Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 417: Chapter 272: First Merit

Undercover?

Traitor?

”Clap clap...”

Several strong flashlights were turned on, directed at his face.

Lu Xiao squinted, barely making out his ”opponents” with the faint light. Seven or eight people were visible, but the actual number must be more. They wore military uniforms he had never seen, with almost no insignia. Their equipped weapons were a chaotic mix, mostly outdated gunpowder weapons, with a few high-tech electromagnetic weapons he couldn’t recognize.

They seemed like some unknown small faction, but on the battlefield of Black Kite and the Armed Train, where would such small factions come from?

No need to think; the answer was already surfacing.

”His energy is flowing; he must be holding back some skill.”

The speaker was a young man who looked ordinary, wearing a gold ring, his face showing a troubled expression, the least soldier-like among them.

Lu Xiao was startled. What kind of damn ability was this, even able to see through his ”Fighting Master’s” purely muscular buildup!

”What position?”

”Abdomen!”

”Bang!”

A soldier drew a pistol and decisively fired a shot at his hip.

Lu Xiao groaned, cold sweat streaming from the pain.

The 9mm bullet lacked penetration, conveniently lodged in his pelvis.

Any slight movement, and the bullet rubbed against the bone, causing intense pain.

”Lieutenant, this seems to be the guy who cursed at the train conductor at the checkpoint, and he’s also a Tier One Evolver. Captured alive by our team as soon as he got here. That’s a first-class achievement!!”

The soldier who fired shouted excitedly.

Tong Zizhan glanced coldly at the two pressed to the ground, spitting out a word icily, ”Lock them up first, the rest continue monitoring the surrounding waters!”

”Yes!”

The soldiers lifted Lu Xiao and another person, locking them in a room.

With only himself and Gao Yuan left around, Tong Zizhan’s expression immediately collapsed, lamenting in a low voice, ”Brother, you’re really addicted to achievements, aren’t you?”

”Didn’t I tell you to find a less populated place, and you ended up capturing a key figure right away!”

Gao Yuan argued miserably, ”You saw it too; we were hiding here first, and then they came. Who knew he’d come crawling here...”

Tong Zizhan scratched his head, letting out a heavy sigh.

”Hopefully, things will be easier ahead. By the way, your eyes can even see through a Tier One Evolver’s body?”

”Refraction Vision” has already leveled up to Level 6; now I can see more subtle energy changes...”

”Damn, this is your second skill, right? Already reaching Tier Two standards?”

”Ah, it’s nothing special really...”

”My ’Concealment’ is only at Level 5, how many Pan-energy Crystals have you sneakily absorbed behind my back?”

Gao Yuan turned the ring in his hand, feeling guilty, ”There were so many resources, not using them would be a waste...”

Tong Zizhan lamented painfully, ”You’re betraying the company, I’ll write this down and report it to the company after the mission!”

”Stop fooling around, the company contacted you, didn’t they?”

”Probably...”

”The higher-ups want evolution data of main train personnel again, how do you plan to handle it?”

Tong Zizhan was silent for a moment, shrugged, ”We’re just on the lookout at the back door, not on the front lines. How would we have the latest information? Others wouldn’t hand over the evolution data to us...”

Though Tong Zizhan didn’t say it outright.

But after being partners for so long, Gao Yuan had figured out his personality.

He enjoyed watching the excitement, but avoided trouble when he could, delaying whenever possible.

Luckily, he was the same way.

...

Compared to the mild and pleasant rear battlefield.

The front line was a bloody mess.

The Armed Corps caught them off guard, but the Black Kite Special Service wasn’t slacking off. Led by a group of silver and bronze elites, they quickly stabilized the formation.

Three rounds of artillery didn’t break their position.

And this was with Xiaoba taking on the brunt of the enemy’s firepower at the front, making He Jie’s eyes red with anger. The anti-aircraft machine gun was forced to explode, and two heavy machine guns broke down, with him taking a sniper shot.

If not for his broad frame and skill temporarily upgraded, the high-level Armed Train personnel would have been reduced.

But even with a big hole in his chest, He Jie was still cursing at Pang Tu through blood-spitting, and Pang Tu didn’t care about him, stuffing herbs into his chest like dumpling fillings while trading barbs with him.

”Lu Xiao brought you back for what, I even prepared the ceremony, just waiting for you to die so I can move into your house overnight.”

”If I’m a bit diligent, I’ll be holding my son by the end of the year!”

He Jie’s tiger eyes widened in shock, blood gushing from his mouth, pointing at Pang Tu wanting to say something.

Pang Tu mockingly lowered his head, then suddenly raised it, dodging He Jie’s tiger pounce, teasing, ”Heard you loud and clear, Zhenzhen is a good daughter. I’ll definitely prepare a hefty dowry for her, trying to get Qu Hang that brat to call me dad next month!”

He Jie: ”Gurgle gurgle... (艹皿艹)!”

Pang Tu and Lao San carried the stretcher into the train, the armed hall already completely emptied.

Rushing along with sparks and lightning, just in time to see Doctor Lin Xia pushing a hospital bed out, they placed He Jie on it. He Jie was still trying to mutter something.

”Enough, don’t worry about what’s behind.”

Pang Tu kicked the hospital bed into the open medical compartment, a vengeful smile on his lips.

The recent special training sessions were so harsh under He Jie, he thought he had to endure it for a while longer, but the opportunity came so unexpectedly.

”The rest is up to you. Relax, go all out, Captain He now has an incredibly strong will to survive!”

Pang Tu patted his shoulder, laughing heartily as he walked away.

Lin Xia was stunned by this violent treatment of the wounded, not even noticing the bloody handprint Pang Tu left on his shoulder.

Only after a nurse’s reminder did he belatedly start rushing in to rescue the patient.

...

The water level rose, so the Armed Train naturally rose with it.

But this rise had its limits. Yanbei Pass only played a small interceptive role at the critical point, whereas the real barrier against the Flood Zone was the terrain stretching for thousands of miles.

Without He Jie, a crucial combat force, the frontal advance became even slower.

Metal was pulled out strand by strand from the buildings on both sides, transforming midair into sharp spears, piercing through the rain curtain, and fiercely stabbing into Black Kite’s defensive position.

The Black Kite Special Service personnel didn’t cling to battle, providing cover while alternately retreating.

In the next moment, centered around the metal spears, countless metal wires exploded like a porcupine.

Sparks flew on the exoskeleton of the Special Service personnel.

A young man with white hair, a silver iris pinned to his collar, stood firm, swinging a long, two-finger wide blade with impenetrable precision.

The tough metal wires fell apart like wafer biscuits under his blade, effortlessly reduced to a pile of fragments.

Without making a sound.

Approximately forty meters away.

Seated in a wheelchair, Xiaoba’s eyes had turned a cold metallic color, his whole body soaked by the rain.

In the areas occupied by metal spears and wires, a layer of liquid metal spread like a virus. The metal projected earlier served as a reinforcing rebar foundation for a building; it didn’t need to be completely filled, just a thin layer over the surface would quickly form a massive structure.

Though for Evolvers and high-power weapons, these structures were fragile, far weaker than reinforced concrete buildings.

Still, they were high-strength metal.

Destruction would take time.

Xiaoba only needed to reinforce parts of them during destruction, then armed soldiers would enter the construction for a positional battle with the opponents.

”Xiaoba, make a communication trench to connect with the left building; there’s a shortcut in that complex to flank them!”

”Hmm.”

Licking Rabbit stood at the construction site, quickly changed position, then simultaneously observed the situation with binoculars covertly, while commanding soldiers to advance or retreat.

The two of them advanced the front line a whole hundred meters in this manner.

(The engagement arrangements were settled today, prepared some items needed for the engagement. Since we have to buy a house, the engagement time is a bit rushed, busy from 6 AM until after 8 PM, only then managed a bite to eat, exhausted all over.)