Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 267: Doomsday Flight

“Ehehe~ I’m being totally honest—what woman doesn’t like a hero, right?” Monica said with a playful wink at Lin Xian, clearly amused.

“Oh right, Captain Lin, there’s a small issue on my train. I heard you’re a mechanical ability user—mind giving me a hand?”

“Small issue?” Lin Xian raised an eyebrow. “If it’s really that small, how come no one else can fix it?”

Just earlier, Shi Diyuan had said her train was basically military-grade and highly automated. There’s no way someone piloting that kind of machine wouldn’t know how to handle minor malfunctions. Lin Xian knew both the Dragon Mountain No. 1 and the Silver Star were staffed with engineers. And here in Xilan City, there weren’t any of the harsh environmental issues that Dragon Mountain No. 1 had faced. So what kind of “small” problem couldn’t be fixed?

Monica casually placed her wine glass on the table and snapped her fingers. A guy behind her, thick glasses and all, quickly handed over a mobile terminal.

Lin Xian took it, glanced at the screen, and his brows raised ever so slightly. The screen displayed Monica’s train blueprint and system failure logs. What surprised him first was the train itself—it gave him instant déjà vu, like seeing the Silver Star again.

Monica’s train had just eight carriages, but it was ultra-smart—more like a self-contained, land-based mobile warship.

Energy car, power car, a fully integrated electric system, 42 automated gun turrets, full-surround situational sensing, multi-band radar, fire suppression, de-icing, anti-air systems, close-in electric defense field...

The whole 200-meter-long train needed fewer than five people to run it. The rest of the crew were fighters and logistics support. The interior was solid and secure—pretty much a dream doomsday shelter. There was even an automated air circulation system.

Lin Xian’s eyes lit up. Everything on here was something he had once imagined building himself. But Monica’s train was a seamless, unified build—totally different from the Infinite Train, which was just a heavily modified regular train. This thing had money written all over it.

“This train looks like it was made just for the apocalypse…”

Monica noticed the look on his face and smiled faintly. She didn’t even try to hide anything:

“It was. Built by the Kor Group as part of a doomsday project. A military collab stunt. Limited edition—two billion a unit. Birthday gift for my eighteenth.”

A two-billion birthday present?

The others looked at her with weird expressions. Qian Dele just gave her a sidelong glance.

“Aww~ And who was it that used to say they hated that gift the most? Now look at you, it’s your lifeline.”

“Ehehe~ Can’t help it, can’t help it~” Monica shrugged with a smile. “Times like these, staying alive is all that matters~”

Lin Xian finally got it—Monica was a rich heiress before the apocalypse. He knew the ultra-wealthy loved building doomsday bunkers and survival pods. It wasn’t paranoia to them;it was planning ahead. With that much money, companies happily catered to their fears, offering luxury apocalypse survival tech to milk the market.

Who’d have thought that stuff would actually come in handy? Right now in Xilan City, Monica’s Queen Monica was basically a fortress-on-wheels that everyone would kill to own—loaded with firepower and serious security.

But as Lin Xian scrolled through the fault reports, his brows furrowed again.

The problems were a lot like those faced by the Dragon Mountain No. 1. Multiple system failures, mostly concentrated in the drive components, power systems, and even the nuclear energy core. And these weren’t just bugs—they were irreversible failures from poor maintenance.

In plain terms: most of the parts were beyond repair. They needed replacing.

If it were anyone else, that would be game over. But Lin Xian had his Mechanical Ability. The components might be tricky materials, but with enough time and effort, he could handle it. Still, for Monica and her crew, this was a nightmare.

Her train was a limited edition. The Kor Group had gone bankrupt before Apocalypse Day. While the weapons were standardized military issue and easy to replace, everything else—the chassis, drive systems, special design—was custom-built. No spare parts. No support. And apparently, no skilled engineers on board. Over time, things had spiraled into irreversible wear and tear.

So yeah, the Queen Monica looked cool, but it was way more broken than anyone realized. Monica knew it too. As Lin Xian browsed the terminal, her usual confidence gave way to a barely noticeable flicker of tension.

The group sipped their drinks in silence. Monica gently swirled her glass like it held wine, quietly waiting for Lin Xian’s verdict.

“It’s manageable,” Lin Xian said at last, handing the terminal back. “But—”

“But?” Monica’s brow creased. That “but” made her stomach tighten. “Don’t worry about payment—we’ve got plenty of Blood Crystals.”

“That’s not the issue,” Lin Xian shook his head.

“The thing is, I’m tied up tonight. My own train isn’t fully repaired yet. Maybe after sunrise tomorrow, I can take a look at yours.”

Monica visibly relaxed, breaking into a bright smile.

“Oh~ that’s it? You had me scared for a second, handsome~”

“No rush,” she said cheerfully. “Take your time. When you’re done, come find me—I’ll even show you guys around town.”

Shi Diyuan perked up at that and turned to Qian Dele.

“Perfect timing! Why don’t we head over to that Michelle Church tomorrow and get our powers tested by the Nightwalkers? Might learn something useful—help our team get stronger. Be more prepared next time we run into an Eerie Entity.”

“Exactly. A bunch of my convoy already planned to go.”

“Ability Users and Gene Evolvers should all give it a try. Even just learning more would be good,” Ning Jing nodded. “Honestly, I still don’t even know if I’m an Ability User or a Gene Evolver, or how my powers developed. We’ve been so focused on survival, we never had time to figure that out…”

“You don’t know?” Lin Xian looked at her.

“We have no clue~” Shi Diyuan shrugged. “She’s definitely stronger than before, but strength alone isn’t a giveaway. Lots of Gene Evolvers are like that too. Most people are just fumbling around in the dark. Without the Phoenix’s guidance, who knows what’s going on?”

Qian Dele laced his fingers together and said in his usual flamboyant tone,

“My superspeed’s pretty easy to tell, but I don’t know what rank I’d get in a test. Either way, I’ll find out the hard way—if I can beat an Eerie Entity, great. If not, welp. Just ’cause I score high doesn’t mean I won’t die. It’s not a poker game. Plenty of Ability Users have died in the dark.”

“You’re right,” Ning Jing agreed. “But I think the ranking system is more like a tracking tool for the Phoenix. Those who’ve survived this long have probably evolved further. It could help them predict survival rates, or even study humanity’s limits. If we can understand ourselves better, get stronger, maybe we can live longer too.”

“Like—what level do we need to be to survive longer in the dark?” Monica took a sip of her wine. “Makes sense. But the thing is, no one knows how those monsters appear. One moment it’s a C-class Eerie Entity, the next it’s an S-class. You just never know.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Shi Diyuan said seriously. “We just need to know our own powers. Those freaks are showing up in broad daylight now. If we hit Polar Night, it’s gonna be chaos. If we want to study them, we need to live long enough first.”

Lin Xian nodded, downed his drink, and felt a wave of heat rush through him. He set the glass down and stood up.

“Alright, let’s leave it there. I’ve got repairs to finish. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Now that everyone had a better grasp of the situation in Xilan City, the pressure of near-death started to ease a bit—especially with the liquor warming their bodies. But Lin Xian wasn’t one to relax for long. He’d survived too many close calls to get careless. His top priority was getting the train back in fighting shape.

Shi Diyuan and Ning Jing felt the same. The Dragon Mountain No. 1 had a big crew and tons of carriages. Until the train was secured, no one would sleep easy. In the apocalypse, survival always favored the prepared.

“Alright, let’s head back. Still a mess in the convoy—won’t rest easy until it’s sorted.” The other convoy leaders started getting up too.

“Hey, handsome~”

Just as Lin Xian stepped off the Dragon Mountain No. 1, Monica called out from behind.

In the midst of the snowstorm, one of Monica’s men stepped up behind her and draped a coat over her shoulders. She walked gracefully up to Lin Xian and handed him a small communicator.

“This is my private frequency. If you need anything while you're in Xilan City, you can always reach out to me.”

Lin Xian glanced at it, then at her.

“I never said I could fix your train.”

Monica smiled lightly.

“Someone like you—just a promise is enough to give people hope. Besides, I trust Old Qian’s judgment. Even if you can’t fix it, I still hope we can be friends.”

Lin Xian raised a brow. The way she spoke was so typical of the upper class—confident, but not overly flattering. Polite, yet proud.

But he didn’t dwell on it. What really caught his interest was the chance to take a closer look at that train, maybe scan its design and blueprints. It could be useful for his own planning later on.

As for payment—well, that was a conversation for another time. Right now, his only priority was getting his own train back in shape.

He gave Monica a simple nod. “Alright.”

“See you tomorrow. I hope everything goes well for you.” Monica cast one more glance at the Infinite Train behind him, then turned and left in her vehicle.

Late into the night, the Dragon Mountain No. 1 was still buzzing with repair work. Lin Xian noticed that this wasn’t just ordinary maintenance—they were installing new gear on armored panels and weapon stations. A lot of the equipment was already prepped and being brought out from inside the carriages, including maintenance tools.

“These are all systems we bought from Silent City,” Ning Jing said, spotting Lin Xian crafting armor panels on top of the Infinite Train. She strolled over, her voice casual. “Cost us a fortune.”

She eyed the massive armor plates in Lin Xian’s hands with a trace of envy in her gaze.

“These factory-grade castings can’t be made without big machinery. Most survivors just slap on whatever scrap they can find. But your ability—honestly, it’s like having a full industrial chain.”

Lin Xian exhaled, breath turning white in the cold. He crouched down, clearly interested in what she said.

“Silent City, huh? Heard they’ve been growing fast, working with the Phoenix. Industrial output in the apocalypse—it’s a big deal?”

Ning Jing nodded.

“Yeah. We traded with them once when they passed by the Wei River. That’s also where we learned about the trouble the Phoenix Emergency Team ran into at the Climbing Elevator, so we rerouted through Hengshan Pass and came back to Xilan City.”

That jogged Lin Xian’s memory—Zhou Wuer had mentioned something about Leader Bai Shuang’s team hitting trouble. But now he had a new question.

“You said they passed the Wei River? So... Silent City’s a convoy?”

Ning Jing shook her head. “No. It’s a city. A mobile mechanical industrial city.”

“What?!” Lin Xian was floored. Last he heard, someone told him Silent City was a ship…

Ning Jing seemed to expect his reaction.

“We were shocked at first too. Word is, the whole place can move across land, sea, and air. It travels through areas that haven’t been swallowed by the Abyss and trades with other groups and alliances. It’s got a full industrial system and houses tens of thousands. They’re the ones who upgraded our Electromagnetic All-Terrain Drive Module. We also bought a bunch of defense weapons and carriage designs from them.”

“A mobile arms dealer?” Lin Xian looked intrigued. “Now that’s interesting.”

Ning Jing shrugged.

“The whole world’s gone to hell. These marvels of engineering? Just desperate attempts to survive. Even a floating city doesn’t guarantee safety. But industrial goods have become rare and essential—basic survival needs. That’s why I said your ability has massive potential—it’s practically a one-man factory.”

“Potential’s only useful if you stay alive,” Lin Xian said bluntly, going back to work on the armor panels.

“It’s not about quantity anymore. It’s quality. Against the dark, it’s all unknown. The gap is massive—no way to describe it, understand it, or solve it.”

Ning Jing’s eyes darkened a little. She exhaled.

“...Let’s hope humanity finds a breakthrough before we’re all wiped out.”

Lin Xian quickly did the math—over thirty armor plates needed replacing. He didn’t plan to touch the roof for now, but both sides would be swapped with new panels, forming a full-sealed, integrated armor shell.

With automated doors and windows, the upgraded defense level would shoot up.

He also scanned the arc-pulse resonator gifted by Dragon Mountain No. 1. His plan was to replicate it and install one in every carriage, giving the Infinite Train a full-surround close-in electric defense field—like Monica’s train. Combined with the Electric Blade Armor system, the exterior would now be capable of counterattacks—vital against monster hordes.

Then there were the interior systems. After the extreme cold, the heating, de-icing, circuits, and car interiors were all heavily tested. But the biggest issue was still the main drive system.

Lin Xian felt a headache brewing. That part was an absolute beast to refit—massive workload. He could handle the welding and maintenance with help from teammates like Luo Ye, but overhauling the entire drive? Not a chance solo.

Honestly, it was practically like rebuilding a new train. Maybe Silent City could help with that. Or perhaps Monica’s kind of integrated smart apocalypse train was worth studying.

That thought made him even more curious about the Queen Monica.

“Guess I’ll check it out tomorrow…”

As for the Nightwalkers’ power assessment—he had promised Zhou Wuer he’d attend. He figured his teammates should go too. What he really cared about was helping them grow stronger. After all, ever since the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum started transforming dark energy, the team’s development had accelerated fast.

Especially people like Shu Qin, Chen Sixuan, Lü Chang, and Miao Lu—their gene evolution was off the charts. Take Miao Lu for instance—this girl could probably crush Feng Yuming, the mutant Ability User Lin Xian met in Beiwang County, with just her bare hands.

And that guy had already evolved into a mimic-limbed monster.

In such a short time, humanity’s rate of evolution and growth had skyrocketed. Maybe it really showed just how adaptable people could be when thrown into disaster.

Clang. Clang.

In the makeshift repair tent, Lin Xian continued crafting the newly designed composite armor plates, inspired by Unit 01’s arm armor. These plates were trickier and ate up a lot of rare materials. His manufacturing center ran full tilt, converting Tungsten-Titanium Alloy, while Lin Xian’s hands never stopped.

The upside? His mechanical manufacturing skill kept leveling up.

【Mechanical Manufacturing Proficiency +10】

【Mechanical Manufacturing Proficiency +10】

Mechanical Manufacturing: Level 4 (766/2000) – Increases Construction Efficiency

In just one night, he’d gained nearly 300 points. If he had a couple more days in Xilan City, he could finish the armor, maybe even build a 1130 CIWS and a G3 Electromagnetic Railgun for the front and rear ends of the train. That’d cover their firepower gaps. He was also thinking about installing a missile system—could become a major offensive asset.

Then there was the Exosuit production. He could probably craft two more for Miao Lu and Lü Chang. That would boost the convoy’s strength and skyrocket his proficiency.

And once he figured out the city’s layout, he was seriously considering launching a little “arms business” of his own—like back at Hengshan Pass. Just like Silent City, he could start selling weapons and industrial gear, or offer repair services. Trade for materials, rare resources, even Ability-enhancing items.

Now that he had Cold Dark Reagents, Blood Crystals were way more valuable. He had to stock up, fast.

As his thoughts spiraled, time slipped by. It was already past 8 a.m., though the sky remained shrouded in night.

The snowstorm had eased. The distant artillery fire outside the city had gone silent at some point. Xilan City was wrapped in a rare and profound calm.

Everyone aboard the Infinite Train finally got a quiet, peaceful night.

It wasn’t just about weapons or city walls. It was the collective effect—thousands of survivors gathered together, a rare sanctuary after endless flight through the darkness. Safety felt tangible in numbers, something you could never feel running alone in the dark.

In Carriage No. 1, Chen Sixuan stirred awake after a deep, much-needed sleep. She hadn’t realized just how drained she was until now—but today, she felt completely recharged.

It was her first time personally facing such a brutal battle since leaving Jiang City. Life or death had hung by a thread.

Her eyes snapped open. She rolled out of bed in one swift motion. Her body was tingling with soreness and tightness, but her heart pounded powerfully in her chest. She quickly scanned the carriage—no sign of Lin Xian.

She grabbed the communicator.

“Lin Xian.”

“You’re up?” His voice came through.

Chen Sixuan let out a breath of relief. “Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Throwing on her thermal gear, she opened the carriage door. Without thinking, she stepped on the door handle, pushed off hard, and backflipped up onto the train roof in one smooth, airborne arc.

Thud!

The moment she landed, Chen Sixuan blinked, stunned by her own reflexes—right as Lin Xian stared at her with a mix of surprise and alarm.

“Ms. Chen, how the h**l did you get up here?”

She frowned, glancing back toward the carriage below, still a bit dazed.

“I thought I was wearing my exosuit…”

She looked genuinely confused.

“I’ve gotten used to moving around in it during battle yesterday. I didn’t even think about it just now… But hearing you react—I just realized I’m not even wearing it.”

Lin Xian’s eye twitched as he recalled how she’d just leapt nearly three meters into the air.

“She jumped like that without a suit? What kind of evolution speed is this…?” he thought. “Looks like gene evolvers aren’t necessarily weaker than Ability Users after all.”

Chen Sixuan tested her arms and fists. “I feel stronger. And…"

She narrowed her eyes.

“I can hear your heartbeat.”

Lin Xian looked down, stunned. They were still two or three meters apart. He was bundled in thermal gear, and the wind was howling around them—and she could still hear that?

“Looks like your senses are evolving too,” he said, exhaling deeply.

Chen Sixuan nodded, still adjusting to the changes. “Maybe it’s from yesterday’s battle.”

“No doubt,” Lin Xian said.

Between the battle, the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum power boost, and surviving that monster horde, everyone—on both the Infinite Train and Dragon Mountain No. 1—had gained something. As long as they made it out alive, the benefits were undeniable.