Welcome to the Apocalypse

After a moment, the Blood Hound shook its head and staggered to its feet. Its entire lower jaw had been beaten to a bloody mess, but it looked even more savage and terrifying.

"Kh... kh... Grr!"

The pain had driven away what little animal instinct it had left. Its hysterical howls made everyone's hearts tremble.

It charged madly toward the train.

Bang!

Su Huan glanced at the dent in the outer wall of the carriage, the corner of his mouth twitching.

That was three-millimeter-thick steel!

The noise drew Yu Jing and her daughter over from the front carriage.

"Yu Jing, go get the sniper crossbow from my room."

Su Huan glanced at her as he spoke.

Bang, bang—crack!

The next moment, the tempered glass in front of them shattered into countless tiny fragments, clinging precariously to the window frame.

The metal window frame buckled violently.

Everyone inside the carriage went pale.

Even Su Huan, hardened by years of surviving the apocalypse, was startled by the sight.

Bang!

The tempered glass burst into fragments that scattered across the floor.

The carriage shuddered violently, too.

Canine Evolutionary Beasts had greater stamina than their feline counterparts, but they were less agile. They couldn't contract their bones as nimbly as cats or slip quickly into narrow spaces.

Besides, the train window was too narrow for the Blood Hound's massive body.

It struggled for a long time without managing to climb inside. Its jaws gaped as it howled wildly, drool streaming from its mouth.

Several passengers ran to Carriage Seven and locked the door between the cars.

Liang Kuan raised his axe and was about to go forward when Su Huan called out from behind him.

"Don't go near it. Everyone, fall back with me!"

Su Huan spoke calmly.

The group retreated to the fifth carriage.

Standing inside it, Su Huan said in a low voice, "Don't close the door until I tell you to. We'll only get one chance."

Liang Kuan dropped his axe. Keeping his eyes on the Blood Hound as it struggled to squeeze inside, he nodded and gripped the door handles with both hands.

Yu Jing finally arrived behind them, carrying a sniper crossbow nearly as large as a rifle.

Seeing it, Su Huan felt a little more at ease.

The Sniper Leica Crossbow had an effective range of 160 to 180 meters and could even pierce an elephant's skull.

It might not be much use against Evolutionary Beasts in the later stages of the apocalypse, but it was more than enough for a Blood Hound in the early stages. Its only drawback was that it could hold just one bolt at a time.

Bang—

The Blood Hound finally broke free of the window frame and fell into the corridor.

It looked battered, blood dripping from its mouth onto the carpet and spreading into crimson stains. Its bloodthirsty, frenzied gaze fixed on Su Huan and the others at the far end of the corridor.

"Get ready."

Su Huan's gaze was ice-cold. He knelt on one knee, braced the crossbow against his right shoulder, and let sweat run over his eyelid.

The Blood Hound howled wildly, pushed off with its hind legs, and lunged at them!

"Now!"

Su Huan pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bolt shot out and struck the Blood Hound squarely in the forehead.

"Close the door!"

Liang Kuan, already prepared, yanked the inter-carriage door shut with all his strength.

Boom—

The tremendous crash drowned out the sound of the bolt sinking into flesh.

The Blood Hound's massive body slammed into the door. In an instant, the glass shattered and the door twisted out of shape. Blood mixed with glass shards sprayed backward.

Crash!

Su Huan raised an arm to shield his face and fell backward.

The noise subsided for a moment, replaced by the Blood Hound's pained snarls. The next instant, half the door was smashed through, and Liang Kuan, who had been bracing it from the side, was knocked flying.

"Damn it!"

Su Huan cursed inwardly.

These Evolutionary Beasts were incredibly tenacious. Even after suffering a fatal wound, they could keep struggling for a while.

He scrambled to his feet and loaded another bolt into the crossbow.

The boy in the wheelchair stared at Su Huan, who was covered in dog's blood but still standing at the front, fighting back with everything he had. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Because of his disability, he had encountered plenty of rotten people, but none of that compared to what he had seen in the few days since the apocalypse began.

Fear, greed, desire, rage...

Yet Su Huan had something different about him.

Qi Xiaoba raised one hand.

The twisted metal frames smashed by the Blood Hound came to life like snakes. With a metallic creaking, they wrapped around the dying beast.

"I can't hold it for long. You..." Qi Xiaoba said with effort.

But Su Huan didn't even turn around. He pressed the crossbow directly against the hole in the Blood Hound's head and pulled the trigger viciously.

Bang!

A cloud of blood burst into the air. The Blood Hound's head snapped backward, and the metal bolt flew out, lodging in the carriage wall.

Its flesh twitched all over before it went limp in the metal coils.

Qi Xiaoba stood there, stunned. For some reason, he had the strange feeling that the two of them had worked together countless times. They hadn't needed to say a word, yet they had understood each other perfectly.

"Whew..."

Su Huan let out a long breath. In just that brief moment, sweat had soaked through his clothes.

He slumped to the floor and gave Qi Xiaoba, still sitting in his wheelchair, an appreciative look. "Su Huan."

Qi Xiaoba blinked, then said shyly, "Qi Xiaoba."

Su Huan flashed him an exaggerated grin. "Welcome to the apocalypse, Xiao Ba."

Liang Kuan finally managed to get back to his feet, a trace of lingering fear on his face. "What the hell was that? It's fiercer than a black bear."

"A Blood Hound. It evolved from an ordinary stray dog. It's way more dangerous than a black bear. That crossbow can pierce an elephant's skull, and it hit the beast right in the forehead, yet it still struggled for that long."

Su Huan narrowed his eyes, his smile fading.

That close call had genuinely shaken him. He'd thought that, as an Evolutionist, he'd be invincible in the early days of the apocalypse.

He hadn't expected to nearly get caught off guard.

An "Energy Provider" was still far too helpless against Evolutionary Beasts in the early stages.

The Armed Train plan would have to be accelerated.

Composing himself, Su Huan stood and said, "Check yourselves for wounds. At this stage, the chance of turning has dropped considerably, but the incubation period has gotten longer."

"Evolutionists are the exception, of course."

Su Huan directed his final remark at Qi Xiaoba.

Qi Xiaoba's eyes suddenly lit up. "Why?"

"Because Evolutionists have already completed their evolution. They've passed the stage where they could turn."

Yu Jing looked thoughtful.

"Then is there any way to become an Evolutionist?" Qi Xiaoba immediately asked.

Su Huan glanced at him suspiciously, then looked at the tense-faced woman behind him and narrowed his eyes. "How long ago were you infected?"

The woman opened her mouth, hesitating.

"About an hour," Qi Xiaoba answered quickly.

"Good. There's still a chance. All of you, go wait in the dining car. Xiao Ba, patch the hole in Carriage Six first."

Su Huan gave his instructions.

Qi Xiaoba turned and reassured her. "Xingzi, go on ahead."

After the others had left, the hope in Xiao Ba's eyes faded. He said seriously, "If Xingzi survives, I'll owe you my life."

"As expected of Master Ba. Straight to the point!"

The corner of Su Huan's mouth lifted.

But his face remained calm as he said, "I never said there was a hundred percent chance. I only said it was possible."