Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

The stench of corrosion filled the air, making Lin Xian recoil in shock. He cursed under his breath, “D*mn it, is this thing an alien? It even sprays corrosive acid?”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The three-headed monster scurried down the wall with unnerving speed, lunging at Lin Xian. Its three grotesque heads opened wide, spraying streams of black blood toward him.

Lin Xian quickly darted into the corner of a narrow alley and turned around to conjure an iron fence wall behind him.

Hiss! Hiss!

The black blood splattered against the wall, corroding it instantly. The monster, moving like a spider, climbed over the fence effortlessly and continued its pursuit.

Its speed was terrifying, and the long-range attacks made things worse. Fortunately, Lin Xian had chosen the winding alley. If it were an open space, he would have had to waste time creating defensive barriers, putting him at a significant disadvantage.

Da-da-da-da!

As the creature rounded a corner to pounce, Lin Xian ambushed it from the next turn, opening fire. Bullets tore into the monster, sending chunks of flesh flying.

“Da Lou!” he shouted suddenly, his voice echoing through the dark street.

The three-headed monster was closing in rapidly. Lin Xian, without looking back, threw up steel nets and walls behind him while scattering trip wires and spike traps across the road.

Clang! Bang!

The traps slowed the creature down, even wounding it slightly. However, its spider-like limbs quickened in fury, and it scurried up high walls, gaining on him.

Just then, Lin Xian spotted the street’s exit ahead. On the second-floor balcony stood a hulking silhouette, poised and ready.

“Da Lou!”

“Be careful! This thing spits acid!” Lin Xian warned as he sprinted forward.

Hisssss!

The three-headed monster leapt from the high wall, black blood spewing from its mouths and sizzling through the surfaces it struck.

“Die!”

As the creature lunged at Lin Xian, Da Lou leapt from the balcony, wielding a massive Steel-Slaying Greatsword. With a grunt, he swung the blade in a powerful arc.

Slash!

Caught off guard, the three-headed monster had no time to react. The blade cleaved through two of its heads, while the third was partially severed.

Hiss!

A surge of black blood gushed from the monster, spraying toward Da Lou. Anticipating this, Lin Xian quickly erected a thin iron wall to shield him and yanked Da Lou to safety with a swift roll.

Hisssss!

The corrosive blood burned through the thin metal wall within moments, creating large holes.

“That was close!” Lin Xian exclaimed, both he and Da Lou rising to their feet. They immediately lifted their firearms and unleashed a hail of bullets at the creature still behind the rapidly corroding wall.

Da-da-da-da!

The dark alley lit up from the gunfire, the muzzle flashes illuminating the scene. The last remaining head let out a wailing scream under the relentless barrage.

“Don’t let your guard down! Empty the magazines!” Lin Xian shouted. The monster’s sudden appearance had been so uncanny that he couldn’t rule out further tricks. With the advantage in hand, the two continued firing, refusing to let up.

Click-click-click!

Lin Xian’s rifle ran dry. Without hesitation, he dropped it and raised both hands—one emitting a concentrated Wind Cannon, the other crackling with Electric Discharge.

Zap! Zap!

Wind bullets tore through the air, and arcs of electricity exploded violently.

Against an eerie creature like this, Lin Xian knew hesitation was deadly. A monster with three heads? Who’s to say it doesn’t have three lives?

For over a minute, they unleashed everything they had. Only when Da Lou’s machine gun clicked empty did the gunfire cease. The echoes of their shots reverberated through the narrow alley.

Panting heavily, Lin Xian shone a flashlight forward.

The three-headed monster lay in a mangled heap, reduced to unrecognizable flesh. The black blood that pooled beneath it had entirely corroded the thin metal plate Lin Xian had conjured.

“Is it finally dead?” Lin Xian muttered, the blood still hissing as it devoured the ground.

The gunfire had attracted the groans of nearby zombies. Without delay, Lin Xian approached cautiously, covering his nose and mouth.

As he neared the remains, a wisp of black mist became visible in the flashlight’s beam. Hearing faint whispers and sobs, Lin Xian smirked. “It’s here.”

The black mist coalesced on the ground, forming a crimson bead. Identical in size to the one Lin Xian had traded for earlier, it emanated an eerie glow.

Worried about the corrosive black blood, Lin Xian conjured a long metal clamp and a simple iron box to retrieve the bead.

“This thing is such a pain,” he muttered.

The stench was overwhelming, and Lin Xian accidentally inhaled a trace of the air. His head spun, his insides churned, and he almost vomited.

“Get back!” he barked at Da Lou.

Without hesitation, they climbed into the off-road vehicle and sped away from the nightmarish scene.

The engine roared as the vehicle’s headlights pierced the oppressive darkness ahead.

“These eerie creatures are too strange…” Lin Xian muttered from the passenger seat, staring at the crimson bead in the iron box. “It’s like they can sense our presence—always appearing nearby.”

Initially, he had thought they emerged from nests hidden in the dark. But in the daylight, no nests could be found, and their appearances remained inexplicable.

“Could they teleport?” Da Lou asked, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

“If they could teleport, I’d be dead by now,” Lin Xian replied. “But their sudden appearances are way too abnormal. No footsteps, no signs, nothing.”

“It’s almost as if… they’ve been here all along,” he said, his voice faltering.

A chill ran down his spine. Glancing at Da Lou, Lin Xian caught a glimpse of something red out of the corner of his eye.

His pupils constricted, and he turned sharply toward the rearview mirror.

In the back seat sat a woman in a red dress, her hair disheveled, her face hidden in shadows.

Lin Xian froze. Whipping around, he found the back seat empty.

“What’s wrong, Brother Xian?” Da Lou asked, noticing his reaction.

Lin Xian’s face was grim. “Something’s not right…”

Zzz… Zzz…

The crackle of static interrupted him. The walkie-talkie in Lin Xian’s hand came to life, though he hadn’t touched it.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

“Zzz… Happy… Zzz… Birthday… Zzz…”

A raspy, haunting voice hummed through the static.