Endless Train

23:50

The platform at the Starting Station for the [Endless Train].

A sweet electronic voice sounded over the loudspeakers.

[Welcome, one thousand new passengers. The train will soon arrive at the Starting Station.]

[Please follow the numbered markers on the platform floor, stand behind the safety line for Car 17, and form an orderly queue to board.]

Under the platform's bright lights, Zhao Xun easily found the marker labeled 17 on the floor. He hurried over, pulling his suitcase behind him.

Everyone's gaze instinctively lingered on Zhao Xun's suitcase for a moment.

Most people other than Zhao Xun had come empty-handed, making his suitcase particularly conspicuous.

But their attention soon returned to the approaching train, fear and unease written across their faces.

Zhao Xun also gazed into the darkness in the distance. With every second he spent waiting for the train to appear, he could feel his heartbeat quicken a little more.

He knew perfectly well that now he had come this far, there was no turning back.

A year ago, this strange train with [Endless Train] written on its side had suddenly appeared.

No one who boarded it had ever gotten off again. Whether they were alive or dead remained unknown.

Among them were Zhao Xun's parents.

No one knew where the train was headed, nor did anyone know what the people aboard had experienced.

At midnight on the first day of every month, the train would suddenly reappear and return to the Starting Station, then randomly select one thousand new passengers to board.

Willing or not, anyone selected would find themselves compelled to arrive at the platform on time to wait for the train.

The cycle repeated endlessly.

The total number of "new passengers" was fixed at one thousand each month. Aside from being randomly selected by the [Endless Train], people could also volunteer to board.

But very few people were willing to board the train voluntarily.

Zhao Xun was one of those few.

It was precisely because he had volunteered that Zhao Xun had been able to pack his luggage.

Those forced to board had been driven here by some mysterious force, with no chance to pack anything.

Soon, Zhao Xun saw a dark blue, metal-bodied train clattering into the station from the distance. His heart instantly began to race.

He felt an inexplicable excitement, along with anticipation for the unknown.

If he was lucky, he might see his parents, who had been missing for a year. If not, he could still discover the true nature of the [Endless Train].

The bells struck midnight, and the train stopped in front of everyone right on schedule.

Car 17 stood directly before them.

At the same time, the electronic voice sounded again.

[As a token of appreciation for every passenger brave enough to board the Endless Train, each of you will receive a random beginner's gift pack. Good luck to you all.]

A translucent pop-up immediately appeared in front of Zhao Xun.

[Congratulations! Player Zhao Xun has received a beginner's gift pack. (Please click for details.)]

Zhao Xun raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Player"... so there would be "games" on the train?

He shifted his gaze slightly, glancing at the people ahead of him in line.

Everyone was looking up at something directly in front of them, but from his angle, he could not see anything before anyone else.

Apparently, only the intended recipient could see their own pop-up.

Having confirmed that, he selected "Details" without concern.

The text in the pop-up changed to his personal information.

[Player: Zhao Xun]

[Points: 10]

[Ranking: None yet]

[Special ability: Devour lv1 (Upgradeable)]

[Rarity: One of a kind]

[Ability details: After selecting a target, bite down on any item belonging to them for three seconds to obtain their ability.

At the current level, you can only obtain half the power of their ability.

You can possess only one ability at a time. If you devour a second ability, it will overwrite the first.

An acquired ability will not disappear until overwritten by a new ability.

Note: The selected item must have been on the target's person for more than 24 hours. Once an item has been removed from the target for more than one hour, it can no longer be used for "Devour."]

[Special items: None]

Zhao Xun's gaze lingered on the words "one of a kind," and a faint thrill stirred in his heart.

It seemed that everyone could obtain a special ability from their beginner's gift pack.

And his ability offered something of an advantage over those who could only use a single, fixed ability.

The key was that his ability could be upgraded. After an upgrade, both the strength of his acquired abilities and the number he could possess at once might increase.

He might be weaker than the others early on, but his future looked promising!

Right, he would have to keep his head down for now.

Just as Zhao Xun reached that thought, the electronic voice sounded again.

[Please board the train in an orderly manner.]

Then the doors to Car 17 opened, and the one thousand passengers filed inside.

The moment Zhao Xun stepped into the car, he could not help blinking hard twice.

He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

From outside, it had clearly looked like an ordinary train, but once he boarded, the interior bore no resemblance to a train car at all.

There were no seats, no windows, and no luggage racks, only an entirely white space.

The space looked several times larger than it had from outside. Even after all one thousand passengers entered, it did not feel crowded.

[Next, we will hold an entertaining competition.]

[Successfully kill one monster to win.]

[Only victorious passengers will qualify to receive a ticket for the Endless Train and earn the right to truly embark on the journey.]

[Good luck to all passengers.]

As soon as the electronic voice fell silent, grotesquely shaped monsters appeared a short distance away.

Without any orders or direction, the monsters roared in unison and lunged at the passengers.

The one closest to Zhao Xun was a monster with an extremely long neck.

Its body had yet to reach him, but its head was already hurtling toward his face.

Zhao Xun jolted into action, quickly dropping his cumbersome suitcase and dodging aside while glancing around him.

These monsters attacked anyone they saw with extraordinary ferocity.

Some unlucky passengers were pounced on and chewed to shreds before they could even react. Screams rang out one after another as they died without ever getting a chance to use their special abilities.

The passengers who reacted quickly had already begun trying to use their special abilities.

Although it was difficult to control their abilities when they had to use them immediately after receiving their beginner's gift packs, this was their only means of staying alive. No matter how difficult it was, they had to try.

Zhao Xun also reacted quickly and moved with considerable agility. He darted and weaved through the crowd, barely managing to evade the long-necked monster's repeated attacks.

However, his special ability was far too "special." No matter how quickly he reacted, it was difficult to put it to immediate use.

With a monster hunting him right from the start, he could not even keep his head down.

This really was the worst-case scenario.

If he could not "devour" someone else's special ability soon, he would be a sitting duck once his stamina ran out.

I'll listen to reasonable suggestions and make changes where I can.

But I won't accept rude attitudes, especially insults. I absolutely hate those!

I mirror the way people treat me. If you're polite, I'll be polite; if you're friendly, I'll be friendly too; if you snap at me, I'll snap back. If you insult me, I won't insult you back, but I'll definitely delete your comment.

I hope everyone can be peaceful and friendly. Thank you~