Translator: AnubisTL
Boom!!!
Another bolt of lightning tore through the rainy night, freezing every raindrop in midair for a fleeting moment. The deafening thunderclap that followed echoed across the heavens and earth.
Amidst the zombie horde below, the train, now shattered into several useless sections, burned fiercely, defying even the downpour.
"Roar!"
The Tier 6 Zombie, only slightly injured, roared in fury and charged off in a new direction, followed immediately by countless zombies like loyal soldiers trailing their general.
The severely wounded zombies were left behind, writhing like maggots in the rain, their grunts lost in the storm's clamor.
Whew...
At the other end of the Sha River Plains, inside the Misanthrope Train's locomotive cabin, the young man seated at the control panel exhaled a long breath of relief. Thank goodness for the drill accessory; hiding underground was relatively safe.
Then, his expression darkened as he gazed at the tens of thousands of red dots on the target acquisition radar.
What's going on?
In all the time he'd been on the Sha River Plains, he'd never seen a zombie horde of this scale. The Sha River Plains were renowned for their safety, yet among those red dots on his radar were several Tier 6 Zombies—a significant threat to his train. His train's energy shield was only Tier 5, insufficient to withstand a Tier 6 monster.
The train radio was in chaos.
Clearly, this zombie horde wasn't targeting him alone; it was attacking nearly every train in the area.
Moreover, these weren't the usual wandering zombies. They seemed to be deliberately targeting each train.
This blatant anomaly would keep him awake all night. Who knew what horrors might emerge from the depths tonight? Fortunately, he had an oxygen generator, so he didn't need to worry about running out of air if he had to stay underground for too long.
That night, the Sha River Plains were destined to be anything but peaceful. Nearly every train came under attack from the zombie horde. Some were destroyed, others fled, and many more sought refuge underground.
Fortunately, the Sha River Plains bordered the Kunlun Mountain Region, and many trains had been equipped with drills. This meant that when danger struck, the underground tunnels offered a relatively safe refuge.
The "Oxygen Machine" accessory was also standard equipment for nearly all trains with drills. After all, both accessories were essential for long-term underground survival. Once a train acquired a drill, obtaining an Oxygen Machine became a top priority.
No one knew what had happened.
No one knew where these zombies had come from. They seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
Every train conductor anxiously awaited dawn, knowing this night would be sleepless.
But—
What is poison to one is honey to another.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!"
Inside a Tier 6 flesh train, a tall woman sat before the control panel, her eyes blazing with bloodlust and excitement as she expertly maneuvered the flesh train through the rainy night, relentlessly slaughtering the zombie horde.
The locomotive had transformed into a gaping maw, devouring every zombie in its path.
The carnage was swift and efficient.
For the flesh train, this night's zombie horde was no less than the mechanical train's journey to the Goblin's Tomb, a land overflowing with wealth.
The sudden disappearance of monsters in the Kunlun Mountain Region had left her in a state of distress. She dared not venture into other maps like the other Tier 6 flesh trains, and she was at a loss for what to do.
Then the zombie horde arrived.
Like spring rain, it instantly filled her senses with the scent of life.
But this was only true for Tier 6 flesh trains. Flesh trains of lower tiers could only fight and flee, dodging attacks from High-Level Zombies while slaughtering the weaker ones.
A winter rain turned the entire Sha River Plains into a chaotic mess.
Countless people were jolted awake from their sleep.
Only on the Stellaris train did everything seem as if nothing had happened.
The vehicle blades spun mechanically at high speed, mowing down every zombie that approached. The three Doomsday Cannons roared intermittently, launching cannonballs trailing fiery tails that precisely targeted high-grade monsters within the horde.
And in the rain-soaked night, Zhang Damei piloted the Executioner mech, swinging its Giant Axe to relentlessly slaughter zombies.
The train residents in the Resident Car, lacking windows, could only faintly hear the sound of heavy rain outside. They were sleeping soundly, having gone without sleep for 48 hours straight, and were now completely oblivious to what was happening outside.
At first, when several Tier 3 zombies approached the train and began pounding violently on the carriage, the interior remained eerily silent, without even a tremor.
"Just passing through... excuse me."
Inside Resident Car No. 9, a man who had woken up to relieve himself carefully made his way toward the rear of the carriage in the dim, quiet space. He quietly apologized to the residents he disturbed, as Resident Car No. 9 had a refrigerator at its rear end.
This refrigerator served as the carriage's restroom, stocked with several Tier 1 Pure Water Filters. Men could urinate directly into it.
The carriage remained eerily quiet.
The man tiptoed as quietly as possible, trying not to wake anyone else. But as he reached the end of the carriage, he caught a strong whiff of blood and the faint earthy scent of rain-soaked soil near the connection point.
"Huh?"
The man froze for a moment, then shook his head, dismissing the thought. He entered the refrigerator, relieved himself, and returned to his seat, ready to sleep.
It was raining outside, and the downpour was heavy.
As for the lingering smell of blood, it was likely a monster had approached the train and been slain. He wasn't worried. After spending so many days aboard the Stellaris, he had witnessed its power firsthand.
If even the Stellaris couldn't withstand an attack, then he had nothing to fear. It would simply be fate taking its course.
If even Lord Mang could die, his own demise would be perfectly normal.
He crept back to his seat, the temperature dropping slightly. Fortunately, Lord Mang had turned on the air conditioner, keeping the carriage warm. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, he soon drifted back into a deep sleep.
The sound of the torrential rain echoed faintly in his ears.
The earthy scent of rain-soaked soil seeped into the carriage.
For some reason, he slept even more soundly.
For a fleeting moment, he forgot he was living in the apocalypse. He imagined himself back in his pre-apocalypse apartment, a downpour raging outside his window. Tomorrow was a day off, no work, and he could sleep in as late as he wanted. He'd order an extravagant 40-yuan takeout meal to treat himself and spend the day playing on his phone.
In a daze, he had many dreams.
He dreamed that all the monsters had been wiped out, the apocalypse had finally ended, and the Stellaris had broken through the planet's atmosphere to begin its interstellar journey. As a train resident with a three-digit number, he had become an elder on the Stellaris, enjoying excellent treatment.
He also dreamed of marrying a gentle and virtuous woman, and together they had a child. He would open history books to tell the child about everything they had endured after the apocalypse began.
He had many dreams.
Perhaps because they were all good dreams, a faint smile curved the corners of the man's lips as he drifted into deep sleep.
In Guard Car No. 7, most of the guards were asleep. Only the members of Team Two remained awake, gazing out the window at their captain battling zombies in the rain. They were supposed to be patrolling outside the train tonight, but due to the special circumstances, they had been forced to return to the carriage.
Besides Team Two, someone else was still awake.
Old Pig, wrapped in a blanket, pushed open the compartment door and walked out. He spotted Biaozi sitting by the window, lost in thought. Lighting a cigarette, he sat down beside him and asked casually, "Still awake?"
The train's air conditioner accessory was excellent, immediately expelling smoke outside the carriage, preventing it from lingering inside.
"Mm."
Biaozi stared out the window at the mech spinning and leaping in the rainy night, his expression complex. After a moment, he murmured, "I want a mech too."
"Do you think you can just get one if you want one?"
Old Pig sighed, then patted Biaozi's shoulder.
"As long as your comprehensive physical fitness meets the standards, Lord Mang would definitely prepare one for you. But even if he gave you one, you wouldn't be able to use it. Get some sleep. You and the first team are on patrol duty tomorrow morning."
"Mm."
Biaozi nodded and turned to say something to Old Pig, but suddenly noticed the thick, lush hair on Old Pig's head. He blurted out instinctively, "Where did you get that wig?"
"What wig?" Old Pig retorted, rolling his eyes. "I used my stellar coupons to go to the Medical Bay. My hair grew back. You'll never see me bald again."
"The one Wildcat's girlfriend went to?"
"Mm, that one. But I didn't get a full body treatment. It was too expensive. I just treated my hair. I don't have any major problems—just normal wear and tear on my organs."
"Normal wear and tear on body organs... it sounds like something a robot would experience."
"It does, doesn't it? His Medical Bay is set up that way. It measures the integrity of each organ, with no specific disease names. It really does sound like something out of a robot's maintenance log."
Biaozi turned his gaze from Old Pig without speaking, instead tilting his head to look out the window. "Why aren't you asleep either?"
"Can't quite fall asleep."
Old Pig pulled his blanket tighter around himself, sitting by the window and following Biaozi's gaze toward the endless tide of zombies surging toward the train in the storm. After a moment, he spoke softly, his expression complex.
"It all feels too unreal. I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, I'll wake up and realize it was all just a dream."
"You and Yan Yao are different. You've been hiding and fleeing since the apocalypse began. My name, Old Pig, has probably flickered on King Yama's Book of Life and Death countless times."
"You said last time that no good people survive the apocalypse."
"I think we should add another rule: those who survive the apocalypse must have incredibly strong mental fortitude. Anyone with weaker mental resilience would have killed themselves long ago."
"We're used to running."
"I've gotten used to not knowing when I'll die."
"It's still so strange to be on the Stellaris. It feels like a dream. Last time, when Lord Mang and I faced the zombie horde on Master Kun's train, we had already accepted our fate. The stench of decay from those zombies burrowed into my brain. I could even imagine them tearing my body apart."
"And yet, only a few months have passed."
Old Pig gazed out the window at the zombies relentlessly charging into the vehicle blades and being sliced into bloody chunks in the rainy night. After a moment of silence, he stubbed out his cigarette in an empty cola can.
"Here we are, sitting comfortably, chatting like old friends, calmly watching those zombies outside."
"I used to not believe in fatalism."
"Fatalism is the idea that when a catastrophic disaster strikes, a hero always emerges to save the world. But after meeting Lord Mang, I suddenly started to believe in it."
"Do you think you'll ever see the Stellaris fall?"
"..."
Biaozi remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "No. If the Stellaris were ever to collapse, I'd die before it."
"Really?" Old Pig suddenly chuckled. "You seem to have developed an obsession with the Stellaris."
"Yeah." Biaozi nodded, meeting Old Pig's gaze with a helpless shake of his head. "I don't know why. To be honest, the reason I've been constantly seeking opportunities to prove myself is partly because I desperately crave Lord Mang's approval. I don't even care about rewards; I just want him to praise me."
"To say I, the captain of Guard Team One, truly deserve the title and can handle the responsibilities."
"Another reason is to protect my position. After all, I'm considered an old-timer. If I were to fall behind the newcomers on the Stellaris, I'd lose face. It's only natural, you understand."
"And finally..."
"I genuinely hope the Stellaris can become better. I have no family left. The Stellaris is the only emotional anchor I have in this apocalypse. If the Stellaris were to disappear, even if I survived, I'd become a walking corpse, aimlessly wandering like a headless fly."
"I'd give everything for the Stellaris, just like I'd protect my family."
Old Pig glanced out the window at the zombie tide again. "Lord Mang rarely praises anyone."
"He praised Li Shiji."
"That kid is truly remarkable, like he's unlocked his genetic lock."
Biaozi fell silent, staring out the window.
"Go to sleep," Old Pig said with a sigh, patting Biaozi's back. "We have a busy day tomorrow. Get some rest. Don't set yourself up for failure. I'm genuinely worried you'll die someday."
"Don't take such risks in the future."
"You're the only person I can truly talk to on the Stellaris. If you die, I'll have no one left to speak with. It'll be so lonely."
"It's already lonely enough."
Biaozi didn't respond, just waved his hand to show he understood.
The number of zombies outside gradually dwindled. Even a tide of zombies couldn't withstand such a relentless rate of death.
It was like...
Even the darkest night eventually gives way to dawn.
Until then, all they could do was survive, fight to live until they saw the dawn.
(End of the Chapter)
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