Players, Please Board the Train

”Is that so? But didn’t you just want to fight me a moment ago?” Xu Huo wore an expression of disbelief. ”You’re bluffing me, right?”

”He’s pulling your leg. As long as you don’t kill anyone, you can do pretty much anything on this train.” The burly player who had previously restrained Chu Yuan spoke up, pouring barrel wine directly into his mouth. After taking a swig, he added, ”But fights between players tend to end in death easily. It’s best not to start anything if you can avoid it.”

Chu Yuan glared at the man angrily for a while before turning back to Xu Huo. ”Aren’t you afraid he might be pulling your leg too?”

The gamblers in the carriage quieted down. Over a dozen, nearly twenty people, all turned to look at Xu Huo, eagerly awaiting his reaction.

Xu Huo frowned. ”I’m a man who believes in harmony above all.”

The onlookers were slightly disappointed, but restrained by the rules of the Sayir Coast, they remained relatively polite. After some laughter and chatter, the players who didn’t belong to this carriage returned to their own compartments.

Noon arrived quickly. The train attendants, dressed in casual clothes, had merely pinned a bow tie to their chests as a token gesture to indicate their status. The menu they brought offered only water, bread, and fried deep-blue fish, all at steep prices.

”Can the kitchen prepare other dishes?” Xu Huo asked.

”No,” the attendant shot him a glance. ”Take it or leave it.”

It was confirmed that the train’s kitchen was also contracted by the Sayir Coast.The others in the carriage seemed accustomed to this. Each person ordered at least one set meal. Some players, clearly in the know, even bought Sayir Coast’s specialty sashimi and potions from the attendants.

”The sashimi from Sayir Coast is absolutely top-notch. I make sure to have a few meals of it every time I come.” A well-dressed player recommended it to the others. ”The flavor is simply unparalleled. You’ve never tasted anything like it anywhere else.”

The attendant had already moved to the next carriage. Another player asked, ”Wasn’t the Sayir Sea polluted? You dare eat raw stuff from there?”

That player, however, was utterly nonchalant. ”Who knows which day we’ll die after entering this game? If you don’t even dare indulge your appetite, won’t you die with nothing but regret? Besides, I’ve been to Sayir Coast many times. I’ve never had any health issues after leaving. You can eat with confidence.”

Some players, their mouths watering at the description, were about to call the attendant back. But just then, a commotion erupted from the carriages behind. Immediately after, a person was flung out of the train. After a few seconds of silence, the attendant came back cursing. ”That bastard didn’t know when to quit! Who does he think he is, trying to act tough with me!”

Apart from the Preliminary Trial Train, Xu Huo hadn’t heard any prompts about attendants being able to expel players on subsequent trains. However, it was clear this rule still existed.

”Serves him right! Hee hee!” The girl with the tongue piercing laughed.

No one paid any mind to the expelled player. The train quickly returned to its lively state.

Xu Huo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. Before long, Chu Yuan beside him spoke up. ”Hey, get up for a sec. I need to use the restroom.”

Xu Huo stood up. ”Perfect timing. I need to go too.”

When they reached the connecting carriage, Chu Yuan rushed ahead into the restroom and shut the door. With the rope wedged in the door crack, Xu Huo had no choice but to wait outside.

*Click.* The door to the rear carriage opened. A player wearing a mask walked out. He was hunched over, with messy hair covering his eyes. He glanced up and said, ”Someone’s in there, huh? Young man, want me to help you untie that rope?”

Xu Huo leaned against the doorframe, took out his lighter, and lit a cigarette. He simply squinted at the man through the smoke, showing no intention of starting a conversation.

The masked player didn’t seem to mind either, simply standing on the other side of the door to wait.

Xu Huo ignored him. A few seconds later, he began banging loudly on the restroom door. Chu Yuan quickly came out, looking displeased. ”What’s the rush? The toilet isn’t going anywhere!”

”With a mouth that sharp, maybe I should sew it shut for you?” Xu Huo fixed him with a dark, threatening stare.

Chu Yuan immediately shut his mouth and moved aside to let him pass.

The restroom door closed again. This time, the masked player spoke to Chu Yuan. ”Want me to help you untie that rope? I happen to be good at unlocking this type of item.”

Chu Yuan was just about to speak when he felt a sudden tug on the rope around his wrist. He instinctively paused. While he hesitated, Xu Huo had already opened the door.

Their conversation was cut off before it even began. Xu Huo walked straight ahead. Chu Yuan, pulled along by the rope, had no choice but to follow.

The noise in the carriage continued unabated. Chu Yuan looked back and saw the masked player returning to the rear carriage. He lowered his voice. ”Why not give it a try? Maybe he really could untie the rope?”

”Have you ever met someone that nice before?” Xu Huo retorted.

Chu Yuan was stumped for a moment, then said, ”He definitely has conditions, like wanting an item or money.”

”Mhm. You can go find him yourself later,” Xu Huo said indifferently as he sat down.

Chu Yuan’s expression shifted, as if he had sensed something from Xu Huo’s attitude. He sat back in his own seat with a hint of wariness.

After lunch, players kept coming over to roughhouse from time to time. After dealing with two of them, Xu Huo simply leaned back in his seat and pretended to sleep. Seeing this, Chu Yuan, who had been socializing with everyone, also started blocking players who tried to disturb him.

The rest of the day passed peacefully. As night fell, the players returned to their respective spots. Once the lights went out, the noisy train plunged into absolute silence. Every player seemed like a beast lying in wait in the darkness, waiting for prey to come to them.

Nothing happened in Xu Huo’s carriage or the one behind it all night. There was a bit of commotion from the front carriages around dawn, but it quickly died down.

Early the next morning, an announcement echoed through the train. ”Good news, everyone. Two players in the first-class carriage have lost their Sayir Coast hospitality privileges. Upon the train’s arrival at the coast, no vessels on the coast will provide them with service.”

Reactions among the players in the carriage varied. Some cursed them as ”idiots,” while others were pleased to have fewer competitors.

”Any player going to Sayir Coast is basically heading for dungeons on the islands. Without a boat, you can’t even get to the islands. Even if you arrive, it’s a wasted train ticket.”

”And that’s not all. All the businesses on the coast will refuse them service. Forget buying food, they won’t even find a place to stay.” The girl with the tongue piercing leaned over to add. ”The Bolun Family is really something.”

”The Bolun Family controls Sayir Coast? Just a single family?” Xu Huo asked.

”Don’t underestimate a single family, little brother. Their family tree probably has over a hundred people on it. They own most of the businesses. Of course, what they say goes on the coast.” After saying this, the tongue-pierced girl asked, ”Which dungeon are you headed to?”

”Not sure yet, but it’s a D-rank dungeon,” Xu Huo said.

”What a shame. We definitely won’t be in the same one.” The girl shrugged.

”Are you going there for ore?” Chu Yuan suddenly asked from the side.