noveldrama
Chapter 281: City Forging Plan - Going Out
Chapter 281: City Forging Plan - Going Out
Fortification Plan, Phase One.
The entire city of Xilan was mobilized—1,072 convoys comprising over 65,000 survivors, and 12,256 Investigation Corps soldiers, divided into three main defensive strongholds:
[East City – Steelworks – Weapons Factory] Defensive Line
Supreme Commander: Zhao Yu. He led the Mecha Unit and the 3rd and 5th Battalions of the Investigation Corps to hold the East Wall. The Arctic Wind Alliance and 80 convoys defended the industrial area of the Steelworks, while the Warriors Convoy, Torch Alliance, and 160 convoys held the Xilan Weapons Manufacturing Plant. Though the eastern line had the fewest people due to its compact coverage, top-tier firepower from major convoys like the Arctic Wind Alliance made up for it—comparable to the force of dozens of regular teams.
[North City – Railway – Airport] Defensive Line
Supreme Commander: He Zhen. Leading the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and Artillery 7th Battalions of the Investigation Corps, he secured the North Wall. Dragon Mountain No. 1, Infinite Train, Monica Queen, and 22 other Doomsday Train units, along with 78 convoys including the North Wind Alliance, Big Eagle Convoy, Chasing Sun Convoy, and Fast Runner Convoy, defended the Xilan Railway Terminal—totaling 100 convoys. Joker Convoy, Zhou Li Convoy, and 300 other large and small convoys guarded the Xilan Airport defense line.
[South City – Durga Radar Array Station] Defensive Line
Supreme Commander: Xiao He. Commanding the 6th and Artillery 9th Battalions, Support Units, and Reconnaissance Unit, he held the defense line along the southern Fenglan Mountains. The terrain was more open, and the Cosmic Convoy and 432 other convoys lined up from the Radar Array to the Southern City Wall, forming a complementary defense.
Though the South held the most people, its reliance on the mountains and radar stations meant lower pressure. Most small convoys had thus gathered here.
Aerial Combat Command was held by Zhang Chengzhi, stationed aboard the Dreadnought-class Aerospace Carrier. He led the Warhawk-class Gunships, Lightning-2 Fighters, and H50 Bombers to carry out anti-air and bombing operations, offering support across all three defense lines.Fortification Plan, Phase Two.
A 175-member Ability Hunting Corps was assembled, including 35 Rampage-level and 140 Titan-level Ability Users. Their base of operations was Central Plaza, from which they would launch mobile hunts. All other Ability Users and Enhancers were stationed at the main defensive bastions.
Supreme Commander: Wen Zhuo. The corps was split into 35 five-person squads, each with a Rampage-level Ability User or Enhancer. Based on ability type, each squad also included members skilled in mobility, support, or defense—though flight-capable Users were limited. Some entire squads were composed of Power Armor-wearing Enhancers, agile enough to scale buildings and traverse rooftops with ease.
For example, at Lin Xian’s position, the defense and command of the Infinite Train were handed to Chen Sixuan, Miao Lu, and Da Lou. Sha Sha operated a mech, while KIKI, Fire Bro, Shu Qin, and Lü Chang were all recruited into the elite hunting squads.
KIKI, Wen Zhuo, Han Jun, Qin Xueming, and Lu Xingchen formed a core assault team, tasked with carrying Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum to lure enemies—a mission of extreme risk and difficulty.
Finally, a Unit 01 Team led by Lin Xian, Chen Wei, and Yu Yuheng was assigned to reactivate Unit 01—a critical element of the Fortification Plan, and possibly the one that could turn the entire tide of battle.
“This is the full strategy. Once the defensive lines are transferred, the Phoenix will initiate the final round of ammunition and supply resupply.”
06:00, Gospel Hall Command Center
Zhao Yu checked the time and addressed everyone in the room with a resolute voice:
“From this moment on, we have approximately 12 hours to prepare. During that time, there are a few things we must accomplish.”
1. Mobilize the Investigation Corps, survivor convoys, and Ability Users across all three zones to construct defensive structures using anything usable—concrete walls, steel plates, barbed wire, anti-tank barricades. Use armored vehicles and trucks to form solid defensive formations.
2. Strategically establish firepower points to ensure thorough coverage and smooth ammo supply. Assign Ability Users and Enhancers according to the difficulty of each defense zone.
3. Set traps to distract the enemy. We’ve fought the Snow Wraiths and Blood Fiends before—we know how they move. Traps don’t need to kill, just slow the monster tides.
4. Most importantly—morale. Many casualties last night came from panic and internal mutations. Keep your teams steady. Fear kills faster than claws.”
“Understood,” Shi Diyuan responded immediately. “There’s no turning back now. Fear won’t help us.”
“Right. There’s no retreat,” Han Jun added, voice heavy. “But when there's no way out, people tend to find courage they never knew they had.”
Then he looked to Lin Xian. “Captain Lin, Team Leader Yu—we're counting on your secret weapon to arrive in time.”
“I’ll do everything I can,” Lin Xian answered firmly.
Zhao Yu nodded, then turned to Wen Zhuo:
“Wen Zhuo, your Hunting Squads need to scout early. Prep everything thoroughly.”
“Hold on.”
From the back of the crowd, Zhou Wuer spoke up. “Director Zhao, how come we, the Postman Unit, weren’t assigned anything? We’ve got combat skills too!”
“Yeah!” several Postman members chimed in. “We’re fast—just as fast as the Starfire Division!”
Zhao Yu looked over with a serious expression.
“You have a different mission.”
Bang—
Just then, the doors flew open. Guo Sicheng and a few researchers rushed in, urgency written on their faces, each carrying metal crates.
“Professor Guo, are they ready?”
With bandages still wrapped around his head, Guo Sicheng and his team placed the crates on the tactical table and opened them—revealing twelve cylindrical titanium-alloy containers, faintly glowing green.
“They’re... all here,” he panted. “Everything we’ve studied in Xilan, including the full experimental data on the Dark Mark. As long as we can get these out of the Extreme Cold Vortex and upload them to headquarters, they can recreate the results... and broadcast it to the world!”
Lin Xian’s expression hardened. He realized—if everyone in the city perished, the Dark Mark data wouldn’t reach the rest of humanity. Everything Wei Kexue died for—all their sacrifice—would be in vain.
Zhao Yu stepped forward, picked up one of the signal beacons, and said:
“There are twelve of these beacons, emergency-crafted by the science team. They contain the lifeblood of our research. Even if all 70,000 of us fall, this information must survive.
Only by broadcasting it to survivors worldwide can we prevent others from enduring the same fate.”
“The sooner the Dark Mark is known, the sooner Phoenix can expand its research—and fewer people will die.”
Everyone understood: this was the final contingency. Zhao Yu had prepared for total loss. But the data must not be lost.
Yet he also knew—the Postman Unit all carried Level-5 Marks. This mission was as close to certain death as it got.
“Postman Unit!”
“Here!”
Zhou Wuer stepped forward with a smile. Behind him, Peng Peng and 24 other Nightwalker couriers stood solemnly.
“Each of the 12 courier teams takes one beacon. Head toward Daliang, Quancheng, or Xilin—your only goal: get beyond the Extreme Cold Vortex and deliver the message.”
Everyone’s eyes darkened. A saturated deployment strategy—where redundancy meant sacrifice.
“Yes, sir!”
Zhou Wuer quickly grabbed a beacon and chuckled, “Don’t worry—we’ll get it done. Shame we can’t stick around to bash some monsters. Gotta run first, haha~”
“Yeah, easy job, right?” another Postman teased, smiling as they took a beacon.
In minutes, all twelve were taken—no hesitation.
Peng Peng, standing beside Zhou Wuer, chewed gum nervously. He patted her shoulder and whispered, “It’s fine. Just like any other day.”
She nodded silently.
“No time to waste. Everyone, move out!”
Zhao Yu gave the official command. The hall emptied as everyone scattered to carry out their orders.
“Good luck,” Lin Xian said, stepping up to Zhou Wuer. “Hope we meet again.”
“Don’t jinx it~” Zhou Wuer grinned. “Of course we will.”
Lin Xian nodded and turned to leave.
As they all dispersed, Zhou Wuer took a deep breath and addressed his squad:
“Alright folks, keep your heads down. We’ve got drinks waiting at HQ.”
“Haha, no doubt!”
“You guys better not be slow—we don’t want HQ getting 11 copies before us~”
“Shut up. I’ll be first!”
“You wish. No one’s faster than me.”
The Postman Unit joked and laughed, as if the danger didn’t exist.
“Zhou Wuer.”
A voice called from behind.
He turned just in time to catch something flying toward him. It landed in his hands—his eyes lit up.
“Heh, you actually gave it up, huh?”
Wen Zhuo gave him a complicated look. “It’s cold out there. Keep your hands warm. Run fast.”
“Appreciate it.”
Zhou Wuer held the bottle of Xinghua Fenjiu, gave it a shake, then waved and walked away.
Wen Zhuo watched him go, a shadow passing over his face. He whispered under his breath:
“Don’t die on me, brother…”
"Flamethrowers, heavy machine guns, autocannons, arc weapons—send them to the perimeter. Wait to set up fire points. All mobile firepower units spread out and support."
"All anti-air fire units, report upward!"
From high above, the scene under the night sky was a grand procession of steel. The lights from convoys in the south, north, and east districts of the city converged and grew brighter.
At the eastern Steel Plant, the once-empty factories and warehouses were now filled with all sorts of Doomsday Vehicles. The streets around the industrial zone were completely encircled by Armored Vehicles. Inside, the 7th Investigation Corps’ heavy artillery barrels protruded through factory skylights, while rusted conveyor belts were stacked into ring-shaped barricades. Every high point on the factory buildings had YJ-03 Anti-Air Cannons with anti-freeze coatings and heavy machine gun turrets. People bustled about as more and more defenses—barbed wire fences, doors, stone piles—were being constructed.
Under Han Jun and others’ command, from the steel plant to the weapons manufacturing factory, the whole industrial zone had become a fortress of iron. Thousands of vehicles were gathered inside, even blocking off several streets. What was once an open zone on all four sides had been sealed into a temporary stronghold with only three open routes. At those three paths, nine Electromagnetic Rail Cannons were deploying, holding the line like a last bastion against the monster tide rushing in from all sides.
At the southern Durga Radar Array Station, thousands of vehicles were lined up along the mountains, forming a massive “V” shape when seen from the sky. It formed a triangular defense line with the southern city wall. The Phoenix Engineering Team was pouring steel anchor points into the frozen ground and installing seismic sensors. At the first hint of the Abyss Worm’s underground roar, the frontline convoys would fire off chains of cold-light flares. The headlights of the long line of vehicles nearly lit up the entire mountain range.
Behind the glass curtain wall of the Northern Airport, He Zhen and the frontline command staff were adjusting the placement of High-Voltage Ion Walls. Over 2,000 vehicles from 300 convoys had turned the giant terminal building into a fortress. Scrapped airliners on the runway had been converted into Mobile Bunkers and Automated Gun Towers. Wing-mounted turrets followed the aim of Surveillance Drones. On the runway, engineers and survivors were planting landmines, spike traps, wire traps, and burning trenches in the howling wind. Even the control tower was outfitted with heavy machine guns and AA cannons. Ion walls, barbed wire, and towers of all sizes were popping up everywhere—dense and overwhelming.
Compared to that, the rail station side was relatively simpler. Over twenty Steel Trains, centered around the Infinite Train and Dragon Mountain No. 1, formed an inverted "T" shape with the passenger station at the track junction. Both ends of the tracks were sealed off with boulders—no retreat possible. The Doomsday Trains parked here had all become fixed fortresses. The monster tide came almost entirely from the square and main avenues in front of the station. This place was now a central hub-level defense barrier.
The Infinite Train and Dragon Mountain No. 1 had been moved to the Northern Track. Uncle Wu and Shen Yao’s joint convoy had begun fortifying the square in front of the passenger building. Three rows of Container Trenches were stacked at the front lines, and over a thousand Heavy Machine Guns, Autocannons, Gatling Guns, Flamethrowers, Arc Pulse Disruptors, High-Voltage Ion Walls—all were rolled out, even the most deeply hidden reserves of the convoys and the Infinite Train.
Lin Xian had even fabricated a batch of Gatling Guns on the fly to support the various convoys at the square. Besides Shasha’s Shali, the square also had a Mecha Squad from the Investigation Corps and several survivor mechs.
Inside the Infinite Train, Lin Xian was urgently meeting with the convoy leaders.
"Level-5 Mark—none of you should be strangers to it. This is going to be massive—bigger than the battle when we broke out of the Snowfield, and bigger than last night’s fight. But this time, the goal isn’t to wipe out the tide—it’s to buy time."
Inside Carriage 2, Lin Xian looked around and said, "The longer we hold, the better. Our real target is to draw out the S-Class Skyborne Blackthorn. As long as we take it down and erase the Level-5 Mark, we’ll have made it through."
Chen Sixuan, Big Luo, Shasha, KIKI, Lu Xingchen, Shu Qin, Lü Chang, and Xiao Yuan were all present. Everyone looked grim—even the fearless Shasha was visibly tense.
Ding Junyi brought over the crate of Cold Dark Reagents delivered by Phoenix, along with bottles of green liquid—vegetable juice.
"I checked with Zhou Wuer. Using these may not give a huge power boost right away, but they’ll quickly restore your Abilities and boost mental strength. The downside is they may trigger some level of Dark Invasion, so I asked Director Ding to prepare the veggie juice to counteract that."
"Everyone on the train gets veggie juice—just in case. But we only have this many reagents, so you all get first dibs."
Shasha frowned as she held up the reagent and juice bottle. "Why can’t we just drink them now? Wouldn’t it be better to boost our power before the fight?"
"You can."
Lin Xian nodded. "This is going to be a drawn-out battle, so Evolvers can take it first."
He looked at KIKI and Lu Xingchen, handing them the last two in the box.
"You two use your Abilities heavily—take an extra one, just in case."
KIKI took the two Cold Dark Reagents, concerned. "What about you?"
"You don’t need to worry about me." Lin Xian lifted a bag beside him. "I brought all five from the test reward. Getting that mech operational might cost me a lot of energy."
"Five? Aren’t you afraid of the Dark Invasion?" KIKI asked, shocked.
"I’ll manage."
Ding Junyi added, "Based on Team Leader Yu’s analysis, the S-Class Eerie Entity may not use conventional attack methods. Be on alert. Also watch for the Abyss Worm—since you’re carrying the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum, you might get flanked."
"No problem."
Lu Xingchen, gripping the two vials, wasn’t flustered. In fact, his eyes were glowing with excitement. "With Brother Lin and the whole city placing their trust in me... isn't this the perfect time to break my limits and become a hero? Thanks, Brother Lin."
"Now that’s what I like to hear," KIKI smirked, for once not teasing him. "If we really take down that S-Class, not only will you save tens of thousands of lives—you might bag the world’s first S-Class kill record."
"First kill?" Lu Xingchen frowned. "Tch… That’s… I’m not really…"
He gulped hard, his eyes shifting, then abruptly turned and sprinted toward the back carriage.
"Hey, where are you going?!"
"This cultivator has slacked off for over 30 minutes—mustn’t delay any longer! Not for the first kill—uh, I mean… cultivation!!"
He rushed off, clearly fired up.
"Captain Lin, stay safe." Shu Qin nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry about us—we’ll protect the train."
Lü Chang, Miao Lu, and Xiao Yuan all nodded in agreement. Big Luo patted his massive Steel-Slaying Greatsword and added, "Don’t worry, Brother Xian. I’ll guard everyone with my life."
"Good."
Lin Xian’s gaze steadied. He turned to Chen Sixuan. "Since Shu Qin and Lü Chang are in the hunting squad, give him your TRP Exosuit to boost mobility."
"What?" Lü Chang was stunned. "But I—"
Lin Xian cut him off. "Just do it. Ms. Chen is leading the Infinite Train now, so I made her a new one."
The new Black Hawk Exosuit had full Battlefield Awareness and Data Integration. Lin Xian had rushed to build it for Chen Sixuan, not only to protect her, but also to free up her old suit for Lü Chang, who—even with his Evolver agility—would be at serious risk in the coming Monster Tide without an exosuit.
"Okay, thanks Captain Lin!" Lü Chang beamed, excited.
"Alright, that’s the plan. I have to move out now. You guys handle the fortifications."
Without delay, Lin Xian ended the meeting and told everyone to prep.
He called Chen Sixuan and headed to Carriage No. 1, opened a metal locker, and revealed a freshly built exosuit.
"Try it on. The functions are a bit more complex, but it’s got smart controls. Best to suit up now and get used to the motion."
Chen Sixuan looked at the new Black Hawk: Silent Hunter Armor, stunned. "How do I put it on?"
Beep.
Lin Xian held out his hand. The armor lit up with a Holographic Interface, scanned her face, and then opened its Chest Plate. Leg Bolts and Braces unlocked automatically with a mechanical hiss.
"It’s got a Thermal Regulation System inside—no need to bundle up."
Chen Sixuan nodded, stripped off her heavy gear, and carefully stepped into the open armor.
[Black Hawk - Silent Hunter Armor initializing. Running system diagnostics.]
The system’s icy female voice echoed as her HUD filled with status bars—Mobility, Defense, Radar, Situational Awareness, Life Support—each module activating one by one. The armor’s components tightened and locked in.
[Diagnostics complete. Multi-panel torso armor syncing with user vitals. Adjusting exosuit configuration.]
[Adjustment complete. Would you like to—]
The voice echoed around her, streams of data flooding her vision. The armor felt powerful yet sleek, providing strength and agility far beyond anything she’d worn before.
Clang. Clang.
Chen Sixuan stepped out from the locker, now clad head to toe in sleek black armor. Her helmet’s Holographic Sensor Array glowed blue. The multi-panel armor hugged her form perfectly—she looked like a Mecha Goddess descending from the stars.
Lin Xian stared, dumbstruck. The sight stirred something deep in his Mechanical Heart—this was the future he dreamed of building.
"Ms. Chen."
"Hm?"
"You look incredible."
He moved in for a kiss—but the helmet’s face shield automatically rose to block him. Lin Xian paused, laughed awkwardly, and sighed.
"I’m heading out on a dangerous mission and you won’t even let me have a kiss?"
"It’s not that…" Chen Sixuan was fumbling with the suit. "I just don’t really know how to use this yet..."
"No worries. I’ll get my kiss when I’m back." Lin Xian smiled. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I return."
"Hey..." Chen Sixuan watched him walk away, heart tightening.
"Lin Xian—you better come back in one piece! If you dare get hurt, or—or don’t come back at all..."
She shouted into the comms, her voice filled with emotion.
“I’ll just… dock your credits!”
Lin Xian had barely taken a few steps when he heard that, and nearly stumbled from the jolt.
“Don’t worry,” he turned back with a smile.
“I’ll definitely be back. We will see the dawn of September!”
…
Whoooosh—
The freezing wind howled as Lin Xian stayed inside KIKI’s psychic shield. The endless blizzard made it almost impossible to see the city below.
He had asked KIKI to take him to the airport, where the Emperor Project team was waiting. To save time, the Reboot Team would be taking a risky route via aircraft straight to Trakamar Ice Canyon.
The entire trip, KIKI said nothing. Lin Xian glanced over and noticed her face was cold as ice—she didn’t look too happy.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Why aren’t you taking me to Trakamar Ice Canyon?” KIKI said flatly.
Normally, Lin Xian always brought her along for missions. They were perfectly in sync. But this time, for once, he hadn’t.
Truthfully, Lin Xian had considered bringing her, but after thinking it through, he decided to leave her behind.
The main reason was this: he suspected that nearly all the monsters from the Snowfield had already converged around Xilan City. That seemed to be their final target—even the Scout was watching its prey, serving something even greater.
In that case, heading alone to Trakamar might actually mean less pressure. Lin Xian hoped so, anyway. It would benefit both the Reboot Plan and Zhou Wuer’s Courier mission.
Another factor was the Hunting Team. KIKI ranked in the top three among survivors with the highest Ability Index. If both she and Lin Xian left, the pressure on the team would spike drastically.
The real threat had always been here, looming over Xilan City. And KIKI, with her psychic abilities, wasn’t just powerful—she excelled in defense, support, and mobility. Her presence could greatly amplify Fire Bro’s performance and help protect Shu Qin, Lü Chang, and the Infinite Train group near the north wall.
All things considered, Lin Xian decided she should stay behind. He had no idea how long it would take to repair Unit 01. If the city fell in the meantime, it wouldn’t matter if he fixed it at all.
“Most of the monsters are probably gathering around Xilan City,” he finally explained patiently. “Your abilities will be more useful helping Fire Bro hunt inside the city.”
“Tch. And going there is guaranteed safe or something?” KIKI huffed, clearly unhappy.
Lin Xian knew she was just worried, so he replied, “There’s no such thing as ‘safe’ anymore. But if we can get that mecha operational, we’ll have a real trump card against whatever’s up there. Just stay here, work with Fire Bro and Wen Zhuo, okay?”
“I got it—you don’t have to say it,” KIKI muttered, giving him a complex look before puffing her cheeks, turning her head to avoid eye contact.
Soon, the Xilan Airport appeared through the snowstorm. On the wide-open tarmac, several Lightning-2 Aerospace Fighters and one transport aircraft were parked. Dozens of staff were busy loading equipment, computers, tents, and the black box core of Unit 01—the Monument Core—onto the transport.
Yu Yuheng, looking haggard and wrapped in thick thermal gear, was inspecting the gear one item at a time. Meanwhile, Chen Wei, fully armed and hooked up to medical lines, was already seated inside the transport, quietly waiting for takeoff.
Lin Xian also spotted a few familiar faces.
Captain Sun Kai of the armed unit.
“Captain Lin!”
Seeing Lin Xian and KIKI descend from above, Sun Kai led his people over.
“Captain Sun, what’s this?”
“I already requested it from Command. I’ve been assigned as the Reboot Team’s escort leader!”
Lin Xian nodded in response. Behind Sun Kai stood the Nightwalker, Jing Tian, who gave him a silent nod—clearly sent by Wen Zhuo.
“We’re almost ready. Should be taking off in about fifteen minutes. A recon flier’s already been dispatched from the south to scout the airspace, but... no updates yet.”
“It’s still before dawn. If those Eerie Entities didn’t go berserk despite the Level-5 Mark, that says something about their discipline—it’s way beyond what we expected.”
In truth, Lin Xian had actually hoped the horde would strike again—it would give them a chance to weaken the Mark and relocate, avoiding a direct confrontation with that terrifying S-Class Entity.
But since the Mark appeared and the monsters retreated, Lin Xian knew: for Xilan’s survivors, this was a net that covered the entire sky.
“Captain Lin!”
Luo Yang and others ran over from where they were fortifying defenses. With him were Liang Lei, Li Yi, Uncle Wu, Liao Ming, and Shen Yao.
Lin Xian turned and smiled. “Nice setup. Turning passenger jets into bunkers—and all these ion walls?”
“These kids like Luo Yang are full of ideas,” Uncle Wu grinned. “They’ve even been helping Commander He. Young minds just think faster.”
“Exactly,” Liao Ming laughed.
“But this place is wide open. Not easy to defend,” said Shen Yao of the North Wind Alliance.
“No choice. Inside the city, we’re boxed in and easy to trap. Out here, we can station over ten thousand people, and supply lines can keep up,” Lin Xian replied. “Besides, you won’t be surrounded on all sides. The north wall’s less than ten kilometers from here. The main horde will hit from the city side, and the northern bus terminal will draw some pressure too. Most of what you’ll face is from the southwest.”
Everyone nodded.
“Captain Lin, I heard you’re taking on a dangerous mission. Please, be careful.” Li Yi, pregnant, looked at him sincerely.
“Yeah, we’ll be waiting for you to come back,” added Liang Lei.
“Captain Lin.”
Yu Yuheng, dark circles under his eyes, approached. “We’re about ready. Time to go.”
“Got it.”
Lin Xian looked back at KIKI. “Go on—get prepped. Stay safe. I’ll be back.”
KIKI shot him a look, then quietly muttered, “You better hurry back…”
“I will.”
With the wind howling, Lin Xian boarded the transport aircraft under everyone’s gaze. The hatch sealed shut. Escorted by several Lightning-2 Fighters, the transport lifted off and soared southeast.
Inside, Yu Yuheng sat with a laptop, explaining the current status of Unit 01 and the problems they’d encountered.
Now that they were in this together, Phoenix had no reason to keep secrets. And what Lin Xian saw was a massive, awe-inspiring plan.
Yu Yuheng even briefly mentioned that the Emperor Project originally had three versions of the humanoid weapon design. Due to power limitations and the difficulty of integration, Unit 01 was actually the most conservative version.
“The S-Class Eerie Entity we encountered—we named it ‘Gray Mist’,” Yu said. “When it attacked us, the situation wasn’t as bad as we feared. That night, Chen Wei and the others piloted Unit 01 and fought it for over four hours. It eventually vanished. We thought the mecha had scared it off. But then…”
Yu pushed up his glasses. “We didn’t even know about the Level-5 Mark on us. When night fell in Trakamar Ice Canyon, we got hit harder than ever. Two massive worms nearly swallowed our entire armed unit. In the sky, there was a Winged Demon at least seventy or eighty meters long. We were caught completely off-guard—took massive losses and had to send out a full-spectrum distress signal.”
Lin Xian frowned. “You didn’t prep for nightfall?”
Yu’s expression shifted, about to reply when Chen Wei interrupted.
“Prep? If it’s one-on-one, or even one-on-two or three, Pangu can go toe-to-toe with those beasts. But if it’s ten thousand—or a million—then what?”
Yu sighed. “Our team was built to target S-Class entities. We never anticipated a full-blown monster tide. It’s rare to see Snow Wraiths and Snow Fiends launching swarms under higher-level command. We weren’t ready for that.”
Lin Xian nodded. Even an elephant fears too many ants. Maybe it would’ve been better to deploy the Emperor Project in a direct confrontation—like in Yubei City—instead of keeping it so secret.
“Can I ask something blunt?” he said. “Why all the secrecy? Was it to keep the Descent Faction in the dark? Or to avoid leaking… something else?”
Yu froze at the question, mouth slightly open, unsure how to respond.
Chen Wei looked directly at Lin Xian. “I asked the same thing. The answer they gave me sounded absurd. But after joining the Emperor Project, I changed my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
Chen Wei inhaled deeply. His tone sharpened.
“During the early days of Apocalypse Day, the Starfleet launched a massive counterattack using tactical nukes against the Dark Entities and the Abyss. They, along with Phoenix, learned two things:
The Abyss expanded faster.
The Eerie Entities evolved—especially in terms of radiation resistance.”
Lin Xian’s face darkened.
“You mean… you’re keeping secrets from the darkness itself?”
“That’s part of it,” Yu shrugged. “But also from the survivors. Headquarters didn’t want to reveal anything before the project was ready. If Unit 01 failed, it would shatter everyone’s faith.”
“I get it.”
Lin Xian’s heart sank.
Phoenix’s strategy was thorough, no doubt. But what Chen Wei said chilled him to the core.
It hinted that the dark creatures were intelligent—able to adapt, evolve, even counter human weapons.
Which would explain why nukes weren’t used to flatten the Abyss.
Not because they hadn’t tried.
But because they had.