At the end of October, under He Jie’s command, the Armed Corps took three months to annihilate all large zombie hordes within Zhijin. The final horde, consisting of fifty thousand zombies, was lured outside the city and blown up in one go by the train conductor.

Thus, after ten months, Zhijin returned to human control.

In early November, Yu Jing advanced to Tier Two "Five Aggregates Rakshasa." The two new skills are "Sensory Sharing" and "Flesh Reconstruction." The former allows sharing one sense with a puppet at different stages, and at its peak, it can share all senses except consciousness: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The latter lets her make micro-adjustments to flesh, akin to mechanical modification.

Both skills primarily enhance puppet combat power, with little self-benefit, but correspondingly, Yu Jing doesn’t bear the consequences of modification failure.

Hence, the armored train now has four Tier Two powerhouses besides the train conductor: Lin Jin, Zhong You, He Jie, Yu Jing.

Three days later, Xiaoba advanced to Tier Two "Steel Fortress."

Mid-November, the Armed Corps concluded its final assessment. The top five hundred officially shed their recruit status and joined the Armed Corps. Liu Zi, Xiao Hong, Bomb, Guo Suxu, and the Big Goose squad achieved first place. The remaining twenty-five hundred were incorporated into the Zhijin City Guard Army and Guard Corps.

The Armed Corps, excluding those heavily injured and losing combat capabilities, expanded to eight hundred, led by 160 Tier One officers, forming the backbone of the train’s combat sequence. The officer squad remains intact, not splitting.

At the end of November, the armored train’s overhaul was basically complete, with the whole train made of Tier One materials, and some key nodes made of Tier Two materials. Xiao Ai AI was integrated into the train, and the six main cycles were essentially complete: ecology, food, water, energy, waste, currency. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

On this basis, small scale modifications and upgrades took place.

The train structure was optimized, with six carriages split off and equipped with independent power systems, larger than ordinary war vehicles with more ample spatial firepower, acting as temporary bases for squad missions, or used as pure war vehicles.

Under Wang Duoyu’s leadership, the train modification cabin added one car, totaling four cars as engineering cabins that can be temporarily split to repair the train or spread out for site expansion, morphing into a small factory to increase usable space.

Train’s power further enhanced.

Projects "Hive" and "Radar" were completed consecutively, providing the train with scanning and monitoring equipment for land, sea, air, including underground.

In early December, thanks to the Genetic Primordial Mirror, the train acquired another "Defender" profession potion — "Pioneer."

Currently, Tier Two research framework has been explored, and Director Xu is attempting production.

Simultaneously, various small breakthroughs emerged, like high-energy food dedicated to Evolvers, potions increasing instant energy output, fully domesticated giant rock beetles, etc.

The train conductor issued the order that on December 15th, the armored train will set off again.

The long calm Zhijin stirred again, with the train no longer nestled quietly on the high platform, conducting occasional ignition tests, and parts of the factory forged on the train being relocated, some facing disbandment due to the train’s departure.

After nearly half a year of association, the armored train has rooted and sprouted in Zhijin, many left behind cherished things, and even the train conductor finds it challenging to sever ties in one go, so these ten days serve as a chance for choices.

To stay or embark on an unknown journey.

Everyone must decide.

For the young, everything afar seems more alluring than the people around them, so their melancholy transforms into nights of sweat-drenched frenzy and romantic escapades. They shuttle between brothels or rooms, home or others’, planting seeds on beds soft or gentle.

Then decisively board the train, following the conductor on the journey of hope.

Bomb scorns these people, feeling they lack commitment to the journey, disloyal to the conductor. He tells Bomb twenty times daily, each session at least muttering for ten minutes.

On the third day, Xiao Hong couldn’t bear it, saying, "She’s waiting for you."

Bomb realized his loyalty had a blemish.

He climbed the wall to leave.

That evening, he stood at the familiar two-story building’s entrance. Seeing his aunt, he felt his soul was completed.

As squad leader, Liu Zi’s soul followed suit.

He seemed to feel Lao Er and the recruit camp beckoning him.

Fortunately, Xiao Hong provided accurate information, and Liu Zi spent all his points, bringing cigarettes and alcohol to drink with He Jie and them for a night.

The next day, Bomb thought since there was already a crack, making it bigger didn’t matter. He felt his aunt’s soul needed his completion more.

On the third day, Xiao Hong arrived, said nothing, called no one, just waited below.

On the fourth day, Bomb felt his aunt’s soul had a bigger crack, needing his more dedicated completion.

On the fifth day, Liu Zi arrived with sighing.

On the sixth day, senior officers mostly gathered at the small building.

On the seventh day, Bomb finally descended the stairs, showing a shy smile upon seeing everyone, and everyone responded with smiles.

Bomb departed peacefully, rumored to have been promoted that evening.

But only quiet for three days, as his aunt thought things had passed, that mischievous brat returned, stirring her for seven days, even asking if she wanted to leave with him.