Chapter 79.1 Crimson Sunset Expedition
Blood splattered across a distance of more than ten meters, landing on the glass nearby and flowing with a menacing appearance.
The players stayed quiet, the shadows that resembled the players also stayed quiet, and the whole carriage was really quiet.
As nobody could offer an answer, the newbie managed to say, “Can you tell if I’m a male or female?”
Even though it wasn’t exactly accurate, it suited the current situation very well.
Li Nan, who was resting on the lower bunk, went over to the window. Ji Yuanzhi had mentioned that Pei Wenwei didn’t walk on the conventional path, but it wasn’t just about walking anymore. It was becoming a matter of nearly flying away.
Because of the situation involving the 3S instance, Wen Shi had become quite famous. People who hadn’t met him had learned about his looks through other means. A female player said, “Is he trying to infiltrate the evil team?”
After saying this, she abandoned that idea. If he truly wanted to blend into the shadows, he wouldn’t have gotten on this train.
“He’s come aboard!” the female player said, her eyes opening wide.
The conductors were extremely dedicated. Just before dying, they used their last bit of strength to adjust their fall and block the entrance of the door, hindering the boarding progress.
At this moment, their bodies were taken away, and the two ominous figures who moved the bodies were about to come up.
Someone murmured in a low voice, “They’re both dangerous individuals. We might as well find a way to stop them from boarding.”
As long as they didn’t directly use knives, the game wouldn’t classify it as inflicting harm.
Just as the words were spoken, Li Nan’s expression turned a bit chilly, causing the speaker to hesitate and refrain from continuing.
Li Nan was willing to let go of a spot, which meant he valued the other party’s ability to cause trouble. With sixty players having died previously, many of them were skilled elites. Hence, beyond strength, he needed individuals like Pei Wenwei and Qian Laiye, who didn’t conform to conventional norms.
Li Nan observed for a few seconds and came to a conclusion. “The one with the knife is real.”
“Hmm?” Someone couldn’t hold back their curiosity and looked over.
Although many people present didn’t know Pei Wenwei, they leaned more towards the one with the steel pipe.
Pei Wenwei had organized auctions and sold team spots before. He must have a thrifty personality. Even the steel pipe guy didn’t forget to seize an opportunity for a ticket.
“The knife has a greater impact. Its blade hasn’t dulled yet, so it’s definitely not an ordinary weapon. The steel pipe falls behind by a lot.”
A player frowned. “I’ve tried using weapon-type items earlier, and they were locked just like skills.”
“Some things can’t be replicated. Otherwise, if the shadow copied our memories and abilities, it wouldn’t make sense for one to grab a steel pipe and another to grab a kitchen knife.”
The steel pipe was clearly an ordinary one, so its usage implied that replication wasn’t possible.
Some players still hesitated, “But their personalities…”
Li Nan walked towards the carriage entrance. “There’s something odd about that knife.”
When someone’s senses were influenced, all their strength focused on controlling the weapon. They wouldn’t have the capacity to try to seize a ticket.
The teenager who had pierced the conductor’s throat with the steel pipe seemed to realize something. He pulled out the pipe lodged in the conductor’s neck. He was quite strong, and though the system hadn’t successfully replicated the kitchen knife, it had granted the steel pipe a strength surpassing that of ordinary weapons. The teenager forcefully hurled it towards the other train. The train window shattered, and the speed of the sliding door closing slowed a bit.
Immediately after, he dashed forward, barely making it inside before the door shut completely.
“Quite a fast runner.” Li Nan’s smile faded for a few seconds. He had originally wanted to take the opportunity to deal with the troublemaker first.
Compared to the shadow, Wen Shi’s boarding process went much more smoothly. He tightly gripped the kitchen knife, a hint of bloodlust still lingering in his eyes. He was obviously blinded by rage, his whole demeanor abnormal.
Seeing a stranger suddenly appear, Wen Shi swung the knife, ready to strike. However, he struggled to control himself. The kitchen knife was raised, but it didn’t come down.
Li Nan didn’t give him the chance. He grabbed the teenager’s wrist with one hand, while the other clamped down on his shoulder joint. With a swift pull, Li Nan yanked the teenager forward as he quickly bent his knees, delivering a direct blow to the teenager’s abdomen.
Accompanied by a muffled groan, intense pain left his upper body weak, causing the knife to slip from his hand and crash to the ground.
The current situation completely validated Li Nan’s judgment about who was real and who was fake.
First, Wen Shi’s gaze gradually cleared, and this transition from madness to clarity couldn’t be feigned. Furthermore, the steel pipe-wielding boy’s decision to escape to the opposite train at the last moment indicated he realized that holding a weapon would expose his identity.
“Impressive!” Several players who had come out to observe couldn’t help but exclaim upon seeing the scene.
Admiration quickly transformed into worry. The more formidable Li Nan was, the stronger his shadow’s abilities would be.
Fortunately, as it stood now, the Li Nan in front of them had to be the real one. Otherwise, he could have easily let Pei Wenwei fend for himself or even chosen to save his shadow.
“Hmm…” Wen Shi, now clear-headed, rubbed his bruised abdomen. As he straightened up, Li Nan noticed a blood-drawn smiley face on his sportswear.
Wen Shi explained, “Before I lost my rationality, I drew this as a way to express gratitude.”
His decision to use the kitchen knife for an extended period came after careful consideration. With the guild leaders of two major guilds present, it was unlikely they wouldn’t be able to handle him. Besides, he had secured a team spot, and dying so soon after joining would be a waste of resources from Li Nan’s perspective. Thus, the likelihood of Li Nan intervening to save him was high.
Finishing his words, Wen Shi bent down to pick up the knife and stowed it in his backpack before the chill fully infiltrated his mind.
The weapon was too intense, making it hard to fathom how his parallel world self maintained sanity while using it.
“F—ck.”
Just as he put away the knife, something else crossed Wen Shi’s mind. His throat moved as the curse rolled out.
Everyone thought he was sarcastically commenting about the weapon, but in reality, Wen Shi recalled one of the game’s few well-intentioned prompts: In this round, the involvement of your parallel world self may not necessarily be a good thing.
Wen Shi had always assumed that those coming to support him had some issue themselves. However, the disappearing shadows and the sudden appearances of duplicates all pointed toward something within the instance’s setup. The taxi driver mentioned that shadows would be lost upon entering the train station, and it was likely the same for his parallel world self.
The game wasn’t truly concerned about him. It was worried about itself.
Looking upward, Wen Shi inexplicably said, “The game is actually quite pitiful.”
Several players found it hard to respond, almost doubting his identity once again. Why was he, of all things, empathizing with the game?
Wen Shi was earnest. Players had to follow the rules, and so did the game. Despite knowing what might happen, direct intervention was not possible.
Thinking about this, Wen Shi felt a bit more at ease.
Following the steps of the few people, as the last passenger to board today, Wen Shi finally entered Carriage No. 04. The strong smell of blood in the air made it even more stifling. Subconsciously, he counted heads. Including himself, there were only twenty-two people now. The death rate was a bit terrifying.
The newbies clearly felt that once the teenager entered, the attention he received far surpassed that of others.
“Is he very special?” one of the newbies asked the man in front of him in a low voice.
Not expecting a reply, he was surprised when the man nodded, “A newbie like you. Have only cleared instances two or three times, quite skilled at stirring up trouble.”
It could be said that the difficulty level of the instance where Pei Wenwei was fluctuated unpredictably: going from A+ to S and then dropping back from S to A+.
The two newbies exchanged a glance, finding some comfort. At least it meant newbies weren’t as vulnerable as they’d imagined.
“Boss, we’re approaching thirty-seven degrees.”
As the train moved, staying by the window wasn’t safe. Xiao Hua came over to report the current temperature.
Wen Shi was unaware of the temperature issue, so Xiao Hua explained it again, her gaze filled with complexity. She asked, “During your teenage years, were you really that mischievous?”
Wen Shi absolutely wouldn’t admit this, believing he was carrying the blame of his parallel world self.
“Maybe it’s because of that kitchen knife. The game labeled me as a dangerous person.”
Before they could dwell on this issue too much, an announcement came over the speaker:
“Dear passengers, welcome aboard Train K6666. For your safety and the safety of other passengers, smoking and carrying inflammable and explosive materials are prohibited during the journey. As it’s the peak of tourist season, there are many passengers on board. Please take care of your belongings and avoid losing them. Finally, we wish you a pleasant journey and a safe trip!”
Many passengers?
Staring at the empty carriages on both ends, someone’s scalp tingled. Clearly, they were the only passengers in their carriage.
The metallic panels above were peeling, revealing patches of black. Apart from blood and sweat, occasional whiffs of animal odor drifted in from the nearby carriage. Previously, they were preoccupied with shadow matters, but now, upon closer inspection, the other carriages, though empty of people, had plenty of belongings. Backpacks, suitcases… some beds were even stuffed with bags of urea.
No people, yet everywhere was filled with signs of travelers having been there.
A female player thought for a moment and said, “Could the broadcast be referring to the tourists who arrived earlier than us?”
In the absence of clues, no one could make a definitive judgment.
Leaning against the ladder, Wen Shi suddenly glanced at the female player who had just spoken, his gaze darkening.
Not long after the broadcast ended, a uniform system prompt sounded in the players’ ears:
【Side Quest: Shadow Hunt
Quest Details: When no one is paying attention, a shadow has successfully blended among you. Heehee, please do your best to find it within the next thirty minutes.
Successfully eliminating the shadow will cause the temperature to drop by three to five degrees Celsius!
Friendly reminder: Clues about the shadow can be found within the passengers’ belongings.】
Wen Shi: “Should have gone with ‘haha’ or ‘hehe’ if you want to express exaggerated excitement. ‘Heehee’ can easily be mistaken for sarcasm.”
“……”
Someone facepalmed. This person’s personality was a bit off. Who in their right mind would give language advice to a game?
Seemingly unaware of the odd looks that passed his way, Wen Shi laughed lightly, “You learn something new every day. The current system prompts are becoming more and more humane.”
The speaker meant no harm, but the listeners’ face turned pale.
Some things seemed normal at first glance but were horrifying upon deeper thought. The game was rigorous and merciless, with nearly every sentence carrying an underlying death rule. Following this logic, when issuing tasks, it could have discarded unnecessary onomatopoeic words. However, it hadn’t. It was almost as if… it was imitating humans.
Concealing their worries, players focused their attention on the task as much as possible.
The train had a total of eighteen carriages. It was clear that searching together would be impossible, and despite knowing the danger of splitting up, everyone would have to go their separate ways.
Yu Xingzhou surveyed the current players. “Li Nan and I will go separately. The remaining pairs can form their own combinations, preferably with similar strengths.”
Everyone agreed to this distribution method. The powerful ones remained unconcerned about surprise attacks, while the rest teamed up in pairs. If an incident occured, the other member would become the primary suspect. Most importantly, this allowed them to form twelve groups, ensuring neighboring carriages had people present. In case of emergencies, calling out for help would bring quick support.
Newbies had become a hot commodity now. Compared to regular players, they had lower attack power, making them safer to be around.
Qian Laiye took the initiative to team up with Wen Shi. Although the latter’s entry was quite frightening, at least he had been verified not to be a shadow.
The twenty-two players quickly formed their respective pairs and exchanged contact information using their phones. They found a social media app still logged in, so they decided to create a group chat.
Wen Shi suggested, “We represent the light, so let’s call the group ‘Sunflowers.'”
“……” Then what are you, a sunshine boy?
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