Tunnel

There were many players present. Even though two of their companions had transformed into monstrosities right before their eyes, they didn't hesitate in the slightest to strike.

In this World of Horrors—

Hesitation meant defeat.

Soon, the two who had turned into monsters were dealt with. Their bodies seemed to melt away, leaving behind two puddles of black viscous liquid.

Two dark yellow tickets lay submerged in the slime, their edges blackened by corrosion.

Tian Xiaotian silently walked over to where they had been destroyed, bent down, and picked up the tickets.

Watching this, Ye Chuan couldn't help but feel that Tian Xiaotian had indeed changed a lot.

She was no longer that little girl with the mushroom bob cut who was so scared she had to cling to him for protection.

Regarding the shortage of tickets, Tian Xiaotian had voluntarily given up her own ticket, using a Sanctuary Card to temporarily ward off corruption. However, she knew that Ma Jiajun and Hu Wei would argue, thereby triggering the train's rules.

This way, it wouldn't look like Tian Xiaotian had abandoned her teammates. She not only secured the tickets but also maintained the squad's cohesion and their recognition of her as captain.

As for whether any team members would question Tian Xiaotian for withholding information, that no longer mattered.

Everyone's focus would be solely on survival.

If she had revealed from the start that the weakest would be eliminated, it would have caused infighting.

This was why Ye Chuan felt Tian Xiaotian's handling of the situation was mature.

After Tian Xiaotian returned to the seat next to Ye Chuan and sat down, she didn't explain much. She knew Ye Chuan understood the implications of her actions.

She paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Boss, I want to sleep for a bit. Can you keep watch for me?"

"Of course." Ye Chuan didn't mind.

Hearing this, Tian Xiaotian completely relaxed, closed her eyes, and began to rest.

Her exhaustion was visible to the naked eye, yet she let down her guard completely in front of Ye Chuan. She was effectively entrusting her life to him—a massive taboo in this World of Horrors.

Having struggled in the World of Horrors for so many years, Tian Xiaotian naturally understood this principle, but she did it anyway.

It was proof enough of her trust in Ye Chuan.

Even though they hadn't seen each other for decades.

Because Tian Xiaotian knew that if it weren't for Ye Chuan, she probably wouldn't have survived even her first dungeon.

...

...

Tian Xiaotian woke up. In reality, she had slept for less than half an hour before the broadcast sounded again—

"Hello, passengers... Welcome aboard the Rusty Pilgrim... bzzzt..."

"Bzzzt... Please observe the following rules..."

"Travel civilized, do not argue with other passengers... No smoking or drinking in the carriage..."

"Bzzz... Do not bzzzt..."

"Bzzzt... The next stop is in 20 hours..."

"Passengers without tickets, please purchase them immediately..."

The sound of the electric current was piercing. Tian Xiaotian noticed that Ye Chuan had stayed in the seat beside her the whole time. Even though he had the appearance of a child, he gave her an unparalleled sense of security.

"Boss, thanks for your trouble," Tian Xiaotian said. Although she had only slept for a short while, it had been incredibly refreshing.

"No problem."

Tian Xiaotian gathered her thoughts and continued, "The next stop for the Death Train is Plague Town."

"The background of this horror dungeon is a small town where an unknown plague broke out, infecting people and turning them into monsters," Tian Xiaotian explained.

"And Silent Hospital is where those infected patients turned the entire medical staff into monsters."

However, Tian Xiaotian wasn't clear on the specific details because she hadn't cleared this dungeon with the highest rating.

Clearing dungeons in the World of Horrors came with grades; meeting certain conditions allowed one to leave the dungeon and receive rewards. Generally speaking, the more thoroughly one investigated the dungeon, the higher the likelihood of receiving a high evaluation.

Ye Chuan hummed in acknowledgment, indicating he roughly understood.

If Plague Town was where the virus originated, perhaps there would be a considerable number of monsters?

In that case, it would be a good place to farm Essence Souls for Lilith.

"Boss, are you thinking about something?" Tian Xiaotian asked, seeing Ye Chuan lost in thought.

"I just realized that the Death Train shouldn't have just a few stops," Ye Chuan said. Could this Death Train be a transit hub?

"That..."

"Never mind, just treat it as me rambling." After saying this, Ye Chuan suddenly seemed to notice something and looked out the window. "We're entering a tunnel."

Entering a tunnel?

Tian Xiaotian looked out the window. What was so strange about entering a tunnel?

*Whoosh.* The next moment, the surroundings instantly went dim. In the silent space, only the sound of friction against the iron rails remained.

"..."

When the surroundings brightened again, Tian Xiaotian looked at Ye Chuan once more. "Boss..."

"Did you notice anything?" Ye Chuan suddenly asked.

Tian Xiaotian frowned, then followed Ye Chuan's gaze. There was nothing special.

Just empty seats.

Wait...

Empty?!

"Where are our teammates?" Tian Xiaotian stood up immediately, looking around in disbelief.

Why had everyone disappeared?!

"Is it the power of the supernatural?!"

"..." Ye Chuan retracted his gaze, speaking as if he had realized something. "They were probably randomly transported to other carriages."

Tian Xiaotian didn't quite understand.

"When I entered the Death Train, new passengers would appear every time we passed through a tunnel... I was thinking about the pattern," Ye Chuan explained.

"I think... every time we go through a tunnel, the people inside the carriage might be randomly teleported to other carriages."

"But why didn't that happen the first time I rode it?" Just as Tian Xiaotian finished asking, she realized the problem.

"The first time I cleared this dungeon, I was alone."

"Right, you were alone, so you didn't notice the pattern. You were lucky enough not to bump into other passengers," Ye Chuan said.

"The carriage was always just you. Even if someone had disappeared, you wouldn't have known."

"B-But what is the purpose of this rule?" Tian Xiaotian frowned and began to think.

"Who knows," Ye Chuan remained calm.

"But on this train, we aren't the only passengers, are we?"

"Boss, do you mean..."

"Perhaps there are very dangerous entities appearing as passengers," Ye Chuan said.

"Every time we pass through a tunnel, no one knows if they'll be placed together with some terrifying existence."

"If that's the case..."

"The train only prohibits arguing; it doesn't prohibit killing," Ye Chuan murmured, looking out of the car.

Outside the train at this moment, amidst the fog that shrouded the seemingly endless line of carriages, the windows of several cars were suddenly stained red with splattered blood. Faint screams could be heard, only to be drowned out by the roaring sound of the speeding train...

...