Into the Sky!

[Scan complete. Blueprint acquisition failed. Target core drive source does not exist. Unable to generate blueprint information.]

"Just as I thought..."

Lin Xian opened his flashlight and looked at the enormous humanoid machine before him, regret written all over his face.

"What a shame. I can only devour it. Still, the materials I recover from this thing should be good."

He could neither repair it nor scan its blueprint. The best option was to turn it into fuel for the growth of his Mechanical Heart.

He switched off his flashlight and stood to survey the dark wilderness around him. Once he was sure it was safe, he sat down and focused on devouring the giant machine.

[Devouring progress: 1%]

[Devouring progress: 3%]

Lin Xian watched the progress and estimated that it would take several hours.

The long night wore on, minute by minute. At last, the process was complete.

[Devouring successful. Mechanical Origin Points +100. Mechanical Devour skill proficiency +40. Additional rewards: Strength +2, Speed +1, Defense +1!]

Just then, a flash of purple light appeared before his eyes!

[Congratulations! You have received an additional skill reward: Flashback!]

[Flashback (Rare): Use the wind to perform a rapid forward thrust. Upgrading this skill greatly increases speed and thrust distance.]

"Holy shit, a rare skill! But that name makes it sound kind of..."

Lin Xian was overjoyed. It was the first rare skill he had obtained, and it seemed to be some kind of movement skill. It would greatly improve his mobility.

"I wonder how powerful it is..."

Then he opened the Decomposition Space. When he saw the metal materials inside, his eyes lit up even more.

[Decomposition: Through Mechanical Devour, you obtained Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Type I ×5, High-Manganese Steel ×10, forged inner-armor steel ×3, Titanium Alloy ×3...]

"Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Type I? You don't see that stuff outside the military."

Lin Xian was stunned. Military-grade material like this could only be found in cutting-edge military armor, not in ordinary firearms.

Tap, tap, tap.

Clear footsteps sounded in the darkness.

"Who's there?"

"Me." Kiki walked out from behind the train and grinned at him.

Lin Xian was about to devour the tank. Seeing her, he asked, "Need something?"

"Uh..." Kiki looked a little uncomfortable. "I came to find you. To say thank you."

Lin Xian raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.

"And?"

"Thank you for letting me stay in Carriage 2. And for saving me before," Kiki said quietly.

"It was nothing." Lin Xian walked over to the Heavy TFV600 twin-barreled tank and placed a hand on it. As he activated Mechanical Devour, he said, "Whether it was that giant bug or what happened at the military outpost, we would've died without your help."

Lin Xian had not expected Kiki to come and say this. He felt some of the tension in his heart ease. He had been conflicted about her.

On one hand, Kiki's ability had been a huge help in getting them out of danger twice. On the other, its sheer power still made him wary.

Kiki had no idea what he was thinking. His words brightened her expression, and she suddenly held out a hand to him.

"Then... this is for you."

Lin Xian took the small silver object she offered and realized it was a miniature portable hard drive.

"What is it?"

"I copied the preliminary files for the Angel Project. I also found a blueprint for a GK03 Electric Saber in some old records. You're always carrying that beat-up blade around, and you can make things, right? Want to give this a try?"

"The materials might be tricky to get, though. It needs a high-frequency current transformer and things like that..."

Lin Xian froze. Given his Mechanical Esper Ability, he only carried a blade because he had no better choice. But that name...

A GK03 Electric Saber?!

That was seriously good stuff!

He had seen it on military forums before. Kehua Heavy Industry had developed it as a standard-issue close-combat weapon for the interstellar military's Iron Guard Brigade. Few had been issued, and its energy consumption and practicality had drawn criticism. Eventually, the project had been dropped.

Still, the thing looked incredible. Besides using it in a fight, he might be able to modify it based on the Electric Blade's operating principles. It could even prove useful for his train!

Seeing the eagerness in Lin Xian's eyes, Kiki tilted her head. "So... can we make peace?"

Lin Xian found that amusing. He took the hard drive, weighed it in his hand, and looked at her. "You mean about stealing the bread?"

"And attacking you."

Kiki grinned. "Also, I don't think your plan is boring anymore. I think it's brilliant!"

"Oh?" Lin Xian frowned and said pointedly, "Aren't you the heir of a second-tier investor in the Dawn Project? Why do you agree with my plan now?"

Kiki took a deep breath. "I know you probably think I'm lying again, but the Dawn Project is real, and so is my identity. My... father and I took a helicopter toward Mount Daluo. I think that's where the Dawn Project's Underground City No. 9 is. But after the first Polar Night, the Federal Government collapsed. The Dawn Project must have been affected too. Besides, I wouldn't want to be buried underground, waiting for those monsters to knock on the door every day."

"That sounds sincere."

"It is!" Kiki looked helpless. "I'm not lying to you this time. I swear." She raised three fingers.

Lin Xian nodded. "Then do you know why I came up with this train plan, despite all the problems you're worried about?"

"Because of your Mechanical Esper Ability?" Kiki ventured.

"That's my personal reason, not the external one."

Lin Xian tapped the tank with a finger, his expression grave. "You might think I'm dreaming. I heard Apocalypse Radio's broadcast about the Apocalypse Federation's analysis of the Tide of Darkness. But I think none of us may be able to escape the encroaching dark forever."

After the Federal Government collapsed, the new Apocalypse Federation was formed, an official organization uniting the remaining nations of Blue Star. Back then, many survivors could still receive rescue updates and warnings over longwave radio. But after the Polar Night, perhaps because they were too close to Star Abyss No. 3, they could no longer pick up those broadcasts.

"Can't escape? Then why build this train?" Kiki looked puzzled.

Lin Xian's expression sharpened. "The Jiang City Vanguard escaped the Tide of Darkness by heading east and reached daylight sooner. That's a useful observation. But what if the source of the Polar Night isn't ordinary nightfall? What if the Tide of Darkness isn't something people can escape just by heading east? Think about it. Starting from Jiang City, every three hundred kilometers or so we travel brings the next dawn forward by an hour. So do people three thousand kilometers east of us not need to run at all? Based on the initial observations of the Polar Night, if the Star Abysses are the cause, should the people near Star Abyss No. 4 in Desert City, fifteen thousand six hundred kilometers to our northeast, head west or east?"

Kiki's eyes lit up. "Oh! So you want to take the Orbital Ring because it stays far from almost every Star Abyss, or at least skirts their edges!"

"Exactly," Lin Xian said. "Now suppose the Tide of Darkness spreads from Star Abyss No. 3 near Dingzhou at three hundred kilometers a day. How long would it take to cover all of Blue Star?"

Kiki frowned. "Let me calculate—"

"No need. One thousand and sixty-six days."

"That long?"

"Long?" Lin Xian's gaze turned grave. "Have you forgotten? Blue Star has thirteen Star Abysses."

"Oh, right..." Kiki frowned.

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "The Orbital Ring is fixed. Eventually, it will fall within a Star Abyss's reach. That's why it's only the first stage of my plan. With my Mechanical Esper Ability, I don't just want to race along the Orbital Ring. I want to free this train from the tracks. Maybe one day... we'll make it fly!"

Kiki's eyes widened. She stared at Lin Xian, shock filling her gaze. His audacious idea left her mind blank.

She could not imagine what it would look like for a fully armed heavy train to soar into the sky!

Seeing her fall silent, Lin Xian continued, "I may not know exactly what's happening, and no one has uncovered the truth behind the Polar Night. We'll certainly pass through Polar Night Zones as we flee. So if we don't want to sit around waiting to die, we have to race toward dawn, or..."

"Defeat the Black Night!"