Players, Please Board the Train

Though they had escaped danger for the moment, the atmosphere in the group was clearly not what it had been before. Under the weight of exhaustion, all the players were wary of one another, after all, during the earlier frantic flight, at least ten players had died under unclear circumstances.

Xu Huo took the initiative to walk over to the Train Operations Director, greeted him, and asked, ”Is there any particular significance to day and night here?”

”More or less the same. If there’s a problem with the space, it doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night. The difference is that in the daytime, you die with a clearer picture.” The Train Operations Director said lightly, ”But if we stay in a well-lit area, it’s easier for the Track Supply Department to spot us.”

The staff member who had taken their orders added, ”Spaces with normal day-night cycles are relatively stable.”

In other words, even on the tracks, the alternation of day and night was recognized as a form of order.

Xu Huo sat down nearby, and before long, Yan Jiayu came over as well. She generously shared her food with the staff member, who accepted most of it. The Train Operations Director, however, said, ”The rescue team hasn’t arrived yet, and you dare to give your food away?”

”Didn’t you say they’d be here soon?” Yan Jiayu said matter-of-factly. ”The incident a couple of days ago was an accident, that doesn’t count. There shouldn’t be any more problems from here on out. Besides, if the rescue team really is delayed for a long time, I think something more serious than a food crisis would happen first.”

She wasn’t wrong. A strange atmosphere was already brewing among the players.

Neither of them returned to their spots. Before long, the elderly man and his group all moved over to their side as well. Since their group was larger in number, they drew many wary glances.

Someone sneered, ”Even blood brothers will beat each other’s brains out over a bite to eat.”Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu paid no mind to such remarks, but the elderly man and his group had already started rationing their food, eating a piece of jerky and taking a sip of water every hour or two.

Players were no strangers to going hungry, this was standard procedure. But someone like Yan Jiayu, who went around handing out food, was a first.

”If you don’t eat your fill, you won’t have the strength to fight.” She said with a smile, ”If someone comes to rob me, I’ll just rob them right back.”

No one took her words as a joke.

Night fell quickly. Not long after it got dark, the Train Operations Director didn’t use any illumination items, so the other players had to light their own way. But their items couldn’t last for long, so when the first batch of players’ illumination items gave out, someone made their move.

Xu Huo leaned against the edge of Yan Jiayu’s soft sofa, and with just a slight turn of his head, he could see the entire battle. During the fight, some players caught in the crossfire used illumination items, but the flickering light went out again after a moment. Anyone who tried to light up the area during a fight would become a target for everyone.

These people all wanted to use the cover of darkness to kill their opponents and plunder their resources.

He wasn’t the only one who could see in the dark. Aside from the staff member, Xu Huo spotted at least four others, including the Baseball Cap player, who was staying nearby.

The other man noticed him as well, nodded in his direction, then looked away.

The fight over there finally came to a temporary end with four players killed.

”Damn it!” Someone cursed under their breath, but judging by the numbers alone, there were at least five or six players involved. Unless some of them were willing to cooperate, two or three people couldn’t possibly take them down.

Most people ignored this kind of behavior.

Three more incidents followed. The first two were instigated by other players and ended once someone died. But the third time, those two female players suddenly crept up on the Pink-Haired Female Player.

As the three of them broke into a fight, the Unlucky-Looking Man and others sleeping nearby immediately backed off to give them space, saying, ”What’s going on? Why are they fighting?”

”What else could it be? They probably saw someone injured and wanted to pick up an easy advantage.” One of the male players playing cards said, ”Didn’t those two go out at night a couple of days ago and kill two people too...”

Before he could finish, a female player not far from them suddenly made her move. Two automatic animal traps shot out of nowhere and pierced straight through the Unlucky-Looking Man’s lower legs!

The Unlucky-Looking Man screamed and threw an isolation item at the female player. She was trapped inside an upright isolation box, and he quickly hurled a lock to seal the box shut!

Seeing the female player struggling inside but unable to escape, the Unlucky-Looking Man couldn’t help but say, ”Why does it always have to be me...”

Before he could finish, the female player tore through the isolation box and lunged at him, completely ignoring the other card-playing players nearby.

The man who had spoken earlier teased him, ”Looks like you really get under people’s skin. Did you say something unpleasant and offend someone?”

The Unlucky-Looking Man had indeed spoken to this female player, but it was only at the level of a greeting. ”That’s a bit much, isn’t it! Are all women this vengeful?”

Over on this side, the injured Pink-Haired Female Player was being cornered by the two female players toward Xu Huo’s side. Since the two had made the first move, no other players stepped in to help. So when the Pink-Haired Female Player dodged in his direction and saw Xu Huo seemingly about to step aside, she didn’t make a special effort to avoid him. But it was at that exact moment that Xu Huo suddenly reached out his hand!

The Pink-Haired Female Player was startled, used an item to slip around him in a way no normal person could manage, and as she turned to counterattack, Yan Jiayu stepped up with the Demon-Subduing Pestle in hand. An ordinary-looking stone staff, yet she swung it with enough force to tear through the air!

The Pink-Haired Female Player quickly retreated.

But Xu Huo’s target wasn’t her at all. It was the Short-haired Female Player behind her. The other woman had slowed her speed and movements as she approached him, and then she saw the mirror in his hand. The light in her eyes instantly went out of focus.

”Bang! Bang!” The Mobile Metal automatically blocked the Short-haired Female Player’s attacks, and Xu Huo smoothly grabbed her throat. With a twitch of his fingers, he knocked her out cold.

Compared to him, Yan Jiayu was far more crude and straightforward. With her staff in hand, she could go head-to-head against any knives or swords, and as long as the opponent’s speed wasn’t far beyond hers, she could use her sheer stamina to beat them until they couldn’t even hold their weapon steady.

The Curly-haired Female Player managed to create some distance after two exchanges, but was yanked back by Yan Jiayu’s ”Good Friend Cuddle.” A light tap to the back of the head with the staff, and she crumpled to the ground.

Dragging the two of them together, Yan Jiayu asked, ”What’s wrong with those two?”

Xu Huo turned and asked the Pink-Haired Female Player from a distance, ”Did you strike first?”

”No.” The Pink-Haired Female Player said warily.

Xu Huo crouched down and examined the two. At the very least, there were no strange signs on their exposed skin. Based on their words and behavior earlier, they didn’t seem like the type to suddenly go mad. Besides, their food supply was still sufficient, and the Pink-Haired Female Player’s combat prowess was plain for all to see. There was no reason for them to do this.

”Wake them up and ask.” Yan Jiayu produced a coffin-lid shaped item and draped it over the Curly-haired Female Player, leaving only her head exposed. Then she splashed water on her to wake her up.

”Ugh...”