Chapter 37: The Outpost

Beep, beep.

18:45, the curtain of night falls.

At the North Bay platform, the "Infinity" sat silently in a thick fog. Inside the train, Chen Sixuan was gripped by extreme anxiety. The walkie-talkie emitted only a deathly silence, devoid of even the slightest signal fluctuation, which made her heart rise uncontrollably into her throat.

She looked out the window with unease. The dense fog seemed to possess a life of its own, entwining every inch of space and infinitely magnifying the darkness of the night.

Frost condensed on the windowpane, and deep within that fog, some unknown and terrifying presence seemed to lurk, sending shivers down her spine and stirring ominous premonitions.

*Swish.*

Chen Sixuan pulled down the blackout curtain. She found a sturdy crowbar in the toolbox of carriage No. 3 to use as a defensive weapon. She leaned against the sofa in silence, keeping a constant watch on her surroundings.

"They are both paranormals; they should be able to handle whatever situation arises."

It was not the first time she had faced a situation where Lin Xian failed to return on time. At this moment, all she could do was guard the train and ensure she did not attract the attention of any monsters.

*Woo—*

Just then, a low, powerful engine roar suddenly echoed from afar, piercing the barrier of the mist and striking directly at Chen Sixuan’s eardrums. The sound was incredibly abrupt, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding silence, and it instantly put her on high alert.

She stood up immediately and went to the driver's cabin. Peering through the glass, she was shocked to see a locomotive with bright, flashing headlights moving slowly along the tracks in the distance.

*Clack, clack.*

Seeing this, Chen Sixuan immediately covered her mouth.

...

On the other side, things were progressing much more smoothly than expected. The convoy, consisting of dozens of vehicles, had driven off the main road. Aside from a few scattered monster corpses on the path, the convoy had not encountered any trouble. For safety's sake, all the teams tacitly agreed not to fire their weapons and alert more monsters.

Soon, the convoy passed through a stretch of mountain forest. Ahead, a sign reading "Military Restricted Area, No Entry" appeared. Not long after, a sizable military base came into the convoy's view.

However, the once heavily guarded military outpost was now desolate and bleak, lying lonely at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by silence and ruin.

Inside the high-walled guard towers, a group of survivors who had been hiding there opened the steel gates and moved the anti-tank obstacles, allowing the convoy to drive into the outpost one by one.

By now, the night was pitch black. Countless headlights illuminated the already scavenged outpost. In the courtyard sat several jeeps stripped down to their frames, and a heavy TFV600 twin-barreled tank with broken tracks and its targeting optics removed. More eye-catching than these, however, was a damaged "Iron Guard 3" military assault exoskeleton.

"Holy crap, there's one of these here!?"

From the Black Flood Dragon convoy, a young man wearing glasses—clearly the team’s technician—jumped out of his vehicle, his eyes lighting up instantly.

"It’s already broken."

Tang Hai directed his men to close the outpost gates before walking over. "The Interstellar Military evacuated completely before the last polar night. This thing is basically just a hunk of iron now. We’ve already searched through everything that was usable."

No one doubted his words, but many were seeing such military armor for the first time, and it quickly attracted a crowd of curious survivors.

"Wu Songlin, Eagle, look around and see if there’s anything useful. Take whatever you can." Qian Yu, clearly more confident in his professional subordinates, immediately arranged for them to scavenge again. Even if it were just useful armored steel, they had high-speed cutters that could be used for the convoy’s upgrades.

"You wouldn't mind, would you?" Qian Yu looked at Tang Hai, his tone probing.

"We don't mind," Tang Hai replied with a sheepish smile, appearing very easygoing.

He gestured toward the foot of the mountain. Not far away, a massive object loomed—a large air-raid shelter. Its entrance was tightly sealed by heavy steel doors. Despite the erosion of time and weather, it still exuded a solidity and majesty that could not be underestimated. "There were 46 of us staying in that shelter for nearly three months. Now, only these last twenty or so are left. This place has high walls and thick doors; everyone can rest here tonight, and we’ll set off at daybreak."

...

"Wow, Lin Xian, look!"

At this moment, Kiki and Lin Xian also stepped off their vehicle and walked toward the gathering crowd.

Upon seeing the nearly three-meter-tall humanoid war armor, her eyes lit up. "So cool! If only I could pilot it. Though, I still prefer the Guardian series; they aren't as clunky."

Lin Xian naturally saw the massive behemoth as well. A flash of heat crossed his eyes, his Mechanical Heart filled with intense desire.

These heavy military machines had always been his target, but since the apocalypse, he had been trapped in the city with no opportunity to encounter them.

He had already formed a clear plan: to strengthen his combat power, beyond simply increasing his attributes, he could further develop his Mechanical Heart ability.

For instance—self-armorization!

Combat prosthetics, rapid weapon systems, and the like were far more reliable than his short-blade combat techniques.

Beyond various industrial and military-grade armors, if he could devour—or scan a blueprint of—other systems like tank cannons, railguns, close-in weapon systems, or automated intelligent machinery to apply to his "Infinity," the thought alone was exhilarating.

"By the way, where are your other teammates? Or are there only two of you?" Qian Yu looked at Lin Xian and Kiki and suddenly asked.

"There aren't many of us," Lin Xian replied casually. He didn't want to engage in too much small talk with Qian Yu. His attention remained on the damaged "Iron Guard 3" assault exoskeleton. He walked over and silently activated his Mechanical Heart's scanning system, only to find that many of the armor's subsystems were missing and the core drive had long since been gutted. It was impossible to scan a complete blueprint.

He sighed inwardly, preparing to give up. In fact, like Wu Songlin, he had intended to dismantle the armor plates, including the chassis of the heavy TFV600 twin-barreled tank.

However, he had no tools on hand, and with only him and Kiki, there was little he could do beyond devouring.

"Not many?" Qian Yu raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "Then why not join my convoy? I have plenty of weapons and food to go around. How about it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of the other teams, including Tang Hai, turned complex.

To start poaching people so directly in this situation was truly arrogant.

But the Black Flood Dragon convoy had their reasons for being arrogant. A medium-sized armed team had very strong survival capabilities in the apocalypse; this was evident just from their configuration.

They had armored vehicles, trucks, oil tankers, and even specialized technical personnel. Many other small teams had considered joining them.

Adrift in the apocalypse, who wouldn't want to lean against a big tree?

Unexpectedly, as soon as Qian Yu finished speaking, Lin Xian refused with a faint smile. "No thanks."

Lin Xian’s rejection made Qian Yu’s expression shift, a flash of irritation crossing his eyes.

"What about this beauty?" Qian Yu suddenly shifted his gaze to Kiki, acting as if Lin Xian didn't exist. "Would you consider joining my team?"

Hearing this, Kiki gave Lin Xian a strange look before turning to Qian Yu. "What? Are you talking to me?"

Qian Yu looked between the two, a fake smile plastered on his face. "What, are you two a couple?"

"No."

"Relatives?"

"Not that either," Kiki said with a squinted smile.

Qian Yu looked delighted. He gave Lin Xian a cryptic look and said loudly, "Well, if you're not related, that's fine! My convoy welcomes capable people. If this beauty is willing, I can arrange a private RV for you. Food and supplies will be fully stocked, and there will be people protecting you 24/7."

At these words, a flash of killing intent instantly crossed Lin Xian’s eyes.

*Pfft!*

A sharp wind whistled. *Snap!* The sunglasses hanging on Qian Yu’s forehead were shattered instantly, and the massive force of the air blast sent him stumbling back repeatedly.

*Click-clack, click-clack!*

In the next instant, Eagle and the group of subordinates behind him raised their guns in unison. The air grew thick with the scent of gunpowder!

"Are you an idiot? Poaching my people right in front of me—do you think I'd be too embarrassed to kill you?"

Lin Xian’s gaze was cold, and a formidable aura of deterrence radiated from him. No one had even seen how he moved!

"You!"

Qian Yu staggered back into his men. In that brief moment, he had felt a deathly chill creep over his forehead. Once he recovered, he was enraged and drew his pistol, aiming it at Lin Xian.

"I’ll kill you!"

"Is that so? Then go ahead and fire."

Facing over a dozen guns, Lin Xian remained unmoved, his gaze icy as he stared at Qian Yu.

"Let's see who dies first—you, or me?"

Tang Hai, watching from the sidelines, had a grim expression, while Feng Yuming behind him watched the scene with great interest, seemingly unfazed that this fragile "temporary alliance" might erupt into a firefight at any moment!

At this time, Kiki walked over and draped her arm around Lin Xian’s shoulder, tilting her small face up to look at the rows of gun barrels.

"What, want to fight? I’ve actually been eyeing your dozen trucks full of good stuff, too. Hey, bad guy~" She looked at Lin Xian. "Why don't we just..." She made a throat-slitting gesture.

Upon hearing this, the people from the other teams turned pale and began to back away instinctively, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

The terrifying scene of Kiki wiping out an entire convoy earlier still lingered in everyone’s minds. No one could imagine what chance they would have against such a woman.

Hearing this, the anger in Qian Yu’s eyes suddenly stalled. He raised a hand to stop his men, looking at the two with an uncertain expression; he was starting to lose his nerve.

To be honest, he had been genuinely annoyed after being rejected by Lin Xian and had provoked him by turning to Kiki, but he hadn't expected Lin Xian to strike back so directly!

Moreover, judging by their tone, it felt as if his hundred-plus men were the ones being surrounded by these two.

At that moment, cold sweat poured down Qian Yu’s back. He felt a massive threat, but having already made his threats, he was stuck in a dilemma.

Lin Xian, conversely, felt a hint of surprise. He looked at the small hand resting on his shoulder and pondered.

First of all, he and Kiki hadn't known each other long. At best, they were comrades who had weathered a few days of hardship, not even friends.

He hadn't given Kiki any favors to make her stay. On the contrary, his attitude toward her wasn't even warm. So, if Kiki had wanted to leave or defect to another convoy, Lin Xian wouldn't have been surprised at all.

It was just that in the face of Qian Yu’s arrogant antics, he had to respond.

He hadn't expected Kiki to stand by him so firmly. Looking at it this way, this girl was certainly not stupid.