Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

The night wind howled, and riots erupted across Dawnlight City, seething with unease and fury. The City Defense Guards and Night Patrol Corps had practically mobilized in full force. Major blockades and violent clashes broke out at the three main gates of the city walls. Convoys rushed out, while small groups seeking survival supplies and shelter took the chance to sneak in. The Population Control Bureau's warning lights blazed across the night sky, while a tide of countless zombies surged against the iron wall barricades on the outskirts.

Dawnlight City had three main defensive lines beyond the iron wall barricades: the No. 1 City Wall, No. 2 City Wall, and the Starport Defense Base. The safest refuge now was the underground city located beneath the Twin Star Towers' starport.

At the top of the Twin Star Towers, the massive observation deck was eerily empty. The lighting was dim, and the high-quality floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to block even the sound of the wind. Ye Lan stood before the windows, gazing down at the dense streams of traffic lights from both the inner and outer city streets. Despite the distance, the sounds of chaos and riots felt like they were right in front of her.

"The last time I left this city, it was the same chaos. Humanity never learns. They always forget that destruction starts from within." Her voice was calm, like an impartial narrator recounting a tale.

Not far away, Chu Zhaonan stood by another window, quietly observing. After a pause, he replied, "Because most people don't know—destruction is inevitable. It's like a book: no matter how many times you read it, no matter how much you understand, the ending is always the same."

Ye Lan said softly, "In these three months, we've made significant progress in understanding Star Abyss. We've even found a breakthrough in shielding against its invasion. Have your views changed at all?"

Chu Zhaonan answered, "Since the day the Federation collapsed, I've said it: this isn't about morality or political stance between us. It's about different methods of survival. You and I both know humanity has thrown every ounce of technology and military power at this disaster, yet the truth is, we still don't know what we're up against. High-dimensional lifeforms? Overlapping multiverses? Calamities from the dark world? It's all just speculation. You know what it means when a civilization uses every bit of its strength and still loses 99% of its population in an instant?" He looked up at the sky, voice steady: "With humanity's strength, we can't even wipe out 99% of a certain type of insect in nature. From that perspective, you, Professor Ye, should have a stronger say than I do."

Ye Lan paused for a few seconds, then gazed down at the grand city of night below. "So, on the surface, you push the underground city project forward, but behind the scenes, you're developing the Eternity-Class cryogenic stasis pods, setting up the Veil-Breaking Plan, letting Zhou Mingyuan manipulate political alliances to create a false sense of hope… all for this moment?"

Chu Zhaonan's eyes turned sharp. "The essence of the Thought Seal is to keep humanity clinging to hope in a war they're destined to lose." He turned his gaze back to Ye Lan. "But hope… is the real shackle."

"I respect your rationality, Chairman Chu." Ye Lan continued, "I came here to remind you: the outcome of this meeting was already decided before it started. It's because you and I communicate, understand each other. We've known each other for 26 years. The deeper the understanding, the less chance for deviation in the outcome. But the problem is—there's no such communication between humanity and the darkness."

"I know." Chu Zhaonan's eyes flickered. "That's why this war we're destined to lose—Vanguard Initiative is the fastest response we can manage. Professor Ye—no, Commander Ye—you and I both know, Phoenix Society and Dawnlight City are fundamentally the same. Both are a gamble. The only difference is that I'm more objective, while you're more idealistic. Since you know the outcome won't change, why risk coming to Dawnlight City? Do you have any advice for me?"

Ye Lan replied, "No."

Akesai: "Star Abyss expansion?"

Ye Lan: "There's no controlling it. Humanity can't even control itself. So yes, the chaos in Dawnlight City and the Crimson World is inevitable."

Akesai: "Existence itself is reason. There's only one law of survival in the universe: abandon old morals, survive by any means. Whether it's the Descendant faction or the Salvation faction, so-called faith is just a self-made moral limiter for the individual's survival instinct. Have you thought about this? If humanity is completely wiped out, and a higher existence form from the Crimson World survives, who's to say that isn't a form of human civilization continuing?"

Ye Lan: "That you can think in those terms… it surprises me."

"Surprises you?" Akesai smirked. "Wasn't that the original purpose of Phoenix Society's founding 76 years ago? You shouldn't be surprised about that."

"And Chu Jing?" Ye Lan looked at him. "To him, am I morality or a means to an end?"

Shen Juan's gaze sharpened, her voice low: "I'm just a foolish child. Ever since I took over the Veil-Breaking Plan, I've vaguely understood… you and I stand on the side of humanity, not father and son."

Ye Lan nodded lightly and murmured, "Good."

"So, what's Phoenix Society's purpose here?" Chu Zhaonan folded his hands behind his back and glanced at Ye Lan.

She turned her head, fading into the shadows. The neon lights of the Night City swept across Ye Lan's calm face. To Chu Zhaonan, she said: "To clean up the mess."

With that, she turned and left. Her tall, slender figure quickly vanished into the observation deck's shadows.

For safety reasons, Silent City slowly descended onto an open field in the western suburbs of the city. The massive jets of propulsion blasted a wide impact zone across twenty kilometers of barren ground.

Inside the Cloud Deck Main Bridge, voices buzzed in discussion.

The Crimson World hadn't launched any attacks tonight—both expected and unexpected for Lin Xian. It left him with a strange sense of contradiction.

In his mind, the only reason the Crimson World had been holding back must have been because of the pressure from Dawnlight City—fear of provoking them. But judging from the current situation, especially after receiving updates from Jian Xuwei, it seemed Dawnlight City had split into two factions. Zhou Mingyuan was acting as expected—too cautious to touch Silent City, even pushing for protection and peace talks, trying to quell the internal riots and minimize the impact of rumors on the Federation's control.

But Jinhai Starport's massive evacuation? That was baffling. Lin Xian couldn't figure it out, and everyone else was just as confused.

"As far as I know, ever since Star City was turned into Dawnlight City and the Doomsday Capital, Chu Zhaonan hasn't really been involved in day-to-day governance or civilian affairs. His focus has always been on the Far Star Project. Apart from the Far Star fleet, engineering research, Lu Tianye's Star City Garrison, and the underground defenses, all other powers have been in Zhou Mingyuan's hands. So I can't say for sure if Chu Zhaonan has any dealings with the Crimson World, but there's one thing I'm sure of..."

"Chu Zhaonan knows." Lin Xian glanced at the screen with Jian Xuwei's face and spoke with certainty.

Jian Xuwei nodded. "So my guess is, it's the arrival of the Phoenix Society, plus the fact that you exposed the collusion between Dawnlight City and the Crimson World at just the right moment, that's triggered the Federation's red line of crisis. That's why they're making such drastic moves now. It means... something big is definitely going to happen in Dawnlight City."

The room fell into a brief silence. Everyone looked slightly tense. Lin Xian furrowed his brows and exhaled softly.

"Phoenix Society… looks like our luck's not too bad."

KIKI shot him an exasperated look. "Are you saying Dawnlight City is just going to throw in the towel?"

"It sure seems like a real possibility!" Shi Diyuan spoke loudly. "Otherwise, why would they abandon their own industrial base so easily?"

"They didn't exactly abandon it." Ning Jing spoke up at this point. "From what we can see, they're transferring a huge amount of resources, ships, and vehicles. Aside from the Orbital Train Factory, which Miss Jian's forces seized, the starport is still under heavy guard."

"Still sounds like a retreat to me." Qian Dele crossed his arms. "This whole operation has left us completely blindsided. We were all geared up for a major fight, and now... we're stuck."

Monica asked, "Does this mean, in the eyes of Dawnlight City and the Crimson World, we're not even important?"

"Looks like it." Chen Sixuan frowned slightly.

At that moment, Mochizuki Shinji spoke from the side, his voice calm and clear. "I think... if both Dawnlight City and the Crimson World aren't focused on us, that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?"

Everyone turned to look at Lin Xian.

Lin Xian nodded slightly in agreement. "You're right. With Dawnlight City in chaos, the Phoenix Society showing up, of course Dawnlight City is on high alert. As for the Crimson World... whatever, they'll make their move eventually. If the sky falls, it's not our problem—at least not yet. Since we've made it to Jinhai, we might as well..."

He looked at Chen Sixuan. "Do you want to borrow their factory and refit your trains?"

Down below the control tower, Chen Sixuan looked out at the massive maglev docking zone and spoke to Shen Juan.

"Actually, I have a worse idea... but it needs Noise City's cooperation."

"Guess what... is it that Sky-Dome Class?" Mochizuki Shinji asked, feigning disinterest.

"There's more than that." Jian Xuwei's expression turned serious. "It's definitely going to blow your minds."

Boom!

As Silent City touched down, tides of the dead surged up. In the darkness, strange creatures kept emerging, but the Silent City's main deck, lined with hundreds of electromagnetic railguns and thousands of pulse-grade auto-defense systems, unleashed a devastating barrage like a warship of the stars. The sheer firepower alone wiped out the corpse tides and the scattered low-level abominations—no armed personnel even needed to lift a finger.

In the lower deck's berth area, people bustled about. The Joint Train Team, after two days of rest, was back in action. There had been a lot of personnel changes this time. Two train crews and the Wanderers and Akesai Brotherhood, who had followed them from Akesai, had all merged into Silent City. They'd sold off their vehicles to other convoys for resources.

For Lin Xian and Shi Diyuan, the next goal for Silent City was to dock at Eternal City Port to build and upgrade for the Far Star voyage. This meant they had no choice but to set off again, entering the orbital track for another escape run.

As for those two train crews, and the others who chose to leave the convoy, Lin Xian fully understood. Many people were already exhausted, worn down by constant flight and survival. With a safe, mobile city in front of them, they didn't want to keep running. Many of Silent City's residents were also die-hard digital life believers, which gave them a different perspective on crisis and death compared to others. It made sense.

The massive cargo bay's upper platform slowly opened. Below, within the tides of the dead, was Jinhai's backup freight rail segment. They could directly merge into it, then enter the Industrial Zone Train Factory, and from there, roll into the orbital track.

Lin Xian led the team back onto the Infinite, the engines roaring to life, lights blazing across the train. The crew inside was on full alert. The children, under the care of Li Yi and the others, had all been safely returned to their carriages. Standing inside the cockpit, Chen Sixuan had a complex expression.

"Once we pass Jinhai and Eternal City Port, it's the Pacific Ocean. This will probably be our last stop to get the trains refitted."

Lin Xian nodded. "Don't forget—if this is really the Crimson World's home turf, it won't be easy to refit without a hitch."

He glanced at Chen Sixuan. "Luckily, we have Silent City as a big shelter... at least for now."

Chen Sixuan met his gaze. "If Silent City heads east... have you ever thought about joining them?"

"Of course." Lin Xian smiled. "I'm not stupid. They've got the firepower, they've got the numbers, and my mechanical abilities let me just cruise along. Why wouldn't I consider it?"

"Liar. That's not like you." Chen Sixuan smiled faintly.

"Why not?"

"Because even if you build another Silent City, it won't fix your sense of crisis. You and Mochizuki Shinji are the same—you're both thinking about leaving Blue Star behind, aren't you?"

Lin Xian sighed, a helpless look in his eyes. "I don't want to overthink it... but I guess I can't help it. That's just how I am—can't change it."

"Otherwise, why else would you, during the first Polar Night, plan the Orbital Train Project all the way into the stratosphere?" Chen Sixuan looked at him. "You know as well as I do—if we don't run, we don't even get a chance."

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened slightly. He nodded.

Then he pushed the throttle forward, triggering the train's ignition. As the Infinite surged forward, he pressed the comm link, opening a channel to Mochizuki Shinji on the main bridge.

"We'll go ahead and set up the defensive lines at the Orbital Train Loading Factory. We'll let you know once we're done."

"Got it. No problem."

Mochizuki Shinji's laid-back voice drifted in: "I've already sent Shun and the others to Jinhai Starport to investigate. We'll meet up soon—shouldn't take long. I'm guessing news from Dawnlight City and Phoenix Society will arrive soon enough."

"Let's hope it's good news."

The Infinite's Weilon-class electric locomotive roared as it pulled the trailing carriages, snaking like a dragon across the massive rail platform before charging down the slope toward the loading deck. Behind the Joint Train, Hu Lushou and his team followed in a ragged apocalypse train acquired through a resource exchange. In the cockpit, Hu Lushou stood nervously, muttering prayers under his breath.

"Please, heaven, please—let old Hu have bet on the right horse this time!"

"You've got nowhere else to go," Sun Chang cut in coldly, piercing through his delusion. "Mochizuki Shinji doesn't like you, and you're afraid your car will fall behind the Joint Train like what happened in Akesai. This is our only option."

Hu Lushou clicked his tongue, scowling at her before muttering to himself: "You've got a point..."

"Then let's hope we follow Captain Lin all the way in peace, get through every city safe and sound, and make some decent gains along the way~"

Sun Chang glanced at him, surprised, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back down. Well... she hoped so too.

The Infinite led the charge, followed by the Queen Mo, Joker, Longshan-1, and sixteen other trains. The horizon gate mechanism clamped tightly to the rails as they shot out of Silent City. Under the glare of headlights, an endless tide of twisted, grotesque zombies surged toward them.

The Joint Train plowed through with unstoppable momentum, sending a spray of mangled flesh and blood in all directions. Countless zombies were crushed beneath the iron wheels, sparks flying across the freight rail loading lines.

Ahead of the Infinite, dozens of flying drones accompanied the convoy, clearing out the zombies and switching the rail junctions to guide the Joint Train onto the correct track.

The weapon stations roared to life—three 1130 autocannons and three G3 electromagnetic railguns fired relentlessly. The massive steel convoy thundered into Jinhai, tearing through the dense corpse tide. The storm of metal bullets and electromagnetic rounds shattered the night's silence.

Bang! Bang!

Not just the rails, but several of the apocalypse trains themselves groaned with unsettling noises—lingering damage from their leap through Star Abyss. Longshan-1 had particularly serious issues. Given the time constraints, Shi Diyuan had only managed to retrofit a few of the most critical carriages during this all-terrain modification.

"Hold tight! All carriages, monitor for dark mark fluctuations—lock on and neutralize at once!" "Understood!"

"Jian Xuwei says there are other survivor convoys holed up in the Industrial Zone, and armed guards still stationed at the Starport. We need to be careful."

Shi Diyuan's voice came through: "Those guards may not be stronger than the abominations, but they're still a serious threat to us."

Lin Xian agreed. "Alright. Jian Xuwei already sent us the defense layout for the Loading Factory. Once we get there, we follow the plan—secure the key defense points and watchtowers. Her drones will cover us."

Up ahead, the Whale-03E Heavy Gas Turbine Locomotive smashed through zombies with its icebreaker shield, sending them flying. Lin Xian controlled the train's speed while he and Chen Sixuan kept a sharp eye on the surroundings.

In the past, Lin Xian would've had Grace assist with train control—she could handle radar and drones simultaneously. But now, that AI was shut down. With the zombie tide, everything had to be done manually.

"Raaagh! Raaagh!"

Inside the other carriages, the team gripped their weapons tightly, watching as the armored windows lit up the twisted faces of the zombie horde outside. Their expressions were tense, but calm. Having survived Star Abyss 5, they'd leveled up their skills and mental fortitude. The zombie tide itself wasn't a huge threat—unless it derailed the train. What they really feared was the appearance of abominations triggering a Dark Mark chain reaction.

Yet, as the Joint Train tore through the waves of undead, there was no sign of any abominations. Even when they reached the armored high walls of the Orbital Train Loading Factory, the Soul Value Detectors didn't light up.

Everything tonight was going far more smoothly than expected. That alone made many feel uneasy.

A few minutes later, the Joint Train rolled through the freight tracks into the city's Industrial Zone defense line. The high walls of the factory flashed sharp yellow lights as the massive metal gates slowly opened to let them in.

Due to the factory's limited space, Lin Xian had preemptively ordered all the trains decoupled. As they charged into the loading factory, the automatic junctions guided them onto separate tracks.

Once inside, Lin Xian saw the platforms littered with corpses—most wearing power armor. As soon as the Infinite stopped, Lin Xian immediately ordered Daluo, Liang Lei's two assault teams, and Shu Qin's mobile squad to deploy, quickly surveying the factory defenses and setting up fortifications. As the other trains arrived, more teams in power armor disembarked to reinforce the lines.

Then, a group of people emerged from the factory, weapons in hand. Lin Xian's gaze swept over them—they looked like engineers and technicians. At the front walked a woman in power armor, her visor flipped up, long hair spilling down. Jian Xuwei strode toward Lin Xian, her eyes scanning the Infinite's bristling weaponry and heavy armor. She spoke first: "Long time no see. I'm guessing your journey hasn't been easy."

Lin Xian's expression shifted. "Where are your people?"

"Most are still in Dawnlight City," Jian Xuwei replied.

At this point, Shi Diyuan, Ning Jing, Qian Dele, and Monica approached.

"Chairman Jian! It's been a while!" Shi Diyuan greeted her heartily. Back at Yubei Starport, Longshan-1 had fought alongside Silver Star, building a bond of trust through life-and-death struggles.

"Hello, Captain Shi." Jian Xuwei's gaze flickered to Monica, her brows slightly furrowing. "Monica?"

"You know her?" Lin Xian asked in surprise.

"How could I not?" Jian Xuwei said. "She's the grand duchess of the Cardia Family."

Monica smiled politely, her gaze sweeping over Jian Xuwei. "Miss Jian, you're too kind. I'm just a down-on-her-luck convoy leader. You're the head of a corporate dynasty—I can't compare."

"In the apocalypse, does a dynasty even matter anymore?" Jian Xuwei said calmly. She glanced at Lin Xian. "Since you're working with Captain Lin, does that make us allies by default?"

"An honor," Monica replied smoothly.

Lin Xian couldn't shake the feeling there was some history between these two women. The tension in their words felt pointed. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the past—like Jian Xuwei said, in the apocalypse, none of that mattered anymore.

"What's going on in Dawnlight City?" Lin Xian asked.

Jian Xuwei turned immediately. "No time for chit-chat. Dawnlight City and the Crimson World could attack at any moment. I'll explain as we move. Follow me."

Lin Xian gave orders, then had Chen Sixuan and KIKI stay close as they hurried after Jian Xuwei into the factory.

They crossed the docking zone under a downpour. Soon, a massive mechanized steel factory loomed under the night sky.

Jian Xuwei led them into an elevator car, which tilted at an angle and descended rapidly underground.

They descended several hundred meters before the high-speed car finally came to a stop. Lin Xian, looking puzzled, had expected to see the Sky-Dome Class train, but instead, Jian Xuwei had taken them deeper underground.

Just as he was about to ask, the elevator doors suddenly opened.

A massive underground facility appeared before them. Everyone froze, eyes widening in shock.

Towering before them was an enormous mecha—though compared to the Prototype Unit from Xilan City, it wasn't particularly large, maybe around 50 meters. But something felt... wrong. It wasn't a true mecha. Lin Xian could see patches of biological tissue on it—grayish-brown, dry, and stiff. The air reeked of rot and a harsh chemical disinfectant.

This wasn't a mecha. It was a humanoid, giant abomination—a grotesque hybrid of flesh and machine!

The armor looked like it had been grafted onto the creature's body.

"Isn't this the humanoid abomination we saw in Star Abyss?!"

"Is it dead or alive?"

"Technically... it's dead," Jian Xuwei said solemnly.

Everyone's faces changed. Lin Xian's expression darkened, his voice sharp: "Don't tell me... this is one of the Crimson World's monstrosities—Bio-Armorized Abominations!?"