Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Under the awe of everyone’s gaze, Su Huan walked alone onto the train roof.

The four parallel trains made the rooftop extremely wide, resembling a giant flying fortress. The mechanical arms occasionally moved to check if the low temperature had caused structural damage.

However, the materials used on the train were at least Tier Two, not inferior in structural strength to pre-apocalyptic space stations, and could withstand temperatures of about minus one hundred degrees.

There were just not many people.

Cold currents swept past Su Huan’s ears but didn’t take away any warmth, like white dragons encircling him, angrily roaring.

”What are you hesitating about?”

A woman with broken legs sat beside Su Huan, her cheeks thin, gaze colder than the snowstorm.

Su Huan sat at the train’s front, unsurprised by the woman’s appearance.

The woman was his orphanage director years ago, who died on the day the apocalypse came.

Now this was likely his hallucination.

To be more scientific, it should be called schizophrenia.

Main characters in novels often have this condition, it’s quite trendy.

”You’re stalling for time.”

The woman said again.

Su Huan replied indifferently, ”So what if I am?”

Before entering the orphanage, he had only seen the woman’s face in dreams.

Now, he no longer trusted his memory.

If she was real, then what about other dreams?

Was it because he forgot them after rebirth, or was his memory fabricated?

Of course, there are worse theories, but Su Huan didn’t want to ponder them. Things were fine now; Xiaoba and the others were alive, he had a family, and an unborn child.

”You’ve provided them shelter and resources for a better life. In return, they should work for you.”

The woman’s chilling voice lingered in his ears.

Su Huan ignored it.

”Do you really think that woman sincerely loves you?”

”She merely relies on you out of habit. Without you, she’d find someone else...”

”Shut up!”

A voice suddenly snapped at him.

A woman in a black down coat stood beside Su Huan, a kerchief over her face, holding a shovel, angrily staring at the orphanage director.

The latter merely sneered and disappeared.

The woman crouched down, straightened Su Huan’s wind-tousled collar, and buttoned it up to the top.

A resentful expression appeared, ”Don’t listen to her nonsense. Your dad and I can see the girl truly likes you, treat her well, live a good life, nothing else matters...”

Feeling the woman’s coarse palm, Su Huan’s eyes softened.

The woman seemed to hear the best answer and gradually vanished alongside the worried-looking man with glasses standing beside her.

Unknowingly, after sitting for a while, a rueful smile appeared on the handsome face of the locomotive chief.

”What a nuisance.”

…

Due to the intense snowstorm, Su Huan didn’t intend to break through it, so the train moved slowly.

Just before reaching the Donghuang border of Changbai Province, the train encountered a group of peculiar folks.

Being able to walk steadily in the snow was remarkable, but without proper clothes, waving a broken rifle to intercept the train attracted everyone’s attention and revealed their identity.

Pale Demons.

Six in total, all easily captured by the locomotive chief.

Those possessed by Pale Demons had long surpassed the human realm, resembling cultists summoning demons in movies, with resilient Life Force, staring unblinkingly at Su Huan even when half of their bodies were burned.

Their mouths opened and closed meaninglessly, failing to form any language.

Still, Su Huan understood the meaning behind the mind he held, ”Found you.”

”Are you sure? Didn’t get the wrong place?”

Su Huan tossed the head in his hand up and down with one hand, questioning skeptically.

The bizarre scene made Hu Shuo shiver, bowing respectfully, ”Locomotive chief, the materials have been sent, each lab has begun research.”

Su Huan’s eyes turned pitch black; he ”watched” the small flames inside the head, using Energy manipulation to knead it like clay.

Through Energy contact, he caught some fragmented or snowflake-like meaningless images, impossible to decipher.

Suddenly, one image captured Su Huan’s attention.

Two trees, tall pines, mostly buried in the snow, like the portal between heaven and earth, with a boundless snowy plain stretching thousands of miles beyond.

His attention was drawn to the man riding a fine horse on the horizon.

Dressed like a cowboy, mismatched with the world, like two photo layers forcibly pasted together.

The adhesive was the position Rules flowing from the person’s body.

Tier Four Evolver.

Su Huan had the answer in mind.

At that moment, the cowboy in the fixed image suddenly raised his head, discerned under his hat brim, then smiled elegantly in Su Huan’s direction, making a figure-eight gesture on his forehead with his fingers.

’Is this treating me as prey then?’

Su Huan’s mouth formed a matching smile.

”Locomotive chief...?”

”Hmm, essentially energy beings, but tinged with Rule ability. Have them quickly develop a specific weapon.”

Hu Shuo noted the key information, ”Okay, I’ll convey it.”

”Can’t tell much else for now. You go provide support; I’ll wait here a bit.”

”Yes.”

As the train departed, only a small black dot remained in place.

No one doubted the locomotive chief acting alone; if he couldn’t solve a problem, no one could.

”Hurry up, won’t wait long.” Su Huan threw the head into the snow pit, suspending it mid-air.

Snowflakes circled, layering on the head in the pit.

The white flame gradually weakened, as if losing nourishment, slowly withering.

As time passed, the sky dimmed further, the wind softened, not that the snowflakes enlarged, soon burying the head entirely.

The Pale Demon had quietly passed away at some point.

But Su Huan still didn’t move, quietly awaiting something.

Until, when the world became pitch dark, with only the silent snowfall, faint crunching sounds emerged from the distant horizon, clear in the locomotive chief’s ears despite the unknown distance.

At his gaze lifting, the white steed trotted briskly from afar into Su Huan’s vision.

Every step as uniform as a Royal Guard performance.

No aura of a Terror Slaughterer, truly like an ordinary cowboy.

But within the deep sockets, instead of eyes, were two white flames burning fiercely.

”Finally found you; seems the mission might complete early.”

The man sighed in English, which Su Huan couldn’t understand, but he sensed the accompanying will in the voice, clearer than anything.

Pale white lines flowed silently over smooth skin, hair moving without wind, bright color blooming in the darkness, filled with enigmatic magnetism.

”Is this world like this because of you?”

”Like this?” The cowboy looked around, ”Us?”

Then with astonishment mixed with oddity, ”Didn’t your kind turn the world into this?”

Su Huan’s eye color paused for a moment, wanting to question further, yet interrupted.

”If you can pledge to my master, I can tell you everything, but not now, won’t say a word.”

The cowboy shook his finger, flesh on his head beginning to peel, then turned into charcoal mid-air, smoking without hitting the ground.

His head had become a flaming sphere.

Compared to that sparkle, it seemed the visible world was split apart.

The mocking laughter echoed in the space.

”Your master is impressive.”