Soaring into the Sky!

Scan complete. Blueprint acquisition failed. Target core power source does not exist. Unable to generate blueprint data.

"Just as I thought..."

Lin Xian switched on his flashlight and looked at the enormous humanoid machine before him, his face full of regret.

"What a shame. I can only devour it, but the materials recovered from this thing should be pretty good."

It could not be repaired, and its blueprint could not be scanned. The best use for it was to become nourishment for the growth of Lin Xian's Mechanical Heart.

He turned off the flashlight, rose to inspect the dark wilderness around him, and, after confirming it was safe, sat down and began devouring the massive machine in earnest.

Devouring progress: 1%

Devouring progress: 3%

Watching the progress in front of him, Lin Xian estimated that this thing would probably take several hours to finish.

Through the long night, time passed bit by bit until it was finally complete.

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

At that moment, a flash of purple light suddenly appeared before his eyes!

Congratulations. You have obtained an additional skill reward: Flashback!

Flashback (Rare): Use Wind Force to perform a rapid forward thrust. Upgrading this skill can greatly increase speed and thrust distance.

"Holy shit, a rare skill. But judging by the name, it sounds kind of..."

Lin Xian was overjoyed. This was the first rare skill he had obtained, and it seemed to be some sort of movement and mobility skill, greatly improving his maneuverability at once.

"I wonder how powerful it is..."

When he opened the Decomposition Space and 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 Steel for Inner Armor ×3, Titanium Alloy ×3...

"Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Type I... You can't even find this stuff among civilians."

Lin Xian was deeply shocked. This military-grade material could only be found on cutting-edge military armor. You would not find it in ordinary thermal weapons.

Thud, thud, thud~

At that moment, a crisp set of footsteps rang out in the darkness.

"Who's there?"

"Me." Kiki slowly emerged from behind the train, looking at him with a grin.

Lin Xian was just about to devour that tank. Seeing her, he immediately asked, "What is it?"

"Uh..." Kiki looked a little awkward. "I came to... say thank you."

Lin Xian raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.

"And then what?"

"Thank you for letting me stay in Carriage 2, and thank you for saving me earlier," Kiki said softly.

"It was nothing." Lin Xian walked to the Heavy TFV600 twin-barreled tank and placed his hand on it. As he activated Mechanical Devour, he said to her, "Whether it was that Big Bug or what happened at the military outpost this time, we would definitely have died without your help."

Lin Xian had not expected Kiki to come over and say such things. His heart relaxed a little. He had indeed felt conflicted before.

On the one hand, Kiki's ability had been a tremendous help in escaping danger both times. On the other, he had always been wary of her incredibly powerful ability.

But Kiki had no idea what Lin Xian was thinking. Hearing his words, a hint of delight appeared on her face, and she suddenly held out her hand to him.

"Then... this is for you."

Lin Xian saw a small silver object in her outstretched hand. He took it and realized it was a miniature external hard drive.

"What is this?"

"The preliminary data for the Angel Project. I copied it all. Also, I found a blueprint for the GK03 Electric Saber in some old files. I noticed you always like carrying that broken knife around. Can't you make things? Do you want to try this?"

"But the materials for it might be troublesome. You'll need some kind of high-frequency current transformer..."

Lin Xian froze slightly. Although carrying a blade was purely a necessity due to his mechanical ability, the moment he heard the name...

Damn, the GK03 Electric Saber?!

This was absolutely good stuff!!

He had seen it on military forums before. It was a standard close-combat weapon developed by Kehua Heavy Industry for the Iron Guard Brigade of the Interstellar Army. It had been issued in very small numbers, and was once criticized for its energy consumption and practicality. Eventually, the project was gradually shelved.

But no matter what, this thing was genuinely cool. It could be used in combat, and with some modifications based on the principles of its electric blade, it might even be of great use to his train!

Seeing the eagerness in Lin Xian's eyes, Kiki could not help tilting her head at him. "So... shall we make up?"

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

"And the thing about ambushing you."

Kiki giggled. "Also, I don't think your plan is boring anymore. I think it's a genius plan!"

"Oh?" Lin Xian frowned and said meaningfully, "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 must think I'm lying to you again, but the Dawn Project is real, and my identity is real too. My... father and I took a helicopter to the Mount Daluo area, which seemed to be Underground City No. 9 of the Dawn Project. But after the first Polar Night, the Federal Government had already collapsed, so the Dawn Project must have been affected too. And if it were me, I don't want to either. I don't want to be buried underground, waiting for those monsters to come knocking every day."

"Sounds very sincere."

"Really!" Kiki looked utterly helpless. "I didn't lie to you this time, I swear." As she spoke, she raised three fingers.

Lin Xian nodded. "Then do you know why I designed this train project, even with all the problems you're worried about?"

"Isn't it because of your mechanical ability?" Kiki asked tentatively.

"That's only a subjective factor, not an objective one."

Lin Xian tapped his fingers against the tank, his expression grave. "You may think I'm indulging in fantasy. I previously heard the Apocalypse Federation's analysis of the Tide of Darkness on Apocalypse Radio. My view is that perhaps, in the end, none of us will be able to escape the encroachment of darkness."

After the Federal Government collapsed, the new Apocalypse Federation was established—an official organization that united Blue Star's remaining national forces. Back then, many survivors could still receive rescue and precautionary information through longwave radio. But after the Polar Night, perhaps because they were too close to Star Abyss No. 3, they could no longer receive such longwave broadcasts.

"Can't escape? Then why are you building this train?" Kiki looked confused.

Lin Xian's expression turned icy. "The Jiang City Vanguard can flee the Dark Tide by heading east and bring dawn ahead of schedule. That is valid reference information. But the problem is, what if the source of the Polar Night isn't ordinary darkness, and the Dark Tide isn't what people imagine—something you can escape simply by heading east? Then what? Let me give you an example. Starting from Jiang City, every three hundred-plus kilometers we travel can bring the next day's dawn forward by an hour. So here's the question: does that mean we don't need to run from a place three thousand kilometers east of us? Based on the initial observations of the Polar Night, if it is caused by the Star Abysses, then for the people at Star Abyss No. 4 in Desert City, fifteen thousand six hundred kilometers northeast of us, should they head west or east?"

Kiki's eyes lit up at once. She gave an "Oh." "So you want to take the Orbital Ring because that route stays far from almost every Star Abyss, or at least along their edges!"

"Correct." Lin Xian said directly, "Then let me ask you this. Suppose Star Abyss No. 3 spreads the Dark Tide from the direction of Dingzhou at a rate of three hundred kilometers per day. How long would it take to cover the entire Blue Star?"

Kiki immediately frowned. "Let me calculate it."

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

"That long?"

"Long?" Lin Xian's gaze was solemn. "Have you forgotten? There are... thirteen Star Abysses on Blue Star!"

"Right..." Kiki frowned upon hearing that.

Lin Xian's eyes narrowed slightly as he declared, "The Orbital Ring is fixed. Sooner or later, we won't be able to escape the Star Abysses' spread. That's why this is only the first stage of my plan. My mechanical ability isn't just meant to let us race along the Orbital Ring—I want this train to break free from the constraints of the tracks. Or one day... make it fly!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Kiki's eyes flew wide open. She stared blankly at Lin Xian, her pupils filled with shock. His audacious idea instantly left her mind blank.

She did not dare imagine what it would look like for a fully armed heavy train to soar into the clouds!

Seeing her remain silent, Lin Xian continued, "I may not fully understand the specifics. No one has uncovered the truth behind what caused the Polar Night, and during our escape, we will certainly enter Polar Night zones. So if we don't want to sit still and wait for death, we can only flee toward dawn, or..."

"Defeat the night!"

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