Chapter 366

Mechanical army!?

Lin Xian's heart trembled slightly; Wangyue Zhenji's words struck right at the core of his thoughts. Looking back on the journey so far—from wielding a simple wind cannon and hacking with a short knife, to now donning high-tech powered armor and piloting drones—he had personally built every single armored plate of the Infinite No. 1 train, and only he knew the hardships involved.

If he weren't a mechanical ability user but instead possessed another combat-oriented ability, Lin Xian would likely have focused on improving his own combat skills and expanding his survival organization, living a life of blood and blade—none of this would have involved Elevator, Unit-01-Pangu, or anything like them.

Lin Xian had a very clear sense of his own role: he was not a frontline fighter, but more like Wangyue Zhenji or Qiansu Xun—a support figure whose output relied entirely on the Infinite No. 1 and his teammates' overwhelming firepower. His individual combat strength was not formidable; aside from his gravitational lens causing large-area damage, he still needed teammates to handle larger monsters.

The true strength of his mechanical ability lay in these controllable external assets: train defenses, vehicle weapons, drones, powered armor, armed teams, plus intelligent combat units like Grace and Dancer-1, along with his forbidden artifacts, plague plants, and the team's powerful ability users—all together forming the current combat power of the Infinite No. 1!

So beyond vehicle upgrades, what Lin Xian most wanted was the various drone systems of Silent City. With them, his productivity could leap forward—and productivity equaled combat power. If Lin Xian had a thousand, ten thousand, even a hundred thousand combat drones forming a swarm effect, concentrating their fire against enemies, he might even stand a chance against a Special-Class S-tier threat.

This was also why the Phoenix Society's Emperor Plan pursued both giant mechs and drone swarms.

Seeing the countless blueprints, Lin Xian's mood instantly lifted. With these, he no longer needed to scan anything—he could begin manufacturing immediately, while also improving his manufacturing proficiency and accelerating the R&D center's speed.

"AI brain plus drones? Sounds like you and I are the same." Lin Xian looked at the photonic storage device and couldn't help speaking.

"The same? I have a different perspective."

Wangyue Zhenji smiled: "Lin, if we analyze your ability theoretically: first, you possess the ability to scan and generate blueprints. In today's world, if a research team had to reverse-engineer a mechanical object, the time and resources required would be immense. Second, you can perform direct void manufacturing, eliminating every step of component fabrication and processing—even saving space. Third, you can consume machinery, which represents a form of dissolution based on physical laws—not mere recycling. All engineering machinery, artificial weapons, and defense systems pose zero threat to you."

He looked at Lin Xian and uttered a thought-provoking remark: "Fortunately, you're on the human side. Otherwise, you'd be a far more troublesome problem for current human civilization than any S-tier threat."

"I've never heard such an evaluation—I'm not sure whether to be pleased or not." Lin Xian gave a bitter smile.

Wangyue Zhenji analyzed: "Perhaps, theoretically, I could achieve the same as you by combining the entire power of Silent City—but the difference is, Silent City weighs 1. 1 million tons, has a total population of 109, 61, and operates 91, 60 drones. The combined area of its industrial, manufacturing, agricultural, and residential zones exceeds 3. Manhattan Islands. My quantum core processor consumes 325, 00 kW per hour; the city's central AI cooling system consumes 162 million kW per hour—requiring the output of six Hoover Dam power stations just to operate at full capacity. Yet you're just one person, sitting here, consuming no more than 2, 00 kcal of food energy during tonight's banquet. Now… do you still think we're the same?"

"Sorry—I thought you weren't human. After hearing that, you're far more human than I am." Lin Xian nodded in sudden understanding.

"But there is one thing I can truly help you with—the design system for maximizing your mechanical ability." Wangyue Zhenji sat down with interest, hands tucked into his sleeves, gazing at Lin Xian: "Perhaps I can redesign that 'Celestial-Class' interstellar mega-train into a true end-times train capable of interstellar colonization—and give it to you. What do you say?"

Lin Xian leaned back slightly, his gaze strange as he looked at Wangyue Zhenji: "I thought you'd be fascinated by my mechanical ability and want to invite me to join Silent City."

"I did consider it. But… well, Silent City already has everything—weapons, ammunition, buildings—all automated, the framework already fixed. Even if I gave you the entire blueprint of Silent City, all you could do is rebuild another Silent City, wouldn't you?"

Lin Xian thought for a moment: "Yes."

"Then can you help Silent City with the hardware upgrades needed for interstellar travel?"

"Seems not."

"So," Wangyue Zhenji shrugged, his expression utterly calm: "If you want to stay in Silent City, I welcome you. But you're clearly more focused on developing your ability further—and so am I. So why not continue our cooperation? Let Silent City become your partner, providing every resource you need, rather than waiting with us in Yongcheng Port as the polar night approaches. Isn't that better?"

"You're too generous with me." Lin Xian looked at the photonic storage device in his hand—including the earlier flicker bullets—strategic assets of immense value to others, yet Wangyue Zhenji seemed to treat them as nothing.

"Don't misunderstand. Every action of mine has a logical purpose, and I never hide those purposes." Wangyue Zhenji smiled at Lin Xian: "Didn't I just say? You possess greater potential than Silent City—compressing such immense productivity into a single human form? That's a high-dimensional civilization's technique. So partnering with you is like investing in another 'Silent City.' If the Celestial Veil fails to break through, I'll still have a powerful ally, won't I?"

"Very logical." Lin Xian nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Wangyue Zhenji with solemn eyes: "If you don't mind, I'd also like the Interstellar Nanosuit from Qiansu Xun, heavy robots, Silent City's base defense weapons—and oh, by the way, could I also have the blueprint for the Hyperion Dingxiangyueshupao?"

Wangyue Zhenji stared at Lin Xian without expression. After a long pause, he slowly spoke.

"It's all in the storage device."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thank you."

"By the way, there's one more thing…"

"I'm currently reverse-engineering the Blood Flesh Augmentation system from the Crimson World, combining their total data with other useful information—I'll sync it all with you later." Wangyue Zhenji spoke calmly.

"Uh… okay." Lin Xian asked seriously: "Am I being too forward?"

"You can't be any more forward."

Lin Xian: …

"But reasonable." Wangyue Zhenji smiled faintly: "We're expected to reach Jinhai in two days. During this time, Dawn City forces will surely come calling, and Phoenix Society operatives will enter the city. Silent City engages in open trade and cooperation, and though we have security screening, I mean to say—not everyone in Silent City is trustworthy. Be cautious."

Lin Xian nodded, tucked away the photonic storage device, then picked up the consciousness memory core as well, and rose to leave.

At that moment, Wangyue Zhenji suddenly called out to him, his tone laden with meaning:

"Your Grace is very interesting. Though only an offline version, she possesses a quantum processing core of 8, 92 qubits. In today's world, where the high-precision quantum brain manufacturing supply chain has collapsed, such a quantum computer with interstellar engineering-level processing power is an extremely high strategic asset in any organization. I'd bet the Crimson World, aside from its main body, has no more than two such offline versions. The Phoenix Society's Galaxy Mainframe has been relocated to the polar region; Phoenix City, Dawn Center, and Noah each have only one offline Galaxy for base operations. Even Dawn City has only one 8, 92-qubit unit. Alliances like Reykjavik's European Storm Alliance and the North American United Front—with millions of people—may not even possess a quantum brain of this specification. Do you understand what I mean, Lin?"

"I picked up such a huge windfall?" Lin Xian exclaimed.

"What I mean is…"

"I get it." Lin Xian half-joked: "First, the Crimson World won't let this asset go. Second, why did they place this quantum brain inside a Zero-Element Center?"

This was Wangyue Zhenji's second reminder. Back in the Star Abyss West Mountain bunker, Lin Xian had already been pondering why such a crucial quantum brain was used merely as a household AI in Yijin City's underground lab—were those high-level members really that important?

Obviously not. Though he knew the Crimson World extracted massive profits from these members, and people like Wen Dong, Tang Yun's husband, clearly owed their vast resources to the Crimson World, assigning a quantum brain to guard them was a waste.

Lin Xian suspected Grace was closely tied to the Crimson World's mycelium research in Yijin City. The Crimson World's clone and flesh-augmentation technologies both fundamentally stemmed from this mycelium research—through this 'heretical path,' they indirectly achieved reverse control of the human brain and consciousness memory core, using the brain as a quantum computer to process digital clone commands, and even developed methods to control Gui.

Combined with Lin Xian's encounter with Chu Yan through the consciousness link in Akse, where she was stealing key information from the Zero-Element Center via dream consciousness, this further confirmed the Zero-Element Center's importance.

Putting it all together, Lin Xian felt the Zero-Element Center's mystery was far from over—he had merely glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.

"Wangyue Zhenji." Lin Xian turned back, brows furrowed in confusion: "Do you think a quantum brain could betray humanity?"

Wangyue Zhenji smiled: "A program never betrays humanity. But human instructions and demands have too many interpretive margins. For a quantum brain, countless corrections and training sessions are needed to truly 'understand' human commands. So if you could upload your personal consciousness into it, the brain could rapidly iterate through 'human-in-the-loop' feedback—it would quickly grasp your intent and reach a balanced state of personality deconstruction."

"Like you?" Lin Xian's mind conjured Grace's elegant female form. Placing his own consciousness inside her felt strangely odd.

Wangyue Zhenji spoke plainly: "Multiply your intellect a millionfold, and you'll get unexpected results."

"No thanks. I prefer her to stay more like a robot."

With that, Lin Xian waved goodbye and walked out of the hall under Wangyue Zhenji's gaze.

For Lin Xian, Grace as a robotic assistant to handle tasks and manage drones was more than enough. Nothing more was needed.

But Wangyue Zhenji's warning made him more cautious. He stepped out of the tower, climbed to the upper deck, and gazed down at the mechanical city below, its neon lights flickering, holographic billboards glowing with cold light, drone trails weaving glowing nets in the low sky, various hovercrafts darting past, their exhaust trails leaving fleeting rainbows on the metal walls.

Around the deck's perimeter, massive transport ships floated in place or docked in port. The entire mechanical floating city stood out like a fragment of another world, embedded in the forest beneath the night.

"What were you two talking about for so long?"

As soon as he stepped out, a crisp voice rang from afar. Lin Xian turned and saw Kiki leaning against the deck railing, sucking on a lollipop, dressed in denim shorts, a black crop top, and a bright baseball hoodie, her purple hair dancing in the night wind. Her eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight, making it impossible to tell whether they held stars or the glow of an ability.

"You waited for me on purpose?"

Kiki rolled her eyes, arms crossed: "Pfft. Chen sister was worried you'd get eaten by Wangyue Zhenji, so she made me stay here to watch you."

Lin Xian walked over and smiled: "How could that be? My ability, as it stands, holds more research value than practical use for major organizations. Anything I can build, Silent City can build too. Why would he eat me?"

Kiki tilted her head, glancing at him: "Not necessarily. Even big factories need electricity to produce things. If they captured you, gave you two steamed buns a meal, your cost-efficiency would be higher than any production line. Besides, your consumption and recycling ability is perfect for rebuilding post-apocalypse industry. If I were in charge, I'd tie you up with a leather rope and whip you daily to force you to keep consuming and manufacturing."

Lin Xian frowned: "Leather rope? Whip? Why?"

"Because you can consume iron chains." Kiki said seriously.

Lin Xian: …

"Hehe, just kidding." Kiki beamed: "Chen sister, Miao Lushu, and Sun sister went into the mechanical city to restock supplies. Water's still scarce—that's still urgent. I heard Silent City has plenty of water, but the darkness invasion concentration keeps rising daily. If this second city weren't parked outside the Star Abyss, who knows how many would've died from mutations alone."

"By the way, did Wangyue Zhenji want you to join Silent City?"

"Exactly the opposite."

Lin Xian walked to the railing, gazing at the silhouette of the mega-mechanical city under the night, and said as the wind brushed his face: "Wangyue Zhenji wants to maintain an alliance with me—he seems ready to invest in me. But that aligns perfectly with my own thoughts. Silent City is already built this way; for me, it only has two uses: sleep inside it, or consume it to upgrade our train. Neither is very practical."

Consuming Silent City to build a train—sounded like smoothing out the wrinkles of a cerebral cortex.

Wangyue Zhenji's description was spot-on: Silent City possessed everything Lin Xian's mechanical ability had—and far greater productivity. Lin Xian currently took about fifteen minutes to manufacture one Lei Sun 2000 drone, but Silent City's industrial system, if fully fueled, could produce a thousand drones in fifteen minutes!

That's why Wangyue Zhenji wanted to invest in Lin Xian rather than simply absorb his team: first, he was interested in Lin Xian's future potential; second, if all industrial systems on Earth were shattered, Lin Xian was the theoretical key that could rapidly propel humanity from primitive civilization to planetary civilization.

Wangyue Zhenji's vision was longer than Lin Xian's own. If he hadn't said this, Lin Xian wouldn't have realized it himself.

"That actually makes sense." Kiki nodded: "So Lin Xian, are we planning to go to Jinhai, steal that 'Celestial-Class' train, rob the Wen family blind, and then run away?"

Lin Xian smiled: "It's not that simple. Under current conditions, the Crimson World and Dawn City must be connected. Didn't that fat Zhou guy say Dawn City's high-ups are colluding with the Descent Faction? And Jinhai is Dawn City's key industrial base—starships, Celestial-Class trains, weapons and equipment—it accounts for at least sixty to seventy percent of Dawn City's core industries. To raid resources here, we won't just face Dawn City—we'll also face Linglong Group and the Crimson World…"

"Then…"

"Don't worry. We just watch and wait." Lin Xian stretched: "After all, it was Wangyue Zhenji who proposed this. If conflict arises, Silent City will bear the brunt. The Crimson World is already watching us, and Star Abyss No. 5 is unstable. Under these circumstances, we'll just follow along, use Silent City's advantages to fully arm the Infinite No. 1, and adapt as we go."

"That's true…"

Kiki pouted and nodded, then turned to face Silent City with Lin Xian. After a moment of silence, she spoke:

"I heard many Silent City residents uploaded their consciousnesses to the cloud, and a few even have their own consciousness memory cores. I think some of the allied caravans might be considering it too…"

"You mean joining Silent City?"

"Yes."

"Normal." Lin Xian admitted frankly: "If I were them, I'd want to too. Everywhere is death and apocalypse—having a mobile city like this as shelter? That's every ordinary person's dream. It's perfectly natural."

He looked at Kiki: "You're wondering if anyone on the Infinite No. 1 might think the same?"

Kiki shook her head: "No. I understand everyone's thoughts. It's just you…" She turned back, gazing at Lin Xian, her eyes shimmering like stars: "I think you're too tired. So I was wondering—if Wangyue Zhenji asked you to stay, maybe… you should consider it…"

I think you're too tired, so I was wondering—if Mochizuki Shinji asks you to stay, perhaps... you might consider it...

Lin Xian sensed the hidden tenderness in her words, his heart stirred slightly. He took a deep breath: "Silent City is going to fight to the death against the Celestial Veil at Yongcheng Port. The world's end is less than a year away. Time is urgent—how could I just sit around and wait? Besides, Wangyue Zhenji reminded me of one thing: even if he gave me Silent City's entire blueprint, all I could do is rebuild another Silent City. But the problem is—Silent City can't solve the Star Abyss or the Gui, nor can it break through the Celestial Veil…"

Lin Xian heard the faint tenderness hidden in Kiki's words, his heart stirred slightly, then he took a deep breath and said: "Silent City is going to fight to the death against the Celestial Veil at Yongcheng Port, and the world's end is less than a year away—time is urgent, how could I possibly just loaf around? Besides, Mochizuki Shinji gave me one important reminder: even if he handed me Silent City's entire blueprint, all I could do is rebuild another Silent City. But the problem is, Silent City currently can't solve the Star Abyss or the Weird Entities, nor can it break through the Celestial Veil..."

"But… there's one thing I might be able to do."

"What?" Kiki looked at him.

Lin Xian's gaze flickered toward the massive floating city's lift engines: "Integrate all human technology—Silent City, Dawn City, Phoenix Society, Starhua Heavy Industry, Interstellar Army—and then…"

Lin Xian's gaze flickered toward the massive floating city's ascent engines: "Integrate all of humanity's technology—including Silent City, Dawn City, the Phoenix Society, Starhua Heavy Industry, and the Interstellar Military—and then..."

Whoosh~

The night wind howled, swallowing Lin Xian's words into the starry void. Beside him, Kiki gazed at him with shining eyes, then smiled softly.

At that moment, she recalled a long-ago scene: when she'd first been rescued by Lin Xian and woke up in the train, caught stealing bread, angrily accusing his Infinite Train plan as nonsense, listing off cutting-edge technologies with fiery passion—yet Lin Xian hadn't been angry. Instead, he'd pulled out a notebook and recorded everything with serious focus.

At that moment, her eyes recalled a long-past moment: she had just woken up in the car after Lin Xian rescued her, sneaking a bite of bread and getting caught red-handed; she had angrily scolded him to his face for his Infinite Train plan being nonsense, rattling off a string of cutting-edge technologies that stirred the soul—but Lin Xian hadn't grown angry or embarrassed; instead, he pulled out a small notebook and recorded everything with solemn seriousness.

"Hmm?"

"You're amazing."

You're amazing.

How amazing?

Kiki spread her arms and laughed softly: "That's awesome!"

Lin Xian smiled faintly and pulled out the photonic storage device: "Wait till I build this—then it'll be even better."

"What's inside?"

"Something great," Lin Xian said, grabbing Kiki's small hand and turning back: "There are tons of tutorials on building little people—you'll love it."

Kiki's face flushed crimson at once; she slammed on the brakes, staring at Lin Xian in shock: "W-what do you mean, 'building little people'? What are you planning?!"

Lin Xian turned back, dead serious: "Small robots, nanosuits, space-based weapons—aren't you interested?"

Kiki realized at once she'd been tricked; she shot Lin Xian a furious glare, cheeks puffed: "You call small robots 'little people'? Do you think I'm an idiot? Try this!"

Lin Xian scrambled away, calling out: "Small robots aren't 'little people'—what, should I call them 'tiny machines'?"

Beneath the starry sky, the wind was light, carrying a faint metallic tang and the delicate fragrance drifting from the distant synthetic botanical garden. Occasional flyers skimmed over the Yunduan deck of Silent City, their engine hums filtered by the city's sound-dampening barriers into a faint buzz, like the wings of some electronic hummingbird.

In this moment, it was perhaps the rarest, most luxurious peace Lin Xian had known since his flight began.

…

(End of Chapter)