Chapter 27: Giant Myriapod

“Is that so?” Lin Xian smiled. “Then are you relieved now?”

Kiki avoided his gaze, muttering, “Didn’t I already say we’re at peace…?”

She suddenly turned to Chen Sixuan with a coquettish tone: “Chen Laoshi, thank you for taking care of me these past two days. Could you please untie me? I’m so uncomfortable like this.”

“Is that so? I don’t see it,” Chen Sixuan snorted. “Didn’t you sleep soundly when I bound you two days ago?”

Though Chen Sixuan was gentle by nature, she wasn’t without temper—Kiki’s move startled her, and she certainly wouldn’t give her a good face.

“I—!”

Kiki fell silent, glaring at Lin Xian with irritation. “Hey, you’re not seriously planning to keep me tied up forever, are you? What if we run into a monster?”

Lin Xian’s expression remained calm. “This is punishment for stealing food. If you want me to let you go, prove yourself. If your ability doesn’t help, you’ll have to get off the train.”

Kiki fumed, glancing at him guiltily, then shrank back into the sofa.

“Fine, fine, I’m sorry! If I had an ability, I’d definitely help you—don’t kick me off the train!”

“Good.” Lin Xian said coldly.

He then ignored her, stood up, and headed for the cab, leaving Chen Sixuan to watch her.

Lin Xian pulled out the guns he’d picked up from the oasis convoy, sighing repeatedly. One AK had a bent barrel; yet he remembered last night, when these fools, out of ammo, had used their guns as firewood sticks—and still got wiped out.

What kind of monster is this…?

【Consumption Progress: 5%】

No bullets, bent barrel—Lin Xian thought he might as well consume it and see if there’d be any surprises.

【Consumption Successful: Mechanical Source Points +2, Mechanical Consumption Skill Proficiency +1】

【Consumption Successful: Mechanical Source Points +1, Mechanical Consumption Skill Proficiency +1】

…

“Only this much? This is a gun?!”

Lin Xian stared at the holographic screen, his whole body going numb.

“Don’t treat an AK like a firewood stick, damn it!”

At that moment, Lin Xian’s expression changed abruptly—he sensed something.

Beneath the silent train floor, a faint vibration of the rails began to ripple.

Click~clack~click~clack~

Click~clack~

Click~clack~click~clack~

Like countless chains sliding over the tracks—continuous, heavy, powerful!

“What’s wrong?” Chen Sixuan asked as Lin Xian entered the carriage.

“Shh!” Lin Xian made a hushing gesture.

“Something’s approaching,” he whispered, signaling both to stay still.

He then turned off the carriage lights, plunging everyone into darkness. Slowly crouching, he pressed his hand against the train floor, activating his Mechanical Heart, fusing with the train to sense what lay outside.

Chen Sixuan frowned slightly, turned, and walked to the window by the bed. She quietly lifted the blackout panel a sliver—and her pupils contracted instantly. She clapped a hand over her mouth in alarm. Kiki, on the sofa opposite, saw her expression and turned pale.

“Lin Xian.”

In the darkness, Chen Sixuan gently tapped Lin Xian’s shoulder.

Lin Xian rose and turned, joining her at the window. He peered through the gap.

He hadn’t expected this—seeing it made his blood run cold.

In the dim night light, he saw a massive black shadow slowly climbing up the support pillars of the rear bridge. Dozens of claws tapped against the pillars and rails, producing a dense, metallic clinking sound. Two extremely long antennae swayed continuously.

That giant insect?!

Lin Xian’s heart leapt—how did this thing keep haunting him? From Jiang City Freight Center to Yushan Station, they’d driven over a hundred kilometers during the day—how was it still trailing behind?

Had it targeted him?

As the monstrous shadow in the dark slowly neared the rear of Carriage 3, Lin Xian’s gaze sharpened. He acted instantly—activating his Mechanical Heart to its full power, commanding both the Whale 03e and Ring Star 7f locomotives to roar to life.

Run!

He had only one thought: this giant insect, like the white monster from last night, would shred ordinary armor without effort. Though his “Infinity” was armored with tank-grade rolled steel and hardened tungsten steel—stronger than the freezer door—he dared not gamble. Facing such a creature, waiting for it to crack open the train was suicide. Better to accelerate—the train’s tens of thousands of horsepower and hundreds of tons of momentum were no small force.

!

Vrrrrm~!

The sudden surge of traction sent Chen Sixuan and Kiki stumbling. The carriage lights flared on, and the train’s engines roared furiously.

“Chen Laoshi, to the cab!”

Lin Xian drew his short knife and shouted.

Chen Sixuan’s heart pounded. She steadied herself, then rose decisively and staggered toward the cab.

Eeeeeeeeee!!!!

The sudden launch of the “Infinity” enraged the giant red myriapod. A piercing shriek echoed through the valley, followed by a violent impact against the carriage.

Boom!

The force tilted Carriage 3 several degrees. The entire train shuddered violently; iron wheels spat sparks, emitting a shrill, grinding whine.

“Damn it!”

Lin Xian barked, snatching his short knife and sprinting toward Carriage 3.

Kiki, seeing the two move ahead and behind her while still bound, screamed: “Hey!! Bastard, untie me!!”

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap~

Under Lin Xian’s control, all carriage blackout panels rose in unison. He rushed over and saw a massive red shadow climbing up one side of Carriage 3.

Clang-clang-clang!

The insect moved with terrifying speed—its legs like mechanical claws, effortlessly scaling the carriage. Its immense weight made the roof hollowly resonate.

Lin Xian’s heart pounded—this thing was far faster than he’d imagined. He couldn’t shake it.

To prevent it from climbing to the front and overturning the train, he decisively lowered the rear ramp. Seeing the dense swarm of leg segments outside, his scalp prickled with cold.

But the hydraulic ramp halted one-third down—outside, part of the red giant’s body was rapidly shifting.

“Damn it!”

Lin Xian didn’t hesitate—he aimed straight at the monster’s abdomen and fired a Wind Gun.

Puff!

The full-force shot struck dead center, producing a sharp metallic clang—only severing one of the hundreds of legs, sending it flying. No significant damage was done.

But the strike drew the monster’s attention. It scrambled onto the roof. Since the hydraulic ramp was stuck, the giant suddenly curled its tail, revealing several barbed stingers over a meter long, clamped together—and drove them straight into the steel ramp with brutal force!

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(End of Chapter)