After speaking with Ding Junyi, Lin Xian headed toward the back of the train.
Because the lights werenât on, the train was quietly moving along. Da Lou and Brother Huo in carriage 5 were both asleep, so Lin Xian proceeded directly to the Life Cabin.
Before he even arrived, he heard the rustling sound of conversations coming from a Life Cabin. There were both male and female voices.
"Xiao Yuan, youâre so brave. You actually drove alone to find the Hell Black Chrysanthemum."
"Exactly. We were all scared to death at the time..."
"It was really dangerous. I didnât expect Captain Lin to rush over and pull you out from the belly of that bug, oh my god, it was like a Heavenly God descended!!"
"Our Captain Lin is really amazing, like a savior. Iâve fallen in love with him."
"Ah Chen, have you forgotten that youâre a real man?"
"So what, which man doesnât like super large mecha? Itâs as cool as hell, okay? It cracked open that sea urchin shell!!"
"Exactly, thatâs awesome!"
Xiao Yuanâs voice chimed in, "Alright, stop talking. Captain Chen told us to keep our voices down, everyone be obedient, yeah~"
"Xiao Yuan."
At this moment, Lin Xian walked over, and everyone, upon seeing it was Lin Xian, stood up in surprise and joy.
"Lin..."
Shhh.
Lin Xian made a gesture for silence: "Weâre in Extreme Night now, letâs make sure we donât make too much noise without knowing the situation outside."
Everyone nodded and lowered their voices.
"Thatâs great, Captain Lin, weâre relieved to see youâre safe."
"Thanks for your hard work, Captain Lin."
"Weâre all risking our lives. Thereâs no need to say these things," Lin Xian nodded, then looked at Xiao Yuan. At this moment, Xiao Yuan still had bandages around her head and body. The Medical Cabin had already treated her twice, but because of the immense pressure damage and dark invasion she suffered in the Abyss Giant Mouth, Xiao Yuanâs face was pale and weak. Her originally chubby face was now pallid. Seeing Lin Xian arrive, she widened her eyes in surprise, immediately preparing to get up from the bed.
"Lin... Captain Lin."
Lin Xian immediately gestured for her to not get up: "Itâs good to be alive, just focus on recovering."
Xiao Yuan looked gratefully at Lin Xian and obediently nodded: "Mm, Captain Lin, thank you."
"You almost died saving me, why do you have to thank me," Lin Xian said to her wistfully, "Youâre very brave, I should be the one thanking you."
"I..."
Bang!
Just then, the train suddenly shook slightly, and everyone became tense.
Lin Xian gestured for everyone to be quiet. Just then, Ning Jingâs voice came through the communicator.
"All subsequent train crews, take note. Some kind of organisms have appeared on both sides of the track. Do not initiate an attack."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Jing addressed Lin Xian directly through a separate channel.
"Captain Lin, confirm whether any markers have appeared."
"Captain Lin!"
At this moment, Shu Qin also hurried over: "Quick, look outside the window!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xianâs expression changed, and he immediately opened the Life Cabinâs blackout screens. He found that the wind and snow had lessened. He saw that the previously pitch-black sides of the track began to reveal buildings and fences, all appearing desolate. What astonished everyone the most was that a strange kind of fungal mushroom was growing on the barbed wire, fences, houses, and abandoned cars, glowing faintly in the dark.
These glows were very faint, bluish and greenish, cold and bleak. As the Joint Train moved forward, these luminescent mushrooms went from scattered points to gradually forming clusters, turning into carpets of glowing fungi.
In an instant, people on each train opened their blackout screens to look outside. Under the stretch of luminescent fungi, they gradually saw a cityscape beneath the night, Yijin.
Everyone on the Infinity train was astonished by this scene.
"What are these mushrooms? How can they glow?"
"Growing in Extreme Night, they must not be from Blue Star."
"They look so beautiful..."
"Can they be eaten?"
A group of people started discussing in low voices.
Just then, Xiao Yuan suddenly shouted, "Captain Lin, look quickly."
She pointed to several low houses far from the track, Lin Xian and everyone else looked over and saw that a few people were standing on the ruins in front of the house!
The figures stood motionless, their state of being alive or dead unclear. Whatâs most crucial was that all these people had luminescent mushrooms growing on their bodies and heads. They just stood there, and as the train roared past, those "people" all turned their heads in unison. Their faces were indistinguishable, yet an eerie aura washed over them.
"Director Ding."
Lin Xian instinctively pressed the communicator. Ding Junyi in carriage 3 immediately responded: "No markers have appeared."
Lin Xian instructed Ding Junyi to update the marker status on the channels of the 22 train leaders, slightly easing everyoneâs tense nerves.
But at that moment, more and more Abnormal Body âpeopleâ appeared on both sides of the track.
They were either standing in small groups or in masses, but without exception, they stood like stakes, only their heads slowly turning with the sound of the passing train.
Sha Sha and Chen Sixuan crouched at the window, watching this strange scene outside. At that moment, one âpersonâ close to the train passed by the window. That âpersonâ turned their head, and under the reflection of the luminescent mushrooms on the train window, the two finally got a clear view of that personâs face.
It was actually a living person!
A gaunt, yellowed face like withered wood was covered in fungal threads and old vines. The skull was broken open by fungi, gray brain matter had solidified into the veins of a cap, the surface of which was riddled with honeycomb-like holes and oozed blue-green luminescent slime. The lower jaw drooped unnaturally like a dislocated hinge, the throat was covered in coral-shaped fungal clusters, and most terrifyingly, this personâs eyes were still moving, like a living creature.