Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

Pulse~

In the dark underground rail tunnel, the Infinite Train’s automatic doors slid open. Lin Xian, clad in a black Lone Wolf S Power Armor, stepped out to the entrance. His night vision system and smart target acquisition system automatically activated, helping him scan both ends of the tunnel shrouded in darkness.

This power armor had excellent overall coordination and decent protection. Back in Xilan City, Lin Xian had seen a similar model used by a mecha unit from the 7th Investigation Corps. The paint and model were a bit different, but overall, it was quite similar to the ones under Monica’s command.

Soldiers equipped with such armor usually belonged to special ops units—it was a notch above the standard exoskeleton gear issued across the Starfleet. And now, with the physical evolutions triggered by dark energy, these soldiers likely had at least Evolution Level, if not Titan-Level combat power.

Still, theoretical combat ratings were one thing; real battle was another. Compared to those monsters, the human body was still extremely fragile. Even an ordinary Snow Wraith could be lethal if you weren’t careful—its tail stinger was razor-sharp. Lin Xian had studied it before—its density was comparable to high-strength alloys. It was hard to believe a carbon-based lifeform could produce such a biological weapon.

With these Lone Wolf S Power Armors, the regular members of the Infinite Train were getting a comprehensive upgrade—not only in flexibility and protection but also in combat capability. Paired with the latest Arc Pulse Rifles, they were nearly on par with Starfleet infantry. The only thing they lacked was the tactical finesse of professionally trained soldiers.

Another key advantage was the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum. Its effects essentially acted like a Cold Dark Reagent Converter, further enhancing team evolution. Plus, the Eerie Cube could shield against Dark Invasion energy, making the Infinite Train’s evolution process significantly safer.

“Hey, Lin Xian,”

KIKI followed behind him, whispering, “Don’t you think something’s off with Fire Bro? He’s been acting weird since we got down here.”

“Well, he’s usually the first to drink, sip tea, and show off. But since we came into this tunnel, he’s been unusually quiet… and he’s wearing, like, three extra layers.” KIKI frowned. “Isn’t that weird?”

Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “I remember last time we went to the SIID Foundation’s underground lab, he said he hated being underground. That might be it.”

KIKI nodded. “Oh right, I remember now. Okay, makes sense.”

Lin Xian and KIKI got off the train together. On the unused track outside the weapons depot, he had set up multiple transport platforms for storing All-Terrain Armored Trucks and Nightstar Aircraft, loaded onboard by the Dragon Mountain No. 1 crew. Lin Xian had also rigged up a simple external carriage. Once the train departed, the rear car would use tow cables to drag everything—much more convenient.

His plan was to first devour and salvage the valuable self-tagged equipment inside the Zero Element Center, then return to build a new Electromagnetic Railgun to boost firepower.

Together, they headed down the tunnel to the platform of the Zero Element Center. Through the now-safe passage, they entered again. As soon as the automatic doors opened, Luo Yang and the others inside immediately turned around.

“Captain Lin!”

Lin Xian scanned the room and saw not only Luo Yang but also the injured Li Guangwen and Amin, along with Lolo. All were wearing black Lone Wolf Power Armor, gathered in the hall talking quietly. When they saw Lin Xian, they came over immediately.

“No unusual activity. The robots are all on automatic routines. The main AI’s offline though, so there were lots of error alerts, but nothing serious.”

Lin Xian nodded. With over a thousand people lying dormant here, he had stationed someone to keep an eye on things. He didn’t expect Luo Yang to show up personally with injured team members.

“Captain Lin.” Lu Xingchen, Lolo, Amin, and the younger team members all greeted him enthusiastically.

“How are the injuries?” Li Yi glanced at them. She knew they had been severely wounded. Even with the Automated Medical Pod doing emergency repairs, some injuries were too complex for anything short of mechanical reconstruction. They had all been on death’s edge—and even now, Boudan, the muscle-bound guy with Metal Skin Ability, still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“Not too bad,” Lolo and Amin said, grateful.

“Yeah, all thanks to your medical pod, Captain.”

“Hmm?”

KIKI flew over to a row of control terminals and stared at the fluctuation data. “Looks like their brainwave activity levels dropped a lot.”

“Exactly.”

Lin Xian explained, “When you arrived, you caught the end of what I was telling the team—before we reactivated the blocking sequence, the brainwave signal fluctuations of everyone in the hive pods had dropped below 98%, and more than a dozen were showing signs of brain death.”

Li Yi walked to the glass wall and looked up at the central hive cluster. The hexagonal pods were still glowing blue, each person inside seemingly in peaceful slumber. The white Fungal Threads had already been severed by the standard blockers.

“Looks like the system doesn’t cut them off in sync with the fungal activity. It lets them stay connected for 9 hours, then disconnects for 30.”

“So basically, half of the dead didn’t die all at once,” KIKI folded her arms, sweeping her gaze across the room. “They just couldn’t survive those 9 hours of connection. I thought they were stuck in that state for 24 hours or something.”

“How would that even be possible? If they stayed connected that long, they’d be like those Fungal Heads already.”

Lin Xian sighed. “Honestly, I expected some kind of high-tech defense. But this is a pretty crude method.”

“So technically, it’s not life-threatening?” Lolo asked curiously, “The bodies are intact… just 9 hours of, like, bliss? How does that kill them?”

“‘Blissful 9 hours?’” Lin Xian chuckled dryly. “Back in 17th-century Europe, punishment for crimes included not just brutal physical torture, but also something called the ‘Laughing Penalty.’ No blood, no wounds. They’d tie the person up tight, smear honey or salt on their soles, and let goats lick it off. Guess how long people could last?”

“Licking feet? That counts as torture?”

“Sure does,” Luo Yang chimed in. “I’ve read about that. After thirty minutes, people start to break. One to two hours, and it can cause cardiac arrest or suffocation.”

“Exactly,” Lin Xian said. “Now imagine the same torment, but to the brain. High-intensity mental stimulation leaves irreversible trauma.”

He turned around and began scanning the control room, thinking about where to begin.

The maintenance bots here didn’t interest him—they were all tailored to the hive system and not nearly as useful as his PX-05 Engineering Robot. He already had the Thunder Falcon 2000 Attack Drone for offense, so these only had value as scrap for Devouring.

But first, he wanted to tackle the big suspended Mechanical Arms, the energy systems, and most importantly, the High-Temperature Plasma Beam Cutting Array.

He had just thought of it back on the train—what if he replaced the Electric Blade Armor System with this array and arranged it densely? Combined with the Arc Pulse Resonator, it could turn the Infinite Train into a giant buzz saw. If they encountered another Monster Tide like those Snow Wraiths and Snow Fiends, they'd get shredded on impact.

Of course, given current materials technology, such an array couldn’t stay on long. Its power consumption was even higher than the Electromagnetic Railgun, and the Gemini 11R’s current power supply would likely fall short.

Still, as the saying goes, you eat one bite at a time. Just like with the Electric Blade Armor System, Lin Xian could start with one module. If he could integrate Grace’s AI into the train’s system redesign, many of his blueprints would suddenly become feasible.

Without wasting time, Lin Xian assigned Luo Yang and others to patrol different zones while he began Devouring. KIKI, bored, tagged along with Luo Yang to wander around.

【Devour Successful: +15 Mechanical Source Points, +10 Mechanical Devouring Skill Proficiency】

First, Lin Xian devoured the Power Conversion Cabinet from Grace’s chassis. He also took her Power Chamber—useful for recharging and minor body repairs. No need to scan and fabricate when he could just take it and use it directly.

Since entering Yijin City, Lin Xian had been devouring everything in sight. Thanks to his Remote Devour skill, his efficiency had skyrocketed, and his skill level had increased by hundreds in a short time.

Mechanical Devour: Level 4 (1316/2000)

He figured that once he finished the Zero Element Center and found a Nuclear Power Unit to devour, he’d hit Level 5. That wouldn’t just increase devour speed—it would also meet the conditions to unlock his Electrical Surge Mechanical Augmentation!

He pried open a maintenance panel in the hallway and found the Plasma Beam Array, then started scanning it.

【Scan Progress: 2%】

The unit was intricate but not massive. He figured it’d take about an hour to fully scan and then devour.

He quickly got up and walked to Lu Xingchen’s room, wanting to ask him for advice on developing Abilities. After all, this guy had always loved researching powers, and in the recent Xilan City defense battle, the new skill he used was several times more powerful than before—it was obvious he’d made progress.

But just as Da Lou reached the door, he saw Lu Xingchen sitting cross-legged inside drinking tea. In a rather discreet motion, Lu pulled down his sleeve and looked over at him with a slightly unnatural expression.

“You need something?”

“Oh, I just…” Da Lou scratched his head. Seeing Lu Xingchen wrapped up in thick clothes, he found it a bit odd but didn’t say anything. Instead, he stated his reason for coming: “I just wanted to ask you about possible development directions for my Blood Qi Ability.”

“Didn’t the manual from Phoenix already list suggestions?” Lu Xingchen said lightly, his gaze dimming slightly.

Da Lou opened his mouth but noticed Lu seemed a little down, so he quickly replied, “Alright then.”

He turned to leave but hesitated before adding, “Hey… Brother Lu, if there’s something bothering you, try to take it easy. Brother Xian gave me a bottle of white liquor a while back. I’ve been saving it—wanna have a drink?”

“No need.”

Lu Xingchen shook his head and declined without hesitation.

“Alright then.”

As Da Lou turned to go, Lu Xingchen’s conflicted expression softened into a hint of reluctance. Then he suddenly said:

“Your Blood Qi Ability is known for its strong regenerative power. The stronger your blood energy, the greater your strength. That means your body has an incredibly high vitality. In other words, your resistance to harsh environments, Dark Invasion, and neural paralysis should be stronger than most Ability Users. So... don’t you think you might also have a higher resistance to the toxins from Black Smoke or Eerie Blood Crystals? Of course… that’s just my guess.”

Da Lou was stunned for a moment. He understood what Lu Xingchen meant. The Dark Invasion within Black Smoke and Eerie Blood Crystals released by dead Eerie Entities could severely damage both body and mind. Most people needed to maintain a balance—but for someone with his power, the resistance threshold might be higher.

That suggested that while Physical-Type Abilities might seem less promising, they might actually have higher survival rates in darkness. Come to think of it, it made sense why there were more physical-type users, and why they often grew much stronger through combat.

Da Lou nodded, turned back to glance at Lu Xingchen, and said, “Got it. I’ll remember that.”

Then he turned to leave.

Lu Xingchen watched him go and sighed deeply. Then, once again, he lifted his sleeve.

Under his gaze, dark greenish-black patterns were now crawling across his wrist—fine mycelium spreading across his skin. It looked utterly eerie.

“Looks like... this path of cultivation ends here for me in this lifetime…”

He lifted his head and looked at the pristine room—his makeup mirror, the small tea table, the tea brewer made by Lin Xian, the plush doll gifted by Shasha—and couldn’t help but let out another sigh.

“Brother Lin... I’m sorry.”

【Scan complete. Acquired blueprint: High-Temperature Plasma Beam Cutting Array】

【Devour complete. Mechanical Source Point +120. Mechanical Devouring Skill Proficiency +40】

“Phew~”

At the entrance of the Zero Element Center passage, Lin Xian had spent over an hour finalizing the setup. Technically, this array had been custom-designed for this corridor, and the scanned blueprint revealed a rather bizarre sliding-rail configuration. If he wanted to use it on the Infinite Train, he’d need to modify the blueprint accordingly.

He checked the time—it was already 2:00 AM. Based on his calculations, there were still over 20 hours until the next Mycelium Activity Period.

“Just gotta deal with a few more scrap devices, then head back and work on the gear.”

Materials at the Disassembly Center were almost ready. Once he handled Grace, he’d get started on constructing the Electromagnetic Cannon. Also, Car No. 11 was still missing one Mechanical Arm, and there was the Bullet Pressing Machine...

As he mentally ticked things off, he thought about merging the Sun Convoy with the Infinite Train once they escaped from here. Luo Yang and Li Yi were solid people. Uncle Wu, Uncle Liao, and the other retired soldiers had risked everything to protect them. Luo Yang and the others even converted their entire convoy into a train to follow Lin Xian—that kind of sincerity wasn’t something he could refuse.

Besides, he needed to expand his power. The Darkness was swallowing Dawn—things were only going to get harder. Bringing more people together meant more hope.

Lin Xian had looked into the Sun Convoy—they had an engineering-grade nuclear-powered locomotive, outputting about 200 megawatts. Not enough for intercontinental travel, but in a doomsday scenario, that was incredibly valuable.

If the Sun Convoy hadn’t joined Phoenix’s team to avoid entering the Polar Night, there’s no way they would’ve traded all their resources and vehicles.

That’s also how Qian Dele’s Joker Convoy got their hands on one.

The Sun Convoy had a total of eleven carriages. While their armor wasn’t as strong as the Mecha Composite Armor on the Infinite Train, it was still tough enough. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it across the Snowfield to Xilan City. Each car was equipped with Machine Gun Turrets and Gatling Cannons. Most of the other weapons had been taken away by the original convoy members, but Luo Yang and Li Yi had moved all their own light arms onboard.

Luo Yang’s convoy had 34 people, with Luo himself at the core. His Ability, like A’Bai’s, was a type of Monster Eye—his dual pupils could store energy and detonate it at long range.

The main combat force was Li Guangwen, a Thunder Fist Ability User. Both he and Luo Yang were Rampage-level Abilities. Then there were two elite close-combat fighters—Amin and Lolo, both genetically enhanced martial artists—and a tech guy named Zhang Xiaobai, who handled all technical support.

The team mostly came from survivors of the University City, most of them engineering or sports students. Their execution ability was strong, and they had even made their own traps and defense weapons.

Li Yi and Liang Lei’s convoy had more people. After casualties in Xilan City, about 110 remained. The leaders were the couple Liang Lei and Li Yi.

Liang Lei had a rare Physical-Type Ability—his skin could metalize and enhance, giving him a body like a metal war bear. His Ability Rating was 1100. Da Lou’s was 1120—almost the same.

Li Yi also had an Ability, but it was practically useless. She only found out much later that she could breathe and fly underwater. Since she was pregnant, she stayed out of battle, acting as the tactical planner and logistics manager.

Half of the Running Far Convoy were Liang Lei’s old coworkers from the engineering team, most with families. Kind-hearted, they saved many stranded survivors, including those without much combat value—lots of women and children.

By the time they reached Xilan, they had over 20 kids, aged 3 to 10.

So in total, the convoy’s core fighters were Liang Lei, about 30 strong, well-built workers, and a few others who joined later. Of the 110, about 60 could fight, while the rest were women and kids handling logistics.

Now, all 144 of them lived in the Sun Convoy’s train. It was way better than their previous setup—almost like a mobile home. With the original Infinite Train crew, they had nearly 180 people. After upgrading with Exosuits, they now had 140 suits, enough to gear up almost everyone except kids and a few support staff—an undeniably strong force!

As Lin Xian continued to devour the Gait Scanner, he was deep in thought, when suddenly, a voice crackled over his communicator.

“Captain Lin, something’s up over here!”

He stopped immediately, stood, and woke KIKI, who’d been dozing behind him. The two dashed toward the far end of the circular passage.

Soon, they saw Luo Yang, Amin, and Lolo surrounding a woman in a white cryosleep suit, who’d apparently emerged from a nearby survival pod elevator.

She looked disheveled but oddly clean, lying on the floor trembling with mechanical spasms, eyes wide with fear, crying out again and again:

“Grace! Grace!! Butler! Butler!”

Lin Xian walked up and saw faint traces of broken mycelium on her face and head. His expression turned cold, and he raised his hand, ready to strike.

But before he could act, KIKI suddenly called out,

“Lin Xian, wait! Don’t move!”

He turned to her, only to find a strange look on her face. Brow furrowed, she took a moment before saying,

“I know her.”