Chapter 3 Charon Train (1) Xia Ying carefully climbed the steps...

Xia Ying carefully climbed the steps and stepped into the carriage. The door closed behind her, the Charon restarted, and the black river water on both sides of the window began to recede rapidly.

The interior of this carriage is more spacious than you can imagine, and the corridor is so long you can't see the end.

The carriage floor was covered with a deep red velvet carpet, and the walls were decorated with wooden carvings and tassel embroidery. Brass lamps emitted a soft glow from their ivory lamp holders.

In addition to the regular seats by the window, the central area even features a sofa with a view and a grand piano, making it practically a luxurious banquet hall.

But for some reason, the carriage was quite empty. Xia Ying looked around and only saw a man wearing a black cloak by the window, whose face she couldn't make out.

Thinking that "it would be awkward if we didn't greet each other in the carriage," Xia Ying walked to the seat opposite the man and sat down quietly. But before she could say anything, he suddenly looked up as if he had been startled.

The cloak hood slipped off, revealing strands of silver hair, and the other person looked at Xia Ying with surprise in their icy blue eyes.

He blinked, as lightly as the shimmering light of a lake, and then involuntarily reached out to Xia Ying, as if wanting to touch her cheek, but Xia Ying suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Did I disturb your rest? I'm sorry!" Xia Ying shook the other person enthusiastically. "You're so beautiful! Are you also a freshman at Cocytus Academy?"

The other person seemed a little flustered: "...Yes."

"You're a person," Xia Ying remarked with a puzzled expression, considerately releasing her hand. "What's your name? Why are you the only one here?"

“Fenrir, the name,” the silver-haired man replied softly. “Those trains that went to the other realms haven’t arrived yet…”

"Is there more than one Charon, Fenrir? Are there other trains coming from elsewhere?"

"Yes."

"Where did our train come from?"

"Nibelungen".

"Is that your hometown?" Xia Ying glanced at the empty carriage again. "You and I come from different places, but I'm the only one from my hometown who went to school. Maybe that's why we're in the same carriage."

The other person gave a soft "hmm," their gaze remaining fixed on Xia Ying's face.

Are all humanoid abyssal creatures this beautiful?

Feeling a little embarrassed by the silver-haired handsome man's gaze, Xia Ying tucked her hair behind her ear and subtly summoned the [Abyss Dangerous Creatures Compendium].

The heavy book, visible only to Xia Ying, opened automatically, revealing a phantom that was a white wolf enveloped in frost.

Abyssal Species: Frost Giant Wolf

Name: Fenrir

Danger Level: Insufficient Information

Special Note: Insufficient Information

Synchronization rate (unlocked): 15%

(Unlocked entry)

(Unlocked entry)...

Well, from a species classification perspective, this Mr. Fenrir should also be classified as a dog.

Fortunately, Xia Ying had accumulated a wealth of experience in dealing with canines.

On another note, what exactly is synchronization rate? Why do I have a 15% synchronization rate with Fenrir, whom I just met?

Is this a personality compatibility test like the MBTI test? Or is it a level of mutual understanding?

Xia Ying pondered, her gaze sweeping across the carriage before finally settling on the grand piano.

Then she suddenly said, "Shall we play the piano?"

Fenrir paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"It's okay, I'm just giving it a try."

Xia Ying got up from her seat, sat down at the piano first, and patted the seat next to her.

Fenrir hesitated for a moment, then walked over to her and sat quietly beside Xia Ying.

Xia Ying placed her hand on the back of his hand, guiding him to press the first key: "First, we press..."

The twenty minutes of teaching time passed quickly.

It wouldn't be accurate to say it made rapid progress, but it could also be described as completely ineffective.

Perhaps it was because the creatures of the abyss were inherently averse to musical instruments invented by humans, Fenrir clearly struggled to cope with these indistinguishable black and white keys, causing Xia Ying to become flustered as well.

There was absolutely no teamwork whatsoever!

Xia Ying brought up the Abyss Compendium in disbelief, wanting to recheck the synchronization rate, only to find that in just twenty minutes, the synchronization rate had increased from 15% to 37%.

Moreover, this number keeps jumping up from time to time.

Xia Ying had a vague guess in her mind. She tentatively took the other person's hand again. The silver-haired, blue-eyed man trembled slightly, his ear tips turned slightly red, and his synchronization rate jumped to 39%.

She was almost certain.

The so-called synchronization rate is probably equivalent to the level of affection.

Xia Ying withdrew her hand and silently stared at the humanoid frost wolf that was about to swish its tail.

Xia Ying looked into the depths of his eyes, then suddenly smiled: "Fenrir, have you fallen in love with me at first sight?"

He repeated in confusion, "Love at first sight...?"

Xia Ying didn't explain the meaning of the word to him. Instead, she stood up and gently lifted his chin with her soft fingertips: "I'd like to tour the carriage by myself. Will you wait for me here, Fenrir?"

The frost wolf stopped instinctively following the movement, gently nuzzled the human girl's palm with its cheek, and nodded obediently.

Although he could hardly hide his reluctance, he obediently watched Xia Ying leave.

Xia Ying slowly walked to the other end of the carriage and turned her head to look out the window.

There was still only the River Styx shrouded in mist, without any lights, and no red-eyed black demonic hound suddenly broke through the thick fog and rushed towards her.

"Where did Kerber go?" Xia Ying complained softly. "Why hasn't he found me yet? He's so slow."

After walking a while longer, Xia Ying finally arrived at the end of the carriage.

An unlocked car door blocked Xia Ying's way forward. Through the stained glass in the upper part of the door, she could vaguely see a blurry shadow behind it.

Besides myself and Fenrir, are there any other passengers on this train from the demon realm called Nibelungen?

The train carriage, stained with blood, came into her view.

Xia Ying stared wide-eyed at the sight before her, and an inopportune thought popped into her mind.

She was thinking: So there really wasn't just one abyssal creature that got on the bus.

The adjacent carriage, separated by only one door, was completely different from the magnificent corridor Xia Ying had just walked through. Countless abyssal creatures filled the space. They were different in form and species, but the only thing they had in common was their gruesome deaths and their already cold bodies.

Lying atop the mountain of corpses was a massive, bear-like creature from the abyss, its head hanging very close to Xia Ying, its murky eyes reflecting her image.

Its body had multiple bloody holes, as if it had been pierced by hundreds of sharp spikes at the same time. Xia Ying did not see the murder weapon, but she found white frost particles on the tips of the fur of the corpse.

[Updated entry in the Pokédex: Frost Giant Wolf]

Danger Level: SSS (Newly Unlocked)

Special Note: This creature is inherently cruel and indifferent; please avoid contact in most situations. (New Unlocked)

Synchronization rate (unlocked): 43%

Xia Ying took a very slow step back, blocking everything out of the car door once again.

Just as she was about to turn around, a chill suddenly swept across the back of her neck, followed by a pair of hands gently pressing on Xia Ying's shoulders.

Xia Ying didn't need to confirm the other person's identity through words, because the snow-white silver hair had already fallen in front of her eyes.

"Fenrir." Xia Ying turned her head calmly and smiled at the humanoid wolf. "It seems there's no way out here. I was just about to go back."

Fenrir did not answer immediately. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his gaze slowly descended from the human girl's neck to the ground.

He said, "My shoes are dirty."

Xia Ying looked down and saw a faint red ice crystal at the tip of her shoe.

It melted quickly, turning into a drop of blood that flowed silently.

"Ding! Mission: [Entrance Exam] has been triggered."

At that moment, the [Cocytus Student Handbook] in her pocket comically beeped, revealing the cruel reality of the Charon Train to Xia Ying.

"Beep! [Entrance Test]: Be the sole survivor on the train before the Charon arrives at its destination."

"Beep! Mission: [Entrance Exam] officially begins."

The frost quickly spread towards Xia Ying, who glanced quickly out the window and immediately took action as well.

The equipment-type magical artifact, [Persephone's Spring], transformed into a pair of white boots that facilitated movement, based on Xia Ying's thoughts. Its great boost to strength and speed allowed Xia Ying to successfully break free from the frost that had just frozen her ankles.

With a speed that surprised even herself, she leaped across the ice and bounded toward the car window.

At this moment, Xia Ying had only one thought in her mind: to find a way to leave the carriage that had turned into a battlefield. Her magical artifact granted her the ability to move on the River Styx, which might allow her to shake off her pursuers...

But her plan quickly failed; the car window did not break as she had hoped, and an invisible barrier bounced her back into the car.

"Beep! Train rules: During the [entrance exam], you are not allowed to leave the Charon carriage."

Xia Ying immediately scrambled up from the carpet and ran towards the other end of the corridor. The stubborn ice and snow chased after her, always just a little short of touching her back.

But the carriage had an end. Xia Ying opened another door, only to find that all she could see was mist and river water.

The night wind from above the River Styx lifted her long hair, and white frost slowly crept up the walls of the carriage. Xia Ying turned around, and the silver-haired, blue-eyed demon wolf was only a step away from her.

Fenrir pinched her chin with his cool fingers and asked softly, "What is your name?"

Xia Ying gritted her teeth. Fenrir watched her silently as his fingers gradually moved down, eventually resting on the center of her neck.

Before the human girl's throat was ripped open, the warning tone sounded again without warning:

Xia Ying didn't hear the sounds behind her clearly. The grating clanging of steel drowned out all other sounds. The huge jolt when the carriages connected threw Xia Ying into the air. She almost felt like she was going to fall into the river, but she still landed on the soft carpet.

After a few brief seconds, the aftershocks gradually subsided.

"Beep! Train connection complete, [entrance exam] continues."

Xia Ying opened her eyes and saw that the carpet beneath her was also covered in blood, as well as charred marks as if it had been burned by a raging fire.

A whooshing sound suddenly rang out, and Xia Ying whirled around as an ice spike aimed straight at her heart was already inches away...

The scythe flashed in an instant, the ice spike was cut in half and fell to the ground, and Xia Ying was pulled into the arms that were filled with blood and flames.

“Kernel.” Xia Ying twitched her nostrils. “It smells like sunshine and a cotton quilt.”

Cerberus's violent aura faltered for a moment, and he lowered his head, snarling, "I told you it was the breath of the Fiery Hell!"

The ice spear suddenly thrust towards Cerberus's throat. Cerberus swung his giant scythe, and the fire and ice blades collided heavily, unleashing a magical surge that shook the entire carriage.

Cerberus stared intently at the enemy wielding frost before him, a sinister smile playing on his lips: "Long time no see, brother."

Fenrir swept a cold glance over him: "So you're still alive, Cerberus."

Huh?

Eh?

Xia Ying's gaze swept back and forth between the two.

One side is fire-based, the other is ice-based.

One side has black fur and red eyes, the other side has white fur and blue eyes.

There are dogs on one side, and dogs on the other side...

Xia Ying screamed in her heart:

A note from the author:

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Fenrir, the giant wolf in Norse mythology that caused Ragnarok.

As you may have noticed, this article will incorporate some of its mythological elements, along with the author's own modifications.