Chapter 210
Everyone tried to reassure themselves that things would get better, but in reality, it didn't seem like that at all.
The locomotive kept making thudding sounds as it struck the bats, and shattered flesh and blood flowed along the linear body of the train, forming a mess.
Before anyone could react, the spreading stench of blood attracted even more bats, and sharp screeching filled the air from all directions!
Even if one or two can't hold on because of the car's high speed, there are always a few that can get their feet caught when a hundred pounce on them.
As luck would have it, the protrusions at the joints of the modified parts provided them with a place to land!
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the number of bats swarmed in greater and greater numbers.
Densely packed, in large flocks, their broad, dark wings completely covered the car windows.
The driver could no longer see the road clearly from the cockpit; all they could see were bats scurrying like reptiles against the windowpane, their scarlet eyes staring at the player, their upper and lower fangs clanging together as if in a shrill laugh.
The operator panicked and looked down again. Several readings on the dashboard were suddenly alarmingly high, and red warning lights were flashing frequently—clearly, something was wrong!
He reported this to his boss and received a furious scolding.
"Damn it, how the hell am I supposed to go down and fix this?! We'll be devoured to bits the moment we get out here!"
They are now filled with regret, deep regret. They thought that stealing the top-of-the-line train would guarantee their safety and an easy passage, but little did they know that problems would arise one after another.
How did those teams at the front manage to get through this tunnel?
Just then, the headlights above our heads suddenly popped open with a crack and then went out!
Darkness surged in like a tide, and the crowd, which had finally calmed down, panicked once again.
Only a portion of them are hardcore players; the rest are casual players drawn into the All-Out War mode. They haven't experienced such a dangerous dungeon in a long time, and their survival is purely by luck.
In the past, they would jokingly criticize those streamers in the live broadcast room, saying how timid and cowardly they were. Now that it's their turn, they realize that it's not as easy as they thought.
As darkness fell, fear gripped the heart like an invisible hand, causing many to collapse to their knees, clutching their heads and crouching on the ground, screams escaping their lips before their brains could process them.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the darkness, shining on their tear-streaked and snot-covered faces.
The light wasn't intense, but it emitted a warm glow, as if it could soothe unstable emotions.
The crowd looked up blankly, only to see Xu Qingran holding up a white halo with one hand, calmly saying, "It's just a broken light, what's the panic? If you're really afraid of the dark, bring out your lighting equipment."
Her words served as a reminder to the others.
Although they hadn't participated in the first trial for a long time, they had made preparations in advance in order to survive, and flashlights were an essential adventure tool for everyone.
As soon as I turned on the flashlight, the bats facing the window started banging on the glass like they had a plague!
The player's hand trembled, and he quickly turned off the light, at which point the monsters returned to calm.
With the contrast, the light in Xu Qingran's hand suddenly seemed very unusual, attracting the attention of many people who secretly watched.
She herself naturally noticed this situation and tentatively held up the ball of light to shine on the nearest window.
The bats there had been clinging tightly to the window, hissing menacingly at the players. But the moment the light shone through, they panicked like mice seeing a cat, loosening their grip, flapping their wings, and flying backward in no time.
Xu Qingran looked at the light in her hand with delight.
Unfortunately, she only had this one beam of light, which wasn't enough to illuminate the entire car body at once. And as soon as the light was moved away, the bats would swarm back in, endlessly.
Looking at everyone in the carriage, Xu Qingran frowned, hesitated for a moment, then let out a long breath and said to Lilith, "Would you like to come to the driver's seat with me?"
If there's one place on the entire train where nothing can go wrong, it's the driver's cab.
Now that they have the resources, Xu Qingran doesn't mind stepping in to save the driver's cab, since a runaway train would also cause them trouble.
However, past experiences have made Xu Qingran unable to sacrifice herself to save others again. If any unexpected situation arises, she will definitely take on the rescue target without hesitation and run far away as soon as possible.
In this light, it's no wonder that she couldn't hear Xie Xubai's divine message during her prayers.
After all, that deity had said that if one believes one has a clear conscience, one can call upon His name when all other options are exhausted.
And since she won't lose her memory, she'll probably never be able to say she has a clear conscience.
Lilith did not refuse and let Xu Qingran push her wheelchair toward the driver's seat.
He glanced casually at the ball of light in her hand: "Where did you get this skill?"
"You mean that white light?" Xu Qingran recalled for a moment, "It seems to have been near the end of 'Please Follow the Setting'."
"However, I didn't participate in the first trial that time. I stayed in the trial pool to train. I accidentally stepped on a trap and fell into a really dark hole. I was so scared that I almost cried. I begged and pleaded with everyone I could. Not long after, I found it at the exit."
In reality, the situation at that time was far more complex than Xu Qingran described.
She didn't fall into the trap on her own; she was pushed in.
Falling from a height, breaking two ribs, causes one to choke on blood and foam when opening their mouth, making it almost impossible to breathe.
They had run out of all their supplies. Looking around, it was pitch black, and the stench of blood filled their nostrils. Everywhere they touched, there were rotting corpses, and murderous monsters were lurking overhead.
She cried her eyes out then, feeling like she was going to die again. She called out to her parents and everyone she knew several times, but received no response.
She called Xie Xubai's name, but still didn't hear a sound.
In the end, Xu Qingran didn't know what she was thinking. She had been lying on the ground waiting to die in despair, but perhaps she was still unwilling to give up. Suddenly, she mustered up her courage and struggled to crawl forward using both her hands and feet.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the white light appeared above her head.
Her face was covered in blood, her eyes were unfocused, and she reached out her hand in a daze to touch the only source of light in the darkness.
The dark cave suddenly burst into light, as if it were bathed in sunlight.
Not only have his injuries healed, but a new skill has also quietly appeared on his skill panel.
[Active Skill]: A Ball of Light
[Description]: I don't know what it's used for, but it doesn't consume mental energy when used. Maybe it can be used for lighting?
“I see. Congratulations on finding a treasure. This is a very useful skill. Its light reminds me of an old friend.” Lilith smiled. “...It is truly a very beautiful gold.”
In the previous sentence, Lilith spoke in English.
The next sentence suddenly changed tone, like a murmur of longing, and her eyelashes gently drooped down.
The universal language packs were expensive, so Xu Qingran only bought language packs for a few common countries. Lilith was speaking a less common language, which Xu Qingran couldn't understand.
I subconsciously focused on the previous sentence: "An old friend?"
“Yes, old friend. Now that I have received a quarter of his mother’s inheritance, I should do things for him and fulfill the promise we made, even if he has forgotten about it now,” Lilith said.
Xu Qingran was startled. Suddenly, she saw Lilith stretch out her hands to her, as if asking for a hug, and say her name: "Xu-Qing-ran".
Foreigners usually speak Chinese with an odd accent, but Lilith speaks very naturally, as if she often talks to people in Chinese: "I hope you can pick me up, so it will be much easier when we're escaping later."
Xu Qingran did as instructed subconsciously.
Lilith not only looks like a doll, but also has a similar figure and body shape. You can wrap your arms around her waist with one hand and lift her up with a gentle lift.
Xu Qingran sensed Lilith's stiffness and couldn't help but ask, "If you don't trust me, why force yourself..."
"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I haven't had such close contact with someone in a long time. I'm sorry for the trouble this will cause you."
Lilith put the wheelchair back into her backpack and rested her head on Xu Qingran's shoulder to reduce the resistance she would encounter while moving: "Don't belittle yourself too much. You are a child blessed by him and are worthy of trust."
A blessing? Whose blessing? What kind of blessing?
Following Lilith's gaze, Xu Qingran suddenly looked at the light in her hand, and in that instant, an unbelievable conjecture flashed through her mind.
Before she could investigate further, she heard Lilith whisper, like a sigh, "Get ready, we're about to run for our lives."
Before he could finish speaking, a noisy commotion came from the back of the car.
Players who cannot turn on the lights must either endure the darkness or approach Xu Qingran, who has her own built-in safe light source.
Most people chose the latter and huddled together in the first carriage.
The people who advocated stealing the car started to get a little unhappy.
They were originally the strongest and most prestigious members of the team, commanding respect and making it so that no one dared to go west when they went east.
As a result, Xu Qingran's appearance not only stole the limelight, but also caused everyone's hearts to subtly turn to his side. When they called for people to go and discuss it, very few people moved. They were a bunch of opportunists!
What's even more infuriating is that they originally intended to forcibly drag the others over, since they were the only ones on the team, and they figured Xu Qingran wouldn't be able to say anything.
Who knew that the madman with the sickle would swagger over, sit at the connection between the first and second carriages, lift one leg and push it against the wall of the aisle, and then casually block the way!
Damn, how are they supposed to get across? Crawl between their legs?
The old man was furious and immediately started cursing: "Those monsters have been messing around for so long, and they haven't even cracked open a crack! I really don't know what you're afraid of! This train is something we went through a lot of trouble to get, and you bunch of ingrates not only don't know how to be grateful, but you repay us like this?"
Someone muttered under their breath, "They make it sound so noble, but it's just stolen."
Forcing them to come along wasn't out of kindness; it was purely to find more scapegoats so that they could take the fall when they ran away.
Seeing that this guy, who was usually so quiet, dared to talk back to him, the boss was furious. He opened his mouth to start cursing again, but a splatter of sticky liquid fell down and smeared his face.
"Ugh! It stinks! What the hell is that?! Ugh—"
An indescribable stench filled his mouth and nose, and the eldest brother reflexively vomited. Before he could vomit a few times, he belatedly felt a sharp pain on his face.
Not only him, but almost everyone in the back of the train felt the air become thick and slippery, damp, full of a gelatinous and sour smell, accompanied by a faint stinging sensation on their skin.
"What happened? Ah... Ah! My face!" The leader touched it casually and felt a large piece come off. He felt his face was numb with pain and his vision was not very clear. He squinted and looked closely, and found that it was a layer of bloody skin!
Could this be his skin? His... his face has fallen off?!
The boss panicked, he was really, really panicked.
He pleaded fearfully for help from the others: "I'm injured! Does anyone have any healing items left? Hurry—"
As soon as he took a step, he stepped on the wet, sticky ground and fell to the ground.
He cried out in pain and tried to stand up in a panic, but when he reached down, he froze.
...Wait a minute?
Why is the ground so soft?
Author's Note:
The previous text has been revised: the train goes uphill first and then through the tunnel.
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