Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

"What happened here?!"

At that moment, KIKI arrived with the PX-05 robot, following closely behind. Seeing the gruesome battlefield before her, she couldn't help but furrow her brows.

Monsters over three meters tall filled the entire landscape, densely packed as far as the eye could see—hundreds of times more terrifying than the Snow Wraiths they had encountered before. It was hard to imagine what had taken place here.

"These aren’t our people."

Ning Jing quickly walked up to a frozen corpse, examined it briefly, and frowned. "Doesn’t look like they’re from Phoenix either."

"That Hercules transport belongs to Phoenix."** Lin Xian said grimly. He then took out his binoculars and looked into the distance. "And it looks like there’s more than one."

"So many Hercules transports... what were they carrying?" KIKI's eyes widened.

The Hercules transport aircraft had a takeoff weight of over 1,000 tons. In the military, it was mainly used to airlift large-scale military equipment—it could even carry 20 heavy TFV600 Dual-Barrel Tanks in one go. Yet now, Lin Xian could see at least three of these massive aircraft wrecked on the battlefield. Their combined lifting capacity was enough to haul away his entire Infinite Train.

"It must've been carrying something big."

"Let's move forward and check it out."

"Alright, get in the car!"

—Whoooosh—

The frigid wind howled as the frozen battlefield stretched for miles. Lin Xian and Ning Jing got back into the Polar Vehicle and drove forward.

As they advanced, more and more Eerie Entity corpses appeared buried within the snow—some half-submerged, others fully buried. The vehicle’s tread system crushed through them, producing a sharp cracking sound as broken bodies were torn apart under the weight.

Ning Jing's expression darkened. Though she had held onto a sliver of hope when they set out, seeing this devastation made her heart sink.

"Looks like Old Shi and the others didn’t make it."

"Keep searching."

Lin Xian’s eyes were sharp as he drove forward. And soon enough, he spotted a fourth downed Hercules transport!

He took a deep breath and turned to KIKI.

"Four transports... and they used unified tow cables. That means they were either moving a massive arsenal or—" he paused, his voice grave, "the supermassive mecha that was mentioned on the radio!"

KIKI gasped. She had suspected as much upon seeing the scene, but the scale of the operation was beyond anything she had imagined.

"A mecha weighing thousands of tons? Does Phoenix even have the technology for that?"

KIKI was deeply familiar with military-grade machinery and classified weapon systems. The possibility that such a colossal mecha even existed left her skeptical.

"If something is that massive, it would require an ultra-high-powered energy and propulsion system, a highly sensitive drive system... The sheer number of neural control nodes needed would be staggering. Even if a super AI managed to handle the processing, the material limitations alone—"

KIKI sat cross-legged in the passenger seat, rapidly running calculations on her mobile terminal.

"Even if all that were possible, there's still the biggest issue: Unified Control. A single pilot wouldn't be enough. If this thing has only a Level 1 or Level 2 control coefficient, it would just be a slow, oversized walking weapons platform—far less effective than warships or fighter jets. I don’t know what solution Phoenix came up with, but honestly, I’d trust Steel Swarm Drones more than something like this."

Then she turned to Lin Xian, her eyes lighting up. "Except for you. If a machine like this really exists, you might just be the perfect pilot."

"We’re in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by corpses. We don’t even know if there’s anyone still alive. Thinking about this right now is pointless." Lin Xian replied grimly.

A signal antenna extended several meters above the Polar Vehicle as Lin Xian increased transmission power, scanning for any available signals while tracking the route markers they had passed.

As they pushed further, the number of buried Eerie Entity corpses increased dramatically. Many had been entirely covered by the snow, but the closer they got, the more they saw them exposed on the surface.

"These monsters all seem to be running in the same direction."

Ning Jing also noticed this pattern and reported over the comms, "Captain Lin, be careful. A'Bai says the monster presence ahead is getting stronger."

Lin Xian frowned at KIKI. The two were surprised that A'Bai could sense the Eerie Entities' presence. But hearing Ning Jing's warning, they became even more alert.

"The corpses are buried shallower and shallower. It’s not just the snow—" KIKI raised her hand, releasing a surge of psychic energy that blasted away a layer of snow. A heap of Snow Wraith corpses flipped over like uprooted potatoes.

"It’s the time of death. The closer we get, the more recent the deaths, so they're buried less deeply." Lin Xian said through the comms. "There must be survivors ahead."

—Crackle—

—Buzz—

Just as Lin Xian finished speaking, the howling wind suddenly died down, and KIKI's communication scanner flickered green.

"Huh? A signal!"

KIKI instantly perked up, narrowing the scan radius. Within moments, the signal stabilized, and the comms unit began to pick up a hoarse, broken transmission:

"……Who……"

"……Damn……"

On the other side, Ning Jing also heard the fragmented voices. Her eyes narrowed, and suddenly, she recognized something. She pressed the comms button and said urgently:

"Captain Lin, that sounds like Fat Cat! They’re our people!"

"Fat Cat! Old Shi!" Ning Jing called out.

"……Cold…… underground…… don't……"

"Underground?" Lin Xian picked up on the key word, his brows furrowing. "What are they saying?"

—Buzz—

The Polar Vehicle accelerated toward the signal source.

As they drove, the battlefield became even more nightmarish—ruined vehicles, destroyed Iron Guard-3 Military Assault Mechs, wrecked hovercrafts with only their engine cores above the snow, and frozen corpses of Starfleet soldiers, their powered armor now nothing more than ice sculptures.

Then, in the distance, a massive black shadow emerged from the blizzard.

"What is that?" KIKI's eyes widened.

"A transport ship?"

"No… it’s not."

The two Polar Vehicles advanced quickly. At first, Lin Xian and Ning Jing thought it was a huge black mountain or some massive airship, even bigger than a Dragon-Class Transport Ship.

But as they got closer, the terrifying truth was revealed.

That "mountain" was a colossal black worm.

The monstrous creature stretched hundreds of meters, like a giant industrial pipeline, lying motionless on the snowfield. Its gigantic abyssal maw faced their approaching vehicles, lined with countless vortex-like fangs—large enough to swallow both Polar Vehicles in one bite.

Both vehicles came to an immediate stop.

"What the hell is that?!" Ning Jing gasped.

"Looks dead."

Lin Xian held his breath. "Was yesterday’s earthquake caused by this thing?"

"Whoa, that’s one huge worm!" KIKI exclaimed.

Lin Xian noticed deep gashes on the creature’s body. One particularly horrifying wound had nearly severed two-thirds of its massive form—a fatal strike.

Then, Ning Jing turned to A'Bai, noticing his pale expression.

"A'Bai? What’s wrong?"

His voice trembled. "So many... monsters."

And then, deep beneath the snow—

—Crack.

—Crack.

—RUMBLE.

A roaring quake shattered the frozen battlefield.

And from beneath the ice, something huge was rising.

KIKI swung her arm back and unleashed a telekinetic shockwave, blasting an entire spherical area of Snow Wraiths into the air!

—Zzzzt!—

Just as the path was about to be cut off, another laser beam shot forward.

—Slash! Slash! Slash!—

At that moment, a spinning blade zipped through the Snow Wraiths ahead, slicing through flesh and heads in a gory spray. The rotating blade traced an arc through the air before returning to a slender, agile figure standing atop Ning Jing’s Polar Vehicle.

She balanced effortlessly against the howling winds, her gunblade flashing as she cut down the Snow Wraiths leaping onto the vehicle.

—Bzzzt! Whoosh!—

Lin Xian sharply turned the wheel, crushing several Snow Wraiths under the treads, then raised his hand and pointed.

—[Mechanical Energy Cannon]—

With a roar, the mechanical engine at his fingertips powered up, unleashing blazing blue energy blasts, incinerating dozens of Snow Wraiths and filling the air with the stench of burning flesh.

—"Zzzt... Over here! Southeast! Whoosh (wind noise)…"—

A booming voice came through the comms, and Lin Xian immediately responded.

"Brother Shi, are you guys alright?!"

The shattered car windows let the freezing wind howl into the cabin, rapidly frosting over the dashboard and steering wheel. The heating system had failed, but thankfully, everyone was wearing cold-weather gear—though the worsening blizzard was severely limiting their visibility.

"Lin Xian?!"

Shi Diyuan sounded shocked, as if he hadn’t expected anyone from the Infinite Train to be here.

"Old Shi, Captain Lin is here to help!" Ning Jing shouted through the comms.

"Hurry! Southeast—toward the canyon edge—whoosh (wind noise)... it’s safe here for now!" Shi Diyuan yelled.

Hearing his voice, Ning Jing exhaled in relief, then slammed the accelerator, pushing the Polar Vehicle forward at full speed.

—Boom. Boom. Boom.—

Suddenly, heavy, thudding footsteps echoed across the snowfield.

Everyone quickly realized that amidst the surging Snow Wraith horde, several massive quadrupedal monsters were charging toward them!

These creatures had no eyes, their bent limbs as hard as steel, producing a thunderous impact with each movement. They moved with alarming speed, crushing several Snow Wraiths underfoot as they burst from the horde—one of them lunging straight for Ning Jing’s Polar Vehicle!

—BOOM! BOOM!—

The quadrupedal monster was gigantic—even in its crawling stance, it was larger than the Polar Vehicle itself. With a powerful leap, its two massive forelimbs slammed into the vehicle's hood and treads.

—CRASH!—

The vehicle’s frame twisted, metal screeching under the impact!

On the roof, Xiao Qing reacted instantly—she leaped into the air, somersaulted, and brought her gunblade down in a deadly vertical slash aimed at the monster’s skull!

Inside the vehicle, Ning Jing acted just as fast—she grabbed A’Bai, planted her foot, and launched herself forward, diving through the shattered windshield!

—CLANG!—

Xiao Qing’s gunblade struck the monster's skull, sending out a piercing metallic clang. The creature’s bone structure was unnaturally tough—the blade split its skull halfway open, and dark blood sprayed out violently!

At the same time, KIKI extended her telekinetic grip, snatching Ning Jing and A’Bai midair and pulling them back toward Lin Xian’s vehicle.

—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!—

The Polar Vehicle, still carrying its momentum, slammed into the quadrupedal monster, flipping over and crushing it!

"Hold on!"

Ning Jing pushed A’Bai onto Lin Xian’s vehicle, then leaped forward, launching herself toward the monster!

"Xiao Qing, move!"

Ning Jing’s voice was cold and sharp, carrying an unstoppable force.

Recognizing the signal, Xiao Qing kicked off the monster’s back, slicing down two more Snow Wraiths before retreating.

The quadrupedal monster roared, but its forelimbs were still embedded in the wrecked vehicle—it had no time to react.

Ning Jing, a blur of motion, reached it in an instant—and instead of using a weapon, she threw a punch straight at its skull!

—BOOM!—

The force of her punch caved in the monster’s head like a heavy-caliber anti-materiel round—its skull shattered, vertebrae snapped, and its brain matter exploded backward in a spray of gore!

Even the air itself rippled from the sheer impact, clearing a vacuum-like zone in the blizzard!

"HOLY SH*T!"

KIKI’s eyes went wide in shock.

"That strength is insane!"

Lin Xian was equally stunned—he couldn’t tell if Ning Jing was an Ability User or a genetically enhanced martial artist—but her raw power was terrifying.

"Chick, grab her!"

The Snow Wraith horde was already closing in again. Lin Xian swerved the Polar Vehicle, activating its steel plate defense to shield the left flank while signaling KIKI to pull them back.

KIKI didn’t hesitate—she extended one hand, telekinetically grabbing Ning Jing and Xiao Qing, while her other hand sent a shockwave blasting the Snow Wraiths away.

—Zzzzt!—

A’Bai fired another laser blast, carving a path through the horde, while KIKI, Xiao Qing, and Ning Jing fended off the attacking creatures.

The Polar Vehicle accelerated—snow and corpses scattered under its treads. As they advanced, more freshly killed bodies appeared—these monsters had just died.

Lin Xian immediately understood—the Snow Wraiths had been relentlessly attacking Shi Diyuan’s position!

"I see you!"

Not even two kilometers ahead, the comms signal suddenly cleared up.

—Beep!—

—Boom! Boom! Boom!—

A barrage of heavy firepower lit up the blizzard, unleashing hell on the horde chasing the Polar Vehicle.

—Boom! Boom! Boom!—

Explosive missiles detonated, ripping through the Snow Wraiths—this wasn’t just Shi Diyuan’s team firing.

"We’re not alone."

Ning Jing frowned. "Someone else is here!"

"Phoenix?"

"Lin Xian, LOOK!" KIKI suddenly shouted.

Through the storm, countless fire lines blazed, revealing hundreds of armored vehicles and snow terrain transports, forming a massive defensive perimeter along the Tarakama Ice Canyon’s edge.

Mountains of Eerie Entity and Snow Wraith corpses were piled high, the stench of blood thick in the freezing air. Crash-landed aircraft littered the battlefield.

And at the heart of this fortress-like formation, a shadow loomed above the canyon.

A towering figure, a single clenched fist bracing against the cliffside, its massive frame disappearing into the abyss below.

Even partially buried, it dwarfed the battlefield, exuding an overwhelming presence.

Lin Xian’s pupils contracted—everyone in the vehicle saw it.

An ultra-massive humanoid mecha!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As Lin Xian’s Polar Vehicle surged forward, the firepower from the defensive perimeter intensified! At the same time, dozens of Ability Users rushed out from within, unleashing various attacks to suppress the incoming horde.

The battlefield reached a fever pitch!

Lin Xian’s eyes swept across the frontline—a modified heavy-duty train with advanced magnetic all-terrain drive modules was stationed at the forefront, acting as a barricade.

And standing atop it was a middle-aged man, clad in a thick winter combat suit, firing a Gatling gun wildly into the enemy ranks.

Shi Diyuan.

—RUMBLE!—

The earthquake returned—the Snow Wraiths were going berserk, throwing themselves into the onslaught of gunfire!

And above, amidst the raging blizzard, several massive winged creatures emerged, their silhouettes flickering in and out of the storm as they soared over the defensive line.

"That black worm again!" Lin Xian shouted.

"Lin, get inside!"

Shi Diyuan momentarily halted his Gatling fire, waving toward them. "The underground bugs won’t come near here! Hurry—move in!"

Lin Xian didn't hesitate—slamming the accelerator, he pushed the Polar Vehicle to its maximum output, kicking up a towering wave of snow as he raced toward the line.

Ahead, a heavy-duty armored crawler truck rumbled to life, opening a narrow passage into the defensive stronghold.

—WOOOOOSH!—

Just as the Polar Vehicle sped through the opening—

BOOM!

A massive explosion of snow erupted behind them!

The colossal black worm had resurfaced.

Its gaping abyssal maw instantly devoured dozens of Snow Wraiths, swallowing them whole!

—RUMBLE! RUMBLE!—

The violent tremors triggered a catastrophic avalanche along the cliffside, massive chunks of ice and snow collapsing into the Tarakama Ice Canyon!

"So this is where Shi and his team got trapped?!" Ning Jing exclaimed.

"We’ll talk later! Just get inside first!"

As the Polar Vehicle finally breached the defensive perimeter, Lin Xian turned to KIKI.

"Together—let’s block them off!"

"Got it!"

—HUMMMMM!—

KIKI levitated into the air, her eyes glowing intensely, her hair lifting as if caught in an invisible wind.

She unleashed her ultimate move.

A low-frequency hum resonated—a nearly invisible spherical force field collapsed inward at her core, rapidly condensing into a blinding white energy pulse.

Then—

—BOOOOOOOM!—

A massive telekinetic shockwave erupted outward!

Like a tidal wave, it swept across the battlefield, uprooting deep snow, shattering ice, and hurling hundreds of Snow Wraiths into the air—ripping them apart mid-flight!

The impact was so immense that it flattened the entire snowfield in front of the defensive line into a barren frozen wasteland!

—Zzzzt!—

At the same time, A’Bai fired another laser beam, piercing the sky, slicing clean through the wing of a massive flying beast!

—SPLASH!—

A torrent of green corrosive acid rained down as the creature plummeted, its body slamming into the battlefield below.

—RUMBLE!—

The groundquake suddenly began to settle, the storm grew fiercer, and the Snow Wraiths—as if sensing something—began burrowing underground, disappearing by the dozens.

"Hah!"

Watching this, Shi Diyuan let out an astonished shout, his face full of disbelief.

"That girl—her powers have skyrocketed in such a short time?!"