Players, Please Board the Train

The reasons behind dungeon formation.

Peng Fengnian mentioned that some powerful players could initiate dungeons within game stations, like the previous slaughterhouse dungeon, which was player-initiated.

As for The Headhunter Demon and this Decibel Town, they don’t have fixed bosses—they only provide a setting, seemingly automatically generated dungeons.

This suggests dungeon formation reasons are diverse; they can vanish or continuously generate. Participants in dungeons can also become dungeon creators, meaning every player has the opportunity to initiate a dungeon and become its boss.

”Interesting.”

He was growing increasingly fascinated with non-closed dungeons.

Staying in the office building until evening, Xu Huo paid a final respectful glance toward the large clock before heading toward the West Gate.

*

A night and day passed. Inside the perimeter wall, Lin Pei and the others finally reached the West Gate after immense hardship.

Fortunately, the scaffolding remained relatively intact. After they minimized their noise while moving, the number of Mutants following them gradually decreased, making it surprisingly safer than when they crossed the suspension bridge earlier.However, they encountered an obstacle upon reaching the West Gate.

Unlike the East Gate, what blocked the entire path wasn’t a grille but metal plates pieced together, each nailed to the frame with steel pins, sealing the way ahead completely.

”To get through, we must pry open the steel plates. Try using Xu Huo’s sword,” Ke Liang said wearily. The wound on his leg had been bleeding the entire way; although the arrow wasn’t poisoned, it had severed several blood vessels. The healing potion had limited effect. If they didn’t get out soon, he might die here.

Gu Yu had foot injuries and a broken hand. Leaning against the equally injured Shen Xin for support, she said, ”It’s almost midnight. If we miss this time, we’ll have to wait another day.”

”Keep watch. Wang Chaoqing, stand further back,” Lin Pei said with a frown.

Wang Chaoqing was the only one here with intact limbs. If Mutants were attracted by noise, he would be the first to defend.

Wang Chaoqing looked at the pitiful states of Gu Yu and the other two, then reluctantly accepted his role.

”Clang!” Unexpectedly, the metal plate wasn’t as hard as the perimeter wall; it was pierced with a single strike.

”It works!” Lin Pei joyfully pulled the sword out. Just as he prepared for a second strike, he suddenly heard Wang Chaoqing shout, ”What’s that!”

He whirled around to see several pairs of glowing lights rapidly approaching through the darkness!

Gu Yu’s flashlight beam captured a shadow darting past their side. ”Mutants!”

”Ahhh!!! They weren’t supposed to jump! Why can they fly now?!” Wang Chaoqing let out a high-pitched scream.

”That’s not flying! They’re moving along the wall!” Gu Yu heard sticky sounds moving toward them along the wall. She swiftly shone her flashlight over, only to see a monster resembling a skinned frog right in front of her!

Staggering back two steps in shock, she braced for certain death. Surprisingly, the Mutant merely swiped at her before recoiling as if scalded, then vanished into the darkness.

The flashlight beam remained fixed on the wall, revealing a trail of wet footprints extending from the distance toward them. However, the fluid didn’t drip down like water but congealed into clumps like glue.

”They have webbed claws with adhesive properties, allowing wall movement! Don’t let them get close—”

Before she finished, a cry came from beside her. She quickly directed the light, only to see a Mutant firmly biting Shen Xin’s arm. When the flashlight hit it, it seemed terrified, shielding its face with its hands before retreating!

”They fear light!” Gu Yu hastily raised her flashlight overhead, letting the light shine down from above. Ke Liang and Wang Chaoqing followed suit. The group huddled together, shielding Lin Pei behind them.

In the darkness, several pairs of fluorescent lights flickered and moved. Gu Yu could sense their agitation nearing a breaking point and yelled, ”Lin Pei, hurry up!”

Lin Pei had already cut a square into the metal plate. A firm kick turned it into an exit crawl space. He tied one end of the Spring Rope to the scaffolding and jumped out first.

”Quick! Quick!” Wang Chaoqing urged Ke Liang. Crowded together, they actually dropped a flashlight!

”Plop! Plop! Plop!”

Sticky footsteps rapidly approached again. Wang Chaoqing shoved Ke Liang aside, grabbed the rope, and slid down!

In the emergency, no one had room to argue. Fortunately, Gu Yu directed light near Ke Liang, repelling a sneaking Mutant, allowing him to safely exit.

After getting through, he held the rope without immediately leaving. Instead, he took the flashlight and directly illuminated the exit, waiting until Gu Yu and Shen Xin landed safely before descending himself.

”Bang! Bang!” Two Mutants lingered at the exit, afraid to emerge under the light, venting their frustration by pounding the metal plates.

”This noise will definitely attract other Mutants,” Gu Yu said, her face pale.

”It’s midnight!” Ke Liang checked the time.

”Midnight won’t help,” Shen Xin whispered. ”We can’t open the gate.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Lin Pei, already attempting to open the large gate.

The gate and wall appeared to have a dividing line, but the seam was almost imperceptible to touch. Pushing outward did nothing, and pulling inward offered no grip point!

Despite using both sword and hands, Lin Pei couldn’t budge the gate inward even a fraction.

”This isn’t working,” he turned, his eyes scanning over Ke Liang and the others. ”We need to capture a Mutant.”

”Those Mutants have sticky limbs; maybe we can try...” Gu Yu instinctively agreed but immediately realized, ”You want us to catch a Mutant?!”

Lin Pei pointed his sword at them again, his stance clear.

”No! Absolutely not! We can’t possibly fight Mutants...” Wang Chaoqing shook his head while backing away.

Lin Pei didn’t care about his survival and was about to grab someone when abruptly, a Mutant dropped from above!

Followed by a second! Then a third!

The Mutants’ appearance threw everyone into chaos. However, upon closer look, they realized these were the same jumping-degraded Mutants previously seen at the East Gate!

”Not good!” Ke Liang redirected his flashlight to the exit on the metal plate, only to see two trails of footprints.

”We’ve been tricked!” He threw his flashlight to the ground and stood in the beam. ”Get over here quickly!”

Gu Yu and the others hurried into the lighted area. Besides the two light-fearing Mutants, there were three more degraded Mutants!

While dealing with the degraded Mutants’ attacks, they kept watch on the two light-fearing ones. They discovered these could not only climb sheer surfaces but also possessed super jumping abilities, fearless of high falls. Most critically, they were incredibly fast, silently ambushing whenever Gu Yu and the others reached into darkness!

After several attempts, they not only failed to kill the degraded Mutants but also added more wounds to their hands and feet.

Lin Pei tried luring them over, but these two Mutants were exceptionally clever and wouldn’t take the bait!

Using Gu Yu and the others as bait risked them dying before the Mutants, leaving him alone against the remaining foes—a fight he wasn’t confident he could win.

Yet dragging this out meant certain death eventually; he absolutely couldn’t wait until the next day!

Just as he debated gambling, the tightly shut gate ahead suddenly moved inward, caught on pulley axles, and began rising upward, pulled by chains.

”The gate’s opening? Why!”

”Someone’s coming out from that side!” Wang Chaoqing, facing the town direction, shouted.

Gu Yu and the others turned to see a dazzlingly blinding cluster of lights moving toward them from beyond the gate...