Chapter Thirty: An Unexpected Gain

In the dead of night, the "Infinity" sat silently on the tracks within the valley, resembling a colossal mechanical beast.

In Carriage No. 3, Lin Xian’s eyes glowed with a faint fluorescence as he channeled his [Mechanical Repair] skill to mend the tailboard and side armor. Chen Sixuan was not idle either, using a medical kit salvaged from the "Oasis" convoy to disinfect the wounds on Lin Xian's hands and face.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Lin Xian stared at the holographic screen before him, his pupils dilated in shock. He discovered that his attributes and skill proficiencies had increased significantly!

[Current Heart of the Machine Level: LV.1 310/500]
[Note: Upgrading the Heart of the Machine grants special skill rewards. Reaching LV3, LV6, and LV9 unlocks mysterious awakenings.]

[Base Attributes]
[Strength: LV1 47/50]
[Speed: LV1 16/50]
[Defense: LV0 28/30]

[Current Basic Skills]
[Mechanical Devour LV.2 8/500]
[Mechanical Crafting LV.1 112/300]
[Mechanical Scanning (Passive)]
[Mechanical Repair (Passive)]
[Mechanical Operation (Passive)]

[Special Skills]
[Wind Cannon LV.1 66/100]
[Ice Shield LV1 18/100]

"How did my attributes increase without me devouring any machinery?"

After the fierce battle, the Wind Cannon proficiency had jumped from 25 to 66. The Ice Shield, which had only gained 5 points during his previous fight with Liu Wei, had surged by 12 points this time! If these skill gains could be attributed to fighting a formidable enemy, the changes in his base attributes were inexplicable to Lin Xian. Previously, attribute increases were only obtained as bonus rewards from Mechanical Devour. Yet this time, his Strength had risen by 14 points, Speed by 7, and even Defense by 8—gains equivalent to devouring four large freezers.

"What is going on?" Lin Xian was both surprised and delighted; he had never known attributes could increase this way.

"If that's the case, why didn't I see any improvement after killing so many zombies?" He fell into deep contemplation. "Could it be that killing 'anomaly' entities grants a boost to my abilities?"

Thinking it over, this seemed the most logical explanation. He recalled the black centipede on "Old Man Li" and the white humanoid giant at the furniture mall—he hadn't killed either of those. Only the giant insect from tonight, which he remembered appearing three times, had finally been eliminated.

He sighed. Whatever the reason, gains were better than nothing. Given his current attributes, his Strength and Defense were nearing an upgrade, which was tangible good news. Every level increase in his attributes meant a significant boost to his strength.

...

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in Jiang City, the entire metropolis had entered a polar night. The city's dark streets and corners were teeming with zombies and anomalies. The radio stations had gone completely silent.

High above, within the massive, sky-obscuring clouds, the gargantuan floating corpse suddenly shuddered. The clouds dispersed, revealing a shape that blocked out the stars like a mountain.

The zombies throughout the city suddenly turned frantic; monsters in countless corners began to howl. Black blood-energy was uncontrollably drawn out from their bodies by a strange, magnetic pull. As if the world had been turned upside down, the zombies collapsed and died in droves like wheat under a sickle. The entire city was instantly shrouded in an aura of death.

Then, the continent-sized floating corpse slowly turned and began to move toward the east!

...

After a night of repairs, the damage to Carriage No. 3 had been mostly mended, with steel plating reinforcing the broken sections. Exhausted, Lin Xian didn't wake until Chen Sixuan called out to him.

"Lin Xian, Lin Xian."

He opened his eyes to see the teacher's beautiful eyes filled with excitement. "It's dawn!" She took his hand and pointed to his watch. "Look."

Lin Xian focused, feeling the sunlight streaming in through the window. The time on his watch read 16:26! It was an hour and a half ahead of schedule!

Shocked, Lin Xian shook off the last of his sleepiness and asked, "How far did we travel last night?"

"At least 400 kilometers. If the odometer is correct, we are only about 50 kilometers away from North Bay Town."

He scanned the sofa and saw KIKI already awake, sitting there and waving at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" Lin Xian asked.

"I'm fine," KIKI replied, looking energetic. "I had a good sleep, I feel much better now!"

Lin Xian frowned. "I think I forgot to tie you up."

Hearing this, KIKI’s face darkened, and she said nervously, "Hey, I saved your life yesterday! You're still going to tie me up?"

"I don't have to," Lin Xian said seriously. "In light of your performance last night, I can overlook the fact that you stole food. But if you don't answer my next questions honestly, I'll still throw you off."

KIKI frowned, looking at him with a hint of fear, and stammered, "W-what questions?"

"Is it true or false that your father is the boss of the Linglong Group and a Tier 2 investor in the 'Dawn Project'?"

KIKI asked in confusion, "Didn't you say you weren't interested in that?"

"Answer the question!" Lin Xian demanded bluntly. He could tell the girl was flighty and prone to exaggeration; since she now knew how to use her abilities, he couldn't keep her if he didn't set the terms straight.

Seeing Lin Xian so stern, Chen Sixuan felt a wave of tension. She thought to herself that she had never noticed such depth and decisiveness in Lin Xian before. When he was this severe, it felt as if she were the student and he were the teacher.

"It's true!" KIKI retorted, thinking that this man was truly fierce.

"Where were you going by helicopter?"

"I'm not entirely sure, only that we were heading in the direction of Daluo Mountain..." KIKI said.

Lin Xian didn't detect any deception in her tone, so he continued, "Do you know why the plane crashed?"

KIKI’s face changed at the mention of the crash. She shook her head. "I don't have a clear memory of it. The plane suddenly lost control, and in the sky... there seemed to be something."

Lin Xian frowned. It was as he suspected: something terrifying existed within those massive clouds above Jiang City. The oppressive feeling was even worse than the onset of the endless night.

"Alright, one last question."

Lin Xian let out a long breath and looked at KIKI with a searching gaze. "You're young, yet you seem to know a great deal about high-tech equipment. Why is that?"

KIKI tensed up when he said "last question," but upon hearing the actual inquiry, she visibly relaxed. Her eyes brightened, and she said confidently, "You’re underestimating me. I’m well-versed in every cutting-edge information system you can imagine. There isn't a place online I can't access. Before all this, I could even get you the specs for the Star Military's most advanced heavy-duty integrated armor. Have you heard of the multi-aperture array wave-light radar? Have you heard of the I-17 multi-petal plasma cannon that was still in the top-secret testing phase? I know plenty about these fun toys."

"This Whale 03E heavy gas turbine train of yours, built in 2028, has been retired for nearly a decade. It’s hardly suited for the turbulence and high-salinity storms of the trans-oceanic tracks. Of course, you’ve only driven it less than 1,000 kilometers; you're still a long way from the ocean tracks. Food, water, air, information, defense, medical—aside from the immediate lack of fuel, everything else is a blank slate. Am I wrong?"

Hearing this, Chen Sixuan was left in complete disbelief. She couldn't imagine how this young girl knew so much.