Chapter 271: End-of-Days Shift

"Giggling~ I'm being completely sincere—what woman doesn't love a hero, right?" As she spoke, Mo Nika winked at Lin Xian with keen interest.

"By the way, Captain Lin, there's a minor malfunction on my train. I heard you're a mechanical adept—could you lend a hand?"

"Minor malfunction?" Lin Xian replied. "If it's minor, why isn't anyone else fixing it?"

Shi Di had just described her train as a highly automated weapon-grade vehicle—he didn't believe the crew operating such a train didn't know how to handle minor issues. Trains like Longshan No. 1 and Silver Star had dozens of engineers onboard, and now in Xilan City, there were none of the environmental hardships Longshan No. 1 had faced—what kind of minor malfunction couldn't be fixed?

Mo Nika set her wineglass down on the table, then snapped her fingers. Immediately, a bespectacled subordinate standing behind her hurried forward with a portable terminal.

Lin Xian took it, glanced over it, and soon raised an eyebrow—the terminal displayed the train's schematic and system fault reports. His first shock was how much Mo Nika's train resembled Silver Star.

But Mo Nika's train had only eight carriages, fully intelligent, as if forged as a single, integrated terrestrial mobile battleship.

Power carriage, propulsion carriage, integrated electrical system, forty-two automated autocannons, full-spectrum situational sensing, multi-band radar, fire suppression, de-icing, air defense, omnidirectional close-in electromagnetic denial fields…

A train over two hundred meters long required fewer than five people for full operation; the rest were Mo Nika's combat and logistics personnel. The reinforced interior space was a post-apocalyptic sanctuary countless others dreamed of, complete with automated air circulation and more.

Lin Xian's eyes gleamed—he'd once envisioned all these features, but Mo Nika's train was factory-integrated, utterly unlike his Infinite, which was merely retrofitted from ordinary carriages. This was clearly built with enormous resources.

"This train feels like it was designed specifically for the apocalypse…"

Mo Nika seemed to sense his confusion, smiled faintly, and spoke without concealment: "It was a project by the Ke Group—an apocalypse-themed publicity stunt for the military. Twenty billion per unit, limited edition. My eighteenth birthday gift."

A twenty-billion birthday gift?

Others stared at her with strange expressions. Qian Dele merely glanced at her and said, "Oh? Didn't you once say you hated this gift the most? Now it's your lifesaver."

"Giggling~ Can't be helped, can't be helped~"

Mo Nika offered a resigned smile. "At this point, survival is what matters most."

Lin Xian finally understood—Mo Nika had been a billionaire's daughter before the apocalypse. He knew the rich loved building apocalypse bunkers and survival pods; their intense paranoia made them believe nuclear war, floods, and the end of the world weren't impossible. With endless wealth, tech companies seized the opportunity, creating these apocalypse survival vehicles to profit or generate hype.

He hadn't expected such a thing would actually become useful. In Xilan City now, Mo Nika's "Queen Mo" was a fortress vehicle everyone envied—powerful firepower, immense security.

But as Lin Xian studied the fault reports on the train, he couldn't help frowning.

The issues on Queen Mo were similar to those on Longshan No. 1—multiple failures, mostly concentrated in the propulsion, power, and even nuclear core systems. These appeared to be irreversible failures caused by poor maintenance.

In short, many components could only be replaced, not repaired.

But for Lin Xian's mechanical ability, even if some materials were unusual, it was merely a matter of extra effort. For Mo Nika and her team, however, it was a major problem.

First, her train was a limited edition—the Ke Group, as a tech company, had gone bankrupt before Apocalypse Day. Weapon components weren't an issue—they were standard military-grade—but the chassis, propulsion, and all other designs were custom-made by multiple industries. There were no replacements available. Combined with Mo Nika's crew lacking professional maintenance skills, these issues had gradually become irreversible.

So Mo Nika's train was worse than it appeared. And Mo Nika clearly knew this—while Lin Xian studied the terminal, a subtle tension flickered across her usually cheerful, open face.

Everyone drank in silence. Mo Nika gently swirled her wineglass, waiting patiently for Lin Xian's response—as if the liquid in her cup were red wine…

"It's not a big problem."

Lin Xian glanced at Mo Nika's gesture, then handed back the terminal. "But…"

"What?" Mo Nika frowned slightly, her heart tightening. "Don't worry about payment—I've got plenty of blood essence."

"That's not the issue," Lin Xian shook his head.

"I'm just not available tonight. My own train isn't repaired yet. Maybe after dawn tomorrow, I can come take a look."

Mo Nika's expression instantly relaxed, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Oh~ So that's all? I thought something serious had happened. You scared me, handsome!"

"No rush. We've got time. Take care of your train first, then come find me. I'll even take you around the city."

Shi Di perked up, turning to Qian Dele: "That's perfect. Tomorrow, let's all go together to that Michel Church and get our abilities tested by the Nightwalkers. We'll see the world, grow stronger—next time we face the weird ones, we'll be better prepared."

"Exactly. Several of my team are planning to go too."

"Most psychics and gene-evolved should get tested—even just to observe," Xiang Ningjing nodded. "Even I don't know whether I'm a psychic or gene-evolved, how I'm evolving, or how to control it. Before, I only thought about escaping and fighting…"

Lin Xian looked at her. "Jing-jie, you don't know what category you're in?"

"None of us know," Shi Di shrugged. "Her strength keeps increasing, but many gene-evolved martial artists do the same. We can't tell the difference. Most psychics are just feeling their way forward. Without the Phoenix Society's guidance, who knows what's going on?"

Qian Dele interlaced his fingers in a flamboyant gesture. "My Speed Force is simple enough, but I don't even know what level I'd be rated. What good is the rating? I'll find out if I can beat the weird ones by testing it. Does a higher rating mean I won't die? This isn't a card game—plenty of psychics die in the dark."

"You're right."

Xiang Ningjing agreed. "But I think the Phoenix Society uses these ratings for observation. Those who've survived this long are likely more evolved. Of course, firepower matters too. As an official organization, they might be measuring survival rates or humanity's evolutionary limits. If we understand this better and act proactively, we can strengthen ourselves and improve our survival odds."

"Like, at what stage can we survive longer in the dark?" Mo Nika drank half her glass. "There's some sense to it. But who knows the logic behind the dark monsters? How do you know if you're facing a C-rank or S-rank weird one?"

"Who cares? Get tested anyway. First, understand our own abilities."

Shi Di's expression turned serious. "These things dare appear in daylight now. When the Eternal Night fully covers us, it'll be a demonic carnival. To study those monsters, we must survive until then."

Lin Xian nodded, drained his wine, felt a surge of heat rise through him, then set the cup down.

"Then let's leave it at that. I still need to repair my train. Tomorrow."

After learning the general situation in Xilan City, the tension from barely escaping death eased slightly with the strong liquor. But Lin Xian had no intention of lingering over drinks and chatter. He'd faced countless emergencies—even if he wanted to rest, he had to finish preparing his train first. Otherwise, he'd have no peace of mind.

Shi Di and Xiang Ningjing thought the same. Longshan No. 1 had many people and many carriages—without improved safety, no one could sleep soundly. In the apocalypse, survival belonged only to those prepared. This was nearly universal among survivors.

"Alright, let's head out. Our convoy is still a mess—we won't feel at ease until it's done." Other convoy leaders also prepared to leave.

"Handsome~"

As Lin Xian stepped down from Longshan No. 1, Mo Nika called out from behind.

In the snowstorm, her subordinate draped a coat over her shoulders. She walked forward gracefully and handed Lin Xian a small communicator. "This is my dedicated frequency. In Xilan City, if you have any problems or needs, find me."

Lin Xian took it, glanced at her. "I didn't say I could definitely fix it."

Mo Nika smiled lightly. "Someone like you—even just a promise—brings hope. And I trust Qian's judgment. Even if you can't fix it, I still hope to earn your friendship."

Lin Xian was slightly surprised. Mo Nika's tone perfectly matched the rich elite's style—proud, yet not obsequious, flattering without groveling.

But he didn't take it seriously. If he had to admit interest, it was simply to observe and scan her train's design—perhaps useful for his own future plans.

As for payment—that could be discussed later. His immediate focus was only on fixing his own train.

Lin Xian gave her a faint look, nodded slightly, and said, "Alright."

"See you tomorrow. I hope everything goes well for you."

Mo Nika glanced once more at Lin Xian's train behind him, then turned and boarded her vehicle.

Deep into the night, repairs on Longshan No. 1 continued nonstop. Lin Xian noticed something else—this wasn't ordinary maintenance. There was a deliberate plan to install new equipment on certain newly added armor plates and weapon stations.

Many items were carried out from the carriages—even maintenance tools normally used in repair carriages had been prepared in advance.

"These are all solutions we purchased from Silent City. Cost us dearly."

In the distant snowstorm, Xiang Ningjing, who was directing night repairs, noticed Lin Xian watching Longshan No. 1 from the roof of Infinite, then walked over to chat with him.

She looked at the massive armor plates in his hands, her eyes filled with envy.

"These factory-standard castings can't be made without heavy machinery. Most survivors just slap on whatever scrap they find. Captain Lin, your ability rivals an entire industrial chain."

Lin Xian exhaled a plume of cold air, crouched down, and asked curiously about Silent City: "I heard Silent City cooperates with the Phoenix Society. Has it grown powerful by producing industrial goods in the apocalypse?" Xiang Ningjing nodded. "Yes. When Silent City passed the Wei River, we traded with them. That's where we learned the Phoenix Society's emergency team had trouble at the Ascension Elevator—so we changed our route, retreated to Hengshan Pass, and came to Xilan City."

Lin Xian frowned, recalling Zhou Wuer's account of the White Frost leader's incident. But now a question arose.

"Passed the Wei River? Is Silent City a convoy?"

Xiang Ningjing looked at him. "No. It's a city. A mobile mechanical city."

"What?!"

Lin Xian was stunned. Hadn't he heard Silent City was a ship?

Xiang Ningjing seemed to anticipate his reaction. "We were shocked too when we first encountered it. Supposedly, the city has tri-modal mobility—land, sea, air. Now it primarily shuttles through un-devoured regions of the Star Abyss, trading with various organizations and alliances. It has a complete industrial system, capable of housing tens of thousands. Our magnetic all-terrain drive modules were modified by them. We also purchased weapons and carriage designs…"

"A mobile arms dealer?" Lin Xian was intrigued. "Interesting."

Xiang Ningjing shrugged helplessly. "The whole world is like this. Every wonder is built just to survive. Even a floating city isn't safe. But now, industrial goods are scarce—and essential for survival. That's why I say your ability rivals an industrial chain. You have enormous potential."

"Potential means nothing if you don't survive."

Lin Xian didn't respond, continuing to forge armor plates. "Our weapons barely keep us alive now. It's not about quantity—it's about quality. The dark is unknown, a technological gap, something indescribable, incomprehensible, unsolvable."

!

Xiang Ningjing sighed, her expression complex. "…I hope humanity finds a way to break through before we vanish."

…

Lin Xian calculated quickly—over thirty armor plates needed removal. Except the roof, he planned to replace all side panels with new ones, making the entire train a unified, fully sealed armored shell.

Windows and doors could be automated. After upgrades, protection would improve severalfold.

Additionally, Lin Xian scanned the arc-pulse string resonator given to them by Longshan No. 1. He planned to replicate it and install it on all carriages, creating an effect similar to Queen Mo's omnidirectional close-in electromagnetic denial field. Combined with the electric-blade armor system, the entire train would gain offensive capabilities—giving them breathing room against monster hordes.

Then came the internal systems. After enduring extreme cold, heating, de-icing, wiring, and cabins all suffered. But the biggest issue remained propulsion.

Lin Xian was already headachy about the propulsion. Upgrading it was an exceptionally complex, massive project. Doing it alone by hand felt hopeless. His teammates—including Da Lou—could help with welding, disassembly, and maintenance, but solving the entire train's overhaul was impossible.

Such a major overhaul was like rebuilding the train from scratch. Lin Xian thought perhaps upgrading with Silent City would be easier. Or, Mo Nika's integrated smart apocalypse train was also excellent.

Thinking of this, Lin Xian grew more interested in Mo Nika's Queen Mo.

"I'll go take a look tomorrow…"

As for the Nightwalkers' psychic test, he'd promised Zhou Wuer he'd go. He also thought everyone on his train should attend. What he cared about most was helping his team grow. He'd noticed that since they'd begun converting dark energy with the Hell Black Chrysanthemum, his team's growth rate had accelerated dramatically.

Especially Shu Qin, Chen Sixuan, Lu Chang, and Miao Lu—their physical evolution was astonishing. Take Miao Lu—this girl, alone, could already overpower Feng Yuming, the one he'd faced in Beiwan County.

And Feng Yuming was already an evolved weird-limb mimic psychic. In such a short time, human evolution and growth were climbing at a rapid pace.

This perhaps reflected humanity's extraordinary adaptability under extreme crisis.

Clank, clank~

In the specially built train repair shed, Lin Xian forged the new composite armor plates, modeled after the Unit-01 arm armor. These plates were harder to make and consumed far more materials. His fabrication center worked at full capacity converting tungsten-titanium alloy, while his hands never stopped manufacturing.

But the benefit was that his mechanical fabrication proficiency kept rising.

【Mechanical Fabrication Proficiency +10】

【Mechanical Fabrication Proficiency +10】

…

Mechanical Fabrication: 4 (766/2000) — Improves Construction Efficiency

In one night, Lin Xian's mechanical fabrication proficiency rose nearly 300 points. He estimated that during the two-day rest in Xilan City, besides armor plates, if time allowed, he could build another 1130 and G3 rail electromagnetic cannon to fill the firepower gaps at the front and rear carriages, and attempt to develop the missile system as a heavy weapon.

Then there was power armor—he could make two more sets for Miao Lu, Lu Chang, and others. This would boost the convoy's strength and significantly raise his mechanical fabrication proficiency.

Beyond that, once he understood the city's situation, Lin Xian also planned to follow the same path as he had in Hengshan Pass—engage in "arms dealing." Like in Silent City, he could sell military supplies, manufacture mechanical goods, or repair equipment for others in exchange for vast amounts of resources and psi-related materials. Now that he had Cold Dark Reagent, the Blood Essence's efficacy had greatly increased—he needed to stockpile quickly…

As more thoughts filled his mind, he didn't notice time had passed into the early morning, past eight. The sky remained shrouded in darkness.

The snowstorm gradually subsided. The distant artillery fire beyond the city had also fallen silent, though no one knew when exactly. The entire Xilan City sank into profound stillness. Everyone aboard Wuxianhao experienced an exceptionally peaceful night—this safety stemmed not merely from weapons and walls, but largely from the collective effect.

Seeing tens of thousands of survivors gathered here, this place felt like a safe haven after days of flight. Once humans clustered together, they naturally gained a sense of security—something absent during solitary, desperate escapes through endless darkness.

In Car 1, Chen Sixuan awoke after a night's rest. She had never felt so exhausted as last night, yet now she was brimming with energy.

Since leaving Jiangshi, this was the first time she had personally taken part in a battle as intense as yesterday's—life and death hanging by a thread.

She opened her eyes, instantly rolled off the bed, and felt waves of soreness and tension surge through her body. Her heart pounded powerfully. She scanned the surroundings—when she saw no sign of Lin Xian, she immediately grabbed her communicator.

"Lin Xian."

"You're awake?"

Hearing Lin Xian's reply, Chen Sixuan exhaled deeply. "Where are you? I'm coming now."

She put on her cold-weather suit, opened the carriage door, saw the handle outside, and without hesitation, stomped on it—then pushed off hard. In one fluid motion, she flipped backward through the air and landed atop the roof.

Thud!

Before Chen Sixuan could even process the astonishing reflexive move she'd just made, she saw Lin Xian standing right before her, staring at her in shock.

"Teacher Chen, how did you get up there?"

Chen Sixuan opened her mouth slightly, frowned, and turned her head downward toward the carriage. She still hadn't fully regained her bearings.

"I thought I was wearing powered armor…"

Chen Sixuan said, astonished.

She had grown accustomed to moving in powered armor during yesterday's battle, so the motion had come instinctively. But hearing Lin Xian's stunned reaction, she realized she wasn't wearing any armor now.

Lin Xian watched the "Teacher Chen" who had just leapt three meters into the air, his eye twitching involuntarily.

"Is Teacher Chen's evolution too fast…" Lin Xian thought inwardly. Even he couldn't perform such a move without powered armor. "Looks like genetic evolution isn't necessarily weaker than psi abilities."

Chen Sixuan clenched her fist, waved her arm, and said to Lin Xian: "I feel stronger than ever—and…"

She looked at Lin Xian, frowned, and added: "I can even hear your heartbeat."

Lin Xian looked down in disbelief. They were still two or three meters apart. He wore thick cold-weather gear; outside, the wind howled. Could her hearing have become this extreme…?

"It seems your physical abilities aren't the only thing enhanced—your senses have improved too."

Lin Xian took a deep breath and said.

Chen Sixuan still felt unaccustomed. She nodded. "It must be related to yesterday's battle."

"Definitely," Lin Xian said.

Besides the battle, there was also the power conversion from the Hell Black Chrysanthemum. Facing a horde numbering in the tens of thousands, Lin Xian believed this benefited not just Chen Sixuan, but everyone aboard Wuxianhao and the Longshan No. 1 Combined Convoy—anyone who survived would gain greatly.

(End of Chapter)