Chapter 281: Above the Heights (10,000 Explosions! End-of-Month Request for Monthly Tickets!)

August 30, Tianqi Day D93, one day remains until the Great Relocation of Xilang City.

A blizzard howled through the city, temperatures plummeting to minus sixty degrees; all sight was swallowed by white, buildings draped in ice pillars, streets choked with flying snow.

Near Zhongyangdajie, dense streams of relocation vehicles were jammed; countless survivors wore grim expressions, while city-wide broadcasts on public and convoy channels continuously relayed command instructions.

Countless noisy voices condensed into two words.

Relocate. Prepare.

These two simple words pressed tens of thousands with the suffocating weight before a storm—the dawn earthquake and attacks had shattered the city's former peace.

Everyone knew Xilang City was no longer safe; what awaited was a battle as heavy as mountains and an unknown death.

"Where are we being relocated to?"

"Don't know. Just follow orders. Asking won't help."

"We're done. Will we even make it out? Rumor says giant anomalies have appeared in the city—even the Phoenix Society can't respond."

"Shut up. Don't spread panic."

"Keep close to the vehicles behind you."

"Stay away from tall buildings. Watch your parking spots."

"Issue orders: clear snow from every vehicle hourly. No slack!"

On snow-choked streets, the massive convoy was tightly blocked, then diverted into different zones under Phoenix Society command.

In the convoy, plummeting temperatures and blinding snow nearly blocked all vision; windshield wipers ran at maximum yet failed—windows shielded by grille armor were coated in frozen frost; heaters maxed out still left drivers with red, numb hands.

"I heard some convoys slipped out before dawn."

"Let them. In this hellish weather, leaving the main force is asking for death. Sticking with the Phoenix Society gives us a better chance."

"What if even the Phoenix Society can't hold?"

"Jinx it, will you? If the Phoenix Society falls, do you think we've got a chance? Got a better plan?"

"A whole vehicle froze to death in Taiyang Park—heaters suddenly failed last night."

"Heaters! Exchange heating supplies!"

"A vehicle froze and broke down on Houtong Road—detour ahead, repair teams can't reach it!"

"..."

Across all radio bands, convoy communications never ceased, thick with tension and oppression.

In the city's east, the Arctic Wind Alliance led a thousand-vehicle column dispersing into clusters: Dongcheng Park, Jingcheng Commercial Plaza, and the banks of Baiyu River—near the Seventh Investigation Corps' 2nd Regiment camp, densely packed, with heavy munitions continuously shipped to the eastern front against anomalies.

In the south, vehicle density was highest; full relocation impossible. Under Phoenix Society command, convoys dispersed into lower-density streets; school playgrounds became primary gathering zones.

In the north, most vehicles were dozens of apocalyptic trains parked at the rail station, plus Qian Dele, Zhou Li, and other former Binggu Defense Line convoys—including Mo Nika's "Queen Mo"—all heavily armed. Also, the north airport's open space accommodated the aviation combat unit.

The freight platform holding Wuxianhao and Longshan No. lay beneath Fenglan Mountain in the west—originally a Xilang Mining Group mine area, mostly factory dormitories, open terrain, less wind and snow due to Fenglan Mountain's shelter—but farthest from the city center and main evacuation routes, so few convoys parked here; besides these two trains, only scattered small camps remained.

The advantage of train groups: once aboard, everyone is ready—departure can occur at any moment.

Inside Longshan No. , crew moved busily; Shi Di, upon returning, had ordered full combat readiness; today's free time was canceled; tension tightened in every carriage.

With temperatures dropping, the train's heating system ran at full load; white mist rose continuously from carriage connections.

After psychometric testing and Queen Mo's assessment, Shi Di overhauled Longshan No. 's defense layout; heavy weapons and anti-aircraft cannons were fully installed by engineers. Unlike Wuxianhao, Longshan No. lacked modular upgrades; these cannons were mounted on roof weapon stations, with ammunition fed manually and fired by dispersed crews from each carriage.

On Wuxianhao, Chen Sixuan and Shasha monitored developments from the command center; comm device and Crimson Phoenix Order lay on the table. Lin Xian, Kiki, Huo Ge, Daliang, Shu Qin—all key fighters—were resting; Chen Sixuan hadn't expected the crisis to escalate so suddenly. To prepare for the coming night, Lin Xian ordered all fighters to rest now while daylight lasted.

In the rear carriage, Miao Lu, Lu Chang, and Xiao Yuan sorted parts Lin Xian had crafted last night, organizing them for later use.

"Sigh. Lin Boss said we'd get to relax today, go out and explore." Miao Lu sighed, face full of regret.

"Forget it. At least nothing major's happened yet. Let Lin Boss rest. If we'd been attacked after a sleepless night, we'd be screwed." Lu Chang said.

"How's that? It's daytime." Miao Lu glanced at him while working.

"Less than a few hours left." Lu Chang's voice turned grave. "Lin Boss has been ultra-cautious—no rest for two nights straight, finally got the outer armor done."

"Yeah… just thinking about it exhausts me." Miao Lu murmured.

Xiao Yuan, quietly checking parts beside them, frowned and whispered: "Do you think Lin Boss will collapse from exhaustion?"

Miao Lu snorted: "Dunno. Since we boarded, I've never seen Lin Boss rest."

Xiao Yuan looked toward the front carriage, eyes flickering, lost in thought.

Xilang City was on edge, yet many survivor convoys broke through blizzards and escaped snow demons, reaching the city under frontline defense, finding brief respite.

Beep. Beep.

The alarm rang; Lin Xian jolted awake, checked the time.

15: 0.

Three hours' sleep eased his dizziness; his Mechanical Heart spun, restoring energy; the train remained stable—nothing happened during his rest.

Groggy, Lin Xian donned his cold-weather suit and powered armor; he planned to build another 1130 on Carriage 5 as a fire net before nightfall. His mechanical crafting level had risen to Level 5—he estimated two or three hours would finish this beast, plus time to make some bullets.

No time for fully automatic bullet presses; prioritize essentials. If he survived tonight, he'd focus on electromagnetic cannons and powered armor next.

Time was running out.

Clang.

Opening his cabin door, Lin Xian saw a bowl of pear soup on the nearby workbench—cold to the touch.

But he was exhausted and thirsty; he grabbed it and gulped it down in big swallows—a chilling, penetrating sensation made him shiver, instantly reviving him.

He hurried toward the rear carriage to begin weapon crafting.

Then his comm crackled with Chen Sixuan's voice.

"Lin Xian, you awake?"

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"On the platform. Someone's here—Wu Shu and his team!"

Lin Xian stopped, turned, opened the door, and stepped down.

Emerging from the "Assembly Workshop," he saw the once-empty train platform between Longshan No. and Wuxianhao now packed with over a hundred vehicles—mostly large ones. He recognized the military heavy trucks and modified apocalypse vehicles: Da Ying and Benpao Yuan Camp convoys. Also, a strange snow-based heavy base vehicle convoy.

"Lin Boss!!"

Through the snow, a young man in thick down jacket shouted his name—Lin Xian recognized Luo Yang from Zhuirì Convoy.

"Lin Boss." Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Liang Lei, Li Yi—all familiar faces—greeted him warmly; the group clustered excitedly, while Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin stood nearby, conversing with them.

Lin Xian, surprised, walked over: "When did you arrive?"

"An hour ago."

Wu Zhenhai, dust-covered, beard frosted with ice: "We asked for your location the moment we entered the city, came straight here."

"Haha, too many people in the city—we had to stick with old friends." Liao Ming, bundled in a thick hat, exhaled frost.

"Lin Boss, we just heard the city's in trouble—are we evacuating soon?" Li Yi, pregnant, stood in the snow, cheeks red with cold, staring at Lin Xian.

Behind her, giant Liang Lei shielded her from the wind with his broad chest.

Luo Yang and other youths clustered eagerly around Lin Xian—clearly, their journey through the blizzard had been grueling.

Lin Xian looked at them with quiet joy: "Probably not. Just not as safe as before. Full city alert now."

"By the way, kid, let me introduce you."

Wu Shu pointed to a bearded middle-aged man: "Captain Shen Yao, North Wind Survivor Alliance."

"Lin Boss, nice to meet you."

Shen Yao's voice was firm; several men followed him. Hearing Wu Zhenhai's introduction, he stepped forward and shook Lin Xian's hand: "We came from Xilin. I've known Wu Shu for years. If you trust him, trust me. My team's large—we follow your orders."

"North Wind Alliance? What's its relation to Arctic Wind Alliance?" Lin Xian asked, surprised.

"Haha, no relation." Shen Yao grinned openly. "Just similar names. Our alliance's tiny—just convoys that crossed the Dazhu Plateau together."

"They came through the western mountains like us—faced plenty of trouble, but made it through safely." Chen Sixuan added: "I just told them about the city's situation these past two days, but psychometric testing should still…"

"Still ongoing." Lin Xian nodded. "Nightwalkers haven't paused testing. You can still go."

Though the city was on edge, psychometric testing at Mixie'er Square continued, as did Phoenix Society support points—first for new arrivals, second to maintain support services for all convoys.

Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, and others lit up: "Heard there's plenty of supplies, weapons, ammo—let's go before dark!"

Luo Yang, Li Yi, Liang Lei, and others nodded in agreement.

Lin Xian advised: "Send your psychics and gene-evolved—anyone with decent abilities. Grab as much as you can. I'll watch your convoys."

"Yes, yes, thanks, Lin Boss!"

"Thank you so much!"

Shen Yao of the North Wind Alliance bowed gratefully: "Brother, thanks—I'll take my team now."

"Thanks, Lin Boss!" Luo Yang and the youths surged forward. Few in number, but many were psychics or gene-evolved—they'd get substantial supplies. Most crucially, like Lin Xian, they valued learning about psychic abilities.

"Go. Phoenix Society's info and psychic guides are invaluable." Lin Xian said.

"Alright, let's move!"

The convoy leaders immediately rallied their teams.

Psychometric testing offered experience, guidance, and rich Phoenix Society rewards—miss this chance, and it's gone. With daylight still here, Lin Xian sent them off to test, while he returned to weapon crafting.

The arrival of Da Ying and other convoys eased Lin Xian's mind. They'd fought side by side before—trust existed. That feeling was stronger than reuniting with Shu Qin. In the endless blizzard, despair loomed—but these convoys surviving to find him gave him a sliver of hope.

Watching them depart, Lin Xian told Chen Sixuan and Shu Qin: "Let's move too. Chen Laoshi, rest. Shu Qin, help Daliang prepare ammo."

"Mm." Chen Sixuan nodded.

Lin Xian and the others returned aboard. After brief rest, fatigue lifted slightly; but knowing danger loomed, Wuxianhao's crew shed yesterday's ease—faces grim, preparing under Lin Xian's orders.

The full composite armor on both sides of Wuxianhao was installed; Lin Xian had Daliang inspect every detail, including the rear Weilong-class tug.

Armor built from the Jiahaoji blueprint differed entirely from ordinary steel grilles—now Wuxianhao resembled a silver-black sci-fi war train.

On each carriage's sides, Lin Xian installed arc-pulse string dampeners. Though simultaneous use would overload the power grid, he didn't skip any—this was also why he upgraded the overall power system. Wuxianhao's demands—drive, heating, water, electric blades, arc-pulse string dampeners, rail electromagnetic cannon—had reached extreme load; without the upgrade, it wouldn't function.

Then, roof weapon stations: Carriage 12 and Carriage 5 each mounted a 1130 CIWS; Carriage 2 carried a G3 rail electromagnetic cannon; five YJ-03 anti-aircraft cannons were dispersed across the train—adjustable for aerial targets or lowered for ground fire.

Car 11 has been fully converted into a functional car, and the previous several utility cars Lin Xian had already devoured as materials, since they were useless in this frozen wasteland; now, Car 11 had become nearly an automated mechanical car, with its roof fully openable and six-axis robotic arms capable of hoisting the Vulcan mech out of its storage bay in twenty seconds, while also performing routine maintenance tasks like disassembly, weapon upgrades, ammunition resupply, and charging.

Lin Xian planned to consolidate all future mechs here, turning it into a dedicated mech transport car.

The two PX-05 robots: one was fixed in the rear Longtian-class train for maintenance and remote control, while the other remained between Car 12 and Car 11, occasionally performing tasks outside the cars.

These engineering maintenance robots were extremely useful to Lin Xian—not only did they feature Hall propulsion engines and excelled at precision welding and maintenance, but they also possessed exceptional environmental adaptability and durability; he had previously overlooked them, using them only to maintain the 1130 and replenish its ammo belts, but now he intended to build more, modifying their tool attachments under his mechanical manufacturing capabilities and adding Kiki's new modules to expand their operational range.

Large weapon stations and external vehicle tasks could now be fully delegated to the robots, greatly increasing safety for the passengers onboard.

Finally, there was the Infinite's information system: the upgraded Sentry System now offered 360-degree full-vehicle surveillance, with the roof-mounted search radar and the front-mounted active phased-array radar combined—Lin Xian had specifically designed this to counter large-scale monster waves, enabling rapid scanning and target situation capture; the only flaw was that the onboard computing system couldn't keep up—it lacked powerful AI processing and intelligence, otherwise it could have fully automated targeting and precision fire coverage against the waves.

Figures bustled aboard the train; Sha Sha had finished loading the weapons on Sha Li Hao; the Vulcan mech now bore a bold yet oddly cute paint job: "Sha Li Hao" on the chest armor, "Slay All Around" on the left arm, and "Leave Not a Single Plate" on the right—hard to imagine the mental state of a twelve-year-old girl when she painted it.

"Lin Xian, what do you think that giant worm's purpose was? Why suddenly attack the research building?"

In Car 12, Lin Xian was urgently manufacturing ammunition and distributing it to other cars, while Kiki replaced the control module on the PX-05 robot and couldn't help asking.

"Most likely, it's Hell Black Chrysanthemum," Lin Xian said. "But that doesn't make sense—Hell Black Chrysanthemum has been on our train for so long; why would it only be targeted after being taken to the research team?"

Lin Xian had also considered whether it might relate to the heteromorphic cube's shielding power, but that seemed far-fetched—Hell Black Chrysanthemum had been brought out from Underground City 9 long before the heteromorphic cube was even aboard.

But Ding Junyi had mentioned the pseudohuman invasion in Rain Town; Lin Xian believed Hell Black Chrysanthemum—or disaster plants—might exert a special influence on the strange entities.

Yet Lin Xian felt this deep-worm attack on Central Street was far more than just a disaster plant issue.

Kiki looked at Lin Xian, frowning and muttering, "Could it really be that the monsters are afraid we'll discover the Dark Mark? That sounds…"

"Whatever it is, that Director Zhao was right."

Lin Xian's hands continuously shaped 7. 2mm bullets, dropping them into ammo boxes with crisp clinks.

"The northern airport air combat unit, the eastern investigation battalion headquarters, the weapons depot, tens of thousands of survivors gathered on Central Street—and yet, a single worm chose to attack the lab."

"That means something here is more important than the air unit, the weapons depot, or the survivors."

Thinking of this, Lin Xian pressed his communicator, attempting to contact Ding Junyi.

"Kakak~"

"Lin Xian, I'm here," came Ding Director's voice quickly, accompanied by the bustling discussion sounds from inside the lab.

The research team had been relocated en masse to Xilan Sports Center; for safety, only Phoenix Society and a few Phoenix Order train teams knew this.

"21st impact experiment, replace observation target…"

"Maintain lighting, probe self-check."

"Professor Ding, could you come over here…" Lin Xian exhaled and asked, "How's it going?"

"The group observation experiment still has no results—the disaster plants have shown no reaction at all; we're about to run the final test. Phoenix Society's special operations team and Nightwalkers have already arrived to conduct field tests," Ding Junyi's voice sounded calm.

Lin Xian frowned—group test failed?

What was going on? Earlier, whenever the snow wraiths appeared, Hell Black Chrysanthemum had always glowed red—even faintly detectable; at Wuliyasitai Mountain, the tidal wave of snow wraiths had upgraded the Dark Mark to Level 4, a scene still vivid in memory—but now this situation was truly bizarre…

17: 0. Forty minutes until nightfall.

At the temporary camp of the Xilan Sports Center research team, investigation battalion soldiers surrounded the area in three layers; high-sensitivity seismic detectors were fully operational, sky radar spun wildly, and Xinghuo Nightwalker Jing Tian and investigation battalion's Xiao He led their teams in constant vigilance.

Inside the camp lab, the captured snow wraiths, held in specially alloyed cages, were placed in lightless dark rooms, hissing incessantly; researchers divided into over a dozen batches for control experiments, while Ding Junyi's assistant carried Hell Black Chrysanthemum, shuttling between observation labs.

"Still no luck! Still no luck!!!"

Scientist Wei was on the verge of collapse, exhausted, twitching with frustration, teeth clenched.

After calming himself, he immediately contacted Guo Sicheng, who lay in the medical room.

"Teacher, I found that paper you sent me on the CERN dark matter detection project—yes, yes… I understand your point, but… no, don't come over, your injuries can't be disturbed."

!

While speaking to Guo Sicheng via communicator, Scientist Wei simultaneously synced a paper titled "Axion-Mediated Cross-Dimensional Biological Perception" to Yu Yuheng's team.

"If it's a weakly interacting massive particle, its form would be…"

"The problem is these strange entities are all in silent mode—as if they'd all coordinated," Yu Yuheng, now wearing a clean down jacket, his hair still dusty, stared urgently at the data. "We suspect this is a collective resistance trait, possibly triggered by orders from some higher-level organism."

The Emperor Group's prior research had focused on this direction; now, the snow wraiths' abnormal reaction gave Yu Yuheng a dangerous thought.

Scientist Wei, pale-faced, stared blankly—before he could react, Ding Junyi returned with a group of scientists from the observation lab.

"Prepare for field testing."

"Wait."

Scientist Wei pressed his communicator and said, "Captain He has arrived."

Clatter-clatter-clatter.

Whoosh.

Before he finished speaking, a series of footsteps sounded outside.

He Zhen entered with Xiao He, expression grim, eyes fixed on Ding Junyi and the others: "Professors, the aerial patrol unit just discovered the corpse of that deep-worm at a monitoring point 34 kilometers northwest."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Everyone's faces changed instantly.

He Zhen acted swiftly, ordering a subordinate to pull out a mobile terminal; the soldier quickly operated it, and a video feed from the aerial patrol unit appeared on the lab's large screen.

There, in the howling blizzard, a colossal black worm, mountain-sized, lay motionless across the snowplain; its massive corpse bore over a dozen terrifying holes, as if pierced by monstrous claws.

He Zhen stared at the screen, voice grave: "Confirmed dead. Based on snow accumulation, it died just hours ago. I've dispatched ground patrols for biological sampling—they'll arrive soon. The aerial patrol team is en route; details…"

"Wait!"

At that moment, Yu Yuheng suddenly shouted, stumbling forward, eyes locked on the screen, lips trembling; after a long pause, he pointed at the black worm in horror:

"That's not the deep-worm that attacked the lab today—that's the one killed by Unit 01 and Chen Wei in Trakama Ice Valley!!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, He Zhen and Xiao He immediately frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain!" Yu Yuheng nodded sharply, pointing at a spot on the screen. "This one's smaller than today's attacker. Look—this wound was made by Unit 01's high-frequency blade chain. And when we evacuated from Trakama Ice Valley, Lin's squad planted explosives on this corpse to divert the monster tide—there are blast marks! I swear, this isn't the one that attacked the lab!"

Scientist Wei, now pale with shock, adjusted his glasses and pointed to a corner of the screen: "Look here—even buried under snow, there's a clear groove. This monster… didn't come from underground."

He turned back to the group, voice uncertain: "It looks… like it was dragged here."

At this, everyone paled.

He Zhen stared at the looping video, voice low: "You mean something dragged this massive creature to the outskirts of Xilan City?"

"What's the purpose?" Xiao He said grimly. "To draw our attention?"

"I need to immediately relay this to Command Center."

"Report!"

A soldier entered: "Sir, the aerial patrol team's Hawk Group has arrived."

"Let Wu Chen in."

"Yes."

"Xiao He."

"Present."

He Zhen immediately ordered: "Notify Meng Chenggang—deploy the 5th Battalion to reinforce the northern defense line. Increase alertness. This thing appearing in the north demands caution."

"Yes!" Xiao He immediately obeyed.

Inside the lab, over a dozen researchers fell into discussion.

"Why drag this thing here? It's at least 700 kilometers from Trakama Ice Valley," Yu Yuheng said, face strange.

Scientist Wei scratched his messy hair, baffled: "How many of these worms are there?"

"So far, only two—but…"

"The north is our main evacuation route. Could it be related?" another researcher added.

"To block the road? Unlikely."

Ding Junyi stared at the video, silent.

"Sir."

At that moment, a soldier in an aviation flight suit entered the lab.

He Zhen immediately said: "Wu Chen, brief the research team on the details."

"Alright."

Wu Chen, covered in snow, had rushed over without delay—just as he opened his mouth, a voice interrupted him.

"Wait!" Ding Junyi said.

"Hey hey hey!!" Scientist Wei suddenly shouted, pointing at the Hell Black Chrysanthemum on the lab bench.

"The disaster plant—it's reacting!!"

Yu Yuheng's mouth dropped open—not just him, every person in the lab turned to stare at the black, sinister chrysanthemum; from its pitch-black pistil now blazed a torrent of crimson light, radiating a chilling, eerie vibration!

He Zhen and the investigation battalion soldiers couldn't help but step closer.

"It finally lit up."

"But… isn't it too bright?"

"What's happening?"

"Professor Ding, your research data…"

"What's going on?"

Ding Junyi's gaze fixed on Wu Chen, her expression turning icy: "No good—this is…"

"Level Five Mark!"

…

18: 0

Uuu~!

Uuu~!

At the East City Investigator Corps headquarters camp, the red alarm blared; all military units, ammunition and supply vehicles, and mecha regiments sprang into full action. Zhao Yu, He Zhen, Wen Zhuo, and others marched swiftly through the camp, their expressions grim.

"Immediately issue a citywide alert and prepare for total combat readiness."

"All aerial combat formations must be airborne before nightfall and prepare for battle above West Lan City!"

"He Zhen, the pressure is greatest in the north and east. We'll each take charge of one."

"Understood." He Zhen nodded immediately. "I'll take the north. All aerial patrol team members are marked. Wu Chen and his group volunteered to dock their flyers near Sishui Slope in the north—that's the best spot for fire support."

Zhao Yu frowned slightly. He knew this was nearly a suicide mission. "Deploy two missile rapid-response teams to the north. Also, tell the artillery battalion not to spare shells—do everything possible to protect Wu Chen's team."

"I know," He Zhen said sharply.

"Wen Zhuo, the entire Nightwalker Organization, including the Mail Carrier Group, must remain on standby at all internal support points. If disasters erupt inside the city after dark, prioritize eliminating internal threats."

"Contact the Phoenix Order convoy—they're responsible for area clearance. Prevent panic from triggering internal mutations."

As he walked, Zhao Yu told Wen Zhuo: "The density of psychics and evolvers inside the city is extremely high. If an internal mutation occurs, the casualties will be massive. You and the representatives of each convoy team will coordinate defense."

"Understood." Wen Zhuo turned and flew off into the air at once.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yu and He Zhen boarded two small patrol aircraft with their teams and headed for the Barrier Line.

On the towering steel walls, rows of Great Wall-50 railgun emplacements stood ready. The integrated air defense system—combining anti-air missiles, electromagnetic cannons, and close-in defense guns—had activated all fire-control radars. The radar tower on the mid-slope of Fenglan Mountain had also entered Level One combat readiness.

Vvv~

At the North City Airport, command lights flashed everywhere. Tens of thousands of tons of the Dreadnought-class aerospace carrier crushed through the falling snow, its engine roar deafening as it slowly lifted under tower command. Eagle-class aerial gunships, Lightning-2 aerospace fighters, and H50 bomber squadrons were all rushing into takeoff formation.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Fully charged Iron Guard 3 assault mechs, Defender 2 and Defender 3 light assault units, T8-Z Vulcan heavy assault mechs, and even Destroyer-class heavy assault mechs were continuously transported to the front lines. Over twelve thousand soldiers of the Seventh Investigator Corps stood fully armed and ready.

Inside the city, over a thousand convoys, alerted by the Phoenix Order's red alarm, had already entered full combat readiness. Even the Queen Mo, parked on the underground rail line, had been moved out onto the open tracks. All weapon systems powered on, Mo Nika sat grim-faced in Car No. 1, studying the radar screen and communicating with Qian Dele.

Dozens of trains at the North City passenger station had formed defensive lines along the rails. Their rooftops bristled with dense arrays of machine guns, anti-air cannons, and heavy machine gun turrets, all loaded and ready.

The moment the Level Five marker alert arrived, every heart on the Infinite and Longshan No. 1 tightened.

"Twenty minutes left."

Lin Xian swallowed the entire maintenance shed on the freight platform, then used his communicator to speak to the Eagle Convoy, stationed between Longshan No. 1 and the Infinite: "The city can't move—we must hold ground. Our priority is defending against threats from the west and Fenglan Mountain. Likely aerial monsters. Focus on anti-air cannons."

"Understood, Lin Team Leader!!"

The Eagle Convoy, the Chase-the-Sun Convoy, the Run Far Camp, and the North Wind Alliance—a total of over 150 vehicles, mostly heavy ones—had arranged themselves like a train, surrounding the lighter vehicles with their strongest armored units in a rectangular formation. With Lin Xian's mechanical psychic power, all anti-air cannons were quickly installed and calibrated.

What they hadn't expected: the weapons and ammunition they'd just retrieved would be used within an hour.

"Lin Brother, is a Level Five marker really that deadly?" Shi Di's voice came through the communicator. The entire Longshan No. 1 was ready for battle.

"It might be worse than the wave we faced before entering the city. You must've encountered something similar coming from the airport."

Lin Xian said at once.

Shi Di's face darkened. "Damn it, we haven't even rested two days!" Hearing Lin Xian's words, he now understood the gravity. He cursed as he ordered Ningjing and Lu Yong to distribute food immediately. This night would last nearly nineteen hours; with so many people aboard, they needed to hand out extra supplies now to prevent exhaustion during the long battle.

"Dongzi, Wang Chong, Zhuang Yue—keep the heating systems and pipes secure, or we'll all freeze to death!"

"Yu Lianxing, Zhu Anran, Min Ming, and Xiaoqing—clear threats from the rooftop turrets. Bai Bai, you focus on production. Understood?"

On the united convoy side, the Chase-the-Sun Convoy had raised its high-voltage ion wall. The Amin and Luoluo Twin-Star mechs were ready. All convoys stood at the ready.

After dismantling the maintenance shed, Lin Xian continuously communicated with the Phoenix Order and other major convoys inside the city, while receiving updates and orders from He Zhen and Zhao Yu.

He also shared all information on Level Five markers with the Phoenix Order.

Additionally, he kept trying to contact Ding Junyi, but internal communication channels were jammed. After a long delay, Ding Junyi's voice finally came through.

"Lin Xian."

"If an attack comes, it won't just be marked individuals—your lab is at risk too!" Lin Xian warned Ding Junyi immediately.

"I know. Investigator Corps personnel are evacuating us. All labs are now inside mobile railcars."

"Good."

"Lin Xian, when you evacuated the Trakama Ice Valley, did you come into contact with that dead black worm?"

Lin Xian replied at once: "I didn't. But Kiki did. Why?"

"That means the Dark Marker didn't come from the worm's corpse. Thirty minutes ago, ground search teams returned. We tested with Hell Black Chrysanthemum—no markers detected."

"What does that mean?"

Ding Junyi's voice over the communicator was calm, chilling: "I believe the Level Five Marker likely comes from..."

"Above us!"

(End of Chapter)