Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

August 24, 2069, Daytime

Somewhere in the Western Pacific

Phoenix Sky City – Phoenix City

[August 24, 2069] [Saturday] [15:29:15 (CCST)]

System Log

• Power System:

• Star Engine No. 1 is operating normally, all parameters are stable, no fault alarms.

• The "Night Star 9" Sky City nuclear-powered turbine processor is at normal temperature.

• Routine maintenance cycle 2-1 initiated for the day.

• Navigation System:

• Currently in Level-1 Cruise Phase, flying according to plan.

• Distance traveled: 625 kilometers

• Speed: 210 km/h

• Altitude: 9,600 meters

• Airspace Radar:

• Coordinates: XX-YY-ZZ+10 (offset from current position).

• Tracking Biological Entity No. 04, sudden abnormal weather detected.

• Anomalous Weather Description:

• Target Sea Area:

• Sky City meteorological satellites and over 20 million Pacific buoys detected a high-pressure wave zone exceeding 2,400 kilometers in diameter.

• The formation resembled a black hole and moved slowly over the Pacific Ocean.

• Duration: 3 hours 5 minutes before disappearance.

[August 24, 2069] [Saturday]

[15:40:55 (CCST)]: After a resolution by the Sky City Security Committee, reconnaissance drones ZL-02 and ZL-03, along with Nightwalker Escort Unit 4, Flight Team 7, were dispatched to investigate.

[16:03:12 (CCST)]: The reconnaissance drones reported that Biological Entity No. 04 changed its trajectory.

The Sky City Security Committee confirmed its new heading—Asia-Pacific Continent.

Cloud River Plains, Outside Hengshan Pass City

Under the black night sky, multiple camp floodlights were set up.

The convoy was in chaos, remnants of a brutal battle visible everywhere—fallen comrades, shattered insect corpses, blood-soaked vehicles.

Around the Infinite Train, mountains of bug carcasses lay piled.

Each convoy had dispatched patrol and cleanup teams to scout for lingering threats and eliminate any surviving creatures.

Meanwhile, others were busy treating the wounded, counting ammunition, and repairing vehicles.

The camp was filled with a tense and urgent atmosphere.

In the middle of the encampment, under a makeshift canopy, the core members of four different convoys gathered around a campfire, deep in discussion.

"Lin, we owe you everything."

Liao Ming, his face still showing the exhaustion of a near-death experience, turned toward Lin Xian's team and sincerely expressed his gratitude.

“Uncle Wu, should we…?”

Wu Zhenhai raised his hand to cut him off, signaling that he understood.

Then he turned to his men and ordered:

“Liangzi, bring over our No. 5 supply truck.”

"No need."

Lin Xian immediately declined, seeing through their intentions.

“This was a joint operation. We were all in the same boat, fighting together. There’s no need for this. Resources are survival assets, and with hundreds of people in your convoy, you need them more than I do.”

“This…”

Hearing Lin Xian’s words, Luo Yang, Liang Lei, and Li Yi, the leaders of the other convoys, became visibly anxious.

“Lin, your team did most of the heavy lifting. You saved so many of our people, we have to show our appreciation!”

“Exactly! If it weren’t for you guys, my wife and I would be dead right now!”

Liang Lei, still covered in dried blood, spoke urgently.

Lin Xian waved them off.

During the battle, every convoy had suffered casualties—except his Infinite Train, which hadn’t taken a single injury.

Even though these three convoys were clearly hoping for his protection, the reality was that they had formed a defensive ring around the Infinite Train and had already used every ounce of their strength and firepower.

If Lin Xian had wanted payment, he would have spoken up before nightfall—when they still had options.

Now, with their people dead or wounded, he had no interest in taking advantage of them.

"Enough, I appreciate the thought."

Lin Xian glanced at the sky, then added:

“The cold front is moving in. A blizzard is coming soon. Resources are our lifeline.

We fought together today—let’s consider it mutual assistance. There’s no need for formalities.”

Afterward, he briefly shared his observations on the Dark Mark with the convoys.

“So you’re saying… if we’re inside the monster’s territory, we can actually kill it?”

Li Yi rubbed her slightly swollen stomach, her face filled with doubt and concern.

“Dark Mark… Lin, can we really trust this?”

Luo Yang, however, nodded in agreement.

“Logically speaking, what Lin is saying makes sense. It sounds more accurate than the Predator Effect theory.”

“The only issue is… we don’t know if we’ve been marked or what level the mark is.

The only way to tell is if we get attacked—which puts us in a passive position.”

"Passive? It makes no difference."

Wu Zhenhai slapped his thigh, his expression stern.

“If we’re marked, we’re marked. The only question is when to run and when not to.

We won’t be lucky every time.”

Liao Ming nodded in realization.

“No wonder… the convoys we’ve seen barely escaping from large Eerie Entities…

They disappear a few days later.

Turns out… they escaped once, but not twice.”

"Exactly."

Lin Xian scanned the group.

He was only sharing his experience, not trying to push Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum as evidence.

If they believed him, he didn’t need to prove it.

If they didn’t believe him, no amount of explaining would matter.

In life-or-death chases, convoys only trust their own experiences.

When it really counted, everyone had to rely on their own judgment.

Lin Xian could tell from their expressions that they hadn’t fully accepted his theory.

After all, they couldn’t see the mark on themselves, and the pattern of Eerie Entity attacks was too unpredictable.

So instead of arguing, he changed the subject.

“You’re taking the main road from Yuankou to Yunzhou’s western mountain range, right?”

Lin Xian continued:

“The cold front will hit you a little later, but not by much.

I suggest you leave as soon as possible and don’t linger.”

Even with the Icebreaker Shield, the Infinite Train couldn’t guarantee smooth travel in a blizzard—

For their convoys, it would be even worse.

At this point, Hengshan Pass City was plummeting in temperature, nearing freezing levels.

“Understood.”

Luo Yang nodded.

“We plan to leave two hours before dawn.

Based on our speed, daylight should come at 11:25 AM tomorrow,

but nightfall might arrive as early as 18:20.”

Wu Zhenhai frowned deeply.

“Less than seven hours of daylight?”

“The farther north we go, the shorter that time becomes.”

Li Yi added:

“Phoenix’s Xilan City base announced they will completely evacuate in four days.

At our speed, we need to reach Xilin City in three days,

so we still have time to meet Phoenix’s main forces in Xilan.”

"Alright."

Lin Xian stood up.

“Everyone’s exhausted.

The fear aura of that creature might still be affecting your people,

and the Black Smoke toxin from the bug horde isn’t fully cleared.

I suggest rotating night guards, and making sure everyone has enough food and water

to stabilize morale.”

Clack.

Lin Xian pressed his communicator, giving an order.

Moments later, Da Lou and a few Infinite Train crew members carried over several crates of ammunition and dropped them outside the canopy.

“Lin, what is this?”

Liao Ming looked stunned.

"Ammunition."

Lin Xian took a deep breath.

“You used up most of your stock tonight. There won’t be many resupply points ahead.

We have extra on board—so take some.”

"No, we can’t accept this!"

Li Yi shot to her feet, her lips dry.

“You saved us, we haven’t even thanked you—how could we take your supplies?!”

"That’s right! We’re not that kind of people!"

“No more discussion.”

Lin Xian’s voice was firm.

“If you can still hold off the bugs for five more minutes, I’ll take it back.”

Silence.

At this moment, Wu Zhenhai walked over and opened the crate. Inside the large box was just a single cylindrical container, about the thickness of an arm, very standard in design. Within it was a mass of pitch-black, branch-like material.

Carefully lifting the container from the box, Wu Zhenhai gently activated a mechanism on its surface. A violet-blue glow lit up from within, and the group finally saw clearly what looked like "branches."

It was actually a plant!

About as thick as a pinky finger, its roots were short, and several dark purple buds sprouted from its stem. Lin Xian examined it closely and noticed an almost imperceptible flow of tiny purple light coursing through its roots and stalk, as if it were breathing.

Blood Scourge Flora!

Realizing this, Lin Xian’s expression instantly hardened.

Wu Zhenhai introduced, "We found this thing in the wreckage of a destroyed scientific research convoy. No idea which organization it belonged to. Later, a small squad from the Federation tracked us down and offered a high price to buy it, but we refused."

"A high price?"

"Haha." Liao Ming chuckled, still finding it unbelievable even now. "Yeah, enough to fully equip two Big Eagle Convoy fleets. But Uncle Wu turned them down."

Even Lin Xian was taken aback, and Luo Yang, Liang Lei, and Li Yi all looked at Wu Zhenhai in confusion.

But Wu Zhenhai simply let out a cold sneer. "Who the f**k would work with those Federation dogs?"

"If this thing is so valuable, I’d rather cooperate with Phoenix. But…" He patted the container, then sighed slightly as he looked at Lin Xian. "We might not be able to deliver this thing to Xilan. So instead, why not give it to you? If it’s useful, take it as a token of goodwill. If not, you can trade it with Phoenix for supplies and still make it worth your while."

Wu Zhenhai wasn’t entirely sure if this thing was as valuable as the Federation claimed, but he was certain it wasn’t ordinary. However, he also understood that there was no guarantee his convoy could safely reach Xilan and meet up with Phoenix.

From a practical standpoint, this thing was useless to them in the immediate crisis. It made more sense to use it to build a relationship with Lin Xian—especially since they had just taken a significant amount of supplies from him.

Most importantly, they were in desperate need of ammunition. If they ran out and somehow survived tonight, what about tomorrow?

Lin Xian's emotions were complicated. He was at least 70–80% sure that what Wu Zhenhai had in his hands was a type of Blood Scourge Flora. He had personally witnessed the power of Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum—the very plant that had helped the Infinite Train escape from Jiazhou City and survive this long.

Understanding the significance of the Blood Scourge Flora, he saw no need to be polite.

"Alright, I’ll take it."

After a brief pause, he added, "I do know this thing is incredibly valuable. So, how about this? I’ll give you some extra weapons."

"No, no, no, this is already enough." Wu Zhenhai waved his hand. "I’m not here to negotiate or trade for profit."

"I know."

Lin Xian turned around and walked toward the Infinite Train, raising his voice.

"That’s why I don’t want to hear about you dying before dawn."

His words made everyone freeze.

Not long after, four Roarer K23 Electric Gatling Guns, three Thunderstorm A1 Grenade Launchers, twelve M556 Light Machine Guns, nearly three full caches of ammunition, and a crate of alloy explosives were unloaded from the train and neatly arranged in front of them.

The Roarers and machine guns were taken directly from the Infinite Train’s stockpile. Lin Xian didn’t have time to manufacture new ones, so he had to rely on the supplies they already had. The ammunition was a mix of existing stock and freshly manufactured rounds.

Seeing such an overwhelming amount of firepower, many convoy members gathered around, stunned.

Liao Ming and the others were utterly shocked.

"Holy sh*t." Wu Zhenhai whistled in awe. "I’ve only ever seen this kind of military-grade weapons transport in the army before. Lin, are you giving us your entire stockpile or what?"

Lin Xian shook his head. "Don’t worry. We have more."

He turned to Liao Ming. "Liao, you’ve seen it yourself—our train is stocked with weapons."

Everyone immediately turned their eyes to Liao Ming. His expression was conflicted.

He had, indeed, seen the Infinite Train’s massive armory. Weapons were being unloaded from storage units like they had an entire warehouse on board.

But now that Lin Xian put him on the spot, he didn’t even know how to respond.

"Split these among your people," Lin Xian instructed. "This will boost your firepower significantly. The journey ahead will be filled with blizzards and unknown dangers. For the sake of your brothers and sisters in the convoy, don’t hold back."

"Alright!" Seeing that Liang Lei and Luo Yang still hesitated, Wu Zhenhai took the lead. "We’ll gratefully accept Lin’s generosity—no need for formalities!"

"Everyone, organize the supplies! Distribute the weapons and ammo!"

"Yes, sir!"

The group quickly divided the supplies. Dozens of people swarmed forward, hauling ammunition and weapons back to their vehicles.

The convoy members were overjoyed. This unexpected massive resupply meant everyone could finally sleep a little easier tonight. The previously tense atmosphere in the camp immediately lifted.

This was, without a doubt, a morale boost for the weary survivors.

"Alright, there’s still plenty to handle in our convoy," Lin Xian said. "Let’s stay in touch over the communicator. We’ll be leaving before dawn. If fate allows, let’s meet again in Xilan!"

"Understood. Thank you, Lin." Wu Zhenhai nodded. His convoy had suffered the worst losses, and they were still scrambling to reorganize.

"Lin, thank you." Luo Yang added sincerely. "We’ll meet again at Dawn Center!"

"Yeah." Lin Xian nodded.

"Lin." Li Yi was visibly moved. She stood up, wanting to say more, but Lin Xian cut her off.

"Your convoy has a lot of kids to take care of. No need for words—just focus on getting them to safety."

Liang Lei wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulder and said to Lin Xian, "Lin, I’ve never admired many people in my life. You’re one of them."

"Take care, everyone!"

The frigid wind howled across the plains. The bleak autumn night had swiftly transitioned into bitter winter.

The Big Eagle Convoy, Chasing Sun Convoy, and Running Far Convoy all hurried to pack up their camps. The leaders reorganized their teams, checked on the wounded, and reassessed their strategies. With their newfound ammunition, confidence among the convoy members had risen significantly.

On a bus, Li Yi and her team handed out food to the children.

"Mommy Li Yi! The train is so cool!" a little girl exclaimed.

"Are we going to travel with the train?" a boy asked.

"Yeah, yeah!" another chimed in.

Li Yi chuckled. "Yes, once we reach Xilan, our forces will grow. There will be trains, cars, and even airplanes~"

"Wow! Does that mean we’ll get to sleep in big beds?"

"Yes."

"And have clean water to drink?"

"Of course."

"Mommy Li Yi! For my birthday, I wanna eat french fries!"

"Haha, such a greedy little one~"

Meanwhile, in the Chasing Sun Convoy, Luo Yang and his team held a meeting inside an RV.

"Amin, Lolo, you two did great today. Dayuan, make sure to analyze their movement data and optimize their performance."

The two girls were thrilled. "Tonight was intense, but we’re getting better at working together."

"Li Guangwen, did your Dust Wave Ability improve? You killed a lot of monsters tonight."

The young man scratched his head. "Maybe a little."

"That Infinite Train crew is insane."

"Yeah! Fire abilities, psychic powers… And Lin can even use black holes?!"

Luo Yang’s gaze flickered. He nodded. "Yeah, Lin is incredible."

"I hope we can meet again in Xilan."

The night deepened, and the journey ahead remained perilous. But for now, hope burned bright.

At the Big Eagle Convoy, the atmosphere remained solemn despite the recent boost in supplies. The weight of lost lives hung heavy over the survivors.

Inside a living carriage, a middle-aged woman was busy preparing hot meals, distributing them to the wounded.

Beside her, a young boy diligently helped, his small hands working tirelessly.

Two convoy members approached, carrying supplies.

"Sister Li."

"I got it." The woman’s eyes were red, but her hands never stopped moving. "Hurry, give these to the wounded. It’s the middle of the night—we can’t let their conditions worsen."

Her voice faltered slightly, but she pressed on. "We can’t let them end up like Li Dong..."

Hearing this, the two convoy members fell silent for a moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, they began distributing the hot food.

For those fleeing the apocalypse, death had become an everyday reality.

Elsewhere in the convoy, Liao Ming was tending to the wounded while messaging Wu Zhenhai over the communicator.

Liao Ming: "Uncle Wu, we lost 6 people. 13 injured. Situation under control for now."

Wu Zhenhai: "Send the names to Song Li, make sure their families in the living carriage are looked after."

Liao Ming: "Understood. Also, Chenchen and a few of the kids keep asking to join the combat teams. Those little brats have so much energy now."

Wu Zhenhai: Exhaled deeply as he read the message from the back of his truck.

Wu Zhenhai: "They’re not even 14 yet. Tell them they can talk to me after we get past the Snowfields. If they have extra energy, they can help with logistics."