Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 303: Goodbye, Brother Huo!

"Fire Bro, where are you?!"

Lin Xian's voice came through the communicator. Standing atop a building in Yijin City, Lu Xingchen let out a long sigh when he heard him. He picked up his communicator and replied,

"Brother Lin, I sensed some disturbances in the city. It might be related to the changes in that Fungal Tower. It's a bad omen. You guys need to prepare yourselves—this sky, I'm afraid it's about to change."

Inside the Climbing Elevator, both KIKI and Lin Xian looked grim.

"What the h*ll is he doing? Why didn’t he tell us he was parasitized by mycelium sooner? Trying to be a hero on his own or what?!" KIKI, who usually loved teasing Lu Xingchen for his cringey "chosen one" complex, was now full of urgent concern.

Lin Xian’s face was serious. "Director Ding said the Zero Element Center's survival pods have mycelium isolation systems. If we make it in time, that might be the only way to save Fire Bro."

"Mm." KIKI nodded. "He’s an Ability User—he should... have more resistance than normal people, right?"

But that was only her guess. At this point, they had no other options. Their only choice was to risk it all and bring Fire Bro back.

Clang.

The floor of the vault opened once again. Without hesitation, KIKI grabbed Lin Xian and shot out toward the exterior.

"My comm relay is only set up around this building. He shouldn't be far."

"Got it!"

The two zipped through the air. As soon as they exited the bank, the thermal sensor radar on Lin Xian’s Lone Wolf S Power Armor instantly picked up a signal from the rooftop.

"He’s up there!"

Whoosh.

They ascended rapidly and soon reached the rooftop of the Yijin Bank tower, where they saw Lu Xingchen standing at the edge.

He looked proud, but there was a hint of melancholy in his expression—as if he'd already accepted death.

When Lu Xingchen saw Lin Xian and KIKI arrive, his expression shifted. He immediately raised a hand to stop them.

"Brother Lin, stay back. The mycelium in my body penetrates everything. It’s immune to fire. If I infect you guys too, I won’t be able to die in peace."

"Hey!"

KIKI stepped up and snapped,

"Didn’t you say you had some grand destiny to ascend and become a god? So what, now you run into one problem and you’re ready to off yourself? You didn’t even ask us! Didn't talk to Director Ding! Maybe we do have a way. We’ve still got the Full-Support Medical Pod!"

"So what’s the actual situation right now? How bad is it?" Lin Xian quickly followed up.

Lu Xingchen sighed softly and stood with his hands behind his back.

"I’m not afraid to die. I’ve seen what happens to those infected by mycelium—it's incurable. Instead of rotting into a fungus-covered corpse... I'd rather—"

"Rather what?" Lin Xian frowned. "We just saw a woman at the Zero Element Center survive the infection. She was just a normal person. Are you saying you’re weaker than a woman?"

"Exactly! Just come back with us! Sister Ding might have a solution!" KIKI urged him anxiously.

Lin Xian’s words visibly stirred something in Lu Xingchen’s eyes, but he quickly snapped back with a defiant look.

"It’s too late. You've seen it—the mycelium is growing from inside me. Even my fire abilities can’t burn it away."

He looked toward the nearby Crown of Shadows and added,

"You already saw the earlier crisis. The chaos in the city isn’t over yet. And that woman—Tang Yun—was linked to the mycelium. Your locations, escape routes... they may all be known to those eerie creatures. Would you really want to see that happen?"

"What’s he trying to do?" Tang Yun asked, puzzled.

"He’s got a plan... but not a perfect one," Ding Junyi muttered.

"What plan?" KIKI frowned.

Lu Xingchen pointed dramatically toward the Fungal Tower, a gleam of resolve in his eyes.

"Brother Lin, lead the convoy out of Yijin City. While you're retreating, I’ll burn that cursed tower to ash with the Flame of Apocalypse—detonate the entire filthy city. That’ll draw in every Eerie Entity nearby to help cover your escape, and destroy the mycelial network that’s killed hundreds of thousands. To die in flames, purging evil with heavenly fire—is that not glorious?! Hahahahahaha!"

Lin Xian’s eyes flickered. He looked at Lu Xingchen.

"You've really made up your mind?"

"Lin Xian!" KIKI panicked, thinking he was about to give up on Fire Bro like he did with Tang Yun.

Lu Xingchen nodded, then turned to face both of them. His expression softened.

In a rare moment of sincerity, he said to Lin Xian:

"Brother Lin, traveling with you guys... it’s the most peaceful and free I’ve felt since the Apocalypse began. No matter how many life-and-death battles we went through—if someone needed me, I was there. I’m truly grateful that you let me onboard your train, treated me as a comrade, respected my quirks, and even built me a custom tea brewer..."

He looked at Lin Xian, emotion brimming in his eyes.

"I’ve never told anyone this before. But I... I escaped from an Ability Lab in the Crimson World’s underground research facility—same as Xiao Qing and A'Bai. I don’t even remember how deep I was kept. A hundred meters underground? Two hundred? I lost track of the days. What I do remember... is that the experiments were scarier than the Apocalypse itself."

"Since then, I’ve never wanted to be in a closed space or underground again. And now... now that I’m dying, I just hope I won’t be buried below. Maybe after the darkness burns away... I’ll get to feel the sun again."

Lin Xian finally understood. Why Lu Xingchen loved sunbathing, why he refused to go into the underground labs at Clearwater Town, why he acted so strange in tunnels...

He had escaped the lab on his own. Alone.

"Brother Lin, tell Brother Lou I’m sorry—I can’t be his roommate anymore. I never really minded him clanking his weapons at night. And tell Shasha I’m sorry too—Lu Bro can’t get her a new mech now. Same to Captain Chen, Sister Shu Qin, Director Ding..."

"...and KIKI."

Lu Xingchen turned to her, tears streaking down his face. His voice trembled with stubborn pride.

"You’re a worthy rival. Fighting alongside you... has been an honor. But my fire—will never be defeated!"

He dropped his usual pretentious manner. Now he wept, but still stood tall—resolute and unyielding.

KIKI looked torn. She opened her mouth to say something—when Lin Xian suddenly whispered to her:

"KIKI, grab him. Now!"

Instantly, without hesitation, KIKI used her Ability to pin down the crying Lu Xingchen.

Lin Xian launched forward with his Power Armor, dashing over in a flash. Before Lu Xingchen could react, he tore off the guy’s shirt and used the built-in bio-scanner to examine him.

Sure enough, Lu Xingchen’s upper body and arms were covered in eerie black-blue patches. It looked terrifying!

"Brother Lin, stay back! You’ll get infected!"

Lu Xingchen cried out, eyes bloodshot.

But Lin Xian, after scanning, looked confused. He studied the torn shirt for a moment... and then furrowed his brow.

"...Dude, is your thermal shirt just... bleeding dye?"

Lu Xingchen froze mid-sob.

"...What?"

KIKI quickly flew over, grabbed a piece of the fabric, examined it—

"Yep. Where’d you even find this garbage shirt?"

"It’s from the supplies we picked up," Lin Xian replied, inspecting the shirt. "The underground tunnels were super damp. I warned you yesterday. But this thing’s quality is awful."

"Seriously. Look at this crap. You look like a moldy cucumber." KIKI rubbed his shoulder, and a huge chunk of dye came off.

"We use what we find. He liked that shirt!" Lin Xian said.

"Liked it? It's a thermal shirt, not a battle outfit."

"Ugly and poor quality."

The two started debating over the shirt while Lu Xingchen stood there, utterly stunned, brain melting, about to explode.

"K... KIKI, could you please let me go now?"

Lu Xingchen trembled, tears still on his face.

"Let you go? So you can blow up the Fungal Tower?" KIKI said, hands on her hips.

Lu Xingchen took a deep breath and stubbornly tried to double down.

"We're facing catastrophe! If we’re retreating, then blowing the Fungal Tower is still the best move for thousands of survivors!"

Lin Xian nodded seriously.

"Good point. But how about we do it without you dying? Like... I don’t know, building a timed bomb?"

"Oh! That works!" KIKI’s eyes lit up.

"...Seriously?"

Lu Xingchen was speechless.

Back at the Zero Element Center, Director Ding Junyi had already copied all the core research data. She also took some active mycelium that was still connected to the Crimson Members’ heads, placing them in a Planting Isolation Pod, and immediately returned to the train with Shu Qin and Daluo.

“Move out! Everyone get ready to depart!”

“Stay silent—don’t fire without orders.”

“Turn off the lights, pull back the tunnel barricades!”

“Listen up—everyone follow the Infinite Train’s command only!”

“!”

Woooooo~

The engines of the Electric Locomotives began to roar. With a massive burst of synchronized power, the connected carriages started to pull each other into motion.

This 15-kilometer-long Underground United Train began its early departure!

Rumble! Whoosh! Clatter!

At that moment, all across the subway stations—the Zero Element Center’s vault, the Crimson Pharma tower, and more—black shadowy figures with flailing limbs began to appear.

These Eerie Entities seemed drawn by something, sniffing out a scent, and began frantically burrowing into the ground!

Beep, beep, beep!

As the train rumbled away, picking up speed, the entire Fungal Tower’s mycelial carpet started violently vibrating.

Inside the now-empty Zero Element Center, the lights flickered on and off. Glass curtain walls shattered, shards falling down like rain toward the Hive Core below. In Survival Pod 0403, Tang Yun lay peacefully inside. The signal lights on her head flickered one last time—and then went dark. At the final moment, it was as if she was smiling. Her breath and heartbeat stopped. She quietly left this hopeless world.

Up above, in the skies, Lin Xian and KIKI flew at full speed toward the Fungal Tower, dragging behind them a thoroughly embarrassed and dead-silent Fire Bro.

Lin Xian glanced back. The guy clearly had a pulse, but for some reason, he seemed spiritually dead.

Well, to someone as prideful as Fire Bro, what just happened was basically the equivalent of Apocalypse Day.

But neither Lin Xian nor KIKI had the energy to mock him now. His raw honesty before death had been truly moving—and more importantly, his idea had given Lin Xian a solid plan. He had no choice now but to go all in.

If they could blow up the Fungal Tower... maybe, just maybe, they could buy enough time for the team to escape.

As they flew, Lin Xian started fabricating high-energy explosives on the go, all while observing the streets below.

“Lin Xian! Look!” KIKI suddenly shouted.

He looked up. They had already gotten close to the Fungal Tower—and it was the first time Lin Xian had ever seen it this close. His pupils contracted sharply.

Billions of mycelium tendrils wrapped the tower like a colossal tree, with glowing scarlet lines pulsing inside them like data cables. At the base, the tower was connected to tens of thousands of human-mycological hybrids.

From what Director Ding said, Lin Xian realized this was likely a supercomputer powered by human brains.

What was it calculating?

What was it trying to perceive?

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

In that instant, Lin Xian completed dozens of high-energy timed explosives, each powerful enough to flip an armored vehicle. It was the very limit of what his Mechanical Manufacturing skill and Fabrication Center could produce!

Whooosh~

Beneath the Crown of Shadows, countless spores drifted in the howling wind. Above them, wind whistled through the tower’s fungal caps, whose wrinkled undersides looked like an ocean of hanging kelp—slithering in the dark.

An overwhelming pressure filled the air. Lin Xian called out:

“Hurry—I’ve set the timers! Scatter and toss them in!”

KIKI nodded and used her psychic powers to hurl the timed bombs toward the root clusters of the Fungal Tower.

All three of them circled the structure and scattered the bombs along its base.

Meanwhile, massive shadowy figures began closing in from the city. From the cloud-choked sky, twisting eerie tentacles reached down in spirals.

“We’re done. Let’s get out of here—now!”

The bombs were placed. Whether they’d succeed was up to fate. But one thing was certain—they could not afford to be marked by the dark.

As soon as the last bomb was thrown, KIKI grabbed the two guys and blasted eastward at full speed!

“Brother Lin... are you sure you don’t want me to ignite them with Heavenly Flame?”

Lu Xingchen asked quietly.

“No need.”

“Got it.”

“Brother Lin...”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone else.”

“Thank you!! A thousand times, thank you!!!”

Lu Xingchen’s expression twisted in shame and fury. His voice trembled with vengeance.

“I swear—I’m never wearing that cursed shirt again. If I ever find out who ran that clothing factory, I’ll... I’ll grind his bones into—”

“Alright, enough already! Look at the situation we’re in!”

KIKI glared at him, half angry, half helpless.

Honestly, they’d been scared to death earlier. Thank god it turned out he wasn’t actually parasitized by mycelium. KIKI finally let herself breathe again.

Still, thinking back to how emotional and tragic he had been... all over a cheap thermal shirt losing color?

She couldn’t help but snort inwardly. “So long, Fire Bro.

Hello... Tragic Bro.”

RUMBLE!!!

The Underground Train roared with violent power, plunging into the city subway lines. The 15-km steel beast tore through the tunnels, sending intense tremors through Yijin City.

Dust flew on the streets. Sparks sprayed from the rails. Compressed air blasted out of every ventilation shaft!

Everyone aboard the Infinite Train stayed silent and alert.

Inside the Dragon Mountain No.1 cockpit, Shi Diyuan and Ning Jing held command.

On the Sun Convoy, Li Yi comforted the children while Luo Yang and his team suited up in Power Armor, bracing for battle.

As for Qian Dele, he lounged in his personal carriage with a relaxed expression. This was his first time evacuating by train—up, down, wherever it went, he had no control. So there was nothing to worry about.

In fact, it was kind of nice. The entire military was linked together in one convoy—no separate formations, no driving, no detours. If they derailed, well... they’d all derail together.

Onboard the Monica Queen, Monica sat calmly in Car No. 1, monitoring all train systems and issuing commands to the rear carriages with military precision.

A glass of red wine sat beside her. The luxury shock-absorption system kept the car almost completely stable—the wine in the glass barely rippled.

She stared at the tail end of the Infinite Train, locked onto the Weilong-Class locomotive, deep in thought.

The United Train blasted out of the underground tunnel and sped onto the city’s outbound sightseeing rail line.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian, KIKI, and Lu Xingchen soared eastward under a shield of psychic force, riding the gale.

They had to dodge ground hazards, stay away from pitch-black areas, and avoid flying into the clouds—one wrong move, and they’d be marked by Eerie Entities.

Under the Polar Night, even a Level-1 Mark would make Lin Xian shine like a beacon in the sky.

Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut. Thankfully, KIKI's flight speed was blisteringly fast. Before long, they left Yijin City behind and reached a mountain valley.

The air around them quieted.

“That direction is the Salt Marsh Gorge. The tracks should run in from the elevated suburban line!”

KIKI pointed toward a faint silhouette of mountains in the night.

“Why’s it so dark over there? Feels... super ominous,” freewёbnoνel.com

Lu Xingchen muttered, squinting at the distant elevated railway.

“Everything’s dark. And where it’s darkest—that’s where the Eerie Entities are.”

Lin Xian said grimly.

“If the train’s marked, and we can still break out of Yijin City, then we’ve got a shot.”

“Only if the tracks hold,” KIKI added. “We need a clean route out of the Polar Night zone.”

“We left earlier than expected. Judging by Abyss Zone No. 5’s expansion speed, if we push full throttle, we should hit the Western Gobi in 6 to 8 hours. Then Quancheng won’t be far.”

Lu Xingchen didn’t respond to their calculations. He kept staring ahead.

“No, I mean... is it just me, or is the sky over there too dark?”

His repeated question finally made them look up.

Sure enough, there was a sharp mountain silhouette in the northeast—and it was way darker than its surroundings.

Then they took a closer look...

Ssshh—whoosh!

KIKI slowed down, her eyes wide, jaw dropping.

“Lin... Lin Xian. Is that... a person?”

Not just her.

Lin Xian and Lu Xingchen’s faces turned pale.

Because they all saw it—that towering black silhouette shaped like a mountain...

It had arms.

And then—

BOOM!!!

As the thing took a step, a deep tremor radiated for hundreds of kilometers.

The mountains quaked.

The very air shattered.

Lin Xian felt as if a colossal humanoid mountain was swinging its arms, an overwhelming force rushing toward them.

At the same time, down in the canyons and valleys, a tidal wave of monsters surged forward—driven as if by some unseen herder.

They climbed mountains.

They crushed towns.

A black flood surged through the night like a living mudslide—

The Corpse Shepherds have arrived.