Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 275: Train Upgrade on a Snowy Night

【Scan Successful – Acquired Blueprint: Kor Industries – 6-Axis Mechanical Power Arm】

【Devour Successful – +200 Mechanical Source Points, +100 Mechanical Devouring Skill Proficiency】

【Disassemble: Obtained 100 units of hot-rolled forged steel, 30 units of molybdenum-tungsten corrosion-resistant alloy, 50 units of titanium alloy, 5 units of zirconium-based amorphous alloy, 20 units of ordinary carbon steel, plus graphene-aluminum wiring, zirconium-based amorphous alloy, silicon carbide fiber reinforcements…】

18:20, outside the workshop of the Xilan Weapons Manufacturing Plant. Dusk approached, and the blizzard began to howl.

As the glowing interface faded, a pile of gray ash slipped from Lin Xian’s hands.

“200 points. Not bad.”

Most importantly, both the molybdenum-tungsten alloy and titanium alloy were military-grade materials. When converted in the manufacturing plant, the efficiency would be much higher.

At that moment, KIKI was sitting on the lid of the arc smelting furnace, boredly using her psychic power to stack a bunch of metal scraps in front of her like toy blocks, practicing fine control of her abilities in the process.

Seeing Lin Xian finishing up, she glanced over and pointed to the arc furnace beneath her.

“This one’s next?”

Lin Xian leapt across using KIKI’s psychokinetic platform and landed on the furnace lid. He looked down and said, “This should go quick.”

This industrial-grade arc smelting furnace was massive, around 30 tons, but its mechanical structure wasn’t too complex. Lin Xian didn’t need to scan a blueprint either, so devouring it should be faster than the mechanical arm.

【Devour Progress: 1%】

As expected, once Lin Xian activated his Mechanical Heart and unleashed his Devouring power, he immediately felt pleased. He estimated it’d take about an hour to finish this big guy—roughly the same difficulty as devouring a freight carriage.

Still, with nightfall approaching, Lin Xian’s nerves tensed instinctively.

“Don’t worry~” KIKI sat casually on the furnace lid, looking over at Lin Xian. “There are tons of convoys outside. This city should be safe. Besides~”

She hugged her knees and smiled at him. “You’ve got me protecting you, remember?”

Lin Xian gave her a serious look. “Sit tight. Stay alert.”

“Okay~” KIKI straightened her posture immediately. After a second of thought, she floated over and sat beside him, facing his back. “I’ll watch the rear. You cover the front. Satisfied?”

Lin Xian glanced at her, took a deep breath, and said nothing more.

Beep, beep~

“Ms. Chen,” Lin Xian spoke into his communicator, still connected with the Infinite Train.

“Everyone made it back safely, don’t worry,” Chen Sixuan replied from the Living Carriage. She looked at the excited teammates around her. “When are you coming back?”

“Two, maybe three hours,” Lin Xian estimated.

“Alright. I’ll have the others put the supplies into storage and take inventory.”

With the situation back on the train confirmed, Lin Xian relaxed a bit and focused on preparing for the oncoming night.

18:30. Nightfall.

Darkness swept across the sky, swallowing even the vortex of storm clouds. Thunder rolled ominously above.

The bustling crowds across the streets vanished as if by magic. All the convoys were fully geared up and on high alert as night fell. Everyone looked grim. A chill seemed to sweep through Xilan City all at once.

From the east and south of the city came a sudden spike in cannon fire. Electromagnetic cannon beams lit up the sky, and aerial vehicles began to lift off from the north.

This was a nightly occurrence. The 7th Investigation Corps was already well-prepared for night combat.

Minutes ticked by in eerie silence. Eventually, the convoys along Central Avenue began to relax. Campfires and lights came back on, and the collective tension eased.

Another safe night had begun.

The teams from both Infinite Train and Longshan No. 1 had made preparations too. But with no Eerie Entities attacking, everyone in the carriages gradually let their guard down.

In the control cabin, Chen Sixuan monitored the outside for a while, then walked to the Information Center. She checked all cameras using the Sentry System, confirmed everything was normal, then contacted Lin Xian:

“Lin Xian, things are all clear on the Infinite Train side.”

Inside the pitch-dark factory, Lin Xian and KIKI sat atop the cold arc furnace. Hearing Chen Sixuan’s report, they both sighed in relief.

“Looks like Xilan City really is pretty safe,” KIKI exhaled.

A faintly glowing Psychic Barrier surrounded them. Maybe it was an illusion, but inside the barrier, the air didn’t feel quite so cold.

“The zombies and Eerie Entities in the city have been cleared. The Phoenix guards the outskirts, plus all those city defense weapons... yeah, it’s solid.”

Lin Xian’s expression eased slightly. His gaze swept the dark interior of the factory. Through the high windows, the lights of nearby convoy camps twinkled gently in the distance.

“Relax already, and hurry up~” KIKI smacked her lips. “I’m starving~”

“Mhm.”

Lin Xian whispered, “Almost done.”

Their voices stayed low to avoid alerting other convoys. Lin Xian didn’t even turn on the lights.

In the dark, KIKI leaned back against Lin Xian’s shoulder and whispered, “Lin Xian... do you think we’ll ever go somewhere warm?”

He opened his mouth, wanting to say no—but instead replied seriously,

“The Dark Tides have blocked out the sun. It’s only going to get colder. But... if we can escape this Extreme Cold Vortex, maybe things will be a little better.”

“You can’t even lie to me a little,” KIKI huffed.

“Actually,” Lin Xian asked, “you keep mentioning Jinhai. Was that real, or just made-up?”

Swoosh—

KIKI flopped back, resting her head on Lin Xian’s knee. Through the darkness, she looked up at him. “What do you think?”

Lin Xian slid his hand under her head to make her more comfortable, then said,

“I always figured... with how rich your family is, maybe we could head to Jinhai and strike a deal. Upgrade the train with some high-tech stuff. You wouldn’t mind, right...?”

“What are we, a pair of thieves?” KIKI responded instinctively—then immediately caught herself and changed the subject in a tiny voice, “I mean, I wouldn’t steal from my own family...”

Lin Xian laughed. “When you wanted to use your inheritance to help me steal the Starry Sky Propulsion System from Underground City No. 9, you were very excited.”

“Ahhh... well, about that...”

KIKI was momentarily speechless and then fell quiet.

“Lin Xian.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m cold,” KIKI said, snuggling into his chest.

Lin Xian sighed, didn’t say anything, and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

【Devour Progress: 88%】

“Lin Xian.”

“Mhm?”

“Let’s go rob my family together.”

“……”

In the darkness, Lin Xian felt her breath gently brushing his face. He lowered his head—though he couldn’t see her expression, he could somehow feel her eyes, bright and shining, looking up at him.

“Okay,” he said.

A moment later, a soft pair of arms slipped around his neck, and warm breath hit his lips. Then came a gentle, tender kiss.

Lin Xian’s heart surged. He didn’t speak. Just leaned in and kissed her back.

Clang clang clang—

Silver-black composite armor plates were being manufactured one by one. The team used cranes to hoist them into place. Da Lou rolled up his sleeves and led the careful installation work.

22:00

The entire roof of Carriage 11 had been removed and converted into a double-sided flip-top hatch. The first 6-axis mechanical arm was now being installed.

The Sally was moved down by KIKI’s ability, and the vehicles and tools inside the carriage were completely cleared out. The mech hangar designed for the Sally had started to take shape.

01:00

Five YJ-03 Vehicle-Mounted Anti-Aircraft Guns were mounted on the roofs of Carriages No. 12, 10, 7, 5, and 1. All were built with retractable systems that folded into the carriages when not in use. The hatch doors were specially sealed to prevent water leakage.

03:00

A new Arc Pulse String Resonator system was installed along both sides of the train, integrated with the Electric Blade Armor System.

Inside the carriages, cleaning and repairs were still ongoing. Everyone was hard at work—dozens of welding and cutting machines barely had a second of downtime.

The women had surprisingly gained impressive strength. Even Xiao Yuan could carry hundred-kilogram anti-aircraft ammo crates to the storage carriage with ease.

KIKI and Lü Chang were working together off the blueprints, rewiring the train’s internal circuit systems and even updating the air circulation system. Chen Sixuan led a team to clean all the water tanks and install several newly manufactured water circulation filters from Lin Xian to reinforce their defense against Dark Invasion.

06:00

Lin Xian was in full work mode. His Mechanical Heart was operating at full tilt, and the Disassembly Center and Manufacturing Plant hadn’t stopped for a moment.

Composite armor plates, automatic lifts, hatches, search radars, AA gun mounting brackets, circuit integration systems, Arc Pulse String Resonators, Sentinel System infrared monitors, electro-optical targeting, 6-axis robotic arms, water filtration systems...

Manufacturing was only part of it—he also had to tackle tons of technical details: heating system maintenance, modular component assembly, the mech hangar, ammo rack designs for each carriage...

Much of the progress was thanks to the design schematics from the Monica Queen. They helped Lin Xian resolve a lot of issues.

Take the train's electrical system, for example. Lin Xian had been clueless at first. He’d previously just slammed together the Gemini Nuclear Locomotive and the Whale 03E Heavy Gas Turbine Locomotive into a single unit.

As a result, every time the G3 Electromagnetic Railgun fired, the train’s voltage would fluctuate wildly—and there was no contingency plan. If something went wrong, Lin Xian had to overhaul the whole thing.

So, this time, he was taking the chance to do a complete upgrade.

08:00

Lin Xian had never worked this hard before. Both hands kept projecting his fabrication light screens nonstop, supplying an endless stream of materials, components, parts, equipment, and screws.

He was like a one-man industrial nation, solving problems that would stump entire convoys—like a missing screw, a support bracket, or a simple bearing frame.

To improve efficiency even further, Lin Xian started fabricating a PX-05 robot, which KIKI then configured and added to the team working on complex systems like the circuit grid and Arc Pulse String Resonator.

Everyone else was also working like mad. With only about 30 people trying to upgrade a super-heavy train over 300 meters long, it was no easy feat.

Even though it was -50°C outside, inside the maintenance bay, Luo Ye had stripped down to just a tank top. The work was intense. Tons of composite armor plates were mounted tightly along one side of the train. Once connected to the sensors, they could report real-time impact data and feed visuals to the Sentinel System.

The Weilong-class electric locomotive was connected to the Gemini nuclear engine using a specialized carriage connector. Since the corridor between them was blocked, it could only be used as a power unit, maintained by PX-05 robots. It was also armored and cleaned out, equipped with interior and exterior surveillance systems, rear radar, and a targeting suite.

Under this intense mechanical workload, Lin Xian’s Mechanical Manufacturing proficiency was growing faster than ever.

Mechanical Manufacturing: 4 (666/2000)

Mechanical Manufacturing: 4 (880/2000)

Mechanical Manufacturing: 4 (1245/2000)

Mechanical Manufacturing: 4 (1796/2000)

[Congratulations! Mechanical Manufacturing upgraded to Level 5. Efficiency increased!]

He was on a manufacturing rampage. Lin Xian had entered a hyper-focused state, with his production speed and energy output reaching insane levels. It wasn’t until the light screen popped up with the notification that he realized—his skill level had actually surpassed his Mechanical Heart for the first time.

His energy had been bouncing on the edge of 1% all night, but the adrenaline rush made him feel no fatigue at all. If it weren’t for the fact that the Disassembly Center had run out of almost every raw material, he’d still be going.

It was like… “Give me a push and I’ll fight three hundred more rounds.”

“Lin Xian!”

Chen Sixuan’s voice finally pulled him back to reality. He looked up to see her staring at him in concern.

“You’ve been zoning out for over ten minutes. Are you okay?”

Lin Xian rubbed his eyes. On his right-hand light screen, an unfinished bearing was only a third complete. He canceled the process, and the component clattered to the floor in pieces.

He was sitting in Carriage No. 11. A massive six-axis robotic arm stood in front of him, freshly calibrated. The roof hatch was wide open. Parts were scattered all around him. A horizontal mech hangar clamped tightly onto the Sally, with charging cables already connected in the back. The PX-05 robot was running a pre-load ammo test.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he needed Chen Sixuan’s help just to stand up. A wave of crushing fatigue hit him like a falling abyss.

There was still so much unfinished. He’d only built one PX-05 robot, though he’d planned on four. Only one 6-axis arm, when two were intended. He hadn’t even started the automatic ammo press—let alone the 1130s.

By his original plan, all of this was supposed to take two full days, including daytime hours.

To get this far in just one night was beyond what he thought possible.

Hoo~

Outside, work was still underway. The sound of welding and cutting hadn’t stopped.

KIKI had worked through the night too. The integrated power system was still incomplete.

Chen Sixuan helped Lin Xian sit down and offered him a bowl of hot soup. He snapped out of it a bit and started taking inventory:

“The external armor, arc pulse string resonators, AA guns, Sentinel system upgrades, search radar and fire control radar... all the key defensive systems are done.”

“As for the internal—”

“Just rest for now,” Chen Sixuan interrupted gently. “KIKI and Lü Chang are almost done with the circuitry. The Sally's storage issues are handled. The robots and robotic arms aren’t urgent—we still have manual loaders. Shu Qin and I double-checked the water and heating systems. The only thing left is bullet manufacturing and installing the 1130s. Once you’re rested, we can take our time finishing the rest.”

Lin Xian took a sip of soup and pulled her into a hug, resting his head against hers.

“I also want to make more exosuits... for Miao Lu, Lü Chang, and Xiao Yuan.”

“No rush,” Chen Sixuan said softly, glancing at the clock. “It’s already 10 a.m. You’ve been running your ability for fifteen hours straight since last night. You need to take care of yourself.”

Lin Xian nodded. He couldn’t make anything else anyway—he was out of materials.

Still, the night’s work had paid off. The defensive system was basically complete. All that remained was firepower upgrades.

“I was thinking of remodeling the Living Carriage too. Monica’s convoy had that honeycomb-style layout...”

“No need,” Chen Sixuan said, looking up. “It’s fine as is. Everyone’s comfortable. As long as the outside is strong, we all feel safe.”

Lin Xian finally relaxed a little. With Mechanical Manufacturing now at Level 5, he could probably produce the 1130s, railguns, and PX-05s a lot faster. Maybe even deploy a missile system. That thought alone lifted a weight from his shoulders.

Then something clicked in his mind—his skill had leveled up. What about the R&D Center?

He quickly opened it—and sure enough, a message popped up:

[Research Complete. New Blueprint: Black Hawk – Silent Hunter Power Armor]

Lin Xian pulled up the blueprint and stared, eyes wide.

“This isn’t just an exosuit… it’s full-body armor!”

His heart surged. The armor included auxiliary jump jets and landing boosters—capable of low-altitude flight. It felt like the future of steel-bodied combat!

Still, he didn’t want to get ahead of himself. Excited as he was, he wondered—could it be upgraded?

He tried putting the blueprint back into the R&D Center.

[Unable to insert. Maxed out R&D tier. Upgrade Mechanical Heart to continue.]

[R&D Center missing critical mechanical info-processing units. Cannot proceed.]

“What the h*ll? So it’s not just a level issue—it’s missing components?”

He stared at the message, puzzled. This was the first time he’d seen this kind of limit. He thought the R&D Center could do anything—maybe just slow it down. He didn’t expect it to require some kind of special info unit.

Sigh.

“Forget it. I haven’t even built the Black Hawk yet. No need to get ahead of myself.”

Right now, they only had three TRPs. Not even deployed. Jumping straight to the high-end stuff would be overkill.

So Lin Xian dropped in the blueprint for the G3 Electromagnetic Railgun instead.

[Device R&D Time: 3 Days 20 Hours]

“Nice. Just three days.”

He confirmed the process.

[G3 Electromagnetic Railgun (Blueprint) R&D in progress: 3 Days 19 Hours 59 Minutes]

“All right, let’s go. It’s almost morning. Time to get some sleep.”

Lin Xian stood up and took Chen Sixuan’s hand, planning to finally rest.

The train’s outer armor was finished, and the weapon systems had received a massive boost. With dawn approaching, he felt much more at ease.

As he held her hand, Chen Sixuan gave him a look and teased, “You’re this exhausted, don’t tell me you still have bad ideas?”

Lin Xian stretched with a grin. “Whatever you say.”

Hearing that, her heart softened. She could tell he was finally listening to her now—gone was the roughness and awkwardness from when they first got close.

CLANK CLANK CLANK~

Even with dawn nearing, Xilan City remained cloaked in night. In the howling wind and snow, construction at the freight station's temporary workshop never stopped.

Lin Xian stumbled into Carriage No. 1. No time for a shower—he just collapsed onto the bed. Fatigue fogged his mind, but the successful upgrade progress filled him with a deep satisfaction.

Just as he was about to fall asleep—

A massive tremor struck!

—

Xilan Industrial University – Phoenix Research Group Temporary Base

Once a premier defense engineering school, the place had trained many of Dragon Nation’s military researchers. But now, the broken front gate leaned against the snow, and the library’s shattered glass was webbed with cracks.

From midnight till now, the lab building had stayed brightly lit.

Armed Phoenix soldiers guarded every entrance. The site had clearly seen battle—dried blood stained the corridor walls.

Inside one lab, Ding Junyi was deep in discussion with a group of senior researchers.

BANG! The lab doors burst open. A disheveled Wei Kexue rushed in, panting.

“Professor Ding—something happened!”

CLANK CLANK CLANK

Ding Junyi and Wei Kexue quickly headed downstairs, flanked by armed guards.

“What’s going on?”

“Specimen 13 still hasn’t shown any reaction during testing. Not even a ripple in Soul Wave readings.”

Wei Kexue’s pace quickened. “I just got word—Captain Yu’s team tried a shockwave scan. Nothing. Old Guo got desperate and ordered targeted electric stimulation. It was just a routine test—but the specimen suddenly went berserk!”