Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 170: Full Staff Monitoring

With a clear plan in mind, Lin Xian arrived at the 3rd Research Carriage, intending to arrange Ding Junyi's accommodation, only to find her still deeply engrossed in studying the black nematodes taken from the corpse crows.

"I don’t like being disturbed while I’m working," Ding Junyi stopped her work and turned to look at Lin Xian. "But you’re the exception."

Lin Xian was slightly surprised. "That’s unexpected."

"You’re both my employer and the partner I’ve chosen to work with, so I should show you respect and regard," she said.

Lin Xian smiled as he walked over to her. "I’m not your employer since I won’t be paying you, and I don’t think of the people who’ve survived with me as ‘partners’..."

"This world is already full of dangers and challenges. Since I’ve agreed to join your train, you don’t have to assess our communication from a partnership perspective. Relax, I have no expectations of your research results. If you insist on setting contribution conditions for yourself, just grow those seeds for me," she added.

Lin Xian’s mindset had indeed shifted over time. When he first formulated the Infinite Train Project, he wanted everyone to contribute to the train’s mission as much as possible. Back then, he was nervous and cautious. But now, he no longer wanted to evaluate people solely based on their contributions. For survival, everyone shone in their own way, within their abilities. Having these people around gave him the sense of team support. This unity was the source of strength that kept them all holding onto their beliefs through the endless night.

Ding Junyi noticed the change in his expression and broke the silence. "Thank you. Your attitude has made me feel much better."

"But I’m a scientist, not a gardener. Aside from the planting carriages you want, my research into dark creatures will not stop. It’s my way of realizing my self-worth and something I... wish to work on," she added.

"Alright," Lin Xian understood and fully supported her stance.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

He had just recently set up a radio for Ding Junyi to listen to the Apocalypse Radio, which could provide useful scientific information for the team. Her research would certainly provide valuable analysis for them.

"By the way," Lin Xian suddenly remembered something important. "I’ve been rearranging the carriages but haven’t figured out where to arrange for you to stay."

"No need to arrange anything," Ding Junyi pointed to a nearby partition. "The disinfection room has a lot of space. I’ve already tidied it up. I can rest on the nap bed during breaks, and it can also serve as my personal rest area."

Lin Xian glanced at the partition. There was space for a single bed, but it was indeed a bit cramped.

Ding Junyi saw the look on his face and immediately said, "It’s just a place to sleep. I have two entire carriages dedicated to my work area, which are the largest spaces in the whole train, so it’s not cramped for me. Of course, if you plan on sharing the bed with me, it would be cramped and not soundproof."

Cough.

Lin Xian cleared his throat and changed the topic. "We’ve passed the high-altitude corridor, and now we have some time for maintenance. If there’s anything you need for upgrading the train, feel free to ask."

"Actually, there is something," Ding Junyi walked over to a computer and opened a panel. "Now that we have more members, there are more samples to study. I’d like to conduct an ability evolution data test on all the personnel for research into dark powers."

"Test? What kind of test are you referring to?" Lin Xian asked.

"Body testing," she replied. "People like Shu Qin and Chen Sixuan, who don’t have abilities, have already shown signs of evolution. They’ve gained improvements, but with different bodily mechanisms. Other people are also experiencing changes in different aspects. I believe the Phoenix Club is observing this pattern as well. If this trend becomes clearer, ordinary people without abilities may also find ways to enhance their survivability."

"Do you think everyone will evolve?" Lin Xian asked.

"Yes, it's just that the process differs for individuals. That’s why we need a broad data sample, including the type of evolution, the rate of growth, the triggers for evolution, and individual differences. If we can regularly survey everyone on the train, and combine it with the data released by the Phoenix Club, I may be able to give the whole team an 'Evolution Plan.'"

Evolution Plan.

When Ding Junyi spoke those words, Lin Xian felt a jolt in his heart. He immediately asked, "What about the evolution of ability users? The Phoenix Club doesn’t seem to have a clear plan either. The group of black crows we encountered earlier were hunting other ability users, and I met a mutant who said that killing eerie entities or ability users could lead to evolution, but the problem is..."

"It’s not precise," Ding Junyi adjusted her glasses. "In the early days of the Angel Project, an experiment revealed that when eerie entities or ability users were killed, there was an energy overflow. This energy shares similarities with Soul Wave values and can be absorbed by experimental subjects, leading to some enhancement. However, after studying the Eerie Blood Crystals, we found that the energy released from the killing is far less potent than the energy density contained within the Eerie Blood Crystals. So, if someone wants to evolve their abilities, whether they are ordinary people or ability users, the most direct method is to consume the Eerie Blood Crystals."

Lin Xian frowned. "It’s that simple?"

In theory, yes. But consuming the Eerie Blood Crystals is extremely dangerous. The first human eerie entity in the Angel Project’s lab was a result of a subject consuming the Eerie Blood Crystal, which caused an evolution mutation."

"Corruption?"

"Yes," Ding Junyi confirmed. "You can think of the Dark Tides as an energy invasion from a higher-dimensional world, and eerie entities are the native creatures of this world. Most humans cannot withstand this kind of energy intrusion, which causes them to be corrupted into zombies. The rest of us survivors represent those who are gradually adapting to this invasive power. But there is still too much we don’t understand about this dark force. Why do some people develop abilities? Why do some evolve faster than others? We don’t have definitive answers. So, in the absence of understanding the principles, trying to forcibly evolve by consuming blood crystals is a reckless act."

Lin Xian fell silent for a moment. He remembered the time when Kiki went through the corruption process. He had made Kiki consume the Eerie Blood Crystals, which was indeed rash, but at that time, they had no other option.

"So evolution isn’t just about gaining the power of this dark invasion. It also depends on certain conditions, or... triggers?"

Ding Junyi nodded. "Yes, but one widely recognized factor is mental willpower. That’s why many ability users feel they have a greater chance of evolving when they are near death. People tend to unleash extraordinary mental willpower when facing death, what we call the survival instinct. For example, Lou Hua’s evolution was extremely dangerous, but Chen Sixuan’s evolution follows a more typical path of mental development for an ordinary person. This is a crucial factor."

Lin Xian sighed deeply. "So in this environment, if the willpower collapses, or if someone consumes the blood crystal and exceeds the body’s limit in withstanding the dark force, they are likely to go through a mistaken evolution and become zombies or human eerie entities?"

"This has already been confirmed," Ding Junyi replied. "That’s why I think regular testing for all personnel is necessary. It will help with research and also allow us to monitor the condition of the people on the train. This way, we can prevent anyone from succumbing to corruption and causing a Lotus Ring infection."

"Alright." Lin Xian nodded. He then looked toward the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum, the red light still glowing brightly. "What about this one?"

Ding Junyi turned to the black flower in the cultivation tank behind her. She said faintly, "We’re still observing the reaction of the red light. There’s no clear pattern yet. What I said before was just my personal guess."

"Could you remove the flower and do some research on it?" Lin Xian asked.

"This plant isn’t native to our world. Based on our previous analysis, it contains energy far exceeding the density of the Eerie Blood Crystals. But we can’t conduct concrete experiments on it right now because it’s the only sample in our lab. The higher-ups have ordered us not to physically damage it, so we haven’t extracted any samples for experimentation."

"I understand." Lin Xian smiled and pointed at the flower. "Aside from not being able to conduct human experiments, feel free to experiment as much as you want."

Having a treasure and not studying it would be a waste. Lin Xian didn’t care if it was the only sample; if it didn’t provide value, it was just useless plant matter.

Ding Junyi raised her eyebrows, giving him an appreciative look. "I was just thinking of doing that. Thank you for the authorization."