"...What kind of power armor is this?" Chapters first released on novel-fire.ɴet

KIKI's first reaction upon seeing the approaching power armor was: "It looks so cute."

Everyone looked surprised, especially Shiori, who seemed utterly confused: "Is this...for me?"

"Did you specially make this for Shiori?" Chen Sixuan also asked curiously.

"Not entirely, but you could say that."

Lin Xian explained, "This power armor was modified using the original drive system from Dancer Unit One, integrated with computing power and defensive armor. Besides having exceptional mobility and defense, it also has an AI system that can adapt to combat in emergencies."

"So it's more like a mech?"

"Exactly. Shiori excels at support but has limited mobility. Though others can assist her normally, there are times when she needs to act independently. This power armor can help solve many of those problems—like assisting with movement and even training her mobility."

Shiori's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, letting out a long "Oh."

Though surprised, she grew curious after Lin Xian's explanation.

"It can help me move?"

"Yes, and it has a full combat system," Lin Xian said with a smile. "But don’t misunderstand—it’s not entirely what you might think. You can adjust the AI's involvement level. The main purpose is to help you adapt to the battlefield and learn techniques."

Shiori’s eyes lit up as she grasped his meaning. "During missions, Ryunosuke and Tianye Jun always look out for me, and Shinji even assigned a mech to protect me. But...I also want to improve my combat abilities..." Her voice grew quieter, but it was clear Lin Xian’s power armor had given her a way to keep up with the battlefield. Though it sounded semi-automated, beginnings were always tough. Shinji had placed her and Ryunosuke on the Infinite for a reason—he wanted her to grow.

Seeing that Shiori understood, Lin Xian nodded and continued addressing the group.

"Additionally, I’ve integrated our squad’s power armor AI systems, with Viola acting as the central processor and relay. This way, we can share information instantly and even call for the Infinite’s fire support directly."

"Fire support?"

Lin Xian nodded and snapped his fingers.

*Whirr—*

Behind them, several roof panels on the Infinite’s carriages slowly opened, revealing electromagnetic cannons, missile launchers, and even two Hyperion directional constraint cannons.

"So you weren’t tinkering with the Sky Dome train—you were upgrading the Infinite," Qian Dele remarked, adjusting his sunglasses with interest. "Not bad. With this firepower, our squad might even stand a chance against S-level threats."

"Whether we can win against S-level is debatable, but with these power armors and the Infinite’s enhancements, our survival rate should be much higher."

Ning Jing nodded in agreement. "Captain Lin’s preparations are thorough. Let’s proceed as planned."

"O-okay." Shiori also nodded and stepped toward the power armor.

*Click.* Lin Xian pressed his earpiece. "Ning Jing, Miao Lu, Qian Dele—your three teams scout in different directions. I’ll maneuver the Infinite forward."

"No problem."

The group quickly mobilized. The sound of mechanical activation filled the air as over a dozen power armors powered up. Xiao Lou, clad in his White Dragon armor, joined them. Soon, all three teams synchronized their signals, displaying real-time positioning and biometric data on a shared interface—everything became much clearer.

Lin Xian’s nano-powered armor was stored in the Blue Star Forge space, allowing him to summon and equip it instantly. As the three teams dispersed, he immediately began clearing the blocked train cars ahead. Time was limited—dusk was less than an hour away—so KIKI used her telekinesis to forcibly part the obstructing trains, allowing the Infinite to advance slowly through the gap.

From atop the bridge, Lin Xian watched as the Infinite moved forward, absorbing abandoned train cars along the way. The tracks below were clogged with derailed trains and debris, a desolate wasteland.

The sunset cast a golden glow over the docking port and the ruins of Geddy City as he monitored the live feeds from each team.

Rusted train cars lay scattered along the tracks, their decaying frames whispering of the world’s end.

"So many trains—perfect for absorption materials."

While dismantling the cars, Lin Xian scanned the docking port’s surroundings.

The orbital tracks stretched straight toward a seaport, where a massive freight container terminal stood. A few withered trees dotted the nearby islets. Beyond the port, a crescent-shaped urban area spread inland, nestled between valleys. Under the crimson sunset, the city cluster looked eerily still.

Before the Apocalypse, Lin Xian had known these cities well—some from travel, others from research. He’d visited Haiyan Island once before college, back when its white beaches were vibrant with tourists and water sports.

Now, as the Infinite slowly advanced along the docking tracks, the shoreline was littered with floating debris. The beaches were strewn with body fragments, the city in ruins—a hollow loneliness settled in his chest.

"If not for Dawn City, we’d forget how few people are left in the world," Lin Xian said over comms to Chen Sixuan.

"With a planet as big as Blue Star, a few million people is nothing. So many cities are empty—this place is no different," Chen Sixuan replied from the Infinite’s cockpit.

Lin Xian sighed. "It hasn’t even been a year. I remember Professor Kim’s geography lecture—if humanity went extinct, skyscrapers would collapse within 200 years. Brick and concrete would crumble to ruins in a millennium. Even indestructible plastics and glass would vanish given a million years. And in 100 million years? Space debris, nuclear waste—all gone."

"But a hundred million years is just a blink for Blue Star—or the universe."

KIKI couldn’t resist chiming in. "Getting philosophical again? Weren’t you the one who said we’re living on borrowed time? A hundred million years isn’t our concern."

Chen Sixuan added, "Right now, I’m more worried about whether we’ll survive tonight. This is our first night at sea—we can’t let our guard down."

"Fair point."

Lin Xian chuckled as drone squadrons swept the docking port’s rail station, scanning for threats. Soon, the black apocalypse train rolled smoothly into the station under his and KIKI’s clearance.

His drone swarm scoured every corner—platforms, halls, corridors—leaving no area unchecked. Compared to the early days when they needed rotating night watches, Lin Xian’s surveillance now covered everything, vastly improving security.

Haiyan Station had once been a bustling international hub, its passenger and cargo traffic peaking after the transoceanic orbital link. Now, its dozens of platforms stood empty. Sunlight streamed through shattered glass ceilings, casting fragmented light on the deserted tracks, littered with broken glass—evidence of past attacks.

After parking the Infinite, Lin Xian stepped onto an Iron Shield drone, riding it upward through a hole in the station’s roof. He reached the blue glass canopy and found a steel beam support to install a small signal tower, boosting the Infinite’s transmission range. Once Viola returned, the drones’ patrol radius could extend beyond two kilometers—a distance that finally put Lin Xian at ease.

*Clang.*

The black signal tower activated. Lin Xian glanced southwest, where a dark cloud loomed on the horizon under the clear sunset—a storm approaching.

He checked his watch: 18:01.

Nightfall was near.

This darkness would come from the 8th Star Abyss’s dark tide.

Turning eastward, his view was blocked by Haiyan Island’s highest peak, Jade Spring Mountain. Beyond it, tens of thousands of nautical miles away, lay the 13th Star Abyss. From Haiyan Island, they expected a two-day journey to the Republican Archipelago at high speed. Lin Xian had erected the signal tower hoping to catch a global transmission from the Phoenix Society’s Noah City, now positioned at the 13th Star Abyss’s edge. That region would be turbulent in the coming days.

After parking, Chen Sixuan, Xiao Yuan, and Miao Lu began preparing dinner while awaiting the three teams’ return. With their small group and ample supplies—enough for thirty days, stocked in Yongcheng Port—they faced no shortages. Their estimated arrival in Ushuaia was within a week. Aside from a slight fear of the ocean, Chen Sixuan felt no other tension.

**Haiyan City, Yunxiu District**

Once the most densely populated urban area in Haiyan City, Yunxiu was now a skeletal ruin. Rust-eaten cars lined the streets, weeds sprouting through cracked asphalt, dead leaves swirling in the wind.

*Vroom—*

The roar of motorcycle engines shattered the silence like a stone hurled into still water. Two modified Suzuki Hayabusa 2066s weaved through a graveyard of abandoned vehicles, pulse gunfire echoing through the streets.

The lead bike, red and sleek, was ridden by a short-haired girl in a windbreaker. The silver bike behind carried a Black woman, her body heavily cyberized.

Behind them, three bestial humanoids gave chase—six-legged, car-sized monsters with three-pronged, whip-like tails. Their clawed feet crushed wrecked cars effortlessly as they closed in.

The dark-skinned woman downshifted, expertly maneuvering through the debris before twisting back to fire precise pulse shots at the monsters’ heads. But as the beams struck, a translucent defensive barrier flickered over their skin—the attacks bounced off harmlessly, only enraging them further.

"Geddy, these freaks have bio-fields! Energy weapons won’t pierce!" the girl ahead shouted, deploying a small tracking drone from her bike. "Sunset’s coming—we finish this before dark! There’s a roundabout ahead—we’ll trap them there!"

"Got it!"

Geddy, the Black woman in her thirties with a half-mechanical face, hit a button on her bike. Miniature arc-explosives shot backward, latching onto the two closest monsters before detonating in a blinding shockwave. She then leaned hard, activating side thrusters to ride vertically up a building, skirting around a pedestrian bridge before landing back on the street.

Ahead, the girl checked her rearview mirror—the third monster was gaining. She gunned the throttle into the roundabout, then abruptly swerved and bailed. As the creature lunged at her bike, she whipped out a mechanical rapier. With a flick, the crossguard split, extending twin blades that merged into a massive 1.5-meter greatsword.

*Shink!*

A shockwave erupted from the blade, bypassing the monster’s bio-field to carve a bloody gash across its face. The creature was sent flying, crashing into rubble. The girl landed lightly, sword raised, already lunging for the kill.

But the other two monsters pounced. She backflipped onto a wrecked car, then slashed midair—each strike packed enough force to repel the massive creatures. Sparks flew as her blade clashed against their hides, the greatsword moving effortlessly despite her petite frame.

"Vanessa, behind you!"

The motorcycle’s roar preceded Geddy’s aerial flip as she dismounted midair, drawing two explosive pistols to fire at a grotesque, three-meter-tall figure emerging from a sewer—a crimson-skinned, bone-plated horror.

*Boom!*

The high-caliber rounds blasted the creature back. Geddy landed back-to-back with Vanessa, the air thick with tension.

"These freaks are high-tier. They’ll be worse after dark—we end this fast," Geddy said coolly, her cyberized limbs gleaming.

Vanessa adjusted her hood, revealing a young Latina-Mexican face, no older than nineteen. Despite her slight build, she wielded the 40kg magnetic shock-blade like a twig. "Ten minutes max. No energy weapons, or we won’t make it back to shelter."

"Agreed. Assuming nothing else shows up." Geddy eyed the sewer’s dark maw warily.

*SCREECH—*

The three split-tailed horrors and the crimson abomination attacked as one. Vanessa and Geddy retaliated, their aura readings spiking violently—the battle exploded in an instant!