Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 160: Corpse Crow

Jiazhou City was located on the western edge of the Dazhu Plateau, part of the Yunjiang Plains. It was a major transportation hub. From here, heading northeast led to Xilan and Quancheng, while further northeast lay the Western Gobi, which had already been devoured by Abyss Zone No. 5. To the southeast, one would find Haedong, which was adjacent to Abyss Zone No. 7. The Orbital Rail Network passed directly between Abyss Zone No. 5 and No. 7, cutting through Jiazhou City, Hengshan Pass, Weihe River, Longjiang, and stretching across the Parma Grasslands to Jinhai and Xingcheng.

The Jiazhou City Orbital Rail Station was a massive structure built on a hillside, offering a commanding view over the entire city.

Unlike other places, Jiazhou City had not yet been engulfed by the Dark Tides. The skies remained clear, and the temperature was comfortable—there were no blizzards or extreme cold like in the Dazhu Plateau.

Whoosh—

The Infinite Train slowly rolled into the station platform.

This was a passenger terminal—a place that should have long been overrun by zombies.

Yet, as Lin Xian and the others cautiously drove in, they found the station completely empty.

Not a single person.

Not a single corpse.

If not for the scattered luggage, the dried bloodstains, and the buzzing flies, Lin Xian might have thought they had stepped into a pre-apocalypse train station that had never even opened.

"Strange…" Chen Sixuan frowned. "We’re only a few hours late. With so many survivor convoys passing through, wouldn’t at least some people have stopped here to rest? Why isn’t there a single person?"

Lin Xian also found it bizarre. He remembered that Shu Qin’s convoy had planned to wait for them here.

But now, everything about this place reeked of something unnatural.

Too quiet.

"Where are Luo Ye and Lu Xingchen?"

"They stood guard all night. They’re still sleeping."

"Wake them up." Lin Xian’s voice grew heavy. "Everyone, stay alert."

Something was wrong.

If all the survivor convoys had vanished, something was definitely off.

Logically, this place should have been a temporary rest stop. It was far from the Polar Night of Abyss Zone No. 3, and after surviving the brutal battle at the spaceport, people should have wanted to stop here and recover.

"Jiang Yun and his group should’ve arrived a few hours earlier." Chen Sixuan analyzed. "At that time, it would’ve still been dark here."

"Could they have encountered an Eerie Entity?"

Lin Xian nodded grimly. "That’s a possibility."

BZZZT…

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie crackled to life.

Lin Xian stiffened—this was the same frequency used during the spaceport’s traction operation.

Could there still be survivors from the spaceport here?

"Lin Team! Lin Team! Can you hear me?!"

"Shu Qin?!" Chen Sixuan exclaimed in shock.

Lin Xian immediately pressed the talk button. "I can hear you. Where are you?"

"Lin Team! Be careful! Whatever you do—DO NOT open the doors or windows! This place is infested with—"

CRACKLE.

Caw—Caw—

Before Shu Qin could finish, a sharp bird cry suddenly rang out in front of the train.

Thump.

A black crow landed on the windshield, letting out a piercing shriek.

At the same time, its head tilted unnaturally, peering inside the carriage.

Everyone instinctively held their breath.

The crow’s eyes were gone.

In their place were writhing, black tendrils, thin and elongated like parasitic worms, twisting and twitching in the empty sockets.

The crow seemed to sense the presence of humans inside.

It cocked its head—then suddenly lunged forward, slamming its beak against the windshield.

BANG!

The impact was so powerful that it echoed crisply through the train.

"This thing is infected by the Dark Night." Lin Xian scowled.

KIKI stepped forward, lifting her hand to clear it out—but before she could act, the crow suddenly went berserk.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

It frenziedly pecked at the window.

Crack! Crack!

Its entire beak shattered, yet the creature didn’t stop.

Instead, dozens of black tendrils wriggled out from its broken skull, latching onto the glass, making an eerie squeaking sound.

And then—

Above the station platform, more crows began descending.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

Some circled in the air.

Others perched on the platform roof.

As if triggered by the first crow’s actions, the entire murder of crows began to descend upon the Infinite Train.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of countless beaks striking metal echoed like raindrops against the train roof.

Inside the carriage, passengers looked around anxiously.

Lin Xian took a deep breath, then immediately shut all the blackout panels and disabled the ventilation system, sealing the train into an airtight space.

"Disgusting…" someone muttered.

Lin Xian turned to Ding Junyi. "Have you seen anything like this before?"

Ding Junyi scanned the crows, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Never. The Dark Night creates far too many mutation types. In the biological research lab, we receive new samples every single day. The infections, aggression, and attack methods are completely unpredictable."

Her eyes narrowed.

"But for this place to be completely void of zombies… it’s likely a full-scale biological outbreak occurred here."

Biological outbreak.

A wave of unease spread among the crew.

An outbreak so severe that it wiped out all the zombies?

"BZZT—Lin Team."

Shu Qin’s voice crackled back through the walkie-talkie.

"Can you hear me?"

"I hear you. Where are you?"

"We… we’re hiding in a train maintenance warehouse…"

"Over there!" Chen Sixuan pointed towards a black warehouse at the far end of the station's sidetrack.

Outside the warehouse, an overhead gantry crane loomed over a cluster of rusted gas turbine locomotives.

Through the static, Shu Qin’s voice continued:

"Last night… many survivor convoys were attacked by some kind of unknown creatures… BZZT… the skies are filled with them… BZZT… any sound attracts them…"

"Sound?"

Chen Sixuan’s face changed.

She pointed toward the city streets in the distance.

There, hovering above the buildings, was a massive, writhing black cloud.

It moved.

It wasn’t a cloud.

It was birds.

"Holy sh*t." Luo Xingchen staggered out, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes. "That’s… way too many birds."

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"They look like a swarm of mosquitoes." Shasha scrunched her face, visibly disturbed.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The pecking grew relentless.

Lin Xian immediately gestured for silence.

He quickly scanned the area, spotting an old metal water tower near the station.

His gaze shifted to KIKI, pointing at the cylindrical water tank on top.

Then, he gestured for it to be pushed over.

KIKI understood instantly.

She focused her psychic power—

The metal frame groaned as bolts snapped, and the water tank began to tilt.

CREEEAAAAK!

The noise immediately drew the attention of the crows.

With a sharp whoosh, countless crows abandoned the train, flocking toward the collapsing tower.

KIKI gave one final push—and sent the entire water tank tumbling down the slope.