Remember to Keep Your Promise

To Zhao Xun, this was obvious.

In a Platform Game, there were probably very few things players could bring onto the train besides items earned by completing tasks.

He could be certain of that without trying it himself.

"What is it?" No. 015 had been watching Zhao Xun's expression. When his eyebrows suddenly rose, she immediately asked, "Was any of the information wrong?"

"No." Zhao Xun shook his head. "Everything they told you was true."

No. 015 looked at Zhao Xun dubiously, unsure whether to believe him.

But Zhao Xun had no intention of explaining in detail.

Whether No. 015 believed him was her business. He had no obligation to convince her.

Seeing that Zhao Xun showed little reaction and had no intention of explaining anything, No. 015 could only continue.

Everything that followed was a summary of the game in [Nairui Town]. Unless new players had a chance to enter the same game, the information would be of limited use.

Zhao Xun listened patiently.

He had suggested that No. 015 ask the Volunteers for information not simply to help her, but to find out how much of what they knew the Volunteers would reveal.

He figured the Volunteers would offer some information to other new players, but he did not believe they would tell them everything.

After all, some of the new players might be potential enemies with malicious intentions. Anyone with half a brain would not be foolish enough to reveal everything.

As Zhao Xun had expected, the Volunteers had shared some useful information, but most of it was basic.

It could give new players a vague idea of what a Platform Game was like, but it was nowhere near enough to improve their chances of survival.

By the time No. 015 finished, her mouth felt dry. She licked her lips but still resisted the urge to buy some water.

Water cost points too. Unless she was unbearably thirsty, she could not bear to spend them on a drink.

No. 015 looked at Zhao Xun expectantly.

As she had hoped, Zhao Xun spoke. "If you fail to complete the main quest in a game, you'll be trapped in it forever."

No. 015's mouth fell open in surprise. She pressed him. "Even if you don't die while doing the quest, you'll still be trapped if you haven't completed it before the game ends? You don't just get punished and then return to the Endless Train?"

She hardly ever played games and rarely read novels, so she knew nothing about this sort of thing. Hearing it for the first time genuinely surprised her.

"No." Zhao Xun had expected this reaction from No. 015. He added, "If I'm right, you probably become one of the NPCs in the game."

In any case, he had given No. 015 a piece of information that was completely new to her.

She could hardly claim he had failed to keep his promise.

If No. 015 had any sense, she would realize that the useful part of this information was not the added pressure to clear the game. Rather, if she wanted to deal with an enemy stronger than herself inside a game, she could take an indirect approach and sabotage their quest objective to achieve her goal.

Of course, whether No. 015 would realize this was not something Zhao Xun needed to concern himself with.

"How did you find that out?" No. 015 could not help asking. "Did some NPC in the game tell you?"

"I'm only responsible for telling you something the Volunteers didn't mention, not for answering your questions." Zhao Xun stood up with a smile. "Remember to keep your promise."

He took two steps forward, then suddenly turned back and said to No. 015, "Oh, right. I'll be getting off for the next Platform Game too."

With that, he left.

No. 015 turned to stare at his retreating figure in shock. She wanted to curse at him, but she was also a little speechless.

He had just been through a game, yet he was going into another so soon. Was he really unafraid of dying, or...

In a sudden flash of insight, something occurred to No. 015.

Could the earlier games be easier? Was that why he wanted to use the first few games to get through the three games the train rules required them to participate in within a month?

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. No. 015 perked up and actually became eager to participate in a Platform Game.

If the later games were harder, their death rates would surely be higher too. Naturally, the sooner she participated in a Platform Game, the better.

With that in mind, No. 015 immediately stood up and went to find a train attendant's trolley to buy food, mentally working out what she needed to prepare along the way.

Since she had decided to participate in the next Platform Game, she needed to eat and drink her fill and get herself into the best condition she could.

Zhao Xun went to the restroom, then returned to his seat to catch up on sleep.

He had gone two days and two nights without sleep in the game. Now he had to seize every moment to rest and recover his energy.

Only then could he face the next game in reasonably good shape.

At eleven twenty that morning, Zhao Xun woke to the insistent ringing of his phone alarm.

He stood up and stretched. Once he felt fully awake, he headed unhurriedly toward the regular dining car.

By the time he arrived, Tiantian was already there, seated at one of the tables with a man beside her.

The man looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He had ordinary features and a slim build, but his short pinkish-purple hair was striking.

Tiantian spotted Zhao Xun immediately and waved with a bright smile.

The pinkish-purple-haired man followed her gaze, then waved enthusiastically at Zhao Xun as well.

Zhao Xun gave a slight nod, walked over, and sat down opposite them.

"Let me introduce you," Tiantian volunteered, addressing Zhao Xun. "This is the person I said I wanted you to meet. His name is Whistle, as in whistling."

Whistle chuckled and held out a hand to Zhao Xun. "Hi, hi! Tiantian's told me about you. You're A Shui, right?"

Zhao Xun nodded politely at Whistle. "Hello."

They all understood without saying it, and no one brought up the false names.

To put it plainly, they barely knew one another and did not trust each other enough to exchange their real names.

Zhao Xun did not shake Whistle's hand, but Whistle was not offended. He withdrew it and looked at Tiantian with fascination. "You were right. He really doesn't like physical contact."

Then he studied Zhao Xun curiously and asked, "Tiantian said this isn't germophobia, so what is it? Some kind of psychological issue caused by something in your childhood?"

"Whistle, stop asking pointless questions." Tiantian gave Whistle a reproachful look. "That's a secret between him and me."

"Ooh, how long have you two even known each other? You already have little secrets?" Whistle teased Tiantian.

Zhao Xun's expression did not change, and he paid no mind to what Tiantian and Whistle said. Staring at Whistle's striking pinkish-purple hair, he asked, "How long have you been on the train? You didn't dye your hair after boarding, did you?"