Doomsday: I Build an Infinite Train.

Chapter 433 Gamma-ray Burst

Lin Xian felt the tinnitus sound getting increasingly sharp.

He stared silently at the metal die and the countdown on his retina, frozen in place, his mind seemingly slowing down at that moment.

Lin Xian parted his lips slightly, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Grace…Grace.”

"Grace!"

If Grace doesn't react, then it's highly likely that his connection with the flashing bullets has been severed. Lin Xian tried to focus his attention on the strange dark presence between his eyebrows, but the numbers in front of him made it difficult for him to concentrate.

"What on earth is going on...?"

A bad feeling began to grow in my heart.

Lin Xian clenched his fists. If he lost contact with Grace, it would mean that he would lose control of the South Heavenly Gate and lose the way to directly connect with Chu Yan's consciousness. All the efforts that the Phoenix Society's Starry Sky Research Lab had made during this period would be in vain!

He stared at the metal die, then took a deep breath, immediately detached his consciousness from the Black Star Forge, and sat down to adjust his breathing.

"Damn it, focus!"

At this moment, Lin Xian opened the left arm of his power armor, took out a reserve of Cold Dark Reagent, and plunged it into his heart!

Chi!
A surge of dark energy instantly filled his body. Lin Xian clenched his fists and focused his mind once more.

"Grace!"

【I am here! 】

When Grace's clear voice reached Lin Xian's ears, Lin Xian felt a jolt in his head, and the breath he was holding in his throat immediately subsided by a third.

"Grace, what just happened? Is there anything unusual at the South Heavenly Gate?!"

[15 minutes ago, the low Earth orbit sensor detected an unusual gamma-ray burst (peak value 3.15 TeV), with an azimuth angle of α-17.3° and a duration of 0.42 seconds. The burst penetrated the radiation shielding layer of the beam platform nucleator. I have now isolated the damaged unit, activated the backup power circuit, and am currently scanning for deeper system faults.]

"Gamma-ray burst? Did it affect the use of Nantianmen?"

[There is a systemic vulnerability in the beam platform's core unit. It is advised not to activate the South Heavenly Gate. I will repair it as soon as possible. Have you encountered any emergency?]

"I..." Lin Xian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then asked, "What about Chu Yan? Can you still contact Chu Yan and the Phoenix Society?"

Grace currently has no initiative to contact Chu Yan. If you need, I can try to contact her.

"contact."

Grace understands.

A few minutes later, Grace responded again.

No response was received from Chu Yan.

"what happened?"

[The exact reason is uncertain; Grace has not yet arrived at a definitive theory regarding the connection principle of the "blink bullets." However, based on my knowledge, I am more inclined to believe it relates to research areas such as "quantum communication."]

Lin Xian pinched the bridge of his nose, paused, and continued...
"What's the status of that strange entity outside the South Heavenly Gate? Has it caused any damage?"

[Based on observation, this is a space-like creature without a fixed shape. Its entire body is asphalt-like, enveloping and adhering to the North 2-6 photovoltaic wing surface and the outer shell of the main energy-concentrating structure. It has not attacked the spacecraft. I have fully repaired and connected the close-in weapon system for debris removal to the defense platform, but attempting an attack may cause unpredictable chain reactions.]

Lin Xian shook his head: "If it doesn't pose a threat to you or Nantianmen, don't launch an attack yet."

[I understand. Can I understand that if Grace is attacked, she can launch a self-defense attack?]

"of course."

"Okay." Grace's voice was calm and clear.

Lin Xian thought for a moment, then said, "Help me continue to try to contact Chu Yan, and let me know if you have any news."

Grace understands.

After confirming that Grace and Nantianmen were unharmed, Lin Xian breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't harbor any illusions. He felt that Chu Yan and the abnormality just now, including the countdown in front of him, must be related. The only thing that made him unsure was whether it was related to Chen Yanxiu.

"34 hours, that's 10 AM the day after tomorrow..."

Lin Xian stared at the constantly changing numbers before him, his expression growing increasingly serious: "What does this countdown mean? What will happen the day after tomorrow? Why did that metal die show the same number? Is it a coincidence? Or does it foreshadow something?"

hum!
A robotic arm extended from behind Lin Xian, its surging electromagnetic force gathering and gripping the metal die tightly. As Lin Xian took the die out, the entire control room floor shook violently under the support of his power armor, and the all-metal floor and platform dented several millimeters.

Since fleeing from Jiang City, this is the first time Lin Xian has encountered such a chaotic and bewildering situation, and he can say that he has no clue what to do.

Blood vine, triangular man, metal dice.

Holy City, Chen Yanxiu, Mount Garan.

There was also the seemingly unexpected Ocean God, the triangular man they saw a second time, the mysterious Deep-3 nuclear thermal detonator, and what Chen Yanxiu had mentioned…

Why did the Dark Civilization suddenly cancel its mission to eliminate him? Could it be that the reason the Ocean God left was because of this?
So what does it mean that Nantianmen has encountered an abnormal gamma-ray burst and is now facing a countdown?

He might find out the reason after the countdown ends, but how could Lin Xian sit idly by and wait for his doom?

"My uncle's!"

Lin Xian suddenly stood up, his eyes burning: "Sister Ning, KIKI, have you found anything?"

Inside the Abyss-class Borei-09 strategic nuclear submarine, the metal bulkheads were covered in condensation droplets. The eerie blue emergency lights cast Ning Jing's long shadow along the pipe-lined corridor. She entered the submarine's torpedo room, where she was greeted by a dense array of torpedo tubes mounted on the bulkhead base. Hearing Lin Xian's voice, she immediately responded.
"Captain Lin, this submarine has a lot of supplies and weapons, enough to supply at least a hundred people for an operation. Everything is in good condition. We also found 12 high-explosive torpedoes and 20 torpedoes that look a bit special. After checking them, it seems they are used to lure enemies underwater. Each one has at least 200 decoy explosive units, enough to affect a large area of ​​the sea. It seems that the people of Holy City are using this method to avoid the monsters in the deep sea."

"Are we relying on these torpedoes?" Lin Xian asked.

“But bait alone won’t fool those things in the deep sea.” In the submarine’s central control room, KIKI pointed to a box-shaped device glowing purple at the bottom of the console and said in the communication band, “I also found a device similar to our synchrotron tower, which can resist the invasion of darkness in the deep sea. However, this thing cannot block the energy signal of the nuclear reactor. They must have other methods.”

"Could it be a forbidden object?" Ning Jing replied, "That person from the Divine Revelation organization just now, this organization has a very deep understanding of forbidden objects and the Star Abyss, it might be related to this."

"Maybe."

KIKI continued searching for information within the nuclear submarine's systems, trying to find anything related to nautical charts and navigation, while simultaneously showing concern for Lin Xian.
"Lin Xian, are you... feeling better?"

Lin Xian's condition just now really startled her.

"It's nothing." Lin Xian thought for a moment and then said, "I'll tell you later. What about Ah Bai? Has he noticed anything unusual?"

"I'm asking you?"

KIKI turned to look at Ah Bai and found him looking around nervously.

"No... I didn't notice anything, but maybe because of the waterway connection, I think I can sense some movement far underwater." KIKI tilted her head to look at him upon hearing this: "Are you afraid to stay here?"

"There's one thing..." Ah Bai said frankly, "It's so oppressive inside the submarine."

KIKI shrugged, looked around at the sophisticated submarine equipment and structure, and said, "It's not much different from being on a train."

“That’s different,” Ah Bai whispered. “Trains have windows, and they’re on the ground. This thing is like a metal can, especially since it’s all seawater outside. We don’t know how deep it is, or what kind of monsters might be there…”

"It's normal to be afraid."

At this point, Lin Xian responded, "Trains are much safer than submarines."

"Yes."

Lin Xian continued to contact them, "Brother Huo, Xiao Qing, Shiori, how are things over there?"

In the middle level of the submarine base's experimental area, the passageway was deserted. Xiaoqing and Shiori carefully searched each room to obtain useful information, while Huo Ge followed behind like a bodyguard, his fingertips forming multiple layers of fire rings that floated in the air with an infinite ring, making him appear ethereal.

Upon hearing Lin Xian's voice, Lu Xingchen immediately replied, "Brother Lin, there is nothing unusual. All useful items here have already been moved out, and there is nothing else here."

"What about that geothermal well with the Deep-3 core heat extractor? Has it been checked again?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen looked at the two women in front of him and immediately said boldly, "We have checked it, but we can't figure out anything about this kind of device. We have eliminated the threat. However, in my opinion, if this device is related to the strange entity in the sea, we should just destroy it. Since the Descent Faction is colluding with the Dark Civilization, their actions must be wicked. Destroying it will definitely be beneficial."

Lin Xian responded, "That device is connected to the geothermal core. Let's wait until we fully understand it before making any plans. Besides, it's dark now, so it's not suitable to act rashly."

Xiao Qing, who was leading the search, turned around and glared at Lu Xingchen before quietly reporting to Lin Xian.

"We... just found a site that looks like a human experimentation site, and found some information about the monster we fought. Shiori said it didn't seem like a living person; it might have been modified using genetic or cloning technology. However, we don't have complete data, only some fragmented information. Also... we found an exit going up from the main elevator, right below the prison, but it's blocked off. It's connected to the flood discharge tunnel we saw earlier..."

Lin Xian nodded upon hearing this: "That guy even went so far as to kill all the researchers before running away, which means there must be something this base doesn't want us to know."

"Lin Xian, can you get in touch with Sister Chen? We need to make sure the Infinite is alright." KIKI's voice came through the communicator.

"Still under deployment."

Lin Xian looked at the information coming from the window. His drone was extending in a node-like pattern, but it had not yet made contact with the main island city of Haiyan Island.

He then went to the window, looked down at the giant submarine half-submerged in the dark water, thought for a moment, and then said directly to Ning Jing and KIKI...

"KIKI, Sister Ning, Ah Bai, if there's nothing else, let's leave the submarine first and meet up in the upper monitoring room. This area connects to the deep sea, and we don't know if some monster might suddenly appear. Let's be careful."

"it is good."

So, the six people searching from both sides and Lin Xian returned to the previous monitoring hall. They found a fairly spacious room to rest. At this time, Lin Xian's drone finally crossed the sea and flew over the main island in the dead of night. Under the information blockage of the darkness, it successfully connected with the drone signal chain he had deployed on the island.

"Teacher Chen, can you hear me?"

"Sizzle... Lin... Sizzle, Lin Xian?!"

Chen Sixuan's surprised voice came through the communicator. The track at the Haiyan Island University City rail station was under maintenance. The Infinite was completely hidden in the darkness. Chen Sixuan was sitting alone in the driver's seat, waiting for Lin Xian's message. When she heard the voice in her earpiece, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"How are things going? Have you found those people?"

"Found it." Lin Xian asked, "Is everything alright on your end?"

"Night has fallen successfully." Chen Sixuan briefly explained their escape from the marker to Lin Xian: "The sensors you deployed here have detected a large number of strange entities moving around in the city. It's much more active than last night, and there are quite a few large ones. It should be related to the large decoy that the Holy City deployed during the day."

“We are on night watch now. The underground tracks are not particularly safe, but Shu Qin and Luo Yang have made a lot of preparations, so we should not be discovered for the time being. Don’t worry.”

"it is good."

"How's it going over there?"

"We've found a foundation's hideout and a person from Divine Revelation. The situation is a bit complicated. I'll tell you more after dawn." Lin Xian thought for a moment. If Director Ding were here, he might have many ideas. After confirming the safety of the Infinite, he also took a deep breath and said to Ning Jing and the others.

"Fortunately, both sides are safe, but the trouble is just beginning. We need to find a way to leave Haiyan Island after dawn."

"Is Viola back?" Kiki asked. "If we can't find a base station in the orbit around the planet, we can't just wander around at sea. We don't have any positioning system right now, so finding an orbit in the ocean isn't an easy task."

Lin Xian nodded: "I know, what's more, there's a strange floating island coming from the East Coast, as well as underwater whirlpools and underwater volcanoes. No matter how you run, it's a headache."

"In my opinion, why not just use the Sky Train to soar straight into the sky? Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Brother Huo rarely offered his opinion.

Lin Xian said, "That's what I think too, but there are three hidden dangers. The first two are what KIKI said. If we can't find the orbit around the star, we can only keep flying across the Pacific Ocean. The risks and dangers in this process are too great, and we won't be able to meet up with Noah. We can only fly blindly. In addition, the arsenal ship of the Sky Dome is not finished yet."

"The other one, are you worried about that giant ocean god?" Ning Jing asked.

Lin Xian's expression was solemn: "To be precise, including those monsters surrounding the island, what exactly is being caused by the thermonuclear activity scattered throughout this place? If we don't figure it out, I'm worried we won't be able to get out of this sea area at all."

"Lin Xian."

KIKI looked at him and said, "Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel that the Falcon Fleet is a bit far-fetched. They also have decoys. A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can't possibly be separated from this area. As for the claims that they are worried about volcanoes or want to hunt blood essences, they all seem untenable now."

Lin Xian's eyes flickered, and he said, "I didn't take Ryan's words to heart before, because we don't know the situation on this island and in the sea. The concerns he expressed don't seem like things that can't be resolved."

"Then do you think they might have other motives, or that they know some inside information?"

Lin Xian nodded: "That's true."

He looked at everyone, and after much consideration, decided not to tell them about the countdown for the time being. He had no idea about it yet, and even if others knew, they would probably be completely confused, and it would only cause unease and have no other effect.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xian stood up.
"Everyone take a break, I'm going to check out that device."

Faced with such a large device, it would be impossible to pass without scanning it with the Mechanical Heart. This is currently the only way for him to understand the true operating principle of this base device, and perhaps it can help him find some clues.

“I’ll go with you.” KIKI stood up as well.

"Row."

“I…I also…” Shiori stood up softly, but Lin Xian pushed her back onto the stool: “This place has been patrolled, there is no danger for the time being. I’ll use my mechanical ability to scan that Deep-3 nuclear thermal implanter. You haven’t slept for two days, so rest here for a while.”

Shiori nodded obediently, "Okay."

Immediately, Lin Xian and KIKI entered the huge geothermal cave again. The drone flew around to help him monitor every corner, while Lin Xian went directly to the top robotic arm, found a spot down, and began scanning.

KIKI looked down at the multiple floors and mechanical platform below, and at the deep red lava at the very bottom, and said to Lin Xiandao
"Lin Xian, do you think this place might be connected to Mount Garan?"

Lin Xian opened his eyes and said softly

I'm sure there is!

(End of this chapter)