Zhao Xun

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhao Xun (赵浔)
Alias(es)	A Shui — the name he gives Xiao Ai and Tiantian 19 29
Species/Race	Human 2
Gender	Male 13
Age	Approximately 25; No. 020, a woman around twenty-five, is described as being about his age 11
Height	183 cm 8
Affiliation	Endless Train passengers; operates independently and declines to join the volunteers 10
Occupation/Role	Survival-game player; Passenger No. 014 in Carriage 14 2 42
Special Ability	Devour, a unique, upgradeable ability that copies other beings’ abilities 1 41
Status	Alive during the Princess Thorn game 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “Endless Train” 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Devour lv1	1	Received from his beginner’s gift pack. Copies abilities at half power and permits only one copied ability at a time. Starts with 10 points.
Sharp Teeth acquired	2	Copies a monster’s ability by biting its shoulder; uses it to sever his pursuer’s neck and earn his train ticket.
Strength Enhancement acquired	4	Uses No. 019’s hair to replace Sharp Teeth with half-strength Strength Enhancement.
Eyes of Clairvoyance acquired	5	Bites No. 013’s sleeve, replacing Strength Enhancement; locates the passenger’s concealed ticket.
Strength Enhancement reacquired	5	Uses No. 019’s hair again after disposing of the stolen ticket.
Blade Transformation acquired	14	Uses the dead No. 066’s ticket to replace Strength Enhancement; gains the ability to create one ordinary bladed weapon every two days.
First Storage Slot unlocked	14	Exceeding 50 total points unlocks access to Storage Slots. Pays 5 points for one cubic meter of storage.
Devour lv2	41	Pays 100 points. Newly copied abilities retain 100% of the target’s power, and he can hold two simultaneously. His existing Blade Transformation remains weakened.
Second Storage Slot unlocked	41	Pays 10 points for a second slot, leaving him with 77 points and a points rank of 430 after boarding.
Full-strength Strength Enhancement acquired	42	Uses a hair found on No. 019’s seat. Confirms that the copied enhancement is stronger than his earlier version.

Background / History

Zhao Xun has enjoyed extreme sports since childhood. Years of practice gave him better fitness than most ordinary people, though he considers himself below professionally trained athletes. This experience makes descending a rope from a third-floor window straightforward for him 29.

His parents had been missing for a year when he voluntarily boarded the Endless Train. He hoped to find them or uncover the train’s true nature. Unlike passengers forcibly brought to the platform, he had time to pack a suitcase with supplies 1.

He conceals his voluntary participation, telling both fellow passengers and Wu Wei that he happened to be carrying luggage for a business trip when he was brought to the platform 4 10. After receiving information about his parents’ deaths, he finds the pocket watch his father gave him, vows revenge, and declares that an earlier promise to his parents can now end. The promise’s terms are not specified in the provided passages 45 46.

Appearance

• Build: Tall but not particularly muscular 13.
• Complexion and features: Fair-skinned and handsome; Bald Scorpion Man initially dismisses him as a delicate “pretty boy” 13.
• Distinctive accessory: A bronze-colored ring on his right index finger, concealing a poisoned needle 3 12 13.
• Typical expression: Frequently maintains a polite smile, including while threatening others. No. 015 notices that its nearly unchanging curve looks like a practiced habit 7 10 42.

Personality

Zhao Xun is excited by danger and the unknown rather than simply frightened by them. During the boarding trial, he recognizes that his racing heart comes mostly from excitement. He nevertheless distinguishes calculated risks from reckless ones and prioritizes staying rational enough to complete the games 1 2 47 50.

He is independent, transactional, and distrustful of lasting alliances. He considers cooperation between players fragile because conflicting quests can turn partners into enemies. He accepts temporary partnerships when they benefit him, but refuses to provide information or undertake favors without considering the return and the cost 10 28 40 42.

His friendly manner often masks manipulation or cruelty. He lies readily, exploits Lisa’s attraction to gain entry to the manor, and deliberately cultivates Sculpture’s gratitude to complete his quest. He also takes pleasure in an enemy’s dying struggles and in watching Shen Yalong realize that his lies have failed 20 25 32 35 38.

He remains composed after killing, returning to sleep after the attack by No. 066. Confirmation of his parents’ deaths makes his restless impulses more frequent, but years of practiced restraint keep him from acting blindly 13 47.

Abilities & Skills

Devour

His original special ability copies a target’s ability through an item belonging to that target 1 41.

• Activation: Select a target and bite an eligible item for three seconds 1.
• Eligible material: The item must have been on the target’s person for more than 24 hours. It becomes unusable after being separated from them for more than one hour 1 41.
• Nonhuman targets: Monster skin qualifies, allowing him to copy monster abilities directly 2.
• Persistence: A copied ability remains until overwritten 1 41.
• Level 1 restrictions: One ability at half its original effectiveness; copied abilities cannot be upgraded 1 2.
• Level 2 restrictions: Two abilities at full original effectiveness. Copying a third requires choosing an existing ability to replace 41.
• Practical limitation: Upgrading Devour does not automatically restore previously weakened copies to full strength 41.

Strength Enhancement

Copied from No. 019, this ability raises his physical strength beyond normal human limits 4 8.

• The half-strength version lets him overpower Shen Yalong despite the latter’s six arms 8.
• He uses it to break or dislocate all six of Shen Yalong’s arms before restraining him 8.
• After upgrading Devour, he obtains a stronger, full-effect copy; its precise combat increase has not yet been tested in the provided passages 42.

Eyes of Clairvoyance

Copied from No. 013, this ability allows him to see through objects 5.

• His weakened copy penetrates only to the second layer, rather than through arbitrarily many layers 5.
• He uses it to locate a ticket in an interior clothing pocket and guide his hand during the theft 5.
• It also helps him verify that the discarded ticket has left the train rather than sticking to its exterior 5.

Blade Transformation

Copied from No. 066, this ability produces an ordinary bladed weapon in a form Zhao Xun envisions 14.

• His weakened version creates one weapon every two days, instead of the original ability’s once-per-day rate 14.
• Weapons cannot accumulate: creating a new one makes the previous weapon disappear 14.
• He creates a large, black Reaper’s Scythe for combat 35.
• It cannot create firearms or grant weapons magical attacks or magic resistance 35.

Sharp Teeth

His first copied ability fills his mouth with densely packed, sharp teeth 2.

• Even at half power, it severs the long-necked monster’s neck in three bites 2.
• It is later overwritten by Strength Enhancement 4.

Combat and Physical Skills

• Close-quarters fighting: Dodges strikes, attacks joints, and quickly exploits openings in an opponent’s defense 7 8.
• Danger awareness: Sleeps lightly in unfamiliar surroundings and wakes almost immediately when he senses an ambush 6 12.
• Adaptive attacks: Defeats the worm-transformed veteran by slowly pressing his poisoned needle through its protective mucus after fast attacks slide off 35.
• Athletic mobility: Uses his height, reach, reflexes, and extreme-sports experience to pursue opponents and escape buildings 8 21 29.

Investigation and Deception

• Identifies inconsistencies in Shen Yalong’s explanations by comparing his behavior with the manor’s layout and available food 21.
• Uses false identities, friendly conversation, flattery, and promises to obtain lodging, access, and information 18 19 20 26.
• Copies incriminating documents by hand so destroying the originals will not erase his evidence 31.
• Infers that No. 066’s assassination attempt and his own restrictive mission are linked to the train’s “assistance and encouragement measure” 13 14.
• Notices an unguarded remark suggesting that Cloaked Man is confident he can personally survive a thorn fire 50.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Concealed-needle ring — A manually adjusted ring on his right index finger. Its poisoned needle kills No. 066 and the worm-transforming veteran 12 13 35.
• Reserve poison — A glass bottle used to recoat the ring’s needle after use. The poison is difficult to obtain, limiting how much he prepared 17 36.
• Reaper’s Scythe — A person-height, pitch-black weapon created through Blade Transformation; used to kill Shen Yalong with one slash 35 38.
• Lively Long Rope — Taken from the dead veteran who abducted Ruby. Exceptionally difficult to cut and capable of powerful restraint while within ten meters of its owner 35.
• Scorching Blood — Two drops awarded for completing Nairui Town’s hidden quest. A person who swallows it becomes his closest friend if they bear him no ill will; a hostile recipient instead melts into blood 40.
• Suitcase — Combination-locked luggage containing food, clothing, and other preparations; stored in his first Storage Slot before the platform game 7 14 16.
• Father’s pocket watch — A keepsake that prompts him to confront his parents’ deaths and reaffirm his intention to avenge them 46.
• Phone — Holds his parents’ photograph and provides alarms and timing for his return to the train 40 41 43.

Relationships

• Parents — Their disappearance motivates his voluntary boarding. Learning of their deaths shifts his goal toward identifying and avenging their killer 1 45 46.
• Tiantian — A veteran player and temporary ally. They share stolen evidence; she later offers useful leads about his parents in exchange for a favor, subject to his refusal to harm his own interests 28 30 40 45.
• Whistle — A veteran player and information broker introduced by Tiantian. Zhao Xun accepts a costly deal with him to pursue the truth about his parents 43 45.
• Sculpture / Lulu — A living statue whose gratitude fulfills his main quest. He helps rescue Ruby and secures their departure from Nairui Town 36 37 39 40.
• Ruby — The woman falsely branded a witch. Zhao Xun helps clear her name and rescues her from another player 32 35.
• Shen Yalong — An early attacker whom he defeats, restrains, and later questions for information. Zhao Xun eventually kills him to prevent his town-destruction quest from endangering his own objectives 8 10 21 38.
• Xiao Ai — Provides lodging in Nairui Town. Zhao Xun brings her food and uncovers evidence that the Duke arranged her parents’ deaths 18 31.
• Lisa — Leads him into the Duke’s Manor after he promises kisses; he instead knocks her unconscious and binds her 20 21.
• Wu Wei — Volunteer who recognizes his composure and invites him to cooperate. Zhao Xun declines 10.
• No. 019 — Fellow passenger and source of his copied Strength Enhancement; he obtains it using her shed hair 4 42.
• No. 015 — Exchanges game information with him and accompanies him into Princess Thorn 42 43 47.
• No. 018 / Bald Scorpion Man — Initially underestimates him and considers using him as a lookout. Repeated insults during Princess Thorn provoke a direct warning 13 49 50.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Boarding Trial and First Train Missions

Zhao Xun tests the boarding monsters instead of relying solely on escape. Discovering that Devour works on monsters gives him the weapon he needs to kill his pursuer and secure Carriage 14, Seat 014 2.

His first personal mission requires stealing another passenger’s ticket. He copies No. 013’s vision ability, steals the concealed ticket, and flushes it off the train. He subsequently defeats Shen Yalong’s attempt to take something from his suitcase and survives No. 066’s nighttime assassination attempt despite a mission limiting his eyes-open time to five minutes 5 8 11 13.

Nairui Town

His main quest is to obtain the Sculpture’s Heart. Finding the living statue also triggers a three-stage hidden quest concerning her connection to Ruby 17 23.

Because the hidden quest requires both Ruby and Sculpture to survive, Zhao Xun pursues gratitude rather than forcibly taking the heart. He cooperates with Tiantian to obtain evidence of the Duke’s crimes, helps clear Ruby’s name, and uses Sculpture as a willing distraction to kill Ruby’s abductor 25 28 30 32 35.

After receiving the heart, he discovers that Shen Yalong’s quest could destroy the town before his remaining objectives are complete. He kills Shen and burns the underground chamber to prevent its magic circles from activating. Ruby and Sculpture’s eventual departure completes the hidden quest 37 38 40.

Objective	Outcome
Obtain the Sculpture’s Heart	Completed through Sculpture’s gratitude; earns 50 points for the more difficult method 37.
Complete the three-stage hidden quest	Earns 60 points and Scorching Blood after Ruby and Sculpture leave 40.
Unlock every Nairui Town storyline	Earns a 22-point bonus, equal to 20% of his points for the round 40.

Return to the Train and Search for Answers

Zhao Xun upgrades Devour before reboarding at midnight, avoiding a late assignment of the September 5 personal mission. He then strengthens his copied ability, trades information with No. 015, and meets Whistle through Tiantian 41 42 43.

He completes September 6’s food-acquisition mission by trading biscuits with Tiantian, earning 15 points. His encounter with his father’s pocket watch afterward marks his explicit commitment to revenge 46.

Princess Thorn

Assigned the Knight role, Zhao Xun enters a cooperative game containing opposing Knights and Assassins. He favors voting to settle disputes and proposes rotating the lead position while cutting a single-file path through the thorns 48 49.

He monitors the ground for small creatures, considers how to identify the Assassins and avoid choosing a false Prince, and assesses Cloaked Man’s apparent defensive confidence. When Bald Scorpion Man repeatedly belittles him, Zhao Xun warns that he has only one chance left 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“Sorry, I’m used to working alone.” 10

“If I don’t kill him, I can’t complete my mission. This doesn’t count as killing without cause.” 35

“You have one chance left.” 50