Apocalypse: I Build A Doomsday Train Chapter 1309 - 504: Homeward Journey! (Part 2)

"I’ve always believed that you’re still alive, so I was thinking, if it were you, you’d quickly understand the meaning of this message."

Upon hearing this voice, Lin Xian’s face changed drastically. He immediately began searching for the direction of the sound with KIKI, only to find KIKI staring at him with wide eyes, showing no reaction.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Lin Xian frowned, then turned his head to find a very familiar figure appearing in carriage number 6.

Lin Xian swiftly stood up, looking at the person.

Fifty-six years old, silver hair like frost, slender figure yet still upright like a pine, wearing a neat black wool coat, with the golden emblem of the Phoenix Society embroidered on the cuff, the elderly woman seemed haggard after only a few months of absence, but her eyes remained deep and calm.

Phoenix Society Commander, Ye Lan!

"Professor Ye?!!"

"Ah?" KIKI, beside him, also immediately stood up, but seeing her bewildered expression, Lin Xian immediately realized something and said to Ye Lan, "My consciousness projection?"

"No."

Ye Lan’s gaze swept past KIKI then fell on Lin Xian, calmly saying, "To be precise, it’s Chu Yan’s consciousness projection, Chu Yan separated her spiritual power and uploaded it into the brain of that part of the Gray Mist Messenger’s action, allowing us to contact you through this key. Speaking of which, this idea was actually yours."

"My idea?" Lin Xian was a bit surprised.

"The brain-machine device you placed on Grace, contacting Grace through your consciousness."

Lin Xian’s expression slightly changed. He signaled to KIKI, then said, "So Chu Yan did this as part of your plan?"

"Well, it’s a long story. A lot has happened during this time."

Ye Lan looked around the space of the carriage, then turned to Lin Xian with a calm smile, "I knew, if you were still alive, you definitely wouldn’t immediately head to Polar."

Lin Xian exhaled deeply, "I didn’t expect such a change to occur, being forced into dormancy for so long, my Mechanical Heart..." He paused, looking at Ye Lan, "Did the Phoenix Society suffer significant losses?"

"Inestimable."

Ye Lan stood still, "We lost many warriors, some of whom you might know, and many you might not."

Lin Xian fell silent.

"In clashes with the Foundation, we confirmed they are very focused on you, and this, I believe, you’ve realized as well." Ye Lan said, "You proposed the Starfire Plan, which was eventually confirmed, so you should understand that you will be a key target for the Foundation and the Tower People."

Lin Xian nodded, sighed, "I didn’t think I would be so important."

Ye Lan’s expression moved slightly, she remained silent for a moment before continuing, "Because of the Foundation’s existence, the Tower People are exceptionally knowledgeable about human actions, they know how to make us despair, thus focusing attacks on our Dawn Center and Noah, the two focal points which were originally the pillars of providing global aid and executing final transfers; over 70% of resources and population are concentrated here."

"Now, after the Colorado and Hakko battles, our losses are heavy, yet Noah’s transfer mostly succeeded due to support from the European Storm Alliance and Phoenix City, but the Land Dawn Center..."

Ye Lan’s tone remained calm, but her gaze carried a sharp edge as she looked straight ahead, "The Tower People may not grasp the complexity of human industrial systems, but the Foundation does. They understand our train teams have a natural advantage in countering darkness and Abnormal Bodies, capable of transporting massive quantities of goods and personnel, but the flaw is also very deadly."

"Tracks?"

"Correct."

Ye Lan said, "Noah is likewise confronted with this issue, fortunately, Noah’s sea region was near the coast at the time, preventing it from sinking, but it was different for Colorado. When the Dawn Center crossed through Arizona, all canyon rail bridges had collapsed, and scarlet spread was imminent, so the Orbit Team was diverted east to merge with the trans-Eurasia apocalypse train ’Utopia’ to reroute west, this caused our formation to split, while the Dawn Center’s teams were nimble, they lacked heavy weapon support, thus were all dispersed, incapable of concentrating forces for support."

"It delivered a fatal blow to us and severed the transportation of goods, thereby utterly undermining human resistance confidence." Lin Xian frowned, "Truly ruthless, indeed the most ruthless is one’s own people."

"I’ve thought before, perhaps there are other purposes they wish to achieve in this." Ye Lan looked at Lin Xian

"Me?"

"Initially I was merely suspicious, I didn’t believe you were so critical to the Foundation, but now it seems perhaps not groundless."

Ye Lan shared her thoughts, "The people from the Holy City have been searching for you, the Foundation has constantly been monitoring you, now all information from Colorado cannot be broadcast, millions of lives unknown, they might believe that regardless of whether you’re lost in the scarlet or hidden by us in Polar, upon learning this news you will definitely head north, fulfilling their goals."

Lin Xian chuckled at her words

"Even if it sounds exaggerated, I suspect they’re aiming to achieve multiple outcomes, and as for me, I’m ancillary."

Ye Lan quietly watched Lin Xian for a long while, then smiled

"When you proposed the Starfire Plan to me, you mentioned perhaps your Mechanical Heart involves high-dimensional civilizations, possibly the essence of the deterrence era, why do you now doubt this answer?"

Lin Xian went silent, helplessly sat down on the sofa behind him

"I’ve actually pondered this question, but indeed, I can’t abandon my teammates, even if an alien suddenly appeared before me, telling me, Lin Xian, you can’t take risks, your Mechanical Heart is crucial in containing the Tower People! I couldn’t possibly..." he finished looking at Ye Lan, "Professor Ye, could you tell me, the purpose of a high-dimensional civilization placing a Mechanical Heart in me? What if I die? So mustn’t there be more of such existences? If someone wants to help humanity, why not be direct? These questions nearly make my head explode, even..." he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "sometimes I think, maybe I’m overthinking, perhaps my mechanical superpower is simply a very ordinary ability, brought by the Tower People, and the deterrence was coincidence, truly produced by the South Heavenly Gate, right? Look, didn’t it exert strong deterrence during the Colorado battle?"

At this moment, KIKI was complicated as she watched Lin Xian seemingly speaking into thin air, saying nothing but pursing her lips, although she knew Lin Xian was certainly conversing with someone through some consciousness link, his words at that moment made her heart sink slightly.

She remembered when they first met in Beibei Town dealing with that Red Slug, him envisioning creating an iron fortress to soar to the skies with his mechanical superpower, back then Lin Xian wasn’t lost, he had a clear purpose, but now he’s become a Sword Holder, Phoenix Society’s probe against darkness ’conjecture,’ targeted by the Descent Faction, model of Savior among survivors... yet no longer seems to be himself.

Thinking this, KIKI felt a pang of heartache, unsure of what to say.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian continued talking with Ye Lan

"Professor Ye." After a while of silence, Lin Xian looked at that upright yet slightly eroded figure, and asked, "What do you wish for me to do?"

"If I were to ask you to return to Polar, we would provide you the highest protection and all the resources you need, would you?" Ye Lan asked.

Lin Xian grinned upon hearing this, shaking his head without hesitation.

"Then bring back those trains."

Ye Lan looked at Lin Xian, her voice calm and vast as the boundless stars, "There are 217 train teams there, I’ve calculated that linking all trains would exceed 100 kilometers, moreover, the Phoenix Society will fully activate the war factory in Kunlun City to project over Storm Coast, ensuring the connection of the South America transcontinental line. The Kunlun Council appointed you the supreme commander of this mission two hours ago, granting full command over the Sixth Continental Army, 13 and 22 Iron Guard Brigade, Second Continental Force’s 6 Mechanical Teams including ’Fire Stone, Dragon Kun, Thunder’ three Air Fleets, as well as all operation teams stationed in North America and South America."

Listening to Ye Lan, Lin Xian slowly stood up, seeing Ye Lan looking at him with determined eyes, he suddenly felt his spine shiver.

"And your task is only one." Ye Lan’s voice echoed within carriage number 6

"Lead the Orbit Team and the last survivors on this continent, traverse the north and south, break through the scarlet, the interstellar army will ignite the ocean for you at Storm Strait..."

"Illuminate the final journey home!"