Lights Out

The heavily made-up woman folded her arms across her chest. "I've told you everything I know."

Her words stood in sharp contrast to her expression and posture.

Li Fei gritted his teeth and turned to stare at Xu Huo.

Xu Huo said nothing.

"Brother Li is asking you a question." The melon-seed face woman glared at him irritably.

"Am I obligated to tell you?" Xu Huo tapped the table. "Did you pay for it?"

The melon-seed face woman choked on her words. Li Fei stopped her, realizing his usual tactics would not work here.

"You know what's going on. Can't you tell everyone?" the middle-aged woman said. "Don't be so selfish!"

"Exactly," the Square-Faced Man said. "Since you knew about this before boarding, tell everyone so we all know. The more people survive, the better it is for you too."

No one else in the carriage spoke, but they clearly agreed. The heavily made-up woman said, "I've already said all I can. There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me. Besides, who can say for sure that no one else knows about the Preliminary Train? Why don't you all share what you know too?"

"So you're just going to watch other people die?" The melon-seed face woman said with disgust. "You're so selfish!"

"People who use morality to blackmail others are the disgusting ones." The heavily made-up woman refused to back down. Just as they were about to start arguing, Professor Han stood and loudly interrupted them. "Everyone, stop arguing!"

He looked at the group. "This train is called the Preliminary Train. Evolvers have only appeared in society for less than a month. Even if someone has experienced this before, there isn't much information circulating. It's not strange to know a thing or two."

"What about him?" The middle-aged woman pointed at Xu Huo. "I saw him whispering with people from another carriage just now. Don't let him sell us out!"

Xu Huo ignored her hostility. "Wasn't the note I showed you obvious enough? Even if you buy information from the attendants, the information you get is included in the train's written rules."

"Exactly." Professor Han said, "I believe that following the train's requirements will minimize danger."

"Besides, the Players in this game are humans. Its settings must conform to human ethics and values, so eating people will definitely affect the game rating."

"The food on the train can satisfy hunger. With food available, no one would want to eat people, right?"

"We're only prospective Players now. We may not become official Players until the Preliminary Train ends. The classifications mentioned at the start of the game are probably tied to assets, Abilities, and Evolution levels. Our performance over these three days will determine our future progress in the game. The train's stated requirements, along with the unstated rule against eating people—only by following these rules can we possibly get a high score."

Professor Han paused. "I suggest everyone follow the rules. This game may only be the beginning."

He was a smart man and highly persuasive. No one had a choice about participating in the Players' game; the higher one's starting point, the safer one would be.

"I'll listen to the professor. We don't know what dangers we'll encounter in the game later. If we fall behind from the start, we might lose our lives," the female student said.

The others weighed it silently and reached an agreement.

It was clearly unrealistic to force the heavily made-up woman or Xu Huo to reveal what they knew through violence, and Professor Han's concerns were exactly everyone else's concerns.

Professor Han took out a small notebook he carried with him, folded slips of paper, wrote numbers on them, and had everyone draw lots. "Six people per shift, divided into the first half and second half of the night."

No one objected, and they went up one by one to draw a slip.

"Aren't you going?" Yan Jiayu asked Xu Huo as she stood.

Xu Huo flicked open his Lighter with a snap and reached into his pocket. "You draw. Give me whatever's left after."

Professor Han glanced his way, then looked away when he saw him start puffing smoke again.

In the end, Xu Huo got number five. He was assigned to the first half of the night with Chen Yi and the female student.

The Square-Faced Man, the melon-seed face woman, and the Old Man were another group for the first half of the night. The remaining six took the second half.

"The train has a lights-out time. To be safe, don't use your phones or Lighters after the lights go out. It's best to turn your phones off. Whoever guards the Front Door is responsible for watching the light switch."

Xu Huo's group was guarding the Front Door. He nodded. "No problem."

"But what if there's a Cannibal Player among us?" the heavily made-up woman said. "Wouldn't the darkness make it easier for them to hurt people?"

"Do you think Cannibal Players are idiots?" the melon-seed face woman snapped.

The heavily made-up woman said nothing more, and the matter was settled.

It soon approached eight o'clock. Everyone took turns using the Restroom at the front. After returning, everyone except those on watch went back to their seats.

"Ding-dong!"

"The train will soon turn off its lights. There may be minor turbulence while passing through the Dimension Rift. Please return to your seats and remain calm."

After the announcement repeated three times, the lights in the carriage went out. At the same time, the sky outside visibly darkened, sinking into darkness within just a few minutes.

Xu Huo stood by the light switch and pulled out his folding knife.

There was not a trace of natural light in the darkness on the train. There were no instrument lights inside the carriage, and no starlight or moonlight outside. The entire train raced through pitch-black nothingness.

As time passed, the breathing of the people in the carriage gradually steadied. They were no longer as tense as they had been when the lights first went out. It seemed some people had even fallen asleep.

Xu Huo counted heartbeats to keep track of time. Near midnight, the train suddenly jolted violently, as if it had plunged into a storm. The carriage swayed from side to side for three minutes before finally stopping.

"Is everyone all right?" Professor Han's voice rang out.

"I'm fine... ahhh!!!" The female student's reply abruptly turned into a scream.

Xu Huo frowned and was about to step forward when he suddenly felt a gust of wind brush past the side of his head. He reflexively blocked it. A long, thin rod pierced through the back of his hand and drove his head toward the carriage door!

Xu Huo braced his elbow against the door and kicked the other person's shin. He heard a crack of broken bone, then grabbed his knife and stabbed forward!

Chen Yi let out a scream and staggered back. At the same time, trouble broke out at the Back Door. The Square-Faced Man cried out in pain too. "Someone came in from outside!"

"Don't turn on the lights!" At Professor Han's shout, everyone else in the carriage became alert. For a moment, they did not know whether to block the Front Door or the Back Door. At that very moment, Chen Yi cried out in panic, "Xu Huo attacked me! He's a Cannibal Player!"

Before his words had even faded, he was kicked flying by a tremendous force. He fell among overturned tables and seats, and before he could get up, someone pressed down his head and fed a long, thin knife into his ear!

At the same time, the Back Door slammed shut with a bang. However, chaotic footsteps could still be heard, and it was unclear what had happened.

"Don't use your phones! Stay where you are and don't move. If anyone wanders around, I'll assume they're a Cannibal Player!" Professor Han roared.

The carriage immediately grew much quieter. Xu Huo only rose from beside the window after confirming that Chen Yi had stopped breathing.

"The Front Door is fine. Chen Yi was a Cannibal Player."

After two seconds of silence, the Square-Faced Man finally said, "The Back Door is shut too. Just now..."

"Did anyone die?" Xu Huo interrupted.

"I smell blood," the Old Man said.

Only after everyone answered did they confirm that the person who had died by the Back Door was the melon-seed face woman.

"She's not breathing." The Square-Faced Man felt around and examined her body. "Her neck is broken, and she has wounds on her body."

"Is the Third-Class Seat Player still in our carriage?" He Yang asked.

"I heard someone leave just now," the Square-Faced Man answered quickly.

Those words made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Li Fei then asked Xu Huo, "How do you prove Chen Yi was the Cannibal Player?"

"I... I can prove it." From the corner, the female student said tearfully, "Chen Yi attacked me first just now... I don't know why he changed his mind afterward..."

Xu Huo tilted his head slightly, lost in thought.

"For all we know, the two of you are the Cannibal Players," Li Fei scoffed.

"I believe my student," Professor Han said. "Arguing now brings no benefit and only harm. Since there are no outsiders in the carriage, everyone stay where you are and don't move. We'll discuss everything tomorrow. You don't want us to wipe each other out because of suspicion and paranoia, do you?"

No one spoke, silently accepting his proposal.

Although people had been arranged to stand watch during the latter half of the night, no one dared sleep under these circumstances. Everyone remained at their positions, alert and awake until dawn.

At four in the morning, the train went through another bout of turbulence. At eight, daylight came, and an announcement began playing inside the carriage:

"Ding!"

"Welcome, Players, aboard Preliminary Examination Train 301. This train departs from the Three-dimensional Point, passes through the Dimension Rift, and will arrive at its terminal, Five-dimensional Station, at eight o'clock train time two days from now. There may be turbulence during the journey. Please remain calm."

"The train will classify and rate Players based on their performance during the journey. Please mind your words and actions."

"The train rules will now be played..."

The train rules had not changed; only the time had changed from three days to two.

Daylight suddenly flooded in, and Xu Huo narrowed his eyes as he took a moment to adjust.

"Look outside!" Yan Jiayu cried out.