Doomsday: I Build an Infinite Train.

Chapter 498 Tower Civilization
"KIKI, I found out you boarded the Cheng Ying ship. What exactly happened during that time?"

In the empty conference hall, Lin Xian asked KIKI a question.

"She doesn't know much more than you do."

Raymond, a rugged-looking middle-aged man in his forties with multiple scars on his right cheek that looked like patches, held a lit cigar and looked at Lin Xian: "We rescued her from a pile of corpses. That battle lasted two days and one night. The yellow sands of the Harco coast were full of dead bodies. This girl actually managed to withstand the shockwave from the world-class disaster 'Earthquake Catfish' with her telekinesis and severely injured an S-class monster, at least buying Noah's main force a lot of time to evacuate."

“We all thought she was dead. She lay in the 374 outpost for almost a month. Come to think of it, she woke up only about ten days earlier than you,” Shi Weidong said at this moment.

"After you woke up, you've been searching for your whereabouts with our team," Song Wei said from the other end.

Lin Xian frowned upon hearing this and looked at KIKI, who was sitting in a swivel chair with a lollipop in her mouth. Meeting Lin Xian's gaze, she simply smiled, her eyes gleaming mischievously as she preemptively said, "You're welcome~"

"You've been lying in bed for a month. Were you seriously injured?" Lin Xian asked.

"No~" KIKI shrugged, looking quite energetic, and said, "I just overused my mental energy and slept for a few extra days~"

"You didn't have an excess of mental energy; when we found you..."

"Hey, stop talking nonsense." KIKI slammed her hand on the table, interrupting Shi Weidong: "Get back to the point! Old Shi!"

"By the way, wasn't Director Ding with us?"

Lin Xian remembered this. He originally thought Ding Junyi might be here, but he didn't see her at all. He couldn't help but ask.

“About a week after I woke up, Director Ding went to Phoenix with Noah’s transfer team. Because we couldn’t find the reason why you couldn’t wake up, we split into two groups. I’m here searching for your whereabouts, and she went ahead to the Nightwalker headquarters…” KIKI said with a sigh of relief, “Our plan is to send you there if we find you.”

"Polar Kunlun City?"

"Ah."

"What about the convoy? What about Teacher Chen and the others?" Lin Xian asked hurriedly.

As soon as she finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent. KIKI's expression darkened, and she stared at the table without saying a word.

Lin Xian's heart sank upon seeing this, and he said in a stern voice.

"No news from the entire railcar regiment?!"

Shi Weidong then spoke up: "From December 9th until now, not a single train has appeared on the north-south rail line that runs through the two continents."

"What about Dawn Center?"

Shi Weidong stood beside the holographic sand table in the conference room, the tip of the laser pointer pointing at the floating projection of the North American continent. The cold light emitted reflected on his deeply lined face. His voice was not loud, but it carried a cold, hard, and weary quality, like metal scraping. Every word hit the oppressive air.

“Swordholder…” he began, his gaze never leaving the blinding crimson area on the sand table that covered most of the simulated Earth: “From the moment you entered ‘Deep Sleep,’ the world has been accelerating its collapse.”

"On November 12th, the Noah Ocean Monitoring Team confirmed that Star Abyss No. 13 simultaneously experienced a crimson expansion in the eastern Pacific and Black Sea, exceeding all model predictions." The laser pointer pointed towards the Pacific region. "In less than twelve hours, the core areas of these two oceans were gone, completely swallowed by the crimson."

He flicked his wrist, pointing the pointer at Alaska: "On November 24, the Dawn Center Command rendezvoused with the remnants of the North American United Front who had retreated to the Alaskan ice field. The original plan was to traverse North and South America in 25 days, establish a regrouping and preparation in the Storm Strait, and then cross the Storm Sea into the Arctic before being swallowed by the Crimson Sea."

On the holographic projection, a green ray of light, which transitions from virtual to real, winds its way south from Alaska, across the North American continent, and points towards the southernmost tip of South America.

Shi Weidong's laser pointer abruptly stopped on the Asia-Pacific region: "November 25th, without warning, Star Abysses 3, 5, 7, and 8 in the Asia-Pacific region began their uncontrolled expansion! Crimson is spreading across the map like a plague! The Commander has issued an emergency order: the troops stationed in Dawn City, together with the survivors of Silent City, must immediately relocate! The Dawn Center's originally planned 25-day safe march has been forced into a death march, day and night! The destination remains unchanged—Storm Strait!"

His voice suddenly rose, trembling slightly, before he looked toward the central part of North America, where the projection of the Grand Canyon instantly turned blood red: "December 9th! The spread of North American Star Abyss 12 and 9 accelerated dramatically in the darkness! The main force of the Dawn Center in the Grand Canyon region... crashed headlong into the world-class disaster number 05—'Chaos'!" Shi Weidong's voice choked, his Adam's apple bobbing: "More than a million people... are gone. That very night."

He took a deep breath, as if the heavy smell of blood was still lingering in his nostrils: "Then, 219 train convoys on the land-based rail line, along the East Canyon Rail Line in Colorado...lost all contact!"

He took a deep breath and then looked at Lin Xian: "Besides the survivor train convoy, there were also the 13th and 22nd Iron Guard Brigades belonging to the Ninth Intercontinental Force, and six of the most elite special operations groups of the Second Intercontinental Force! Three air fleets that were supposed to provide air support! And one more thing... those trains transported a large amount of our remaining combat resources... and survival supplies that could have kept more people alive! All gone!"

Lin Xian frowned, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw KIKI sitting opposite him with her arms crossed and her head buried in a gloomy expression.

"Then there's Noah's side. The original plan to cross the Storm Sea and land at the polar regions was completely ruined by the mad devouring of Star Abyss No. 13. They were forced to change their route to Panama, and then forcibly landed on the coast of Hako and carried out a land transfer for all personnel! Then the commander planned to have Noah's main body cross that man-eating scarlet sea in the form of an empty ship and enter the Storm Sea for sea crossing."

"However, before the Hako landing site was even firmly established on December 11th, the world-class disaster 'Earthquake Catfish' from Star Abyss No. 13 suddenly emerged from the near sea, directly stranding Noah on the beach and triggering the Crimson Tide. That battle..." Shi Weidong sighed softly, "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. So many crystal-evolved ability users from Nightwalker Parts 1 and 2 were almost completely wiped out. In the end, it was only thanks to the arrival of the main force of Dawn Center from the north, along with support from Phoenix City in the south and the European Storm Alliance, that a gap was torn open, allowing the Zhen Tian Ship and most of the survivors of Noah to complete the transfer. Otherwise, just staying here would probably have resulted in the loss of half of human civilization."

He opened his eyes, his gaze weary and heavy with an almost numb numbness: "The main force of the Dawn Center encountered 'chaos' in the Grand Canyon and was already at its last gasp. They fought several major battles in the shattered canyon in order to search for the rescue train convoy..."

"And then?" Lin Xian asked.

"It's no use."

Raymond, sitting opposite him, exhaled a heavy puff of smoke, shook his head, and said, "We almost wiped out both Iron Guard brigades because the Colorado Canyon Bridge collapsed. Oh, well, not exactly collapsed. I heard that the canyon itself shattered in that hellish place. The railcar convoy had no way to escape. Even some ATVs or people who abandoned their trains couldn't escape through the crimson. Besides, that place is like hell now, full of monsters. Unless the trains can fly, otherwise..."

He stopped mid-sentence, glancing at Lin Xian and KIKI before swallowing his words. He knew that Lin Xian's convoy was the same as the train convoy, so he didn't continue.

Shi Weidong raised his head and looked directly at Lin Xian. His eyes were bloodshot, but there was also an unyielding stubbornness: "Currently, the main forces of the Second, Fourth, and Seventh Intercontinental Forces of the Interstellar Army are all stationed near Ushuaia, where there is no storm strait."

"Why?" Lin Xian asked.

“Of course we don’t want to give up.” Shi Weidong shrugged and looked at Lin Xian: “Our Scarlet outposts are here to support the convoys that survived the Scarlet. That’s our mission: to do everything possible to find and support those scattered convoys that have miraculously survived the catastrophe, and bring them…”

The conference room was as quiet as ever.

Lin Xian frowned deeply; the crisis was worse than he had anticipated. He was puzzled and broke the silence by speaking.

"According to the Phoenix Society's investigation, why did the crimson appear, and why did it suddenly escalate to such a severe level?"

"Because of the Adventists."

As soon as Lin Xian finished speaking, a response quickly rang out. Lin Xian looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Song Wei who spoke. He immediately asked in confusion, "Because of humans?"

"Don't you see?"

Shi Weidong then looked at Lin Xian and said, "The Star Abyss, which had previously been expanding in a stable but disorderly manner, seems to have developed a clear strategic awareness after the appearance of Crimson. The outbreaks of Star Abyss 13 in the Pacific Ocean and Star Abyss 12 and 9 in North America are all related to the relocation of our main cluster. The timing and location are very accurate."

"Moreover, the Noah Fleet and the orbital vehicle team, one by sea and the other by land, are both important tools for our material transportation." Raymond flicked his cigarette ash and said bluntly, "This is the method used by the Foundation and the Holy City to specifically undermine our human camp."

Song Wei also said, "We believe that the Foundation has the means to communicate with the Tower civilization. It is precisely because of this that the Scarlet Outbreak and its global presence have become increasingly deadly to us humans. Without supplies and without living areas, this will be a devastating blow to us."

"Wait a minute..." Lin Xian frowned and looked at her: "The Tower Civilization?"

“Someone within the Phoenix Society has solved the mystery of that civilization game.” KIKI looked at Lin Xian, her eyes flashing. “You should know her, Chu Yan.”

“That’s right.” Shi Weidong nodded, his face extremely grim. “Our enemy is now very clear: not only the Tower Civilization, but also this group of Adventists who are extremely familiar with our own civilization…”

Lin Xian could hear the helpless resentment in Shi Weidong's tone; only those on their own side knew how to precisely harm their own. "But finding you, and having you alive, means our 374th Outpost has at least fulfilled its mission." Shi Weidong looked at Lin Xian, let out a long sigh, and said, "Next, we will spare no effort to send you to the Arctic. The Commander will be waiting for you there. These past few months have been filled with brutal battles and massive relocations. Many survivors have been shrouded in despair. Your appearance will bring a precious glimmer of hope and confidence to Kunlun!"

Lin Xian's expression darkened: "Heh, you're overestimating me. Compared to those Nightwalkers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives, I'm just an ordinary superhuman among the survivors."

“Ordinary?” Shi Weidong stared at Lin Xian: “Swordholder, if you think that way, you’re wrong. The tens of millions of survivors in the polar regions now regard your past achievements as a beacon of civilization. Although it’s intentional, we do need a role model, a candle that can bring hope.”

"So the Phoenix Society portrayed me as a savior?" Lin Xian asked.

“No need for shaping.” Shi Weidong placed his hands on the table, looked at Lin Xian, and said calmly, “The more desperate people are, the more they believe in the power of heroes. Our Dragon Kingdom has never believed in gods, only in heroes. That’s because the floods were brought down by our ancestors’ painstaking efforts to control the floods, not by the descent of gods. Droughts, floods, and famines were brought down by the people’s hard work in farming, not by God’s charity. In this situation, they naturally need some people who can stand up and raise their voices, and they need the burning spirit of Dawn City’s retreat from the polar night to inspire their hearts. And you happen to be one of those people.”

Lin Xian was speechless for a moment. Countless pieces of information were exploding in his mind. Upon hearing Chu Yan's message, he immediately asked...
"Can we contact the Phoenix Society headquarters now?"

"Yes, by postman," Shi Weidong said.
"The postman? Forget about it." Lin Xian felt a headache coming on. He then took out the civilization preview sphere that Hua Xiaoling had given him, tapped it, and immediately saw a light screen pop up on it.

[Civilization Simulation No. 39081: Start the preview?]

"Is Chu Yan, number 39081, also simulating this?"

“That’s right, it’s 39081.” KIKI looked at Lin Xian, her brows furrowing. “Do you want this game? I’ve heard it’s very dangerous.”

How dangerous is a rehearsal?

No one else spoke. KIKI silently looked at Lin Xian, then took a deep breath and calmly said...

"Chu Yan disappeared the day after she deciphered the Tower Civilization."

"What?!" Lin Xian exclaimed in shock, "Didn't she return to the Dawn Center headquarters?"

KIKI shrugged: "I don't know either. I just heard it from them. They said Chu Yan might..."

"He defected."

"Impossible!" Lin Xian's gaze darkened as he looked at the Civilization Preview Sphere in his hand. Everyone else, including Raymond, also looked grave. Shi Weidong said, "The Kunlun Phoenix Society's research teams have already simulated and previewed this Civilization Game. It seems that this Civilization Game is designed to put people in the shoes of a civilization observer and let them experience the world of the Tower Civilization after 39081 civilization iterations. You can think of it as a kind of consciousness war. Compared to our human civilization on Blue Star, they are not only a higher-dimensional existence, but also... an incomprehensible existence."

"Therefore, although these civilization rehearsals are not weapons, from the perspective of consciousness and worldview, they are a complete dimensional reduction attack on the survivors. The smarter or more perceptive a person is, the greater the impact they will be."

Shi Weidong looked at Lin Xian: "The Phoenix Society has banned the game from spreading among the survivors. Although it was a helpless move and it emboldened the Adventists, there was nothing we could do. Fortunately, the problem only affected a small number of people."

“But that small minority is actually more deadly, just like you said, these people are often more perceptive,” Lin Xian said.

Shi Weidong paused, then remained silent.

Lin Xian looked at the Civilization Prediction Sphere in his hand, then at KIKI, and said, "Although it's not very rational to say this, I don't think Chu Yan will defect. There might be some important information in this. Let me take a look."

Shi Weidong and Raymond exchanged glances but did not stop Lin Xian: "Okay, maybe you can find something."

So Lin Xian didn't say anything, and directly selected "Yes" on the civilization rehearsal sphere.

[Preview of the civilization at Tower No. 39081 is now underway]

The center of the projection device flashed blue light again, and then a holographic light and shadow began to gradually unfold and expand, instantly enveloping the entire conference room space.

Lin Xian felt a flash of light before his eyes and instinctively closed them.

Lin Xian suddenly opened his eyes, the blinding light making him squint instantly.

Beneath your feet lies soft vegetation, exuding a unique, fresh fragrance of grass and trees, stretching towards the distant, undulating, verdant mountains. The babbling of flowing water comes from not far away; the stream, as clear as liquid crystal, sparkles in the sunlight, winding its way into a boundless, deep, pure sapphire-blue ocean. The air is incredibly fresh, each breath carrying the sweet scent of burgeoning life. This is a perfect, pristine land, as if created from the beginning of time.

However, when he subconsciously looked up, a chill instantly shot up his spine to the top of his head.

The sky was not the dome he knew. A huge, extremely thin light shield, like flowing liquid metal or solidified glass, enveloped the entire world, isolating it from the vast depths of space. The light shield itself emitted a soft white light, illuminating the entire planet's interior like a giant, warm jade cup.

But what's even more chilling is the scene beneath the light barrier.

A magnificent creature, whose grandeur defies description, was slowly swimming beneath the protective barrier. Its enormous size obscured a significant portion of the sky. The creature resembled some kind of giant, its pure white skin radiating a holy and gentle aura, emanating a life energy so rich it was almost tangible. Even from afar, it stirred the soul, as if bathing in the wellspring of life.

But beneath this pristine exterior lies a horrifying deformity.

The creature stretched out dozens, even hundreds, of huge, twisted crystalline wings, like clouds hanging from the sky, slowly fluttering, each flutter bringing down a soft rain of light. However, on its massive, mountain-like body, countless...faces grew.

Hundreds of perfectly formed human faces, indistinguishable in gender, yet each one exquisitely beautiful, are sculpted like reliefs on the crystalline body. Each face exudes an ultimate, almost hollow peace and serenity, with slightly closed eyes and an eternal, contented smile on its lips. Together, they form part of this sacred and bizarre creature. As it moves, the faces shift in the light, like living beings breathing.

Lin Xian almost instinctively crouched down, burying himself completely in the thick, carpet-like grass. His heart pounded wildly; the sight was beyond comprehension, a terrifying combination of the sacred and the grotesque.

He held his breath, his gaze carefully scanning the valley below through the gaps in the grass.

Upon seeing this, his scalp tingled instantly, and a chilling feeling of nausea surged into his throat.

In the valley, two similar pure white crystalline giants stood out, their limbs bizarre and their size much smaller than the one in the sky, but still enormous. One of them was behaving in an extremely strange and cruel way—it was devouring the other.

There was no roaring, no struggling, no bloodshed.

The giant that was being devoured had part of its body merged into the devourer's body, like water and milk blending together. Countless tiny tentacles and pseudo-feet, also made of pure crystals, emerged from the devourer's body, gently wrapping around the devoured one, penetrating its body, and drawing its essence. The faces that had also grown on the devoured one's torso now all showed an expression of... intoxication and ecstasy! Its limbs even wrapped around the devourer at a twisted angle, actively welcoming the fatal fusion, as if this was not death, but the ultimate dedication and pleasure.

Meanwhile, the behemoth that was devouring its own kind was undergoing visible changes in its body: the light was becoming more intense and dazzling, the crystalline body was becoming larger and the edges were becoming more perfect, and more and longer tentacles and the rudiments of wings were twisting and growing on its body surface. The original faces on its torso were becoming clearer and more serene, and even a few new, blurry facial outlines were faintly appearing.

This is not a battle, nor is it predation; it is more like an absurd, sacred, and nauseating...evil ritual in which one life willingly allows another to "enjoy" it in order to achieve the other's "perfection."

"This is the advanced civilization that has evolved to number 39081?" Lin Xian's stomach churned, his throat went dry, and an indescribable absurdity and fear gripped him. This was not an advanced civilization at all. This was clearly a more bizarre and unsettling...devouring civilization than the survival of the fittest in primitive tribes!
Just as his mind was almost frozen in shock from the horrifying sight, a calm, emotionless voice rang out behind him without warning, piercing through the grass and his taut nerves:

"I thought you were dead." The voice carried a barely perceptible... knowing, even a hint of weariness in its sigh: "I knew I might see you here again."

Lin Xian felt as if he had been electrocuted and turned around abruptly.

A pale hand gently parted the grass, revealing a familiar figure standing there, completely naked. Her fair skin and delicate features remained beautiful, but her eyes were as deep as an ancient well, carrying a weary gaze that seemed to know everything and... a complex emotion that Lin Xian could not decipher. She looked at him quietly, and a hint of radiance slowly appeared on her beautiful face.

Lin Xian immediately focused his gaze: "Chu Yan?!"

Chu Yan looked at him and calmly asked, "Do you want to learn about the Tower Civilization?"

After saying that, she parted her lips slightly and uttered three words to Lin Xian in a low voice.

"Eat me."

(End of this chapter)