Chapter Seven: I Am Not a Kidnapper

Clang, clang.

After the polar night, it was the first time the city of Jiang had heard the sound of a locomotive on the rails.

The roar of this massive beast naturally piqued the curiosity of some survivors along the railway, who had originally intended to hide in their homes. A few watchful eyes followed the enormous locomotive as it moved steadily forward.

Chen Sixuan devoured the bread ravenously and then drank more than half a bottle of water before she finally felt as if she had returned from the brink of death, shaking off the chill that had engulfed her entire body.

She sat quietly for a moment, feeling the train inch forward, a profound melancholy settling over her—it was the bitter sensation of surviving a catastrophe.

Snapping back to reality, Chen Sixuan began to examine the steel carriage that gave her such a sense of security. The windows were welded shut with thick steel plates, leaving only small grille openings through which the outside world rushed backward in a blur.

All the passenger seats had been removed, replaced with a living area: bedding spread on the floor, a tent pitched, and most of the space cleared for storing supplies. There was also a restroom, a remnant of the original passenger car.

Though somewhat cramped and disorderly, the space felt complete and comfortable—a sanctuary.

Looking toward the rear, Chen Sixuan saw that Car No. 2 was empty except for some unidentified supplies packed in waterproof bags. Suddenly, her mouth opened in shock.

In the corner of Car No. 2 lay a girl, bound hand and foot, eyes closed as if hovering between life and death.

Chen Sixuan quickly covered her mouth, terrified and unsure what to make of this. Could this girl have been kidnapped by Lin Xian?

But in this harsh environment, what value could there be in abducting a young girl?

Could it be...

Lost in troubling thoughts, Chen Sixuan was unaware that Lin Xian had already entered the carriage.

“Teacher Chen.”

“Ah!” Startled by the voice, Chen Sixuan turned around in alarm, only to find Lin Xian’s calm face.

“Feeling better?”

“Who... who is she?” Chen Sixuan asked cautiously, suspicion threading her voice.

Lin Xian glanced toward Car No. 2. “I don’t know who she is. She just appeared at my doorstep, asking me to save her. She’s been unconscious ever since. For safety, I had no choice but to tie her up.”

Chen Sixuan breathed out a long sigh and managed a self-deprecating smile.

After all, she was the one who begged to get on Lin Xian’s train. No matter what fate awaited her, it was her own choice. So why worry?

“Are we planning to leave the city now?”

“Not yet,” Lin Xian replied. “I still need to prepare some essential supplies and test the locomotive’s performance. There are four days left in the polar night; that should be enough.”

Chen Sixuan looked at Lin Xian with newfound courage.

“What do you need me to do?”

Since they would soon be weathering the storm together, Chen Sixuan felt she must prove her worth and not be just a pretty face.

“Yes, I do.”

Lin Xian handed her the logbook from the cockpit, his voice steady.

“I’ll drive; you’ll record our daily routes, distances, stops, and the condition of the train. We don’t yet understand the patterns or extent of the black night tide, so we have to calculate the sunrise times each day during our escape. This is crucial—if we get the direction wrong, we might never escape the polar night.”

Chen Sixuan nodded solemnly. “Understood. I can do that.”

“There’s more...” Lin Xian’s gaze swept the carriage. “For now, it’s just the two of us, so I need you to inventory and manage the supplies and keep an eye on that girl.”

Chen Sixuan turned to look at the sleeping girl and asked with some surprise, “Don’t you need me to go with you to search for supplies?”

In other words, did he really intend to leave her alone on the train?

Lin Xian smiled faintly.

“I said it’s just the two of us for now. If we both get off, who will guard the train?”

He caught the implication in Chen Sixuan’s words but chose not to address it directly.

The fuel tank of this locomotive was empty; even the most experienced driver couldn’t move it. Lin Xian wasn’t worried about being locked out. He was confident in this and deliberately left things unsaid to gauge her trustworthiness.

In this post-apocalyptic world, even a seemingly kind and beautiful teacher like Chen Sixuan couldn’t be trusted blindly.

But at the beginning, he had to show some trust on the surface.

“I understand.” Chen Sixuan hadn’t expected Lin Xian to trust her so much, and a strange warmth tugged at her heart, giving her a sense of partnership, as if he were the man of the house and she the woman. Knowing he was also her student, a subtle tenderness bloomed within her.

Clang, clang.

The “Infinite” train moved slowly along Jiang City’s light rail system. Lin Xian followed the map’s plan, heading along Line 3 while vigilantly observing their surroundings.

[Devour successful: Mechanical Source +1; Mechanical Devouring skill proficiency +1; Bonus: Defense +1]

[Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV.1 177/500]

[Notice: Upgrading Mechanical Heart grants special skill rewards. Mysterious awakening occurs at levels LV3, LV6, and LV9.]

[Base Attributes]

[Strength: LV1 22/50]

[Speed: LV0 28/30]

[Defense: LV0 16/30]

[Current Basic Skills]

[Mechanical Devouring LV.1 266/300]

[Mechanical Fabrication LV.1 112/300]

[Mechanical Scanning (Passive)]

[Mechanical Repair (Passive)]

[Mechanical Operation (Passive)]

[Special Skill]

[Wind Cannon LV.1 3/100]

Inside the cockpit, Lin Xian began devouring several small appliances he had brought from Chen Sixuan’s home. About to embark on their journey, he had to remain focused at all times, seizing every opportunity to enhance his strength.

[Devour successful: Mechanical Source +1; Mechanical Devouring skill proficiency +1]

[Devour successful: Mechanical Source +2; Mechanical Devouring skill proficiency +1]

[Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV.1 180/500]

[Mechanical Devouring LV.1 268/300]

“Still too slow...” Lin Xian mused as he watched the pink bear-shaped blender disintegrate into dust.

If only he had enough time, devouring cars or even trains might boost his Mechanical Source points by dozens or hundreds at once.

With the experience gained from the hairdryer, he was even more eager to see if special skills might emerge from devouring.

This was truly extraordinary.

His Mechanical Heart system not only allowed him to operate machinery and drive trains at full speed but also to fabricate machines—equivalent to a creative mode. In a post-apocalyptic world where humanity’s industrial systems had collapsed, this was unbeatable.

Most importantly, this skill helped him increase his stats and acquire new abilities.

Compared to those supernatural powers, its potential for development seemed far greater.