Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 227: Mark

“From now on, it’s best to use the restroom and shower in the daytime,” Chen Sixuan said. “We’ll all have to get used to the idea that there’s no real distinction between day and night. Nighttime is more dangerous. Based on past experience, it’s actually safer to rest during the day.”

“But during the day, we need to travel and find supplies,” Miao Lu nodded. “You’re right. Maybe we’ll rotate shifts, just make sure not to do anything like this at night. We need to be able to respond quickly if there’s an emergency.”

“Mm.”

Thud thud thud

At this moment, a female team member hurriedly ran from the front carriage. She was one of the people Chen Sixuan had specifically arranged to monitor the front car.

“Chen sis, you need to come see this! I don’t know when, but a container suddenly appeared on the platform.”

“A container?” Chen Sixuan and Miao Lu’s expressions both changed at the same time.

They immediately put down the work they were doing and went to the front car. As they walked, they saw a large black container on the platform in the distance.

“The sentry system should have detected this,” Chen Sixuan frowned.

“It’s probably too far to detect, but with such a big object, how could there be no sound at all?”

The group continued to observe the container. Unlike a regular shipping container, this one appeared to be a module from a laboratory or similar facility. It had an electric control door and the Phoenix Society’s emblem on it.

“Phoenix Society?”

Chen Sixuan naturally recognized the emblem of the Phoenix Society. After all, they had seen the symbol on Bai Shuangwei’s scientific officer during the Ascendant Elevator incident.

“Did the sentry system not detect who put it there?” Miao Lu asked as she checked her mobile terminal.

“The front car’s observation system and radar didn’t pick anything up. It’s strange. I thought maybe it was an issue with the sentry system’s observation angle,” Miao Lu replied.

Chen Sixuan kept her eyes on the black container. Her sixth sense as a woman told her that something was off.

At this point, other survivor teams at the station also noticed the suddenly appeared container. A few of them glanced over, and even some of the people on the Night Charm train turned their attention toward it.

Chen Sixuan immediately grabbed her communicator, but all three channels were unable to establish a connection. The team was due to return soon, and she wanted to notify Lin Xian as soon as possible.

“Should we go down and check?” Miao Lu asked.

“No. Activate the defense system and have everyone pick up their weapons and remain on alert,” Chen Sixuan decisively said. “We need to be cautious at all times. If they’re not from our group, we absolutely do not open the doors. That’s something Lin Xian taught me on the first day we boarded the train.”

Bang.

At that moment, the black container suddenly made a metallic sound. Then, the walls of the container collapsed in all directions, and Chen Sixuan and the others froze in shock. They were horrified to see that inside the container, there was a woman!

The woman was disheveled, her hands and feet shackled with special mechanical restraints. Her mouth had a device to prevent her from speaking. She was wearing nothing but a thin red evening gown, with her legs bare and no shoes. Her hair was messy, and her body was filthy. Despite her condition, she was immediately recognized by the group.

“Ah... isn’t that...?” Miao Lu exclaimed as she recognized the woman.

“Aileen Clark... isn’t she that Hollywood star?”

Because the woman was once quite famous, known for her devilishly attractive body and beautiful face, which was now streaked with tears. She looked terrified, struggling to get free as she stared at the train.

The sight caused an immediate stir among the other survivor teams, who had also been on high alert. The leader of the Night Charm train, Cao Hong, was watching from behind his group of female subordinates and had turned to look out the window.

“Holy crap, Aileen Clark! What is she doing here?”

“Is it a trap?”

“Let’s just wait and see.” Cao Hong wasn’t a fool, and at that moment, everyone’s attention had turned to the Infinite Line train.

“Chen sis, it’s definitely a trap!” Miao Lu said, her instincts telling her that something was wrong.

Chen Sixuan raised her hand, signaling for everyone to stay calm. She studied the woman locked in the restraints and said thoughtfully, “No matter who it is, we’ll wait for the other teams to return before making any decisions.”

Chen Sixuan was very clear that the people left behind on the train were not particularly strong in combat and didn’t have any abilities. Apart from Miao Lu, who was good with her hands, they were mostly unarmed. The reason Lin Xian had asked them to stay with the train was that the Infinite Line itself was their strongest defense and offense. As long as they didn’t make foolish decisions, they would be able to handle any threats that came their way.

“Alright, let’s wait and see what happens with that person.”

At this moment, the woman, Aileen Clark, suddenly had her restraints on her face and feet unlocked with a loud thud. The restraints fell to the ground.

Aileen Clark, now free, hurriedly opened her mouth and saw the train not far away. When she saw people inside, she panicked and yelled, “Help me! Please, help me!”

“She can speak. Looks like she’s not a fake person.” After the Rain Town incident, Chen Sixuan had learned to be more cautious.

She picked up a broadcast device and, looking at Aileen Clark, said softly, “Who are you? Why are you here?”

“I... I’m Aileen Clark. You must have heard of me,” Aileen said, her gaze frantic as she quickly added, “If you can contact the Phoenix Society or the Federation, my family will offer you a generous reward.”

“Why are you here? Who locked you up?” Chen Sixuan asked again.

“I don’t know.” Aileen shook her head and glanced at the container beside her. “When I woke up, I was locked in this container.”

“Well, sorry, I can’t help you.” Chen Sixuan replied coldly, directly refusing.

Aileen Clark’s sudden appearance was far too suspicious, and she didn’t even know how she got here. Chen Sixuan couldn’t help but be suspicious of her.

Hearing this, Aileen panicked. She tried to stand up, but after being locked for so long, she couldn’t manage it. She crawled toward the train, begging, “Please, I really don’t know who locked me up. I’m not a bad person.”

“She’s coming closer.” Miao Lu watched this, her expression now wary.

At this moment, Ding Junyi, who was working in the third carriage, suddenly noticed that the black chrysanthemum near her was slowly emitting a red aura!

Realizing what was happening, she immediately stood up and rushed toward the front of the train. When she saw that Chen Sixuan and the others were in the cockpit, she asked urgently, “Did they return?”

“No, what’s wrong?” Chen Sixuan replied.

“The Dark Mark is increasing. Someone marked is approaching us!” Ding Junyi said loudly.

“What?!”

Hearing this, Chen Sixuan and Miao Lu’s expressions immediately changed, and instinctively they looked outside. Ding Junyi had already noticed the woman crawling toward them.

“Don’t let that woman get any closer! She has the Dark Mark on her!”

Ding Junyi reacted immediately.

Upon hearing this, Chen Sixuan quickly shouted, “Close the windows!”

Whoosh!

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the Infinite Line became tense, and everyone went on high alert.

Buzz~

At this moment, the sound of a motorcycle engine could be heard, and Chen Sixuan looked toward the entrance of the station. Sure enough, she saw Lin Xian and KIKI arriving. Her face changed, and she immediately pressed the communicator and urgently said to Lin Xian, “Lin Xian, be careful! There’s a woman outside our train with the Dark Mark on her!”

Hearing this, Lin Xian immediately hit the brakes, and he and KIKI both turned their heads to look. Sure enough, they saw a woman crawling on the ground toward the Infinite Line.

“Drive, reverse! Don’t let her touch the car!” Lin Xian ordered.

At this moment, Lin Xian was utterly stunned. He hadn’t expected the second time he noticed the characteristics of the Dark Mark to appear in such a way.

Why was there a woman with a Dark Mark here?

Upon hearing Lin Xian’s words, Chen Sixuan immediately started the Infinity Train, heading toward the front of the platform in an attempt to avoid the woman. Meanwhile, Lin Xian drove his motorcycle, taking a detour under the tracks, heading toward the Infinity Train.

The woman named Erin Clark panicked when she saw the train starting. Confused, she quickly turned around, looking at the other survivors’ groups on the platform.

In her panic, she trembled as she got up from the ground and staggered toward the green train, repeatedly pleading, “Save me, please, save me…”

Meanwhile, the Infinity Train had moved some distance away, and once they were far enough from the woman, it stopped again. Lin Xian drove his motorcycle onto the train and went to the cockpit. He used a loudspeaker to call out to the survivors on the platform.

“Everyone, stay away from that woman! She’s marked by an anomalous entity. If we enter the night, it will cause a huge problem!”

Upon hearing this, the other survivor teams on the platform immediately changed their expressions.

“Marked? What’s that?”

“Is this real...?”

“I’d rather believe it than not. Maybe we should just pull out.”

“She’s alone. How could she bring any anomaly here?”

“Could it be a trick?”

On the Night Charm Train, the people instantly started arguing upon hearing these words.

“No way! That’s Erin Clark! She doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“Boss, do you think the Infinity Train has something up their sleeves?”

“Yeah, they haven’t even left.”

Cao Hong carefully observed the approaching woman through the window and asked suspiciously, “Wait a minute, wasn’t that box marked with the Phoenix Association’s symbol? Why would the Phoenix Association do something like this?”

“I think it’s a trick. Maybe they want us to leave so they can stay in the station.” A clever subordinate spoke up.

Hearing this, Cao Hong’s eyes lit up. “That makes sense! The herd mentality!!”

He looked toward the distant black train, his eyes cold. “Damn, they really have a plan.”

“So what’s up with this woman?”

“Who knows? She looks so gentle and doesn’t have any weapons. What threat could she be?”

“Save me~”

Erin Clark staggered toward the Night Charm Train, unsteady on her feet, and fell to the ground with a thud. She looked up, her face filled with desperation, and looked at Cao Hong. “Please, help me. My family will give you lots of supplies.”

Seeing this, several of the female team members on the Night Charm Train immediately showed sympathy, starting to whisper among themselves.

“Maybe we should help her first.”

“Yeah, she looks so pitiful.”

“The people on the Infinity Train have no conscience! They don’t want to help, but they also stop others from doing so.”

“No wonder there are so few people on their train. Such a big train, and yet so few people. They’re really cold-hearted!”

On the Infinity Train, Lin Xian noticed that many people from the other teams were unmoved. He furrowed his brow and increased the volume of his announcement.

“Don’t engage with that woman! She’ll attract a massive number of anomalous entities! Can you hear me?!”

No one responded. At that moment, strange glances were cast toward the Infinity Train, especially from the female team members on the Night Charm Train, who started shouting angrily.

“Hypocrite! You won’t even save one woman, what kind of man are you?!”

“You’ve got so many weapons, are you afraid of anomalous entities?”

“Exactly! Don’t you see how pitiful she is? You’re so cold-hearted!”

“She’s Erin Clark, you know?!”

“Are you trying to trick us into leaving so you can stay safe with your team here? You’re so scheming!”

“Oh, these gossiping hens!” KIKI immediately got fired up when she heard this. Rolling up her sleeves, she was ready to fly out and confront them, but Lin Xian grabbed her foot and dragged her back.

“Ouch.”

“Stop messing around,” Lin Xian said, his expression darkening.

“Lin Xian, what do you think?” Chen Sixuan asked anxiously.

Lin Xian looked at Ding Junyi. “Director Ding, why would a person have such a strong Dark Mark?”

Ding Junyi adjusted her glasses. “It’s unclear at the moment, and we don’t know how this mark can be transferred. But I strongly advise against interacting with that woman or letting her onto the train. The intensity of the mark on her is even stronger than what we encountered in Yuzhen. I’m worried there will be a massive disaster here tonight.”

“How terrifying…”

“Lin, do you think someone is using the Dark Mark to poison us?” Miao Lu immediately reacted, the first to think of poisoning.

“Poisoning…”

Lin Xian frowned upon hearing this. Miao Lu’s words sent a chill down his spine. He hadn’t considered that the Dark Mark could be used in this way. If this were true, it meant that someone behind this already understood the theory behind the Dark Mark and could even use it for poisoning.

Not only did they know, but they were able to use this characteristic to mark someone as bait and poison them. It sounded absolutely insane—what kind of organization would do such a thing?

“Professor Chen,” Lin Xian said, looking at Chen Sixuan, “Can we use guns to deal with that woman from a distance?”

Ding Junyi raised an eyebrow. “You want to use that method to remove the Dark Mark?”

Lin Xian responded, “Isn’t it possible?”

Ding Junyi shook her head. “I can’t be certain. Normally, if the prey dies, the hunter stops. But if the mark is just an odor or energy, as long as the body remains, we might not be able to avoid it.”

Lin Xian’s brow furrowed. If that were the case, there was no way to shake it off.

He glanced at the time. It was almost nightfall.

“Is it really the Phoenix Association?” Chen Sixuan’s expression turned grim.

They had initially thought they were the first to discover this characteristic and had planned to report it to the Phoenix Association. Now, however, things had taken a drastic turn.

Lin Xian shook his head. “It doesn’t matter which organization it is. What matters now is that we need to evacuate.”

He then turned to KIKI. “Quick, use the drone to check if Shasha and Shu Qin have returned.”

Looking at his watch, Lin Xian noted that it was 18:05, and nightfall was just over 40 minutes away. Shasha and the others should have returned by now.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

“What about the people at the station?” Miao Lu asked.

“We can’t convince them. I’ve shouted until my throat is hoarse, but it’s no use. Since we can’t convince them, I don’t care anymore. Right now, I’m only focused on the people in our team. You can’t help those who refuse to listen.”

“They’re at the east and north lines. Should we send someone to check on them?” Chen Sixuan suggested. “If we evacuate now, they won’t be able to find us. I’m worried they won’t make it back in time. If we don’t warn them, and they interact with that woman, it’ll be even worse.”

Lin Xian nodded. “You’re right. Let’s wait for five more minutes. If they haven’t returned by then, I’ll go with KIKI to check on them.”

When it comes to mobility, right now, KIKI’s flight ability combined with his powered armor would be the fastest and most efficient.