Chapter 352: Glimmer Bullet

Silver bullet?

Lin Xian was surprised by Genshi Mochizuki's words, but seeing the man's expression, he guessed the object might be connected to Silent City, so he admitted directly: "Is this yours?"

"Sort of. But I have no particular interest in such things—I only want to use them to uncover the truth of the darkness."

He gazed at Lin Xian with a calm expression, as if to tell him not to be tense.

"Do you know its properties and containment conditions?"

Click.

Lin Xian pulled the metal box from the device behind his powered armor and shook his head: "Not really."

Genshi Mochizuki kept his hands tucked in his sleeves and said: "Simple. Whoever picks it up becomes its container—of course, I mean physically picking it up."

"But its property is interesting." Genshi Mochizuki raised his hand; a drone descended, extending a mechanical arm to place a cartridge—without a bullet head, but with a primer and propellant—into his palm, then handed it to Lin Xian: "You should be able to make this easily. As long as the holder fires the bullet, they can instantly teleport to wherever the bullet is. Hmm, isn't that impressive? We call this thing the 【Glimmer Bullet】."

Lin Xian's expression sharpened: "Spatial teleportation?"

"Only within darkness," Genshi Mochizuki added.

Instantly, Lin Xian's mind surged as if ten thousand galloping horses had thundered through it—the silver bullet possessed spatial mobility!

Seeing Lin Xian's astonishment, Genshi Mochizuki showed no surprise. He spoke calmly: "The previous container of this forbidden object was one of my mobile unit captains, named Ye Yi. He was twenty-two. A bit impulsive, but a good kid."

"He died?" Lin Xian asked, hearing the tone in Genshi Mochizuki's voice.

"On the night we were pulled into the Star Abyss."

Genshi Mochizuki looked at Lin Xian, as if recounting a story: "He proposed a plan as bold as yours."

"He wanted to observe the Merlion Statue before we were swallowed by the Star Abyss, using the silver bullet's ability to move through darkness to teleport the statue…"

Lin Xian's gaze flickered slightly—the plan was indeed bold.

"And then?"

"The distance wasn't enough," Genshi Mochizuki said. "He took the statue, but the maximum range of a 12. mm round propelled by explosive energy is only eight kilometers. It seems far, but it's nowhere near enough when facing the Star Abyss tide in darkness."

In darkness?

Lin Xian's heart tightened. They had encountered the Star Abyss tide before nightfall—the scene had been even more horrifying.

Hearing Genshi Mochizuki's words, Lin Xian frowned suddenly: "Why must it be fired using gunpowder?"

"If you only need to launch it, electromagnetic force could easily extend the range."

Genshi Mochizuki didn't seem surprised by Lin Xian's remark. He smiled: "See? This is the problem of creativity lagging behind imagination."

As he spoke, a drone flew over and placed a peculiar-looking firearm on a rising platform. The weapon resembled an arc-pulse rifle, black-and-white in color, with no rechargeable core, but featuring a standalone automatic magazine chamber.

"This is an electromagnetic sniper rifle I developed. Though limited by energy density and inferior to rubidium-magnetic railguns, its muzzle velocity reaches 4, 00 m/s, easily exceeding 50 km range—and further still if fired on a ballistic arc."

Lin Xian immediately scanned it with his mechanical sensors and found the design was highly precise—not intended for spherical projectiles.

At such kinetic velocity, a standard 12. mm alloy bullet would instantly melt and disintegrate.

Clearly, this rifle was custom-made for that 12. mm forbidden bullet.

Genshi Mochizuki stepped before the electromagnetic sniper rifle, his expression tinged with regret: "This was designed for Ye Yi… but… well, it came too late…"

He turned back to Lin Xian: "Before we were pulled into the Star Abyss, that Mr. Hu came to Silent City and traded some intelligence for some items, then followed us ever since."

Lin Xian nodded: "You know he gave this bullet to me—did he intend for me to return it to you?"

"No."

Genshi Mochizuki said calmly: "I already said—I have no interest in such objects beyond research. I dislike that Mr. Hu because he lies. But I'm grateful he saved Ye Yi. Though he didn't survive, at least he didn't leave him buried in this darkness. That boy hated the night."

Lin Xian understood: "So that's why you saved Mr. Hu Lushou and the others?"

"Yes," Genshi Mochizuki said seriously. "Interestingly, by saving them, I learned of your situation—and because of him, our conflict never escalated. Since the bullet is already in your hands, I'll give you this electromagnetic sniper rifle as a gift."

Lin Xian was startled. Before he could speak, Genshi Mochizuki waved his hand.

"Don't doubt it. If you don't want it, return it to me. Forbidden objects often bring unknown risks and disasters alongside their unique functions. I treat all uncontrollable forces with rational caution."

"So…" Genshi Mochizuki looked at Lin Xian: "Tell me about your magnetic levitation leap plan."

He smiled faintly, his nanomechanical pupils shimmering with countless stars—as if all things in the world were at his disposal, yet never arrogant. The only trace of regret in his tone was for the loss of Ye Yi, nothing else.

Lin Xian felt moved, growing a deeper fondness for the lord of Silent City. He didn't hesitate—he laid out the current state of the Union Train and his plan for the superconducting magnetic anchor array system, openly and clearly.

They sat across from each other at a tea table. Genshi Mochizuki listened intently. When Lin Xian finished, he fell silent for a moment, then spoke:

"To complete this plan, you need to control Silent City's subsystems, launch the array without power, design and fabricate external distributed coil support columns for this irregular vehicle lacking flight aerodynamics, coordinate the energy system, connect and interface the components…"

He rattled off a barrage of technical terms, then looked at Lin Xian: "Do you know how many engineers, construction firms, component suppliers, surveying and computational resources modern industry would need to execute what seems to you a simple plan?"

Lin Xian said nothing. Genshi Mochizuki smiled: "I've gone off track. So your ability allows you to scan mechanical blueprints, generate materials, manufacture machinery, control machines, and provide driving energy, correct?"

"Something like that," Lin Xian replied, not elaborating on his ability—but he knew someone like Genshi Mochizuki could easily deduce these traits.

Genshi Mochizuki nodded: "I fully endorse your plan—not just the magnetic levitation leap, but your End Train concept too. It suits you perfectly. The sky is too risky; ground platforms are too small. With your ability, creating a floating mechanical city, manufacturing billions of drone swarms, and building robot armies is within reach. Perhaps this could even become one solution to the Star Abyss apocalypse…"

Lin Xian glanced at his watch, mentally planning his timeline, then asked his final question:

"I have one question: How did you immediately know the Merlion Statue's properties when you encountered it? Are there public research records on it?"

Genshi Mochizuki smiled: "No. The organization currently researching forbidden objects and calamity flora the most is called Holy Revelation. It currently cooperates with the Crimson World."

"How do you know that?" Lin Xian asked.

"I know more than that…" Genshi Mochizuki raised a finger; a holographic projection appeared—a man in his late thirties, ordinary-looking, gaunt, but with piercing eyes.

"Shen Tuo, leader of Holy Revelation. Originally a low-level curator at China's National Museum. After the Awakening Day, he gained an ability and a forbidden object. Later, for reasons unknown, he partnered with Chen Yanxiu, former head of the Angel Project's Special Items Research Division, to form Holy Revelation—a cult obsessed with abilities and forbidden objects. The group is small and low-profile. Compared to the Crimson World, they're relatively peaceful—but far from benevolent. I suspect their cooperation with the Crimson World involves 'technical guidance' and 'item exchange.'"

"Holy Revelation provides research and containment methods for the Crimson World, and in return, the Crimson World gives them calamity flora and forbidden objects recovered from the Star Abyss?" Lin Xian frowned.

"Something like that," Genshi Mochizuki said, hands tucked in his sleeves. "Just a bunch of conspirators who started these schemes after gaining abilities. As for how I know…" His eyes gleamed as he looked at Lin Xian.

"When you can control billions of drones and quadrillions of quantum-scale computational units, these will be trivial matters to you."

Lin Xian was startled: "You want me to become a mechanical lifeform?"

"No."

Genshi Mochizuki shrugged, intrigued: "Not what I want. What you want."

Lin Xian's expression froze. He paused instinctively, then suddenly remembered—the last time he'd felt this way was when driving to the Akse Black Rose Bar, when he controlled multiple robot vision feeds and felt nauseous.

At the time, he'd thought: if it were billions of drones, no human brain's thought threads or visual system could possibly handle the control…

Hum!

With a strange spatial lag, an intense, chilling dread swept through everyone, ignoring the hundreds of meters of mountain and underground fortress structure.

In the command room, Lin Xian felt a sudden chill—the same unbearable sensation returned.

Genshi Mochizuki lifted his gaze slightly: "The tide has begun."

Lin Xian stood immediately: "Before intercepting the transport ship, I need to install the docking apparatus at White City Station."

"I have a better plan."

Genshi Mochizuki tapped his finger; a mechanical arm with coils appeared in midair: "Precise manual control is less reliable than programmed systems. This is a magnetic braking array. If you can fabricate this quickly, landing safety will improve significantly."

Lin Xian's eyes lit up—he'd been worried about this. His original idea was building a track buffer ramp and relying on Kiki to adjust midair, like an acrobat—but it was a desperate workaround.

With this device, success rates would rise dramatically.

After leaving the underground command center, Qiansu Xun led Lin Xian's team upstairs to the main hall. Before they departed, the girl named Xingye Shizhi purified everyone once more from the dark corruption. Lin Xian noticed her battle armor was exceptional—highly intelligent and offering formidable protection, clearly indicating she held a high rank among Silent City's core backbone.

With over ten minutes left before the inner tide ended, Ningjing and Chen Sixuan had already synced the situation and plan to the Union Train. Shi Di hadn't expected them to ally with Silent City, but for the Union Train, this was undoubtedly good news—Silent City's aid greatly increased everyone's chance of escaping the Star Abyss.

"Just now, I spoke in detail with Qiansu Xun. It seems the Red Man Ghoul won't be easy to handle."

Before departure, the exploration team held a quick internal discussion. Ningjing synced the new information to Lin Xian: "They've intercepted several transport ships. Two main dangers: hidden ghouls within the city, and the Red Man Ghoul."

"Transport teams are dispatched in batches. If anything goes wrong, the Crimson World triggers a purge protocol, inciting the city's ghouls to riot."

Lin Xian frowned: "I've been wondering—how do they do it? Replicants shouldn't carry dark markers."

Chen Sixuan shook her head: "Qiansu Xun's team doesn't know either. So they've established several fully cleansed underground shelters in White City, for emergency hiding if this happens. They've synced the locations to us."

"Lin, what's this? A gun?"

Kiki, watching Lin Xian hold the black-and-white rifle, asked curiously.

Lin Xian picked it up, gazing at it with mixed emotion: "A gift from Genshi Mochizuki. A handheld electromagnetic cannon." He placed the electromagnetic sniper rifle into the armor's rear mounting clamp.

After learning the silver bullet's properties, Lin Xian didn't immediately contain it. Both Chu Yan and Genshi Mochizuki treated forbidden objects with caution—he did too.

The Heteromorphic Cube had nearly wiped out the Infinite, once the 1542 Ghoul Radio. Fire Brother's Infinite Ring had significantly increased his mental strain since entering the Star Abyss. And soon, he'd face a major crisis with Silent City. So he kept it on him—for now, a last-resort card.

"Lin."

Qiansu Xun approached: "If you want to build the docking apparatus at the station, you should leave before the next tide recedes. Move quickly. We'll split into three teams. I and Miss Ning from Dragon Mountain No. 1 will lead squads to guard the central plaza and the north and south entrances of White City Hospital, monitoring the transport ship while also covering you. How long do you estimate?"

Lin Xian didn't hesitate: "Four hours should be enough, but due to the inner tide, it'll likely exceed six."

"No problem. Don't rush the timing. The key is not to alert the ghouls—that's when things get messy," Qiansu Xun said.

Lin Xian nodded and turned to Kiki, Chen Sixuan, Fire Brother, and others: "Infinite's team follows me. Cover me. Miss Ning, you and Qian Dele, Mo Nika, Bai Xiaoqing, and Bai take another team."

"Wait."

Qiansu Xun interrupted Lin Xian, gesturing subtly. From Silent City's team, the girl named Shizhi stepped forward timidly.

"This operation is under your command, so Genshi instructed me to assign Shizhi to assist you."

Hearing this, Chen Sixuan and the others were startled. Silent City was being overly generous—sending such a core member to aid Lin Xian alone.

Seeing their looks, Qiansu Xun smiled faintly: "Miss Ning's team has dark perception specialists. Mine relies mainly on powered armor. You'll need someone who can provide dark shielding and support."

Lin Xian immediately understood Genshi Mochizuki's intent and nodded to the girl Shizhi.

"Thank you for your help."

"N-no problem. I'll do my best," Shizhi said, young and timid in speech, yet her eyes burned with determination. She'd endured many brutal battles with Long Zhijie and others—danger felt as routine to her as speaking to strangers.

"Everyone."

"Prepare for departure. Lin is the core. Xun—only activate the EMP to isolate the transport ship's path once Lin is ready. Strike fast and finish."

At that moment, Genshi Mochizuki's calm voice echoed through everyone's comms. Simultaneously, a crystal-clear holographic map of White City appeared on all powered armor displays.

The map marked numerous ghoul activity zones via surveillance and radar, displayed real-time feeds and sentinel systems, tracked inner tide timing, and pinpointed every safe shelter within the city.

In an instant, a powerful aura of fully informationized warfare stunned the entire exploration team—there was only one word to describe it: professionalism!

Lin Xian's gaze burned with intensity; after interacting with Genji Mochizuki, he gained broader insights into the development of his mechanical ability.

First was the massive drone construction system and information network—he could easily replicate it, using Grace's quantum brain as the central controller, then enhance the construction capacity of Wuxianhao; automated construction would accelerate Lin Xian's goal of a quantum leap.

"Understood." Watching the countdown on the screen, Qian Suxun activated his nanofiber armor. This time, he brought three heavy AI-controlled mechs and one ACS light escort mech, directly assuming surveillance of the central plaza's nest zone alongside Long Zhijie and Amano Ran.

"Let's move."

After preparing, the group traveled to the entrance of the underground fortress and waited for the tide to recede.

On Lin Xian's side, Shizuki had already activated her ability—a green light swept over everyone, completing the final "cleansing" before departure.

12: 4

In the darkness of Baicheng, twisted black mist filled every street. The colossal 【Nest】 at the central plaza furiously stitched together bizarre entities. Hundreds of thousands of human corpses stood along the streets, connected by black, vein-like growths in the ground—they appeared alive, yet decayed. The veins continuously drained blood and flesh data from the corpses, colliding within the Nest like a runaway machine violently reprogramming itself, endlessly operating.

Countless bizarre entities shrieked wildly, surging into every street like bio-warriors produced solely to rush onto every battlefield and plunder and slaughter—spreading, infecting.

12: 5

The tide receded. The furious Nest, the surging bizarre entities, the hundreds of thousands of standing corpses, the black ground veins—all slowly vanished.

The once noisy, roaring Baicheng fell silent once more, leaving only the eerie whispers from the deep darkness and the indescribable crawling, shuffling steps hidden in the shadows.

At that moment, in a decaying apartment room on a high floor, Lin Xian's makeshift steel door was torn apart by a claw—the metal groaned as it collapsed. A towering figure clad in a strange overcoat stood unnaturally at the threshold, motionless.

Gazing into the darkness.

(End of Chapter)