Chapter 208: Clearing the Mark

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

The guard in Car 5 gripped his rifle tightly; Lu Xingchen crossed his arms and closed his eyes, appearing like a master, while the tea machine in front hissed and steamed.

Chen Sixuan looked tense, staring ahead at the tracks, fearing a terrifying monster might suddenly rush toward them the next second.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes.

Ten minutes passed; the train continued moving silently, ahead appearing a wide track, accompanied by a clattering sound as it merged.

The Infinite Train returned to the main rail.

"Lin Xian…" Chen Sixuan frowned, glancing at Lin Xian, who remained silent beside her.

Lin Xian slowly exhaled, his gaze shifting: "It seems… the 【Dark Mark】 is real. All survivors are prey being hunted."

He clearly remembered that in the past two nights, whenever they were outside Yuzhen, those strange aberrations appeared instantly outside the Infinite Train.

It was as if the Infinite Train was a brilliant lighthouse in a sea of darkness, drawing countless monsters, waiting for the moment the light went out to swarm upon it!

Now, everything around had fallen silent—even too silent, giving Lin Xian a sense of unreality.

Chen Sixuan covered her mouth, staring in disbelief at the darkness ahead.

"It's terrifying—we thought we'd escaped, but we've been in their sight all along."

Lin Xian spoke: "There must be some safe zones—or perhaps, once the mark is cleared, we enter a kind of silent state, relatively safer."

Squeak~

After another ten minutes, they had fully left the valley of Yuzhen and entered an open forest; Lin Xian stopped the train.

"Aren't we going forward?" Chen Sixuan asked.

"No need. Now that we've confirmed this, let's use this silent state to rest. There's no point rushing blindly through the dark," Lin Xian said.

He didn't want to clear the mark only to attract a new one.

Since safety is confirmed now, we should stop immediately, rearm, and stockpile supplies—that's the right path.

"Agreed. We haven't finished inventorying what we seized in Yuzhen," Chen Sixuan said, relieved. "You mentioned earlier that the Palma Grassland has an S-rank aberration—should we change our route?"

Lin Xian nodded: "Absolutely. We can't possibly confront an S-rank aberration now. We must avoid them at all costs. If we get marked again by one, we might face the same scene as in Yubei…"

Chen Sixuan nodded: "Alright. We can decide our next move after reaching Hengshan Pass, based on Phoenix Society intel."

Lin Xian rubbed his hair, feeling utterly relaxed: "It's rare to feel this free from zombie and aberration attacks."

He turned to Chen Sixuan: "What do you think about the route?"

Chen Sixuan paused thoughtfully: "I remember you said before we climbed the ascent passage that we should avoid large cities. If so, we'll need to detour off the Star Ring Mainline in some sections—like Longjiang, Jinhai, and Xingcheng. If we stay on the mainline, we can't avoid them."

"If we skip Palma Grassland, after Hengshan Pass we'll choose either the northern or southern route. The northern route crosses the Xidi Desert and Tagan Desert, nearing Star Yuan 5; the southern route passes through Qingshui, Lancheng, and Yunlan, heading toward Star Yuan 7. If you want to reach Xingcheng, we'll need to rejoin the mainline before Jinhai."

Lin Xian nodded: "Whether we cross the sea or traverse the northern continental shelf through Qionggu Strait, we must upgrade the train's propulsion system and stockpile supplies before then. Xingcheng is the best choice."

"Also, we have more time now than before. Let's pass through Hengshan Pass first, then decide based on the situation in Palma Grassland. Before exiting Hengshan Pass, we can still turn around. According to Phoenix Society intel, their nearest outposts to us are Xilan and Jinhai—other teams keep their coordinates secret. We must contact Phoenix Society quickly and hand over the research data on the 【Dark Mark】."

Chen Sixuan said: "We found a radio from the Golden Force. It's probably the same device used to lure us into Yuzhen. If we have this, why not broadcast the information directly? Phoenix Society might hear it and come to us."

"No."

Lin Xian shook his head, voice grave: "You're oversimplifying. Right now, survivor frequencies are chaotic. Everyone's running for their lives. If you tell others, 'Don't run—kill the aberrations you encounter, you'll be safer,' who will believe you?"

"Even Phoenix Society would require Ding Jun's detailed research data to verify. They'd need to test it first. Not everyone has Hell Black Chrysanthemum—we can't send them that either. Only after Phoenix Society confirms it experimentally will they release it publicly. This even ties into their operational protocols. If proven, many survivors might feel fleeing is a dead end, triggering greater panic and despair—and that would only fuel the Old Federation's underground city plan…"

Phoenix Society and the Old Federation fundamentally differ in survival philosophy and resistance strategy. Due to the Eternal Night, most survivors support fleeing the darkness. But the 【Dark Mark】 inevitably accumulates risk into escape, forcing survivors to reconsider their choices.

"Then what do we do?"

"Do what we must. Let the leaders decide how the situation evolves," Lin Xian said, taking a deep breath. All he could do was pass on the useful information—he couldn't change anything else.

"Alright, Chen Laoshi, have your team inventory the supplies first, then prepare dinner. After so long on the run, we finally won a battle—let's have a victory feast."

Chen Sixuan nodded, her spirits lifted—she fully supported Lin Xian's decisions. "Good. Several girls on the train are excellent cooks. The dining car now has an oven and woks. Tonight, we'll make a real feast."

Night. Silent forest. Deep in a valley dozens of kilometers from Yuzhen, the 400-meter-long "Infinite Train" rested quietly. Heavy doors sealed shut; pale yellow light streamed through the windows, casting warmth into the carriage's darkness, giving passengers an unshakable sense of safety.

Since Jiang City, this was Lin Xian's first meal with so many people—and his first real meal with stir-fried dishes.

Chen Sixuan and several skilled female crew members worked over an hour, using the oven, woks, soup pots, and grills for the first time, preparing a feast that made mouths water.

Tomato beef soup, roasted meat jerky, stir-fried noodles, sweet soup simmered with honey and fruit preserves—the centerpiece: a giant pot stew of braised pork, beef, salted fish, and dried-vegetable cans.

Chen Sixuan also brought out the red wine, to celebrate their survival.

"Whoa, having a dining car really makes a difference—we've got stir-fried noodles!" Kiki and Shasha entered the dining car, staring at the table, utterly enchanted.

Shasha pouted, eyes gleaming: "I can't take it anymore—I'm drooling."

Grrrrr~

Da Lou, exhausted from a full day's work, walked behind them. Seeing the food on the table, his stomach growled loudly.

"Bro! I heard that—keep your stomach quiet!" Shasha complained.

"Heh," Da Lou grinned sheepishly. "We fought several battles today—I'm starving."

In the apocalypse, a hearty meal might be the only hope in everyone's dark despair.

"Hmm, good," Lu Xingchen strode to the center, surveyed the table, and nodded approvingly. "The dining car is clean and hygienic, the food fragrant and enticing—very pleasing to this master."

!

Chen Sixuan, having worked for hours, rolled her eyes at him: "Then stop standing there—find a seat. Do you think I'm inviting you?"

"Hehehe, coming, coming!" Kiki rushed to claim a nearby seat.

Lu Chang, having completed a patrol, walked in excitedly: "Holy crap—a feast! Is it New Year's today?!"

His words made everyone pause. "New Year's" felt both familiar and alien—no one expected such a festival to be mentioned in the apocalypse.

"Yes, yes! Today is the Infinite Train's New Year!" Lin Xian, unusually relaxed, gestured for everyone to sit.

"Shu Qin, you sit too."

Seeing Shu Qin enter, still hesitant, Lin Xian said: "The sentry system is active—you don't need to stand guard."

Shu Qin opened her mouth, then closed it, sighed, and smiled at Lin Xian: "Alright, Lin Dui. We haven't eaten like this in a long time."

Ding Junyi entered silently, standing in the corner. When she felt Lin Xian's gaze, she gave a slight nod.

By nature, she cared little for food and wasn't skilled at socializing. But now, warmth glimmered in her eyes as she scanned everyone, finally settling on Lin Xian, watching him quietly.

"How's the meal tonight?" Lin Xian asked with a smile. Everyone was present; over thirty people in Car 6 looked eagerly at the table.

In the kitchen area, Chen Sixuan, Miao Lu, He Fang, and Zou Yunyao also turned to look.

"Extremely generous!"

"Amazing!"

"So fragrant…"

"I haven't had such a lavish dinner in ages."

Thirty people spoke at once, the atmosphere lively and joyful.

Lin Xian smiled: "We owe our thanks to these lovely ladies for their hard work in the kitchen."

He stood up, his smile fading, eyes sweeping over everyone.

"Comrades, after these two nights of fierce battle, we've become inseparable comrades and allies. This train is now our home of survival. We now know the 【Dark Mark】. To ensure we can live like this again, we won't just flee forever—we'll learn to fight back, to seize the hope of survival…"

"Our next goal is to transmit this information to the entire world through Phoenix Society."

"You might ask why we risk transmitting this message…"

Lin Xian raised his wine cup, eyes sharp.

"For every soldier of the Interstellar Military Iron Guard 52nd Brigade and the Yubei Airport Security Regiment who sacrificed themselves for us."

(End of Chapter)