Chapter 244

"Huh~"

After finishing the last batch of bullets, Lin Xian felt he'd done enough; he stood up, stretched his limbs—this batch of ammunition would at least suffice for 1130 to fire a full standard load, and for the convoy members, each magazine could last four or five rounds.

"I have to make all the ammunition myself; even two hands aren't enough."

Lin Xian sighed, staring at the vast piles of bullets; the materials stored in his decomposition center had been heavily depleted.

"If only I could build a bullet factory right on the train…" Lin Xian had this thought, then immediately dismissed it.

Bullets may seem simple, but different calibers and manufacturing processes involve far more than just one or two machines; to produce bullets, you'd need multiple production lines—it's not an ideal development path. Better to focus later on electromagnetic cannons or energy weapons; those might actually be feasible.

Wuu~

With the entire train fully prepared and ammunition nearly ready, Lin Xian walked to the front cab and started the train, then spoke over the communicator:

"Everyone, pay attention—this is a Level 3 Dark Mark. After nightfall, we may face the same situation as in Jiazhou City and Yuzhen, where Guiyi bodies surrounded us, or encounter large Guiyi bodies—prepare yourselves mentally!"

The Infinite Train headed north.

After speaking over the communicator, Lin Xian sat in the driver's seat, took out the food Chen Sixuan had given him, and began eating—he needed to rest and recover some strength for what awaited after dark.

After entering the northern track, the Infinite Train accelerated, its wheels rumbling as the golden afterglow of the setting sun bathed the lifeless, abandoned city; long shadows of buildings swept across the train cars.

In Car 2, Kiki held Shasha's hand and showed her an image of a mech's interior on a computer screen.

This is the emergency valve—at a critical moment, it can release the upper limiters to evacuate from the rear of the mech.

"Don't use the flamethrower lightly—burning Guiyi bodies up close does little good; if they get too near, find a way to create distance."

"Understood, Kiki-jie."

"You understand nothing—remember this clearly."

In Car 5, Da Lou, Shu Qin, and Lu Chang were loading firearms.

"Machine guns can't fire long—we should use crossfire to reload, maintaining continuous suppression." Shu Qin tossed Lu Chang a magazine: "Did you hear? You have no ability—if Lin's team leader doesn't order it, don't grab your knife and charge. Do you think you're as indestructible as Brother Lou?"

Da Lou cleared his throat, still loading the magazine: "You die too. It hurts a lot."

Huh~ huuu

On the other side, Lu Xingchen sat in a recliner, wearing a light-blocking mask, dozing off—clearly resting up for the coming battle.

In Car 3, Ding Junyi installed numerous sensors and monitoring devices for the Hell Black Chrysanthemum and other plants, to track energy fluctuations and changes in the Dark Mark. After finishing, she carried a small potted plant chamber back to the rest area; inside was a vine plant. She placed it on the table and focused intently, attempting to sense the plant and test her ability's changes.

In the living car, all teammates held their guns, ready; magazines filled the corridors and bunks; the air was thick with tension.

In the cab, Chen Sixuan carefully watched the track ahead while Lin Xian sat beside her, resting.

"Temperature's dropping too fast—thankfully we're prepared."

Chen Sixuan glanced at the thermometer; the cabin temperature had already fallen to 6–7 degrees.

Lin Xian squinted and murmured: "The Dark Tide is alive—these disasters aren't natural changes. Survivors need more than just stubborn willpower to live."

"What if the tracks disappear?"

Chen Sixuan suddenly looked at Lin Xian: "Now we've left the Ring Star Mainline; these branch lines aren't maintained by the Federation or Phoenix Society—the likelihood of track bed damage is very high."

Lin Xian opened his eyes, shook his head, and said with a somber gaze:

"No choice—Infinite's drive system only works on tracks. Short distances are manageable—we can repair them ourselves, and Kiki can help. But if it's widespread, we'll have to stop and reroute before the Dark Tide arrives."

Detaching a train from its tracks entirely? Impossible—even with Lin Xian's Mechanical Heart ability, he couldn't magically redesign the train's drive wheels.

Making the train fly would be even harder. Flight isn't just about propulsion engines; strictly speaking, a train is just a long, moving iron rod—no aerodynamic design, no flight-related structure. Even if every car had flight engines, there'd be no flight control system. Upgrading to flight isn't simple.

The more he thought, the more his head throbbed; Lin Xian closed his eyes again.

He'd just upgraded Mechanical Heart to Level 4, and Infinite had gained many benefits—perfect timing to rest and rearm—but the 【Dark Mark】 above kept everyone's nerves taut.

Chen Sixuan noticed Lin Xian's growing anxiety, walked over, placed her hands on his head, and gently massaged it:

"Enough worrying. Think differently: before, every nightfall brought utter uncertainty—we feared the dark as endless terror. Now, we can predict possible dangers. If we handle them, with the Soul-Dispersing Detector, we can find safer spots in the night. From total uncertainty to relative certainty—that's progress."

"Mm."

Chen Sixuan's words eased much of Lin Xian's inner gloom. Yes—from unknown darkness to predictable threats—Infinite had taken a major step forward.

At least now everyone could be fully alert, turning pure passivity into partial initiative—avoiding massive casualties!

Clank. Clank~

The train slowly rolled out of the main city, passing through several Hengshan Pass industrial zones, leaving the suburbs behind; the setting sun revealed distant mountains and dense broadleaf forests.

The heavy train's rumbling over the rails stirred up countless zombies along the tracks; they were crushed beneath the icebreaker shields and gas turbine wheels as Infinite left Hengshan Pass.

As the train departed the suburbs, Chen Sixuan suddenly spotted a vast open area filled with hundreds of survivor vehicles—many large trucks, even converted bus cabins. At the front stood a heavily armed polar-tracked all-terrain truck, clearly the leader's vehicle.

"Lin Xian."

Chen Sixuan warned.

Lin Xian had already seen it; his gaze swept the group and recognized several familiar vehicle models and faces.

"I know that guy." Lin Xian pointed to a middle-aged man surrounded by a group approaching the train—it was Liao Ming, who had traded with them when they first entered Hengshan Pass.

He was the one who warned Lin Xian about Hu Lushou and the Long-style transport ship in Qingshui Town.

Seeing a familiar face, Lin Xian relaxed his guard slightly; Infinite slowed to a stop as the group rushed toward the train.

I know that man, Lin Xian said, pointing to a middle-aged man approaching amid a group surrounding the front of the convoy—the very man who had traded with Lin Xian when they first entered Hengshan Pass, Liao Ming.

The first to shout was the hat-wearing middle-aged man, Liao Ming. Seeing Infinite stop, he hurried forward with the group. Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan glanced around—this wasn't just one convoy; multiple groups had gathered here, seemingly waiting for them?

Lin Xian opened the cab door and stepped out, asking: "What's going on, brother?"

Liao Ming scanned the train, astonished: "Team Leader Lin, it's really you! After last night's Guiyi body outbreak, I thought you'd already left Hengshan Pass."

"Let me introduce you." Liao Ming stood beside an older man in camouflage and body armor, his hair streaked gray, around fifty, stern-faced with hawk-like eyes—clearly a former soldier. Though aged, his posture remained tall and resilient.

"Wu Zhenhai, captain of the Eagle Convoy—we all call him Uncle Wu."

"Young man, pleasure." Wu Zhenhai extended his hand firmly and shook Lin Xian's: "Call me whatever you like—we mean no harm."

"Yes, Team Leader Lin, and these others." Liao Ming pointed to a young man nearby, roughly Lin Xian's age: "Luo Yang of the Rising Sun Convoy—most of his group are university students."

"Hello, Brother Lin." Luo Yang looked at Lin Xian with eager eyes: "We're the Rising Sun Convoy—we've traveled all the way from Shangjin."

Lin Xian noticed the young man's refined features, still bearing traces of scholarly innocence, yet radiating a calm, hardened aura—clearly shaped by long months of flight and battle.

Yes, Team Leader Lin, and these others, Liao Ming pointed to a relatively young man who appeared to be around Lin Xian's age. The Rising Sun Convoy's Luo Yang; many of their drivers are university students from the same school.

The last to step forward was a rugged man, wearing odd gear: headlamp, armor, night-vision goggles, gun racks, and a large knife strapped to his back—all clearly homemade. Beside him walked a woman with a sallow complexion, around thirty; what caught Lin Xian's eye was her slightly swollen abdomen—she was pregnant—but fully armed, carrying at least three guns.

"I'm Liang Lei, our convoy's called Running Far Camp. This is my wife, Li Yi." He gestured toward a nearby converted mining truck serving as a survivor base, behind which two fully armed buses teemed with faces—young ones among them.

"So you're…" Lin Xian hadn't guessed wrong—they'd been waiting for him specifically.

"We're all heading northwest toward Xilan to find Phoenix Society." Wu Zhenhai spoke bluntly: "After last night's Guiyi body outbreak at Hengshan Pass station, we planned to leave the city at once—but ran into trouble."

"What trouble?" Chen Sixuan stepped down too, immediately asking upon hearing their intent.

"Insect tide." Wu Zhenhai's voice turned grim: "North from here, we don't know the range—but as soon as night falls, it's all black insects. Each can bite a person to death; their chitinous shells are harder than iron. Small-caliber bullets can't penetrate them—damn strange."

"Yes." Liao Ming nodded, looking at Lin Xian: "We lost several people. Luckily, we got some heavy weapons from you yesterday, and on the way back we met these two convoys for aid—we barely held out till dawn."

"That's right, Brother Lin."

Luo Yang, the outgoing young man, spoke up: "Last night, our Rising Sun Convoy was stationed in an industrial zone on the city's edge. We were with another large convoy—over a hundred people. Their leader wanted to leave early, since many Guiyi bodies had appeared and dawn was near. But before reaching Yuan Kou, the whole convoy went dark. When we set out around 9 PM and arrived here, Uncle Wu's group was fleeing back—we joined them to fight off the tide, and only when dawn came did the insect tide vanish."

"So we all agreed—we'll join forces and charge through Yuan Kou at night. Team Leader Lin, we heard your firepower's strong, so we're asking for your protection—let's leave together."

"You all plan to take the northwest route?" Chen Sixuan was puzzled: "Phoenix Society and survivor radio networks have warned—the extreme cold vortex here causes brutal blizzards. Ordinary vehicles can't make it. Why take this route?"

Though the eastern route also lies under the extreme cold vortex, it has many survivors traveling, numerous major cities, and better infrastructure—more opportunities.

Safer convoys simply detour south through Star Abyss No. 7. Few now take the north route unless they have tracked or rail vehicles.

Beyond Yuan Kou, the terrain gradually becomes the Palma Grasslands; the northern railway follows the Yunjiang Mountains all the way to Xilan City.

And this insect tide sounds troublesome too.

"We're not going straight into the grasslands." Liao Ming said: "We'll detour west of the Yunjiang Mountains, exit the Yunjiang Plain at Dazhu Snow Mountain, reach Xilin City, then join the North Wind Survivor Alliance before heading to Xilan City."

Lin Xian now understood their intent—they wanted to find Phoenix Society, merge with them, then head north toward Dawn Center.

But what puzzled him wasn't that.

"It seems you were specifically waiting for me. How did you know I'd take this route?"

"This…" Liao Ming looked embarrassed: "Hu Lushou sold it to us."

"Sold?" Chen Sixuan frowned.

"Yes. This intelligence—he… charged us one Blood Essence."

Lin Xian was stunned. That Hu guy was truly a genius—he turned Lin Xian's route into a paid intelligence report? And charged one Blood Essence!

Damn it, this guy never misses a chance to skim off.

"Then why not wait until tomorrow morning to reach Yuan Kou?" Lin Xian asked directly.

"Last night's Guiyi body outbreak wiped out several large convoys. No one dares stay in Hengshan Pass tonight." Liao Ming spoke plainly, spreading his hands: "We actually planned to leave today, but we used up most of our ammo escaping last night. For safety, we went to Fu Lu Shou Convoy and bought more ammo—that's how we learned you'd take the north route out."

"We discussed it: first, to warn you of the danger; second, if we combine forces, even if we can't break through, we can set up camp and defend—wait till dawn tomorrow."

Lin Xian scanned the group—he realized Wu Zhenhai's convoy had faced an extraordinary insect tide. A hundred-person convoy barely escaped after exhausting massive ammo, losing combat strength. Now they were trapped: the Guiyi body outbreak inside the city was catastrophic; even Lin Xian's group had fled in panic last night. No one dared gamble whether more outbreaks would come tonight.

So these three convoys were stuck between two dangers. Liao Ming and Hu Lushou both knew Infinite's firepower; after obtaining this intel, they pooled together and waited here for Infinite to arrive—hoping to travel together, or at least camp jointly, increasing survival odds.

Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan exchanged glances, their expressions now grave.

Lin Xian's gaze swept across them—he realized the insect tide the Big Eagle Convoy had faced was no ordinary event: a hundred-man convoy had barely escaped after exhausting vast amounts of ammunition, losing combat strength; now they were caught between two fires—the strange entities erupting in the city were devastating; last night even Lin Xian's group had fled in panic, and no one dared gamble on whether more outbreaks would occur tonight.

Lin Xian pressed his earpiece and whispered to Ding Junyi: "Director Ding, what's the status?"

When he stepped out, he'd opened the backbone channel; inside the train, Shu Qin and others had heard Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Luo Yang, and Liang Lei's reports.

Ding Junyi stood in Car 3, observing subtle changes in the Hell Black Chrysanthemum. Hearing Lin Xian's message, she replied immediately:

"Dark Mark remains at Level 3. Two possibilities: first, these three convoys have no Mark; second, their Marks are no higher than Level 3—or equal to ours."

When he got off the vehicle, he had already opened the channel on the core network; now, everyone in the carriage—Shu Qin and the others—heard what Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Luo Yang, and Liang Lei had reported.

Ding Junyi stood in Carriage 3, observing the subtle changes in the Hell Black Chrysanthemum, and upon hearing Lin Xian's message, she immediately replied:

"The Dark Mark remains at Level 3, which means two possibilities: first, these three convoys have no mark; second, their marks are no higher than Level 3, or equal to ours."

"I lean toward the second option," Lin Xian said directly into his headset.

These three convoys just escaped battle, and they're fleeing—there must be some kind of mark on them, no way around it.

But their marks aren't above Level 3, meaning theoretically they won't attract higher risks.

"Lin Xian, what do you think?"

Chen Sixuan scanned the group, turned slightly, and whispered to Lin Xian.

"They're right to be worried—we truly can't stay in the city tonight."

The mark lure at Hengshan Pass Station was definitely above Level 3, its destructive power utterly terrifying—within a single night, the entire station and over a dozen convoys, including the Night Phantom, were wiped out without a single survivor. If not for Director Ding and the Hell Black Chrysanthemum, the Infinite wouldn't have escaped so easily.

"But the problem is, no matter what's happening inside or outside the city, we ourselves carry a Level 3 mark…" Chen Sixuan mused.

"Young brother," said Wu Zhenhai, leader of the Eagle Convoy, stepping forward openly: "I know what you're worried about. You're a large convoy; we say we're uniting, but frankly, we just want to rely on your heavy firepower for protection. I won't beat around the bush—your bullets aren't Jianlaide, and all of us here are fighting for survival. If you have any demands, say them—consider it us paying you to escort us for a stretch."

"Exactly, exactly," Liao Ming nodded. "We can hand over some supplies."

"Yes, we can too," Luo Yang quickly added.

Li Yi, beside Liang Lei, glanced at her husband, then stepped forward with a complex expression: "Our convoy's supplies are tight, but we still have this." She pulled a worn little waist pouch tied to her body from inside her bulletproof vest, opened it, and revealed several Blood Essences inside.

"If you're worried about the pack-hunting effect, I, Wu Zhenhai, swear to you—besides last night's black worms, our convoy encountered no serious Guiyiti attacks during the past two nights at Hengshan Pass," Wu Zhenhai thumped his chest.

Lin Xian looked at their declarations, his gaze shifting slightly, then spoke directly:

"To be honest, I'm grateful you told me about the insect tide. I don't oppose joining forces to escape this predicament together. But the problem is, our troubles may be even greater than yours."

"Greater than ours? What do you mean?" Liao Ming asked, puzzled.

Lin Xian pointed at the train: "If nothing goes wrong, as soon as night falls, our convoy will face a massive Guiyiti attack. You know we already faced one last night at Hengshan Pass Station—tonight, we're likely to suffer the same fate. So if we unite, it may look like mutual aid, but we might actually bring destruction upon you."

Given their sincerity, Lin Xian didn't want to lead others into harm.

He didn't explain using the 【Dark Mark】—most of these people currently accepted the pack-hunting effect, so they'd understand perfectly.

As soon as Lin Xian spoke, the faces of the others darkened. Their eyes exchanged glances, growing grave.

"Really? You've been targeted by many Guiyiti?" Liao Ming exclaimed.

Lin Xian nodded, then checked his watch: "Nightfall is imminent. My convoy must leave the city immediately. If you want to follow us, I won't stop you—but I must warn you of the risks and consequences. If something urgent happens, I can't help much. We travel on tracks—if we can't fight, we accelerate and flee. You won't keep up the whole way—you'll have to switch to highways to move faster."

He gestured to the group: "That's all. While we still have time, we'll go ahead."

"Wait!"

Before Lin Xian could turn, Wu Zhenhai called out: "I hate dragging things out. Since you don't object, we'll follow you. We take full responsibility for all consequences!"

He tossed over a walkie-talkie: "For this stretch, the Eagle Convoy takes orders from you. Give us any needs or assignments."

"Liao Ming, relay the order—full team advance!"

"Yes, Uncle Wu!" Liao Ming shot Lin Xian a grateful glance, then spun and sprinted toward his convoy.

"We're joining too! Thanks, Brother Lin!" Luo Yang's face hardened with resolve as he shouted to his companions: "Xiao Bai, A Min, come on—follow us!"

"Wife?" Liang Lei glanced at his pregnant wife. But Li Yi snapped at him: "What are you standing there for? Round up the team—get ready to move!"

"Got it!"

Liang Lei licked his lips, then looked at Lin Xian, determination set: "Captain Lin, if anything happens, just call out—we'll stay right behind you and never be a burden!"

With that, the three convoys sprang into urgent action.

Lin Xian's expression shifted slightly—he'd made the danger sound dire, yet none of them hesitated. They were charging right after him.

Chen Sixuan's brow was furrowed with worry as she stared at the hundred-plus vehicles: "They don't believe in the Dark Mark. They don't understand how dangerous it is."

"Belief won't help," Lin Xian turned abruptly and strode toward the train. "They have no choice."

Night was coming. No one knew if their team would survive tonight.

In a single night, over a dozen convoys at Hengshan Pass Station were wiped out. The hundred-person convoy fleeing northwest vanished entirely. Even the mighty Eagle Convoy had to retreat and join others to wait for another chance.

Their options were few: flee or die. Night was approaching. Each passing night could erase a convoy you'd exchanged greetings with yesterday. Faced with this, Wu Zhenhai, a former soldier, decisively chose to rely on the Infinite's overwhelming firepower to break through the insect tide and the night. His decision wasn't rash—he knew that in crisis, seizing opportunity was vital; any hesitation could doom the entire group.

Wu ~

As Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan returned to the train, they immediately started it moving.

Knowing a Chongchao was imminent, there was no time to linger—they had to depart at once!

The three convoys, led by the Eagle Convoy, moved swiftly and with tight organization. Among the hundreds were many skilled fighters; their firepower, at a glance, was formidable.

All were high-clearance, heavily modified vehicles, supplemented by tracked all-terrain vehicles that could follow side paths beside the tracks, and even temporarily surge onto the rails to keep pace. With engines roaring, they completely ignored traffic restrictions, forming a vast, rolling steel tide along the sides and rear of the Infinite.

Ka 。

Lin Xian pressed his walkie-talkie. The leaders of the three convoys were all on the same channel. He stared ahead at the widening terrain and the sinking sun, his face grim.

"Everyone, as soon as night falls, we may be attacked immediately. Before darkness arrives, I'll find an open area to stop and prepare to face the dark. If we can handle the Chongchao or Guiyiti, we'll try to eliminate them before moving on. Only if the threat is beyond our capacity will we flee."

"I'm telling you this in advance because our train has high defense ratings. You don't need to constantly watch us. If trouble arises, you're free to organize your own escape."

Lin Xian laid this out upfront to prevent their actions from clouding the judgment of the three convoys, avoiding mass casualties due to misjudgment.

After all, without understanding the 【Dark Mark】, ordinary survivors would struggle to grasp the counterintuitive idea that when danger strikes, you don't run—you engage first.

!

But Wu Zhenhai didn't hesitate at all—he shouted loudly through the walkie-talkie: "No problem! You stop, we stop. Don't worry about us. When monsters show up, we'll just open fire and blast these bastards to hell!"

"Got it!!"

"Kill these bastards!!"

Listening to the walkie-talkie, Lin Xian paused, stunned. These people were truly gambling everything.

He turned to Chen Sixuan and said firmly: "Stick to the original plan."

"Mm." Chen Sixuan nodded.

Since they'd been warned and understood the risk, a temporary alliance stood.

"Everyone, watch your fire—don't hit friendly units."

Lin Xian added, speaking over the Infinite's comms.

"Understood," Shuqin Building replied.

"Good, good—so many guns should ease our pressure a bit~" came Kiki's voice.

Lin Xian frowned: "I never planned to use them as cannon fodder."

"Don't underestimate them," Kiki said, watching the vast steel tide from the Info Center. "Their vehicles are heavily modified. Their firepower isn't as strong as ours, but anyone who made it this far? I'd bet many are Evolved or Psychics."

"I mean, even in firepower alone, they can deliver plenty—lots of people, lots of guns."

Lin Xian nodded: "I hope so."

18: 0

Fifteen minutes until nightfall.

Lin Xian went to the restroom, washed his face with cold water, then picked up his fully charged Black Gun and walked to Car 2. Kiki was monitoring the outside from the Info Center. Seeing him enter, she said:

"Hey, Lin Xian, I've got an idea."

She pointed upward with her finger: "If both me and Ding Jie have marks, why not have me fly Ding Jie up into the sky? That'd draw all the monsters toward us. Then we decide whether to fight or flee—after all, I can fly. Better than using the train to engage, right?"

Lin Xian was startled by her idea. He narrowed his eyes, paused, then burst out laughing.

"I thought you were usually smart. What, did your brain suddenly short-circuit? Too many games, huh?"

He walked over and said: "What if those monsters in the dark are already beside you right now?"

"Multiple times we entered night, Guiyiti appeared suddenly. Especially that night in Jiazhou—so many monsters couldn't have all appeared at once. They probably followed us for a while, gathered, and only struck when night fell."

Kiki squinted around, then shrank back: "That's disgusting. Why can't we see them during the day?"

Lin Xian had no reply: "Day? Would we even be alive then?"

"Hehe~ Just kidding." Kiki leaned back on the recliner. "How can we make our abilities stronger? Maybe then we won't fear those monsters."

The recliner slowly turned toward Lin Xian. "I don't mean what Ding Jie said about absorbing night energy—I mean something tangible, something you can see and touch."

"Blood Essence." Lin Xian pulled out one and handed it to her. "Every organization in the world is studying this. Last time you were badly wounded, you accidentally got two—result? You evolved. But this stuff is definitely toxic. Whether there's a better method? Maybe the Phoenix Society will find out."

"Hey!"

Kiki frowned, snapped her fingers: "That foundation organization—they even use the Dark Mark's properties to lure people as bait. That proves their research far surpasses the Phoenix Society and Dawn City. Don't you think they might already know the secrets of Blood Essence or psychic abilities?"

"According to this logic, it's possible."

Lin Xian nodded: "But these are all guesses. Right now, we'd better pray this guess is wrong. Otherwise, for all survivors and the Phoenix Society, the existence of such an organization is as dangerous as the dark itself."

Drip. Drip.

As they spoke, Lin Xian's watch beeped.

Night was coming.

Chen Sixuan rushed over: "Lin Xian, ahead is a plain—open terrain, with only one patch of forest."

Lin Xian nodded seriously, then activated his Mechanical Heart to stop the train.

"Nightfall's imminent. Shuqin, Da Lou."

"Captain Lin, ready."

Shuqin stood in the corridor of Car 8, holding a Remington M96, eyes alert on the window.

"Boss, all clear," Da Lou stood before the automatic door of Car 5, gripping the Roarer K23 electric rotary machine gun, safety off, ready to fire.

"Hey, kid, night's coming," he shouted to Lu Xingchen, who was dozing.

"No issue. I'll act."

Lu Xingchen opened one eye, glanced, then closed it again.

"Everyone," Lin Xian picked up the walkie-talkie, his gaze flickering. "We're stopping. Each convoy find favorable terrain, assume defensive positions. Nightfall may bring immediate contact—prepare yourselves."

Lin Xian's words reached the steel tide. Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, and Li Yi all wore grim expressions and responded immediately.

"Understood!" Wu Zhenhai bellowed.

"Prepare to stop! All vehicles deploy into camp defense formation!"

Clank. clank.

The side ramp of a black military truck in the Great Eagle convoy rose, and its remaining dozen or so small missiles deployed into attack formation.

At the same time, over twenty elite armed personnel clad in sourceless armor and high-energy weapons disembarked from various vehicles, exuding a chilling aura as they scattered toward defensive nodes.

Meanwhile, the Pursuit convoy's dozen or so vehicles, led by Luo Yang and a group of young people, swiftly secured an open-visibility zone. Their driving skills were exceptional, their coordination seamless; soon they formed a vortex formation, surrounding a supply support vehicle. The youths then emerged from their heavily modified transports, carrying all manner of heavy weapons—rocket launchers, large-caliber machine guns, even drone bomb-delivery systems.

"Xiao Bai, set up a high-voltage ion wall. A Min Luo Luo, your power armor's battery only lasts two hours—don't sortie recklessly; prioritize defense. Li Guangwen, watch the skies!"

Whoo~ hiss.

Two women in power armor descended from their vehicle, fully equipped. Their white battle suits glowed with azure energy lines—advanced military-grade rapid-response power armor, extensively upgraded and modified, radiating formidable power.

"Synchronize visual systems."

"Synchronization successful."

"Charge the chain swords!"

Liang Lei and Li Yi drove a heavy mining vehicle converted into a motorhome, its truck tires wrapped in anti-slip chains. Behind them, two fully loaded buses were followed by several heavy engineering vehicles—obviously rugged and durable. Their convoy brought up the rear, stopping directly at the end of the Infinite. The engineering vehicles encircled the cargo trucks and two modified buses, forming a defensive perimeter.

"Honey, you stay inside and command. I'll handle the outside."

Li Yi touched her swollen abdomen, watching him with worried eyes.

"Don't worry—I won't let a single bug into the convoy."

Liang Lei cracked his neck, his eyes glowing faintly. His entire body seemed to swell slightly, his skin turning a dark metallic sheen. Even before he stepped out, the vehicle's hydraulic system sank two centimeters.

On the Infinite, in Car 2, Kiki watched the convoy's swift movements and glanced at Lin Xian with a faint look.

"See? I told you, their strength isn't bad."

Lin Xian replied: "That Great Eagle convoy had firepower like that and still got pushed back by the bug tide—so we can't afford to be careless."

He told Kiki: "Sha Sha is calibrating the Vulcan mech in Car 11. Go help her. If necessary, deploy quickly for fire suppression."

"Got it~"

Kiki gave Lin Xian a thumbs-up with two fingers to her forehead, then floated effortlessly from her seat and sped toward Car 11.

Sha Sha was preparing to enter the mech's cockpit when she saw Kiki arrive. "Kiki-jie, why are you so late? Hurry up~"

"Relax. We might not even need it."

Kiki crossed her arms and landed before the mech. "If we face another situation like before—where the train was surrounded—there's no point deploying this thing."

"Just be ready."

Sha Sha stood atop the cockpit, eager and bouncing. She leapt inside and patted the interior. "Right, Sha Li Hao!"

Sha Sha always loved tinkering with weapons. Though small, she preferred heavy firepower. Since Lin Xian assigned her the Vulcan mech, she'd spent the afternoon operating it for one or two hours—and grew more addicted by the minute. A tiny girl obsessed with a heavy-firepower Vulcan mech—truly an angel-and-devil contrast.

"I told you to change the name. Sha Li Hao sounds like 'Sha Li Chicken.'"

"No, I like Sha Li Hao!"

…

Hiss.

On a vast open plain, the black heavy train slowed to a stop. Beyond a patch of broadleaf forest, the surroundings offered wide visibility—an ideal spot for nightfall.

Over a hundred survivor vehicles surrounded the train, setting up defensive positions. From afar, they formed a dark, dense sea—a sense of impending battle filled the air.

Hum. A flicker of dark light shimmered on the horizon.

Like a curtain of darkness drawn across the world, the horizon—moments ago bathed in sunset glow—was instantly swallowed by night.

Instantly, every person held their breath.

Lin Xian stood in the cockpit, gazing ahead.

Inside every car, every convoy, everyone stood ready.

Silence surrounded them—only insect chirps and wind howls remained, the dead treetops rustling softly.

The Mechanical Heart connected the entire train. Surprisingly, the expected assault by strange entities never came. Everything remained eerily calm.

Chen Sixuan, holding the Meteor-3 that Lin Xian made for her, whispered: "What's going on? Could this area have no strange entities?"

"It's possible," Lin Xian scanned the surroundings, his expression grave. "But I'm more worried about another scenario."

He glanced at Chen Sixuan. She immediately understood. The two immediately headed toward Car 3.

If not attacked by strange entities, it wasn't just luck—it could mean a single large strange entity ruled this territory.

The two hurried into Car 3, their eyes fixed on the Hell Black Chrysanthemum.

"Director Ding."

Ding Junyi stood nearby: "No change. No Diejiabiaoji."

Lin Xian frowned. Something amiss always meant trouble. This sudden calm felt unnatural—especially given they carried a Level 3 Dark Mark.

Lin Xian picked up the radio: "Anyone notice anything unusual?"

"No."

"No signs yet."

"Boss Lin, nothing."

The convoys replied.

"Could the dark creatures here have been lured away—or wiped out—by another survivor group?"

Chen Sixuan's words gave Lin Xian a new thought.

"That's plausible," Ding Junyi added her own idea.

Lin Xian now entered Car 2, studying the external surveillance feeds on the information center. Nothing appeared.

Just as he was about to relax, one rooftop sentinel system feed caught his attention.

The infrared night-vision image seemed narrower than usual.

"What's wrong?" Chen Sixuan, standing beside him, asked, puzzled by his expression.

"What's this?" Lin Xian pointed to the narrow black edge beside the feed. He switched to an adjacent camera—and now the narrow edge had shifted from left to right.

Chen Sixuan didn't understand. "I don't see anything."

"There's something there."

Lin Xian frowned deeply and spoke firmly.

He opened the sunshade and looked toward the camera's direction.

The direction pointed to the forest. But now, black clouds obscured the moon; no stars shone. Beneath the sky, darkness was as thick as ink—even the forest's outline was barely visible.

Seeing Lin Xian's action, Chen Sixuan stepped forward: "Let me see."

She immediately raised the Meteor-3, activating its smart night-vision targeting system. Her vision, enhanced by genetic evolution, was exceptionally sharp in darkness, and with the sniper scope's aid, she saw far clearer than Lin Xian.

"Eleven o'clock, that forest. Look," Lin Xian said.

Chen Sixuan peered through the scope. As she adjusted the zoom, her elegant brows suddenly furrowed.

"What did you see?"

"Lin Xian—there's a person standing on that forest!" Chen Sixuan's voice was cold, laced with fear.

A person standing on the forest?

It sounded deeply unnatural. Why would someone stand atop trees?

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. At eleven o'clock. That figure is enormous!" Chen Sixuan said sharply. In her scope, deep within the broadleaf forest under night, a human-like entity stood motionless—towering, easily twenty meters tall, its straight legs planted among the trees, utterly still.

Chen Sixuan slowly raised her rifle, trying to discern the towering figure's face—but could not make out any details.

Yet now she was certain: it was undeniably a creature of the night.

(End of Chapter)