Director Liang had clearly overestimated his fighting ability. How could a lecherous man in his fifties kick open a heavy security door? But he calmed down and stopped kicking. If the noise attracted a monster, he would only have himself to blame.
His eyes darted about, and he called through the door in a sinister voice.
"It's all right, Teacher Chen. I happen to have some canned meat left. As a show of good faith, I'll leave it outside your door. It'll be dark soon anyway. You can open up and eat it yourself, or... let those monsters eat it."
"Maybe after you die tonight, I'll even find your body while it's still warm and... urgh!"
Before he could finish his threat, a muffled chop rang out beyond the door.
Liang Wei, who had been spewing filth moments ago, fell silent.
Thud.
Someone had fallen to the corridor floor.
Startled, Chen Sixuan crept toward the peephole again. When she pressed her eye to it and saw what was outside, her pupils contracted.
A vaguely familiar young man stood beyond the door, pulling a blade from Liang Wei's head.
Lin Xian!
He had split Director Liang's skull open with a single slash!
Chen Sixuan drew a sharp breath. Before she could collect herself, a voice came from outside.
"Teacher Chen, if you're still alive, I suggest we don't waste time."
Lin Xian's voice sent a shiver down Chen Sixuan's spine.
He came. He came to take me away!
Her face visibly brightened. Seeing Liang Wei dead gave her a rush of relief. Finding courage from somewhere, she opened the door without hesitation.
"Student Lin..."
She called to him instinctively, then glanced at the short blade dripping with blood in his hand and took two steps back. She could not tell whether she felt more joy or fear.
Her gaze fell on Liang Wei. The slash had nearly cleaved down to the space between his brows. He lay sprawled on the floor, eyes wide, red and white matter spilling from the wound. It was a gruesome death.
"Urgh..."
Chen Sixuan finally lost control. Clutching her stomach, she retched.
But she had not eaten in two days. Her stomach was empty, and she brought up nothing but gastric fluid.
Lin Xian looked at the haggard woman before him. She was nothing like the energetic Teacher Chen he remembered, who had carried herself with such confidence even in class. He could not help feeling a pang of sorrow.
Today, Chen Sixuan wore jeans, a sweatshirt, and a light windbreaker.
Perhaps she had thought they were suitable clothes for fleeing.
"That bastard was no better than an animal. Don't feel guilty about him. Have you packed?" Lin Xian's gaze swept over the rows of high heels on the shoe rack before settling on Chen Sixuan's feet. She was not even wearing shoes.
"Yes... I'm ready!"
Chen Sixuan fought down the turmoil in her stomach and quickly pulled herself together. She did not want Lin Xian to think she would hold him back. Bending to put on her shoes, she averted her eyes from Liang Wei's corpse.
Lin Xian wasted no words. He went inside, searched around, and found a cardboard box. He tossed Chen Sixuan's coffee maker, juicer, and several other small appliances from the kitchen into it, then handed it to her.
"Carry this."
"Huh? What do you need these for?" Chen Sixuan took the box. Nervous and curious, she could not understand why he wanted them.
But Lin Xian was her savior now. When he did not answer, she swallowed her question and obediently followed him with the box in her arms.
All of Chen Sixuan's luggage fit in one small travel bag.
Apart from a few changes of clothes, it held little of importance.
There was also a box of condoms.
Though she had never had sex, she was a highly educated woman with an open mind. Since reaching adulthood, she had made a habit of protecting herself.
Now that the world was ending, getting pregnant in these circumstances would be like descending into hell.
Whatever lay ahead, this was the last precaution she could take for herself.
Beyond that, she had no food or water left.
Unit 1203 upstairs was Director Liang's home. The door was locked, but Chen Sixuan did not know what Lin Xian did. He simply placed his hand on it for a moment, and it opened.
Liang Wei had said he had plenty of food and water at home. With Lin Xian preparing to flee, there was no way he would pass up the chance to scavenge it.
But the moment the door opened, a foul stench rolled out. Chen Sixuan peered past Lin Xian and nearly blacked out, her stomach lurching.
"Urgh..."
She was not the only one. Lin Xian's face went pale, and his brows drew together.
There was no food or water in Liang Wei's apartment. Blood and filth covered the place, and half of a butchered corpse lay in the kitchen. At a glance, it appeared to be a middle-aged woman.
It was not hard to guess that the unfortunate woman had been the mistress of the apartment—Director Liang's wife.
"I owe animals an apology. Calling him an animal was an insult to them." Lin Xian's eyes turned cold. "Come on. Stay close and make as little noise as possible." Realizing there was nothing useful to search for, he turned and left.
"Okay!" Chen Sixuan's face was ashen. She was terrified.
"There are a lot of dead people outside. Don't scream."
"Okay!"
"Watch your step at all times. Don't fall."
"Okay!"
After witnessing that atrocity, Chen Sixuan behaved like an obedient student, taking every word Lin Xian said to heart.
Her intuition told her that following him was the right choice.
Slash!
On the platform, Lin Xian split open the heads of several Zombies as he led Chen Sixuan down the narrow path beside it.
Chen Sixuan's face was deathly pale. She fought back nausea as she followed him.
She had not expected the world outside to have become such a nightmare. It was hell on earth.
The scene in Director Liang's home would surely haunt her for the rest of her life.
In the dark tunnel, only their breathing and footsteps could be heard.
Before long, dim track lights revealed the silhouette of a massive train. Chen Sixuan's mouth fell slightly open in surprise. When Lin Xian approached it, the heavy train suddenly started up. Its headlights blazed, flooding her with light.
"Don't just stand there. Get aboard."
"Okay."
Lin Xian took the appliances from her, then grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the train.
They entered the driver's cab and shut the heavy iron door behind them.
The lights inside were bright. Surrounded by steel walls, Chen Sixuan felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of safety.
"Student Lin... you really know how to drive a train?"
"Did you think I pushed this thing here?"
Lin Xian smiled faintly. With the door closed, he relaxed a little.
He placed his hand on the floor and used Mechanical Heart to switch off the train's headlights. Then he led her to Carriage 1, found a bag of bread and a bottle of water among the supplies, and tossed them to her.
"You look like you haven't eaten in days. Go on."
Chen Sixuan caught them, her eyes reddening. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks. She bit her lower lip, struggling to hold herself together on the Edge of Collapse, and said in a trembling voice,
"Th-thank you..."
She was starving. Without even taking off her backpack, she tore open the bread and began eating in great mouthfuls, tears still streaming down her face.
Lin Xian sat across from her, recovering his strength as he watched her.
Seeing a familiar face comforted him, too.
In this apocalyptic world, where death could come at any moment, no one was immune to the gnawing fear of death and loneliness. He was no exception.
Humans were social creatures. With the internet gone as well, the isolation was unbearable.
Running the Infinite, including using the Wind Cannon skill, drained a great deal of his energy.
It was hard to describe, but whenever he used that power, it put a strain on his body.
"Chen Si..." Lin Xian paused. "Forget it. I'll keep calling you Teacher Chen."
As Chen Sixuan ate her bread, Lin Xian began laying down the ground rules.
"First, you should know I'm an Esper. No one but me can drive this train. If I die, you die too. I brought you aboard, so from today on, we're allies. Teammates. You have to trust me completely and follow my instructions. Otherwise, things will end badly for you."
Chen Sixuan swallowed a mouthful of bread and looked at him with red-rimmed eyes. She nodded firmly.
"I understand. From today on, I'll do whatever you say."
Lin Xian nodded. "You don't need to know what my ability is. This train is our fortress. It's sturdy, but it might not stop those monsters. And there'll certainly be bad people who want our supplies. When people are desperate, they can be more frightening than devils."
"So I'll often need you to help me solve problems and search for supplies. I'll also need you to guide us and guard the door."
"Mm." Perhaps because she had eaten something, Chen Sixuan was gradually regaining her strength.
"One more thing, Teacher Chen." Lin Xian slowly rose and looked at her seriously. "You'd better prepare yourself. I'm going to sleep with you."
Chen Sixuan visibly trembled and gripped the bread in her hand. Sitting on the floor, she let her disheveled hair hide the panic in her eyes.
Hearing Lin Xian, her former student, say that to her so bluntly still shook her.
She lowered her head and gave a quiet "Mm" in reply.
Then she went on eating her bread, her heart pounding wildly.
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