Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

"Ugh—ah!!"

At 2 AM, on a railway track near the mountain forests of Shijiu Lake, the Infinite Train had all its blackout panels lowered.

Inside the train, figures moved back and forth, and the sound of busy activity never ceased. Outside, a large number of zombies roamed about. As the battlefire died down, the zombies gradually grew quieter, surrounding the carriages, occasionally letting out hoarse growls and clawing at the metal exterior.

In the shadows beneath the train, black centipede-like creatures slithered in and out, either lying in wait or searching for ventilation gaps to burrow their way inside.

But under the Mechanical Heart of Lin Xian, every corner of the Infinite Train was crystal clear in his tactical perception. Right now, he could clearly sense that the external threat level had dropped to its lowest.

【Beep! Conducting Reflective Scan using non-mechanical power.】

【Scan complete. No fear-related risks detected within the train. Dark forces successfully blocked.】

Every time they returned to camp, Lin Xian would always conduct a full train-wide inspection using the Eerie Cube. Once confirming there were no anomalies, he immediately assigned Shu Qin and Luo Ye to organize personnel, resupply ammunition, check weapons, and assess injuries. Huo Ge and Shasha had stood watch over the train all night, so Lin Xian let them rest first.

As for the Comprehensive Medical Pod, it hadn’t even been installed yet. Without wasting a second, he grabbed Chen Sixuan and a few others and hurried to Car No. 3 to check with Ding Junyi on the status of the Dark Mark.

"Since we don’t have a precise energy source for the mark, I’m temporarily using the brightness of the Blood Scourge Flora as an evaluation unit."

Ding Junyi’s white research coat was already splattered with bloodstains and bits of flesh, but she didn’t seem to care in the slightest. The moment she boarded the train, she immediately got to work.

She lifted a mobile terminal and pulled up a simple data chart of her previous records.

"So far, I’ve observed five levels of brightness change. The brightest was in Jiazhou City, which I’ve classified as Level 5. I believe this level occurred when we were marked by an S-Class Eerie Entity and a large number of lesser eerie entities at Yubei Spaceport—our highest recorded level."

Chen Sixuan nodded as she recalled that suffocating night when they first entered the Black Night at Yunjiang Plains, suddenly surrounded by eerie entities.

"Yeah... that night, our train was almost overturned."

"Exactly. Following that logic, our encounter at Rain Town was Level 4. When we emerged from Underground City No. 9, it was Level 3. Our escape from Hengshan Pass was Level 2. And after we cleared out the Rain Town threat, I’m classifying it as Level 1—relatively safe and risk-free."

KIKI immediately interjected, "But I feel like the monsters we fought in Rain Town were even tougher than in Jiazhou City."

"That brings me to my second point," Ding Junyi continued. **"The distribution of eerie entities within the Dark Tides is region-specific. This is evident from how that Major Eerie Entity in Rain Town displayed territorial behavior.

Think of it like this—we can treat the Dark Mark as an invisible beacon or scent tag placed on us. The stronger the mark, the wider the range of eerie entities it attracts. It’s like lighting a torch in an unknown black forest.

But the problem is, if the forest around us lacks high-level eerie entities, then we might not actually face any lethal threats."**

Lin Xian frowned slightly. "So it’s not just about the mark’s level, but also regional factors… or even luck?"

"Exactly."

Ding Junyi went on. **"Now, my third point—this is purely my personal hypothesis. I believe that in areas where large or high-level eerie entities reside, there will be fewer low-level eerie entities. This follows a predator density pattern.

That’s why when we arrived outside Jiazhou City with an S-Class mark, we attracted a massive horde of low-level eerie entities.

Although their numbers were overwhelming, none of them posed the lethal threat of an S-Class entity."**

KIKI stuck out her tongue. "Well, duh. If it really was S-Class, we’d be dead as hell by now."

Then, she asked, "So that thing we fought tonight… was it a Level 3 entity?"

Ding Junyi nodded. "More or less."

Then, she looked at KIKI. "Or maybe even Level 4. And I believe… only the two of us on this train were marked."

Chen Sixuan frowned, glancing at the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum. "But judging by the brightness, shouldn’t it be Level 3?"

"That’s likely because we killed a lot of eerie entities tonight. The mark’s level has been diluted."

Lin Xian let out a long breath. "Tonight alone, we took down at least six C-Class eerie entities. I’m not sure if there were any B-Class, but including the Human Eeries, the centipede creatures, and the drowned ghosts—we must’ve killed at least a few hundred."

Ding Junyi nodded. "Yes, logically, that makes sense. Plus, our surroundings should be clear of eerie entities now. If there were any left, they’d already be drawn to us by our current mark level."

KIKI crossed her arms. "So basically, we killed them all."

Ding Junyi’s analysis gave Lin Xian a deeper understanding of Dark Entities. The Dark Tides seemed to overlap with the real world, creating an alternate dimension.

During the day, eerie entities might be lurking all around them, invisible.

But at night, they manifested suddenly. If they were too close, they would immediately attack and devour anything marked.

Or, drawn by the Dark Mark, they would converge from the shadows to hunt their prey.

"Then, based on this logic, does that mean there’s an S-Class entity beneath the research facility?" Chen Sixuan asked, frowning.

KIKI’s eyes widened. "Chen-jie, you didn’t see it! That thing was huge! It burst straight out of the ground—a giant fish with two human-shaped lures growing from its head!"

She suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to Lin Xian. "Oh, right! That’s not all! Ding-jie and I made another big discovery."

She then recounted what they had found inside the pressure-release chamber.

Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan’s expressions shifted to shock. "Human-shaped lures?"

"Yes." Ding Junyi’s gaze darkened. **"Otherwise, there’s no explanation for why people were being sent into the deep lake and retrieved—all controlled remotely.

I believe the Foundation is fully aware of the S-Class behemoth beneath Shijiu Lake. They’re deliberately using this method to acquire Dark Marks.

And tonight, the entity that marked KIKI and me… was that monster."**

Lin Xian’s expression darkened. "That woman—Tan Meng. She was an Ability User with flight capabilities, wasn’t she?"

"Yeah, she won the game." KIKI replied.

Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed. "Then there’s one person who might know the truth."

"Who?"

"Hu Lushou. He definitely participated in the Foundation’s Death Games—and won."**

KIKI’s eyes lit up. "Oh, right! That guy might know a lot about what’s going on inside the Foundation!"

"We have the Gemini 11R Nuclear Electric Locomotive, so energy isn’t an issue. And since you're a psychic ability user, you don’t need firearms either." Ding Junyi lifted her head and gave her a calm, assessing look. "In conclusion, what I see before me is a lovestruck girl. Oh, and by the way, just to be precise—are you even of legal age?"

"I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!"

KIKI felt utterly defeated. She covered her ears and fled from Car No. 3 as if running for her life.

After taking a shower, she returned to Car No. 2 and lay down on her custom-made KIKI bed. Shasha was already fast asleep, but KIKI tossed and turned, unable to drift off.

Swoosh!

KIKI pulled back the blackout panel on the porthole beside her bed. Outside, a few grotesque zombies stood eerily in the dark. As soon as they saw the light spilling out, they let out a chorus of ghastly howls, their rotting hands scratching at the armored grilles over the window with an unsettling creaking sound.

Lying on her side, KIKI rested her head on the pillow, staring at the zombies with a mind full of thoughts. She reached out, lightly tapping a fingertip against the glass, lost in contemplation.

"That guy… wasn't he super cautious before?"

Tap tap tap.

She absentmindedly drummed her fingers against the glass, watching a particularly frenzied zombie flail about outside. She muttered softly, "Yeah, you think he's an idiot too, don’t you?"

"Urrghh!" The zombie groaned in response.

"Exactly! It’s the middle of the night, and he still has to make people worry. Maybe you should go check on him for me? Give him a little scare while you're at it so he hurries back?"

"Graahh! Urrghh! Wabba labba dub dub~" The zombie kept howling.

"Hm?" KIKI blinked her large eyes, then her expression shifted. "Never mind, you can’t go. Don’t cause him any trouble!"

With that, she brought her fingers together in a quick motion—pop! The zombie’s head instantly compressed into a ball before exploding into a gory mess.

As the first zombie collapsed, another immediately shuffled forward to take its place.

—

Vroom!

Under the cover of night, a motorcycle sped swiftly along a desolate highway.

Lin Xian carried the PX-05 robot on his back as he entered the northeast side of Clearwater Town. To avoid attracting a zombie horde, he parked his motorcycle outside the main street and then activated his power armor, dashing across the rooftops under the cover of darkness.

He had traveled several kilometers already without encountering any eerie entity attacks. This could mean either he wasn’t marked or there were no eerie entities in this area anymore. Regardless of the reason, this only further proved Ding Junyi’s theory.

Bang!

A shadow leaped down from above, landing directly on the deck of a crashed Dragon-Class Transport Ship. Lin Xian remained still, listening carefully. When he confirmed that nothing had been alerted—no zombies, no unknown creatures—he proceeded quietly inside.

Once inside the cargo hold, Lin Xian immediately flicked on his flashlight. One advantage of this transport ship was that regular zombies couldn't get in. However, he wasn't sure if anything else might be lurking in here at night, so he remained extremely cautious.

The stench of decay wafted through the passageways, growing more pungent in the enclosed space. Lin Xian was long accustomed to such smells and didn't even flinch.

"Well, would you look at that? Seems like all the trouble really has been lured away."

"Good thing too, considering how much ammo we burned through last night…"

Letting out a breath of relief, Lin Xian quickly made his way through the deck towards the rear energy compartment, where the nuclear turbine processor was located.

"There you are."

He took out the PX-05 robot and activated a patrol program KIKI had set up in advance.

Buzz!

The little robot’s propulsion engine hummed as it lifted off the ground and began executing its patrol routine. Lin Xian set a limited patrol zone—just the rear chamber and corridor.

"Alright, you’re my only company tonight."

He patted the small robot, which wobbled slightly in the air before scanning the surroundings with a 3D mapping function and plotting its patrol route.

Lin Xian ignored it and walked toward the energy compartment, preparing to devour.

"First time devouring nuclear energy… let's hope it's worth it."

With a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself, then climbed atop the nuclear turbine processor and activated his ability.

【Devouring Progress: 1%】

Since he had scanned the area beforehand, he could immediately feel the absorption process taking effect. Suddenly, an immense pressure surged through him. His face darkened as he cursed internally:

"Sh*t… I underestimated this."

He had initially estimated it would take four to six hours, but now he realized that was far too optimistic. Not only would it take longer, but the energy draw on his psyche was overwhelming—like a flood surging through his mind.

Barely a minute in, sweat was already dripping down his forehead as his Mechanical Heart roared into overdrive.

Lin Xian clenched his teeth. "This is a rare opportunity. No matter what, I will see this through!"

From this moment on, every minute of devouring felt like torture. He had to endure for hours.

Time dragged on. His clothes became completely soaked, and even the life-support system in his power armor detected abnormalities, issuing urgent warnings:

【Heart rate irregularity detected.】

【Electrolyte depletion rate abnormal.】

【Warning: Intense neural activity detected.】

One hour, two hours…

Five hours, seven hours…

As the Abyss drew nearer, sunrise at Hengshan Pass had been delayed to 11 AM.

Meanwhile, aboard the Infinite Train, the crew had fully recovered after a night of preparation.

KIKI had no idea how long she had been tossing and turning before finally dozing off. But when dawn arrived and Lin Xian was still nowhere to be seen, she hurried to find Chen Sixuan.

"Chen-jie, it’s morning now. I’m going to Clearwater Town to find him."

Chen Sixuan, who hadn't slept all night, nodded. "Alright. Stay safe. It’s not far, and if you manage to contact Lin Xian on the way, send me an update."

"Got it." KIKI nodded firmly, then stepped out, crushed a group of zombies with a casual flick of her fingers, and took off into the sky.

—

"Zzz… Zzz…"

"Federation… Phoenix Radio global broadcast: The Dark Tides of Abyss Zone No. 3 will converge with Abyss Zone No. 5 in 35 days over Quancheng and the Takan Desert. Survivors evacuating northeast should leave immediately. Phoenix stations at Xilan and Quancheng are offering assistance…"

"Zzz… The Dark Tides of Abyss Zone No. 7 will merge with Abyss Zone No. 5 in 28 days over the Wei River, Longjiang, and Jinhai regions. Survivors heading east towards Xingcheng, Kangcheng, and Yongcheng Port should evacuate at once. Phoenix has set up aid stations at Jinhai and Yongcheng Port…"

"Zzz… Xilan station reports: An S-Class eerie entity was detected in the depths of Parma Grasslands yesterday but has since disappeared near the southern Bai Lu Marshlands…"

Inside Car No. 2, Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin listened closely to the latest Apocalypse Radio reports while keeping an eye on the situation.

"KIKI went to find Lin Xian. We should get news soon."

The crew had grown increasingly anxious without their core leader. Instinctively, all eyes turned to Chen Sixuan.

Suppressing her unease, Chen Sixuan steadied herself. "These updates will heavily influence our next moves."

Checking the map, she added, "Bai Lu Marshlands… that’s near the Wei River. We might have to reroute."

Shu Qin nodded. "Unless we rush through that stretch today while we still have daylight."

"We’ll wait for Lin Xian’s return," Chen Sixuan decided. "He may have other plans."

Just then, KIKI’s voice crackled over the radio.

"Chen-jie, I found him. He’s okay."

A visible wave of relief washed over the group.

Chen Sixuan, exhausted but reassured, exhaled deeply. "Alright, let’s eat. Once Lin Xian gets back, we’ll set out."

—

Meanwhile, KIKI flew towards Clearwater Town at full speed, muttering irritably, "What the hell took him so long? Does he plan on devouring the entire transport ship?"

Despite her grumbling, she instinctively picked up the pace.

Soon, she reached the transport ship, scouted the area, and pressed her communicator.

"Lin Xian, are you in there?"

"Yeah…" His voice sounded utterly drained.

KIKI’s expression tensed. She flew inside, following the corridors to the lower energy chamber—only to find Lin Xian slumped in a corner, drenched in sweat, pale, and gasping for breath. The PX-05 robot hovered beside him, silently standing guard.

"Hey, you…"

KIKI’s face darkened as she rushed over, stunned. "What the hell happened to you?"

Lin Xian took a slow, deep breath, exhaustion evident but with a small, satisfied smile. "Took down a big one… just cost me some effort."

"You look like a vampire sucked you dry!" KIKI frowned, placing a hand on his forehead, then comparing it to her own. "Are you sure you’re okay?"

"I’m fine."

Lin Xian pushed himself upright, his HUD flickering with golden text.

【Devouring Complete. +1000 Mechanical Source Points, +400 Mechanical Devouring Proficiency. Bonus: +20 Strength, +20 Agility, +20 Defense!】

【Congratulations! Mechanical Devour has evolved to LV.4!】

【Congratulations! Your Strength Level has increased to LV.4 (Extra Stamina Boost Acquired)】

【Congratulations! Your Agility Level has increased to LV.3 (Reaction Speed Boost Acquired)】

【Mechanical Devour: 4 (241/2000)】

【Congratulations! You have acquired an additional special trait skill from this devour: Gravitational Lens!】

【Gravitational Lens: Creates a large-scale gravitational source, bending and enhancing light that passes nearby!】

"Gravitational Lens..." Lin Xian stared at the name, momentarily dumbfounded. His previous skills were just Wind Cannon, Ice Wall, and Electric Surge—how did he suddenly leap to manipulating gravitational fields of entire star clusters?

Nuclear-powered turbine engine... This technology has already reached this level?

His heart pounded wildly, and his blood pressure skyrocketed. 1,000 Source Points—this was an absolute jackpot! He hadn’t expected to gain a new skill, and one that sounded so ridiculously overpowered at that.

"Hey... hey!"

A sharp voice snapped Lin Xian back to reality. His gaze slowly refocused, and the voice became clearer. Right in front of him, KIKI was staring at him with her wide, Casillan-esque eyes, waving her hand in front of his face with an odd expression.

"Hey! What are you spacing out for? What's going on with you?" she asked, her tone filled with urgency.

Since she was leaning in so close, Lin Xian could even feel her breath brushing against his face. Looking at KIKI, he was so overwhelmed with excitement that his brain short-circuited—before he knew it, he had stretched his neck out, tilted his chin up, and planted a quick kiss on her chattering little mouth.

Smack!

The sound was crisp and clear.

For a moment, the entire scene froze.

KIKI went completely blank, her eyes widening in slow motion. She absentmindedly touched her lips, then turned to Lin Xian, her expression shifting rapidly from confusion to shock... then to pure rage.

Realizing what he'd just done, Lin Xian's mind raced, and he blurted out, "Misunderstanding! Total misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding?"

KIKI’s face flushed red and white in rapid succession. This guy had just ambushed her right in the face, and he had the audacity to call it a misunderstanding?

Her anger flared up instantly. She gritted her teeth and glared at Lin Xian, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. Then she took a deep breath and bellowed, "GO. TO. HELL!"

BOOM!

The Dragon-Class Transport Ship, which had crash-landed in the streets of Clearwater Town, trembled violently as a massive cloud of dust erupted into the air.

In the dark alleys and abandoned streets, every zombie within earshot turned in unison, all eyes locking onto the direction of the explosion…

High Above the Ground

Exhausted and weakened, Lin Xian was now being carried through the air by KIKI’s ability, heading toward the Infinite Train. She hadn’t even bothered to grab his motorcycle.

As he gazed at the blue sky and white clouds above Shijiu Lake, Lin Xian felt a rare sense of peace. This latest devour had been an incredible haul—after nearly eight or nine hours of effort, his Mechanical Ability had made a massive leap forward. He was now only a few hundred points away from hitting Level 4 Mechanical Heart. At this rate, he figured he just needed to break down two or three locomotive engines, and he’d reach the next milestone.

"So, this is what flying feels like… damn, it’s nice," he murmured contentedly as the wind brushed against his cheeks.

Flying in front of him, KIKI crossed her arms and shot him a side-eye glare. "If it weren’t for your pathetic state right now, I’d have made you run the whole way."

Lin Xian let out a small sigh. Seeing KIKI sulking like that, he felt a bit of a headache coming on.

Why do I keep kissing this girl? he wondered. Last time, I snuck a kiss and got away with it. This time, I totally brain-lagged and just went for it head-on. Now things are awkward... Did I really have to do that?

Meanwhile, KIKI sneakily peeked at Lin Xian from the corner of her eye. When she saw him looking her way, she immediately turned her head back, exhaling quietly.

She pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was still pounding wildly.

"Again... He kissed me again..."

Her eyes darkened with resentment, and she muttered under her breath, "Bastard… next time, I’ll bite your damn lips off and see if you dare try it again. Hmph!"

Inside the Infinite Train

Shhhk! The doors of the Infinite Train hissed open, and KIKI and Lin Xian stepped inside.

The moment Lin Xian entered, a notification screen from Mechanical Heart suddenly popped up in front of him.

【Non-mechanical energy converted—1,000 Mechanical Source Points acquired.】

Whoosh!

A surge of powerful, warm energy flooded through Lin Xian’s body. Instantly, he felt his drained mental energy rapidly recovering.

"The Eerie Cube?!"

Realizing what had just happened, Lin Xian bolted toward Carriage No. 1.

"Hey! Weren’t you just acting all exhausted?!"

KIKI, who had just walked in, watched in disbelief as Lin Xian—who had seemed weak and drained just moments ago—suddenly became full of life, practically radiating energy. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Was he faking it the whole time?!"

Oblivious to KIKI’s suspicions, Lin Xian quickly reached Carriage No. 1 and activated the Eerie Cube.

【Beep! Reflective scan using non-mechanical energy initiated.】

【Scan complete—no detected fear-based threats inside the train. Dark energy incursion blocked.】

【Non-mechanical energy converted—1,000 Mechanical Source Points acquired.】

"I knew it!"

It seemed that last night’s all-out battle had yielded more than he initially thought. With so many Eerie Entities and Human Eeries slain—especially that massive Black Centipede at Hengshan Pass—the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum had absorbed and converted a tremendous amount of energy.

Team Discussion

"Lin Xian!"

Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin arrived, looking much more refreshed than he expected.

Lin Xian glanced at them in surprise. "How’s everyone feeling?"

Chen Sixuan blinked, confused. "Uh… good? Why?"

Shasha, standing to the side, suddenly caught on. "Chen-jiejie, weren’t you up all night?"

The entire group turned toward her. Chen Sixuan hesitated, then shook her head. "Weirdly enough, I don’t feel tired at all."

"Now that you mention it, I feel the same," Shu Qin added. "I didn’t rest much, but I’m feeling totally energized. Could it be… did we evolve from killing the Eerie Entities?"

"Naturally," Lu Xingchen declared smugly. "Purging the evils of the Dark Night is bound to enhance our cultivation."

"Not entirely," Lin Xian interjected. Seeing how energized everyone was, he knew the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum had benefited the entire team. However, he decided against explaining the details—partly because it was complicated, and partly because even he didn’t fully understand it yet.

New Skill Acquired

【Congratulations! Mechanical Heart has reached LV.4! You have acquired the passive skill: Mechanical Amplification!】

【Mechanical Amplification (Passive)】: Converts max-level special skills into mechanized exclusive skills. Requires mechanical materials for enhancement. (Note: Amplified skills will no longer have a proficiency level and will instead contribute to Mechanical Manufacturing proficiency.)

【Available Skills for Amplification】

• Wind Cannon (LV.3, Max) → Upgrade to 【Mecha Cannon】
• Materials: Titanium Alloy ×100, Hot-Rolled Forged Steel ×100
• Time: 20 hours
• Ice Wall (LV.3, Max) → Upgrade to 【AT-Field Shield】
• Materials: Ultra-Carbon Carbide Alloy ×10, Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Type I ×50
• Time: 30 hours

"Holy sht."*

Lin Xian was completely stunned.

This was exactly what he needed.

Luo Ye, Shasha, and Chen Sixuan all turned their gazes toward Lin Xian.

Lin Xian glanced at the map and said directly, "I already have a plan. But before we head out, we need to go back to Hengshan Pass—there’s someone we need to find."

Woo~

At that moment, the Mechanical Heart roared to life. The Whale 03E Heavy Gas Turbine Locomotive of the Infinite Train let out a deep rumble, its iron wheels trembling as they rotated along the rails, pushing the train in the opposite direction, heading back toward Hengshan Pass City.

The zombies that had been wandering around all night noticed the steel fortress moving and immediately let out guttural growls, staggering after the train in pursuit.

"Back to Hengshan Pass? That train station might already be destroyed." Chen Sixuan said to Lin Xian. "We may need to slow down and watch the road conditions carefully."

Lin Xian nodded. "Yeah, also—you and Shu Qin should check our inventory of cold-weather supplies in the living area. We might need to trade for more."

"Got it." Chen Sixuan nodded. "I’ll handle it right away."

"Hey, brat." Lin Xian called out to KIKI.

"What?" KIKI didn't even look up, lazily sucking on a lollipop, clearly not in the mood to talk to him.

"Come help me install the Comprehensive Medical Pod."

"Oh~"

Lin Xian glanced at her, then added, "Since I didn’t let you pilot the Fire God Mecha yesterday, I’m planning to have a few people test it later. We need to check its Unified Control Coefficient. Want to go first?"

KIKI’s eyes immediately lit up, her head tilting slightly.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Shasha, watching from the side, looked puzzled. "Brother Lin, what’s a Unified Control Coefficient?"

Lin Xian explained, **"It refers to the neural synchronization signal between the pilot and the mecha’s operating system. The higher the coefficient, the greater the control ability. This is largely determined by natural talent. People with high sensory perception, strong motor skills, and stable mental states are generally more suited to piloting mechas.

There are five levels—anyone reaching Level 1 is considered a qualified mecha pilot. But to control military-grade combat mechas, especially battle-class mechas, you need at least Level 3 or above."**

Shasha’s eyes widened. "Then what about Level 4 and 5?"

KIKI snapped her fingers. "Level 4 means you’re already a genius pilot. Level 5? Those are insanely rare."

Lin Xian nodded. "You can try it too, Shasha. I heard that younger pilots tend to adapt better—they react faster and have fewer mental interferences. You might be a natural fit."

"Really?!" Shasha instantly perked up. "Wow, piloting a mecha? That sounds awesome!"

"Don’t get too excited just yet~"

KIKI stood up and pinched Shasha’s cheek. "Your big sis KIKI hasn’t even piloted one yet. You think you’ll get a turn before me?"

Shasha quickly protested, "But KIKI-jie, you can already fly! You don’t even need a mecha!"

"Why can't I fly and pilot a mecha? It’d be so cool!"

"Enough messing around. Let’s get to work." Lin Xian interrupted, looking at KIKI.

The Comprehensive Life-Support Surgical Pod that KIKI and Luo Ye brought back was set up in Ding Junyi’s Car No. 3 Research Lab. This carriage had ample space, but more importantly, it was well-fortified, with no windows and an airtight air circulation system.

Placing the Medical Pod here made perfect sense to Lin Xian.

Since it was a fully functional device, Lin Xian only needed to manufacture a compatible base, hook up the wiring, and let Ding Junyi and KIKI configure the system. After that, it would be ready for use.

Once the setup was complete, Lin Xian immediately called over Lü Chang, one of the injured crew members.

The moment Lü Chang saw the Medical Pod, he tensed up.

"Captain Lin… uh… how long will I be dead in there?"

KIKI clicked her tongue. "Dead?! What are you talking about? It’s a Medical Pod, not a Cryostasis Chamber. You’ll be in and out in no time!"

"No, no." Lü Chang scratched his head. "I mean… does this require full anesthesia?"

Ding Junyi answered, "No need. The system automatically applies localized anesthesia based on your injuries, but instead of drugs, it uses Neuron Oscillation Technology."

"Ohhh~"

Hearing Ding Junyi explain it, Lü Chang immediately relaxed. He unwrapped the bandages around his injured arm and lay down inside the pod.

Ding Junyi pressed a few buttons, and the hatch of the Medical Pod slowly closed.

【Performing Life Sign Scan…】

【Detecting injuries…】

【Detected Level 3 Fracture of the Left Ulna, with torn muscle and epidermal lacerations.】

【Initiating Treatment Protocol. Full-area disinfection in progress.】

Hiss!

A white mist filled the pod, followed by a blue energy scan sweeping over Lü Chang’s body.

【Localized Neuron Oscillation Anesthesia Activated.】

Beep!

A set of precision robotic arms extended from the pod, directing focused laser beams at Lü Chang’s fractured arm.

In an almost 3D-printing fashion, the lasers reconstructed his bone and tissue, sealing the wound seamlessly.

Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed, observing the real-time healing—his wound closed up with zero bleeding, zero scarring, as if the flesh had regenerated perfectly.

"It’s done?"

Within minutes, the pod’s hatch opened, and Lü Chang sat up, his face filled with shock as he stared at his fully restored arm.

"Holy sh*t! It’s like I grew a new hand!"

Lin Xian asked, "How do you feel?"

Lü Chang flexed his fingers excitedly, "Uh… it’s still a bit tingly, but other than that, good as new! Captain Lin, this thing is insane!"

Lin Xian chuckled. "This was high-end medical tech from before the Apocalypse—only the wealthiest could afford it. Now, we can treat injuries instantly whenever needed."

"Alright, alright!"

KIKI clapped her hands, growing impatient. "The Medical Pod is set up! Lin Xian, let’s go test the mecha already!"

The excitement in her voice was impossible to miss.

Lin Xian pointed outside. "We’ll test it once we reach Hengshan Pass. The mecha can’t even stand up properly right now—how do you plan to test it?"

"Oh… yeah, true."