Arrival

"I think I should go out," Professor Han said. "We're already short on people, and now we have to spare someone to watch over me..."

"One more person or one less won't make much difference," Xu Huo said. "If the only condition for those Monsters to move is darkness, one person can hold the line. If not, adding a few more won't help."

Professor Han was still worried he might mutate. Wang Xiaohui summoned her courage. "I'll stay with Professor Han."

"You saw my Ability just now. I may have trouble moving, but I can seal off a corner. Even if something happens to Professor Han, you'll have time to react."

The Transfer Carriage wasn't safe, but Professor Han might not mutate. They couldn't send him outside to wait for death just in case.

Xu Huo didn't object. He stood by the window and waited for darkness to fall.

A few minutes later, the light around the train gradually faded. It ran through the darkness for about an hour before suddenly shuddering. This time, the shaking was clearly longer and more violent than it had been on the previous two nights.

Feeling the weight outside the window grow heavier, Xu Huo couldn't help frowning. Before the storm of wind and rain had even passed, a deafening crash came from behind, as if something heavy had landed on the carriage. The whole train seemed to be dragged to a halt for an instant. At the same time, the weight pressing down on the tabletop ebbed away like a tide.

Something had climbed aboard!

Everyone in the carriage held their breath, their attention fixed on the shrill sound of metal twisting behind them. The Transfer Carriage seemed to be coming apart. The rear of the Third-Class Car dipped slightly, then something slammed into the back door. As it creaked, wind slipped through the crack, only to be blocked a moment later. The air in the carriage briefly stilled, then a warm, fishy breeze slowly drifted in from behind...

"Mm..." A faint sob escaped between Liu Jia's fingers.

That small sound was enough to send the heavy thing clinging to the rear door scurrying upward. It crawled along the carriage wall to the roof. A sharp scraping rang out against the window, and then the glass shattered. Amid the patter of dripping water, a powerful gust rushed in through the roof. Something was moving around inside the carriage!

The front and rear doors weren't transparent, so even though the back door had been twisted out of shape by claws, Liu Jia couldn't see what had caught up with the train. But the claw marks were far larger than those of any ordinary beast, and the stench carried on the wind filled her with instinctive dread. She covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

But the thing was still drawn toward her by the faint sound. Hearing the glass break, she panicked and couldn't help opening her eyes—only to see a huge tongue lunge toward her!

Liu Jia was terrified out of her wits!

A hand reached around from behind and clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream!

A shard of glass shot out of the carriage and struck the stone wall beside the train. The tongue, which had almost reached Liu Jia's face, jerked back. A moment later came the sound of stone crumbling, but the speeding train quickly left it behind!

Xu Huo gently pressed Liu Jia's shoulder and gestured for her to be quiet. Whether or not he could see her, Liu Jia covered her mouth with both hands and nodded frantically.

Xu Huo stepped away from her. He had barely returned to his seat when a bright light suddenly flashed at the front of the train. It lasted only an instant, but in the ink-black darkness, it was more conspicuous than a spotlight!

In that instant, the train, which had just steadied, lurched again. The outer shell roared as if a thousand troops were charging across it!

The huge shadow caught up with the train again, sweeping over the Second-Class Car. Faint screams and cries for help were drowned out by roars and tearing sounds. The whole train lurched from side to side as if it were about to fall apart. But just a few minutes later, it settled down again and sped on through the eerie silence...

"Ding-dong!"

"Congratulations, prospective Players! You have completed the Preliminary Train Dungeon and become official Players of the Dimension Rift. Due to staff error, the train encountered a D-class Incident. As an apology, each Player will receive one Ticket free of charge. Please check your inventory."

"Train 301 will arrive at the Station in ten seconds. Players, please prepare to disembark."

"Countdown begins: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

When his vision brightened again, Xu Huo found himself alone in a pure white space. The train and the others had disappeared completely. Firework effects burst around him with a series of pops, and his Personal Panel opened in front of him:

[Congratulations, Player Passerby A! During this journey, you didn't eat any Players. You killed one Cannibal Player and one ordinary Player, becoming an official Black Player. Note: The Preliminary Train does not have Dungeon functions, so you cannot obtain the items belonging to the Players you killed.]

[Your performance during the journey was rated C-class Excellent, and your overall score was the highest among the Players who survived Train 301. You will receive the new Ability "Insider's Perspective," the item "Super Running Shoes," the bonus item "Arsonist's Tool" for completing the Dungeon with a C-class rating, 2,000 White Cash, eight Potions, and a gift package from Yongxing Chef.]

[The following data has been updated]

[Player nickname: Passerby A]

[Player type: Black Player]

[Occupation: Passerby A]

[Note: As someone who is always on the road, he has only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of becoming the protagonist.]

[Player level: E]

[Number: 556688]

[Evolution rate: 7%]

[Assets: 2,000 White Cash]

[Note: A Player who can both earn and spend money deserves a reward, doesn't he?]

[Primary Abilities: ① Tireless Legs; ② Insider's Perspective]

[Note 1: Congratulations on developing a new Ability! Passerby A always seems to pick up information without realizing it, so he's sure to have a pair of exceptionally observant eyes.]

[Items: ① Super Running Shoes (Note: If your speed isn't enough, these shoes will pick up the slack. Work for ten minutes, charge for a whole day. Double-tap the heel to increase your speed by 30%.)

② Arsonist's Tool (Note: It can set people on fire as well as light cigarettes. Open the lighter and say "Burn" to your target to set their clothes alight. This excludes nudists.)]

[Potions: ① 3 bottles of P0 evolution agent (Note: As the lowest-grade evolution agent, it can only slowly improve a Player's physical abilities. Players with an Evolution rate below 10% must take at least one bottle per month. Players can obtain evolution agents by completing games, and of course, they may also be hidden somewhere unexpected. Oh, there's also a P1 version.)

② 2 bottles of E-class self-healing agent (Note: An obsolete product, used only to relieve pain.)

③ 2 bottles of E-class cleaning agent (Note: An effective, long-lasting product for removing traces, and the most common game reward. To make games more difficult, it is even given to Cannibal Players for free as a bonus. No dignity at all.)

④ 1 bottle of D-class hair growth agent (Note: A gentle application will give you the silky hair of your dreams. The middle-aged professor who developed it is willing to give it to any Player at risk of going bald. Note: Growing hair from nothing is difficult, so its effects last only one week.)]

[Gift package: 1 Yongxing Restaurant membership card, 1 10% Off Coupon (Note: A gift from the Chef. Anyone who respects food deserves respect.)]

[Ticket holder: Clown City Station, Hot Spring Mountain Town Station, Garden Castle Station (Note: These are one-way Tickets. You must complete a Dungeon to obtain a Return Ticket.)]

[Reminder: Players must board a train with a Ticket at least once each calendar month. If they fail to enter a game before the deadline, they will be forcibly transported to a Station three hours before the time limit.]

[Countdown to next game: 12 days.]