Far down in the ocean’s depths, the Infinite moved like an ancient wounded leviathan, gliding silently through the absolute black and deathly stillness of the deep. The cataclysmic nuclear blast, volcanic eruptions, and the horrifying vortex that had torn metal apart were already over, leaving only a pressure hull of warped metal and the faint metallic tang of blood in the recycled air inside the carriages.

In the mute darkness, Lin Xian felt as if he himself were surrounded by cold, briny seawater.

The whole train creaked softly now and then as stresses shifted in the structure, mingling with the occasional burst of bubbles from the deep and the ghostly beeps of sonar—together they formed the ambient soundscape of this deathlike silence.

Lin Xian sat in the cockpit, his expression heavy. The reason he had issued that order to Viola was simply caution.

1:32:07

The countdown before him ticked silently. Faced with numbers that felt like a timed bomb, Lin Xian found it hard to keep absolute composure and clarity.

This thing was different from the abnormal entities. Even in a night full of hidden dangers and at the sea bottom in a bottomless abyss, at least Lin Xian could still use his ability;

he still had the Infinite with him, and teammates like Teacher Chen and KIKI.

But this countdown was unfathomable—like the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. He didn’t know what would happen when it ended, didn’t know how to stop it, and didn’t know the principle behind its appearance. It was completely beyond control or reach.

[Dawn and destruction have already occurred? Hmm, that sounds like a very interesting insight. From a philosophical standpoint, Hegel proposed that “contradiction is the fundamental driving force of development.” Destruction is the overt result of an old order collapsing;

dawn is the latent process of a new civilization forming. From a physics perspective, it resembles Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment: if a temporal dimension hasn’t been observed, dawn (survival) and destruction (death) can coexist as two ultimate states until the causal chain collapses into a single reality.]

Viola paused after hearing Lin Xian’s words before responding.

Lin Xian felt a bit irritated and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Prepare to surface. Inspect the sea area and make sure we’re safe before sunrise.”

Viola looked to Lin Xian and replied calmly, [Affirmative. Immediately conducting ascent and sea-surface reconnaissance.]

“Laine, you follow and be ready to engage....”

Lin Xian glanced back toward the carriage and said in a low voice, “Wake everyone up. Once we’re clear of danger at dawn, then arrange shifts for rest—being in this state is risky.”

“My thought exactly, Lin. But I suggest having part of the main force and combat personnel on standby first. Those badly injured need recovery;

right now is the best opportunity.” Laine’s voice came through the communicator.

“Understood.”

After issuing orders, Lin Xian mulled over countermeasures while activating the Mechanical Heart to blanket the entire Infinite for comprehensive mechanical repairs. If they could successfully surface and get out of immediate danger, he could take the risk of using a sky-tier leap. With sky-tier information capability, he could locate the Republican Archipelago or Noah via Firebook and Aqua-Sky positioning—no problem.

But before that, he had to ensure he survived. He didn’t know what would happen next, so to protect the Infinite and North Wind 09, this critical moment required waking the core personnel to stand by.

Lin Xian even considered whether he should put some distance between himself and the Infinite before the countdown ended...

He ran through many ideas, whether proactive or pessimistic.

Gurgle~

A violent thudding of water pressure struck the hull. Lin Xian stared at the sonar display. Not long after, somewhere on the Pacific’s black surface, a train like a great dragon burst through the water curtain and slowly rose, and alongside it surfaced a huge Deeptrench-class nuclear submarine, North Wind 09.

[Retreat reconnaissance completed for fifty nautical miles and high-altitude sea area. The area is still dangerous. When sea weather normalizes and heavy fog dissipates, it is recommended to delay egress and surface activities until daylight or after fog clears.]

Splash.

Water streamed down the porthole. Nianli stood up;

through the porthole he could only see an undulating sea surface, and the Limited’s searchlight barely reached any distance. Thick fog blanketed the entire sea area;

the surface stirred with small waves and the steady roar of surf.

Nianli surveyed the surroundings for a moment, then turned and said, “Deploy drone Seven to bridge and probe as far in as possible.”

Having just given the order, Nianli turned to the comms to rouse the crew aboard the Limited so they could respond to any sudden developments.

But when he turned, he found a figure drifting at the cockpit door—arms folded, looking at him with a faint expression. If it wasn’t KIKI, who could it be?

“How much time is left on his countdown now?”

“Fifty-eight minutes.” Lin Xian nodded. “Dawn’s not far off.”

KIKI flew over and stared at Lin Xian face-to-face, her voice accusing.

“Why didn’t you wake me? Aren’t you worried about what dangers might appear when the countdown ends, or are you planning to face it alone?”

Lin Xian was speechless for a moment, then said, “I was just about to wake everyone.”

“Really?” KIKI looked skeptical, studying him. “Have you found a solution?”

“Not yet.”

Lin Xian said, “Wake everyone first. I thought about it—the countdown isn’t a good omen. Until we understand it, I want to keep a distance from the Infinite. But...”

“No!”

Before Lin Xian could finish, he was suddenly lifted and wrapped by a surge of telekinetic force. He saw KIKI glare at him with fury and say,

“No matter what happens, I’ve got you. Don’t you dare carry it all alone.”

Lin Xian gave a helpless smile and replied, “I’m not that stupid. I’ll keep within a range where I can coordinate with everyone. I thought about it: this countdown appears in my sight but others can’t see it, which means it’s some very peculiar force or technology—either targeted at me alone, or something more spectacular, like the end of the world, which would be simpler to accept.”

Before he finished speaking, his mouth was abruptly seized by a stubborn kiss. The small mouth pressed to his and scolded all the while.

“No end of the world nonsense. I want you alive!”

KIKI mumbled through her words. Lin Xian was taken aback because a warm, wet warmth pressed from her face against his. The feeling of being cared for warmed him, loosening his mood noticeably.

Lin Xian stood there, stunned by the young girl’s kiss, motionless. Then KIKI suddenly covered his eyes with her hand, hurriedly wiped away her stubborn tears, and only then let go. Lin Xian looked at her: her eyes rimmed red as she glared at him through gritted teeth.

“What are you staring at? Come up with a plan!”

Lin Xian looked bewildered. “There isn’t much time. We need a temporary response plan. I’d planned to do this after we escaped the vortex last night—didn’t expect we’d sleep so long.”

“Yeah, not much time.”

KIKI’s eyes were red as she looked at him, seemingly trying hard to read the countdown in his eyes or to see fear. But Lin Xian’s gaze was composed, tinged with resignation.

For some reason, seeing that expression, KIKI felt a tug at her heart. This Lin Xian—who had once pulled hundreds from the jaws of the Oceanic Titan and the super vortex with a last-minute trick—was at a loss now. A few hours earlier he had still been the one to turn the tide;

now he seemed to be passively accepting fate.

At the thought, KIKI felt a suffocating mix of worry and pity. As if she hadn’t heard Lin Xian’s earlier words, she suddenly seized his hands, pulled them to her waist, hooked her legs around his hips like a little firecracker, pressed her body down and kissed him full on.

Bold, fiery, proud, and unruly.

Lin Xian mentally protested—now was not the time to be making out;

there was less than an hour left. If you wanted to kiss, you should’ve kissed earlier so they could plan something.

For instance, if something catastrophic happened and Lin Xian couldn’t be rescued, how would the others aboard the Infinite evacuate and escape? Those were the pragmatic questions that needed answers...

But KIKI ignored all that. She clung to him like a monkey in a tree, utterly absorbed—she even used telekinesis to push Lin Xian onto a chair, and after he sat, she settled astride him.

“Hey, beautiful, this isn’t the time—”

“Shut up.”

“Okay, just one minute of kissing.”

Rip—an invisible telekinetic tore Lin Xian’s shirt.

Lin Xian immediately shoved KIKI away, shocked. “Wait, what are you doing? Aren’t you underage?”

Tears shone at KIKI’s eyes while a smile curled her mouth as she looked at him, arms crossed proudly. “If it’s the end of the world, only an idiot like you would believe that.”

Lin Xian: ?

“That’s not the point,” he said sternly. “There are fifty minutes left.”

“So what?” KIKI’s neck flushed as she dared to say, “Isn’t that—enough time?”

Lin Xian: ???

“No.” A flicker of alarm crossed Lin Xian’s eyes. He looked at KIKI and wondered if they were even talking about the same thing.

He saw, in KIKI’s reddened eyes and teasing defiance, a subtle and barely perceptible fear. Lin Xian softened and gripped her shoulders seriously.

“Kiddo, I think we should use the time to make contingencies. Maybe the countdown is only a warning or a clue. I don’t necessarily have to die, do you understand?”

KIKI’s gaze flickered as she looked at Lin Xian’s bare torso, then she lay against his chest without moving.

Lin Xian sighed. At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

[For adult humans, a pleasant sexual interaction helps alleviate anxiety, especially after combat. This benefits both partners.]

Hearing that, KIKI, buried in Lin Xian’s arms, snapped upright and turned, astonished.

“You... Why didn’t I see you?!”

Lin Xian, sweating, replied: “She’s been standing here the whole time.”

Viola stood with hands behind her back and recalled in a calm tone, [Your intense affection for Lin Xian causes you to focus excessively on his safety and condition, which affects your emotions and attention. In such a state, not noticing me is perfectly normal.]

KIKI fumed and shot Lin Xian an angry glare.

“Intense affection my foot. I’m worried about our captain. Don’t you go psychoanalyzing me.”

Viola responded, “Individual emotions consist of multiple complex factors. Different viewpoints present different results. As an AI, Viola judges using aggregated data. Miss KIKI’s current state aligns with human emotional...”

“Stop! Stop!!” KIKI’s face burned bright as she hurriedly cut Viola off. Although bold and aware that Viola was only a robot, the young girl wasn’t shameless enough to let the analysis continue;

flustered, she scolded the AI.

To Lin Xian’s surprise, he then pulled KIKI into a hug and turned to Viola with a serious expression.

“Viola, repeat what you just said.”

KIKI looked up, flushed. She didn’t know why Lin Xian wanted Viola to repeat it, but seeing his solemn expression, she straightened up.

[Individual emotion...]

“The middle phrase.”

[From different perspectives, the presented structure differs.]

Lin Xian’s pupils constricted at that. Something clicked.

KIKI, sitting on him, saw his expression and hurriedly asked, “Lin Xian, do you have a plan?”

Lin Xian shook his head, puzzled, and looked at KIKI.

“Kiddo, do you remember when we found Chen Yanxiu? He once said something to me.”

“What?”

“He told me he’s fascinated by the power of forbidden artifacts, saying that was the Master’s power.”

KIKI recalled and answered, “Right, that was when you showed some abnormality. We thought you’d been attacked.”

Lin Xian frowned in confusion. “At the time I didn’t think the comment was strange because I assumed he meant the forbidden artifact we had aboard the Infinite. But now, thinking back, what if he wasn’t referring to that?”

KIKI was puzzled. “I don’t follow. He’s from Sacred Revelation and collaborates with the Foundation. It wouldn’t be strange for him to know we had a forbidden artifact.”

Lin Xian shook his head. “I thought the same at first, so I didn’t pay much attention. But now I recall feeling that maybe he wasn’t referring to those other things—maybe he meant something on me at that moment.”

“On you?”

“From Chen Yanxiu’s perspective, could he have seen something on me that made him say that?” Lin Xian asked.

KIKI’s expression changed. “But you didn’t have any forbidden artifact on you then.”

“Actually, there was one.”

A chill prickled across Lin Xian’s skin. He and KIKI exchanged looks and suddenly a direction occurred to them.

“Flickering Bullet?!” KIKI frowned, surprised.

Lin Xian’s voice dropped. “I felt a connection to Grace back then. Now it seems very likely that the containment link was between me and the Flickering Bullet.”

“You mean that countdown might have been Chen Yanxiu’s doing?”

Lin Xian’s mind flashed, and he suddenly remembered something.

He immediately opened the Black Star Forge. With a thought, something black drifted from the hollow interior and floated to a halt.

A black gear hovered there.

It emitted a faint, obscure fluctuation.

Lin Xian reached out to grab it, ready to examine it closely.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed the countdown in front of him change.

The minutes and seconds began to accelerate wildly. What had been fifty-two minutes was now decreasing by the tick of each second!

Fifty-two minutes—at this instant, only fifty-two seconds remained!!