Players, Please Board the Train

Two minutes later, the four bodies were placed in a corner of the station. Xu Huo straightened his clothes and quietly waited for the train to arrive.

When the time on his train ticket reached the final second, he was instantly and safely transported from the station onto the train.

Confirming that no players had followed him, he relaxed slightly while simultaneously detecting three gazes—this carriage contained three other players besides himself.

A young woman with long hair sat with a man who appeared quite intimidating, while an elderly man sat alone further forward.

Xu Huo gave the three a wary glance, stared down the fierce-looking man, then walked to the very back of the carriage to find a seat.

The three other passengers immediately averted their eyes.

”Ding dong!” The train announcement sounded.

”Welcome players aboard the Dimensional Rift special train. This Train 219 will depart from E-Level Station heading to Building Block Fairytale City Station. Please ensure your personal safety while boarding in an orderly manner and abide by the train regulations.”

”Train regulations are as follows: 1. Do not bring non-game items aboard. The train does not welcome firearms from any world.”

”2. Mandatory consumption. All train staff work without salary. Please respect their labor. Every player must spend at least five hundred White Bills after boarding.””Press the call button for meal service.”

”To prevent travel boredom, the train encourages recreational activities including ambushes, brawls, and hunting. Players may choose freely.”

”Wishing you a pleasant journey.”

Unlike the trip to the Headhunter Demon dungeon, this dungeon run announced new train regulations that essentially boiled down to: no firearms allowed aboard, but the train wouldn’t interfere if players killed each other.

The game’s malice toward players made such rules unsurprising, but what slightly interested Xu Huo was the ”work without salary” clause.

The preliminary trial train’s kitchen seemed to be contracted by a restaurant called Yongxing. If train staff really worked without pay, were they working for the game or for the contractor?

”Ding dong.” The long-haired female player up front pressed the call button.

Soon a uniformed attendant came forward, smiling broadly as he offered a menu. ”Miss, would you like to order?”

The female player nodded, flipping through the thick menu while asking, ”Does the kitchen serve human flesh?”

The attendant’s smile didn’t falter. ”This train does not serve human flesh.”

”Any recommendations?” She handed the menu back.

The attendant seemed even happier at this question, smiling as he said, ”Today’s chef is a three-star master from Yongxing Restaurant. Special dishes include Arctic White Frog, Beauty Vegetable Juice, Braised Rhino Meat, plus our signature dessert Colored Salt Ice Cream.”

”Bring all of those.” The female player turned to the large man. ”Order whatever you want for yourself.”

The large man had only one requirement. ”Make it filling.”

The attendant added three portions of rhino meat for him.

”I’d like to order too.” The elderly man up front spoke.

The attendant walked over. The old man flipped through the first two pages of the menu. ”Get me a bowl of noodles.”

Closing the menu, the attendant approached Xu Huo. ”Sir, would you like to order?”

Xu Huo adopted the appearance of someone short on funds, rubbing his pant legs as he said, ”How long until we reach the station? Can I skip ordering?”

”Sir, you’re going to Building Block Fairytale City Station, which is still two hours away. I recommend you order—it’s train policy.”

”Fine, I’ll have a bowl of noodles too.” Xu Huo ordered with visible pain, then glanced toward the female player up front before gritting his teeth to add, ”And a glass of water.”

The attendant quickly left. Except for the female player’s meals which came course by course, everyone else’s orders arrived promptly.

Xu Huo finished his noodles in a few bites, then sat blatantly staring at the female player’s back.

When she finished eating, he picked up his water glass and walked over, sitting directly across from her. ”Need something to rinse your mouth?”

The female player glanced at him but didn’t speak.

”You’re going to Building Block Fairytale City Station too, right? Then we’re doing the same dungeon.” Xu Huo continued without invitation. ”How about we team up? There’s safety in numbers.”

”Building Block Fairytale City Station has multiple dungeons.” The female player seemed slightly interested. ”We won’t know which specific dungeon until we arrive. What grade ticket do you have?”

”E-grade ticket.” Xu Huo answered readily. ”You too?”

Disappointment flickered in the female player’s eyes before she nodded casually and closed her eyes, ending the conversation.

When Xu Huo tried to speak again, the large man beside her stopped him. ”She needs to rest.”

Xu Huo shot him a glare, but seeing the female player truly had no intention of talking with him, he awkwardly stood up.

”Wait.” The large man handed his water glass back to him. ”Your water.”

Xu Huo snatched it back indignantly, returned to his seat, drained the water in one gulp, sat for a while, then went to the restroom at the back. Only after returning did he properly sit in his seat, leaning back as if dozing.

Two hours passed quickly. Upon receiving the game notification, Xu Huo immediately sat upright.

[Player Extra has entered Building Block Fairytale City Station, automatically participating in E-grade dungeon ”The Storytelling Woman”.]

[Background: Every destroyed city has a tragic history, every harmed family has a painful story. Twenty years ago, Building Block Fairytale City was a massive metropolis with fifty million people. Grand building block-shaped structures filled every corner of the city, once hailed as ”Children’s Paradise”.]

[After experiencing a great catastrophe, Building Block Fairytale City shrank to one-twentieth of its original size. Although the building block architecture remains in the town, children’s voices have completely disappeared from here.]

[Fortunately, many outsiders have settled here, gradually turning Building Block Fairytale City into a tourist destination. Every visitor entering Building Block Fairytale City can take a free guided tour of the old city ruins.]

[Dungeon tasks: ① Find someone who tells the correct story.

② Find a woman who tells the correct story.

③ Find teeth for the storytelling woman.]

[Dungeon time: Three days.]

[Please enter Building Block Fairytale Tourist City before dusk. Failure to complete will prevent obtaining return ticket.]

[Beginning countdown: ...3, 2, 1...]

After his vision shifted, Xu Huo found himself standing on an old, dilapidated street.

This street had clearly been abandoned for a long time, with large sections of buildings reduced to rubble. Though occasional spots of green could be seen in ground cracks or wall crevices, the dust floating in sunlight and extremely quiet air testified to the desolation here.

He looked back and saw the female player and her large companion had disembarked with him, but the elderly man hadn’t gotten off.

They stood near a bus stop.

”This sign doesn’t even show the stop name clearly anymore.” He approached the female player to make conversation. ”They just dump us here and leave? Which way should we go?”