The Train Departed
"Dear passengers, K7 Train from Tianlin City to Kekelin City is now departing. The train may experience some jolting as it starts moving. Please hold on tight and remain seated until the train is stable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause..."
A soft, announcer-like female voice came from the train's radio, and at the same time, a series of vibrations emanated from the train. Feng Xue lay half-reclined on the upper bunk, watching the scenery outside the window gradually begin to move, slightly lost in thought. Although this strange Weird Tale seemed simple, he instinctively felt that things were not so straightforward.
The assessment for the 114th floor takes a full year, and the assessment location is the infamous Backrooms. However, the journey on this train only takes seven days. Considering that the difficulty of the assessment for the floor masters should be roughly the same, does this mean that living on this train for seven days is equivalent to living in the Backrooms for a year?
However, the difficulty of connecting these eleven rules is far less than the difficulty of the Backrooms described by Kukulkan.
"So, as the journey continues, there will be more and more supplementary clauses?"
As I pondered, the train slowly pulled out of the station, and a ray of morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window, its faint warmth insufficient to dispel the winter chill.
As Feng Xue gazed at the modern city outside the car window, the vibrations in the carriage gradually subsided. The steel jungle outside the window sped past, and soon, only the deep green of evergreen trees remained in her field of vision.
"The speed is wrong. According to the travel guide, Tianlin City is the capital of this country, and the central station shouldn't be heading into the wilderness so quickly."
Seeing the changing scenery outside the window, Feng Xue immediately became alert. He released his senses and opened his Circle Realm. His subtle power even penetrated the roof of the car, but in that instant, his senses were erased.
"The senses that could be felt outside the window have disappeared, meaning the scope of exploration is limited to inside the vehicle?" Feng Xue was curious about what would have happened if he hadn't bought a ticket and had instead tried to force Martial Force way onto the vehicle. However, considering the power that could easily erase his highly condensed senses in an instant, he gave up the idea of exploring.
Just as Feng Xue was lost in thought, the car radio started playing again:
"Dear passengers, this train is about to enter Tianlin Wetland Park. Please ensure your windows are closed at all times. The area we are passing through is not within the park's sightseeing area and there will be no other passengers there. If you see anyone, it is likely a visual illusion caused by the train's rapid passage and a combination of visual persistence and Illusory Perception. Please do not pay attention to them or interact with them. If you notice anything unusual about your companion, please press the button to notify the crew immediately. In addition, this train is equipped with Train Police; please seek help immediately if you encounter any danger."
"This broadcast is quite Weird Tale." Feng Xue pulled out her pen and quickly wrote down the entire broadcast word for word before analyzing its meaning.
The Weird Tale rules should be interpreted in reverse. If they say there's no one outside the car, then there is someone outside. If they say it's an illusion, then it means it's real.
Then, the problem is...
His gaze swept along the edge of the bed, passing over the two passengers sitting on the lower bunk opposite him. He also used Circle Realm senses to constantly monitor the situation on his lower bunk, gradually becoming more vigilant.
The saying goes, "It's not the god-like opponents you should fear, but the pig-like teammates."
But what's even more terrifying than a bad teammate is an undercover agent.
At least with a bad teammate, you can just tell them what not to do, but with an undercover agent, even if you tell them a thousand times, they'll still retaliate ruthlessly at the crucial moment.
Logically, the best option at this point would be to knock these three people unconscious or even kill them. However, the supplementary rules mention the Train Police, meaning that if he makes the slightest move, there is a high probability that the Train Police will happen to be outside the door.
"You can't open the windows or smoke. You also need to be alert to other passengers opening their windows or smoking. Also, the flight attendants are on rest at night, so if someone smokes at this time, it will be impossible to notify the flight attendants."
Thanks again to all the Weird Tale rules I read in my past life. Feng Xue released an invisible and colorless Gu Poison Body, stretched it out, and stuck it to the gap in the car window. On one hand, it acted as an adhesive, and on the other hand, it served as an immediate warning.
But in that very instant, his brow furrowed, for something seemed to flash through his vision...
A beautiful woman?
"Is this the hallucination caused by Illusory Perception mentioned on the radio?" Feng Xue concentrated and looked out the car window into the distance.
If we disregard the Weird Tale elements, the scenery outside the car window is indeed quite remarkable. Although it is winter, the lake water still retains a vibrant green hue, perhaps due to the climate. Indistinct aquatic plants float on the water, and although they are not in bloom, they still give a sense of vitality.
The trees along the lake shore are mostly pines and cypresses, still displaying a deep green color. Combined with the pine needles covering the ground, it doesn't feel like winter, but rather like the vibrant life of early spring.
Then, amidst this picturesque scenery, the figure reappeared.
This time, however, it seemed to be upside down in the water, disappearing in a flash as the water rippled.
"Ah--"
A gasp suddenly rang out in the carriage. Feng Xue immediately frowned, and then heard the person in the lower bunk say:
"I think I just saw a figure!"
"Didn't the announcement just say that it was a visual residual effect caused by the train passing by? It's like if you look at something white for a long time and then suddenly turn your head, you'll still see a white shadow in your eyes."
Another passenger offered words of comfort, but Feng Xue shifted her position and silently watched the scene unfold.
The mechanism behind the figure outside the window's behavior is still unclear. According to the rules, as long as you don't interact with her, there won't be a problem. But these clueless teammates obviously don't think that way. So we need to consider whether the other party is possessing, replacing, or simply barging in.
Slightly yawning, Feng Xue was about to continue observing the Ghostly Shadow's movements when the emerald green lake had already disappeared from her sight.
The wetland park doesn't seem to be very large; it only took a few minutes to cross it.
"A show of force at the start? Is it a roadside enemy meant to alert players? Or... is that thing already on board?"
Feng Xue watched as the scenery in her field of vision turned from green to withered yellow and grayish brown. The withered branches, stretching out wildly like ghostly hands, gave off an unsettling feeling.
"Hey buddy on the top bunk, it must be so uncomfortable to be cooped up like this so early in the morning, come down and sit for a bit!"
A voice with a certain air of arrogance came from the lower bunk. Upon hearing this, Feng Xue's lips curled up slightly. After a quick weighing of the pros and cons in her mind, she immediately replied:
"They've arrived."
Having said that, he climbed down from the upper bunk, sat down next to the busty woman on the lower bunk, and said with a smile:
"There are still seven days left, so it's good for everyone to get to know each other."
"That makes sense. My name is Lin Jiaxin, and I'm a local from Tianlin." The busty girl on the lower bunk... well, judging from her name, she must be a real girl, introduced herself boldly. The other two passengers also introduced themselves.
Upon hearing this, Feng Xue's smile grew even brighter. He pulled out a box of business cards from his pocket, took out three, and handed them over.
"My name is Feng Xue, and I'm also from Tianlin. This is my business card..."