The "Survival on the Train" game has bugs, it's really laggy!

After the 009 dot slid out from the bottom right corner of the main screen, only the radar afterimage remained in the downlink track.

Little Fire's ears twitched twice. Instead of staring in the direction 009 disappeared, it focused its attention on the twinkling little lights.

Thin steel sheet. One sheet falls off every fifty meters.

"The drop spacing is stable. The drop frequency matches the current wheel speed of 009," Little Fire reported, its claws overlaying the drop rhythm onto the main screen sidebar. "It's not random dropping; it's released rhythmically."

Wang Hu stared at the dotted line on the main screen, the bright spot on the steel plate extending deeper and further into the distance. The cigarette butt at the corner of his mouth twitched halfway around.

"It was scattering notes as it ran?"

Su Yuan did not respond. He turned his gaze from the downward branch to the main track ahead.

"Mark the spacing. Mark the rhythm. Mark the drop height."

The small fire started. Three sets of parameters were superimposed on the dotted line in real time. The steel sheet was not thrown from the roof or side of the 009 vehicle—the drop height was consistently eight centimeters above the rail surface. Chassis gaps.

009 hid the items in the chassis. He loosened them as he ran.

1.3 kilometers ahead. The sign for station number 21 emerges from the darkness. It's not white, not blue. It's a dim yellow, low-hanging, flashing every few seconds.

A small torch displays the platform information at the top of the main screen.

"No. 21 - Road sign clearing and branch line inspection station".

The platform is very short. The structure detected by radar is smaller than that of the previous stations. The total length is no more than 250 meters. The track has no branching, no curves, and no loops.

Two rows of low-profile robotic arms hang on either side of the track. The arms are short and thick, with silver-gray discs hanging from their ends. Magnetic wheels are also present.

Behind the robotic arm were three small painting vehicles, with square shells, nozzles facing down, and faded traces of old inkjet printing remaining on the track surface.

Beyond that is a short material line. There is only one and a half rows of shelves.

The results of the small torch shelf scan are listed.

"Magnetic rollers x16. Wear-resistant rail brushes x8. Signal coding devices x4. Lightweight detection trolley chassis x4. Also, several spare parts for obstacle clearing arms."

Wang Hu tapped his finger on the armrest.

"Inspection station?"

That certainly looks like it. The magnetic rollers are used to pick up scrap metal from the rail surface, the rail brushes are used to clean the road surface, the inkjet printer is for marking, and the detection trolley runs ahead to scout the way.

The entire platform is a railway inspection and maintenance station.

The Devourer approached steadily at a speed of 65 km/h. Its lightweight air-guided hull cut through the airflow ahead, and the dim yellow light of the platform entrance sign was suppressed by the headlights of the train.

300 meters before entering the station.

The loudspeaker came on.

"Non-standard road sign detected on the downlink branch track." System notification tone, neutral, no fluctuation. "Source: Supply Car 009. Material: Thin steel sheet. Quantity: Continuously increasing."

It paused for half a second.

According to Article 17 of the Regulations on the Management of the Inner Ring Road of the Great Wall, unauthorized road signs are considered as pollution inducements.

"Please move the lead vehicle to the left-hand clearance line and cooperate with the marking removal procedure to clear all abnormal road signs."

Please also uninstall the following suspicious items for inspection—

"First, the 20th ring is ready for the test."

"Second, the tail anchor car, number 005."

The moment the words landed.

The two rows of magnetic obstacle clearing arms on the right side of the platform descended simultaneously. The silver-gray disc pressed towards the rail surface, still 150 meters from the front of the train. A row of red lights illuminated above the rail surface, blocking the area in front of the main rail.

hum.

The low-frequency magnetic field diffuses out from the disk surface.

In direction 005, the young survivor slammed his hand down on the hull. The bolts on the outer shell trembled.

"The magnetic attraction on the outer wall of the hull is increasing." His voice was low. "It's pulling in."

The external ammunition racks were also rattling. A faint metallic clanging came from the left outer beam.

Tang Lan's voice cut in from channel 013.

"The red light is blocking the tracks. Are you going to force your way through?"

The AM relay channels exploded almost simultaneously.

The communications officer for the Bonebreaker spoke first, his speech a fraction faster than usual.

"Don't rush—this station is different. No turrets, no knife crews, just a proper clearing station. We're not dismantling vehicles, we're clearing contamination according to procedure. Forcing our way in might cause us to lose all the road signs left by 009."

The slaughterhouse adjutant added, "Base 04 confirmed—the surface structure of the left-side purification line is unarmed. Pure obstacle clearing equipment."

In the control room of Base 04, the technician's scan results were displayed on a large screen.

"Confirmed. The purification line has no dismantling rollers, no turrets, no energy extraction needles, and no recovery wells. The equipment has a single function—high-temperature label incineration."

The veteran engineer remained silent. He stared at the magnetic field distribution diagram of the obstacle clearing arm on the screen, his brow furrowed.

Inside carriage 013, Tang Lan's left hand was pressing down on the brake lever, while her right hand rested three centimeters above the unhooking protective cover. She didn't touch it.

The young survivor clung desperately to the outer shell of the 005 hull. The bolts were still trembling, but they hadn't come loose.

No one touched the unhooking cover.

Inside the driver's cab.

Su Yuan shifted his gaze from the red light line to the entrance of the purification line on the left.

"Pinkish-gray".

Wang Hu already had the lime bag in his hand. He sprinkled the first handful onto the left side of the purification line entrance track.

Fine white powder fell down.

There was no stopping.

The dust slid two centimeters to the left, skimming the track surface, before being sucked into a very narrow crack in the ground. The speed was slow, but the direction was clear—downward, flowing towards the bottom of the platform.

The second layer was sprinkled at the base of the side wall at the entrance of the purification line. The powder adhered directly to the wall and disappeared into the seam between the wall and the floor.

The small fire is simultaneously running data.

"Magnetic field analysis of the obstacle clearing arm complete." Its claw paused on the control panel. "Anomaly."

"Magnetic rollers do not attract across all frequencies. They are selective."

A frequency comparison chart pops up on the main screen. The magnetic field of the obstacle clearing arm is aligned with the frequency characteristics of several known objects.

Article 1 - Frequency of the outer shell material of No. 005 protective compartment.

Article 2 - Calibrate the frequency of the cast metal.

Article 3 – Micromagnetic characteristics of the surface of the 009 steel sheet with scratches.

All three bars are lit.

Everything else—shell casings, armor beams, copper rings, ordinary scrap metal—was completely obscured.

Wang Hu withdrew his hand from the lime bag.

Su Yuan did not look at the broadcast panel.

"It's not about clearing up pollution," he said. "It's about clearing up evidence."

Four words fell into the channel.

AM relay died for a second. The person on the Bonebreaker who had just said "clean up the contamination according to procedure" moved his lips slightly, then fell silent.

Control room of Base 04. The veteran engineer leaned halfway out of his chair.

"It matches up. It doesn't attract ordinary iron; it only locks onto three things—the 005 casing, the calibration bullet, and the 009 steel plate." He tapped his finger on the table. "All three are connected to the 009 clue."

Lu Mingyuan turned to look at him.

The veteran engineer lowered his voice even further. "Someone doesn't want the Devourer to know what 009 is doing."

Inside the cockpit. The Devourer's speed dropped to forty paces per hour. The segmented brakes were partially engaged.

The red light is still on. The obstacle clearing arm is still pressing down. The magnetic field is still attracting the 005 protective cabin.

Su Yuan moved his right hand from the steering wheel to the boom control lever.

"Shelf. Mark and paint the chassis."

Wang Hu reacted. He sprang out of the passenger seat and took three steps onto the outer beam. The crane arm was fully extended, and the three teeth of the grab claw stretched out towards the inner shelf of the platform.

I can't reach it.

There are still 80 meters to go.

However, the receiving slide rail is long enough.

Wang Hu pulled another lever—the quick-release receiving frame was thrown out, the folding frame popped open, and slid forward along the extension line of the slide rail.

The Devourer continued to press forward at a speed of twenty.

Fifty meters.

The claw has reached it.

The three-pronged grip is attached to the chassis of the first marking and painting vehicle on the bottom shelf. It has a low, square casing, four rubber wheels, and the spray nozzle is facing downwards.

Pull. The chassis detaches from the shelf.

Wang Hu didn't put it into the refining furnace. Instead, he directly inserted the chassis horizontally under the main rail of the red light—into the gap between the magnetic obstacle clearing arm and the rail surface.

The chassis housing is made of non-magnetic aluminum alloy. Magnetic fields have no effect on it. However, its physical thickness prevents the clearing arm from continuing its downward stroke.

The first one got stuck.

Second unit. The grabbing claw swings back and then engages. Horizontal insertion.

The third station.

The chassis of the three painting trucks completely blocked the four front right-side clearing arms. The silver-gray magnetic wheels hovered above the chassis, humming as they spun freely.

The magnetic attraction in the 005 direction has decreased. The young survivor's hand is still pressed against the hull, but the bolts are no longer shaking.

"Push it over," Su Yuan said.

The braking was switched from half-lock to quarter-lock. The throttle was applied. The heavy wheels of the Devourer rolled over the red light line, and the entire weight of the train pressed vertically onto the calibration rail.

The red light was still on. But the base of the lamppost was bent outwards by two degrees due to the weight of the overweight vehicle.

The obstacle clearing arm sensed the vehicle passing by, and the synchronous control signal of the magnetic rollers attempted to relock. The four arms on the left swung inward to clamp the vehicle.

The 300-ton-plus formation of the Devourer was dragging itself forward. The hydraulic cylinders of the obstacle clearing arm were designed to withstand a much lower load than that.

The four arms were being pulled forward by the vehicle body. The hydraulic hoses bulged, and yellow hydraulic oil was seeping from the joints.

The edge of the down-going fork is less than 30 meters from the front of the train.

Su Yuan didn't speed up. He was waiting for something to enter the work area.

"Slow fire. The nearest steel plate location."

"Seven meters to the left of the edge of the downlink junction, on the rail surface."

The crane arm has been retracted to cover the paint truck chassis. The three-pronged crane is empty.

Twenty meters. Fifteen meters.

The crane arm extends to its maximum travel limit. The gripper extends diagonally downwards from the right side of the vehicle.

Seven meters. At the edge of the fork in the road.

The three teeth fasten together.

A thin sheet of steel was clamped from the dark rail surface. It was about the size of a palm. The surface was marked.

Wang Hu took the steel sheet from the outer beam and handed it into the driver's cab observation port.

Su Yuan did not answer.

"Low heat. Low light."

The small flame jumped from the control panel to the edge of the observation port. A low-power scanning light lit up from its neck, scanning the surface of the steel sheet twice.

The engravings were read.

The words appeared one by one on the main screen.

"Don't go all in on 009, you'll lose track of the trend. There are carriage frames in the No. 22 assembly warehouse."

There was a moment of silence in the driver's cab.

Wang Hu's cigarette butt stopped at the corner of his mouth.

This message was simultaneously received on the AM relay channel.

Dead silence.

Control room of Base 04. The veteran engineer stood up from his chair and leaned forward, almost touching the screen.

He stared at that line of text three times.

"It wasn't a system printout." The technician magnified the depth of the scratches. "It was hand-carved. The tool was a hard, pointed needle, and the pressure was uneven. It's the same tool used in the handwriting on the old note 009 left at Station 19."

The old engineer slowly sat back down. His fingers tapped unconsciously twice on the table.

Lu Mingyuan turned to look at him.

The old engineer's voice changed.

"009 isn't setting a trap." He looked up. "It's delivering a message."

Someone responded in the Bonebreaker channel, their voice tinged with hesitation.

"Sending a message? Station 19 removed the fuses from 120 shells and took them away, while Station 20 armed itself with over 400 rounds—is that what you call sending a message?"

The voice of the slaughterhouse fire control officer rose from the bottom floor. Very flat.

"The spent cartridge cases from Station 19 were left in place and not hidden. Station 20 accelerated too much and left 367 rounds of ammunition on the collection rail without returning to retrieve them."

He paused for a moment.

"A car that truly wants to be well-equipped will not make these two mistakes."

There was a two-second silence on the channel.

In the control room of Base 04, the technician whispered a reply.

"So 009... was forced into it?"

No one answered.

Inside the driver's cab, Su Yuan's gaze shifted from the steel sheet to the depths of the platform.

The announcement at station 21 came on again. The tone was different this time. It was half a beat faster.

"Unauthorized contact with non-standard road signs has been detected. The lead vehicle's actions violate the clearing regulations. Immediately initiate full-line demagnetization. All unrecovered road signs on the downlink branch track will be sucked into the incineration well and burned within ninety seconds."

The sound of machinery whirring came from behind the platform. Something deep underground was starting up.

Little Fire's ears suddenly perked up.

"Abnormal magnetic field in the downward trajectory – marker well initiation. Magnetic attraction range is extending downward along the trajectory."

The bright spots marking the locations of the steel plates on the main screen began to flash.

If the burning well operates at full power, all the steel pieces left on the downlink rail by 009—the information that has not yet been read—will be sucked up and burned.

Su Yuan removed his right hand from the steering wheel.

He pulled open the anti-vibration groove next to the old terminal.

The calibration round lay inside. Black casing. 009—ARM—001. Etched on the back was: "After frequency matching, the annular loading arm can be remotely started and stopped."

The main control frequency of ring 20.

Su Yuan took the calibration bullet out of the shockproof slot and flipped it to the bottom interface. The interface was the old Blue Star standard four-pin type.

Xiao Huo has already handed over the four-pin adapter cable for the old terminal.

insert.

The frequency signal of the calibration round was read by the old terminal. A string of numbers appeared on the main screen.

"Ring 20 main control frequency—matching the obstacle clearing arm synchronization control signal." Xiao Huo's claw drew a line on the control panel. "Same source. The synchronization rhythm of the obstacle clearing arm at station 21 is based on the sub-frequency band of the ring 20 main control frequency."

Su Yuan reversed the frequency.

Old terminal output.

The inverted signal is broadcast via an external antenna on the vehicle. Coverage area: the entire Station 21.

All the magnetic rollers of the obstacle clearing arm have stopped rotating.

The silver-gray disc hovered in mid-air, motionless. The buzzing sound ceased. The magnetic force in the direction of the 005 emplacement completely disappeared.

The young survivor's hand was still pressed down. But he felt it—the shell was no longer being sucked in.

The start-up sound of the incineration well also stopped. The rhythm of the underground machinery was disrupted, and the extension of the magnetic field was interrupted.

The 90-second countdown froze.

"Eight cables," Su Yuan said.

Wang Hu had already reached the control lever.

All eight cable outlets were released simultaneously. The steel cables were thrown out.

The first cable is secured to the base of the first row of obstacle clearing arms on the left. The second cable is secured to the second row. The third cable is hooked onto the mounting bracket of the marking and painting vehicle. The fourth, fifth, and sixth cables—lock the right-side obstacle clearing arm posts one by one. The seventh cable is stretched to the signal inkjet printer bracket at the end of the platform. The eighth cable is thrown towards the fixing post on the back of the furthest row of shelves.

Eight cables were stretched into a net.

The Devourer is the center.

Wang Hu pulled the scroll.

All eight cables are tightened simultaneously.

The sound of metal bending echoed simultaneously from both sides of the platform. The weld seam of the clearing arm's support column tore open under the tension of the steel cable. The paint spraying vehicle's mounting bracket was ripped off. The signal inkjet printer, along with its bracket and base, was pulled from the ground.

The entire platform's equipment was pulled towards the direction of the Devourer by eight steel cables.

Sparks. Hydraulic oil. Broken bolts.

The Devourer maintained a speed of 15 km/h and continued forward, dragging an entire recovery net behind it.

"Receiving slide rail. Fully open."

The rapid whole-station material collection guide rail extends from the secondary hook of the hoisting arm to the bucket area of ​​the refining furnace. The three sections of the arc-shaped guide rail engage.

The first batch to enter the furnace were magnetic rollers. Sixteen silver-gray discs were dragged to the side of the vehicle by steel cables, and the gripping claws picked them up one by one, placing them into the slide rails and then into the bucket. Dark gold guide tubes cut through the outer shell to remove the internal magnetic core and control circuitry.

Second batch. Rail brushes. Eight wear-resistant brush heads connected to spring bases are fed into the refining furnace. The wear-resistant alloy bristles and spring steel are separated.

The third batch. Signal inkjet printers. Four square-shell devices were flattened and stuffed into the bucket. The control board, inkjet head, and positioning sensor were disassembled one by one.

The fourth batch. Detecting the chassis of small vehicles.

These four units were not put into the furnace.

Su Yuan's voice broke in.

"The chassis will be retained."

The refining furnace was shut down. The chassis of the four detection trolleys were lifted from the slide rails by the grabbers and placed on the temporary support surface of the outer beam. They were low, square-shaped, with four small rubber wheels, and a drive motor and a simple control panel at the bottom.

The last part to go into the furnace is the obstacle removal arm joint. It has a short, stubby hydraulic joint, an old-fashioned rotary bearing, and a high-strength connecting pin.

The refining furnace is operating at low power. The furnace temperature is being adjusted to a low setting. The furnace opening temperature is stable at 900 degrees Celsius.

The side slot begins to eject parts.

Group 1.

"Front-mounted road sign recycling claw".

The small mechanical gripper has three teeth, a short stroke, but concentrated clamping force. The magnetic core is reassembled into the gripper base, enabling it to lock thin sheets of metal, even steel sheets, within a range of ten meters.

Two claws slid out of the side groove. Wang Hu took them and fastened them to the pre-reserved hanging points at the front end of the outer beam. The locking pin went into the hole.

Second Group.

"Magnetic Pathfinder Cart ×4"

The four chassis were reassembled. The original rubber wheels were retained, and a positioning sensor salvaged from the inkjet printer was added to the drive motor. A miniature camera and signal feedback antenna were welded to the top of the housing. A small road sign retrieval claw was installed at the front.

Each car is only half a meter long, runs close to the track, and can reach a top speed of 120 km/h.

Wang Hu moved the four trolleys to the launch position in front of the car – the prefabricated track section launch slot of the rapid bridging module could be used as a launcher.

Group 3.

"Inkjet printer locator".

The handheld device can quickly print high-contrast marking codes on the track surface. It can be remotely read after connecting to an older terminal.

Xiao Huo used his claws to pull the locator out of the side slot and placed it on the right side of the control panel.

Group 4.

"Rapid track surface clearing brush".

Mounted under the front wheel of the vehicle. The wear-resistant bristles face downwards, and the spring base provides constant pressure, automatically removing loose debris when crossing the rails. It does not affect vehicle speed.

The maintenance team welded the mounting bracket for the obstacle-clearing brush onto the underside of the vehicle. Three bolts secured it. The brush bristles made a gritty, grinding sound when they touched the rail surface.

The platform was cleared out. Only bare base holes remained of the two rows of obstacle-clearing arms. The spaces for the painting truck and the inkjet printer were empty. Only the skeletons of the shelves remained. The red light poles were askew, their wiring severed by eight cables.

The incineration well has completely stopped. There is no equipment to supply it with electricity.

The magnetic field in the downward trajectory is zero. The steel sheet is safe.

"Pathfinder vehicle. Launch," Su Yuan said.

Wang Hu pulled the launch lever.

Four magnetically attached trolleys are launched sequentially from the launch position at the front of the vehicle. Rubber wheels land on the rails. The motor starts.

The first train cut into the down branch and sped forward, skimming along the left side of the rail.

The second machine will follow three seconds later.

The third station. The fourth station.

Four small cars swooped into the darkness at 100 kilometers per hour along the downhill branch track, their front road sign recovery claws glowing with low-power magnetic light, like four metal beetles flying close to the ground.

Four green dots appeared on the main screen.

The first vehicle travels 100 meters. The front-end recovery claw locks onto the first new steel sheet. A miniature camera captures an image of the surface. The image is transmitted back in real time.

The small torch image is projected onto the main screen.

The second steel sheet. The scratches are deeper than the first one, and the writing is more urgent.

"009 is being pulled by the main road and cannot stop."

The moment that line of text appeared on the main screen, the AM relay channel died for two seconds.

Then the deep-voiced person from the Bonebreaker spoke.

"Being pulled?"

The slaughterhouse officer chimed in. "What do you mean—who's leading it?"

Base 04 control room.

The veteran engineer pressed his entire body against the screen.

"We can't stop." He repeated those three words.

Lu Mingyuan stood still, withdrawing his fingers from the table.

"After 009 exited ring 20, its speed was 210 km/h and it was still accelerating." The technician retrieved the data for 009's departure. "At the time, we determined that it actively accelerated to escape."

The old engineer shook his head.

"The branch track is tilted at a 45-degree angle. Gravity accelerates the acceleration. Once it enters the descending track—"

He stopped.

The technician took over.

"Once you get on a downhill slope, you can't stop without external assistance."

"It's the tracks pulling it," the old engineer's voice deepened. "It's not that it wants to run away."

No one was speaking in the channel.

Lu Mingyuan straightened up. He stared at the remaining trajectory of 009 and the dotted lines of the steel plate on the screen for three seconds.

Then he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone on the channel could hear it.

"All station systems are now downgraded to unverified information sources. Route sign 009 has been upgraded to the same priority as the lead vehicle in actual testing."

He turned his head.

"The Devourer's Decision Takes Priority."

The person who modified the map on the AM relay channel, the Bonecrusher, made a move. He changed the color of the marker for station 21 from red to gray.

Same as station 18. Same as station 19. Same as station 20.

Gray – the color of abandoned platforms.

When the Devourer left the perimeter of Station 21, the red light had already gone out. The main rail was reopened. Not because the system allowed it—the power supply line for the red light had been severed by the eight cables.

Wang Hu flipped back to the passenger seat from the outer beam. Two red marks from the steel cable rubbed against his palms. He took the cigarette butt off his ear and tucked it back into his mouth.

"That 009—"

Su Yuan didn't look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the main screen.

The green dots of the four scout vehicles had already traveled 300 meters. In the footage transmitted back by the third vehicle, the third steel piece was swept by the road sign's retrieval claw. This was captured by the camera.

The image is displayed on the home screen.

The small torches were used to carve out each character.

"Don't take the new carriages from assembly warehouse number 22, take the empty frames."

There's another line below. The characters are even smaller. The carving is even more hurried.

"The carriages were full of things."

Tang Lan's voice rang out briefly on channel 013.

"What are you sitting on?"

No one can answer that.

Wang Hu stared at the line of text. The cigarette butt at the corner of his mouth didn't turn.

Little Fire's ears suddenly flattened out.

The fourth scout car is shown in the bottom right corner of the main screen.

When it reached a depth of 320 meters—

The screen went black.

Signal transmission interrupted. The green dot disappeared from the main screen.

The last frame freezes in the corner of the screen. Blurry. Dark. Only the reflection of the track and a section of black metal outline are visible.

Then a sound was transmitted back through the audio channel.

It wasn't the sound of the scout car's motor.

It's the sound of the coupling engaging.

Clear. Heavy. It came from the darkness three hundred and twenty meters deep.

Click.

Wang Hu tightened his grip on the armrest.

Xiao Huo stared at the location where the light had disappeared. The first three scout vehicles were still operating normally ahead, transmitting data as expected. Only the fourth one was gone.

The signal is completely cut off. It's not attenuation, it's not interference, it's a physical disconnection.

Xiao Huo zoomed in on the last frame. The pixels were blurry, but the outline was still discernible—a metal structure on the track, much larger than the scout vehicle, filling the entire narrow track.

"The fourth scout vehicle has been physically contacted," Xiao Huo reported. "An unknown vehicle outline is present in the last frame. The source of the coupling engagement sound coincides with the last coordinates of the fourth vehicle."

Wang Hu's cigarette butt remained untouched at the corner of his mouth.

"What's stuck to it?"

The small fire didn't answer. It was waiting for feedback from the first three stations.

The first and second cameras are still running, and the footage is normal. The third camera has just finished filming the third steel plate and is now moving deeper into the area.

But in the view from the front-end camera of the third unit, the steel plates on the track surface were gone.

From the third piece onwards, the downward track surface became clean and shiny.

The sequence of falling steel plates from 009 broke at 300 meters.

It's not that 009 has stopped being released.

The later parts of the film were taken away by something.

The locations of the first three torches and the coordinates of the fourth torch that disappeared are superimposed.

"The fourth vanishing point is precisely where the steel sheet broke. Speculation: There is an unknown vehicle moving in the opposite direction deep within the downtrack, retrieving the road markers deployed by 009."

Su Yuan's left hand moved slightly on the steering wheel.

A report came from the direction of the tailgate of No. 005 from the young survivors.

"The cabin temperature is stable. The tail boom temperature is 20.7. No abnormalities are observed."

Tang Lan's voice followed.

"Suppress all 013."

Nothing seemed amiss. The anomaly lay in the darkness three hundred meters away.

Su Yuan did not give chase. The Devourer maintained a speed of 75 km/h and continued along the main track.

Eight hundred meters ahead. The outline of Station 22 is beginning to appear on the radar.

The first and second scout trolleys are still transmitting data—they captured images of the remaining locations of the fourth and fifth steel plates. There are magnetic scratches on the rail surface; the steel plates are no longer there, but the scratches are pointing upwards.

Something is coming up from deep within the Great Wall's main road, retrieving the letter left by 009 piece by piece.

Then, at a distance of 320 meters, they encountered the fourth scout vehicle.

It was caught.

The voice of the man from the Bonecrusher came through the AM relay channel. It was very low.

"There's something being swept down there."

The fire control officer at the slaughterhouse chimed in.

"009 is dropping letters upwards. Something below is collecting them. In the middle—"

He didn't finish speaking.

In the control room of Base 04, the veteran engineer tuned up the frequency spectrum of the coupling's closing sound. The waveform was unlike any coupling he had ever heard before—heavier, slower, like an extremely heavy fastener closing at an extremely low speed.

"It's not a standard mount." The veteran engineer's finger paused on the table. "The caliber is wider than the main mount of the Devourer."

Lu Mingyuan did not speak.