Armed Train in the Apocalypse

This is the terror of Tier Four.

Faced with low-tier evolvers, it’s already a crushing at the level of rules and concepts.

Moreover, it’s far more than that; Su Huan is a dual-profession evolver, though his secondary profession remains at Tier Three, both have deeply integrated in a way Su Huan was unaware of.

Now he can’t discern whether the abilities he’s using belong to the primary or secondary profession.

They flow like blood in his body, jointly bearing the body’s consumption.

It’s like Lord Lian before him, being a Tier Three ”Boxing Overlord” with a peerless physique, under the protection of Gang Qi can easily unleash sonic booms, physically resisting Tier Three evolution beasts, catching artillery shells barehanded is no big deal — on the battlefield, they are an unrivaled god of slaughter.

If it were before, he would need to fight a while to break her defenses and defeat her.

Now, just one finger can poke her to death!

Of course, blowing her to death with a breath is also possible, but that’s blowing an energy torrent, no different from a strike.

By relying on pressure alone, one or two-tier evolvers can already be cornered.

The two people beside are examples.

However, Su Huan was not in the mood to check the abilities he had just obtained, casually saying something, he disappeared from the carriage, leaving the three of them staring at one another.

This disappearance lasted three days.

During this period, the train modification continued systematically, Hua Zonglin and the other had to remain stranded on the Four Countries Peninsula due to trade being paused, their vehicles could only stay there.

Initially, Director Xu proposed several exchanges but was politely declined. Later, using indirect means, he communicated with the train staff and obtained permission to board for inspection. A group of old folks went on board for a tour, although many rooms were not open, the old folks saw through quite a bit.

Acquired quite a few modification ideas.

Hua Zonglin and his companion could only accept the outcome.

Three days later, a travel-worn Su Huan returned, wasted no time, agreed to their trade request on the spot. The upgraded armed train will open a safe passage in the plant zone, followed by the Longxi High-speed Rail vehicles behind.

Then, the conductor convened a high-level meeting, setting a new research goal ”about the defense system of armed trains against special energy...” deciding the direction of future modifications and upgrades, and the time to head toward the plant zone, he then plunged into Director Xu’s laboratory.

...

”March 5, 2037, gravity balance.”

”The world outside Donghuang is much worse, Tier Four is not a time for complacency.”

Since the conductor dove into the laboratory, the decision-making position of the train was vacant, Yu Yue and He Jie, being in charge of the combat system, naturally wouldn’t bother with that.

According to the meeting, Hu Shuo will serve as secretary-general duties, Xiaozhao was transferred to the logistics group, working with Su Reya in managing administrative tasks.

The head of the research group is jointly held by Zhou Qing and Luo Jingyi.

Besides, the combat group and various subordinate departments underwent minor personnel adjustments.

(Administrative Crew)

Secretary Group: Hu Shuo

Logistics Group: Xiaozhao, Su Reya

Manufacturing Group: Wan Xing, Old Jiang

Combat Group: Lao San, Pang Tu

Research Group: Zhou Qing, Luo Jingyi

————

(Responsible Crew)

Pan Energy Weapons: Vice President Deng, Boss

Pan Energy Communications: Professor Ma

Pan Energy Evolution: Director Xu

Electromagnetic Weapons: Ban Yunzhang

Train Modifications: Wang Doyu

Biomechanics: Yu Jing, Tan Yunxi, Zhou Qing

Artificial Intelligence: Luo Jingyi,

Rule Research: Chen Ziliang, Liu Yu (Vice President Deng’s student), Lu Yu (Zhou Qing’s student)

Pang Tu is filling in temporarily, once the new recruits are trained, Pang Tu will fully transition to the crew division.

Although Luo Jingyi and Zhou Qing came later, compared to Director Xu and others, they are younger and have more energy to handle administrative tasks.

The rule research department is temporarily new, but Chen Ziliang does not participate in actual management, the scope of work is broader, miscellaneous tasks are handled by the two students. Currently, there’s not much happening in the fledgling department; the main task is to archive the rules summarized by Chen Ziliang.

The changes to departments under the four groups are not significant, mainly a few additional departments were added.

Logistics Group: Carriage Farm (Huang Sea), Cultivation Pod (Li Han), Dining Car Kitchen (Chef), Resource Management (Su Reya), Head Car Dispatch (Glasses), Carriage Allocation (Su Reya), Medical Carriage (Lin Xia), Charging Group (Wang Bo), Train Classroom (Liu Yu, Lu Yu)

Combat Group: Armed Management (Pang Tu), Hive (Xiong Lang), New Recruit Camp (Lao Er)

Research Group: Eight Laboratories.

Manufacturing Group: Bullet Workshop (Boss), Engineering Team (Old Jiang)

Among them, the charging group headed by Wang Bo was one of the six people captured on the train with Shu Wei, due to his ”power supplier” ability, has been consistently managing the train’s charging work.

The train classroom was a department proposed by Zhou Qing, approved by Su Huan, mainly providing scientific education to minors aboard the train.

The hive device integrated in the car’s head has always been operated by glasses, actual operations conducted by several drone pilots, now independently managed by the earliest six crew members recruited by Su Huan, drone pilot Xiong Lang in charge.

Among the original six, translator Hu Shuo, car mechanic Old Liu (deceased), chef, drone pilot Xiong Lang, image doctor Lin Xia, building woman Han Kexin (off board), have mostly stepped into management positions.

...

Xiaozhao tapped the papers on the desktop, aligning the corners neatly and placed them into the folder.

Because Hu Shuo has managed the logistics group so orderly, Xiaozhao took over quickly, however this does not mean the job is easy. Previously in the research group, he only needed to handle the supplies of various laboratories and interfacing matters, but now, as the head of the logistics crew, he has to manage the entire crew’s affairs.

Being considered as the first among the conductors wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Yet he hasn’t had much time to rejoice, calling his staff to deliver the sorted files to the secretary group, Xiaozhao walked swiftly toward carriage number 9.

He pushed open the door, the smell of soldering resin from overheated circuit boards and the rusting oil scent made Xiaozhao’s eyelids twitch,

The space towering over seven meters allows all stacking to be possible.

Above, crisscrossing steel frame bridges form three layers, paved with grid steel plates as walkways, connecting maintenance platforms protruding from the walls, several metal rail arms hang from the ceiling, hooks carrying half of a chest painted dark gray power armor, like a dissected iron giant, hydraulic rods and fiber bundle muscles within its chest are exposed.

The ground doesn’t fare better either, various specifications of servomotors and actuators are casually stored in open industrial plastic boxes, three left arms hang on racks at the same angle, grips in various poses, one finger joint still performing slow grasp tests.

Besides that, Xiaozhao sees weaponry, motorbike, and even tank metal parts around.

The piled up space leaves no room to step.

A slender figure jumped down from the second-floor platform, parts clanged underfoot, the white scale armor wrapped the tall figure in an alluring contour, presenting a strange allure.

Xiaozhao slightly raised his eyes, focusing on her brow, ”Crew Chief Yu Jing, is there something you need my help with?”

Yu Jing kicks aside a tank gun barrel, tosses him a wrench, ”You seem to be the highest evolved ’mechanics apprentice’ on the train; are you ready to ascend to Tier Two?”

Xiaozhao receives the wrench, understanding, ”I already possess the skills for Tier Two ascent, but Director Xu said I’m still lacking a bit of opportunity.”

Yu Jing searches through something nearby, asking, ”What do you think a mechanical soul looks like?”

Xiaozhao is stunned, was he called over just to ask this?

But seeing she’s not joking, he carefully contemplates the question.

Mechanical... soul?

Do mechanisms have souls?

Sounds like a setting in some games.

But in reality, mechanics don’t have such a thing as a soul.

Is it possible that a Tier Three mechanician can bestow a soul to machines?

Thinking about it, Xiaozhao suggests something more logical, ”Is it artificial intelligence?”

Yu Jing shakes her head, ”In other words, compared to tools, firearms, power armor, exoskeletons, vehicles... which do you think feels more soulful?”