Chapter 388: The Light of Human Evolution

"Qin Feng, who's that?"

"Never heard of him."

"Someone who just appeared on the Human Evolution Light leaderboard," Jiang Yun said, opening a screen and passing it to the others: "Based on ability peak calculations, this person has reached Angel level. He's said to have taken on an A-class anomaly alone and is now a key focus of the Federation."

"Oddly, there's no prior information on him," Ren Huiyan added, arms crossed.

"No records aren't unusual," Xiang Ningjing said. "Under the apocalypse, even the Phoenix Society is information-starved—what more a convoy?"

Jiang Yun shrugged. "But someone with an Angel-level mechanical ability? How could they stay this quiet for so long?"

He turned to Lin Xian: "Your name's known everywhere in the Federation and Phoenix Society. Most of the convoy's deeds have reached half of Shuguang City's teams. That's why this feels strange to us."

"And he got the Silver Star."

Jian Xuxi's expression darkened. "The Silver Star has been docked at Xingcheng Orbital Station, seized by Wen Dong. How did it end up with him?"

"That's the key point," Kiki said. "It means this person isn't ordinary—likely has high-ranking Federation ties, or paid a heavy price to get it from the Wen family."

"Buying the Silver Star isn't cheap," Jiang Yun said seriously. "Jian's train has been continuously upgraded, consuming massive resources. It's now capable of everything except flight. The Federation knows its value—and so do many other convoys."

"So this recruitment plan sounds very tempting," Mo Nika said with a faint smile.

"Exactly."

Jiang Yun said: "Mechanical ability has become legendary—considered one of the top abilities with 【Civilization-Initiating】 power. In under six hours since the recruitment plan went live, over 100, 00 have applied. You can imagine."

"100, 00?!" Kiki stared in shock. "The Silver Star can't hold that many."

"Not a problem," Jiang Yun said. "His recruitment threshold is absurdly high. Even regular members must be Diamond level. Only Rampage and Destruction level members may bring a few family members. It's not just about peak ability—he's also screening for ability types, and even launched a large-scale underground ability combat recruitment event at the Galagher Black Market."

The group's expressions shifted slightly.

Lu Xingchen, however, narrowed his eyes at the mention of ability combat—clearly intrigued.

"We can be certain this is tied to the Federation," Jian Xuxi said grimly.

"I agree," Jiang Yun smiled. "With tensions high, the Federation fears mass convoy evacuations. For Qin Feng's recruitment to happen under the noses of the City Defense Guard and Night Patrol? It's not simple."

At that moment, Mo Nika's smiling gaze settled on Lin Xian.

"What do you think, my captain?"

All eyes turned to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian's face was calm as he gazed out the window at the glittering mechanical cityscape. "Strictly speaking, aside from the Silver Star, this has nothing to do with us. We have more important matters in the city. But if the chance arises, we'll reclaim the Silver Star. Beyond that, I wonder—why launch such a massive recruitment now? Could it mean someone inside the Federation… also wants to flee?"

"I understand your meaning," Jian Xuxi said, eyes narrowing. "You think this is the Federation's way of gathering manpower."

"Otherwise, the Federation wouldn't ignore such a large-scale recruitment by an uncontrolled convoy."

Kiki picked up her terminal, connected to Shuguang City's intranet, and opened the Human Evolution Light leaderboard—it looked like an entertainment channel. Rankings weren't just by ability peak; there were popularity charts, and even the top ten had biographies and battle records. Survivors on the intranet had rated these individuals' combat power, leadership, and ability potential with star levels.

"Whoa, whoa~ Look at this!"

Kiki manipulated her fingers, projecting the leaderboard in hologram.

No. "Starfall" – Yu Huai'an

Peak: 11200 Angel Level (historical highest)

Ability: 【Gravity Manipulation】

3D Index: Combat | Potential ☆ | Leadership ☆

Battle Record:

Single-handedly killed A-class anomaly "Echo"

Mass extermination of anomaly waves across Mount Qilian (over 5, 00 entities)

Tags: #Invincible Ability #Leadership Aura #Steady

Identity: Leader of the Nomad Alliance

…

No. "Iron Curtain" – Mo Qi

Peak: 10800 Angel Level

Identity: Pure Martial Artist (no ability)

3D Index: Combat | Potential | Leadership

Battle Record:

In Shuguang City's S-class battle, shattered part of the Gray Walker's hardened bone structure.

Led the "Iron Dome" convoy out of Shenli City's Eternal Night anomaly tide with zero casualties.

Tags: #Human Limit #Obsessive Discipline #Anti-Ability Ideologist

…

No. "Mechanical Commander" – Qin Feng

Peak: 10150 Angel Level

Ability: 【Mechanical Ability】

3D Index: Combat ☆ | Potential | Leadership ☆

Battle Record: None yet

"Humanity's nearly extinct from Eternal Night, and they're still running 'leaderboards' and 'popularity charts' like entertainment?" Ning Jing said sternly. "What's the point?"

"Don't think that way."

Qian Dele spoke calmly. "It seems absurd, but it's a twisted expression of civilization's survival instinct. In crises, humans subconsciously crave powerful leaders to guide them out of disaster. It's logical."

"Yes," Jian Xuxi said. "Shuguang City has no shortage of recruitment drives. Every convoy here expands, accumulates resources. Anyone not in the underground has prepared to flee the dark. So survivors' obsession with powerful ability users is normal—underground arenas, ability exchanges, mechanical modifications, weapon sales—you name it, it's here."

"Are these ability peaks measured the same way as the Phoenix Society's? Isn't Angel level too fast?"

"Not necessarily," Jiang Yun said. "Some just awakened and immediately surpassed normal limits—like Yu Huai'an of the Nomad Alliance. He awakened on Day One of the Revelation and reached Rampage level immediately—he was among the first tested under the Angel Project."

"And the dark invasion's density keeps rising," Jian Xuxi added. "Worse: more mutations. Better: surviving ability users evolve faster."

"And it's tied to killing S-class," she said. "After that big battle, many ability users' stats surged. Didn't you notice in Xilan City?"

"We noticed. But we never had time to focus on it."

Lin Xian sighed. Since leaving Xilan City, they'd faced danger in Yijin, fought in Akesai, then been dragged into Star Abyss—constant battles.

He knew the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's rapid transformation had accelerated his crew's evolution. Every time he converted mechanical source points, he gained at least 1, 00—imagine the boost for others. Even the children and logistics women on the train were no longer the frail bodies of the early apocalypse days.

But they'd faced Corpse Drivers and Abyss Demons—he hadn't noticed how much Kiki or Huo Ge had grown.

Thinking of this, Lin Xian raised his hand. A light screen appeared. A newly constructed Oscillation Value Peak Detector landed in his palm. He activated it. Instantly, with a roar from his Mechanical Heart, his ability peak surged to 3650.

3650—by Lin Xian's limit coefficient, that meant 7300. His ability had reached Destruction level—triple what it was in Xilan City.

Lin Xian immediately tossed the detector to Kiki and the others for retesting. The results were astonishing: Kiki's peak had risen to 4800. Lu Xingchen's was even more extreme—5300. Combined with his limit coefficient, Lu Xingchen had reached 9010—nearing Angel level, surpassing Kiki's 7680.

"9010!" Lin Xian stared at Lu Xingchen in surprise. "You've advanced this fast?"

"Hey hey hey, how'd you pass me?!" Kiki protested, snatching back the detector and pushing to full power—but his peak wouldn't exceed 4800.

Lu Xingchen smirked. "Clearly, my daily diligent cultivation yields rich results."

Jiang Yun frowned. "Did you use some forbidden item?"

"Uh… yeah," Lu Xingchen nodded. "Will it affect things?"

"Forbidden items resonate with more Oscillation Value," Ren Huiyan said. "It affects readings, but no one cares—they'll just count it as your strength."

"Fine, you win," Kiki grumbled, not wanting to argue now.

At this moment, Mo Nika, Xiang Ningjing, and the others also retested using Lin Xian's detector; in fact, Lin Xian had only obtained the blueprint for this latest detector after entering Silent City, and before that, no one on the United Train had the chance to retest. The results came quickly: the fastest grower here was Mo Nika, with an ability index of 7400, higher than Lin Xian's.

Mo Nika, Ning Jing, and the others also used Lin Xian's detector. Lin Xian himself had only obtained this latest detector blueprint after entering Silent City—before that, no one on the Union Train had been able to retest. Results came quickly: the fastest grower was Mo Nika—7400, higher than Lin Xian.

Next was Ning Jing, a pure genetic evolutionist, at 7200. Last was Qian Dele, at 6600.

Surprisingly, even Shi Zhi, the girl who wasn't combat-oriented, reached 6900. But she wasn't surprised—she said she'd been routinely tested by Wang Yue Zhenji after leaving Star Abyss, and had already hit 6700 a week ago.

"According to this, the strongest humans now can only fight A-class," Lin Xian said. "Ability growth hasn't changed our position as prey to the dark. Pessimistically, it makes no difference."

"I agree," Jiang Yun nodded. "S-class, world-level, dark invasion, Star Abyss—we still have no absolute certainty against S-class. That's why the Federation keeps planning the Curtain-Breaking Operation. And we're running out of time."

He checked the time. "Lin Captain, curfew lifts at dawn. Though the Federation may cause trouble, you're safe in the city for now—no need to worry much about anomalies or zombies. Still, don't lower your guard. Our alliance has people scouting every district of the old city—they'll help your mission."

Later, Jiang Yun, Jian Xuxi, Ren Huiyan, and Lin Xian's team discussed city matters and alliance convoy realities. Then Lin Xian told everyone to rest. They'd act at dawn.

It was 3 a. . Rain drizzled over Night City. Lin Xian stood alone in a rooftop room covered in iron armor, gazing through the grated window at the cityscape.

Shuguang City was vast—endless to the horizon. Once among the world's top three modern metropolises, now sealed by two towering walls, barely sustaining basic human society.

Lin Xian recalled Ye Lan's words, watching the rain outside, feeling an unexpected reluctance.

Once, his Infinite Train plan had designated Xingcheng as a vital safe haven. After leaving Jiang City, he'd even believed Xingcheng might be one of the last cities still protected by the authorities—where he could find fleeting peace.

Even if Shuguang City became the Federation's final bastion, Lin Xian couldn't bear the thought of this magnificent, glittering metropolis being utterly swallowed by darkness. It would bring deep despair and unease—even if his journey ahead led only to endless oceans and a countdown to annihilation.

Lin Xian pulled out the Oscillation Value Detector, activated it. His ability peak returned to 3650.

But his expression didn't change. He quietly activated the Superstring Reactor Phase Halo. Instantly, a halo of blue aurora ignited behind him, radiating boundless energy—air trembled.

On the detector in his hand, his ability peak surged to 5000.

That meant his ability index had reached 10, 00—Angel level.

Yet Lin Xian showed no surprise. He focused—second Phase Halo ignited. Ability peak: 7000. Ability index: 14, 00.

The third phase rainbow ring ignited, ability peak at 9000, ability index at 18000!

Third Phase Halo ignited. Ability peak: 9000. Ability index: 18, 00.

The Soul-Returning Value detector in his hand emitted an overload mechanical screech; the armored iron shed also hummed faintly from the intense energy fluctuations, as if a collapsed energy black hole had formed inside, piercing and burning vast amounts of invisible matter, the fluorescent tubes above flickering as their light constantly slipped out of alignment.

The detector in his hand emitted an overload whine. The armored room vibrated faintly, as if a collapsed energy black hole had formed inside, piercing and incinerating invisible matter. The ceiling lights flickered, their glow detaching.

Lin Xian exhaled slowly, shutting down his superstring reactor's phase rainbow ring; the room fell quiet again, everything returned to normal.

Lin Xian exhaled, shutting off his Superstring Reactor Phase Halo. The room fell silent, normal again.

He tucked away the damaged detector. He'd already guessed this result. His Mechanical Heart's power source, amplified by the Phase Halo, had grown exponentially. Without the Twin Stars 11R, he could now pilot the Infinite Train along the 320, 00-kilometer orbital ring indefinitely—until the world ended.

【101】 "Angel level… The world has only ten months left. How far will humanity evolve?"

"Can we strike back against the Dark, or are we doomed to flee to the far stars?"

Lin Xian logged into Shuguang City's intranet anonymously, seeking recruits, rescue operations, alliances, Wuzi exchanges, ability sharing, powered armor, weapon depots, survival routes—beyond these core survival functions, what remained was undeniably the dregs of human nature unleashed under extremity.

Conspiracy theories, declarations of inevitable human defeat, and religious worship flooded the network; the Federation's oversight clearly focused only on a few keywords tied to elite interests—perhaps to relieve pressure—even pornographic content was fully open and unrestricted.

From a certain perspective, Lin Xian thought this might even be the Federation's clever move: letting armed survivors vent their suppressed emotions freely on the intranet, which actually aided control—or perhaps they simply didn't care anymore. After all, how much time did the world have left?

Lin Xian set an alarm for himself, but he didn't sleep; instead, he adjusted the manufacturing sequence of the Black Star Forge.

【Congratulations! Mechanical Manufacturing has reached Level 6!】

As expected, with all five manufacturing sequences running at full capacity, Lin Xian's mechanical manufacturing proficiency surged rapidly, soon breaking the level threshold—meanwhile, the massive celestial body inside the Black Star Forge seemed to accelerate slightly, and at the same time, an entirely new production line opened.

At this point, Lin Xian's Black Star Forge space already held over a hundred drones, but that wasn't enough; to confront large-scale Weird Beings, this number needed to reach at least the thousands.

As Lin Xian was immersed in studying the Black Star Forge, a strange noise suddenly jolted him awake—he opened his eyes immediately and heard dense gunfire echoing from distant districts.

He rushed out of the room to the rooftop; the rain hadn't stopped, and the time was already past 9 a. ., with less than an hour left until dawn—but heavy roars of flying vehicles passed overhead every few moments. He gazed toward the city's outskirts and saw blazing fires lighting up the sky beyond the First Wall; countless artillery rounds crisscrossed in the distance, and the base defense weapons atop the high wall were roaring!

"E5 Defense Sector under assault by a Weird Being tide! Several A-class Weird Beings detected! Tide scale exceeds one hundred thousand! They've breached the Outer City!"

Team members emerged one by one; Jiang Yun received the alert and informed everyone.

"Will they break through the First Wall?" Qian Dele asked.

"Unlikely," Jiang Yun said gravely. "This kind of assault is still within manageable limits. As long as no S-class appears or the tide scales up further, it generally won't threaten the First Wall."

"Then what about the people outside the city?" Kiki spoke up.

"There's nothing we can do."

Jian Xuwēi said: "In this situation, people in the Outer City either retreat toward the wall or scatter, using Shuguang City's firepower for cover—there's no other option."

"Won't they open the gates to let people inside?" Ningjing frowned.

Jiang Yun shook his head: "Tides are cyclical. All Dark Markers must be cleared before we can relax. Garrison troops are stationed outside; apart from the Outer City garrison and survivor convoys, the First Wall is essentially the final line. If even one breach occurs, the First Wall is useless. Even during the last S-class outbreak, the gates never opened—let alone for this kind of assault."

"If it were me, I'd rather race day and night toward Dawn Center than stay in the Outer City—it's just a monster hunting ground with no escape," Mo Nika said, arms crossed, face grim.

Lin Xian looked at her and said: "It's not that simple. Those convoys are weak forces—they survive only by relying on the First Wall's firepower. Running outside is a gamble they can't afford. These ordinary people won't take that risk."

"Yes, they have no real choice," Jian Xuwēi said.

The distant flames lit the rainy night sky. Lin Xian's group heard only the delayed thunder of artillery—nothing else—but no one needed to imagine: the districts there must be a scene of utter horror.

Lin Xian recalled the sea of survivor convoys and dense crowds he'd seen entering the city last night. His gaze grew heavy. When survivors cluster together, death becomes merely a number.

About fifteen minutes later, the fierce gunfire ceased, the blazing fires gradually drowned under drizzling rain, and the First Wall remained unharmed. Lin Xian and the others saw not a single Weird Being appear—proving Shuguang City's defenses were indeed solid.

"Lu Tianye's unit is stationed there. Unless it's a special-type monster, casualties should be minimal. The Garrison's trust among survivors is still decent—better than the Night Patrol."

Jiang Yun exhaled, then turned to face Lin Xian.

"Dawn is coming. What's your plan?"

"We head straight there. Someone will meet us."

Jian Xuwēi said to Lin Xian: "I'll gather the Silver Star team, then rejoin you. If Chu Zhaonan's operation is imminent, we must be ready to relocate at any moment."

Lin Xian nodded: "Alright. We'll sync with Jinhai. The preliminary plan is to detour around Shuguang City via Chan Guan Qingbo—but everything depends on circumstances."

As he spoke, Lin Xian pulled out his communicator and set a signal frequency to sync with everyone.

"Channel 01 is the Infinite Alliance channel—all team deployments will go through here. Channel 02 is our internal channel, for communication within Shuguang City."

10: 5. The black veil that had blanketed the night city receded like a tide, instantly transforming into a drizzly morning. The city defense patrol drones vanished from the sky.

Curfew lifted.

In E5 Defense Sector, gray daylight seeped through gaps in the clouds like diluted lead, pouring over Shuguang City's hundred-meter-tall steel wall. Dense rows of base-mounted weapons lined the massive structure—electromagnetic cannons, heavy artillery, grenade launchers, pulse cannons—all their muzzles soaked in rain. Water trickled down grooves scarred with monster claws and jagged cracks, pooling below into a muddy stream that washed away the charred remains left by the recent tide.

Inside the city, neon lights still flickered faintly.

Survivor groups poured out of their districts like swarming bees. Some convoys, clearly prepared in advance, departed the moment dawn broke—various modified vehicles of all sizes began rolling out of narrow streets, converging onto main roads toward the city exits. Many convoys shared this idea; barely after sunrise, major exit routes were already jammed with long queues. Along the roadside, small convoys held up signs detailing their status, hoping to join or follow others.

Lin Xian and Jiang Yun, with several team members, climbed into a modified off-road vehicle and drove deep into the old district. Outside the window, they clearly saw a vast, majestic city ring hovering above the Inner Ring of the Twin Stars Tower—the former skyborne maglev transit system of Xingcheng, once its iconic landmark, visible even from low orbit as a brilliant blue arc.

But after the Awakening Day, the Xingcheng Ring had gone completely dark. One-third of its structure had collapsed, leaving only a shattered colossal ruin, a silent testament to humanity's fading technological glory.

More and more residents appeared on the streets. Long lines formed before automated vending machines accepting Blood Essence Coins; the coin slots were rusted, occasionally jamming a coin and drawing curses. Street vendors set up rain shelters, selling synthetic protein blocks, filtered bottled water, and salvaged unexpired food supplies. Steam rose in the cold rain, mingling with the scent of damp concrete.

In the watchtowers atop the wall, Garrison soldiers yawned, rubbing their bloodshot eyes. On their screens, aside from the recently active E5 Defense Sector, all other external surveillance feeds flickered with static snow. Radar and Soul-Resonance scanners detected no anomalies.

Safe.

Dawn had come. At least for today, Shuguang City still lived.

(End of Chapter)