Since the polar night ended, this was the first time the sound of a locomotive on the tracks had been heard in Jiang City. Naturally, the noise of this mechanical beast drew the attention of some survivors who had been staying low in their homes near the railway. Curious eyes followed the massive locomotive in surprise as it rumbled past.
Chen Sixuan wolfed down a piece of bread and gulped down more than half a bottle of water before finally feeling like she had pulled herself back from the icy grip of death. Sitting quietly for a moment, she let herself feel the slow and steady motion of the train. A sense of bittersweet relief washed over her—it felt like she’d narrowly escaped disaster.
Snapping out of her daze, Chen Sixuan began observing the steel carriage that gave her such a strong sense of security. The windows were welded shut with thick steel plates, leaving only small grated holes through which the outside scenery blurred by in retreat. The original seating in the passenger car had been completely removed, transformed into a living area. There was a mat and a tent on the floor, and most of the space was taken up by supplies. Beyond that, there was still the restroom from the old passenger car.
Though cramped and somewhat chaotic, the setup gave off a sense of completeness and a strange, comforting safety.
Turning to look at the second carriage, she noticed it was mostly empty, with waterproof bags holding unknown supplies. Then, her mouth suddenly fell open in shock.
In the corner of the second carriage lay a girl, her hands and feet tied. Her eyes were closed, and it was unclear whether she was alive or dead.
Startled, Chen Sixuan quickly covered her mouth, unsure of what to make of the situation. Could this girl have been kidnapped by Lin Xian? But the thought didn’t make sense. In this kind of apocalyptic environment, what value could there be in kidnapping a little girl?
“Ah!” Chen Sixuan, lost in her thoughts, was startled by his voice. Turning around with a panicked look, she saw Lin Xian standing there, his expression calm.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Who… who is she?” Chen Sixuan asked hesitantly, her heart uneasy as she pointed towards the second carriage.
Lin Xian followed her gaze to the tied-up girl and replied, “I don’t know who she is. She suddenly appeared outside my home and begged me to save her. She’s been unconscious ever since. For safety reasons, I had no choice but to tie her up.”
Hearing this, Chen Sixuan let out a long sigh of relief and even gave herself a self-deprecating smile. She had willingly asked to join Lin Xian’s train. No matter what her fate turned out to be, it had been her own choice. What was there to worry about?
“So, are we leaving the city now?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Lin Xian replied. “There are still some essential supplies I need to gather. Plus, I want to test the train’s performance. We have four days left until the polar night—it should be enough time.”
Chen Sixuan looked at him, her eyes filled with determination. “What do you need me to do?”
Since she was now in this together with him, she felt she had to prove her value and not just be a pretty face.
“There are a few things,” Lin Xian said. He pulled out a travel log from the cockpit and handed it to her. “I’ll handle driving. Your job will be to record the daily route, mileage, stops, and the train’s condition. Since we still don’t know the patterns and coverage of the Dark Tides, we’ll also need to track the changing sunrise times during our escape. This is critical—if we head in the wrong direction, we might never escape the polar night.”
Chen Sixuan nodded solemnly. “Got it. I can handle this.”
“And…” Lin Xian’s gaze swept over the carriage, “for now, it’s just the two of us. I need you to inventory and manage the supplies. Also, keep an eye on that girl.”
Chen Sixuan glanced back at the sleeping girl, surprised. “You don’t need me to go with you when you’re looking for supplies?”
The unspoken question was clear: Do you trust me enough to leave me alone on the train?
Lin Xian chuckled faintly. “Didn’t I just say it’s just the two of us? If we both leave the train, who’s going to guard it?”
He had picked up on the underlying question but didn’t explicitly address it. In reality, the train’s fuel tank was completely empty—no one could drive it away, even the most experienced driver. Lin Xian also wasn’t worried about being locked out. He was confident in his precautions, though he deliberately kept his cards close to his chest.
In the apocalypse, even someone like Chen Sixuan, who had seemed so kind and gentle before, couldn’t be trusted completely. Still, for now, he had to show some measure of trust, at least on the surface.
“Understood.” Chen Sixuan hadn’t expected Lin Xian to trust her this much. A strange warmth welled up in her heart, leaving her oddly touched. For a moment, she even felt a dynamic akin to “the man handles the outside, and the woman takes care of the inside.” And when she remembered that he was her student, a faintly awkward feeling bubbled up within her.
The "Infinite Train" crept forward at an extremely slow speed on Jiang City's urban light rail. Lin Xian followed the map’s planned route, aiming to proceed along Line 3 while staying alert to any developments on the road ahead.
【Devour successful, Mechanical Source Points +1, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1, Bonus Reward: Your Defense +1】
【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV.1 177/500】
【Note: Upgrading the Mechanical Heart unlocks special skill rewards. When the Mechanical Heart reaches LV3, LV6, and LV9, a mysterious awakening will occur.】
【Current Basic Skills】
Inside the cockpit, Lin Xian began systematically devouring a few small home appliances he had brought from Chen Sixuan’s home. With the journey ahead, he needed to remain constantly focused and seize every opportunity to enhance his strength.
【Devour successful, Mechanical Source Points +1, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1】
【Devour successful, Mechanical Source Points +2, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1】
【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV.1 180/500】
【Mechanical Devour LV.1 268/300】
“It’s still too slow…”
Lin Xian sighed as he watched the pink teddy bear blender in his hands crumble to ash. If he had enough time, devouring cars—or even trains—could probably grant him dozens or even hundreds of Mechanical Source Points in one go.
Moreover, based on his earlier experience with the hairdryer, he couldn’t help but wonder if other special skills might emerge from devouring different items. The thought filled him with excitement.
This ability was truly game-changing.
His Mechanical Heart system didn’t just allow him to control machinery and drive the train—it could also create machinery. It was essentially a creative mode. In this post-apocalyptic world where the industrial systems of humanity had collapsed, this was practically an unbeatable advantage.
The most critical aspect was that this ability could also enhance his attributes and grant him new skills. Compared to other abilities, its versatility was on a completely different level.