Apocalypse: I Build A Doomsday Train-Chapter 922 - 377: Outer City District 3

The slogans and alarms of helicopters, drones, and patrol mechas constantly echoed in the air, every region resembling a vast, endless refugee camp, with flames stretching to the horizon.

"Beware of the night, always check your Soul Swinging Value Detector, complacency is disaster."

"Warning, convoy in the G67 Xianglan Street Square Camp area, extinguish all bonfires immediately!"

"The Dawn City Night Patrol Team reminds you, building a safe zone is everyone’s responsibility; stay alert, frequent checks, high prevention, don’t overlook any Dark Marks or mutations."

In sight, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of apocalypse survivors’ convoy camps formed a grotesque urban scene. Large, sturdy buildings were occupied by survivors, rooftops bristling with machine guns and watchtowers. Each block was covered with barbed wire fences. Despite this, the distant zombie howls and gunfire made sleep elusive.

Seeing this, the expressions of Qian Deli and others became solemn. This apocalyptic scene was suffocating compared to Star Abyss. Without even entering Dawn City, it was already a million-refugee camp spectacle. One could hardly imagine the devastation if this place encountered a massive Monster Tide or large Abnormal Body.

The gaze of countless survivors on roadside buildings fell upon the swiftly passing convoy. Lin Xian noticed that most convoys consisted mainly of the elderly, women, and children, with fewer young adults. But no matter if they were middle-aged women or gray-haired elders, all were fully armed with steel guns. Even a supermarket rooftop was patrolled by dozens of children with heavy machine guns, the oldest among them looking no older than fifteen.

Seeing Lin Xian and others’ astonished gazes, Jian Xuwei spoke: "Entry regulations stipulate that the ratio of combat personnel to dependents cannot exceed 1:2. There’s no age or gender restriction for dependents, but combat effectiveness is assessed, namely through Spirit Vibration Value peaks. However, Dawn City doesn’t measure the extreme coefficient, which seems quite lenient. Nonetheless, the peak values of Spirit Vibration for the elderly and children rarely surpass young adults, so in the convoy outside, most members are the old, the weak, women, and children."

"I guessed as much."

Lin Xian’s eyes flickered, his face somewhat sombre, his heart filled with mixed emotions, unsure what to say.

Since Apocalypse Day, everyone has silently accepted this brutal elimination, including Lin Xian. When he first planned the Ring Star Train, he demanded strong combat and ample resources. At such times, besides family, no one sympathizes with the elderly, women and children around others; benevolent convoys die quickly. Even Shu Qin’s convoy decreased in numbers until joining the Infinity, where the team’s survival rate improved.

Only after the Joint Train’s power increased did Lin Xian’s mindset shift, welcoming teams like Li Yi’s among others. Strictly speaking, Mo Xiaotian, Duo Duo, these kids, although sensible and helpful in logistics, don’t provide much assistance to the team. However, Lin Xian’s current team allows him to accept and accommodate these people without solely calculating their cruel value.

At this moment, the convoy entered a place resembling a school. Armed convoys increased along the street, with makeshift steel and iron walls, barbed wire, barracks, machine gun towers enclosing the school. It appeared to be a large alliance convoy. The empty space and playground accommodated over hundreds of modified vehicles, along with a row of flying devices. Two mini nuclear-powered Polar Cars parked in front of the teaching building and playground supplied power to all camps, indicating the convoy’s strength was not weak.

"Ze Yang, how many people do you have here now?" The convoy just passed through the armored school gate when Jian Xuwei asked.

"About eight thousand." Jian Zeyang licked his lips, glancing towards Lin Xian with some pride: "I’ve recently incorporated several convoys in the past few days, none of them weak. There are now few medium to large convoys coming here. Even if they do, they wouldn’t enter the city; many convoys in the Outer City District are expanding alliances, preparing to head towards the Dawn Center."

"Eight thousand, that many?"

"Once restrictions are lifted, even eighty thousand is possible." Jian Zeyang said, somewhat helplessly: "The most abundant resource in Dawn City is people; everyone wants to survive and unite. But a convoy can’t support too many non-combat or low-combat personnel. Even for Blood Essence, many convoys risk going back to kill Abnormal Bodies, it’s a tricky situation."

"Strictly speaking, Apocalypse Day is merely 100 days past, 99% of global humans perished overnight; even the remaining resources can’t be fully utilized by this 1%." Monica chimed in, her voice clear: "It’s a pity that the main city lost over 85%, and strategic materials, food, were heavily polluted; otherwise scarcity wouldn’t be such an issue."

"Indeed, and water." Jian Xuwei spoke: "Currently, water resources are heavily contested, hence the high mutation rate in the Outer City District."

"Sis, Captain Lin, we’re here."

The convoy stopped in an empty space behind the school’s research and teaching building; Lin Xian and others alighted, while Jian Zeyang led the group into a half-collapsed, tilted building, navigating through a flooded, dilapidated hallway.

"Below this school, the defense facilities originally connected with Star City’s Ground Rail Line 12 maintenance segment. We use this channel for urban activity and resource gathering." Jian Zeyang walked ahead with a torch, explaining as he went.

The group turned into an empty basement, then entered an abandoned subway track through a manually breached tunnel.

An old electric locomotive towing several subway carriages quietly stationed there; the carriages seemed to be roughly modified for storing various supplies.

"Sis, you really don’t need me to go with you?" Jian Zeyang asked as he watched Jian Xuwei board the car driven by one of his underlings.

"No need." Lin Xian spoke: "Your sister wants you outside for later support."

After speaking, Lin Xian beckoned with one hand, suddenly an arc lit up the tunnel. Everyone was startled; before seeing what happened, Lin Xian pointed behind Jian Zeyang.

"I’ll leave an assistant here for easy communication later."

Jian Zeyang turned abruptly, startled to discover a ballerina robot had appeared among his team. This was Lin Xian’s Dancer No.1. Though its intelligence was akin to an ordinary combat robot, its built-in high-frequency transmitter could send signals farther than ordinary communication devices and was harder to intercept, thus leaving it facilitated monitoring outside city status.

"What the..."

Jian Zeyang rubbed his eyes: "When did this thing appear?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

All his subordinates were equally shocked, shaking their heads.

Even KIKI and Monica beside Lin Xian were perplexed, puzzled where Lin Xian had kept the robot hidden unnoticed thus far.

Only Qian Deli, sitting in the corner, witnessed everything with his extraordinary speed; now his gaze lingered on Lin Xian, unable to suppress a curious smile.

This guy... had he just opened a portal to another dimension?

Without further explanation, Lin Xian and Jian Xuwei set off immediately; the subway electric locomotive sped through the abandoned track, its headlights illuminating the darkness.

"When this thing enters the city, the people in Dawn City would surely be aware, right?" KIKI asked.

"Yes, but it doesn’t matter," Jian Xuwei said indifferently: "It’s merely a matter of price."

She glanced at KIKI: "In this apocalypse, everything can be priced, professionalism and conscience are the cheapest."

"That’s true." Qian Deli chuckled at this.

Lin Xian turned to look at Shi Zhi, who had been silent throughout the journey. Meeting Lin Xian’s gaze, Shi Zhi innocently returned his look, as if asking, "Should I speak?"

No response was given.

She quietly moved to the side, slipping into Lin Xian’s blind spot.

"Discuss the plan," Lin Xian asked Jian Xuwei: "Taking control of the main control center’s command won’t be easy, right?"

"That depends on who, for you... it should be quite simple."

Jian Xuwei looked at Lin Xian: "For you, it should be very easy."