Chapter 60: Broken Tracks |
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The giant locomotive roared like an enraged beast in the endless darkness. The iron wheels of its carriages teetered under the impact of the zombie horde, tilting slightly before crashing back onto the tracks. Each collision with the rails sparked blinding flashes of light. This cold industrial machine was harvesting the endless wave of zombies with a frenzy bordering on madness.
It was 6 a.m., and dawn was still at least ten hours away. Everyone aboard the train felt as if they were on the edge of a precipice, their terrified eyes fixed on the surging tide of zombies swarming toward them.
“This is so unusual! Why are there so many?” Chen Sixuan exclaimed in shock.
Kiki frowned, her expression tense. “Yeah, these things are acting like they’ve gone insane.”
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Even with the train accelerating, zombies kept slamming into the front of the locomotive, smearing blood and gore across the windshield until it was almost completely obscured.
Lin Xian quickly activated the sprayers to clear the blood, but when Kiki saw the worsening visibility, she hurried toward Carriage No. 2.
The zombies’ relentless onslaught made radar useless in detecting the track conditions ahead. The train crew had to rely on the roof-mounted electro-optical targeting system to scout the path forward.
Zombies climbing onto the roof were thrown off by the train’s increasing speed, their howls of rage echoing all around.
CLANG! CLANG!
On the vast, dark plain, the crimson train charged forward like a wild beast, shattering the zombie horde in its path as if cutting through vegetables. Behind the train, a sea of zombies surged like a tidal wave, howling as they chased. The scene was utterly apocalyptic.
THUD!
Suddenly, a loud impact echoed from the front of the train. Lin Xian’s expression shifted as he spotted a ragged, pale, and emaciated creature clinging to the locomotive. It had a human face with sunken eye sockets and a blood-red mouth twisted into an eerie smile, staring unblinkingly at him.
“Ah!” Chen Sixuan screamed in terror at the sight of the creature.
Lin Xian immediately stepped in front of her protectively, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the monster. A flicker of familiarity crossed his mind—it looked like someone he knew.
Tang Hai?!
Realization dawned on him, and his face turned pale. The grotesque figure of Tang Hai, now a monster, locked its hollow eyes onto Lin Xian. It grinned unnervingly, baring its teeth, and rasped in a hoarse voice:
“Run… Run… faster… heh heh heh…”
The sound came from its rotting windpipe, like air escaping a torn bellows.
“What the hell is that?” Chen Sixuan asked nervously.
“It’s definitely not human!” Lin Xian replied grimly. He didn’t know what Tang Hai had become, but it was clear that its sudden appearance was no coincidence.
“Not good! There’s a broken bridge ahead!” Kiki’s voice rang out from behind. She had just activated the electro-optical targeting system, which blared an alarm.
Lin Xian turned around and saw that Tang Hai had vanished from the train’s front. The headlights illuminated the tracks ahead, revealing a railway bridge spanning a mountain valley. In the middle of the bridge was a massive gap, at least seven or eight meters wide. The rails were completely severed!
“D**n it!” Lin Xian’s heart sank.
“That old beast!” He quickly pieced it together—Tang Hai had likely sabotaged the bridge. Whatever this monster had evolved into, it possessed abilities terrifying enough to destroy infrastructure and even summon a zombie horde.
“Stop the train!” Chen Sixuan screamed in panic.
Lin Xian’s first instinct was to hit the brakes, but the Infinite Train had just barreled through the zombie horde at full speed. His Mechanical Heart kicked into overdrive, analyzing the situation. At their current speed, stopping in time was nearly impossible. Even if they did manage to halt, they would be trapped in the zombie tide.
Lin Xian’s heart pounded as he weighed his options. Just then, a slender figure darted forward. Kiki’s eyes glowed faintly—a sign that her ability was surging.
“Don’t stop! We’ll charge through!” she shouted.
Lin Xian’s face twisted in shock. “Are you insane?!”
Kiki turned to him, her small face trembling but resolute. “Didn’t you say this train could soar to the skies? Let’s work together—we can make it across!”
Soar to the skies…
The words ignited a spark in Lin Xian’s mind. He knew there was no turning back. Clenching his teeth, he roared, “Hold on, Teacher Chen!”
He gripped the control console tightly, every nerve in his body on edge as his Mechanical Heart roared to life.
WHIRR!
Facing the gaping chasm, the massive industrial beast began to accelerate again.
Kiki’s face turned ghostly pale as she focused her glowing eyes on the dark mountain valley ahead. Her lips tightened into a determined line as blood vessels spidered across her eyes.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
20 meters!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
10 meters!
BOOM! BOOM!
5 meters!
At the last moment, Kiki let out a sharp cry and raised both hands.
CLANG! CLANG!
The Whale 03E Heavy Gas Turbine Locomotive, weighing 200 tons, lifted off the tracks. Following it, the 340-ton Huanxing 7F Electric Locomotive rose into the air, as if an invisible force had hoisted the entire train. The locomotives traced an audacious arc across the void.
Time seemed to freeze.
Chen Sixuan’s terrified gaze met Lin Xian’s fierce determination. Kiki’s bloodshot eyes glowed with an intense light.
THUMP! THUMP!
The only sound was the pounding of their hearts.
CRASH!
The train landed with a violent impact. The screech of wheels grinding against rails echoed across the mountains.
In Carriage No. 5, Luo Shasha and Luo Ye felt the tremor as a massive force rippled through the train.
BANG!
A jeep strapped to a flatbed car broke loose and flew into the valley below, crashing with a resounding boom.
CLANG! CLANG!
Despite the chaos, the train miraculously regained its footing and continued racing forward.
Everyone was drenched in cold sweat.
“Lin Xian!” Chen Sixuan shouted, her voice trembling. Lin Xian turned to see Kiki slumping to the ground, blood streaming from her eyes and nose. Her breathing was faint.
He rushed to support her, alarmed by the severity of her condition. “Quick, the medical kit!”
“Look at her eyes!” Chen Sixuan exclaimed in horror.
Lin Xian pried Kiki’s eyelids open and saw black veins spreading across her irises. Her pupils were unfocused and glassy.
As he stared at her, dizziness washed over him. A powerful force seemed to drain his strength. In an instant, a wailing cry from hell erupted in his mind, filling his ears and blurring his vision.
Lin Xian staggered and collapsed to the floor.