Chapter 209
Concealing his mind-reading ability, Yan Chu began by explaining his discoveries and speculations in the town.
The curly-haired youth initially dismissed the matter, but later became terrified upon hearing it.
He suspected the young man was exaggerating and couldn't help but look at Brian. He found that the blond mercenary was not only listening attentively, but also unconsciously showing a look of conviction. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly dropped his frivolous demeanor.
“If your speculation is true, then we’re in big trouble.” The curly-haired youth wrinkled his nose slightly, seemingly feeling troubled. “But you can’t catch up with them now.”
Yan Chu glanced at him, then looked around and said knowingly, "Is there something wrong with the terrain ahead?"
The curly-haired youth was once again astonished by his foresight: "Yes, you also scouted ahead?"
He assumed that Yan Chuyi had used reconnaissance tools like them, but the young man said, "I deduced it."
Yan Chuyi remained calm and succinctly analyzed, "Most players think this is a simple racing game where time is of the essence. However, the fact that so many idle players have gathered at this site indicates that you've encountered an unsolvable problem and are stuck here."
But this problem should be temporary, otherwise you wouldn't be so calm.
"When we got off the bus, many people looked away and didn't dare to look us in the eye, which shows that they also knew that a team that could get top-notch equipment was not to be trifled with."
Even under these circumstances, those thieves still risked everything and drove our train away. Either they were so powerful that they felt emboldened, or they were certain we wouldn't be able to catch up anytime soon.
Yan Chu stated logically, "If they were really not afraid of us, they wouldn't have run so fast, so it's the latter."
"Based on this, they don't know what we lack or what we have, yet they are so certain, which shows that the limiting conditions can be discerned with the naked eye."
Considering the level's content, the most likely criterion is the train configuration. I just checked, and there aren't any relatively high-capacity trains at the stations. Vehicle upgrades are usually to help humans cope with tricky transportation problems, such as terrain, climate, or creatures. Climate refers to natural disasters, and creatures refer to monsters. If players can't solve these two problems even with items, then I don't think this small train can withstand them. The most likely criterion is the terrain.
Seeing the increasingly wide eyes of the curly-haired youth, Yan Chuyi said, "Of course, other reasons cannot be ruled out, but your reaction has already told me that the situation is pretty much as I expected."
"My god..." The curly-haired youth was utterly shocked and couldn't help but look at Brian. "Your friend's ability isn't logical reasoning, is it?"
Brian gave him a dismissive glance.
This scared you?
If you had seen his glorious achievements of leading people to clear the game six times in a row, breaking the record of eleven minutes, and even taking down the shop owner, you would probably be even more shocked.
The curly-haired youth felt that Brian's eyes were full of disdain for him, and couldn't help but think to himself: It's the guy from Central Continent who's smart, not you. What are you so smug about?
Brian: That's my teammate too. What, are you jealous?
The curly-haired youth's lips twitched as he ignored him, but his attitude towards Yan Chuyi became noticeably more respectful. He truthfully stated, "Just a few dozen kilometers away, there is a mountain tunnel inhabited by many bloodthirsty cave creatures, at least tens of thousands of them, who will bite anyone they see."
But those monsters aren't the point.
The key point is that before entering the tunnel, there will be a steep slope with an incline of up to 45 degrees in front of them, which a train with insufficient power will certainly not be able to climb.
And they can only see and touch the tracks leading to the game kingdom after they board the train.
So many players are here waiting for the dungeon to spawn mobs so they can farm high-level engines.
Yan Chuyi asked thoughtfully, "Have you ever tried having someone push the cart from behind?"
The curly-haired youth couldn't help but admire Yan Chuyi's whimsical ideas.
Although labeled as sightseeing trains, these trains are comparable in size and configuration to regular trains. With upgraded accessories and the riders, they weigh at least a thousand tons! And that's a steep slope with a 45-degree incline!
Where can we find something that can be pushed...? Wait a minute!
The curly-haired youth suddenly turned to Brian, and Yan Chuyi followed suit, staring at the mercenary whose eyebrows twitched wildly, his eyes wide with astonishment: "You guys don't mean to make me—"
On the other side.
Fearing that Yan Chuyi and his companion would catch up, the train thieves immediately floored the engine and drove at maximum speed as soon as they got on the train.
Like a lightning bolt, the train swept up the high slope, leaving a straight afterimage. In just over ten minutes, it had traveled dozens of kilometers away, and the dark tunnel was right in front of it.
"This powertrain is amazing! It doesn't even slow down on such a steep slope!" someone in the group exclaimed excitedly.
Someone lazily lay on the chair: "Yeah, we were lucky. We were quick-witted and caught two idiots who forgot to leave someone to guard them. Otherwise, we'd still be stuck there grinding monsters!"
"But I'm still a little worried. What if we run into them later?"
One of them replied, "There are at least four teams at the second station. There are too many monks and not enough meat, and the drop rate of high-level parts is low. It will take several days to catch up. By then, we will have already run away. Don't worry."
A group of players looked at each other and chuckled, their expressions a mixture of slyness and smugness.
As for the guilt of stealing?
Sorry, there really isn't any. There were no team names marked on the train, and they figured nobody would want it!
Just then, the air suddenly distorted for a moment, and two figures unexpectedly burst into everyone's view.
The stranger arrived quickly and attacked even faster. The player standing nearby was caught off guard and had his neck hooked by a sharp scythe. The black blade did not stop at all, and pulled back, cutting open the flesh and leaving a glaring line of blood!
Just then, a long iron whip struck out like a dragon, wrapping around and pulling the sickle, and when it tightened, it made a crisp sound like metal clashing against stone!
A clear female voice shouted angrily, "You really can't change your ways! Put the sickle away!"
"They kidnapped your friend, so it wouldn't hurt to kill these scum, would it?" The hooded man looked completely innocent.
The girl's eyes instantly turned icy cold, as if she could start a fight with him at any moment. The hooded man reluctantly put away his scythe and raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, as long as you can help me find that god, I'll do as you say."
The girl frowned as if she was holding back her anger: "How many times do I have to tell you? If you come with me, you won't see Xie Shen, and I'm not going to take you to see Him either... Never mind."
Experience taught her not to try to reason with people with intellectual disabilities.
The girl's name is Xu Qingran, a player who was saved by Xie Xubai in the "Dog Harm" dungeon.
She didn't know what sins she had committed to get herself entangled with this hooded man nicknamed "the madman."
In the "Dragon Slayer" instance, the hooded man used her as bait to lure Xie Xubai out, but failed and immediately fell ill with a plague. Just before the red dragon went berserk, he strangled her neck.
Whether it was the hooded man who revealed the astonishing fact that he would not lose his memory before he died, Xu Qingran was surprised to find that he had not lost his memory after being reborn!
Because her progress record was cleared, she never encountered Xie Xubai again, and the audience gradually forgot about her.
On one hand, Yan Yue won again without lifting a finger, while on the other hand, her live stream became deserted, with many idiots mocking and ridiculing her. The contrast was enormous.
But Xu Qingran found herself accepting things better than she had imagined—perhaps she had truly grown up.
Having learned a painful lesson from the hooded man, she was especially careful this time, hiding the fact that she had not lost her memory, and using this advantage, she plunged into the trial pool and devoted herself to hard training.
Now that I have completed my studies, I am finally qualified to participate in the new round of first-clear trials. However, I did not expect that my luck would be as bad as ever, and I was matched with the hooded man in the same team.
Enemies meet on a narrow road, and old and new grudges collide, leading to a fierce battle on the spot. In the end, the two bugs carrying memories were unable to defeat each other.
The battle reached its climax, and just when Xu Qingran thought she had to risk her life to take the madman down with her, the madman unexpectedly raised his hands in surrender. He explained that he had been punished by Xie Xubai and had come to his senses, repenting for his past mistakes.
Xu Qingran didn't believe him at all. When she looked at the madman's neck, she saw that he was indeed wearing a golden collar.
Because of the malicious intent to kidnap Xu Qingran, the collar tightened continuously, causing the madman's cheeks to turn red and his bones to crack. He was almost strangled and could barely hold his scythe. No wonder he wanted a truce.
It seems like a long time has passed since Xu Qingran first met Xie Xubai, and now she can't describe how she feels about that benevolent deity.
Is it regret that "the bright moon once shone on me," or is it jealousy that Yan Yue can continue to receive Xie Xubai's care?
Neither.
Xu Qingran suddenly realized that when she saw the collar restricting her movement on her enemy's neck, her tense nerves relaxed instantly. She was stunned, and an unprecedented sense of security enveloped her like a tide.
It's like seeing the criminal who harmed you finally brought to justice.
In short, Xu Qingran did not believe that the madman would abandon evil and turn to good, but she believed that Xie Xubai would definitely be able to deal with the madman before he harmed others, so she could tolerate him a little.
The so-called kidnapped companion was actually her mission target, but she wouldn't tell the madman the truth.
Ignoring the frightened gazes, Xu Qingran walked forward through several carriages until she finally saw a girl sitting in a wheelchair like a doll.
The girl was very beautiful, with deep, three-dimensional features typical of Europeans. Her smooth, golden curls cascaded down her chest like waves, and her skin was as white as snow.
However, her pupils were unusual, as if covered by a layer of blue gauze. Upon closer inspection, several star-like spheres were reflected deep within her pupils, revolving rhythmically, disappearing with a blink.
Her unfocused eyes remained fixed on one spot for a long time, as if she were in a daze, and she didn't even look up when she heard the noise coming from the front.
If Brian were here, he would definitely be shocked, because this girl is the Astrologer who predicted his death before the game started, and possesses the time-related artifact left behind by the Goddess of Fate—the Eye of the Future.
“…Lilith!” Xu Qingran spotted her and couldn’t hide her surprise. She quickly walked over, squatted down, and took the blonde girl’s hands in hers. “Do you remember me? My name is Xu Qingran. We’ve met before. Someone asked me to take you to a safe place.”
Fortunately, Lilith did react. She slowly raised her head, switched to broken Chinese, and said in a surprising way, "It's alright. This is the safest place right now."
Could it be that Lilith wasn't kidnapped, but instead boarded this train willingly?
Xu Qingran was filled with doubt and frowned, saying, "But this train is too polluted; it won't be long before something happens."
"High" is a euphemism. The detection of a 241% contamination level before the fixed-point transmission made Xu Qingran's heart jump into her throat!
Lilith nodded, her azure eyes sparkling with stars, dreamlike and ethereal: "Something will happen, but that being will arrive in times of crisis. Only his appearance will summon the Black King to open the shortcut to the upper levels of the Black Tower."
Xu Qingran was about to say something more when several loud bangs suddenly came from outside the train, causing the train to shake slightly. She quickly turned around and shielded Lilith behind her: "What's going on?!"
Bang!
Something dark slammed into the window, and bright red blood bloomed like a flower! Under the car's interior lights, the blood flowed down the glass, a horrifying sight.
It was as if day had suddenly turned into night, and it became extremely dark outside, but you could still vaguely make out the appearance of the thing: pointed ears, red eyes, and fangs. It was clearly a huge, bloodthirsty bat!
"Don't panic!" Seeing the crowd begin to panic, someone in the group stepped forward and shouted, "We've entered the tunnel, so it's normal for the light to dim! The train has high armor and moves faster; even a hundred more monsters couldn't break through its defenses! Everyone, calm down!"
After being reassured several times, everyone saw that the train was only shaking and had not been damaged at all, and slowly patted their chests, feeling very fortunate.
—Luckily, they stole this top-of-the-line train.
Unseen, as giant bats crashed into the train and exploded into sprays of blood, the blood meandered into the gaps between the creature parts and the metal sheeting. Suddenly, a writhing tentacle emerged from its shell, as if tearing through its disguise, greedily sucking up the blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.
Nourished by the blood, the silvery-white metallic shell convulses with excitement, gradually separating into two layers. The inner layer is contracted red flesh, while the outer layer bulges outward, stretching out a sac-like membrane that is oily and transparent. Mucus accumulates and gradually forms a layer of arthropod-like dark brown carapace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com