Chapter 294: Eternal Night

Beneath the black curtain, only faint starlight revealed glimpses of the city's outline.

Yubei City, shrouded in darkness and deathly stillness, was littered with war ruins; the temperature was extremely low, with no blizzards—only absolute cold, for even the wind had ceased, leaving the entire city silent as if frozen solid.

At the city's center, within a massive nuclear blast crater six kilometers in diameter, a mixture of blood and body fragments had frozen into ice; streets radiating outward for kilometers had collapsed, melted, and shattered.

Only in the distant districts and alleyways were there still large numbers of zombies.

But these zombies stood utterly motionless in the night, as if locked in some kind of stasis—no life, no sound; though they were technically still "alive," they had lost all instinct to move, standing in vast, silent rows like lifeless dolls along every street and lane.

On top of an intact high-rise, Chu Yan, clad in a custom full-coverage exosuit, silently gazed at the distant nuclear blast crater, her holographic visor continuously flooding with data.

A mechanical female voice spoke.

"Distance to Lucheng's Star Abyss No. 3: 5, 50 kilometers. Current Soul-Dispersal Index: 1, 56. Radiation Index: 198 mSv/h."

"Intelligence analysis suggests at least two S-class anomalies and the Corpse Driver of Star Abyss No. 3 may be present here."

"Corpse Driver?" Chu Yan's gaze lingered on a massive jellyfish tentacle fallen upon a distant hill, then turned to the towering ascent corridor, where mountains of charred corpses and ash-dust-covered ground revealed the horrific scale of the evacuation.

Her eyes hardened: "Search for disaster-plant fluctuations."

"Searching. No disaster-plant growth signatures detected."

"Seems affected by nuclear radiation…"

"Shall we guide the next Path of Eternal Night?"

Chu Yan said nothing, stared toward the nuclear blast's epicenter, paused a moment, then raised her hand and pointed.

"Warning: Using a gravitational lens here risks tidal resonance, increasing risk index for subsequent paths by an estimated 13%."

"Irrelevant. Phoenix Society's Eternal Night Unit 2 has already scouted this area—the Corpse Driver is gone."

As she prepared to act, she suddenly sensed something and whirled around—there, standing silently behind her without any protective gear, was a young man.

Chu Yan's pupils contracted: "It's you again?"

Lin Xian stood at the building's edge, weary, staring at the familiar yet alien city outline, then at Chu Yan.

"It seems our timelines are synchronized—you're not a hallucination."

"I'm not. But you are."

Chu Yan turned, her armored visor fixed on Lin Xian: "My suit's radar didn't detect you. Only I can see you. Who are you?"

Lin Xian noticed two faction emblems on her armor: one, the crimson phoenix of the Phoenix Society; the other, a gray-blue shield—NAUF.

"I'm Lin Xian. Leader of a survivor convoy allied with the Phoenix Society."

"Lin Xian?" Chu Yan frowned. "Is that shelter in Jiang City yours?"

"Then tell me why you're in my house?" Lin Xian countered.

"That's classified."

Chu Yan drew a small flying blade from her left shoulder and hurled it—swish—it pierced straight through Lin Xian's face.

"There's some energy-conscious link between us, but I don't know your origins. If you're truly allied with the Phoenix Society, I'll verify with them. Next time we meet, we might exchange more information. And for now—keep this quiet."

As Chu Yan turned to leave, she glanced back: "This time, you saw me longer than last time?"

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened. He didn't answer. Instead he said:

"Wait. Let me look around."

Yubei City in Eternal Night lay under absolute desolation—no sign of life. Along the edge of the distant airfield platform, faint human-shaped silhouettes, like charcoal sketches on a fortified wall, formed a grim, endless mural…

Clank. Clank~

Clank. Clank~

Lin Xian rubbed his throbbing head, struggled to sit up, opened his eyes—and found himself lying in the bedroom of Infinite No. 1 car. No lights were on; all blackout shutters were sealed tight; the entire car was pitch black.

He checked his watch.

16: 0

He tried opening a nearby blackout shutter, peering through his custom multi-layer bulletproof window.

Pitch black. Only occasional snowflakes drifting past the glass confirmed it was snowing outside.

Outside temperature had risen to -32°C. The convoy seemed to be moving away from the extreme cold vortex.

"Huh…"

Lin Xian took a deep breath, trying to suppress the splitting headache.

Overextending control of Unit One, plus using the gravitational lens—Lin Xian had felt as if his soul had been torn away. His mind replayed Chen Wei's death, triggering a physiological suffocation.

He adjusted his breathing, sat still for minutes, and finally felt his body ease.

At the same time, he recalled the madness of the final clash with the giant sea urchin— at that moment, he had seemingly channeled Unit One's nuclear power to unleash that massive AT field, but it hadn't been conscious. He didn't know how a superstring reactor phase rainbow ring had appeared behind him…

Lin Xian opened the Mechanical Heart interface. Seeing the flood of alerts, his expression changed.

【Non-mechanical energy converted. Gained 1, 00 Mechanical Source Points.】

【Non-mechanical energy converted. Gained 1, 00 Mechanical Source Points.】

【Congratulations! Mechanical Heart upgraded to Lv. ! Remote Control Mode fully activated!】

【Remote Control Mode】: Enables long-range scanning, assimilation, control, and fabrication. Range limited by 【Mechanical Fabrication】 level. Current range: 500m.

【Current Mechanical Heart Level: Lv. (240/20, 00)】

【Special Skills】

Mech Cannon 【Amplify】

AT Field 【Amplify】

Flashback (Rare) (Lv. 50%)

Surge (Rare) (Lv. Maxed)

Gravitational Lens (Legendary) (Lv. 99%)

R&D Center

【G3-EM Railgun (Blueprint) in development: 1 day, 13 hours, 59 minutes remaining】

"Did the Hell Black Chrysanthemum absorb so much dark energy? It converted 2, 00 Mechanical Source Points?"

Lin Xian was stunned. Just as he prepared to rise, another alert flashed before him.

【Non-mechanical energy converted. Gained 1, 00 Mechanical Source Points.】

Lin Xian's expression froze.

"Hell Black Chrysanthemum… still converting?!"

How much black energy did this disaster-plant absorb during the Battle of Xilan City?!

【Current Amplifiable Skills】

Surge (Rare) (Lv. Maxed): Can be amplified into 【Superstring Reactor Phase Rainbow Ring】

Amplification Condition: Successfully assimilate a nuclear power device with thermal output exceeding 300 MW.

Amplification Duration: 24 hours

"So this thing is real… but why did I use it without amplification?"

Lin Xian was baffled. He'd already used the amplification before—but now he could only sigh. A nuclear device exceeding 300 MW? His Twin Star 11R nuclear train only produced 290 MW. The requirement was brutal.

"At least the Mechanical Heart finally upgraded." Lin Xian looked at his hands, then at a small alarm clock he'd made on the nearby table. He reached out—

Whoosh~

In an instant, the alarm clock vanished into ash.

【Assimilation successful. Gained 1 Mechanical Source Point.】

"Remote assimilation, scanning, control—this'll save me a lot of trouble."

Feeling his power grow, Lin Xian began to recover from the trauma of the earlier battle.

Just as he reached for the communicator to call others, he realized something was wrong—the atmosphere inside the car felt off.

The rail sounds were slower than expected. He didn't know how long he'd slept—or where they were.

His first thought:

The train is moving too slowly.

His second:

The car was unnaturally silent.

Lin Xian held his breath, stepped out of the bedroom—every light was off; the corridor was pitch black.

Where is everyone?

As he wondered, a figure hurried toward him, holding a faint cold-light night lamp—it was Chen Sixuan.

"Shh!"

Chen Sixuan's eyes lit up the moment she saw him—but she instantly signaled silence, then rushed into his arms.

"Thank goodness, you're awake."

Her voice was barely a whisper, yet brimmed with unrestrained joy. Lin Xian, still dazed, hugged her instinctively and whispered: "What happened?"

Chen Sixuan pulled him back into the bedroom, closed the door carefully, then spoke in a serious, hushed tone:

"The entire convoy is operating under silent transit. We've entered the Eternal Night zone of Star Abyss No. 5. But as soon as we entered the tidal region, something strange happened!"

"Strange?"

Chen Sixuan nodded. "Something appeared outside. The Fish Fly car—its hull was damaged during the Garrison Battle—suffered massive infection. Everyone inside died. Cause unknown. That car is now quarantined. We suspect airborne contamination. All 22 cars have activated air filters. Everyone's trying to seal leaks."

Lin Xian frowned, activated his Mechanical Heart to sense the anomorphic cubes on the train—no alarms. He exhaled slightly.

"Also, since you were gone, we discussed it with Brother Shi and several car group leaders. No one's marked, but everyone fears being tagged during Eternal Night. We know something's out there. For safety, we agreed to reduce speed, turn off lights, and move silently."

Lin Xian nodded—he understood. After the brutal battle at Xilan City, though survivors had cleared their marks, everyone knew they were in Eternal Night. No one dared relax.

Chen Sixuan told him that due to route restrictions, the 22 Apocalypse Trains had to travel together directly north through the outer zone of Star Abyss No. 5 to reach Quancheng—but everyone was extra cautious now, crossing Eternal Night.

Fortunately, the snow isn't as deep as it was on the Palma Grassland, so the convoy doesn't need to go very fast.

!

Clang!

Lin Xian activated the Mechanical Heart to open the sunshade beside him, gazing at the pitch-black, endless snowfield, his expression turning grim.

"So now over twenty trains are traveling together?"

"Yes, Longshan No. 1 leads, and behind us is Mo Nika's Mo Queen."

"She has full-terrain drive—why isn't she with the Phoenix Society's main force?" Lin Xian asked, puzzled.

Chen Sixuan whispered, "I don't know. Not just her—Qian Dele too."

"Qian Dele?" Lin Xian blinked. "He's got a massive convoy and a nuclear-powered polar vehicle—why switch to a train?"

"He traded his nuclear-powered polar vehicle for a train convoy. He said he prefers the space and cleanliness—it's more comfortable to die in."

Lin Xian sighed helplessly. That did sound exactly like him. And during this mass relocation, many train groups probably wanted to follow the Phoenix Society's main force around the Fifth Star Abyss—everyone was eager to swap vehicles.

" Luo Yang and the others are the same. After Xilan City, everyone suffered heavy losses. Wu Shu and Liao Ming from the Eagle Convoy died. Liang Lei, Duan Min, Luoluo, and Li Guangwen were critically wounded—we pulled them back with our medical pods. Liang Lei still hasn't woken up. Then Luo Yang and Li Yi swapped their vehicles for a train convoy too. Now they've merged into the Sun Convoy, over a hundred people following us. Some of them, along with the remaining Eagle Convoy members, joined Shen Yao's North Wind Alliance."

During the entire defense of Xilan City, most convoys were shattered. In such circumstances, people banding together for survival was only natural. Hearing about Wu Shu's death, Lin Xian sighed inwardly.

He remembered the plague plant Wu Shu had given him. After Xilan City, the importance of plague plants had skyrocketed in Lin Xian's mind. He'd planned to invite Wu Shu's group to join him—or offer them power armor and weapons—if they survived. He never expected the Eagle Convoy to vanish so completely.

"By the way, Shen Yao from the North Wind Convoy specifically asked me to tell you: there's a convoy searching for us."

"Who?"

Chen Sixuan exhaled slowly: "Silver Star. Jian Xuxi."

Lin Xian's pupils sharpened. He recalled this sharp, commanding head of the Fenge Group at the airport—her Eternal-class doomsday train, over a hundred cars long, had the heaviest firepower he'd ever seen: more than four electromagnetic railguns…

"Click… Hey, Shi Brother."

Lin Xian pressed the comm, trying to reach Longshan No. 1 ahead.

Soon, Shi Di's delighted voice came through.

"Lin Brother! You're awake!!"

"Shh, quieter," came Xiang Ningjing's voice from beside him.

"Oh, right, right!" Shi Di lowered his voice immediately. "Lin Brother, thank goodness you're awake! I was terrified for you. How are you now? Any parts feeling off?"

Lin Xian felt warmth in his chest: "I'm fine, Shi Brother. What's the situation now?"

"Let me tell Lin Team Leader."

At that moment, the channel switched to Xiang Ningjing's voice. She spoke: "Lin Team Leader, Shi's badly hurt too. I'm handling everything here. We should reach Yijin soon. So far, we haven't seen any monsters—but pay close attention to the air circulation system. We suspect the snowstorm and air contain some toxic substance or something similar to Dark Invasion. Be careful."

"Understood. We'll stay in contact."

"Mm."

Lin Xian pressed another channel, contacting Luo Yang and the others. Hearing his voice, the young members of Luo Yang's group were ecstatic.

Luo Yang said: "Lin Team Leader, we're now remodeling our vehicles the same way yours are—following you!"

Lin Xian replied with concern: "Take care of yourselves first. Remodeling can wait until you're safe. We're entering polar night—be extremely cautious. Tell me immediately if anything happens."

"Got it, thanks, Lin Brother."

"By the way, Li Yi," Lin Xian turned to Li Yi. "How's Liang Lei?"

"He's… still alive," Li Yi's voice was heavy. Clearly, Liang Lei's injuries were worse than expected.

"Good. Take care of him." Lin Xian sighed softly, then briefly checked in with Qian Dele and Mo Nika on the channel. He finally exhaled deeply.

At this moment, twenty-two doomsday trains were linked end to end—a 15-kilometer steel dragon of over five hundred cars, silently gliding through the polar night's snowstorm. Over four thousand survivors remained, some of whom had transferred from Xilan City to vehicle groups—otherwise, the number might have been higher.

"How are the others?"

Lin Xian walked with Chen Sixuan toward the rear cars, asking after the crew.

Chen Sixuan leaned close to Lin Xian's ear: "Kiki's still asleep. Huo Ge, Daliu, and the other psychics are the same—all drained. But we evolvers are doing slightly better."

Lin Xian's face grew serious: "So it seems ordinary people are adapting better than psychics?"

"They're probably just exhausted—and they used two Cold Dark Reagents," Chen Sixuan said, worried.

Lin Xian stopped walking, staring at the faint energy glow flowing through the car. He wondered: Could it be because these individuals were closest to S-Class, absorbing more Dark Energy, combined with the transformation from the Hell Black Chrysanthemum, overloading their bodies?

It wasn't unreasonable. Leaving aside the two Cold Dark Reagents, these stronger fighters had eliminated more monster waves, and the S-Class giant sea urchin and Abyssal Worm must have leaked massive energy.

The benefit, of course, was major boosts to psychic and evolutionary potential—but the cost was severe: they'd go a long time without seeing sunlight.

Thinking of this, Lin Xian immediately headed toward Car No. 3. Passing Car No. 2, he paused to check on Kiki—she was still asleep, her complexion looking better. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

In the battle of Xilan City, Kiki faced the most dangerous situations. Her psychic rating exceeded 2000—Catastrophic Class—but in truth, she was just a 16-year-old girl who'd only mastered her ability a month ago. Facing the giant sea urchin, she'd nearly exhausted herself—she needed proper rest.

He suspected his own faster recovery was due to the Heteromorphic Cube converting energy for him.

Lin Xian reached Car No. 3 but didn't see Ding Junyi—he found her in Car No. 4, overseeing several young crew members harvesting vegetables.

"Cut three centimeters off the carrot roots, keeping the greens attached. Place them root-up in the growth trays. New sprouts will appear in two to three days—then you can return them to the hydroponic tanks."

"For the lettuce roots, put them in water—but don't let the water rise above two centimeters. Watch the temperature in Car No. 4. Lettuce is sensitive—too hot makes it wilt. Optimal growth range is 15°C to 25°C—perfect for places without direct sunlight."

Ding Junyi harvested while explaining carefully. When she saw Lin Xian enter, she stood up immediately.

"Lin Xian, you're awake?"

"Lin Team Leader!!"

The other crew members also shouted excitedly—but immediately realized they were too loud, shrinking back and covering their mouths.

Lin Xian made a shushing gesture. They nodded.

"Ding Director, we'll take these and blend them into vegetable juice."

"Go ahead," Ding Junyi said. After they left, she turned to Lin Xian: "It's been constant night, and we were exposed to monster waves too long in Xilan City. Dark Invasion is severe, so I prepared extra vegetable juice."

Lin Xian opened his mouth—he'd come specifically for this. He hadn't expected Ding Junyi to already be doing it.

Seeing this, Lin Xian nodded. He stepped forward and hugged Ding Junyi tightly.

"Thank you, Ding Director. Thank you for your research. Thank you for your Dark Mark."

After crossing the Dazhu Mountain Plateau, it was Ding Junyi's work—and the Hell Black Chrysanthemum from Underground City No. 9—that allowed Wuxianhao to reach this point. It was also thanks to Wei Ke Xue, Guo Lao, and countless researchers who sacrificed themselves to prove the Dark Mark theory that allowed tens of thousands in Xilan City to survive.

Now that he was back on Wuxianhao, Lin Xian wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly.

Ding Junyi was caught off guard by the embrace, her calm expression flickering with surprise.

"It… wasn't anything."

Lin Xian released her, placing his hands on her shoulders: "How can it be nothing? You, Wei Ke Xue, Guo Sicheng, Yu Zu, Professor Zhang, and all these researchers—do you know how many lives your Dark Mark has saved? You deserve the highest honors in scientific history."

At this, Ding Junyi adjusted her glasses, her face serene.

"For scientists, the other shore of truth isn't a crown of honor—it's the spring of redemption carved by intellect in the wasteland. As a human, being able to contribute my strength is already an honor. I don't value accolades."

"Of course…"

Ding Junyi looked at Lin Xian, her gaze deep: "But your recognition of me? That feels great."

(End of Chapter)