Train rules

Zhao Xun immediately dismissed that possibility.

He remembered how, when the train pulled into the station, the windows of the first few carriages had been completely covered by curtains. He could neither see inside nor hear a sound. They had been so quiet that they seemed utterly deserted.

There were most likely surviving veteran passengers inside. Otherwise, there would have been no need to cover the windows, since the curtains in the rear carriages had been left open.

That meant the new passengers had probably been deliberately assigned to the rear half of the train.

He wondered whether there was a reason for separating the new passengers from the veterans.

Zhao Xun finally found his seat, the middle one in a row of three.

For now, he was the only person in the entire carriage.

He unlocked his suitcase with the combination, took a bottle of mouthwash out of an inner compartment, and rinsed his mouth thoroughly. At last, he completely washed away the foul taste lingering in his mouth.

He felt much more comfortable, and his mood improved considerably.

He locked his suitcase again and placed it on the overhead luggage rack before sitting down and turning to look out the window.

Outside the window was pitch-black. There wasn't a trace of light, and he couldn't see anything.

All he could see in the glass was Zhao Xun's own reflection.

It was as though the train had entered a long, dark tunnel and never emerged.

As he understood it, they must have entered some Hyperspatial Tunnel.

That would also explain why the outside world had never managed to trace the route of the [Endless Train]. It wasn't even in the same space-time.

Despite realizing this, Zhao Xun didn't panic. He leaned back against the soft seat, looking perfectly at ease.

The train wasn't moving fast, and the ride was very smooth.

Yet the quiet atmosphere offered no reassurance. Instead, it gave the sense that danger lurked in the darkness.

Zhao Xun absentmindedly touched the bronze-colored ring on his right index finger.

Based on what he knew so far, obtaining a ticket had officially made him a passenger on the Endless Train-and therefore a "player."

He just didn't know what sort of "games" lay ahead.

Over the course of a year, so many people had boarded the Endless Train, yet not a single one had gotten off.

The games... should be pretty exciting, right?

He was rather looking forward to them.

An hour later, the carriage had gradually filled with people.

The electronic voice finally sounded again.

[Congratulations to the 930 new passengers on officially becoming part of the Endless Train.]

Zhao Xun understood.

The low death toll confirmed his earlier guess about the competition's purpose. It wasn't meant to kill the players, only to weed out those who were too weak or incapable.

[Greetings, passengers. The train is heading toward an unknown destination. Please hold on to your tickets and your lives, and enjoy this wonderful journey!]

[The train rules will now be announced.]

Hearing this, Zhao Xun unhurriedly took out his phone and pressed the record button.

His phone had lost its signal after he boarded, leaving him unable to contact anyone. But as long as it had power, it could still serve as a notepad and voice recorder.

[One: aboard the Endless Train, each passenger will randomly receive a Personal Mission every day. Refusing a mission results in immediate death. Failing a mission incurs a penalty. Completing a mission earns points.]

[Two: points can be used to upgrade special abilities or exchanged for food, water, bathing packages, and more.]

[Three: carriage 18 is the bathing carriage. No one may enter except passengers using a washing package.]

[Four: the train will stop at multiple platforms. Passengers may freely choose which platforms to disembark at according to their preferences. Passengers must disembark at least three times per month.]

[Five: passengers who disembark must return to the train before its scheduled stop ends.]

[Six: every station except the departure station has a platform game. Completing the game's tasks earns points.]

[Seven: after midnight and before dawn, do not move about unnecessarily, and under no circumstances make loud noises.]

[Eight: fighting and verbal altercations are prohibited in the dining carriage.]

[Nine: anyone who loses their ticket will be considered a fare evader and dealt with according to the fare evasion rules.]

[Ten: every night at midnight, all passengers' rankings will be updated based on their points. The lowest-ranked passenger will receive assistance and encouragement measures.]

[The train rules must never be violated. Remember this.]

Zhao Xun raised one eyebrow slightly.

These ten train rules seemed detailed, but they actually contained quite a bit of hidden information that remained to be uncovered.

Most obviously, neither the "fare evasion rules" nor the "assistance and encouragement measures" had been explained.

And there was more...

Before Zhao Xun could think any further, the electronic voice spoke again.

[The current date and time is September 1, 3033, at 1:44 a.m. The train will arrive at its first station at 6 p.m. on September 2. Passengers who wish to disembark should prepare in advance.]

As soon as the electronic announcement ended, a pop-up appeared in front of Zhao Xun.

[Player Zhao Xun's Personal Mission for September 1: steal the ticket of a randomly chosen passenger and ensure that the passenger cannot recover it when the attendant checks tickets.]

Interest gleamed in Zhao Xun's eyes.

Giving him a Personal Mission targeting another passenger right off the bat certainly left players no chance to relax.

Zhao Xun rubbed the bronze-colored ring on his right index finger as he thought.

Clearly, his task had an unstated time limit. He had to complete it before the attendant checked tickets.

That raised a question: where was the attendant, and when would the ticket inspection begin?

Without knowing those things, he could only complete the task as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

So he had better choose his target right now.

Most passengers weren't carrying suitcases or backpacks, leaving them precious few places to hide anything.

Besides, with something as important as a ticket, keeping it on their person would feel safer.

That left pockets in their clothes and trousers, or their shoes and socks.

But this presented a problem-no one would take out something hidden on their person for no reason. He would have to search them and seize it by force.

His target had to be thin and small, someone he could easily overpower. That would let him snatch the ticket as quickly as possible while attracting less attention from the other passengers.

Without knowing what Personal Missions the other passengers had received, the less commotion he caused, the less likely he was to run into unforeseen complications.

Zhao Xun looked up and quietly studied the passengers around him.

Under the circumstances, targeting someone nearby would be easier.

Passing over nearby targets to seek one farther away would only make the task harder.

No. 013 on his left was a tall, thin man in his thirties, while No. 015 by the window on his right was a somewhat overweight Short-Haired Woman.

He was strong enough to overpower either of them, but doing so effortlessly would be difficult.

Neither was a suitable choice.

Zhao Xun shifted his gaze slightly toward No. 018, No. 019, and No. 020, who sat facing him across a table.

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(P.S. The train rules are just ordinary rules, not rules-based horror.)