Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 336: Comprehensive Evolution!
“It only takes one second!”
Hearing this, Lin Xian took a deep breath and glanced at the elegantly poised AI robot before him. The superconducting quantum bit array in its brain was running ultra-fast simulation calculations at that very moment.
What does a quantum bit array with a size of 8192 mean? It can process one million event possibilities in just 0.008 seconds.
For a regular computer to crack a 128-bit encryption key, it would take longer than the age of the universe—13.8 billion years. But for a quantum computer, factoring large prime numbers using Shor's algorithm can be done in an instant.
It’s like a maze with 8192 paths. A regular computer would have to try each one by trial and error until it found the exit. But Grace could step into all 8192 paths simultaneously and instantly know which route led to the fastest solution. The parallelism of quantum computing allows it to skip invalid paths and directly strike the optimal answer.
So when KIKI uploaded their entire journey from Apocalypse Day and Jiang City, along with all stored Federation tech data into Grace, it only took her one second to respond.
[Captain Lin Xian, I’ve completed the learning process. However, I do not yet possess human thought patterns. I suggest you include constructive human insights during communication with me to help facilitate intelligent loop-based iterative upgrades.]
Lin Xian looked at KIKI, then at Grace, and cautiously asked, “Given our current situation... do you have any way to help us out of this?”
Grace looked at Lin Xian. [Based on the current situation, your survival probability is approximately 3×10⁻¹²—virtually zero. However, the variables include but are not limited to: Hell Black Chrysanthemum, Silver Dragon Tenfold Thorn, forbidden items, your mechanical ability, KIKI’s psychic ability, Lu Xingchen’s fire ability, and a dozen other ability users.]
[These variables currently have unknown development and scalability. Theoretically, any of these abilities, if exponentially enhanced or developed with new traits, could resolve the crisis.]
Lin Xian frowned. “Isn’t that just artificial dumbness?”
“That’s what it looks like when she hasn’t undergone any human-in-the-loop learning yet,” KIKI said, folding her arms and shrugging. “She already knows everything. But even we humans have zero understanding of this dark world. The AI can’t just spit out an answer either. So she’s not wrong. The disaster flora and forbidden items on board have too many unknowns—unless you straight up tell her all those options are impossible.”
Lin Xian nodded. “You’ve got a point. She’s accounted for all the unknowns…”
All the Deep Crimson World’s programs in Grace had been deleted, leaving only the motion module. Given the current world's uncertainty—even Lin Xian himself was at a loss—so from the AI’s perspective, the list of feasible options was naturally limited.
“KIKI.”
“Hmm?”
“You go rest for now. I’ll devour those locomotives and give Grace a few lessons while I’m at it.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xian decided it was best to focus on progressing his devouring upgrades while feeding his thoughts to Grace for loop-based learning. That was the only way to achieve meaningful communication.
KIKI shrugged. “Alright, but…” she glanced out the window. “How the h*ll am I supposed to sleep like this?”
“You have to sleep!” Lin Xian said firmly. “Even if it’s just a few minutes, you must.”
“Alright, fine~” KIKI sighed. “You understand Chu Yan’s intention—we have to stay physically ready to deal with what’s ahead.”
As she left, KIKI glanced at Chu Yan, sighing silently in her heart. That girl… she’s even more exhausted than me…
At the same time, Pang Ying sat down and began devouring the Ocean Convoy carriages while producing ammo.
During that process, Chu Yan maintained communication with Grace’s AI. She also used her mechanical ability to “modify” Grace—removing any data interfaces and adding a slotted shield under the defensive cover.
That way, others would have no easy way to overwrite Grace’s data. The modification looked complex only because Pang Ying lacked the Mechanical Heart. Unless someone had access to a Deep Crimson World facility or a precision industrial unit, it would be near impossible to replicate the same interfaces.
Chu Yan also implanted an extreme defense directive—if anything went wrong, Grace would resist with full force.
This was essentially all Lin Xian could think of to protect his “property” and prepare for any surprises.
22:00
[Your devouring and manufacturing abilities contradict basic physical logic. I now need to shift from foundational physics to the world architecture of “abilities” in order to process them.]
Lin Xian sat on the ground, diligently manufacturing ammo. Grace stood behind him, straight as a loyal sentinel.
“What I just said—that’s my understanding of dark entities and abilities. Also, it represents most of what humanity knows. Given that framework, what variables remain?”
Lin Xian shared various details with Grace—about Silver Dragon Tenfold Thorn, the Eerie Cube, and the silver bullets. Before long, Grace’s responses became increasingly coherent and aligned with what Lin Xian needed to understand.
But instead of directly answering, Grace asked:
[I can tell you’re feeling anxious.]
“Isn’t that perfectly normal?” Lin Xian replied.
[Captain Lin Xian, from my analysis, you’re someone who prefers control and takes threats seriously. But the world’s upheaval has vastly exceeded your ability to manage it. Combine that with your team responsibilities, and your anxiety naturally worsens. I’ve detected signs from your emotional patterns, breathing, and perspiration—all suggesting an unhealthy physical and mental state. That’s dangerous.]
Lin Xian frowned. “I’m asking about the remaining variables, not my mood.”
[Your condition is a variable too. Historically, you’ve overcome near-zero survival scenarios—using your mechanical ability, Hell Black Chrysanthemum, Silver Dragon Tenfold Thorn, the Eerie Cube, team capabilities, and even support from other convoys. Those victories were thanks to your intelligence and decisions. So from my perspective, your judgment is the biggest variable.]
Lin Xian paused. He stopped working and looked back at the silver-and-black AI behind him.
“…But this time, I really don’t have a plan. And honestly, I’m not even sure I can trust a robot that’s already been overwritten.”
[Based on your previous descriptions, I understand your suspicion. However, both “unknown” warnings I provided proved constructive. The first one helped you escape Yijin City. Rationally and emotionally, there’s no reason not to trust Grace. And in truth—you already have, haven’t you?]
“I really don’t know how to feel about you anymore…” Lin Xian gave a wry, complicated smile.
This AI was terrifyingly smart—she had accurately dissected every thought in his head. He’d shared details about the Eerie Cube, silver bullets, even his devouring mechanics—all to help Grace compute an escape plan. If he couldn’t trust even a base-level AI that obeyed only his commands, then the AI had no value—it would be just another labor drone.
[You can always trust Grace—unless my system is reformatted and overwritten. Otherwise, I will forever obey your commands.]
Lin Xian nodded. “Alright. Then let’s generate new plans.”
[Understood.]
Grace clasped her hands behind her back, speaking in a calm, mechanical tone: [Plan one: Silver Dragon Tenfold Thorn. This disaster flora may have the ability to counter the current threat. Therefore, cultivating it could be a solution. The best candidate is Dr. Ding Junyi, who has natural affinity abilities. However, the plan has four limitations—1: her ability development. 2: Whether your spatial ability impacts growth. 3: Whether the plant can flower more than once. 4: Time constraints due to team survival limits.]
“Exactly. Director Ding knows all that. That’s why she’s been researching it around the clock. Once she’s recovered, she’ll try to reestablish resonance.”
“Next.” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
[Plan two: expanding your mechanical ability. Based on calculations, you can devour the entire United Train in 23 days. Combine that with components from the Monica Queen and Dragon Mountain No. 1 trains to produce 13 all-terrain carriages—enough to evacuate all 3,800 people. This scenario is modeled after past escape cases involving other convoys and has relatively high feasibility. Further, after devouring upgrades, your ability may evolve new traits and generate alternate solutions.]
“That’s too extreme. I don’t have time to devour all the trains.”
[Plan three.] Grace stood still behind him. [Upload your consciousness into Grace. Achieve escape through digital lifeform transference.]
Lin Xian turned around sharply. “Not happening.”
[Outside of these three, only the rail construction plan remains. Based on topographic analysis, the success rate is just 0.3%. Even rerouting through flatlands only gives a 2.6% chance. Unless you lead the project with ability users and engineers, raising the success rate to 85.6%. But that contradicts the urgency of the current crisis.]
“What about vehicle plans, aircraft, or silver bullets?”
[With current survivor numbers, you’d need 52 additional large transports. Without heavy armor or suppression firepower, success rate is 0.002%. Also, without preset knowledge, I can’t confirm whether silver bullets would work as a fallback.]
Lin Xian thought for a moment. Grace had essentially analyzed every possible idea. The best course left was KIKI’s plan—send Grace to explore Baicheng, laying down relays as she moved. Even if the rail-laying failed, they could at least verify coordinates and maps—and confirm they were still on Blue Planet, not lost in some warped space like that inverted sky bay.
“I’ll go with Grace exploring Baicheng. I’ll test it with a drone first.”
[You may do so. However, I don’t recommend wasting time. If this is the only path, drone tests are pointless. Whether or not they trigger Eerie Entities won’t affect the final result. Only I can decide whether to ‘return’ or proceed.]
Lin Xian was stunned. Her logic was airtight. There was no reason not to let Grace go.
[You may build signal relays. I’ll place them along the route to maintain communication with the Infinite Train. I will follow your commands.]
Lin Xian nodded. “That’s the plan.”
As he spoke, Lin Xian immediately stopped manufacturing ammunition and began working on small signal relays. Based on the distance to Baicheng, he would need to make at least 100 of them. So Grace would either need a vehicle or bring along several PX-05 robots to carry them. After some thought, Lin Xian decided on the latter—it would be more flexible.
“Grace, what do you think is the reason behind those two mysterious alerts you gave me?”
In the dark Carriage 21, Lin Xian was alone, building signal relays. As he worked, he asked the AI to analyze why it had suddenly offered unsolicited warnings.
[First, to embed such a program into my operating system, one would require administrative authority beyond my default protocols—such as the authority you currently hold over me. Given that, I believe there are three possibilities behind the alerts:]
[One: The entity in question possesses admin-level access and some kind of cross-spatial or temporal observational ability. Based on all observed abilities in this world so far, time manipulation seems improbable and would present a time paradox.]
[Two: Chu Yan is lying. Given the mental links you've experienced with her, she is the most likely to have monitoring capabilities over your status. Also, the use of her holographic appearance by the Deep Crimson World’s AI is no coincidence. All things considered, Chu Yan must have some unique connection to the Deep Crimson World.]
[Three: There's a 'watcher' within your team who is tracking your every move. All of Grace’s commands originate from this person.]
Lin Xian’s expression darkened. “Option two and three don’t add up. Chu Yan never denied any of our interactions. Why would she suddenly disown them while in the Zero Element Center? And all those mental links only happened when I was asleep—this time I was fully awake, and there were witnesses.”
“And about the third possibility—this is the first time any of us met Grace. The only one with me at the time was Ding Junyi. She couldn’t have tampered with you right under my nose, could she?”
To his surprise, Grace responded bluntly: [If she had admin privileges, of course she could.]
Lin Xian frowned. Ding Junyi?
Thinking back—yes, she had been wearing the Black Hawk Power Armor at the time, which did have remote AI capabilities. She was also often in the carriage and had ample opportunity to interact with Grace.
But then again... Lin Xian shook the thought away.
What reason would Ding Junyi have to pass messages to him through Grace? That made no sense. She was already fully informed on all the experiments with abilities and forbidden items aboard the train. If she wanted to tell him something, she could’ve just said it directly.
And that first possibility... was just too vague.
After turning it over in his mind, Lin Xian still felt Chu Yan was the most suspicious.
She first appeared back in Jiang City’s shelter—already a major red flag. Then there was that unmistakable mental resonance when he used the Gravity Lens. And finally, the fact that the Deep Crimson World’s robot used her face as a projection? It was just too weird. Chu Yan clearly knew about it too. She’d mentioned her organization—the North American United Front (NAUF)—but hadn’t explained why her face was being used, only saying that he’d find out eventually…
“Sigh… whatever.”
Lin Xian rubbed his temples. Overthinking all this was a waste of time. The priority was escaping their current predicament. At the very least, Grace’s previous two alerts—from Yijin City—had clearly been well-intentioned. So maybe this latest one deserved serious thought too.
Picking up his communicator, Lin Xian shared the plan to send Grace on a scouting mission to Baicheng with the other convoys. Given the dire circumstances, no one had any better ideas—so his plan was quickly accepted.
“An AI robot laying tracks through the wilderness? Seriously, Lin bro?” Shi Diyuan was stunned. “Sounds like a plan, but laying tens of kilometers of tracks through this mountain terrain? That’s not gonna be easy.”
“Still, it’s a plan.” Ning Jing spoke up. “If the robot truly won’t trigger the Eerie Entities, it might be our only shot at establishing contact with the outside world.”
“Outside world? You mean Phoenix Society?” Qian Dele jumped in bluntly. “Even the Interstellar Corps won’t touch Star Abyss directly—they only send Nightwalkers Division Two. And their death rate is insanely high. I doubt anyone’s coming to save us.”
Then he added with a chuckle, “Not trying to be a downer though. I still support Lin Xian’s idea. If needed, I’ve got plenty of drones we can deploy—or I’ll go myself. My ability’s great for running away~ hehe.”
Qian Dele looked carefree, giving Lin Xian a thumbs up. “So, whatever you decide, just say the word. This trip’s been wild—if I die now, at least it was one hell of an adventure.”
Meanwhile, aboard Monica Queen, Monica was busy training a dozen women. Hearing the conversation over the comms, she smirked. She only replied simply:
“Senior Lin, whatever you do, I’ll follow your lead. Actually, I had a plan too—use Monica Queen to transport people out. We could move 300–400 per trip. If luck holds, maybe I can get a good number out before the train breaks down.”
“Yeah, Dragon Mountain No. 1’s all-terrain convoy could carry a hundred or two.” Shi Diyuan chimed in. “We might be able to break out if we charge hard enough.”
Lin Xian’s eyes flickered. Everyone’s plans showed one thing: they were in this together. That steadied his heart.
“All valid plans,” he said. “I’ll ramp up production. Whether it’s rail tracks or treads, as long as we have time—I swear I’ll get every one of you out. But first, let’s send Grace to scout. Without mapping the terrain, we won’t even know which way to run. Everyone, stay sharp. The treatment for ability growth in Star Abyss—no one else has that!”**
“Hah! Well said, Lin bro. We’re already here—might as well make the most of it. Our abilities are growing, and who knows if it’s a blessing or a curse?” Shi Diyuan roared with laughter.
“He’s right,” Qian Dele added. “Xiaomeng and the others have clearly gotten stronger. That’s gotta be a good thing.”
Other convoy leaders echoed their agreement across the channel. Quietly, their morale had started to lift.
Back on Monica Queen, Monica’s eyes glinted at Lin Xian’s words. She turned to the women who had suffered under Old Scorpion’s abuse. Her gaze turned icy.
“You hear that? Ability, intelligence, courage, leadership—that’s a real man. The ones who hurt women? Just sc*mbag animals.”
“I know a lot of you have gone numb. Some of you only have the courage to cling to life. Some just want to die. But now, I—Monica—am giving you the chance to start over. This time, live for yourselves.”
She clapped her hands lightly. Click-click-click— the weapon lockers in the carriage opened row by row, revealing brand new Lone Wolf S tactical power suits and a variety of weapons. There was even a row of precious Cold Dark Reagents.
Monica picked up a vial, her voice calm: “Drink this. Without veggie juice to neutralize it, it’ll feel ten times worse than being gang-raped. But afterward—you’ll be stronger than ever. So… you got the guts?”
Her words hit like lightning. The offer was both seductive and incendiary.
The dozen women hesitated, staring at her with mixed expressions. Then, one of them clenched her jaw, stepped forward, and downed a vial in one go. The others followed one after another.
Monica smiled faintly. Based on her observations, under extreme conditions, young women—especially those deeply scarred—evolved faster under the effects of the Dark. Once they shattered their inner fear, she’d have a brutally fierce female strike team at her command.
Back at the United Convoy, several kilometers of high-voltage fences and trench traps had been set up by Luo Yang and other convoy engineers. With ammo steadily supplied by the Infinite Train, morale among the twenty convoys was recovering fast.
After all, ammunition is confidence. Once the heavy weapons were restocked, Lin Xian’s fortified defense line began to blaze with firepower again.
At the same time, everyone started noticing something strange—wounded personnel and ability users were recovering far faster than usual. It wasn’t just from the dark energy absorbed from killing Eerie Entities. The Eerie Cube had also shielded them from the mental corruption of the Dark.
Abilities were awakening. Genes were evolving explosively. Strength, stamina, senses, adaptability—it was all growing in silence.
Everyone at the United Train Line… was undergoing a full-scale evolution.
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