Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train
Chapter 353: Superstring Reactor Phase Rainbow Ring

【Non-mechanical energy converted. 1000 Mechanical Source Points gained.】 【Non-mechanical energy converted. 1000 Mechanical Source Points gained.】 【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV.5 (11640/20000)】 Mechanical Devour: 5 (1065/3000) – Increases devouring efficiency Mechanical Manufacturing: 5 (1660/3000) – Increases construction efficiency 【T8-Z Vulcan Siege Mecha (Blueprint) – Research Time Remaining: 22 days 22 hours 36 minutes】 【Amplification Complete】Congratulations! You've successfully amplified Surge (Rare, Lv.3 Maxed) into: 【Superstring Reactor Phase Halo】!

A burst of bright lights from the Mechanical Heart interface flickered in front of Lin Xian’s eyes. He glanced at the time—3:40 AM. They had exited the Abyssal Polar Night around 6 PM, meaning... he had been asleep for nine hours. In that time, not only had the Eerie Cube converted a massive amount of Mechanical Source Points, but his Superstring Reactor Phase Halo had finally completed its amplification!

Seeing this, Lin Xian was instantly overwhelmed with excitement. Without a second thought, he tried activating it—

Buzz!

A low-frequency hum resonated through the air. In an instant, Lin Xian saw the dimly lit train cabin bathed in a bluish glow. Reflected in the train window, he saw a phase halo manifest behind him—resembling the core reactor ring of Unit 01. Waves of ultra-dense energy pulsed through it, and Lin Xian felt a powerful surge of propulsion energy coursing through his arms via that radiant, almost divine halo-like construct. More than that, it felt like he was suddenly linked to the entire Infinite Train's power core. Every engine in the train roared to life at that moment!

The electric arcs behind him cracked the air, gently pulling metallic objects around the cabin toward them. Bzzt— Lin Xian, catching himself, stopped immediately and looked down at his hands in awe.

“What the h*ll... a personal reactor?!”

There were no words to describe his emotions. It was as if the power he once needed to drive the train had now been magnified and materialized right into his own body!

“D*mn, that’s wild.”

“The Mechanical Source Points are already halfway there. Shouldn’t be long now before I hit my second Mechanical Awakening.”

Just as he was marveling at this, Chen Sixuan, having felt the tremor of the train’s engines, pushed the door open. The moment she saw Lin Xian bursting with energy and vitality, the worry on her face melted into joy. She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.

“You’re finally awake... you scared me to death last night.”

Lin Xian knew she was talking about the danger back in the Abyss, and replied with a grin, “I was scared too. That place had all kinds of monsters—everything except zombies. Made me kinda miss the undead.”

Chen Sixuan burst into laughter, her head tucked into the crook of his neck, shoulders trembling as she chuckled. Both of them clearly felt a weight lift off their chests.

“Something up?”

“There is... but let me hold you a little longer,” Chen Sixuan whispered, eyes shut, clinging tightly to Lin Xian. “This whole journey has been so hard. Sometimes, staying alive takes more courage than dying. I still don’t understand how you managed to hang on back there.”

Lin Xian was moved. His mind flashed to that terrifying glimpse of the Abyssal Overlord above the giant colossus. He spoke softly, “Back then, I just thought—if I could escape from a monster like that, wouldn’t it be exhilarating?”

“It was exhilarating, alright.”

“So, what’s the current situation?”

“Nothing urgent at the moment. Noisy City operates in the White Night, so for now, you're stopped at the edge of Luling Forest. Moonlight Shinji sent word—said you shouldn’t come find him directly until you’ve rested up. Most convoys haven’t even finished regrouping yet. But he did allow some freedom, so a few folks might’ve already gone out exploring City No. 7...”

Lin Xian’s eyes lit up at that. Honestly, after all the running and fighting, he felt worn out and a little lonely. There was a strange comfort in surviving the zombie-ridden White Night while nestled in an armored train car. And it had been a long while since he’d seen a city that didn’t reek of the apocalypse.

Especially... a mechanical city.

“Ocean Blue?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your plan?” Chen Sixuan looked up at him, her eyes filled with both concern and hope—yearning for just a moment of peace.

Lin Xian, picking up on her unspoken thoughts, took a deep breath and looked toward the massive mechanical city ahead.

“No big plans. Silent City is heading to Jinhai, which happens to be our route too. Might as well hitch a ride and lean on this big tree to rest up. We did save ten thousand people, after all. Moonlight Shinji owes me a thank-you.”

“You want him to help you upgrade the all-terrain drive?” Chen Sixuan asked.

“Nope.” Lin Xian stretched lazily, a calm smile on his face. “I’ve got bigger plans now. Remember what I told you before? That I want the train to soar into the sky?”

Chen Sixuan looked stunned. “You’re turning Infinite Train into a flying train?”

His gaze sparkled. Moonlight Shinji’s words had truly inspired him. Now that he had the Superstring Reactor Phase Halo, and a base like Silent City to support him, he could finally let the Infinite Train Project evolve into its ultimate form.

“More accurately... it’ll be the Astral Train.”

Orbital weapons, starship cannons, drone swarms, mechanical cities, digital lifeforms, and bio-mech symbiosis—his mechanical ability held endless potential.

Bzzt— Phoenix Global Broadcast: At 23:17 UTC, the European division of the Phoenix Society successfully completed a strategic evacuation from the Tidal Storm Zone of Abyss Zone No. 10. During the operation, S-class eerie entities [Earth Surge] and [Côte d'Ivoire] launched a joint attack. Confirmed casualties: 112,479 (including civilians and operatives). Survivors have reached designated shelters; medical and logistical support is underway.

Another report followed quickly: The [Blood Crystal Purification – Cold Dark Particle Isolation] project, led by the “Alpine Sentinels” research team, has made a breakthrough. For the first time, stable “Dark Energy” has been extracted and confirmed to possess an 18% air purification efficiency against Dark Invasion toxins. This is a critical advancement in humanity’s fight against darkness. Priority application will focus on halting contamination and purifying essential resources.

“All survivors: maintain hope and order. Humanity will overcome this crisis—together.”

Another broadcast chimed in from Federation Dawn City: Dawn City successfully eliminated the S-class entity “Grey Mist Colossus” with only 0.5% casualties. Their [Dark Energy Purification Device] is now in trial operation, achieving over 95% purification efficiency. Clean drinking water is now available. Entrance fees are increasing: 2 blood crystals per person monthly for Old District residents, and up to 1000 per person for top-tier citizens...

Jinhai Free Radio – Urgent Bulletin: 【Crimson Skeletal Horror Alert】: Confirmed multiple attacks in the old district. Three shelters destroyed. 【Escape Route】: Survivors advised to evacuate via underground drainage to Yongcheng Port. Temporary refuge available at Phoenix Outpost 9. 【Help Needed】: Medical coagulants and EMP weapons urgently required. Contact: 145.770MHz.

“All personnel near Qilian Mountains—evacuate immediately. A possible S-class entity sighted in the northern range. Dawn City forces are mobilizing.”

Inside Car No. 2, KIKI and Director Ding were listening to the radio. Fire Bro and Daluo sat quietly as KIKI erupted in frustration.

“Shameless!”

“They know full well we already took down an S-class in Xilan City,” Shu Qin said with a frown.

“Exactly! Phoenix Society broadcasted it worldwide. Survivors everywhere know it.” Shasha scoffed. “They just want to take all the credit.”

“Captain Lin!” Shu Qin called out when she saw Lin Xian enter.

“You’re okay now?” KIKI spun around excitedly. “Did you hear that broadcast?”

“I did,” Lin Xian replied. “0.5% of 6 million... that’s over 30,000 people. That’s no small number. Journalism’s a hell of a thing—it’s obvious the Federation just wants to overshadow Phoenix and use the chance to hike the entry fee.”

He turned to Director Ding. “Director Ding.”

“Yes?”

“How’s your hand?”

“I’ve actually been... oh?” Ding Junyi was surprised—she thought Lin Xian would ask about the dark energy breakthrough. Instead, he asked about her injury, throwing her off a bit. She adjusted her glasses and replied, “Oh... it’s healing well.”

Lin Xian scanned the room. The air shimmered with purifying energy. The Hell Black Chrysanthemum was still converting, and the Silver Dragon Tenfold Thorn had shed its blossoms, reverting to a relatively normal disaster flora.

Meanwhile, Li Yi, Liang Lei, Old Mo, Xiao Yuan and the rest had gathered too—clearly waiting for updates on Lin Xian’s condition.

“We’re good for now,” Lin Xian said. “No missions. Everyone’s free to move around—just keep comms active.”

The tension eased immediately.

“Got it!”

“Captain Lin, I’ll spread the word.”

“Silent City trades in blood crystals. Should we start preparing?” asked Chen Sixuan.

“Yeah,” Lin Xian nodded. “I’ll go talk with Moonlight Shinji. Everyone else, feel free to explore City No. 2. Doesn’t look like there’ll be any fighting tonight.”

“All our marks have been cleared. The entire Silent City is in stealth mode,” KIKI added. “Phoenix City’s been in that mode forever—that’s how they’ve stayed stable.”

With everyone off duty, the team scattered. Only a few remained in the train to discuss the new Dark Energy findings.

Among them were the graceful ballet bots: Grace and Dancer No. 1.

Now, all train systems and bots, including Dancer No. 1, operated under Grace’s command—and Grace answered only to Lin Xian.

Grace spoke up: 【Based on 5th Abyssal data and Phoenix Society’s progress, an 18% purification rate is realistic.】

Ding Junyi nodded. “Moonlight Shinji shared the formula with me. I had Grace run simulations. This chemical energy does have purifying effects. Technically, Dark Energy is just a broader form of cold dark particles.”

“But no containment material exists yet. It only appears in blood crystals or darkness.”

“So Dawn City’s claiming 95%? That can’t be true,” Chen Sixuan frowned.

“No way,” KIKI said, skeptical. “Sounds fake as h*ll.”

“Totally,” Shasha agreed.

Ding Junyi, hands in pockets, calmly said, “If they really did purify 95%, it means humanity could survive in the dark. No mutation, clean resources... ignoring creature threats, the Federation's underground cities would be ideal for survival.”

“Oh please.” KIKI rolled her eyes. “They’re just trying to sell the ‘Beacon of Humanity’ nonsense. But who actually believes that?”

“Doesn’t matter if Dawn City folks believe it,” Daluo quietly said. “It’s meant for the ones who haven’t paid up yet.”

Lin Xian chuckled. “Yeah, it’s just to justify the price hike.”

“Grace, your thoughts?” he asked.

Grace answered: 【Logically, if Dawn City has truly achieved 95% Dark Invasion purification, it benefits all of humanity.】

Everyone paused at that.

“Fair point…”

Grace continued: 【Humanity’s three greatest threats are: (1) Dark Invasion toxins from the 13 global Abysses—primary cause of mutation, vegetation collapse, water pollution, and also a catalyst for psychic ability evolution. (2) All non-human threats—eerie entities, abyssal monsters, etc. Now that Mark Detection exists, humans can actively avoid them instead of blindly fleeing. (3) The expansion of the Abyssal Polar Night—a planetary-scale biological terraforming project. Humanity has no countermeasures. Even with full adaptation, we can’t escape predation.】

【Therefore, the optimal survival path is interstellar evacuation. Our current technology supports cryogenic space travel.】

Grace turned to Lin Xian, voice calm and mechanical: 【The ultimate solution—to preserve human civilization—is: an interstellar expedition.】