Chapter 317: Break Through the Polar Night, Turn on the Lights!

Lin Xian walked toward the storage and living cars, inspecting each car's condition, while Kiki followed closely behind.

"Lin Xian, are you really that confident about this thing?"

"What else can we do?" Lin Xian replied. "We can't just dump it. We've seen the benefits—use it for now. Don't let unknown fears cloud your judgment."

After the earlier chaos, Lin Xian realized the forbidden object had somehow been successfully contained by accident—none of the horrific outcomes Kiki had described from previous containment failures had occurred, which gave him this new idea.

"That's true."

Kiki thought for a moment, then nodded. "This thing spits fire—maybe it was contained precisely because of Fire Brother. I can't think of any other explanation."

As Lin Xian walked, he suddenly stopped, letting out a bitter laugh. "We've stumbled into too many pits. Now that we've lucked out, we still feel it's unreal. I even find it unbelievable that we escaped the Corpse Driver unscathed."

Back on the mountain ridge outside Yijin City, when Lin Xian first saw the Corpse Driver and the vast tide of strange entities, his mind went blank. The suffocating despair he felt then he still remembers vividly.

"Fire Brother may talk strangely, but he's incredibly cautious. If there were any problems, he'd handle them immediately. I trust him."

After saying this, Lin Xian exhaled softly. He didn't need to handle every problem on this train himself. Choosing to trust his teammates was, in itself, a form of growth.

Looking back, if Fire Brother had truly been infected by fungal threads, his actions were clearly meant to protect the rest of the convoy. In this apocalypse, a teammate who chooses to face death alone to save others—how could Lin Xian not trust him with a forbidden object?

Besides, the thing was originally found by Fire Brother himself through sheer luck. Now it seems this guy has some truly outrageous fortune.

Hearing Lin Xian's words, Kiki smiled gently. "Huh? You seem brighter overall now that you're not so worried."

Lin Xian blinked slightly. "Are you saying I look pale?"

Well… yes.

Lin Xian checked the time and sighed. "We're almost out of the polar night zone. But since it's still night, don't let your guard down. Rest a bit—you keep Radar running at full power. We're not using lights; we rely entirely on it."

"Alright, alright~" Kiki stretched. "I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me up."

"I won't."

"No, no—you must wake me if anything happens." Kiki hesitated, then walked over, wrapping her arms around Lin Xian's neck, her eyes glistening. "How about I stay with you?"

Lin Xian glanced at the rear cars and shook his head. "No. You need real rest. The Tiantu Tower explosion affected you badly. There are so many people on this train now—you don't need to worry about me. Go sleep properly."

Adequate rest is vital for handling crises. Lin Xian understood this since leaving Jiang City. More importantly, the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's dark energy conversion reaches its peak during rest—this is when the body evolves best.

The only one on the train who didn't need rest was Lin Xian himself, because the energy was directly converted into mechanical points by the Hetero Cube—simple and direct.

"Alright."

Kiki knew Lin Xian cared for her, so she didn't pout. "Be careful. When Chen Sister and I wake up, it'll be your turn to sleep."

"Mm."

With that, she glanced at Lin Xian once, then turned and left.

After Kiki left, Lin Xian looked out the window. The silent desert stretched wider, a sea of darkness. He activated his Mechanical Heart to inspect the cars and chassis. Arriving at Car 12, 【Grace】 stood silently in the shadows, her mechanical face beautiful and serene, her silver-black metallic skin shimmering with an unusual luster. As Lin Xian reached out and touched something, a strange resonance surged through the cold surface—his Mechanical Heart trembled in response.

In the pitch-black Car 12, 【Grace】 stood motionless. Meanwhile, in the Twin Star 11R nuclear power car behind it, inside a specially made lead container, the containment device holding the Heavy Suspension Fluid suddenly glowed faintly with cherry-red light. A shadow formed within, then slowly faded back into stillness.

Lin Xian's expression changed slightly. He withdrew his hand and stared at 【Grace】's beautiful face.

"Strange. You're powered down… so why do I feel like you're still watching me?"

After a moment, he shook off the feeling and walked to the rear, where his old Infinite Train maintenance tools had been piled. Now, the area had expanded into a massive workshop, filled with all kinds of train repair equipment—many of which he had scanned and manufactured on the road. With Lu Chang and others who understood repairs, the crew now helped him shoulder much of the maintenance burden.

Once Luo Yang and Li Yi's teams joined, his support grew even stronger. Luo Yang's team consisted of top university tech graduates with strong hands-on skills; Li Yi's crew were tough, battle-hardened workers with technical expertise—evident from how they'd converted engineering vehicles into apocalypse cars.

Add to that the AI 【Grace】, the PX-05 maintenance robots, and the fully automatic bullet stamping machine, and Lin Xian's workload would drop by at least sixty percent. He could then focus his energy on boosting everyone's combat capability, strengthening cooperation with the Phoenix Society, and upgrading the train's living spaces—making them greener, more entertaining, more intelligent—turning the Infinite Train into a true mobile steel fortress!

Thinking of this, Lin Xian immediately found a quiet corner, sat down, and prepared to manufacture a Black Hawk – Silent Hunter powered armor for himself, while also modifying it to significantly enhance his combat power.

Then he'd build two more PX-05 robots as backups, to use later when reorganizing the cars.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Without hesitation, the mechanical manufacturing interface activated. Countless materials flew out, beginning to forge the most basic mechanical units!

Clank. Clank.

The United Train raced across the vast desert at high speed, roaring through the wind, steel wheels spinning endlessly—from 14: 0 to 19: 0, the horizon remained an endless black curtain.

Gazing at the boundless darkness, a feeling of utter abandonment settled over him—until, at one moment, Lin Xian's voice echoed simultaneously through every team's communicator.

"All teams: we have now exited the 5th Star Abyss polar night zone. However, we remain within the Dark Tide's coverage. Based on the 5th Star Abyss tide's speed, dawn should arrive around 09: 0–10: 0 tomorrow. We have no dark markers and are in silent mode—so all teams may now turn on your headlights and resume normal operations, but remain cautious!"

Inside the Infinite Train, Lin Xian watched the travel log on his mobile terminal and announced the news via communicator.

"Phew~"

After speaking, Lin Xian exhaled deeply. This was his first time entering a polar night zone—even though it was just the outer edge of the 5th Star Abyss, it had been heart-stopping: broken tracks, parasitic fungal threads, fungal carpets capable of crushing steel, Tiantu Tower, the Crimson World, the Corpse Driver—each threat was deadly, each memory chilling.

This successful escape wasn't due to strength or clever tactics—it was nothing short of a miracle.

"So the old saying is true: 'Those who survive great disasters are blessed.' It really does make sense."

Just after surviving the disaster in Xilan City, Yijin City nearly crushed us. Without iron will, no one could even find the courage to survive this apocalypse.

Tang Yun was a living example. After her husband left, she refused to face the apocalypse—choosing to be consumed by fungal threads rather than flee. Once a person loses the will to live, darkness consumes them, turning them into zombie-creatures.

The last large-scale outbreak occurred on the first day of defending Xilan City, when the city collapsed suddenly from a chasm opened by Abyss Worms.

As the strong survived and the weak perished, unless severely wounded and mentally broken—or caught in a collapse like Xilan City—zombie-creature transformations were now rare among survivor trains.

Lin Xian's message spread through all teams, sparking excited shouts from every team leader.

"Great!"

"We're out of the polar night?!"

"Thank heaven!"

"Lin Captain, Shi Captain—you've worked so hard!"

"Right! Before dawn arrives, we can't let our guard down!"

"Everyone, prioritize rest for the wounded and women and children. Others must take shifts—people and Radar must stay on duty!"

"Exactly! Don't worry—we're all pulling together. We'll see the dawn."

"Got it!"

At the front, on Dragon Mountain No. 1, Ning Jingjing exhaled in relief from the cockpit, gave instructions to her crew, then walked into a restroom. Shi Di's bandages had been partially removed; only his shoulder blades remained wrapped. The wound there was horrific—nearly torn open by a Snow Demon and a Winged Demon. Even now, recalling it sent chills down the spine. Even with Shi Di's monstrous recovery rate as a Rampage-class Beast-form Ability user, he still hadn't healed.

"Little Lin, you've done well. Once we clear the polar night, we'll reach a few western towns near Luo Bu. We might stop there to rest."

As Ning Jingjing entered, she heard Shi Di speaking with several team leaders. She glanced over and said, "We owe our escape from the polar night entirely to Lin Captain. He's not just capable—he has incredible insight. He's a natural leader."

Shi Di laughed heartily. "I told you he was special. Back in Yubei, he ran a single train with two power cores—one gas turbine, one nuclear—carrying just five or six people, and charged straight into Yubei's zombie tide. Even Miss Jian of the Fing Group took notice. I knew he was someone special then—he's exactly my type. Look now—was I wrong?"

Ning Jingjing sat down and nodded. "So what's next? When we entered Yijin City, Lin Captain mentioned they planned to head to Jinhai and rejoin the circumstellar orbit—meaning they'll pass through Dawn City. That place is crowded, but it's former Federation territory. The situation there will be incredibly complex."

Shi Di heard her implication. His expression darkened slightly as he began to think.

Clearly, if they kept heading northeast along the northern route, pushing hard only during daylight without stopping, they'd reach the Dawn Center in under a week—even with obstacles, they'd make it to Qionggu Strait within half a month. The bridge there is broken; ferrying six million people won't be easy. And more survivor trains keep pouring in from all directions toward Tianji.

The Phoenix Society's presence in Donghai and Tianji, along with the survivor populations there, now rivals that of Jinhai.

"Following the Dawn Center would certainly be easier," Shi Di said, frowning. "Entering the Dawn Center means finding a home base—even if it's mobile, the teams now have a center of gravity."

But unlike the Sky Phoenix City or Noah City, the Dawn Center's mission isn't escape—it's gathering survivors from across the globe and leading them to the Polar Endgame Base. So its movement is extremely slow; it stays in each region for at least twenty days, sometimes a month, before moving to the next major city. With China's massive population, the Dawn Center will remain stationary for months before crossing Qionggu Strait.

The Phoenix Society's divisions, Interstellar Army units, and allied trains are continuously gathering resources and transporting them to the polar region at all costs. Every Phoenix Society outpost and ocean port is a heavily fortified city.

Led by Starlight Heavy Industry, construction conglomerates are building humanity's final defense line: Xuanwu City and Kunlun Star Nexus. Food, supplies, and mineral resources from every corner of the world are being shipped there—a final fortress capable of housing ten million people, and humanity's last starport to escape Blue Star!

So for survivor trains, besides their inherent defensive advantages, the main reason they choose the circumstellar orbit is to bypass the ocean routes and cross the Pacific and Black Ocean directly to reach the polar ice sheet sooner.

Dragon Mountain No. 1 and Silver Star share this goal. The former is more cautious; the latter more reckless. But human nature favors first impressions. If polar night cannot be stopped and the world falls, humanity's only path is to flee Blue Star. But resources are limited—some will never board the starships, and will die in despair under the polar night.

So the Phoenix Society employs a multi-pronged strategy. The starship plan is placed last—its purpose is simple: never let survivors lose hope. The primary goal is to defeat the darkness!

"My thought is—we should go to Jinhai," Shi Di said after a pause.

"I know. You want to fully upgrade Dragon Mountain No. 1's all-terrain drive system for the future."

"Exactly."

Shi Di took a deep breath. "Even if we join the Dawn Center, we'll still live on the train. The track issue constrains us—but it constrains the Dawn Center too. They'll solve it eventually. If trouble arises, will we abandon Dragon Mountain No. 1?"

Ning Jingjing nodded. "I understand. Then we might as well travel with Lin Captain's team. We'll have each other's backs."

From Dragon Mountain No. 1 and the Infinite Train onward, lights began to turn on one by one. Soft yellow light spilled through the armored windows, illuminating the desert sand and wild grass. Soon, all 22 trains—nearly 500 cars—lit up. A 15-kilometer steel dragon, its lights glowing like a chain, rolled across the vast land.

In Dragon Mountain No. 1's living car, Bai Xiaoqing, fully armed, wiped her blade. When the lights turned on, she slowly lifted her head—her cold eyes now held a trace of life. She glanced at the sleeping Bai Bai across the bunk, picked up a can, weighed it, frowned, swapped it for an empty one, then tossed it at Bai Bai.

Thud~

Bai Bai jolted awake.

"What?"

"The lights… are on," Xiaoqing whispered.

Bai Bai raised his head, his sunglasses reflecting the faint glow piercing the endless dark. He reached out a hand toward the light, his young face breaking into a smile. "Good—we're out of the polar night."

In other living cars, the atmosphere erupted into noise.

Lights turning on meant the most dangerous time had passed.

Many jumped up. Quiet cars filled with shouts and chatter. Logistics staff rushed to the dining car, hauling food from supply cars to prepare hot meals and soups. Some cars even played music—old audio players crackling to life.

The suffocating pressure of the polar night vanished instantly with the lights. For these people, the train was their apocalypse home—every ounce of safety rested on this steel fortress.

On Joker Team's side, Qian Dele shed his long coat and donned a stylish shirt with a pink trench coat. He strode confidently into the rear car. His men watched him silently—they had no train experience, and the car wasn't fully set up yet—but the sense of safety the train provided was undeniable.

Qian Dele glanced at them with a smile. "Why are you all staring? Don't you have food to prepare, cabins to arrange, weapons and ammo to organize? Get moving!"

"Uh, Boss Qian."

One burly man, wearing both a rifle and a chef's apron, stood up with a sheepish grin. "Everyone says we got steak. This…"

Qian Dele looked at his men, seeing their hungry, hopeful eyes. He chuckled softly, almost bewildered.

"Why ask me? If you've got steak, eat it! Better steak shouldn't sit frozen too long. Enjoy it! Who the hell knows if we'll live till tomorrow? Lao Zhou—whether you fry, stew, braise, roast, or deep-fry it, do whatever they want. Bring out the booze too. Seriously—do I have to answer this?"

At his words, everyone beamed, leaping to their feet in excitement.

"Yes! Fire up the stove! We've got rice, seafood, and steak!"

"Hurry up, move!"

"Little Meng," Qian Dele turned to her. "Arrange something light for me—I just want vegetables."

With that, he turned and sat down on a nearby sofa, smiling as he watched his subordinates begin to bustle about.

Xiao Meng glanced at her captain; although Qian Dele was extremely picky with people, spoke harshly, and seemed utterly lacking in masculinity, Xiao Meng, who had followed Qian Dele the longest, knew he was remarkably carefree, brutally straightforward, never withheld anything from his subordinates, and that everyone on the train lived by the motto "drink today's wine while you can"—fighting desperately with no regard for their lives. If it weren't for Deputy Captain Xiao Meng managing basic supply distribution, the entire train would have long since been plagued by erratic meals.

……

On the Mo Queen, inside the fully automated car, silence reigned. After the lights turned on, the fully armed men had not yet reacted when the door to Car No. 1 opened, and Monica stepped out slowly wearing a white powered armor undersuit—this undersuit possessed fireproofing, electrical insulation, and enhanced mobility for the powered armor, and was extremely expensive; originally, in interstellar military forces, only elite special forces soldiers and pilots of the Iron Hunters and Phantom Wolves were issued such gear.

Monica had removed her powered armor, but this tight-fitting undersuit perfectly accentuated her figure, instantly drawing everyone's gaze.

As members of the Mo Queen, though accustomed to Monica's ever-changing fashion, they were still utterly stunned by this sight.

Monica loved a spotless environment; her wardrobe alone occupied one-fifth of Car No. 1, and even in this apocalypse, she maintained her elegance without fail.

As everyone watched Monica walk out, many men stared, transfixed. In this male-dominated post-apocalyptic train, the only woman was their leader—and this woman not only possessed a stunning figure and impeccable aura, but also a wild, unrestrained personality: approachable yet radiating an air of lofty authority.

Under normal circumstances, in a world where logic had collapsed, no woman could possibly maintain such a posture before a group of men with combat and production capabilities—but Monica was different. Her ability was extraordinarily powerful, granting her Rampage-level strength, and she controlled an automated apocalypse train nearly as formidable as a battle fortress, with abundant supplies. Coupled with her seven parts ruthless dominance and three parts seductive charm in handling people, she had won over countless loyal followers willing to die for her.

Thus, although a few men on the train resented her or harbored lustful intentions, none dared defy her will.

In the apocalypse, it's simple: strength, supplies, and shelter—these are the symbols of status, regardless of gender.

Besides, these people followed Monica and had food and drink, living conditions that were top-tier, and could even enjoy watching their boss change outfits daily for visual pleasure. Though they could see but not touch, wasn't that better than staring at rotting zombies? What more could they ask for?

Monica stepped out, her gaze sweeping over everyone, then raised her hand—immediately, an automated terminal on the wall extended outward. She tapped a few commands, and mechanical arms from the supply car emerged, swiftly delivering meals prepared by chefs and automated robots.

On the plates: steak, vegetable juice, fruit, red wine—all present, even a cigarette.

This sight left everyone utterly speechless.

Monica's lips curled slightly as she raised her wine glass, her voice clear and elegant: "You've all worked hard. Everyone played an irreplaceable role in escaping the Polar Night. This toast is for you."

"Sister Mo, Queen Mo—it should be us toasting you!" the men exclaimed joyfully, raising their glasses and speaking nervously.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Big Sister Mo, you've worked so hard—we only survived because of you!"

"Following Queen Mo is the best decision I've ever made in my life!"

Everyone immediately stood up, gazing at her with burning admiration. At that moment, Monica resembled a savior queen beneath the despairing death of the apocalypse—her tall, sensual figure seemed to glow, radiating an aura that stirred men's primal desires yet forbade any disrespect. Even Song Hao and the Fat Man stared at her with unhidden longing.

Monica naturally sensed these intense gazes; she smiled faintly, savoring this scrutiny—her personal trophy.

"To your health."

She smiled as she drank with her subordinates, then turned gracefully and walked away.

(End of Chapter)