Chapter 222: Dragon-Class Transport Ship (Modified)

On the Infinite, Chen Sixuan locked all the vehicle doors, activated the Sentinel system's alert mechanism, and began organizing supplies and carriages with the remaining people.

Under the alert system, 1130 could instantly launch attacks against unknown threat units upon Chen Sixuan's authorization—remarkably intelligent.

The px05 engineering robot had been programmed by Kiki to follow up and replenish ammunition chains the moment 1130 activated.

"Everyone, beyond a certain distance from the Infinite, communication should cut out—pay close attention to the time and return to the train before 18: 0."

Lin Xian's voice came through the radios everywhere.

"Received." Shu Qin's voice replied.

"Received, received!" Sha Sha picked up her radio and responded, then waved at Lu Xingchen: "Hear that? If you get lost, I won't come looking for you—so stick close to me~"

Lu Xingchen smiled helplessly. "Alright~"

"Good, be careful, all of you." Chen Sixuan's voice echoed from the Infinite.

Lin Xian heard the responses, glanced back at Kiki, then pressed the throttle harder and sped off.

Kiki saw Lin Xian riding faster than her, instantly fired up her competitive streak, twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle's engine roared wildly as she shot past him, leaving behind a sexy female rider's silhouette.

"You trying to race?" Lin Xian said over the comm.

"If you can't keep up, just eat my dust, hehe~" Kiki's voice came through the wind.

Lin Xian shook his head in resignation, skillfully dodged a zombie lunging from the roadside, and accelerated to catch up.

Numerous abandoned, rusted cars lined the once-broad city streets; the two motorcycles weaved nimbly through the obstacles, racing southward.

He wore powered armor, carried a magnetic black gun and an electric blade on his back, and additionally strapped on a fully loaded automatic rifle—thoroughly prepared.

In terms of distance, his reconnaissance route was the farthest—he had to travel dozens of kilometers outside the city. According to the map, Qingshui Town bordered Shijiu Lake; even at top speed, it would take at least an hour. To return before dark, he and Kiki ignored street-level scouting and charged straight ahead.

Ughhh~!

Zombies' low growls rose and fell around Lin Xian as he dodged on his motorcycle, occasionally using his wind gun to eliminate a few blocking zombies, the vehicle winding through open ground.

Zzzt!

Kiki was even more brutal—whether encountering zombies or abandoned cars blocking the road, she unleashed invisible shockwaves to blast open paths; obstacles along the way seemed to obey orders, parting for her in unison.

After passing countless neighborhoods, they finally exited the city outskirts. The highway out of town was clogged with abandoned vehicles, but since they rode motorcycles, they sped across ridges and slopes, heading rapidly toward Qingshui Town.

After driving dozens of kilometers, Lin Xian spotted a vast expanse of deep blue water stretching between earth and sky—a massive lake. Even before approaching, he felt a warm, moist breeze from land and water hitting his face—the lake effect signaling an astonishingly enormous body of water; at a glance, it looked like an ocean.

Lin Xian had studied this lake before departure—it was the largest freshwater lake in the Yunjiang Plain, covering 120, 00 square kilometers, with a maximum depth exceeding 1, 00 meters, a vital freshwater reserve for Long Country.

The deep blue water clearly indicated great depth; as a child, he'd nearly drowned swimming in a deep reservoir, so he harbored a natural fear of deep water.

Now he thought of the future—riding a train on the Oceanic Track, built over a thousand-meter-deep seabed ridge—and found the idea thrillingly dangerous.

"Whoa, such a huge lake—could there be water monsters inside?"

Kiki's voice came over the comm; outside the city, the other squads were now out of contact.

"What's to fear? We're not going in the water."

Having survived the Ninth Underground City and Rain Town, Lin Xian knew even by day, dark buildings harbored strange entities—and water, especially deep water, naturally blocked sunlight.

Survivors had accumulated considerable experience regarding these dark creatures' habits.

Kiki replied directly: "Who knows? Maybe that Foundation organization is hiding beneath the lake."

Lin Xian smiled faintly: "If they have such powerful capabilities, cooperating with them isn't a bad deal."

The motorcycles sped on; Lin Xian checked road signs and adjusted direction, turning from the highway onto a national road.

Qingshui Town was a small settlement with few residents; few people fled here after the collapse. Abandoned cars on the road grew sparse, and their speed increased.

After passing several lakeside forests, Lin Xian lifted his gaze and spotted a modest town—its style clearly that of a tourist destination. A crooked, rusted sign by the roadside still read: "Welcome to Qingshui Town~"

As the two motorcycles neared, broken vehicles along the roadside grew more numerous, and a few zombies wandered listlessly on the highway.

All the cars had been shoved to the roadside, forming a passable corridor.

Lin Xian and Kiki pulled over on an open hillside.

"Looks like a lot of people have been here."

Kiki stopped her bike, cupped her hands to her eyes, and gazed at the town: "Pity—it's actually quite pretty. A great tourist spot."

"Hey, look—is that the crashed transport ship?"

Kiki's gaze immediately fixed on something.

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes toward the distant town and clearly saw a massive, hollow vessel's silhouette stretched across the town's deep streets—impressive in scale. The ten-thousand-ton transport ship lay tilted between several collapsed high-rises; its top bore numerous scorch marks, the front hull structure fractured, and birds flew above the Dragon Transport. From afar, the enormous artificial vessel stood jarringly surreal amid the town's buildings.

"Such a huge transport ship crashing here is strange—did it hit some massive strange entity?"

Lin Xian used his binoculars to scan the town, spotting many zombies wandering the streets, but no signs of other survivor teams.

"Possible," Kiki said, gazing at Shijiu Lake. "I told you there's something big in that lake. Those Federation flyers are just unlucky—getting hit everywhere."

Lin Xian frowned. He instinctively recoiled at the thought of the lake's black waters—1, 00 meters deep, sunless abyss. Who knew what lurked below? He recalled the subterranean creatures of the Ninth Underground City and felt a chill crawl up his spine.

"Let's enter the town first. Stay cautious."

The Southern Track isn't far from here. If the Infinite were to switch to the Southern Track, it would pass through this area—though without a station.

The two remounted their motorcycles. Buildings along the roadside grew denser; as they neared the town's district, they slowed, eyes alert, scanning their surroundings.

Before them lay a desolate, bleak tourist town. Shops along the road bore signs like "Shijiu Lake Aquatic Products" and "Boat Rentals." The streets were filthy—discarded clothes, rotting corpses, mixed with the stench of lake water.

Perhaps due to rising lake levels, several streets were submerged in water, appearing Molvse, about waist-deep.

Lin Xian bypassed these flooded streets and headed toward the crashed transport ship at the town's center.

Tsst!

Several wind gun shots fired; zombies dropped. After passing several streets, collapsed and shattered buildings blocked the way. The ten-thousand-ton aerial vessel lay slanted atop a pile of ruins. Hundreds of meters of street had collapsed, forming a massive crash trench running west to east, nearly splitting the town in two.

The Dragon Transport's bow was bent and broken, exposing multiple internal deck levels to sunlight. Lin Xian estimated climbing up its slanted side would require scaling at least ten stories.

"Whoa, such a huge transport ship—impressive!" Kiki exclaimed.

"We'll head straight to the top. More zombies are gathering—avoid secluded spots." Lin Xian kept scanning his surroundings; he knew others might be here too—better cautious.

"Got it."

!

As the two entered the quiet town, more zombies were drawn to them. Lin Xian glanced around, instantly forged several steel plates, then rode across a broken concrete-and-rebar zone, ascending a tilted, collapsed staircase facade, stopping atop a concealed pile of rubble.

"Move the bikes up," Lin Xian said, leaping off his bike toward the collapsed stairs.

He activated his powered armor's movement units, leapt down onto the lower floor, and rapidly erected a slanted steel wall to block zombies climbing up. Several zombies tumbled off the floor.

Though these zombies posed little immediate threat, Lin Xian had to clear them. Kiki grabbed both motorcycles, lifted off, and flew toward the transport ship, landing swiftly on its upper deck.

Thud! Thud!

On Lin Xian's side, after securing the barrier, he aimed his wind gun at a wobbly advertising lightbox across the street. A burst of air slammed into the metal frame—sparks flashed—and the massive restaurant sign collapsed, showering debris that crushed several zombies and blocked part of the climbing path.

"Alright, done."

Lin Xian finished building the wall, turned, and sprinted upward. His powered armor's torque output propelled him like a sprinter. Soon, the massive Dragon Transport loomed before him.

Its side had plunged deep into the ground, uprooting the sewer system. Lin Xian climbed along the slanted flank toward the ship's top. Muddy footprints and bloodstains marked the path. Corpses of survivors lay scattered—some decayed, others seemingly dead less than a week. Whether bitten by zombies or killed by rivals in a Wuzi scramble, he couldn't tell.

Yet now the transport was eerily silent. Lin Xian didn't know if anyone remained inside, or if other survivors were watching from the town. Halfway up, he glanced at Kiki, hovering above observing, then behind him—he was already at the height of ten stories.

"Girl, keep watch outside. I'm going in."

"Be careful~" Kiki said, landing on the deck.

Lin Xian tossed her a pair of binoculars: "I'll check quickly. Watch around—others might be watching too. Stay alert."

"Alright, got it. Go ahead. If anything happens, just call me," Kiki said.

Lin Xian advanced along the ship's top, reaching the massive gash at the fractured bow. He peered inside and jumped in.

Thud!

The moment he landed, the cabin floor emitted a low hum. He swept his right hand beside his head, generating a head-mounted photonic light, illuminating the cabin's interior.

"Lin Xian?"

"No one here," Lin Xian replied. The upper decks were crew quarters; corridors lined with individual cabins, all doors wide open. Standing on the slightly tilted corridor, he stared at the empty, silent ship, expression grim.

"Keep watch outside. I'll check inside."

"Got it."

Lin Xian didn't expect supplies—this place clearly had been looted by countless survivor groups. If, as Liao Ming claimed, Hu Lushou's gang had been first, everything had been stripped bare. Even second-wave searchers would find little usable gear.

But Lin Xian was here for blueprints and engines—items survivors unlikely to remove. To him, those were treasures.

"It's pitch-black in here—hope no strange entity pops out…"

Lin Xian's face darkened. He didn't hesitate, sprinting swiftly across the upper decks toward the rear engine room. The transport was pitch-dark, reeking of rotting corpses. He passed numerous bodies clad in Federation Garrison uniforms, sprawled haphazardly.

Judging by decay, they'd likely died on impact.

Yet when he'd jumped in through the bow fracture, he'd sensed something odd. Most peculiar: the bow showed an upward-angled impact zone, but the fracture occurred from above—highly suspicious.

In short, the transport seemed to have suffered impact on both forehead and chin—with the forehead impact worse. It looked as if, while flying high, it had struck something, then upon forced landing, the bow hit ground and the hull tore apart, severing the upper deck structure.

Since the town's tallest buildings were only ten stories, and no building debris marred the bow's impact zone, Lin Xian couldn't help but suspect an aerial collision.

"This Daomei transport—did it just crash into some atmospheric mother-of-pearl?"

Lin Xian mused inwardly.

"But something that big—radar should've detected it…"

Guys, double moon tickets until the 7th! Please support with early-month moon tickets—thank you so much!

(End of Chapter)