locked on the monitors. A comm and a crimson Phoenix Token rested on the table. Key combatants like Lin Xian, KIKI, Firebro, Big Luo, and Shu Qin were finally resting after an all-nighter. Chen hadn’t expected the situation to turn tense so fast. With nightfall only hours away, Lin had ordered everyone to grab what rest they could.

In the rear carriages, Miao Lu, Lü Chang, and Xiao Yuan sorted the parts Lin Xian made last night, prepping them for use.

“Ugh, Team Leader Lin was saying we could finally relax and get some free time today,” Miao Lu sighed. “Now it’s all gone.”

“Could’ve been worse,” Lü Chang replied. “At least nothing’s happened yet. If they were up all night and got attacked again? We’d be totally f***ed.”

“C’mon, it’s daytime,” Miao Lu muttered while working.

“Yeah, for a few more hours,” Lü Chang said grimly. “Team Leader Lin’s been on edge this whole time—two nights without rest just to finish the external armor.”

“Just thinking about it makes me tired…” Miao muttered.

Xiao Yuan, quietly picking out parts, finally asked, “You think Lin Xian… might be overworking himself?”

Miao Lu pouted. “No idea. All I know is, ever since I got on this train, I’ve never seen him really take a break.”

Xiao Yuan glanced toward the front of the train, eyes flickering with silent thoughts.

All across Xilan, the wind howled with tension. And yet, more convoys kept managing to reach the city—battered survivors escaping from snow demons, saved by the city defenses.

Beep-beep. Beep-beep.

The alarm rang.

Lin Xian snapped awake and checked the time—15:00. Three hours of sleep. His head was clearer. As he activated his Mechanical Heart, he felt energy returning—and no alerts on the train. Nothing had happened while he slept.

Shaking off the grogginess, he suited up in thermal gear and power armor. He planned to finish building another Type-1130 autocannon on Carriage 5 before nightfall. With his Mechanical Crafting Level now at Level 5, he estimated two to three hours for the build—maybe enough time left to prep some rounds too.

The automatic ammo press would have to wait. Right now, priority was weapons. If they made it through the night, then he’d upgrade the railgun and power armor.

So little time.

Clunk.

As he opened his cabin door, he saw a bowl of pear soup sitting on the nearby workstation. It was cold, but he was too tired and thirsty to care—he chugged it all in big gulps. The cold shot through his body, making him shiver—but he felt much more awake.

Then he strode quickly to the rear carriage to begin fabrication.

Right as he reached it, the comms crackled.

“Lin Xian, you awake?”

“Yeah, where are you?”

“At the station. Someone just arrived—it’s Uncle Wu and the others!”

Lin Xian stopped cold, turned, and rushed to the exit.

Stepping out of the “Assembly Workshop,” he found the empty space between the Infinite Train and Longshan No. 1 now packed with over a hundred vehicles. Most were heavy-duty trucks and modified engineering vehicles. One glance, and Lin Xian recognized the gear from the Great Eagle Convoy and Far Runner Convoy. But there was also a new group—snow-crawler base vehicles he didn’t recognize.

“Captain Lin!!”

Through the snow, a young man in a thick down coat called out. Lin Xian saw it was Luo Yang of the Sun Chaser Convoy.

“Captain Lin!”

At the same time, familiar faces like Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Liang Lei, and Li Yi greeted him warmly. Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin were nearby, already speaking with them.

“When did you get here?” Lin Xian asked, surprised.

“An hour ago,” Wu Zhenhai replied, his beard coated in frost. “As soon as we entered the city, we asked around and came straight here.”

“City’s too crowded,” Liao Ming added, breath puffing. “Had to find old friends.”

“Captain Lin,” Li Yi asked, face flushed red from the cold, hands on her pregnant belly, “we heard the city’s under attack. Are we evacuating?”

Behind her, the burly Liang Lei shielded her from the wind.

Luo Yang and the other young guys looked relieved just to see Lin Xian. Clearly, they’d gone through hell to reach the city.

Seeing them, Lin Xian smiled and replied, “Probably not yet. But it’s not safe anymore—Xilan is under full alert.”

“Right, let me introduce someone,” Wu said, pointing to a stubbled man.

“This is Shen Yao, leader of the Northwind Survivor Alliance.”

“Captain Lin,” Shen greeted him with a firm handshake. “We came from Xilin. I’ve known Wu for years. If you trust him, you can trust me. I’ve got a good-sized team. We’ll follow your lead.”

“Northwind Alliance? Related to the North Pole Alliance?” Lin asked, raising a brow.

“Haha, nah—just similar names,” Shen laughed. “We’re a coalition of convoys that crossed the Great Pillar Plateau from the west.”

“They ran into a lot of trouble too,” Chen Sixuan said. “I just briefed them on the current situation. As for ability testing…”

“Still ongoing,” Lin nodded. “The Nightwalkers haven’t shut down testing yet. You’ve still got time.”

Even with attacks and lockdowns, Michelle Plaza still ran Ability Testing, along with all Phoenix support hubs. It was critical for both new arrivals and existing convoys.

Wu Zhenhai and the others lit up.

“We heard there’s supplies and even weapons. Let’s go now before it gets dark!”

Everyone agreed and quickly prepared to leave.

Lin Xian added, “Make sure anyone with good abilities—psychics or gene-evolved—gets tested. The more supplies you can claim, the better. I’ll watch your vehicles.”

“Thanks, Captain Lin!”

“Appreciate it!”

“Thanks, Lin!” Shen Yao added with sincerity. “We’ll head out now.”

“Thank you!” Luo Yang and the other young fighters joined in, excited. Most of them were psychics or gene-types—and like Lin Xian, they cared more about learning than looting.

“Go,” Lin said. “The Phoenix manuals are worth reading.”

“Heard, loud and clear—let’s move out!”

The convoy leaders quickly gathered their people. Testing could offer not just guidance, but also rare rewards. This kind of chance might not come again.

As the groups departed, Lin Xian turned to Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin.

“Let’s move too. Ms. Chen, take a break. Shu Qin, you and Big Luo come help me prep the ammo.”

“Got it,” Chen nodded.

Back on the train, everyone snapped into motion. After a brief rest, the weariness lifted, replaced by focus. Gone were yesterday’s lighthearted moments. Now, the Infinite crew worked in grim determination.

The side armor on both flanks had been fully installed. Lin had Big Luo lead a full systems check—rear engines and Weilong-class traction train included.

Thanks to the Prototype Armor Blueprint, the Infinite’s plating was worlds apart from normal steel grids. Now, it looked like a silver-and-black futuristic war machine.

On top of that, Lin installed Arc Pulse Resonators on both sides of every carriage. The power draw was immense, but he didn’t skip a single one—this was also why he’d upgraded the electrical system.

With full-train drive, heating, power, water, electric-blade armor, arc pulse resonators, and railgun systems, the Infinite’s energy demands were off the charts.

Without modifications, there’d be no way to keep it all running.

Then came the rooftop weapon stations—Carriage 12 and Carriage 5 were each fitted with an 1130 CIWS (Close-In Weapon System), while Carriage 2 had a G3 Electromagnetic Railgun installed. Additionally, five YJ-03 Anti-Air Cannons were scattered along the entire train. These anti-air guns, once their firing arcs were adjusted, could not only shoot aerial monsters but also be lowered for direct fire against ground targets.

Carriage 11 had been completely remodeled into a utility carriage. Several of the small vehicles previously stored inside had already been disassembled by Lin Xian for materials—they were useless in the freezing wilderness anyway. The carriage had now become a fully automated mechanical bay. The roof could open completely, and the 6-axis mechanical arm could deploy the Fire God Mecha from its bay within 20 seconds. During downtime, the system could also handle partial disassembly, weapon mounting, ammo loading, and recharging and maintenance tasks.

Lin Xian planned to store all future mechas here as well, turning it into a dedicated mecha deployment carriage.

As for the two PX-05 Robots, one had been permanently stationed in the rear Wei Long-class locomotive for remote control and maintenance work. The other moved between Carriages 11 and 12, occasionally heading outside for external tasks.

These engineering maintenance robots were incredibly useful to Lin Xian—not only were they equipped with Hall Thrusters for flight, but they also handled high-precision welding, repairs, and other operations, adapting easily to harsh environments. Plus, they were durable. Lin Xian realized he’d been underutilizing them—mostly just having them maintain the 1130 and refill ammo belts. He now planned to build more of them. With a few mechanical manufacturing tweaks and KIKI's modular upgrades, they could take over a much broader workload.

Heavy weapon stations and exterior tasks could be completely handed off to the robots—way safer for the passengers onboard.

Finally, there was the Infinite Train’s information system. The upgraded Sentry System now offered 360-degree monitoring across the entire train. The search radar on the roof and the active phased array radar at the front were now linked—a setup Lin Xian had designed specifically to deal with large-scale zombie tides. It allowed rapid target acquisition and battlefield awareness. The only issue was that the train’s current computing system couldn’t keep up—it lacked the AI processing power to fully automate fire-control calculations and monster suppression.

Inside the train, the crew worked busily. Shasha had just finished reloading Shali—her Fire God Mecha now sported a fierce yet strangely cute paint job. Across the chest armor it said “Shali”, the left arm read “Mass Destruction”, and the right arm said “Leave None Alive”. Hard to imagine what kind of headspace a 12-year-old girl had while painting that.

Carriage 12

Lin Xian was busy crafting ammo and distributing it to the various carriages. KIKI was nearby, swapping out control modules for the PX-05 robot. She couldn’t help but ask:

“Lin Xian, what do you think that big bug’s real goal was? Why would it suddenly attack the research building?”

“The most likely culprit is Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum,” Lin Xian said. “But even that doesn’t make sense. It’s been with us for so long on the train—why would something only start tracking it after we handed it off to the science team?”

He’d also considered whether the Eerie Cube’s cloaking effect had played a part, but that felt like a stretch. After all, when the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum was first brought out of Underground City No. 9, the Eerie Cube hadn’t even been on the train yet.

But Ding Junyi had mentioned the Rain Town impostor infiltration, and Lin Xian had a gut feeling—Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum, or maybe Blood Scourge Flora, had a very specific impact on Eerie Entities.

Still, Lin Xian felt that the recent Abyss Worm ambush on Central Avenue couldn’t possibly be just about the Blood Scourge Flora.

KIKI frowned, muttering as she worked, “Could the monsters really be afraid we’re getting close to discovering the Dark Mark? Sounds kinda…”

“Whatever the case, Director Zhao was right.”

Lin Xian continued molding and stacking fresh 7.62mm bullets into ammo boxes with rhythmic clinks.

“There’s the North Airport’s air combat fleet, the East Base of the Survey Corps, the armory, and tens of thousands of survivors on Central Avenue. Yet the worm specifically went after the lab.”

“That means—whatever’s there is even more important than the air force, the weapons, or the civilians.”

He tapped his communicator, trying to reach Ding Junyi.

Crackle—

“Lin Xian, I’m here.” Ding’s voice came through quickly, backgrounded by chatter from inside the lab.

The entire research team had relocated to the Xilan Sports Arena for safety—a move known only to Phoenix and a few select Phoenix Convoy units.

“Trial 21 starting. Swapping observation target…”

“Hold the light—detector self-checking.”

“Professor Ding, could you take a look over here…”

Lin Xian took a breath. “How’s it going?”

“No results yet from the group observation test,” Ding Junyi replied calmly. “The Blood Scourge Flora still hasn’t reacted. We’re moving to the final test. Phoenix’s Special Ops and the Nightwalkers have both sent teams—we’re prepping for a live field trial.”

Lin Xian frowned. Group test failed?

That made no sense. Previously, even the slightest appearance of a Snow Wraith would trigger a red glow in the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum—even at the weakest levels, it was detectable. He still remembered how the Dark Mark had jumped to Level 4 at Uliyasitai Mountain during the wave of Snow Wraiths. But now? Nothing?

17:40. 40 minutes to nightfall.

At the temporary camp in the Xilan Sports Arena, the Survey Corps had the area under tight lockdown. High-sensitivity seismic detectors ran full tilt. Sky radars spun like crazy. Jingtian from the Nightwalkers and Xiao He from the Survey Corps maintained a constant perimeter.

In the lab, Snow Wraiths were held in lightless rooms inside special alloy cages. The creatures hissed and screeched. Dozens of side-by-side control tests were underway. Ding Junyi’s assistant moved back and forth between labs carrying the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum for testing.

“It’s not working! Still no reaction!!!”

Wei Kexue was on the verge of snapping, slumped in exhaustion and frustration, teeth clenched.

Trying to pull himself together, he contacted Guo Sicheng, who was resting in the infirmary.

“Professor, I found that paper you sent me—yeah, the one on the CERN dark matter detection project… I get what you’re saying now, but no—please, don’t try to come here. You shouldn’t be moving around with your injuries.”

As he spoke, he uploaded a research paper titled “Axion-Mediated Cross-Dimensional Biological Perception” to Yu Yuheng’s team.

“If these are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs)… the presentation could be…”

“The issue now is all the Eerie Entities are in complete stasis, like they planned it.” Yu Yuheng, now wearing a clean parka but still dusty, stared at the data. “We’re starting to suspect it’s the result of some higher-level creature’s command.”

That aligned with previous research from the Emperor Project. The odd behavior of the Snow Wraiths made Yu Yuheng extremely uneasy.

Wei Kexue went pale. Before he could respond, Ding Junyi and a group of scientists came back from the observation lab.

“Prepare for field testing.”

“Wait!” Wei Kexue hit his comms again. “Commander He is here.”

Clang, clang, clang.

Shhhhk!

Before he finished, a wave of footsteps echoed from outside.

He Zhen entered with Xiao He, both looking grim. He locked eyes with the three scientists and said, “Professors, our air patrol just found the corpse of an Abyss Worm 34 kilometers northwest of here.”

“Huh?!”

“What do you mean?”

Everyone tensed.

He Zhen wasted no time, signaling to a subordinate to project the video from his mobile terminal onto the lab’s main screen.

The footage showed a giant black worm, mountain-sized, sprawled motionless across the snowy plains. Its body was pierced by a dozen massive holes, like it had been torn apart by giant claws.

He Zhen’s voice was serious: “It’s dead. Based on how much snow is covering it, this happened just a few hours ago. Our ground team is en route to collect samples. The air patrol will arrive soon with further intel—”

“Wait!!”

Suddenly Yu Yuheng shouted, stumbling forward, eyes locked on the screen. His mouth opened and closed, speechless for a moment, before he finally cried:

“That’s not the worm that attacked the lab today! That’s the one Unit 01 and Chen Wei killed in Trakamar Ice Canyon!”

“What?!”

He Zhen and Xiao He both frowned instantly.

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely!” Yu Yuheng pointed at a spot on the screen. “This one’s smaller. Look—this gash here came from Unit 01’s high-frequency blade chain sword. When we retreated from Trakamar, Captain Lin planted explosives on the body to draw the monsters away. Those blast marks are still there! I swear, this isn’t today’s worm!”

Wei Kexue stepped forward, glasses slipping down his nose. He pointed at the video’s edge.

“Look here—though it’s mostly buried by snow, there’s a clear trench. This thing… didn’t come from underground.”

He turned back to the group, confused. “It looks like… something dragged it here.”

Everyone’s face changed.

He Zhen stared at the video on loop, his voice low. “You’re saying something moved this massive thing all the way to Xilan’s outskirts?”

“What for?” Xiao He asked grimly. “To get our attention?”

“I need to report this to Command ASAP.”

“Sir!”

A soldier entered the room. “Commander, the air patrol’s Hawk Team has arrived.”

“Send Wu Chen in.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Xiao He.”

“Here.”

“Inform Meng Chenggang—deploy 5th Battalion to reinforce the northern defense line. If something like this showed up in the north, we can’t take any chances.”

“Yes, sir!” Xiao He snapped a salute and left.

In the lab, dozens of researchers were already deep in debate.

“Why drag that thing here? Trakamar Ice Canyon’s 700 kilometers away,” Yu Yuheng muttered.

Wei Kexue scratched his wild hair, dazed. “How many of these worms are there?!”

“Right now? Looks like two. But…”

“The north is our main evac route,” one researcher said. “Could this be related?”

“Blocking the road? No way…”

Ding Junyi stared at the video feed in silence.

“Professor.”

At that moment, a soldier in an aviation pilot uniform walked into the lab.

He Zhen immediately called out, “Wu Chen, explain the situation to the research team.”

“Yes, sir.”

Covered in snow, Wu Chen had rushed over the moment he was notified. He was just about to speak when a sudden voice interrupted him.

“Wait!” Ding Junyi spoke up.

“Hey, hey, hey!!” Wei Kexue suddenly shouted, pointing toward the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum sitting on the lab table.

“It’s reacting!”

Yu Yuheng’s jaw dropped. And it wasn’t just him—everyone in the lab turned their eyes toward the eerie, black flower. From within the pitch-black petals, a blazing crimson light had begun to glow, pulsing with an unsettling, spine-chilling energy!

Even He Zhen and the soldiers from the Investigation Corps stepped closer, drawn in.

“It’s finally lighting up.”

“Isn’t that… a bit too bright?”

“What’s going on?”

“Professor Ding, in your research notes…”

“What does this mean?”

Ding Junyi turned to Wu Chen, her expression sharpening. Her voice was grim:

“This is bad… it’s a Level-5 Mark!”

18:00

Wooo~!

Wooo~!

City East, Investigation Corps HQ.

The red alert sirens blared. Military units, ammo trucks, and mech battalions surged into action. Zhao Yu, He Zhen, Wenzhuo, and others moved briskly through the base camp, faces grim with resolve.

“Notify the entire city—prepare for full-scale engagement.”

“Get the aerospace squadrons airborne before nightfall—have them hold position above Xilan City!”

“He Zhen, the heaviest pressure will be in the north and east sectors. You and I will each hold one.”

“Got it,” He Zhen nodded. “I’ll take the north. The aerial patrol squad all have marks on them. Wu Chen’s team volunteered to land near Sishui Slope in the north—that’s the best position for fire support.”

Zhao Yu frowned. He knew that was practically a suicide mission.

“Send two additional missile response teams to the north. Tell the artillery battalion not to hold back—do everything we can to keep Wu Chen’s team alive.”

“I understand,” He Zhen said, his voice cold and firm.

“Wenzhuo, have the entire Nightwalkers Organization and the Courier Unit stand by at all city support points. If internal disasters break out after nightfall, eliminate them first.”

“Coordinate with the Phoenix Convoy. Have them handle area cleansing. We must prevent widespread panic from triggering internal mutations.”

As they walked, Zhao Yu addressed Wenzhuo seriously.

“There’s a high density of Ability Users and Evolvers in the city. If an internal outbreak happens, the damage will be catastrophic. You and the convoy reps are in charge of joint defense.”

“Understood.” With that, Wenzhuo turned and flew off into the air.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yu and He Zhen boarded two small patrol aircraft and took off toward the Anti-Eerie Frontline.

High atop the steel city walls, rows of Great Wall-50 railgun turrets stood ready. The integrated Iron Curtain Defense System—anti-air missiles, electromagnetic cannons, and CIWS turrets—had all powered up. The radar tower halfway up Phoenix Ridge was now at full combat readiness.

Vmmmm~

At the northern airport, the field blazed with signal lights. A Dreadnought-Class Aerospace Carrier, weighing tens of thousands of tons, shattered the snowfall as it lifted off with a deafening roar. Warhawk-Class Gunships, Lightning-2 Fighters, and H50 Bombers were all scrambling into formation.

Clang clang clang—

Military mechs of all models—Iron Guard-3 Assault Units, Defender-2s, Defender-3 Light Assaults, T8-Z Vulcans, and even Destroyer-Class Heavy Siege Walkers—were being transported to frontline positions. Over 12,000 soldiers from the 7th Investigation Corps were now fully deployed.

Inside the city, over a thousand convoys were already at full readiness under Phoenix’s red alert. Even the Monica Queen, previously stationed underground, had moved to the open freight tracks, all weapon systems powered up. Monica sat grim-faced in Carriage No. 1, staring at the radar display, coordinating with Qian Dele via comms.

At the North Passenger Platform, dozens of trains had already formed a defensive perimeter on the tracks. The rooftops were lined with a dense array of machine guns, AA turrets, and heavy gun towers, all locked and loaded.

Once the news of the Level-5 Mark spread, the entire teams of the Infinite Train and Dragon Mountain No. 1 tensed up.

“Twenty minutes left.”

At the freight terminal, Lin Xian disassembled and absorbed the entire maintenance bay, then opened a comms channel to the vehicles of the Big Eagle Convoy, parked between the Dragon Mountain No. 1 and the Infinite Train.

“We can’t move inside the city. We hold position. Our priority is the western sector and Phoenix Ridge. High probability of aerial monsters—focus on anti-air defenses.”

“Got it, Captain Lin!!”

The Big Eagle, Chasing Sun, Running Far, and North Wind Alliance convoys—over 150 vehicles total, most of them heavy—had formed into a rectangular train-like defense formation. The heavy vehicles were positioned around the perimeter to shield the smaller ones. With Lin Xian’s Mechanical Ability, all anti-air systems were installed and calibrated in record time.

What they didn’t expect… was that the newly-acquired weapons and ammo would see action in under an hour.

“Brother Lin… is a Level-5 Mark really that dangerous?”

Shi Diyuan’s voice came through the comms. The entire Dragon Mountain No. 1 was battle-ready.

“Probably stronger than what we faced before we entered the city,” Lin Xian replied without hesitation. “You guys came from the spaceport—you must’ve seen it.”

Shi Diyuan’s face turned dark.

“F*** me… we barely got two days of rest.”

Realizing how serious the situation was, he started cursing while ordering Ning Jing and Lu Yong to distribute food. With this black night expected to last nearly 19 hours, and with so many people on board, they had to ration supplies in advance to avoid collapsing mid-battle.

“Dongzi, Wang Zhong, Zhuang Yue—you guys guard the heating systems like your lives depend on it! If those go out, we’re all dead!”

“Yu Lianxing, Zhu Anran, Min Ming—you and Xiao Qing clear any threats on the rooftop turrets. A’Bai, you stay on the big toys. Got it?!”

Over at the allied convoys, the Chasing Sun’s high-voltage ion wall had already been activated. The Amin & Lolo Gemini Mechs were standing by. Every convoy was on full alert.

After taking down the maintenance bay, Lin Xian remained in constant communication via his Crimson Phoenix Token, linking with the major convoy leaders and receiving intel from He Zhen and Zhao Yu.

He also passed on all Level-5 Mark info to Phoenix for synchronization.

At the same time, he kept trying to reach Ding Junyi. But with the city’s various frontlines jamming the frequencies, it took a while before her voice finally came through.

“Lin Xian.”

“If there’s an attack, it won’t just target marked individuals—your labs could be hit too.” Lin Xian warned her the moment the connection stabilized.

“I know. The Investigation Corps is already helping us relocate. All labs are now inside mobile carriages.”

“Good.”

“Lin Xian, when you evacuated the Trakamar Ice Canyon, did you ever come into contact with the corpse of that black worm?”

“No, I didn’t. But KIKI did. Why?”

“Then the Dark Mark didn’t originate from the worm’s remains. Thirty minutes ago, the ground recovery team returned. We tested it with Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum—no mark detected.”

“…What do you mean?”

Ding Junyi’s voice was so calm, it was unsettling:

“I believe the Level-5 Mark likely came from…”

“The sky above.”