Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

Not long after, Ding Junyi came down from the train, all geared up and carrying her laptop. Chen Sixuan followed behind, gently holding the pot with the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum.

The moment the research team spotted the strange black plant, they immediately swarmed over, surrounding Ding Junyi and launching into a flurry of discussion.

Soon, Guo Sicheng and a few others carefully escorted the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum onto their vehicle, while Ding Junyi gave Lin Xian a quick nod and followed the team into their research transport.

“Make sure it’s protected at all times! As soon as we’re back, start the experiment setup! Call in anyone who can help!” Professor Guo was practically buzzing with energy. His aged face showed no hint of exhaustion—only uncontained excitement. He was already barking orders before he even got in the car.

Yu Yuheng came over and spoke earnestly to Lin Xian, “Captain Lin, I truly don’t know how to thank you. Not only did you save our team, but you’re also supporting Phoenix’s work. All I can say is thank you. If we make it out of this Extreme Cold Vortex, I’ll apply to my superiors. Your ability might offer a unique solution to our Emperor Project.”

“You’re too polite,” Lin Xian replied. He was starting to think better of Yu Yuheng. Like KIKI had said, the guy was definitely more of a bookish type, but just now, he had shown real character.

Being able to set aside differences and work together in critical moments—that kind of mindset wasn’t easy to come by. It was one of the reasons Lin Xian had genuine respect for scientists.

Everyone had boarded by now—except Wei Kexue.

He was still fumbling through his coat pockets in the snow, clearly anxious. Then he walked up to Lin Xian, pulling out a small black iron box. He slipped off his gloves and breathed warm air into his hands before carefully opening it—inside were three Level-1 Blood Crystals, glistening as they rolled gently in the case. He held it out to Lin Xian with a sheepish smile.

He bowed slightly. “So, think of this as a small token from our research team. I hope you won’t mind. We promise—we won’t waste your trust. We’ll be working non-stop starting today.”

Lin Xian could tell how exhausted Wei Kexue was. For someone in his position to gather three Blood Crystals must’ve taken serious effort. He gently pushed the box back.

“If I’m working with Phoenix, that means I trust you. Don’t worry about rewards. What matters most is that we find something useful—something that can really help survivors.”

Wei Kexue’s smile slowly faded. His gaze dropped to the box in his hands, face darkening.

“My professor proposed this theory a long time ago. At first, I didn’t believe it. Honestly, most of us didn’t. Or maybe we didn’t want to believe it…”

“You were afraid to face the truth about the dark entities?” Lin Xian asked.

Wei nodded solemnly. “For most survivors, yes. But for the Phoenix higher-ups… it’s more complicated.”

Lin Xian’s expression sharpened slightly.

“If dark entities attack by using marks—targeting humans like beacons in the night—then Phoenix’s Dawn Project could actually increase the danger,” Wei said.

“So the Federation’s bunker-down strategy was the right call?” Lin Xian asked. “If we can’t beat the Dark Invasion, if humanity can’t live without sunlight, then what’s the difference—die slow or die fast? What’s the point of pretending?”

Wei sighed. “We all know that. But most ordinary people don’t think that far. And more importantly, it’s not just about ideology anymore—this theory could force us to rethink the entire way humanity survives.”

He looked Lin Xian in the eye.

“If it’s confirmed, then what? Are we supposed to send survivors—people who barely made it—to go hunt down dark entities? It’s like… asking them to walk to their deaths.”

Lin Xian went silent.

“No investigation, no right to speak.” Wei’s tone was low. “Whether as scientists or as leaders, we have to get solid, actionable evidence. Otherwise, we might be the ones accelerating humanity’s extinction.”

“What exactly happened to you at the Wei River?” Lin Xian asked quietly.

Wei’s whole body trembled. His face twisted in pain, lips quivering.

“The mark… reached a certain threshold.”

“A… fatal threshold.”

Lin Xian’s blood ran cold.

Wei’s eyes were filled with pain and fear. “That was the moment I started to believe in the theory. I told Leader Bai Shuang again and again. Every night, the death pressure was growing. But everyone thought we’d reach the support team soon.”

“We were… just one dawn away…”

Lin Xian stood in stunned silence. He finally understood what they had gone through.

They’d escaped from the Climbing Elevator, but had faced a Level-5 mark.

The Infinite Train had been lucky at Rain Town. They’d discovered the mark early and suppressed it using a territory-based parasite monster. Without that, they wouldn’t have survived the night.

But not everyone was that fortunate. The Fireline Convoy they encountered? Wiped out. No bodies found.

Of the convoys from Yubei Spaceport, only the Dragon Mountain No. 1 had been seen. No sign of Xu Jin, Old Mo, Jiang Yun, or even Jian Xuwei’s Silver Star…

Wei Kexue brushed the snow off the box and handed it over again.

“I can’t use this anyway. Take it as a personal favor.”

Lin Xian took the box and looked at the three Blood Crystals inside. He let out a breath and nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”

Seeing him accept it, Wei Kexue visibly relaxed, a spark of clarity returning to his eyes.

“If you need us, we’ll be at Xilan University—on Central Avenue. We’ve set up a temporary lab there.”

“Got it.” Lin Xian nodded, and Wei finally climbed into the vehicle. The group drove off in a flurry.

Watching the snowmobile disappear, Chen Sixuan came up beside him.

“This whole Dark Mark thing… it’s way more complicated than we thought. But how did that Foundation predict all this so early?”

“Don’t even bring up the Foundation,” Lin Xian exhaled. “We still have no idea who they are. As for Phoenix—official orgs are like that. Just like Wei said—everything they do affects survivors worldwide.”

“Like the Nightwalkers’ claim that vegetable juice could suppress the effects of dark infection,” Chen Sixuan nodded. “But what if someone trades fake herbs for real resources? In the apocalypse, we don’t have test equipment. People might fall for anything.”

“Exactly. Even Phoenix doesn’t know which compound in the juice neutralizes the dark toxin, so they can’t endorse it. That’s why they won’t announce the Dark Mark theory either—not unless it’s solid. The consequences would be way bigger than the veggie juice situation.”

“And even if it’s real, there’s still the problem of how to detect the mark,” Lin Xian said. “Otherwise, survivors won’t know if they’re marked or how badly. It’d be like the theory doesn’t even exist.”

“Yeah.” Chen Sixuan sighed. “Hopefully, we get some answers soon.”

Back on the Infinite Train, the lights inside the living carriage came on. Chen Sixuan glanced over.

“Looks like everyone’s waking up. You worked all night. Come eat something first—then you can organize the crew for today.”

Lin Xian nodded. “Yeah, lots to do now that it’s morning.”

Inside the train, team members were waking up one by one. The living carriage buzzed with life. Some people were already washing up or stretching, their energy renewed.

KIKI, too, had slept like a rock. When she finally opened her eyes, it was nearly 10 a.m. Shasha was crouched by her window with a steaming bowl of soup, blowing gently and watching her.

“KIKI-jie, you’re the last one up! I’ve never seen you sleep so long!”

KIKI jolted upright, looking at the soup—then at Shasha.

“Where’s Brother Lin?”

Shasha nodded toward the window. “He’s outside, helping install the new armor plates. He said once it’s daylight, we’re all going to Phoenix for Ability testing and supply exchange. Then we get free time in the afternoon~”

KIKI instantly knew Lin Xian must’ve worked all night. She felt a pang of worry.

“Move—coming through!”

She shot out of bed and dashed to the restroom. But she moved too fast—nearly slammed into the ceiling. Panicked, she threw up a psychic shield and thump! hit the ground hard.

“Oww…”

“KIKI-jie, what the heck?” Shasha looked shocked. “Were you trying to punch a hole in the ceiling?”

KIKI rubbed her sore backside and looked down at her hands, puzzled.

“Why does it feel like my psychic power’s stronger…? Did I just… rest too well?”

Lin Xian, working up on the roof, heard the commotion and opened the rooftop hatch of Car 2, spotting KIKI below.

“What are you doing down there?”

“I-I-I’m fine!” she blurted, bolting into the restroom like she was running for her life.

Lin Xian blinked, glancing over at Shasha.

Shasha could only shrug—she had no idea either.

In the makeshift workshop at the freight yard, the Infinite Train’s new armor was being installed piece by piece. The old plates on the right side had been fully removed, exposing the heavily damaged carriage body.

Lin Xian used his Mechanical Ability to repair the frame. The new armor had inner shock-absorbing layers, adding both protection and insulation.

Cranes whirred nonstop as sleek silver-black armor panels were fitted onto the train.

Everything was modular now. The panels were made as one integrated system—if any part got damaged, he could produce a replacement and bolt it right on.

At 11:20, the welding and hammering was deafening.

Then suddenly, the darkness above Xilan City pulled back fast—sunlight burst through.

The storm had stopped. A warm breeze broke through the Extreme Cold Vortex, lighting up the snow-covered city like a spotlight from the heavens.

Everyone—those installing armor on the Infinite Train, the weary crew from Dragon Mountain No. 1—felt that warmth hit their skin. The temperature even seemed to rise a little.

In that moment, everyone shielded their eyes and looked to the sky—to the long-awaited dawn.

Mount Fenglan in the distance stood clearer now, its midsection still wrapped in cold fog.

The nights were getting longer. But with every new sunrise, survivors found a little more reason to believe in the beauty of the world.

“…It’s morning.”

Standing on the rooftop of the train, Lin Xian glanced over the Infinite Train’s right side, where the armor plating still wasn’t fully installed. But he’d decided to make use of the daylight to wrap up the Ability testing first. With so many convoys in Xilan City, he also planned to take a look around—meet people, secure some weapons, ammo, or blueprints, and take the chance to upgrade the train properly.

The rest of the installation would be handled by his team. As for the left-side armor, that would have to wait until they were back from dealing with Phoenix.

“Captain Lin.”

Shu Qin approached. “Should those of us who aren’t Ability Users go too?”

“Yeah,” Lin Xian nodded. “The Nightwalkers have been doing just as much research on Gene Evolvers as they have on Abilities. And Gene Evolvers actually make up the majority—they’ve got huge potential. We can’t miss this chance to understand our own power. It could make all the difference for survival.”

Shu Qin nodded. “Alright. Should we leave more people behind to guard the train?”

“No need.” Lin Xian pointed at the dozen or so team members still installing the armor plates. “They’ll stay behind. I’ve also spoken with Captain Shi—Dragon Mountain No. 1 has hundreds of people. They’ll help watch over things too.”

The core team—Da Lou, Shasha, KIKI, Lu Xingchen, Chen Sixuan, Miao Lu, Lü Chang, and Xiao Yuan—would all be going. Director Ding was still stationed at Phoenix’s research lab, so she wouldn’t be coming. Lin Xian wasn’t planning to develop her ability just yet anyway. For one, it hadn’t clearly manifested a growth path yet. For another, it was far too mysterious. Drawing attention could be dangerous. His Mechanical Ability had already made the Infinite Train a point of interest for both Phoenix and the Descent faction—there was no need to invite more trouble.

“This feels just like we’re going on a field trip,” Shasha said excitedly as she stepped out of the crowd, her face bright. It had been so long since they’d had a peaceful, sunny moment like this after fleeing for their lives for so long.

KIKI hovered in midair, basking in the sun with her eyes closed and a blissful smile on her face.

“Mmm~ No ugly zombies, no bugs, no monsters. So nice~”

Lu Xingchen swaggered out wearing sunglasses and a bright red hoodie—no thermal gear at all. Among the sea of bundled-up survivors, he stood out like a flare. As a fire-type Ability User, his resistance to cold was on a whole different level. Of course, anyone who didn’t know that looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Wearing a hoodie in minus fifty-degree weather?

Shu Qin and Chen Sixuan were fully geared up in exosuits, looking sleek and battle-ready.

Miao Lu and Lü Chang followed close behind.

Xiao Yuan was joining the core team task for the first time, visibly excited. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the group ahead. She was a Gene Evolver, though her powers hadn’t stood out much yet. Still, she was more than capable of handling herself in a fight now.

“Brother Lin!”

From the Dragon Mountain No. 1, Shi Diyuan, Ning Jing, Lu Yong, A’Bai, Xiao Qing, and dozens of other Ability Users and enhanced fighters came pouring out of the train.

“So many?” Lin Xian was a little surprised at the size of the squad.

“It’s not that much,” Shi Diyuan waved it off. “There are already over a hundred people on board showing signs of gene evolution. I just picked the ones with standout traits. We’re not just going for testing—it’s a great opportunity for everyone to learn something. Who knows if we’ll ever see this many people gathered again?”

Team Three’s captain, Lu Yong, looked a bit helpless.

“We’ve got more people, so the pressure’s higher in a crisis. Big Bro picked more folks to let them learn from other convoys.”

“Plus, gotta show a bit of muscle,” Shi Diyuan coughed with a grin. “Let those folks trying to poach my team think twice.”

Lin Xian chuckled. So much for “I don’t care if people get poached.” The guy said that last night—and now he’s leading a whole army out. Clearly, appearances still mattered.

“Oh right,” Shi Diyuan added. “Aren’t you going to help that Monica girl with her train later? I’ll tag along. I’m curious to see what kind of upgrades we might copy from her Doomsday Express.”

“Who’s getting their train fixed?” KIKI perked up at the mention, trotting over curiously.

“One of Qian Dele’s friends. She’s got a train setup too—pretty interesting,” Lin Xian explained briefly what had happened the night before.

“Wow~ A 2 billion-dollar doomsday fortress? Sounds awesome!” KIKI’s eyes lit up. “We have to check that out.”

Shi Diyuan leaned in close and whispered to Lin Xian,

“If Monica wants to join your convoy, you’d better check her people out carefully. I heard from Old Qian—some of them aren’t exactly the obedient type.”

“I wouldn’t let just anyone in anyway,” Lin Xian smiled. “Besides, her train’s way more advanced than ours. She was probably just flattering me.”

“Haha, sharp as ever.” Shi Diyuan laughed and clapped Lin Xian on the shoulder.

At that moment, Ning Jing stepped up. “A’Bai mentioned something. After the horde pulled back last night, he saw a creature in the blizzard. He’s not sure what it was—but none of us had the Dark Mark you mentioned.”

Lin Xian was surprised. “A’Bai can see Dark Marks?”

“He used to describe it as a lingering aura from the monsters. But now, it sounds like what you described.”

Lin Xian looked at A’Bai in shock. Who would’ve thought a blind Ability User could sense Dark Marks? Maybe Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum wasn’t the only detection method.

“That thing… it only showed up briefly. Then it vanished.” A’Bai stood at the front, his voice low. “But it gave off a terrifying presence.”

“Was it an Abyss Worm?” Lin Xian asked.

“No.” A’Bai shook his head. “It was… worse than that.”

Everyone’s expression changed. Lin Xian exchanged glances with Ning Jing and Shi Diyuan. The same thought crossed all their minds.

An S-Class Eerie Entity?

“The Emperor Project was set up to deal with this at the Parma Grasslands,” Shi Diyuan said grimly. “It’s not surprising. We’ve seen S-Class before. Doesn’t matter—whatever comes, we deal with it. I already passed this on to Phoenix. We just need to stay sharp.”

Lin Xian fell silent. What puzzled him was—if an S-Class had appeared, why hadn’t anyone on their trains gotten marked?

Even Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum hadn’t reacted.

But judging by Ning Jing and Shi Diyuan’s reactions, they didn’t doubt A’Bai’s ability in the slightest. That made Lin Xian feel a bit uneasy.

“Alright, let’s get to the Nightwalkers. With this many people, there’s definitely going to be a wait.” Shi Diyuan waved his hand. More than ten large vehicles rolled out from Dragon Mountain No. 1.

“Let’s go too.” Lin Xian boarded their previous polar vehicle, and both groups headed toward Central Avenue.

As they drove deeper into the city, the number of convoys camped out around shopping centers and plazas grew. Lin Xian’s group was small, following behind Dragon Mountain No. 1.

Many eyes turned toward KIKI as she floated above the vehicle. Flight Abilities were rare, and while most survivors had seen them, KIKI’s style was different—no wings, just levitating midair like a deity. Her purple hair floated as if touched by an unseen wind, and with her striking features, she quickly became the center of attention.

Thanks to the high-profile rescue the night before—when Phoenix’s Seventh Recon Unit had escorted Dragon Mountain No. 1, Infinite Train, and the Emperor Operation Team into the city—these three convoys were now the talk of the town. With the Emperor Project being classified, all attention had shifted to them.

Xilan City was a frozen city of glimmering towers, their glass walls now encrusted with ice crystals. Under the sunlight, everything sparkled. The streets were littered with snow-buried zombies—rendered completely inert by the Extreme Cold Vortex and now harmless.

Along the way, Lin Xian noticed many convoys had taken over buildings for their camps—trying to escape the claustrophobia of living inside vehicles. Hotels, malls, you name it—anything with space was claimed.

“Looks like the city really is safe enough for them to move indoors,” Shu Qin said, taking in the view.

“Yeah, compared to cars, our train is luxury,” Shasha added. She remembered those cramped days in the pickup with Da Lou—no room to sleep, barely space to lie down. Now? A bed. A couch. Even a washroom. Heaven.

Chen Sixuan nodded. She recalled how, at first, she hadn’t understood why Lin Xian insisted on using a train. Only later did she realize—besides his Ability—it was a genius move. The only real limitation was the tracks.

But with Dragon Mountain No. 1 paving the way for true mobility, the dream of a roaming steel fortress was no longer just fantasy.

She turned to look at Lin Xian, a thought blooming in her mind.

And maybe… his dream of soaring into the sky wasn’t far off either.

The sheer scale of it left everyone on the Polar Train visibly stunned. If it weren’t for the matching tornado decals on all the vehicles, they might’ve thought this was a Starfleet Investigation Corps base.

“So this is the Arctic Wind Alliance?!”

“What kind of vehicle is that? Damn, that’s insane!” Lü Chang exclaimed.

KIKI, well-traveled and sharp-eyed, immediately responded, “That’s a Trex-300, a nuclear-powered, all-terrain vehicle. Bet you’ve never seen one—it can even go amphibious.”

“I’ve heard them on the survivor frequency broadcasts more than once. Rumor is, they’ve got more than one convoy, and they’re all cooperating with the Phoenix in different zones—recruiting other teams along the way. Their final destination is to link up with the Dawn Center before heading to the Arctic Zone,” Chen Sixuan added.

“More than one?” Shu Qin swept her gaze across the area. “Just the numbers here look like over ten thousand people. That’s practically a full division.”

“Most of them are survivors, not soldiers,” Lin Xian said calmly. “But still, pooling their resources gives them way more firepower than your average mid- to large-sized convoy.”

“Bet a lot of the convoys around here will end up joining them.”

“Not surprising. People want protection. If they don’t want to work under Phoenix, joining a big convoy like this is the next best thing. The more they’ve lived through the Darkness, the more they crave unity.”

Fire Bro—Lu Xingchen—was lying on the train roof, soaking up the sun. Hearing the conversation, he gave the convoy a sweep of his eyes and grinned.

“Housing over ten thousand people... the leader of this Arctic Wind Alliance must be someone serious.”

The cold wind howled down the central street, carrying sharp ice crystals. As the convoy moved forward, a grand church slowly came into view. The statue of the Saintess atop the steeple had been modified into a watchtower. A Phoenix Radar System spun rapidly up top, while jagged icicles clung to her broken marble dress. The stained glass windows of St. Michel Cathedral shimmered an eerie blue under helium lights. The surrounding plaza was packed with equipment and base vehicles, and a massive transparent folding shield had been deployed—likely a device to block or neutralize some kind of energy.

More survivors appeared along the streets. Many weren’t near their own camps but had crowded toward the cathedral square to see what was happening. All around, groups of survivors gathered by barrel fires, casting curious glances as the convoy passed. Other convoys rolled through, transporting exchanged goods in trucks and pickups between camps.

Lin Xian observed the various survivor camps. Maybe it was the Phoenix and Starfleet presence, but there was clearly less tension here than there had been at Hengshan Pass. The convoys were interacting far more peacefully.

At that moment, the convoy began slowing down. The streets ahead were jam-packed, especially near the cathedral, where thousands had gathered.

The Infinite Train and Dragon Mountain No. 1 had no choice but to stop. Everyone disembarked and continued on foot.

“D*mn, it’s packed!” said Shi Diyuan, tall and broad-shouldered, wrapped in a thick fur coat and sporting a bear-fur felt hat, looking every bit like an apocalypse warlord. He looked at the sea of people ahead and muttered, “Old Qian and Old Zhou are lucky to be stationed nearby. At this rate, we won’t even get through until the afternoon.”

“So many people?” Ning Jing frowned. “They can’t all be here to get Ability tested. Must be a lot of rubberneckers.”

Lin Xian walked over and said, “There are at least several thousand convoys in the city—tens of thousands of people. Sure, some are just here to gawk, but a lot of them definitely have motives.”

KIKI crossed her arms. “From what you’re saying, this feels more like a job fair.”

That comment made everyone’s expression... rather colorful.

“D*mn. If a monster horde hit now, we’d be toast!” Shi Diyuan looked at the densely packed crowd outside the cathedral plaza.

“Not necessarily.”

A loud, clear female voice called out from the distance. Everyone looked over to see Monica approaching with a squad in tow. Shockingly, her people were all geared up in matching Lone Wolf A-Class Military Quick-Reaction Exosuits, glowing with deep blue energy lines—powerful and intimidating.

With a smile, Monica said, “This area houses the best Ability Users and Enhancers in all of Xilan City. Normal monsters aren’t breaking through that easily.”

“What’s with all the people?” Lin Xian asked. “They all here to get tested?”

“Nope. This is actually a light day,” Monica replied. “Not many new arrivals made it to Xilan yesterday, and your teams didn’t arrive until deep in the night. Total count today is maybe three thousand, but those coming for tests are probably just three to four hundred.”

Her eyes swept over the impressive gathering of Ability teams behind Lin Xian and Shi Diyuan. “Most of them are here to see you guys.”

“Us?” Ning Jing blinked. “What do you mean?”

Monica smirked. “Yesterday, the 7th Investigation Corps put on a huge display escorting your convoys into the city. It caught a lot of attention. Many teams started guessing you might be high-value Phoenix partners. So, first thing this morning, everyone flocked here to see for themselves.”

“Well d*mn!” Shi Diyuan laughed. “Here I was wondering what the big deal was. Turns out, we’re the show!”

“How long’s it gonna take to get through three to four hundred people?” KIKI flew into the air and glanced toward the center of the plaza. “Does the test take that long?”

Monica’s gaze flickered at KIKI’s strange flying ability, then she replied, “Peak value detection is quick. The trouble is with measuring Extreme Indexes—those take time. For this many people, probably three to four hours.”

Shi Diyuan let out a breath. “Three to four hours? Not too bad. We can manage that.”

“Then let’s move.” Lin Xian’s voice was calm but firm.

He didn’t want to waste any time standing in line. With that time, he figured he could fix the Mo Queen’s malfunction—or even build a PX-05 Robot, maybe even a 1130 CIWS. He had too much on his plate to waste even a second.

He turned to Monica. “Your camp far from here? If the line drags on, I can head over and fix the vehicle first.”

Monica’s eyes brightened at that, though her expression turned slightly complicated as she looked behind Lin Xian at his group, hesitating for a moment.

Truthfully, she was thrilled Lin Xian was offering to help right away—but she was also puzzled. She had specifically warned him that the testing plaza was under heavy scrutiny. With last night’s buzz, today’s turnout was huge. Every convoy was watching closely. And yet, Lin Xian was still willing to walk away and fix her vehicle?

Didn’t he worry that his elite team members might get poached while he was gone?

“OK~ After the testing, I’ll introduce you all to some major convoy leaders. Maybe you’ll find something useful from each other,” Monica finally said, pushing aside her doubts.

“Good. Let’s not waste any more time,” Shi Diyuan said, waving his arm and leading his group toward the plaza.

Monica gave them a parting wave. “Good luck~”

As they entered the crowd, more and more eyes turned toward them. Lin Xian glanced around—nearby buildings were packed with spectators. It was clear people had turned the Phoenix Ability Test into a sort of post-apocalyptic sideshow, with discussions buzzing from every corner.

At the cathedral plaza, heavily armed Investigation Corps soldiers were stationed around the perimeter, maintaining order behind barricades. The Phoenix had set up multiple checkpoints. When Lin Xian and the others approached, they saw every person was subject to iris, biometric, and palmprint scans. A gate-shaped recognition robot was conducting the scans.

“Alloy Slug Convoy, Wang Xiang.”

【Scanning in progress】

“Scan complete. Former Federation citizen, Wang Xiang. Hometown: Guilin, Dragon Nation. Citizen ID: CN113284156802. Synced with Phoenix database. Convoy: Alloy Slug. New survivor ID assigned: D19526633.”

“Please proceed.”

The gate robot quickly scanned the man at the front of the line, retrieved his old Federation data, updated it, and logged him into the Phoenix system.

“Phoenix is registering people even in this situation…” Shu Qin commented.

“It’s not just registration. Most people here are either Ability Users or Enhancers. They’re collecting data to study differences between them. It’s much more efficient than manual interviews.”

“Exactly right.”

A cheerful voice rang out. In the next moment, a gust of wind hit, and Zhou Wuer and Peng Peng swooped down from the sky.

Lin Xian noticed that Zhou Wuer was being carried by Peng Peng, who didn’t have wings—but used a swirling air vortex beneath her feet to stay aloft. Her flight was clearly powered by her Wind Ability.

“Captain Lin! Been waiting for you all night. Looks like you were busy?” Zhou Wuer said with a grin.

Lin Xian nodded, but asked curiously, “You run tests at night too?”

“Normally no,” Zhou Wuer replied. “Too risky. We don’t want Soul Wave Fluctuations at night—it could trigger unnecessary incidents. But for special cases—like you—we’d make exceptions.”

“Why didn’t anyone say so earlier…” KIKI pouted, arms crossed. “I was already asleep~”

Lin Xian was speechless. Had he known, he would’ve done the test last night. He could’ve spent the free time building a PX-05 Engineering Robot, or maybe even a 1130 Close-In Weapon System...