Apocalypse: I Build A Doomsday Train Chapter 1144 - 440: Blood Crystal Recovery_2

Upon hearing this, Lin Xian let out an involuntary sigh. KIKI's words struck right at his worst fear. The monsters' assaults had exploded in scale and velocity so rapidly, and that was merely during daylight hours. He could distinctly feel how these creatures' battle prowess and vitality set them apart from their nocturnal counterparts. With such an immense horde, picturing a clash under the cover of night filled him with dread.

His original scheme involved deploying the Sky Dome Train to traverse the ocean, yet now even that strategy brimmed with peril.

Lin Xian had once trusted that the group's might combined with the Sky Dome Train's agility would enable them to confront aerial atmospheric beasts. But the emergence of two Special Level Ghost Mantas compelled him to discard this notion.

He cast his gaze upward toward the churning storm clouds overhead, thunder rumbling fiercely, massive waves crashing tumultuously. Up to this point, Special Level threats equated nearly to S-rank, rare behemoths seldom faced. Yet merely glancing skyward here revealed two of them. Beasts like these warranted a Level 4 designation, rendering any forced advance virtually suicidal.

Turning to Shi Zhi at that instant, Lin Xian asked: "If we want to escape this island, which direction is the safest?"

Caught off guard by the sudden query, Shi Zhi shrank her neck slightly, shook her head, and murmured softly, "I don’t know. Those auras blanket every direction. It feels like we’ve been gulped down into the monster’s belly. No path feels secure."

Her words caused subtle shifts in the faces of Ryan’s dozens of team members, who all turned their eyes toward Ryan.

In that moment, Ryan could only manage a helpless sigh.

"The situation is much worse than I thought. It seems that even if I repair the Neptune, I won’t be able to escape this sea area during the day."

The dire circumstances painted escape as a hopeless path, while hunkering down in Sea Rock Island’s submarine base offered mere passive shelter. However, the seething Galan Volcano loomed like an imminent detonating bomb, plunging them into utter hopelessness.

"You should be grateful that your Neptune’s power plant was damaged," KIKI remarked casually right then.

Hearing this, Ryan gave a wry smile: "You’re right."

"Hiss..."

Iron Arm Azir drew in a sharp, fearful breath at KIKI’s statement, then fixed a grave stare on Lin Xian: "Captain Lin, what should we do now?"

Everyone’s attention now locked onto this Sword Holder from the Phoenix Society.

Noticing Lin Xian’s troubled expression, KIKI shifted her tone: "Lin Xian, with the current mess, should we still head into the energy drain hole?"

"Yes," Lin Xian affirmed with a nod: "There is no better way right now."

With those words, Lin Xian shot a look at Ryan.

Ryan, formerly of the Foundation and once the submarine base’s special security chief, grasped this oceanic region better than anyone, even without direct involvement in Giant Ocean God studies. Thus, Lin Xian sought his input.

"What do you think, Ryan?"

Ryan’s features hardened gravely as he rumbled deeply: "I agree. We must secure that device; it steadies both the Giant Ocean God and, to a degree, the Galan Volcano."

Past clashes had already shattered Lin Xian’s strategies, and now Ryan’s own plans lay in ruins too. Circumstances forbade keeping the Sea Group afloat; island concealment was their sole option. Ryan knew full well the geothermal device served as their critical salvation then. The massive Foundation-orchestrated activities had sparked this predatory siege; should the device collapse, doom awaited them all.

"Alright," Lin Xian nodded and pressed on: "Then let’s try to buy some time."

"Well..."

A voice piped up from the group just then.

All heads swiveled toward it; the speaker proved an unremarkable Hawk Sea Group member. As Lin Xian’s eyes landed on him, the man trembled visibly, nerves plain as day.

"If you have a good idea, just say it. He’s not strange, nor does he eat people," KIKI huffed with a pout.

The man offered an embarrassed grin at her words, then ventured, "Boss, Captain Lin, didn’t we say before that the monster mainly waits to hunt? I was thinking, couldn’t we do something to make the monster hunt and leave earlier? This way, couldn’t we sneak away before the Galan Volcano completely loses control?"

This prompted immediate backlash from the others.

"Da Liu, are you confused? Didn’t you see that monster the other day? The Pacific Ocean seabed is like a foot bath for it. Are we ordering this ancestor around, courting death?"

"Don’t even mention the Giant Ocean God—even zombies prove impossible to control."

"Precisely, what can we possibly use to lure it? Do we possess any techniques or treasures capable of filling even a monster’s tooth gap?"

Listening to the ongoing discussion, Ryan sighed in helplessness: "If such a method existed, the Foundation wouldn’t have deserted this submarine base funded with vast resources."

After those words, he cast a glance at Lin Xian and clarified: "I’m uncertain about the exact nature of their research, but one fact stands clear—they failed, or maybe their path was misguided."

"Not necessarily. In truth, this notion isn’t flawed," Lin Xian stated after hearing that.

Ryan creased his brow: "You’re talking about the Foundation?"

Lin Xian shook his head and turned to the member who’d spoken earlier: "I refer to him—that truly is a viable tactic, worth attempting at least."

Ryan was caught off guard by this, but Vanessa’s eyes sparkled brightly: "Lin, do you plan to employ the energy drain hole?"

Lin Xian eyed the young woman curiously. She had grasped his intention right away.

"Oh~"

KIKI pieced it together in that instant too, exclaiming: "You’re not intending to unleash massive geothermal core for a grand feast, right?"

Lin Xian nodded gravely, "However..."

He hesitated mid-sentence, then addressed Ryan and the others: "First, let’s secure the energy drain hole; we can talk more afterward. I must connect with that device initially."

Ryan’s eyes lingered on Lin Xian’s expression for a moment before he nodded pensively. Wheeling around, he noticed Erica had returned alongside her teammates, hauling a drone packed with over a hundred Blood Crystals of differing sizes, all cloaked in Black Gas. Ryan stretched out, seized it, unscrewed the copper ball valve, and delivered every Blood Crystal to Lin Xian.

"Lin, you’re a truly intriguing individual. You resolved this earlier; it rightfully belongs to you as Infinity bounty."

Hawk Sea Group members witnessed Ryan’s gesture yet remained unmoved. No surprise there—everyone understood their survival in this Doomsday Sea Area stemmed from Lin Xian’s help. Beyond mere gains, Doomsday Sea Area survivors prioritized what truly mattered.

"Wow, so many—these are incredibly handy," KIKI’s gaze gleamed. With a light flick of her wrist, she brazenly employed telekinesis to collect all the Blood Crystals. A fast scan showed several Level 3 Blood Crystals plus a Level 4 Blood Crystal—vital components for Crystal Grid Evolution.

Lin Xian of course recognized Ryan’s goodwill, though it barely registered amid current priorities. Still, given Ryan’s status as an Ice Element Superpower User and former Foundation security leader, Lin Xian welcomed joining forces against the threat.

"Stabilize the energy drain hole first. As a backup, is it uniquely sealed, or do alternatives exist?" Lin Xian questioned.

"I’m aware. It falls under safety protocols, particularly..."

Ryan gazed toward the ocean and continued.

"Captain Lin, the underwater terrain is highly intricate, yet I know these local sea conditions well. Let’s dispatch a few Deep Diving Devices for initial scouting."

"Iron Arm," Ryan summoned Azir.

"Got it!"

Iron Arm acted swiftly, ordering his team to retrieve the concealed transport aircraft from the island, equipped with two compact single-person Deep Diving Devices.

"Single-person Deep Diving Devices?" KIKI blurted out: "Isn’t diving underwater far too perilous?"

"What other option do we have?" Azir countered: "This lies at the seabed 700 to 800 meters down. Standard submarines can’t access it, drones even less. Ocean signals barely reach 200 to 300 meters; Deep Diving Devices are the only solution."

"Not entirely."

Lin Xian cut in directly this time: "I have some knowledge of such high-risk operations; let’s try a new method."

Azir’s brow furrowed at those words: "Captain Lin, are you versed in deep-sea diving?"

Lin Xian denied it with a head shake, then promptly invoked Black Star Forge.

Abruptly, a pitch-black mechanical portal emerged from empty space overhead, swinging open with a resounding ’boom,’ flooding out over a hundred Iron Rain Drones. Concurrently, ten pristine Deep Diving Devices were forged at high speed, their cockpits swapped with px-05 drones, seamlessly replacing Azir and his team’s piloted versions. The group, once braced for death, gaped in awe at the colossal fabrication spectacle, the dazzling mechanical construction screaming pure sci-fi to onlookers!

"I dabble in machinery," Lin Xian remarked casually to the assembly.