Chapter 287: Before Dawn |
Countless volleys of firepower surged into the sky, forming a torrent that rained down on the Winged Demon. At the same time, the heavy cannons along the tall defense lines in both the Eastern and Northern Districts opened fire on the colossal sea urchin.
Dense explosions flared against the sea urchin's invisible shield, lighting up its black spines with searing light. The roar of artillery filled the heavens.
Pangu Unit 01 was flung backward by the Abyss Worm, crashing straight into a city block. Several high-rises exploded on impact, and debris and shattered glass rained down like a tidal wave.
“F***ing worm!”
Inside the cockpit, Chen Wei cursed, breathing heavily.
“This thing’s definitely a vanguard unit for that sea urchin. They must have some kind of communication mechanism. Now they’re attacking us from both sides!”
Lin Xian panted, suddenly feeling a warm trickle from his nose. He wiped at it and saw bright red blood.
Even with a Mechanical Heart, piloting this tens-of-thousands-ton mecha while maintaining full-body scanning and control was insanely taxing. He turned to look at Chen Wei and saw that he, too, was pale, with nosebleeds streaming like a faucet.
“You good? Still able to fight?!”
“Good!”
Clunk, clunk—
The two of them gripped their arm controllers, bodies tensing as they forced themselves back up.
Whooooom~
From the ruins, Pangu Unit 01’s nuclear turbine pulse engine began to roar. The mech’s muscle engine clusters unleashed a burst of torque as its fist pounded the ground—and it rose again.
Staring into the billowing smoke, Chen Wei said calmly, “That worm struck while we were on the move. The seismic sensors couldn’t pick it up. Now it's gone quiet again—it's obviously lying in wait.”
Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed. He looked at the black sea urchin under the rain of artillery and nodded. “Every time we target the sea urchin, this thing shows up. So…”
He glanced at Chen Wei, who gave him a nod back.
Got it.
They started moving toward the black sea urchin.
Thump. Thump!
Unit 01 emerged from the smoke and began striding toward it. The sea urchin’s shield fully activated. Its massive black spines twisted violently, smoke curling upward from around it—it looked like it was trying to ascend.
“It’s trying to run?!”
“Not a chance!”
If that thing escaped into the clouds, they’d never get another shot.
Unit 01 picked up speed, each step shaking the earth. But beneath them, the Abyss Worm was also on the move.
“Right fist!”
“Right fist!”
As they neared the urchin’s spines, both pilots shouted in unison. A furious punch was thrown—but it slammed into an invisible shield, rippling the air like water. Still, the urchin didn’t fight back—it just kept rising under the storm of cannon fire!
But Unit 01 wasn’t about to let that happen.
It lunged sideways, covering hundreds of meters, and reached the previous breach made by the standard-pressure tower. Around that spot, the force field shimmered with intense heat, melting the metal structure. It was on the verge of collapse.
Seizing the moment, Lin Xian and Chen Wei raised their right arms together.
“Activate high-voltage pulse hammers!”
“Activate high-voltage pulse hammers!”
Zzzzzz! The hydraulic assemblies extended, high-frequency electric arcs flickering across the alloy striking modules. Then—BOOM! A devastating punch landed on the tower. The electromagnetic shockwave blasted through the tower with a concussive crack, penetrating the urchin’s outer shell by dozens of meters, releasing a torrent of black corrosive sludge.
The two pilots dodged away just in time.
Creak—Zzzzzzzzz!
The hit did more than wound—it enraged the sea urchin. It shrieked with a low-frequency howl, shaking the earth. Every black spine whipped violently, ignoring the missiles and raining down toward Unit 01.
Boom!
They were ready. With a massive heave, Unit 01 caught the spines and yanked the monstrous sea urchin straight out of the sky!
On the other side, Wen Zhuo saw the sea urchin’s shield vanish.
He didn’t hesitate.
“NOW! Full barrage! Empty all missiles!”
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Every air unit, ground artillery, and turret—everything lit up. The sky filled with streaking flame, and the cannons on the high walls screamed.
Wen Zhuo and the Hunting Corps unleashed every long-range skill at their disposal.
Explosions engulfed the sea urchin!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Huge blasts ripped through its shell, snapping black spines like twigs. Fiery chunks crashed to the ground. It burned fiercely—embers raining across the battlefield. Morale surged.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, seismic tremors returned.
Chen Wei and Lin Xian instantly braced.
Cracks spidered across the ground. The holographic view tracked them. Their faces turned grim.
“Don’t let go. It's about to break!” Chen Wei roared through gritted teeth.
“I… KNOW!” Lin Xian pushed Unit 01’s reactor into overdrive. Engines screamed, pouring out torque to pin the sea urchin in place.
Then—a streak of red light zipped across the sky toward the fissure.
Lin Xian’s eyes widened—it was KIKI, flying fast with the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum.
“KIKI! Get back!!” he shouted, but communications were jammed near the spines.
The air units were all reacting based on Unit 01’s movements. Seeing her dash into danger, Lin Xian panicked.
“You damn worm! Weren’t you chasing this flower?! Come get it!”
KIKI’s face was pale. She clutched the planting pod tightly and veered at the last moment, skimming along the quake’s path.
“Come on… come on… follow me!”
And it worked.
The Abyss Worm, as if drawn by the flower’s scent, abruptly changed course—right as it was about to attack Unit 01.
It followed KIKI instead.
Her eyes lit up. She sped toward open ground.
Lin Xian and Chen Wei stared, stunned.
“That worm’s not too bright, huh?” Lin Xian muttered.
“Urchin, your lackey bailed. Time for you to die!” Chen Wei snarled.
But then—the Unit 01 HUD lit up with flashing red.
WARNING: Intense energy fluctuation detected! WARNING: Intense energy fluctuation detected!
Suddenly, the urchin’s many compound eyes blazed red. Its black fur flared. A sphere of crimson dust erupted in every direction!
BOOM!!!
Every missile, every shell—it all got swallowed up.
Shockwaves ignited the city. Buildings vaporized. Unit 01’s composite armor shredded. Mechanical parts melted. The nano-ceramic visor shattered. Lights died. The entire mech was blown away!
KIKI, mid-air, felt the wave behind her—too late to turn.
She was flung like a ragdoll, the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum tumbling from her hands.
BOOOOM!!
The blast created a radiant dome of destruction over Xilan City, covering nearly a third of it. Monster hordes, Winged Demons, and air units—gone.
Ionized radiation fried all aircraft electronics. They plummeted from the sky.
Central District—flattened.
KIKI landed in ruins, barely shielded by a last-second telekinetic bubble.
Cough, cough—
Bloodied and dazed, she clawed out from beneath debris, pushing off a collapsed floor slab.
“Lin… cough cough”
She was shaking uncontrollably, barely standing.
And then—she saw it.
The mech.
Unit 01, lying in the wreckage, its chestplate split open, faceplate glowing red-hot.
“Lin Xian!!”
She shouted, jabbing her communicator—no response.
RUMBLE!
Tremors again. Smoke billowed. KIKI knew what that meant.
If the worm got the Chrysanthemum, Unit 01 was finished.
“Where is it? Where—?!”
She frantically searched the debris.
Then it hit her: “The worm’s looking too!”
She turned—and saw it.
The flower, glowing faint red, near rubble on a side street.
KIKI’s breath quickened. She tried to fly—but her body wouldn’t respond. Blood poured from her nose.
And just then—
A snow crawler roared through the ruins!
Headlights beamed through the haze. It skidded to a stop beside the rubble.
The door flung open. A small figure jumped out and sprinted—
It was Xiao Yuan!
“Xiao Yuan!!” KIKI shouted into her comms.
“KIKI, I found the Chrysanthemum! Where are you?!” Xiao Yuan called back as she gently dug it out of the rubble.
RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Tremors neared. Smoke erupted in the distance.
KIKI’s face fell. “RUN! Forget me—JUST GO!”
She hit the group channel. “Wen Zhuo, Fire Bro, where are you?! Hurry!!”
“We’re almost there!” Wen Zhuo’s voice crackled through static.
Xiao Yuan, seeing the quake approaching and Unit 01 down, clutched the flower and sprinted back to the vehicle.
Engine roared. Treads kicked up snow as the crawler sped toward open ground.
But the quake closed in. Fast.
The crawler couldn’t outrun the Abyss Worm.
The earth buckled like waves. She knew it was catching up.
She clutched the Chrysanthemum—
WHOOSH!
A sonic boom! Wen Zhuo had arrived.
He used magnetic force to lift the entire crawler off the ground.
G-forces pinned Xiao Yuan to her seat—hope flickered.
Then—an explosion below.
A massive maw burst from the earth, black as night, swallowing the crawler whole!
All light vanished.
Her heart skipped.
“CATCH IT!!” she screamed, summoning every ounce of strength to hurl the Chrysanthemum toward Wen Zhuo—just before the worm devoured her vehicle.
BOOM!
The crawler disappeared.
But Wen Zhuo caught the flower.
“XIAO YUAN!!” KIKI screamed, staring in disbelief.
Crackle... “I-it’s... okay...”
Through static and noise, Xiao Yuan’s voice came.
“You… all have to live…”
Inside the worm, she gripped the comm.
"Every convoy suffers at least 5% casualties…" "In every black night, it’s the same. 5%, 6%, even 10%. There’s always death." "It’s always the weakest, the ones with no protection. It's not that unusual..."
RUMBLE.
The worm began retreating underground.
Her signal was fading.
She closed her eyes, ready to give her final words—
“Captain Lin, I—”
BOOM! The snow crawler was completely swallowed, signal cut.
Thud-thud-thud!
Just then, the ruins of Central District began to tremble violently. As the Abyss Worm was about to retreat underground, a colossal mecha burst in at breakneck speed. The impact force swept away the blizzard above and the flames on the ground. The entire battlefield quaked.
“Lin Xian!!!” KIKI screamed.
Inside the cockpit, Lin Xian, now solo-piloting Pangu Unit 01, surged forward, bloodshot eyes blazing. He lunged, grabbing the edge of the worm’s gaping maw. Lifting his right arm, the mecha began to morph—its fingers twisting into a tri-phase rotary ring, spinning at blinding speed.
But this time, the maglev acceleration rail didn’t light up.
He was using it like a rotating tunneling drill.
“You wanna eat me? In your f***ing dreams!!!”
Lin Xian bellowed with rage. The rotating drill came crashing down, plunging into the Abyss Worm’s mouth, grinding meat and splattering blood like a hurricane. As it bored downward, the arm’s thousands of engines howled, hydraulic shafts erupting with torque.
With a roar, Unit 01 tore out not only the swallowed snow crawler, but a chunk of the worm’s esophagus!
SCREEEEEE!!
The Abyss Worm howled in terror. Blood and flesh erupted from its mouth like a volcanic geyser.
Inside, just before blacking out, Xiao Yuan saw a blinding white light above—then came Lin Xian’s voice, roaring through her comm.
“Captain Lin…?” she murmured.
Outside, both KIKI and Wen Zhuo froze in disbelief. Unit 01 flung the crawler toward them—Wen Zhuo instantly reacted, catching it with magnetic force, then pulling both it and KIKI into the air to escape danger.
Whoooom!
Unit 01’s maglev rail on its right arm, now drenched in gore, lit up with a faint blue glow. The hexagonal superconducting coil let out a chilling screech under the icy winds.
Lin Xian raised the plasma cannon, aimed straight at the worm’s open maw.
“Here—eat THIS!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Millions of degrees of plasma erupted from the cannon. The worm, trying to retreat, suddenly swelled with white-hot light—then exploded.
Molten fire and magma jetted outward. The worm’s mouth split like a bursting flower, glowing like lava. Dead. Deader than dead.
BOOM!
A massive black spine suddenly whipped through the flames, catching Lin Xian off guard.
Unit 01 was sent flying, carving a deep trench into the ruins.
Pffft~
Lin Xian slammed into a cooling module, vomiting blood. The neuro-sync cables still connected, he was wracked by both physical and mental agony. The gel inside his visor started leaking. He gasped for air, suffocating.
Warning: Target Eerie Entity Approaching!
Red lights flashed. He looked at the incoming giant sea urchin—and smirked.
The thing didn’t flee—it charged in a rage after the worm’s death.
For whatever reason, the surviving forces launched a final bombardment. Only a dozen black spines remained on the urchin.
WHIRR!
Another spine shot down—not a sweep this time, but a precision stab, aiming for Unit 01’s chest core.
“Ah!”
Lin Xian scrambled onto the controls, forcing the mech to dodge right. The spine grazed the left flank, tearing through armor, snapping drive shafts, and shattering cables.
Unit 01’s left arm and chest armor blew apart, leaving a gaping wound.
Sparks everywhere. Coolant leaked in sheets. The spine pinned Unit 01 to the ground. The urchin descended, looming overhead. Dozens of red compound eyes focused on the cockpit. Its remaining spines shifted, forming shields to block incoming attacks.
Behind the cracked nano-ceramic panel, the red eyes locked on Lin Xian.
His ears rang—as if pierced by countless overlapping Eerie Entity screams. For a moment, he saw a cosmic eye—a presence gazing at him from beyond the atmosphere.
The urchin’s eyes sprouted scarlet tendrils, thousands of them, like fleshy energy filaments, spiraling, twisting, closing in.
Lin Xian tried to move—but his body wouldn’t respond. He was paralyzed. Drained. Powerless.
WHIRR!
Suddenly—Unit 01’s chainblade deployed from its right arm, transforming from folded form into a solid broadsword, serrated edges gleaming.
The nuclear engine shrieked—the blade drove straight into the urchin’s central eye cluster!
Lin Xian snapped out of the trance. He turned—Chen Wei had gotten up!
Blood-covered, expression grim, he’d reconnected the neuro-sync link, shouting:
“DIE!!!”
"That guy… he never liked Ability Users. After Apocalypse Day, his entire family was wiped out by a rogue convoy. Then his brother… now it’s just him. Flying solo on Unit 01’s neural link—he’s been shattered inside ever since…”
CLANG!
The sword cleaved the urchin’s black shell, spewing black slime.
Under the red alert lights, Lin Xian saw inside: a mass of brain-like nodules, round and grayish-red, pulsing with fluid, distorting and twitching like something out of a nightmare.
WHOOOOOOM—!
The inner cavity wailed like a pipe organ.
The crack closed rapidly, and all red eyes focused on Unit 01’s cockpit.
Crimson energy surged. The storm intensified, arcs of lightning lashing out across the city.
Another laser was charging.
“LIN XIAN!!”
“CAPTAIN!!”
Dozens of Hunting Corps members rushed in. Air units dove. Everyone knew what was coming.
Wen Zhuo, Han Jun, Fire Bro—all launched their Abilities, creating barriers in front of the cockpit.
Too late.
BOOM!
The dark red beam tore forward, engulfing Unit 01’s head completely!
The ground boiled. The air flash-vaporized. The city turned scarlet. Earth shook. Blinding light filled everything.
Then, silence.
Smoke cleared.
Everyone thought Lin Xian was dead—
—but Wen Zhuo saw it.
A transparent energy shield, flickering rapidly, hovered in front of the cockpit, covering Unit 01’s upper body.
The mech stood intact, steaming.
“What… is that?!”
“It blocked the laser?!”
“Impossible!!”
The nano-ceramic panel cracked and fell. Lin Xian stood, eyes arcing with electricity. One hand raised, holding up a massive AT Field shield.
Behind him, a blue phase-ring reactor spun in midair. Power cables floated, lightning webbed behind him.
The nuclear turbine raged. Energy surged.
The red eyes twitched, confused. Their prey still lived.
Lin Xian raised a trembling finger, pointing at the cracked shell.
Whispered: “Gravity Lens.”
BOOOOOM—
The world stilled. Sound vanished.
Light dimmed.
A warped space vortex formed within the shell—a blackwater whirlpool, devouring all light and energy.
A massive gravitational singularity formed. The urchin’s flesh, eyes, and inner sacs were all sucked inward—shredded—spun into a crimson-black void.
1/5 of its mass—gone.
Wen Zhuo saw it.
He shouted:
“NOW! FINISH IT OFF!!”
Everyone responded.
Fire Bro, Lu Xingchen, Han Jun, Qin Xueming, all 20+ Hunting Corps. Air units. Three defensive lines.
Total bombardment.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
The urchin tried to raise shields—but too late.
Its flesh was ripped apart by metal storms and pure energy.
In seconds—it disintegrated.
In the cockpit, Lin Xian watched the blast above. Everything blurred.
The cables fell. He collapsed.
Beside him—Chen Wei lay still, body still linked. His hand frozen mid-strike, holding the sword.
On his neck—two Phoenix badges.
One for Chen Wei.
One for Chen Lie.
“Lin Xian!”
A voice.
Chen Sixuan.
Wearing Black Eagle armor, she tore away the shattered panel, landing on the cockpit.
Clank, clank…
The sound of trains—like a lullaby in the snowstorm.
22 Doomsday Trains, like a blizzard dragon, rumbled northward, away from Xilan City.
September 1st, D-95, 5:25 AM.
The Battle of Xilan City was over.
Of 65,000 survivors, only 29,000 remained.
Of 12,256 soldiers, over 7,000 fell.
Two-thirds of the air fleet—gone.
The Dreadnought-class carrier—destroyed.
Of 35 Hunting Corps teams, only 21 survived.
The colossal sea urchin was slain. All monster tides had receded.
Humanity had won—barely.
Wei Kexue, Sun Kai, Chen Wei, Xiao He, Chen Xiao, Zhang Chengzhi, Wu Zhenhai, Liao Ming, Lu Yong… too many to name.
They would never see September’s dawn.
The Phoenix led survivors and the Investigation Corps eastward, toward Abyss Zone No. 5.
The Infinite, Dragon Mountain No. 1—and all trains followed the Northern Route, deeper into the blizzard and Polar Night.
A silent mass evacuation.
“Director Zhao, did the signal beacon go out?”
Inside the Phoenix base convoy, Wen Zhuo asked Zhao Yu.
“It did. Dawn Center received it.”
“Which Courier Unit?”
Zhao Yu paused. “None. All twelve are gone.”
He looked at Wen Zhuo.
“A convoy called Blackie’s found Zhou Wuer and Peng Peng… too late. A guy named Long Dahei… he carried the beacon out.”
Wen Zhuo’s fingers trembled slightly.
“…Good.”
As he turned to leave, Zhao Yu stopped him.
“He was your friend, huh? A good man.”
“…He was my brother.”
Wen Zhuo took a deep breath and walked on.
In the depths of the storm, corpses of Snow Wraiths and Snow Fiends piled up.
At the center—
Zhou Wuer held Peng Peng, frozen together beneath the snow.
Inside their courier satchel, a bottle of Xinghua Fenjiu still lay unopened.
Zzzz—
“Global Broadcast: Phoenix announces new breakthrough in analysis of Dark Entities’ behavior—designated Dark Mark.
The Soul Wave Detector—jointly developed with Xinghua Heavy Industries—can now detect Soul Wave peaks and Mark intensity.
To all survivors:
Do not enter the Polar Night while marked.
Daylight is ending. Before we ignite the spark—
Stay silent in the dark.”
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