Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 162: Black Chrysanthemum of Hell

Lin Xian’s gaze swept over Shu Qin’s convoy. He was familiar with most of the people inside—many of them he had met before at the Qu Guan Bonfire Mutual Aid Gathering. But along the way, their numbers had dwindled significantly.

Survivor convoys were usually formed by small groups of refugees banding together. At first, they weren’t particularly close, but after facing life-and-death crises repeatedly, they naturally grew familiar with one another.

In the face of such an existential threat, sticking together for survival was the only choice. However, when it came to personal life-or-death decisions, not everyone possessed the self-sacrificing spirit of the Iron Guard Battalion.

Lin Xian pondered for a moment. Taking in so many people would undoubtedly increase the burden on the team’s survival resources, but at the same time, it could also enhance their combat strength. The outcome would depend on both the leadership at the core of the team and whether the group could unite as one.

He could see that Shu Qin, as the leader of her convoy, protected her people like a head of a large family. However, Infinite Train had faced countless dangers along the way—he couldn’t possibly watch over every single person.

“I welcome everyone to join us, but there’s something I need to make clear upfront,” Lin Xian said. “The train is a closed environment, unlike cars, which are more flexible. While it provides a greater sense of security, any issue that arises could cause a chain reaction of problems.”

“I know that each of your vehicles represents a household or a close-knit group of friends. But once you board Infinite Train, everyone becomes one unit. I won’t tolerate cliques or people who refuse to consider others. If anyone like that exists, I will kick them off the train myself. Or you can take a moment now to think it through—because once you get on board, many of your vehicles will have to be abandoned. There will be no turning back.”

Lin Xian’s words earned approving looks from Chen Sixuan and the others.

Allowing new people onto the train was a decision Lin Xian could make. However, Infinite Train had survived this long because of the cooperation of every squad member.

The more people there were, the more it would resemble a miniature society. The train was like a moving city—if the teams lost their previous unity, it would be disastrous in the face of danger.

Shu Qin nodded in agreement. She swept her gaze over the people behind her. “Captain Lin is asking for your opinion. If you want to join, speak up for yourself.”

She understood Lin Xian’s reasoning. Joining a team meant entrusting one’s life to the decisions of others. Since it was a matter of life and death, merging convoys wasn’t a decision she could make alone—the final choice had to be in each person’s hands.

“I agree! I want to follow Sister Shu Qin and join Infinite Train!”

A lively young girl was the first to raise her hand.

Lin Xian looked at her, and she quickly added, flustered, “M-my name is Miao Lu, but everyone calls me Lulu. I’m in charge of logistics and cooking for the convoy, and I know some basic medical care.”

“I agree too!”

The short young man who had opened the door earlier also spoke up loudly. “I’m Lü Chang. I don’t have many skills, but I’m fast and a good shot.”

“Me too!”

“My name is He Fang.”

“Zou Yunyao!”

“Zhou Yixuan!”

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“Our entire Zhong Jiahao family agrees!”

“Count me in!”

One by one, the survivors voiced their agreement. Lin Xian listened carefully to each introduction, gradually getting a sense of their capabilities.

Chen Sixuan glanced at Lin Xian, a hint of appreciation in her eyes.

From the first time she had contacted him, she had seen his ruthless decisiveness. But after surviving so many crises along the way, she could tell that Lin Xian’s philosophy on survival in the apocalypse was changing.

At first, he was extremely cautious, unwilling to let just anyone on or off the train. But now, he was willing to take in a team of thirty people. That alone showed how much stronger his mentality had become.

“Lin Xian,” Chen Sixuan asked as she scanned their surroundings, “what’s the plan now?”

“We leave the city.”

Lin Xian’s decision was firm. “Originally, I planned to resupply and upgrade the train in Jiazhou City, but given the current situation, we need to get out of here as soon as possible—shake off these crows first.”

Initially, he had been tempted to stay in Jiazhou, where the sun was shining brightly, to upgrade Infinite Train. Back at Yubei No. 1 Spaceport, he had scanned not only robots but also obtained several useful blueprint components.

For instance, automated blast doors from the spaceport, the sentry monitoring system for the traction device, and the lifting base from the maintenance workshop. With these, he could convert an entire carriage into a weapons station, build an 1130 Close-In Weapon System, and even create an engineering robot for precise welding and ammunition chain maintenance.

But all those plans had been thrown into chaos by the appearance of the massive flock of crows. Even behemoths like Silver Star and Dragon Mountain No. 1 hadn’t dared to linger here—who knew how much worse the crows would become after nightfall?

So Lin Xian decided to take the two trains Shu Qin had found in the maintenance workshop and get out of the city first. They could deal with upgrades later, once they were safe.

“We’ll drive alongside you on the tracks!” Shu Qin said.

Lin Xian nodded. For now, their only option was to leave Jiazhou City first. Infinite Train had only one carriage that could store vehicles, and the two additional trains they found—one a passenger train and the other a freight train—meant they couldn’t just abandon their transport and flee.

“Everyone, get ready! We leave in 30 minutes.”

Lin Xian gave the order.

“Got it!” the crowd responded in unison.

The tense atmosphere spread quickly. Lin Xian immediately began offloading the maintenance locomotive from the crane, attaching it to Infinite Train for future devouring and modifications.

Once that was done, he returned to the train. At that moment, Director Ding called him over the communicator, summoning him to Carriage No. 3.

“What’s up?”

“There are two things we need to go over,” Ding Junyi replied without looking up, still peering through a microscope. “This parasite exhibits a clear photophobic response, which aligns with the traits of nocturnal eerie entities—it lacks a visual system.”

“If it detaches from its crow host and is exposed to sunlight, its activity rapidly diminishes.”

“So, you’re saying that if these corpse crows attack at night, they’ll be far more dangerous?” Lin Xian asked, realizing his suspicions were correct.

“Exactly. If these black threadworms use the crows as carriers to attack survivor convoys at night, they could detach onto vehicles and chew through them at an alarming rate—consuming both the vehicle and the people inside.”

Lin Xian frowned. “They can chew through anything?”

“Judging by the damage to the portholes, their devouring ability is quite strong. Our train’s high-strength alloy should slow them down a bit, but if they attack in large numbers, they’ll pose a serious threat.”

“This just keeps getting worse.”

“There’s some good news, though,” Ding Junyi said calmly. “Besides their inability to see or smell—meaning they rely on air vibrations to detect prey—I discovered a second weakness.”

“What is it?”

“Fire.”

Ding Junyi turned to him. “They fear both light and fire. I cut off a piece and ran a division test—it contains a flammable substance. If ignited, it could cause an explosive reaction.”

Lin Xian immediately understood. “That’s much better than relying on guns.”

“What’s the second issue?” he asked.

Ding Junyi raised a hand and pointed to a plant incubation chamber. Inside, Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum was glowing a deep red.

“I’ve been monitoring the growth of Blood Scourge Flora No. 1, and it’s undergone two changes in a short period.”

“One happened after we escaped Underground City No. 9.”

“The other… was last night.”