Apocalypse: I Build A Doomsday Train Chapter 1200 - 463: Superconductive Thunder Sword (Part 2)

"Furthermore, who can truly ascertain the conditions on that island? Safety remains an unknown. Should it mirror Sea Rock Island’s Night Parade of Hundred Demons, our landing would be impossible." Qian Deli then addressed Luo Yang, inquiring, "Can we navigate around this Storm Zone?"

Luo Yang swiftly negated the possibility, removing his headset to explain, "It’s unfeasible. To be precise, we’ve already entered the Storm Zone’s confines. To attempt evasion and still arrive before nightfall would necessitate accelerating to Mach 4. At such velocities, forget tactical maneuvering or defensive measures; we’d likely be in greater peril."

Lin Xian, a frown creasing his brow, stated, "At supersonic speeds, our demise would merely be hastened. There is no alternative. We must brave the tropical storm head-on!"

With that declaration, he transmitted over the comms, "Regardless of what we encounter, our paramount objective is to ensure the Sky Dome Unlimited’s safe withdrawal. Other concerns are secondary. Any damage sustained will be addressed post-arrival on the island!"

"Understood."

"Acknowledged!"

"Ning Jing, Shu Qin, prepare the decoys. Upon entry into the Storm Zone, we will release them in stages for long-range deployment—let’s preempt any hostilities!"

Thump thump thump thump!

Beneath a darkened, clouded sky, the Sky Dome Unlimited, trailing plumes of azure exhaust, surged forward through the torrential rain. The Arsenal Ship’s missile bays unfurled in precise rows; eight diminutive missiles launched in unison, forming a wing formation as they ascended at high velocity towards the distant clouds, detonating miles away.

Rumble—!

Thunder reverberated, the ocean churned violently, and from the mist-shrouded heavens, a malevolent, sibilant roar seemed to emanate. There was no mistaking it – these were the Monsters dwelling within the sea and clouds, lured by the explosive flares.

On the exposed sky bridge of Ship No. 3, an area designated for celestial observation, a vast transparent dome enclosed the space. Brother Huo, Monica, and Shi Zhi, all clad in their Power Armor, had assembled here. The dome incrementally retracted, instantly unleashing a torrent of high-speed wind and driving rain upon them. Brother Huo channeled fire into his palm; the Infinite Ring whirred to life as he ascended, paralleling the Sky Dome’s trajectory, his gaze sweeping over the sky and sea, a look of wild exhilaration on his face.

Monica observed him and couldn't refrain from remarking, "Rumor has it you suffer from claustrophobia—it appears to be true. Maintain your vigilance. There are threats beyond mere thunder lurking above."

Lu Xingchen’s eyes narrowed slightly as he proudly surveyed the sky, stating with cold resolve,

"Have no concern. With my true self present, no demon or fiend shall breach our defenses!"

Monica turned to Shi Zhi standing nearby. "In this environment, my auditory perception may be compromised. We will depend on you. Should anything approach, simply indicate its direction."

Shi Zhi gave a curt nod. "Understood."

Meanwhile, on the ship’s underside, lacking any purchase, KIKI and Ryuji, after exiting their hatch, utilized their Superpower-enhanced flight to cling to the vessel. Thousands of KIKI’s controlled VK Electric Knives skimmed the wave crests, lending her the appearance of an otherworldly sword-wielding maiden. Only Ah Bai’s Power Armor was equipped with a mechanical alloy arm, facilitating target acquisition and laser fire.

"Abnormal Entities are present in the ocean, but... our speed is so great that even if we agitate them, they cannot maintain pursuit." Ah Bai’s gaze continuously scanned the tumultuous sea surface.

"I am more concerned about those that emerge suddenly from the water."

KIKI, arms crossed, hovering inverted beneath the Starship, calmly stated, "Upon our entry into the Storm Zone, I will maintain my Telekinesis Shield continuously. Tokyo Monk will then relieve me. Otherwise, the coverage area is too vast; our endurance will be limited."

Due to Ryuji’s infrequent speech, KIKI had affectionately nicknamed him "Tokyo Monk." Hearing her, Ryuji promptly moved towards the underside of the forward weapon systems. The pair maintained their positions, poised to deploy their Telekinesis Shields at a moment's notice.

Seated in the captain’s chair of the Sky Dome Train, Lin Xian felt a prickle of apprehension. This marked his maiden voyage piloting a Starship; he possessed no prior experience.

Were it not for Viola, the dozen or so crew members of the Infinity would be incapable of managing the entire system. Even with her assistance, numerous stations remained unoccupied. Weapon systems, intelligence networks—the engine room and reactor bay had no personnel on duty. Should any maintenance issue arise, their only recourse would be for Viola to direct maintenance drones for rudimentary repairs; even Lin Xian himself would be unable to rectify more complex problems.

Naturally, Lin Xian, at this moment, lacked the capacity to mentally scan and mend the entirety of the Sky Dome Train. His current abilities simply did not permit such a feat.

From ten in the morning until half-past one in the afternoon, the downpour intensified, and the sea churned with greater ferocity. Throughout their three-hour flight, they had repelled numerous attacks from Abnormal Bodies, predominantly Winged Demons concealed within the dense, black clouds. They even contended with a Sky Jellyfish once and narrowly evaded the grasp of a Ghost Manta’s probing tentacle. Yet, Lin Xian was resolute in his pursuit of escape, pushing the train forward immediately after each evasion.

Bang bang bang!

The forward Plasma Gun batteries discharged another sustained volley. The target of this barrage, another monstrous entity plucked from the sky, remained unknown. As the world grew increasingly dim, Fire Cloud Sound Roars periodically erupted above the train’s roof. Below, on the turbulent sea, thunderous Telekinesis detonations shattered the waves. Invisible barriers of compressed air intercepted and severed the ocean’s sinister tendrils, while thousands of electric knives spun in shimmering arcs.

"The threat marker has plummeted to Level 3!" Chen Sixuan, serving as the Information Science Officer, reported with a nervous gaze fixed on her screen. "The wind barrier is escalating. We are on the verge of entering the storm's core up ahead!"

"Everyone, remain vigilant."

Lin Xian glanced at his watch before surveying the ominous scene ahead. The turbulent ocean mirrored the inky blackness of the sky, its surface violently whipped into towering waves by the gale. Above, the low-slung storm clouds pulsed with internal lightning and deafening thunder, resembling a colossal vortex poised to engulf the world. On the primary bridge display, the real-time barometric pressure curve plummeted alarmingly, its rapid descent from 1020 hPa into the abyss outpacing the alarms themselves. An ocean surface, appearing almost vertical, bizarrely materialized within everyone's sight.

It was as if the very seabed beneath the ocean were collapsing, or perhaps an ancient sea deity was arching its monumental spine, heaving the entire ocean upwards. Consecutive walls of water, hundreds of meters high, surged skyward, their colors shifting from an inky green to a murky, mud-like yellow, before finally darkening to the hue of asphalt. This colossal deluge was set to engulf the sea, turning it upside down. As the thundercloud wall descended, it systematically extinguished all light between the heavens and the earth!

Rumble—!

The five-hundred-meter-high cloud wall presented an edge as sharp as a blade. Its upper reaches were a pallid, corpse-like gray, while its lower boundary bled into an inky, reddish-brown. The instant the Sky Dome Train plunged into this formidable cloud layer, all portholes automatically deployed their anti-glare film. Despite this precaution, the film proved insufficient to block the piercing, purple-white thunder serpents that writhed within the cottony mass. Three forked bolts simultaneously struck the main ship's Static Electric Field, and the acrid scent of overheated superconducting capacitors permeated the air instantly.

However, the sight that truly stole their breath was the spectral prisoner revealed within the clouds by the fleeting lightning!

In the fraction of a second that a bolt split open a tortoise-shell-shaped cloud formation, semi-transparent tendrils, adorned with suckers, dangled from the fissure. This structure extended and contracted within a tenth of a second, yet the lingering afterimage was sufficient to ascertain that its exposed tip alone was twice the length of the train—undoubtedly a Special Level Monster. Subsequently, a thunder pillar, thick as a bucket, speared through an adjacent cloud bank. The blinding flash illuminated an even more terrifying silhouette: the vast, umbrella-shaped form of a gargantuan jellyfish, its canopy trailing luminous filaments that ensnared numerous ball lightning clusters, resembling a deep-sea anglerfish devouring a swarm of glowing prey.

Atmospheric Mica, S-Class!

"Brother Lin, it’s that sky monstrosity we encountered over Yu Bei City!!!"

Lu Xingchen, standing amidst the howling gale, fixed his gaze on the colossal atmospheric organism above and declared with a cold tone.

"Disregard it. Power through. That entity isn't swift!"

Lin Xian’s heart pounded. He paid no mind to whether the massive shadow on the radar was the same Atmospheric Mica they had faced before or a new one. Engaging it was out of the question for him; his sole objective was to break free from the storm vortex!

Bzzzz—!!