Chapter 208: Life on the Train |
As night fell, the Infinite Train sealed all its blackout panels, leaving only slivers of warm light escaping through the cracks.
Inside the living carriage, there was an overwhelming sense of post-crisis security. The former sleeper compartments had been remodeled into individual private rooms—not spacious, but compared to their previous lives spent inside cramped vehicles, it was a world of difference. Now that safety was assured, everyone had begun organizing and personalizing their mobile apocalyptic safe haven, stuffing all their belongings into the limited space.
Shu Qin had her own private room. She didn’t have many personal belongings, but having a space to move freely lifted the oppressive feeling of living in a car. After finishing dinner, she took a quick shower, washing away the lingering stench of blood. Feeling refreshed, she stepped out of her room and saw that everyone in the living carriage was still busy setting up their spaces. Their faces were full of energy and optimism, bringing a slight ease to her expression.
Since joining the Infinite Train, it felt like they had finally found a sturdy vessel in the midst of a raging sea—a haven worth protecting with everything they had.
Checking the time, Shu Qin set an alarm for herself, picked up her gun, and took a seat in the hallway, keeping watch as she rested.
Up ahead in Carriage No. 5, Big Luo, exhausted from a long day, had followed orders and gone to bed early after a hearty meal. His Roarer K23 Electric Gatling Gun, fully loaded, rested on the gun rack beside his steel-framed bed, within arm’s reach. Below it, his Steel-Slaying Greatsword was neatly placed.
Next door was Lu Xingchen’s private quarters, completely separated from Big Luo’s simple sleeping area. His room was brightly lit and well-kept. Besides his bed and personal wardrobe, a wooden tea table occupied the empty space by the window, accompanied by two woven straw cushions he had somehow scavenged from Rain Town. His tea brewer bubbled with steam, filling the air with the scent of red tea, a small stash that Shasha had found for him. As he sipped his hot tea, he sketched out ideas on paper, brainstorming ways to further develop his fire ability. The white sheet was covered in crude stick figures engulfed in flames, all drawn in dramatic, grandiose poses.
"Skyflame Rift: Using lightning from the sky to ignite flames, instantly incinerating enemies... Hmm, not bad, not bad... just need to figure out that lightning part."
"Heaven’s Inferno: Ignite the fire energy within the body, creating a sea of flames that burns everything—sounds powerful as hell!"
In Carriage No. 4, a large glass eco-chamber stood in the center, still empty for now. Lin Xian planned to use it for medium-sized greenery or small shrubs. On either side of the chamber, two rows of hydroponic growing racks were installed, each enclosed by glass panels. There were ten layers in total, fixed directly to the ceiling, capable of cultivating a variety of leafy vegetables. The water circulation system was already in place, and Ding Junyi had begun working with a few younger team members to develop a planting schedule. However, their progress had been delayed for the past two days due to their stop in Rain Town.
Further ahead in Carriage No. 3, Ding Junyi meticulously backed up her research data as part of her daily routine. Afterward, she took a shower, drank a glass of water, and returned to her converted rest area, which Lin Xian had remodeled from a decontamination room. Stripping off her clothes, she slipped under the clean covers. She then pulled up some academic research materials on her mobile terminal, put on her earphones, set an alarm, and quietly immersed herself in her studies. Her neatly folded clothes and undergarments sat beside the bed, adding to the meticulous orderliness of her living space.
In Carriage No. 2, Shasha and KIKI, both freshly showered, were curled up inside KIKI’s Special Entertainment Zone, playing console games on an entertainment system that Lin Xian had brought back from Jiang City.
Right next to them was their shared sleeping area, a custom-built bunk bed with a semi-enclosed design, complete with built-in lighting. The enclosed structure provided a strong sense of security, preventing them from falling off during the train’s movement.
The entertainment area was covered in a thick, plush carpet. KIKI, now lounging comfortably, wore a pink low-cut camisole and denim shorts, her long, fair legs casually crossed on the floor. Both she and Shasha had lollipops in their mouths, treats Chen Sixuan had dug up from the storage room.
"Hit it, hit it! Left side, you idiot!"
"KIKI! Save me!"
"Open that chest! There’s something good inside!"
"Hurry, hurry! It’s about to evolve into Stage Two!"
"I KNOW!"
"It’s almost dead!"
"I’m out of ammo! Give me some!"
"You want a grenade?"
"Yes! Let me blow it to hell!"
In Carriage No. 1, Lin Xian’s workbench was occupied by a TRP-4th Gen Industrial Active Exoskeleton Power Suit. The entire power armor weighed nearly 30kg, equipped with a mini high-energy electric drive unit and 13 hydraulic actuators. He was currently experimenting with integrating a mechanical prosthetic arm into the suit. Although having three arms looked a bit odd, it would be extremely practical in combat.
The power suit’s support system wasn’t highly intelligent—equivalent to a mini computer. Lin Xian could tell that Ding Qing had taken great care of the armor, meticulously maintaining it. To preserve its drive system’s lifespan, she usually kept it powered down, even going as far as saving battery life.
Forget power armor—even firearms, with their simple mechanical structures, were incredibly precious in the apocalypse. Without an industrial base, every bullet fired was one less they could replace. A broken gun was nearly impossible to repair.
Unlike Lin Xian—who could casually craft Gatling guns and bullets whenever he wanted.
【Upgrade in Progress: A33K Heavy Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle Blueprint – 1 day, 13:49:55 remaining.】
"Still over a day left..."
Lin Xian glanced at the research center, feeling impatient to put the power armor in for an upgrade. If he could boost this blueprint, it would be equivalent to upgrading himself. It had already surpassed the 1130 CIWS and electromagnetic cannon in his list of priorities.
Compared to the PX05 Engineering Robot, this power armor was slightly more complex, mainly due to the Tungsten-Titanium Alloy required, which was a Tier-3 material. Converting Tier-1 and Tier-2 materials into it would be incredibly resource-intensive, but at least it was feasible.
Ever since he confirmed the existence of the Dark Mark, his next strategic goal was to arm the entire team. If everyone had a power suit, their mobility and survival rates would skyrocket when facing Eerie Entities.
However, fully enclosed battle armor and combat exosuits were a whole different story. Their material demands were sky-high—even Phoenix and Dawn City would consider them luxury war gear, far from easy to produce.
If Lin Xian wanted to start designing high-tier equipment, he needed to level up both Mechanical Manufacturing and Mechanical Devouring as soon as possible.
"This thing handles pretty well."
He hefted the black rifle in his hands. Upon scanning it, he discovered it had been repurposed from a mech unit’s internal “muscle engine”—fitted with a magnetically-controlled system and reinforced impact plating.
No ordinary person could get their hands on such black-market tech—this had to be the work of a highly advanced mechanical organization.
Finally, after scanning and securing the blueprint, Lin Xian sighed in relief. It was already past midnight. He had been on high alert ever since they left Jiang City, barely sleeping.
Now, for the first time, he finally understood the patterns of the dark—and that was even more exhilarating than hoarding supplies.
