Bang!
A tremendous force drove the steel tailgate inward, leaving a massive bulge. Lin Xian's heart lurched. That thing was far too strong.
At this rate, it would punch through the armor sooner or later.
Thud, thud, thud~
The giant insect's front half had climbed onto Carriage 2. Kiki came hopping over and kicked at a corner of a waterproof bag, uncovering a small utility knife.
So that was how she had secretly cut herself free earlier.
Lin Xian glanced at her, but he had no time to deal with her now.
Crunch! Crunch!
At the same time, sharp snapping sounds came from the roof, followed by the terrifying screech of tearing metal.
Furious and afraid it would bite through the carriage, Lin Xian fired Wind Guns at the white, soft shell beneath the insect's tail as fast as he could!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The frenzied barrage of Wind Cannons finally had an effect. Several pieces of the soft shell shattered, and one tremendous impact blasted a bloody hole in its abdomen. Dark green insect blood gushed out.
The giant insect recoiled in pain, yanking back its tail stinger. Then it curled up again and aimed at the dented tailgate.
"Run!"
Lin Xian's pupils tightened. He knew the tailgate could not take another hit, and he turned to shout at Kiki.
Bang!
The huge stinger pierced straight through the tailgate and into the carriage. Kiki was crouched on the floor, frantically cutting the nylon ties around her ankles. At Lin Xian's shout, she looked up to see countless shards of steel flying toward her like bullets!
She froze, her pupils widening.
When Lin Xian saw that she was not moving, his heart sank.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared in Kiki's line of sight, and an Ice Wall rapidly formed before them!
Lin Xian had thrown himself in front of her and swept up a hand!
Thud! Thud!
The blue Ice Wall had barely formed when several black steel fragments lodged deep in it, spraying chips of ice.
"Ah~"
Kiki gave a little cry as Lin Xian wrapped an arm around her and dodged aside.
"Ow~" Pinned firmly beneath him, Kiki felt the ropes binding her hands and feet snap apart. She looked at Lin Xian, alarmed. "Hey, jerk, are you okay?"
Lin Xian struggled up and glared at her.
"If you don't help, we're both dead!"
"I-I-I... I'll try!" She scrambled to her feet, gritted her teeth, and waved both hands in a panic. "Hah!"
Nothing happened.
Lin Xian's eyes widened, and he got up to give her a piece of his mind.
But Kiki's expression suddenly changed. She pointed toward Carriage 3 and cried out.
"Look out!"
The giant insect seemed to have found a way in. After stirring its stinger around inside the punctured tailgate, it withdrew it and changed direction. Two crimson feelers probed through the hole.
Now Lin Xian and Kiki could both see its gaping maw and enormous mandibles!
Crunch! Crunch!
Giving Lin Xian no time to catch his breath, the giant insect began tearing at the damaged tailgate.
If it got inside, all three of them would die here today.
Lin Xian sprang up and immediately fired two Wind Guns straight at its mouthparts!
Thud! Thud!
Flesh burst. The blasts struck the insect's mouth and sprayed dark green gore. Its deafening shriek made everyone in the carriage's scalp prickle!
In pain, the insect thrashed. Its lower half happened to snag on a row of wire-fence posts beside the tracks. As the Infinite accelerated, its immense pulling force nearly tore the insect right off the carriage.
But the legs on its abdomen clung tightly to Carriage 3, dragging the entire train down to a sudden crawl. The inertia sent everyone stumbling, nearly knocking them to the floor.
"Ah!"
In the Cockpit, the abrupt slowdown nearly threw Chen Sixuan into the control panel. She looked back and saw the huge insect struggling to cling to Carriage 3 in the distance.
She immediately shouted to Lin Xian.
"Hold on! There's a bend ahead!"
Lin Xian wrapped an arm around Kiki's waist and grabbed the handle of Carriage 3's door. At the same time, he used the Mechanical Heart to slow the train.
If they took the bend too fast, the train could easily derail. He had to bring its speed down.
Clang, clang, clang...
More and more roadside wire fencing snagged the insect's lower half. Its legs gouged countless lines into the carriage, scattering sparks amid an ear-splitting scrape. All the while, the red insect kept shrieking.
Then the train rounded the bend. Centrifugal force swept the insect's lower half into even more fence posts. Unable to withstand the train's pull, it let out a shriek, slid from the roof of Carriage 3, and tumbled down the slope beside the tracks.
Clatter, clatter.
Soon, the carriage fell quiet again.
"That was close..."
Seeing that they had shaken off the insect, Lin Xian finally breathed out. Cold sweat had soaked his back.
"Are you two all right?" Chen Sixuan called.
"We're fine!" Lin Xian braced his hands on the floor. Just as he was about to climb off Kiki, a roar came from the train's left side!
Kiki shouted from beneath him, "Watch out! It's back!"
Bang!
A massive red shape slammed into them from the side. The entire carriage tilted, its wheels on one side lifting off the rails with a long metallic wail.
Caught off guard, Lin Xian was hurled away, knife and all, by the shock wave.
Just as he thought Carriage 3 was about to tip off the tracks and he was about to slam into it, an invisible force caught him and held him suspended in midair!
Stunned, Lin Xian turned to see Kiki sitting up with one hand stretched toward him. Her little face was panicked, and a faint white light flickered in her eyes.
Then that invisible force pushed Carriage 3 back down as well.
Clatter, clatter!
The wheels settled back onto the rails.
Lin Xian stared in shock.
Was that Kiki's ability? She could move an entire carriage?!
Before he could react, the giant insect climbed up the side of the train again and thrust a mandible through the armored grille, biting down tight!
"You damn thing! Just leave us alone!"
"Lin Xian!"
Ahead of them, Chen Sixuan fixed him with a steely gaze and shouted, "Speed up! There's a three-kilometer stretch of Congshan Tunnel before Beiwan Station!"
Lin Xian's heart jolted. He understood what Chen Sixuan intended and immediately used the Mechanical Heart to accelerate, while lowering the hydraulic tailgate farther.
"You silly girl!"
"Who are you calling silly?!" Kiki snapped.
Lin Xian pulled down the coupling hook at the rear of the carriage, his expression grim. "Use your ability to tie that beast down!"
Kiki's expression shifted. She looked at the insect with a rare seriousness. Knowing their lives were at stake, she set aside her anger at Lin Xian and said firmly,
"Okay!!"
She frowned, recalling the feeling from moments ago, and raised both hands to try to summon her ability.
Whoosh...
Sure enough, the invisible force returned. It pulled the coupling hook from Lin Xian's hand, then reached out and wrapped it around the insect's tail.
Screech!
The insect lashed its tail, making the coupling hook's drive mechanism whine as black smoke poured from it.
Lin Xian's eyes went wide. "Don't let it get away!"
"Lin Xian, watch out!"
Before long, the train's amber headlights lit up the dark mouth of a tunnel. Chen Sixuan gripped the Cockpit handrail and called back to warn him.
The giant insect seemed to sense the danger and let out a sudden shriek. But with its mandibles clamped onto the side armor and its tail bound by the metal coupling hook, it could not break free in time.
"Speed up!"
Lin Xian scooped Kiki up and leaped into Carriage 2. At the same time, he drove the Mechanical Heart to its limit, pouring every ounce of his strength into propelling the train!
Bang!
The gas turbine and electric locomotive roared together, hauling the front carriages into the tunnel. A tremendous crash came from Carriage 3 at the rear!
The Red Centipede's enormous body slammed into the tunnel wall, immediately forcing Carriage 3 off the rails. The other side of the carriage struck the wall, spraying sparks and shattering glass!
SCREECH!!!!
The insect shrieked in agony, its countless legs scrabbling wildly as it tried to escape. But the train's momentum had dragged it all the way inside. Crushed beneath the carriage's weight, its thick Insect Armor scraped against the tunnel wall with an ear-splitting screech.
Pinned beneath Lin Xian, Kiki kept her teeth clenched. Blood vessels showed in her eyes as she held up a hand, using the coupling hook to keep the insect's tail firmly caught. She had no intention of letting it escape!
Screech, screech! Crack, crack, crack!
Violent jolts and shrieks echoed through the carriage as though the world were coming apart.
The three-kilometer tunnel seemed to pass in an instant—and to last an eternity.
Then the deafening noise abruptly ceased. With a strained metallic groan, Carriage 3 was pulled back onto the rails.
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