Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 304: No. 5 Xingyuan Corpse Chaser

The first time Lin Xian heard the term Corpse Shepherd was back when he attended a bonfire trade fair held by the Jiang Yun Organization in Qu Guan. After heading up to the high-altitude orbital rail, he had never seen a Corpse Shepherd again.

But now, more and more intel suggested that the Corpse Shepherd was different from other dark entities—it appeared to be humanoid.

The difference was—it was a giant!

And it came with an overwhelming wave of eerie entities—those unnameable unknown beings that brought boundless horror!

Seeing this scene, Lin Xian thought back to that time in Yubei City, when the entire city was swallowed by zombie tides and eerie beings. That could’ve very well been the arrival of a Corpse Shepherd.

At that moment, in the skies above the eastern hills outside Yijin City, Lin Xian, KIKI, and Lu Xingchen stared at a colossal humanoid shadow approaching like a land-born marvel—their faces were pale with shock.

“What the... is that thing?!” KIKI’s eyes widened. The sight brought her back to the horrifying scene she had once seen in the skies above Jiang City. Her little face instantly turned ghostly white.

“Judging by the looks of it, it might be the Corpse Shepherd Grace warned us about!”

Lin Xian’s expression was grim. This thing—he didn’t need to guess—had to be at least an S-class unknown entity!

Lu Xingchen stared at the shadow and quickly said, “Not good—it’s heading our way. That’s where the outbound track is!”

Hearing that, Lin Xian immediately activated the scanning mode on his power armor to zoom in—and sure enough, the elevated track line followed the mountain range and extended northeast!

Crap!

If the United Train bursts out now, wouldn’t it crash straight into it?!

“Brother Shi! Ms. Chen!!”

In that instant, Lin Xian felt a chill run down his spine. He slammed his finger on the communicator, but the United Train was still speeding through the underground tunnels, and the blackout distance made it impossible to get a signal through.

“What now?!” KIKI panicked.

Lin Xian clenched his teeth and hardened his gaze. “We have no choice—we’ll draw its attention ourselves!”

He had no other plan. All he could do was gamble on the highest risk—lure that sky-scraping shadow away, then use aerial maneuvering to escape the polar night.

Lin Xian knew this was a near-suicidal mission. But if the tracks were destroyed and the United Train derailed under the feet of that Corpse Shepherd, it would be true catastrophe!

The three of them exchanged a determined look and nodded heavily.

They had to take the risk!

“Let’s do it!”

Lu Xingchen took a deep breath. “A man must stand tall—let my flames ignite glory—”

BOOM!!

Before Lu Xingchen could even finish his heroic monologue, a massive explosion suddenly erupted from behind them in Yijin City!

They turned in unison—only to see a giant crimson fire pillar shooting into the sky. A strange scarlet energy morphed into a blazing white orb that rapidly expanded, illuminating a two-kilometer-wide fungal cap. Then the fireball swelled and finally detonated the massive fungal dome!

“Run!!”

Tao Hao saw what happened and instantly shouted to KIKI. She raised a telekinetic barrier, and the eight of them bolted in the opposite direction from the Corpse Shepherd!

BOOM!

The seventh explosion followed. The colossal fungal dome suddenly contracted inward, bursting into a sky-filling flame cloud. In that instant, a mushroom cloud over seven kilometers wide erupted into the sky. The blinding white flash turned night into day!

The radiation burst hadn’t even finished before a massive shockwave tore through the land, scattering even the clouds above!

The mushroom firestorm radiated outward. The entire city ignited like a living lava field, with flame columns hundreds of meters tall erupting from underground fissures. At its peak, the flame net suddenly constricted and sucked all the oxygen out of the city!

RUMBLE!!!

The shockwave slammed into Lin Xian and the others mid-flight like a sledgehammer, flinging them several kilometers away like airborne bubbles. KIKI cried out in pain, barely managing to stabilize the trio with gritted teeth.

It felt like their internal organs had been punched by a hammer—one second from blacking out and coughing blood.

Flame tides swept across Yijin City, centered at Pu Zhong Plaza, forming a massive annihilation crater several kilometers wide. Streets and buildings within a dozen kilometers were flattened and engulfed in flames. The city burned. Explosions rang out endlessly.

All those eerie entities under the dark night were instantly vaporized. Yijin City had become a sea of fire, bright enough to light the sky.

At the same time, the United Train racing underground suddenly felt a colossal tremor. The tunnel floor surged like a rippling canal, and massive clouds of dust and debris poured down!

On the Infinite Train, over thirty crew members were slammed into walls or the floor. Chaos erupted on the other trains—screams and panic.

“AHHHHH!!”

“The tunnel’s collapsing!”

“We’re doomed!”

“Don’t stop! Keep going!!”

“Was that a meteor?!”

“Run!”

As over four thousand people braced for doom, Dragon Mountain No. 1 finally burst out of the surface and merged onto the sightseeing rail, charging forward through a trail of fire. Thankfully, most were suited up, preventing more serious injuries.

Behind them, the collapsing terrain buried many train cars under dirt and rubble. But since the United Train had already reached top speed, those cars were yanked out of the tunnels just in time!

Elsewhere, Lin Xian and the others, still reeling from the blast, hovered in the air staring at the enormous mushroom cloud that hadn't yet dissipated. Their faces were grave.

Lin Xian hadn’t expected the Sky Mushroom Tower’s explosion to be this terrifying. They had already left the city—at least 40 to 50 kilometers away. If not for KIKI’s telekinetic shield, even their Breakthrough-level powers might’ve been obliterated. The blast was more terrifying than a nuke.

Fearfully, Lin Xian immediately worried about the United Train. Beneath the flame-washed sky, he looked for a direction—

“Brother Lin, look!”

Fire Bro—shirtless—suddenly shouted.

Lin Xian and KIKI looked over and saw that, under the firelight, the Corpse Shepherd had finally revealed its terrifying form: a massive humanoid figure, its head adorned with octopus-like tentacles. Under the night sky, it was unspeakably grotesque.

It stood amidst the mountain valleys, tentacles slowly writhing, its mummified skin making it look like a god from a twisted world.

After the explosion in Yijin City, it seemed to sense something strange. It turned toward the blast site. The tentacles on its body began thrashing wildly, releasing an earth-shaking hum!

Then—its massive leg stepped forward.

Boom!

The Corpse Shepherd turned, moving away from the United Train’s track. Each step thundered through the earth—but then came something even stranger.

With each step, its gigantic body began fading, as if it were walking into another dimension—until it completely vanished!

“It... disappeared?” Lu Xingchen stared in disbelief. He had just started to celebrate their narrow escape, only to see the monster vanish into thin air.

Lin Xian and KIKI were just as stunned. There was no explaining it.

Lin Xian gulped hard, feeling all the hair on his body stand on end. In the firelight, he saw a steel train rushing along the elevated rail in the distance—

“They made it! Quick—we need to catch up!”

He couldn’t explain it, but this Corpse Shepherd left a suffocating pressure in its wake. Its sudden disappearance was even creepier.

It reminded him of the white giant monster he’d seen back in Jiang City. The same unsettling feeling.

But these creatures were supposed to come with the Dark Mark and the night. So how did this Corpse Shepherd exist? Could something that big actually turn invisible?

He didn’t want to think too much. All he wanted now was to get back on the train and race out of the polar night.

With their current knowledge, they had no way of understanding what they were seeing—let alone fighting it. All they could do was run.

Click-clack! Ding-ding!

Beneath fire and shadow, the 15-kilometer-long United Train charged forward like an unstoppable iron dragon—blazing through the collapsing Yijin City.

Inside the 500-plus carriages, countless passengers were injured. Almost everyone had been hurt by the earlier shockwave and quake—some with ruptured eardrums, damaged lungs, or severe physical trauma from being tossed around. The air was thick with cries and groans as uninjured crew members scrambled to treat the wounded and clean up the shattered debris scattered across the train.

On the Infinite, everyone was at least wearing protective power armor, which had built-in shock absorption systems, so they were slightly better off—though still badly jostled. The living areas were a complete mess. The Sun Train, Joker Convoy, Monica Queen, and Dragon Mountain No. 1 were all in similar shape. That colossal explosion had nearly annihilated an entire city—it felt like even the heavens had been blown open.

From the midsection onward, the rear cars were buried under rubble and dirt, as if dug out from the ground. Fortunately, the armor-clad steel train had withstood the damage without derailment—an unbelievable stroke of luck.

The United Train raced through the valleys at the outskirts of the city, picking up speed. From the sky, KIKI carried Lin Xian and Fire Bro at high speed, finally catching up just as the train merged onto the northern mainline.

Because of the Sky Mushroom Tower’s explosion, the Corpse Shepherd and eerie entities had all rushed toward Yijin City. The United Train had narrowly missed the incoming tide of monsters and slipped into the safety of darkness.

Lin Xian turned his head for a final glance. Yijin City still burned behind them, flames piercing the sky. The explosions and humming noises lingered, but as they moved farther away, those sounds gradually faded.

He let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding. That was too close. He glanced at Fire Bro—who’d come up with the insane idea to blow up the tower—and realized that somehow, miraculously, that decision had bought the United Train its only chance at survival. Lin Xian didn’t dare imagine what might have happened if the explosion hadn’t occurred. The Corpse Shepherd and monster horde would have met them head-on—it would’ve been a massacre.

At the same time, Lin Xian wondered—if Tang Yun hadn’t sacrificed herself, triggering the fungal tower’s reaction, would the Corpse Shepherd have eventually discovered the United Train hidden beneath the city?

“Ms. Chen, Director Ding—we’re in the air. We're going to check if any of us are marked with the Dark Mark,” Lin Xian’s voice came through on Chen Sixuan’s communicator. Her tense expression instantly softened as she quickly replied, “Got it—Carriage 2, opening the rooftop hatch now!”

Ding Junyi rushed over with Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum in tow. KIKI, still airborne, carried Lin Xian and Fire Bro straight back into the carriage. Using Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum and Lin Xian’s Eerie Cube, the scan confirmed that none of the three were marked with darkness. Lu Xingchen also showed no signs of fungal infection.

Honestly, Lin Xian had never told the team about the Eerie Cube, but thanks to Fire Bro’s blunder and Tang Yun’s sacrifice, this unlikely series of events had given the United Train its one and only chance of escape.

“That was way too close. What the hell happened up there? Why did you guys have to evacuate from the sky?” Tao Hao asked with deep concern.

The core team aboard the Infinite quickly gathered. Everyone saw Lin Xian returning with his lower body bare, clothing shredded except for some cloth tied around his neck. He looked utterly disheveled, with faint bluish-white traces on his body that resembled mycelial veins.

Julius Litt’s face darkened as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“It’s my fault...” KIKI let out a long sigh.

Yijin City’s rep, looking pale as a sheet, swallowed nervously.

KIKI shot him a warning glance, then helplessly explained, “Fire Bro wanted to make sure you all could evacuate safely, so he came up with a plan—to blow up the Sky Mushroom Tower and lure the monsters away.”

“Really?” Shasha asked in amazement.

“Yup,” Julius nodded with a proud grin but stayed serious. “We coordinated it. It was risky—Fire Bro nearly died.”

Hearing that, the pale-faced Yijin City rep suddenly looked flushed again, eyes filled with overwhelming gratitude as he looked at them like they were saviors.

“Wow!!” Shasha’s eyes sparkled. She looked at Lu Xingchen with admiration. “Fire Bro, you’re amazing! That explosion was all you?!”

“Thank you. You saved all of us,” Chen Sixuan said, her face full of gratitude.

“That was insane!” Daluo gave a big thumbs-up, stunned. “Bro, you blew up a whole damn city. Respect.”

“You’re awesome!” Shu Qin chimed in.

“You did that just for us?! You bombed the entire mushroom tower? Oh my god,” Miao Lu said, nearly in tears with admiration.

Lu Xingchen’s eyes gleamed under all the praise, but he quickly put on a humble face.

“It’s nothing. Just a small move on my part—danger turned to safety.”

Lin Xian and KIKI exchanged a look. Even though the idea wasn’t entirely his, it had indeed saved them all. So, they let him have the moment.

“Alright, the shockwave was massive. Is anyone injured? Let’s check the trains ASAP—we’ve got to keep pushing out of the polar night zone.” Lin Xian quickly gave orders and began syncing updates with the other convoys.

“What?! You blew up the mushroom tower? I thought a nuke went off!” Shi Diyuan cursed through the communicator. But after hearing how close they were to disaster, his tone grew serious. “Holy sh*t... we were almost monster chow, weren’t we?!”

“Corpse Shepherd?” Ning Jing’s tone turned heavy. “Looks like the intel was right. They usually show up on the edges of the Abyss and dark tides.”

“Captain Lin, we’re all fine. We were wearing power armor, but our carriage is a mess. Some armor got dented, windows shattered,” Luo Yang reported urgently.

Lin Xian quickly checked in with Li Yi—who was pregnant and surrounded by children.

As soon as the comm opened, a cacophony came through—children crying, chaotic noise.

In the Sun Train’s rear cars, former members of the Running Far Convoy were rushing to carry the wounded and fix damages. The women in logistics were gathering scattered supplies, while Li Yi, in Carriage 1, tended to the children.

Many of the kids were injured—heads bleeding—but the older ones, though in pain, didn’t cry. Only the younger ones sobbed quietly.

Years of post-apocalyptic survival had taught them to stay silent, to endure. No loud crying.

“There, there... it doesn’t hurt. Just keep your voices down. The monsters outside might hear you.”

“Mm-hmm...”

Li Yi, holding her belly, gently wiped a little girl’s forehead with alcohol. The pain made the girl shrink her neck, tears dripping down her cheeks, but she bit her lip, refusing to scream.

“Captain Lin, it was just a scare. No major injuries. Don’t worry,” she reported back.

“I’m good. Some teammates got scrapes, but nothing major,” Qian Dele of the Joker Convoy replied calmly, sounding like nothing fazed him. “Knew following you was the right choice again. Owe you a drink.”

“I knew it—never wrong following Captain Lin!” Monica from Car 1 of the Monica Queen was listening in. The more she learned about Lin Xian, the more curious and intrigued she became.

In a world like this—especially for a woman—many hoped for a savior to appear. And to her, Lin Xian increasingly felt like just that. From the blizzard-night entrance to Xilan City, to stepping up in times of crisis, his presence kept reappearing during the bleakest moments.

Leader. Savior. Hero.

Words like these were being quietly etched into Lin Xian’s identity, through the awe-filled conversations of others. Monica wasn’t surprised. She swirled her wine glass and looked toward the Infinite, smiling with a touch of charm.

Once all convoys reported in, Lin Xian finally allowed himself to relax. Most injuries were internal trauma, concussions, ruptured eardrums, vomiting, and fainting—but so far, no reported deaths. A miracle, considering the magnitude of the disaster.

Due to the number of injuries, Lin Xian immediately reminded all convoys to stay alert for signs of Dark Invasion. The fact that the United Train had escaped Yijin City was a victory—and this good news had to be shared with everyone to maintain faith in reaching dawn.

DONG—DONG—

The black United Train roared through the hilly Gobi under the polar night. The moonlight was a thin silver veil over the wilderness. The train’s wheels clanged against the twisted tracks, and the rolling hills looked like the backs of sleeping beasts. No trees—just scattered desert thorns and dry brush. Windblown grass rustled like whispers in the night.

Wind swept in from the Gobi, carrying fine sand across the carriages, making the metal surfaces whine faintly. Since the apocalypse, there were no insects, no streams—only the clash of gravel and steel, wind whispering over the cliffs. A mournful nocturne woven into the desolation.

The United Train dashed ahead for two hours, during which each carriage buzzed with activity, tension, and unease. As they entered deeper into the Gobi, the view broadened—no eerie beings, no zombies—only the wind and sand.

And at last, people began to believe—they had escaped!

The tension among the 4,000+ passengers finally started to ease. Slowly, the panic from the Yijin City explosion faded.

“We’ve checked—no one’s marked. We’re in full stealth mode now,” KIKI confirmed in Car 2. She had just finished a full aerial scan with Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum and A’Bai from Dragon Mountain No. 1. After confirming twice, Lin Xian finally breathed easier.

“Good. You rest now. That explosion’s shockwave must’ve taken a toll on you,” Lin Xian told her.

KIKI stretched with a yawn. “Not bad. We were far enough away, plus my shield did its job.”

Actually, it wasn’t just her. Despite the quake, so many people had survived because the apocalypse trains were solid, the explosion was distant, and—thirdly—everyone on board had undergone some form of evolution due to the dark powers.

Even little Shasha could now wield a Roarer Gatling Gun one-handed. That said it all.