Clang, clang.
After the polar night, this was the first time Jiang City had heard the sound of a train on the tracks.
The rumblings of this giant beast naturally aroused the curiosity of some survivors who had originally planned to stay at home, and as it passed, curious eyes followed the enormous locomotive in operation.
Chen Sixuan wolfed down the bread and drank most of a water bottle, finally feeling herself returning from the cold brink of death.
She was quiet for a while, feeling the train slowly advancing and experiencing a sense of tragic relief as if she had survived a great ordeal.
Regaining her senses, Chen Sixuan began to examine the steel train carriage that gave her a strong sense of security, where the windows had been welded shut with thick plates, leaving only tiny grated holes to see the outdoor scenes in reverse.
The original passenger seats were removed, converting it into a living area with beds on the floor and a tent. Most of the space was vacant, used for storing supplies, and there was also a restroom from the original passenger carriage.
Though slightly cramped and disorderly, it conveyed a sense of complete and cozy security.
Chen Sixuan looked towards the rear and saw that Carriage 2 was empty, with waterproof bags filled with some unknown supplies and at that moment, her mouth fell open with a shocked expression.
Because she saw a girl with tied-up hands and feet lying in the corner of Carriage 2, with closed eyes, her life or death unknown.
Chen Sixuan quickly covered her mouth, alarmed, not understanding what was going on, wondering if Lin Xian had kidnapped this woman.
But she couldn't understand what value there was in kidnapping a young girl in this situation.
Could it be...
Chen Sixuan was lost in wild thoughts, unaware that Lin Xian had already entered the carriage.
"Teacher Chen."
"Ah!" Chen Sixuan, lost in thought, was startled by Lin Xian's voice, her expression panic-stricken as she turned to see Lin Xian speaking with a calm demeanor.
"Feeling better?"
"Her… who is she?" Chen Sixuan asked tentatively, full of doubts.
Lin Xian's gaze turned to Carriage 2. "I don't know who she is either, she just appeared at my doorstep asking for help, and then she passed out. For safety, I had no choice but to tie her up."
Chen Sixuan sighed with relief inwardly and couldn't help but laugh at herself.
It was she who had pleaded to get on Lin Xian's train, regardless of what fate awaited, it was her choice after all, what's there to worry about...
"Are we preparing to leave the city now?"
"Not for now."
Lin Xian said, "I still need to prepare some essential supplies and also test the train's performance. The polar night is four days away, we should make it in time."
Chen Sixuan looked at Lin Xian with courageous eyes, "What do you need me to do then?"
Since they were to weather the storm together, Chen Sixuan felt she must prove her worth, rather than just being a decorative piece.
"Needed."
Lin Xian handed her a logbook from the cockpit, saying solemnly,
"I'll handle the driving, you're responsible for recording our daily route, mileage, stops, and train conditions. As we still don't know the pattern and range of the night tide, it's crucial to calculate the time of sunrise changes during our escape. This is very important; if we get the direction wrong, we might never escape the polar night."
Chen Sixuan nodded seriously, "Okay, I understand, I can do that!"
"And also…" Lin Xian glanced around the carriage, "it's just the two of us for now, so I need you to help me keep track and manage the supplies, and also keep an eye on that girl."
Chen Sixuan turned back to look at the sleeping girl, somewhat surprised,
"You don't need me to come down and look for supplies with you?"
The implication being, you're that comfortable leaving me alone on the train?
Lin Xian gave a faint smile.
"I already said, it's just the two of us for now. If we both get out, who will guard the car?"
Lin Xian discerned Chen Sixuan's implication, but he did not explicitly state it.
Because the motorcycle's fuel tank was completely empty, even the most experienced driver couldn't drive it away, and Lin Xian was not worried about being locked out either. He was very confident about this point, and not stating it outright also had an element of testing.
In this post-apocalyptic world, even someone who seemed kind and beautiful like Teacher Chen could not be fully trusted.
However, initially, he still needed to show some trust on the surface.
"I see." Chen Sixuan hadn't expected Lin Xian to trust her so much, feeling a subtle warmth in her heart, which gave her a traditional feeling of a man handling the outside matters while the woman taking care of the internal ones. The moment she remembered that he was also her student, a romantic sentiment burgeoned from within her.
Clang, clang.
The 'Infinity' moved at an extremely low speed on the urban light rail of Jiang City. Lin Xian followed the map, planning to proceed along Line 3 while constantly keeping an eye on the road conditions.
[Devouring successful, Mechanical Source Point +1, Mechanical Devouring Skill proficiency +1, additional reward: your defense is increased by 1]
[Current Mechanical Heart level LV.1 177/500]
[Tip: Upgrading the Mechanical Heart can obtain Special Skill rewards. When the Mechanical Heart reaches levels LV3, LV6, LV9, you can obtain Mysterious Awakening]
[Basic Attributes]
[Strength: LV1 22/50]
[Speed: LV0 28/30]
[Defense: LV0 16/30]
[Current Basic Skills]
[Mechanical Devouring LV.1 266/300]
[Mechanical Manufacturing LV.1 112/300]
[Mechanical Scan (Passive)]
[Mechanical Repair (Passive)]
[Mechanical Operation (Passive)]
[Special Skills]
[Wind Cannon LV.1 3/100]
Inside the cockpit, Lin Xian began to devour the small home appliances he took from Chen Sixuan's house one by one, ready to embark on a journey. He had to remain focused at all times and seize every opportunity to enhance his strength.
[Devouring successful, Mechanical Source Point +1, Mechanical Devouring Skill proficiency +1]
[Devouring successful, Mechanical Source Point +2, Mechanical Devouring Skill proficiency +1]
[Current Mechanical Heart level LV.1 180/500]
[Mechanical Devouring LV.1 268/300]
"It's still too slow..."
Watching the small pink bear blender turn into a pile of ash in his hand, Lin Xian sighed, wishing he had enough time to devour cars or even trains, which might increase his Mechanical Source Points by dozens or hundreds at a time.
And with the experience from the hairdryer, he was even more excited about the possibility of gaining other special skills through devouring.
This was simply incredible.
His Mechanical Heart system could not only operate machinery, propel trains, but also directly create machinery, akin to a creation mode. In this post-apocalyptic world where the entire human industrial system had collapsed, this was simply invincible.
The most crucial aspect was that this skill could help him improve his stats and acquire other skills.
Compared to those superpowers, it seemed much more versatile.