Chapter 260: Three-kilometer Battle Line
The frigid wind howled asDragon Mountain No. 1andInfinite Trainstood ready on the Northern Line track.
At the very front ofDragon Mountain No. 1, Lu Xingchen sat atop the locomotive, bundled in a thick cold-resistant suit, gazing into the snowstorm. His communication headset was tuned in, waiting for a signal. Meanwhile, Lu Yong and the others aboardDragon Mountain No. 1were preparing to start the train.
Inside the double-decker carriages, there were no elderly or children in sight—only fully armed adults. Heavy machine guns, turrets, anti-air cannons, and electromagnetic railguns were all in position atop the train. Every gaze was fixed on the vast snowy expanse to the east, waiting for something.
"Three kilometers? Got it."
Inside the cockpit ofInfinite Train, Chen Sixuan tensed up as she heard Lin Xian's voice. TheWhale 03E Heavy Gas Turbine Locomotivehad already been preheated by an electric de-icing system, and theGemini Nuclear Electric Locomotiveat the rear had its engines running. Inside the carriages, the heating system kept the temperature comfortable.
"Everyone, get ready. Just a few more minutes until we depart!"
Creak, creak, creak—
After being stationed for so long, the train's armor was coated in a thick layer of ice. The once-black heavy locomotive was now covered in white frost, its side flaps buried in snow. Beneath the train, the rails and metal wheels groaned in protest.
As temperatures continued to plummet, some of the train's systems were already failing or shutting down—water pumps, air circulation units, even the warning lights on some brake valves flickered ominously in the cockpit.
Inside the rear carriages ofInfinite Train, an eerie silence filled the air. Everyone was on edge. Da Lou stood behind the blast doors, gripping a machine gun, ready to unleash covering fire. On the rooftop, the1130 Close-In Weapon SystemandG3 Electromagnetic Railgunwere already deployed, their radar systems active. Every rotation of the turrets shattered another layer of freshly formed ice.
Meanwhile, a steel tide of armored vehicles charged violently across the snowfield, forming a defensive front. Behind them, an unending horde ofSnow Wraithssurged like a tsunami, stretching as far as the eye could see. More and more eerie creatures converged from all directions, their numbers swelling. Massive quadrupedal beasts plowed through theSnow Wraiths, smashing them aside before lunging at the convoy's flanks.
The deafening cacophony of light and heavy gunfire intensified as the convoy pressed forward. At the very front, a massiveall-terrain trainunleashed a dark-red laser beam, slicing through theSnow Wraithslike a beacon in the storm.
Hah… hah…
A'Bai adjusted his sunglasses, panting heavily. Prolonged use of the laser was beginning to take its toll on his body.
Xiao Qing, equipped with a grappling hook at her waist, leapt across the rooftops of several carriages, cutting downSnow Wraithsas they attempted to board.
On the right flank, Captain Sun's troops were nearly out of ammunition. They had no choice but to pull back, allowing Old Zhou's armored convoy to take their position at the outermost perimeter.
Aboard thePolar Vehicle, Lin Xian carefully monitored the incoming signals, his expression grave as he whispered calculations under his breath.
"One kilometer to go." To ensure smooth communication, he had locked ontoInfinite Train's frequency, speaking directly to Chen Sixuan.
"About one minute."
"All units, prepare to turn!"
Whooosh—
Lin Xian peered ahead. Though his vision was still obscured by the raging blizzard, he knew the train was just beyond the storm.
"Three kilometers! Ms. Chen, GO!"
At last, the convoy reached the designated range.Dragon Mountain No. 1and thePolar Vehicleboth turned sharply to the right.
The sky darkened. Just as Lin Xian gave the order, a violent tremor shook the ground. The entire convoy jolted.
For a brief moment, they feared it was theAbyss Worm. But this was different. The tremors came from all directions.
Sitting atop his war vehicle, Sun Kai's radar screen was flooded with red dots. Then his face twisted in horror.
Beyond the sea of red, an ominous dark-red wave surged toward the convoy from all sides. The radar module glitched, issuing a piercing alarm.
His blood ran cold. He slammed his hand onto the comms panel and roared,
"IT'S A MONSTER TIDE!!!"
AboardInfinite Train, Chen Sixuan immediately relayed orders through the train's comms to Lu Yong and Huo Ge aboardDragon Mountain No. 1.
"GO!!"
"Flame Burst—Heaven's Path!"
As the command rang through the headset, Lu Xingchen leaped to his feet, raising both hands high above his head.
A crimson inferno erupted skyward, forming a towering fire pillar. With a sharp exhale, he slammed the inferno forward. Flames roared, igniting into blueMach rings, detonating a shockwave!
BOOM!
The fire column struck the track ahead, instantly vaporizing a hundred meters of snow. The rails turned blackened and scorched.
At the same time,Infinite TrainandDragon Mountain No. 1unleashed over 250,000 kilowatts of raw power. Their engines roared to life.
Dragon Mountain No. 1deployed its Horizon Clamp System, magnetizing itself onto the frozen rails for better traction.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—!!!
The combined 82-carriage train jerked forward as the sheer force shattered layers of ice from its armor. Snow cascaded off the rooftops, and the couplings screeched under strain.
InsideInfinite Train, the accumulated snow outside had nearly reached the windows. No one knew how many creatures lay hidden within.
"20 km… 30 km… Speed is increasing!"
Chen Sixuan fixated on the comms unit. The signal with Lin Xian's convoy had cut off—meaning they were now over two kilometers apart.
Whooosh!
The blizzard raged, reducing visibility to barely 20 meters. She could only make out the last carriage ofDragon Mountain No. 1. Beyond that was just a blinding white void.
One minute.
Two minutes.
She gripped the comms unit tightly. Only static crackled through the frequency, and the signal indicator flickered red.
"Lin Xian, do you read me?"
"Lin Xian, respond!"
Only the howling storm answered.
Then—
THUD!
A grotesqueSnow Wraithslammed into the window, shrieking. Chen Sixuan stumbled back as the creature scraped away the ice before slipping under the train's wheels—crushed instantly.
Then more emerged.
One by one, monstrous figures crawled out from the deep snow, swarming towardInfinite TrainandDragon Mountain No. 1.
Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the distant storm. Chen Sixuan's heart leapt. She glanced at the comms unit—its signal light flickered between red and green.
"Zzz… Chen…!"
"LIN XIAN!!!" she shouted.
"Ms. Chen!" Lin Xian's voice crackled through. Then came his next words, sending a chill down her spine.
"OPEN FIRE—NOW!!"
BOOM!
On the right flank of the two-kilometer-long train, an endlessSnow Wraithhorde surged forward—countless, swarming like locusts.
The massive train tilted under the sheer force.
WOOO!!
The1130 CIWSand heavy turrets roared to life. A storm of metal rained into the advancing monster tide.
Above, theG3 Electromagnetic Railgunlocked onto high-altitude threats—blasting through the storm, revealing grotesque winged horrors.
The battle had begun.
"HOLD THE LINE!!!"
"Captain Lin's team still hasn't appeared!"
The tsunami-like monster tide was unlike anythingInfinite Trainhad ever encountered. The incoming convoy was still nowhere in sight, yet the entire train formation was already engaged in all-out combat, unleashing relentless firepower.
Thud, thud, thud—
The train's speed climbed—50 km/h… 60 km/h…!
Chen Sixuan, clad in her Powered Exoskeleton, quickly made her way toCar No. 2, then ascended to the roof through the combat lift. She knew Lin Xian's convoy was only a few hundred meters away, and withDragon Mountain No. 1leading the charge, she wasted no time diving into battle.
Whoosh!
As soon as she stepped onto the rooftop, she executed a backflip, narrowly dodging aSnow Wraith's ambush.
Bang!
Midair, she fired her Meteor No. 3 Armor-Piercing Rounds, the bullet tearing through theSnow Wraithand several others behind it. The massive hydrostatic shock effect caused the carbon-based creatures' bodies to explode in a shower of gore.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she swiftly crouched and aimed skyward. The muzzle of her Meteor No. 3 aligned almost simultaneously with the G3 Electromagnetic Railgun.
Bang!
Even before spotting the enemy, she pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Whooosh! Sizzle!
At that exact moment, the Electromagnetic Railgun fired as well.
A blazing blue pulse streaked through the storm. A winged monster diving down from above had its skull pierced clean through by the armor-piercing round, leaving a 10-centimeter-wide blood hole. A split second later, its chest was obliterated by the electromagnetic blast!
"ARRRGHH!!"
The train-car-sized monstrosity tumbled through the air, crashing onto the snowy plains below. A massive plume of snow erupted upon impact.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gunfire flared in the distance. Chen Sixuan immediately used her infrared scope to scan ahead and spotted a black steel convoy emerging from the blizzard.
It wasDragon Mountain No. 1and Lin Xian's Polar Vehicle!
To avoid getting caught in the train's crossfire, the convoy was maneuvering into position at the train's rear-right flank. Over a hundred vehicles were rapidly closing in onInfinite Train'stail.
"Lu Yong, Ms. Chen, push the speed to 80!!"
As soon as the convoy appeared, Lin Xian's urgent voice crackled through the comms.
"Can everyone keep up?"
KIKI blasted a shockwave through a cluster ofSnow Wraithsbefore turning to Lin Xian, her voice filled with urgency.
Lin Xian stole a glance at the massive creatures looming behind them. "We have no choice but to push full throttle! Keep up, or we die!"
Themonster tidewas an unstoppable flood—if they didn't keep running, they wouldn't get another chance.
Boom! Boom!
The earth-shaking tremors intensified.
The massive convoy surged forward behindDragon Mountain No. 1andInfinite Train, roaring through the snow. The three-kilometer-long firepower formation clashed against the tsunami of creatures, with winged horrors swooping from above and unknown abyssal creatures lurking beneath. The entire battlefield felt like a lone island in a sea of monsters.
Whoooosh!
Dragon Mountain No. 1charged onto the Northern Line tracks.
Beneath it, the Triangle Track Electromagnetic All-Terrain Drive Module adjusted itself, locking onto the rails with high-powered magnetic adhesion. Sparks flared as the traction locomotive unleashed its full power, linking up withInfinite Train's Gemini Nuclear Locomotive.
"Brother Lin, I'll cover your convoy's rear!" Shidi Yuan called out.
"All non-combat vehicles, move to the train's left side for cover!"
Lin Xian and KIKI steered the Polar Vehicle out of formation, escorting the Empire Project Technical Team's vehicles across the tracks toInfinite Train'sleft flank, evading the right-side onslaught ofSnow Wraiths.
Meanwhile, the main convoy pushed forward, falling in behindDragon Mountain No. 1.
BOOM!!
The 1130 CIWS unleashed a storm of metal, shredding the oncoming tide. Snow, debris, and monster fragments blasted into the windshields of armored vehicles.
Sally's flamethrower ignited vast swathes ofSnow Wraiths, providing cover for the following convoy.
The combined firepower of the 1130 CIWS and the Fire God Mecha was a relentless wall of destruction. KIKI grabbed Lin Xian, leaping ontoInfinite Train'sroof.
Whoooosh!
A piercing wingbeat suddenly echoed through the blizzard.
KIKI barely had time to raise a psychic barrier before a massive winged creature slammed down!
"HELP!!"
"KIKI!!"
Sasha's face paled as she saw the beast's shadow engulf them. The creature bared its gaping maw, filled with rows of serrated fangs, but its bite was stopped by KIKI's barrier.
Without hesitation, Sasha raised the Fire God Mecha's main cannon and fired directly into its throat.
BOOM!
A perfect shot—the armor-piercing round pierced its throat and detonated inside. A rain of blood and flesh erupted!
With a sharp cry, KIKI grabbed the struggling beast and hurled it down into theSnow Wraithhorde below. Its hulking body crushed dozens of creatures beneath it.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Xian rushed to the rear ofDragon Mountain No. 1, where Ning Jing, Xiao Qing, and A'Bai were still fighting atop the train.
TheSnow Wraith tideswarmed the convoy, relentlessly pushing against the firepower lines.
With the joint train formation accelerating violently, the monstrous horde completely surrounded the train and convoy.
The Empire Project Team's remaining firepower was running low. Only Qian Dele and five other squads were still holding their ground. As soon as they regrouped, several more vehicles were overturned and swallowed—casualties were mounting.
"If you're out of ammo, move to the train's left side and follow the tracks!" Lin Xian barked through the comms.
As he surveyed the never-ending sea of monsters, he realized their only hope was to use the train as a fortress. Most vehicles, aside from heavy-duty Polar Vehicles, wouldn't last if they fell behind.
Themonster tidewas overwhelming, and evenInfinite TrainandDragon Mountain No. 1were covered in Snow Wraiths.
Suddenly, the Joint Train Formation's Arc Pulse Resonator powered up!
ZZZZZZZZZT!!
A blinding white plasma discharge surged along the train's armor!
The high-voltage discharge field ripped through the creatures, emitting an ear-splitting electrical crackle. TheSnow Wraithson the train's flanks burst into scorched chunks, their blackened remains tumbling into the snow below.
With the Infinite Train's outer plating electrified, it became nearly impossible for creatures to climb up.
Inside the train, even the battle-hardened crew flinched at the thunderous ionized discharge.
As the Snow Wraiths fell away, the crew resumed fire, their gun barrels glowing hot.
"Resonator cooldown: 40 seconds! Everyone, stay clear of the next discharge!"
Lu Yong's voice echoed through the comms.
Meanwhile, aboardDragon Mountain No. 1, monstrous Blood Fiends and Winged Horrors slammed into the armored train, attempting to tear it apart.
The 68-carriage behemoth roared through the storm, crushing everything in its path.
The battle was far from over.
And as nightfall approached, the three-kilometer battlefield was only just beginning its chase through the abyss!