The carriage was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Once one entered the White Calamity, there was no way out. Whether Transcendents or ordinary people, none had ever emerged after entering.
And they no longer had any chance of escaping.
At first, the Expeditionary Force had not feared sacrifice, but their string of successful offensives in recent days had made them somewhat accustomed to it.
The sudden hopeless situation before them had caught everyone off guard.
Then, the heavy machine gun roared.
Everyone looked up to see Gwen had already climbed onto the roof of the train. Holding her Gatling Gun, she swept fire at the skeletons charging in from all directions.
Sunlight fell upon her, gilding her in gold. The sight of her cradling the machine gun and firing from atop the train seared itself deeply into everyone's hearts.
She was from the Northern Territory. No one understood the terror of the White Calamity better than she did. She should have been the most despairing of them all, yet she raised her gun.
The Resistance Army fought in despair every day. They had no reinforcements, no retreat, no future, yet they had never given up, not even for a moment.
There was no need to think, no need to hesitate. Resistance itself was the answer.
In the face of despair, she raised her gun, just as she had in every battle before.
And in her hands, that Gatling Gun which had created miracles let out its heavy, fervent roar.
Hodge suddenly had the feeling that perhaps she had earned the Machine Soul's recognition not because of the mysterious Transcendent powers within her, but because her will had been acknowledged by the Machine Soul.
"She truly is the finest machine gunner," Hodge muttered. He took a deep