Chapter 261: Arc-Pulse String Resonator

Hoo~ hoo…

A biting blizzard turned the horizon into a gray haze; the temperature had dropped to minus fifty-five degrees Celsius. On the northern track of the Palma Grassland, two coupled heavy trains formed a straight, two-kilometer-long dragon standing motionless atop the snowfield.

The storm raged, ice clung to every surface, and the temperature difference between inside and outside the train coated the specially reinforced glass with thick fog.

Creak~

In the central living car of Longshan No. 1, a young boy reached out and wiped away the frosty mist, revealing a flushed face from prolonged exposure to heating. He pressed his face against the window, his curious gaze peering through the gaps in the armored grating at the pure white snowfield beyond—until a hand behind him yanked him away.

"Come here. From now on, you hide with Bingbing, Xiao Dong, and the others inside the safe cabinet. No crying, no shouting—just wait until the adults open it. Understood?"

A thin woman, carrying a heavy rifle, quickly slipped a thick cotton coat onto the boy and shoved a packet of biscuits into his arms.

"Eat if you're hungry."

The boy nodded obediently and quickly crawled into the specially designed safe cabinet inside the car. Many cars had such devices, capable of holding around ten children at once.

Clatter~ Thud-thud-thud.

Inside Longshan No. 1, people surged in motion. Countless busy figures darted through the corridors. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, hands and feet never still. All adults carried rifles; crates of supplies and ammunition were dragged along the aisles on carts.

"All non-combat personnel return to your original living areas. Everyone else, follow full-train defense protocols!"

Each car's command personnel were frantically deploying defenses. They performed this daily—even during safety periods—frequently practicing drills. This was why Longshan No. 1's thousand-plus idle personnel could form such formidable combat power and survival rates: except for children and the elderly, everyone was a soldier, each assigned a role, cooperating seamlessly, with commanders assigned to every car to evenly distribute defensive forces.

Moreover, every five cars, a dedicated weapons car with onboard heavy firepower and ammunition supplies ensured rapid replenishment and redeployment during combat.

But this time, everyone aboard felt intense pressure—not for any other reason than what Lu Yong had learned from Lin Xian: they were about to face every snow monster from Yazehu to Wuliyasitai Mountain, and worse, subterranean giants capable of overturning the train!

Even the Phoenix Society had nearly been wiped out. Clearly, what lay ahead was a perilous, life-or-death escape. Whether they could successfully link up with Shi Di and Lin Xian's main force—and ultimately survive to reach Xilan City—depended entirely on their preparations.

"Distribute food early. Otherwise, we won't have time to eat."

"Flamethrowers and de-icing agents to the front cars. Increase heating by ten percent from car 24 to 46. Maintain oxygen density in activity zones."

"Where's the ammunition?"

Lu Yong's face was tense as he led a group swiftly moving between cars.

On Longshan No. 1, the air was heavy with the weight of impending battle; every car's crew was busy preparing defenses.

"Our heavy firepower reserves are sufficient, but if we have to fight all night, we…"

"Stagger it!" Lu Yong said as he walked: "Reserve heavy firepower for high-level anomalies or large-scale threats. Otherwise, we engage with armored hulls. Ammunition won't last six hours. All psychics and enhanced personnel must strictly follow alternating fire rhythms: heavy firepower suppresses one round, then psychics close in to repel enemies. Oh, Dongzi, Wang Chong, Zhuang Yue, Yu Lianxing, Zhu Anran, Min Ming—check your powered armor's backup batteries. Tonight's blizzard is fierce; give them an extra thermal maintenance unit for rooftop combat."

"Yes, Captain Lu!"

With Shi Di and Ningjing absent, Lu Yong was the third-ranking authority on Longshan No. 1. Upon receiving notification from Shi Di and Lin Xian, he immediately initiated combat deployment.

"Also, inspect every car's arc-pulse string resonator!"

"Understood."

"One more thing." Lu Yong stopped. "Quickly—Brother Shi instructed: send the three spare arc-pulse string resonators to Wuxian. They're power-hungry, but perfect for keeping snow monsters off the train—far better than bullets."

His subordinate nodded and turned to prepare immediately.

On the other side, on Wuxian, car 12, Chen Sixuan, clad in powered armor, was coordinating defenses with the others.

"It's 15: 0. They're scheduled to depart at 16: 0. Their breakout to here will take about an hour—we have roughly an hour and a half to prepare."

Chen Sixuan pointed to the original lift access reserved for 1130 in car 12 and said to Da Lou and Lu Chang: "Move the Fire God mech here. It can't move, but its firepower can cover the rear cars—otherwise, 1130's close-defense cannons won't have enough ammo."

Shasha waved her hand: "Hard to move. The exit's in car 11. Unless I activate the mech, climb onto the roof, then crawl into car 12…"

The Fire God mech's massive size made it nearly impossible to maneuver inside the train, especially through the narrow corridors between cars.

"Too bad Kiki's not here—she could've handled this easily."

"We'll have to do it ourselves," Chen Sixuan said. "Then climb over. There's still that tool ladder Lin Xian built in the tool car. Shasha, you're holding car 12 tonight."

Shasha nodded quickly: "Yeah, don't worry. Like driving and fighting monsters—Sally's firepower is strong."

"I'll be here too," Shu Qin said, pulling out a tether rope with a hook: "Firing guns inside is too passive. Once monsters board, we can't reach them. So if needed, I'll use the lift to reach the roof and support Fire Brother."

"And us," Lu Chang and Miao Lu said, now wearing thick cold-weather gear: "Miao Lu and I will guard the central cars with Brother Lou."

Lu Xingchen stood nearby, eyes blazing with battle-lust: "Big battle coming—awesome."

He twisted his neck: "Tonight, we fight through the blizzard."

"Fire Brother," Chen Sixuan said, concerned: "Watch the connection between us and Longshan No. 1. If that fails, our front cars could derail."

"No problem. Leave it to me," Lu Xingchen said, closing his eyes and nodding confidently.

Da Lou also picked up a tether rope, preparing to take it back to car 5: "Ammo alone won't last long. Tonight, we might face hand-to-hand combat."

Chen Sixuan replied gravely: "Lin Xian and I discussed it—before we link up, both trains must start early, build up momentum. Speed must reach at least 80 km/h. Timing matters too."

She turned to Lu Xingchen: "Fire Brother, you and Longshan No. 1 lead the way. Wait for Lin Xian's signal. If we're more than three kilometers apart, we lose contact—and that'll be trouble."

In the vast snowfield blizzard, with no signal, finding a speeding train kilometers away was nearly impossible. But Wuxian and Longshan No. 1 couldn't wait to link up before starting—starting up trapped in the blizzard would take too long. If overwhelmed by the monster tide, they'd never regain momentum.

So the situation was far more dangerous than anticipated. Chen Sixuan and Lin Xian estimated they'd issue the command once the trains were within three kilometers, then launch simultaneously, with the main force turning to intercept.

At that moment, the communicator buzzed. Chen Sixuan listened—it was Longshan No. 1 sending supplies to Wuxian.

"Arc-pulse string resonator? What's that?"

"Our boss Shi got it from Silent City. Mounted outside, it emits wide-area arc-pulse vibrations—like a pulsed high-voltage grid. Extremely effective against monsters trying to climb aboard."

The group delivering the gear included a young man named Wang Miao, whom Chen Sixuan had met in Yubei City. He opened the weapon case, revealing three brand-new black devices: flat, honeycomb-structured, clearly high-power energy units.

"Oh, I know! Fire God has one!" Shasha's eyes lit up. "But this one's much bigger."

Wang Miao nodded: "These are for large vehicles, but their range is limited. We only have three spares. You can't cover all your cars, so I recommend concentrating them on the power car and living cars. Skip the empty ones."

Chen Sixuan replied with deep gratitude: "Thank you—we desperately need these."

Shu Qin nodded: "We were just saying—our only defenses against snow monsters climbing aboard are external plasma blades and exiting for close combat. This comes at the perfect time."

"Install one on car 12 to protect the weapons station and nuclear-powered locomotive. One on car 10 to protect the living car crew. The last one on car 2, to protect the command center and electromagnetic railgun," Chen Sixuan said decisively.

"Alright, time's tight. I'll help you install them," Wang Miao said, on a mission and not wasting words.

"I'll help too!"

Da Lou stepped forward—he understood this tech. With Lin Xian gone, he took on the role of mechanic.

Meanwhile, Chen Sixuan called Miao Lu and Xiao Yuan: "Let's distribute meals early. Everyone eats well—tonight… it's going to be a brutal fight!"

…

"As you said, personnel are all in place."

Trakama Ice Valley, Prototype Defense Line. Violent winds howled through the valley. Lin Xian's communicator flickered erratically. Listening to Chen Sixuan's report, he replied calmly: "Three arc-pulse string resonators? Good. Installing them in those three cars is fine. Watch out—during the pursuit, protect our twin-star nuclear-electric locomotives at the rear."

"One more thing: our breakout convoy won't match the train's speed—they'll lag behind. They'll bear the heaviest firepower pressure."

Inside the command tent, everyone was busy. The Emperor Team members hauled combat supplies and equipment; other convoy members prepared urgently for breakout.

"Tech team vehicles form the center. Old Shi's train leads."

"We'll cover the rear," Qian Dele said confidently. "My convoy has plenty of psychics. Mobility and cleanup capability are solid."

"Alright. Da Liu, your three convoys handle the left flank. Sergeant Sun, you, Zhou's team, and Old Wei handle the right flank. Lin's team operates freely in the front-center. Command is under Lin's control—only team leaders communicate on the channel, then relay downward."

"Understood."

"Good." All vehicles were packed. Sun Kai and several convoy leaders discussed breakout formation. Lin Xian set his communicator to broadcast, then looked at Sun Kai and Shi Di: "Also, if rear vehicles fall behind, we can use the train like a sky elevator—pull them up with cables."

"Agreed," Shi Di nodded. "But the snow's too deep. If a vehicle flips, cut the tether—otherwise, it becomes dead weight, slowing the train."

"Don't worry about flipping. For so many psychics here, that's minor. The real threat is that black worm."

Lin Xian said: "If it catches up from underground, it could flip the train. So I suggest we cripple it before we link up."

Shi Di nodded gravely. His thousand-strong Longshan No. 1 knew full well the disaster if that mountain-sized worm overturned the train—every car would be swarmed by snow monsters and blood demons. In the endless blizzard, resistance would vanish.

"Exactly. We must hurt and cripple it during daylight. Otherwise, it'll be our nightmare at night," Qian Dele said, stepping forward with serious expression.

"If that thing shows its head, I'll tear a chunk off its body—even if I die trying!"

Shi Di clenched his fist. His eyes slowly reddened, the whites turning tiger-yellow. A fierce aura radiated from him—then, in the next instant, his gaze returned to normal.

"Time's short. Ten minutes until departure."

Sun Kai added: "Our infrared targeting system just detected massive biological activity on the snowfield. The monsters noticed us. No more delay!"

!

BOOM!

As he spoke, the ground beneath erupted in violent tremors. The tent's hanging lights swayed. Everyone froze mid-action.

When the shaking stopped, Lin Xian rose, voice icy: "As expected. They know we're running."

He picked up his communicator: "Little Niu, how's it going over there?"

"Hoo~ (wind)~ Almost! Five minutes!! " The communicator crackled with blizzard noise and Kiki's voice.

Yu Yuheng, his face tense among the crowd, watched this scene with complex emotion. Only now did he truly grasp how naive his plan had been. Even before departure, the monsters sensed their movement. No matter which path they took, escape was impossible. Descending into the ice valley? Pure suicide.

"Could these monsters sense human thoughts—or smell?" A chilling thought flashed through Yu Yuheng's mind. He sighed, dismissing it. His gaze swept the crowd—and suddenly noticed one person missing. His brow furrowed. He spun and rushed out of the tent.

Outside the tent, armed squads and convoy members hurriedly loaded gear. Some vehicles had already started, forming ranks behind the line.

Yu Yuheng searched, then spotted a familiar figure far away, at the edge of the Prototype's cliff.

He pushed through the crowd and ran toward it.

"What are you doing here? Evacuation's imminent. Get on the vehicle. You can't stop your IV drip."

The person standing there was none other than Chen Wei.

Dressed in a military overcoat, Chen Wei stood motionless in the biting wind, staring up at the lowered head of the Pan Gu Prototype's cockpit. The cracked nanoceramic viewport on the mechanical giant's head gave off a mournful, battle-worn aura. Hundreds of meters tall, the mech was now coated in thick snow.

"When my brother died, we were still neuro-linked. I felt every ounce of his pain—I've already died once. This injury? It means nothing."

Yu Yuheng looked at Chen Wei's back: "You're a Level 5 co-state pilot, a former ace pilot of the White Emperor Space Combat Team, and one of the first to pilot a mech against an S-class anomaly. This was a successful trial. The Phoenix Society will build stronger, better Emperor mechs."

He sighed, then pulled something from his pocket and stepped forward, offering it to Chen Wei.

"What's this?" Chen Wei asked.

Yu Yuheng opened his palm. There lay a bloodstained Phoenix Society badge, engraved with a name, number, and department. In his hand was Chen Wei's brother Chen Lie's badge.

"Lin Xian gave it to me. Said he found it while installing the bridge system in the cockpit."

Chen Wei's gaze fell on the badge; his pupils contracted, and he clenched his teeth, his expression filled with complex sorrow. Then he reached out and took it, turning to walk toward the convoy.

"I'll ride the armed vehicle."

"Armed vehicle?!" Yu Yu exclaimed. "Didn't we say you still need an IV?"

"The IV interferes with my machine gun!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

The command tent had already been cleared. Inside the defensive line, over a hundred vehicles and more than three hundred people were fully prepared. Lin Xian and Kiki had taken up their original polar vehicle again; he had already repaired the windows and frame.

As Lin Xian opened the door, he suddenly noticed someone already seated in the driver's seat.

Bai Xiaoqing, from the Longshan No. 1 convoy, held the steering wheel and glanced at Lin Xian with a detached look. Meanwhile, Kiki in the passenger seat grinned and waved at him.

"Hey~ Are we leaving?"

"What's this about?" Lin Xian said.

At that moment, Xiang Ningjing walked over and called to Lin Xian: "Team Leader Lin, let Xiaoqing drive for you—her driving skills are excellent. You need to focus on command; we're worried you'll be overwhelmed."

Hearing this, Lin Xian immediately understood and didn't refuse. He nodded to Ningjing, then turned to look at Xiaoqing before walking to the back seat and sitting down.

"Lin Xian, how's the train over there?"

"They should all be ready," Lin Xian nodded. "Shasha moved the Sally to car 12 and plans to lift it onto the roof to use the mech as a gun platform."

Kiki wrinkled her nose. "Oh my, this little girl's gotten bold."

"You know what? It's actually a good idea—it lets the God of Fire Mech fight while moving," Lin Xian said, nodding.

Kiki nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes. "True."

"Ready to depart?" Xiaoqing asked, glancing sideways, her expression icy.

Her voice alone seemed to drop the temperature inside the vehicle by a full degree.

Lin Xian rolled down the window, observing the snowstorm outside. The blizzard, which had intensified half an hour ago, had now weakened considerably: "Looks like heaven's helping us."

Boom boom boom!!

A continuous, faint tremor rose from underground. Across the distant snowplain, a rumbling sound of rising snow dust began—monsters buried beneath the snow stirred restlessly.

"Lin Brother! We're waiting for your signal!"

Shi Di, at the front of the line, drove a full-terrain locomotive equipped with an electric traction engine. It was not only powerful but terrifyingly massive. The entire train had already started, reversed direction, and the convoy now formed an arrowhead, poised to launch.

Vrrrrr~

All vehicles' engines roared to life.

"We're all ready!"

"The snow's letting up, hahaha!"

"True—the light's gotten brighter too."

"Team Leader Lin," came Sun Kai's voice from the right flank. "All personnel are aboard and prepared."

Lin Xian nodded, turned to gaze at the towering figure through the snowstorm, his eyes sharpening, then looked ahead at the restless snowplain and the mountainous piles of frozen snow beast corpses. He picked up the communicator and spoke.

"Everyone, break out!"

Vrrrr!!

At his command, over a hundred heavy vehicles simultaneously unleashed earth-shaking engine roars. Whether tracked, snowboard, or heavy-chain-wheel vehicles, all kicked up vast clouds of snow. The entire convoy roared forward, charging into the snowplain.

"CHARGE!!" Shi Di yelled.

In an instant, a vast flood of heavy steel surged into the snowplain, crushing ice corpses and debris underfoot, racing forward like a thousand horses crossing a river.

"Maintain spacing between vehicles—no collisions! Shi Brother, no matter what you hit, don't stop!" Lin Xian's voice echoed through the communicator.

"Don't worry—if you don't yell stop, I'll smash into a mountain before I halt, haha!" Shi Di's boisterous voice replied.

The convoy raced along the valley's edge, following the path Lin Xian and Ningjing had taken earlier. The massive vehicles' vibrations quickly stirred the dense hordes of monsters buried in the snow. Snow beasts of all sizes erupted from the ground like startled fish, first scattered, then multiplying rapidly—these creatures, trapped like fish in a net, surged wildly toward the train.

"Fire!" came the command over the communicator.

Taptaptaptaptap!

Doo!!

The roar of machine guns and Gatlings erupted; metal casings flew wildly.

At that moment, the entire convoy opened fire!

(End of Chapter)