Car No. 5
The
Roarer K23 Electric Gatling Gun
in Luo Ye’s hands had already run out of bullets, its rotating barrels glowing red-hot. Without hesitation, he picked up his old
M556 Light Machine Gun
and continued firing.
In the middle of the carriage,
Lu Xingchen
cracked open the
automatic door
just enough to unleash torrents of fire, igniting vast stretches of trees along the way!
Inside the
cockpit
,
Lin Xian, KIKI,
and
Chen Sixuan
listened to
Ding Junyi’s
words, all showing confusion.
“Stop? Why?”
Without wasting a second, Ding Junyi grabbed her
mobile terminal
, displaying the recently recorded changes in the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
for Lin Xian to see.
“I still don’t know why those parasites are drawn to
Blood Scourge Flora No. 1
, but the shift in its red glow—I think I’ve found the reason.”
Lin Xian’s expression hardened. On the screen, the crimson glow of the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
had intensified dramatically at a specific moment—visible to the naked eye!
Ding Junyi spoke urgently, “Since the
Blood Scourge Flora No. 1
was first recorded in the lab, there have been three instances of increased brightness and one instance of dimming. The three times it turned red were when we escaped from
Underground City No. 9
, from
Yubei Spaceport
, and just now—from
Rain Town
!
“Although the sample size is too small to reach a rigorous scientific conclusion, this is a matter of life and death. So, considering the
Predator Effect
, I have a bold hypothesis:
“These
Dark Entities
leave some kind of invisible mark on prey they don’t kill. The red glow on the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
is the
physical manifestation
of that mark—just like how the scent of blood in a forest attracts more predators. It makes us a bigger target for more
Eerie Entities
in the dark.”
She took a deep breath and continued, “This marking might be how
Dark Entities
communicate. There’s also another possibility—the larger the
Eerie Entity
, the deeper the mark it leaves on us.
“If we explain what happened in
Yubei City
using the
Predator Effect
, then consider this—we didn’t gain any new members after leaving
Rain Town
, yet the moment we stepped outside its territory, the red glow on the chrysanthemum changed! And immediately after, we were swarmed by
Dark Entities
!
“That’s why I believe that if we keep running, and the
marking
accumulates past a certain threshold, we’ll meet the same fate as
Fireline Convoy
—total annihilation!”
Ding Junyi finished in one breath, her eyes flickering. With her meticulous personality, making such a
subjective
claim was incredibly difficult. She also understood that if her theory was wrong but the team followed it, it could lead to their complete destruction.
After hearing her, the three in the cockpit grew even more serious. Lin Xian furrowed his brows.
“So, you think the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
is acting as a warning for us humans?”
Ding Junyi shook her head. “Not exactly. But since this plant can absorb
Dark Energy
, it proves that
Blood Scourge Flora No. 1
has the ability to perceive it. By that logic, the marks left by
Dark Entities
must also be a form of
Dark Energy
.
“But that’s just one aspect. Its
other functions
will require more sampling and experim—”
“Ding Junyi!”
Lin Xian’s sharp voice cut through, stopping her mid-sentence. His expression was grave as he snapped, “Skip the analysis. Give me a conclusion—now!”
Outside, the battlefield roared with explosions. Swarms of
Eerie Entities
kept slamming into the train’s
armored plating
, testing its limits. Lin Xian was already at his limit—this was not the time for lengthy scientific reasoning.
Ding Junyi flinched at his outburst. She opened her mouth in shock, then quickly steeled herself.
“Two options,” she stated firmly. “One—stop the train and kill every single Eerie Entity around us, completely erasing the mark.
“Two—turn back to Rain Town and eliminate the Large Parasite and the
Impostor Parasites
. I recommend the second option.
“From a
biological
perspective, creatures that rely on
traps
tend to lack strong
defense
or
escape capabilities
. They’re naturally fragile, which is why they need camouflage or traps to survive.
“The
Large Parasite
relies on
splitting reproduction
and
Impostor Parasites
for hunting. It has a
fixed territory
, meaning its combat capability might not be higher than the
Eerie Entities
we face in the dark.
“Meanwhile, our current crisis keeps escalating endlessly. Instead of dealing with this nightmare, Option Two has a much higher success rate.
“That’s my conclusion.”
KIKI and Chen Sixuan exchanged looks of disbelief, then turned to Lin Xian. His expression was darker than ever.
As the team leader, every choice he made decided the team’s survival. Ding Junyi’s theory gave them a ray of hope, but also left him with a terrifying decision.
Lin Xian’s mind raced. His instincts screamed that Ding Junyi’s marking hypothesis was most likely correct.
It explained the
Predator Effect
.
It explained why the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
changed after leaving
Rain Town
.
And most importantly—it aligned with something he had always suspected.
The
Pale Giant
that chased them from
Jiang City
.
The
Crimson Dragonfly
that pursued them from
Yushan
to
Beiwang
.
The
Sky Jellyfish
that appeared after they escaped
Underground City No. 9
.
The
full-scale ambush
they suffered after fleeing
Yubei
.
Even the
Iron Guard Battalion
, hunted relentlessly by the Atmospheric Mica from
Mount Daluo
all the way to
Yubei Spaceport
.
Hunter. Marking. The crimson glow of the
Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum
.
It all made sense.
Even last night, when KIKI casually mentioned it—how the more they ran, the more monsters came—it was like they had a bounty on their heads in the dark.
The team’s growth was just the surface issue. The real problem was the mark on them, amplifying their danger in the night.
If this theory was correct, then the safest strategy wasn’t to keep running—it was to eliminate every marked enemy and enter stealth mode.
It was counterintuitive. Most people wouldn’t think of it—or wouldn’t live long enough to figure it out.
Because the
Dark Entities
could communicate.
And that communication—was the Hunter’s Mark.
SCREEECH!!
Suddenly, the Infinite Train slammed into an emergency brake!
Many
Eerie Entities
crashed into the train’s hull, some thrown off by sheer inertia. The
tide of enemies
swarmed the side carriages.
Everyone inside grabbed onto whatever they could.
Chen Sixuan turned to Lin Xian, knowing—stopping meant he had made his choice.
WOOO!!
The electric engine roared, and before anyone could catch their breath, the train reversed direction!
“Lin Xian!!” Chen Sixuan shouted.
“We’re going back.” Lin Xian locked eyes with Ding Junyi. “I believe you.”
Ding Junyi’s gaze burned with determination. She simply nodded and turned toward
Car No. 3
.
As a researcher, the only way she could contribute was through knowledge and information.
As a team member, this was her duty.
The entire train suddenly reversing caught everyone off guard.
Lin Xian’s voice rang through the
train’s communication system
.
“Everyone, get ready. We’re returning to
Rain Town
. Don’t save bullets. Kill everything that moves.”
“Roger that.”
Shu Qin
acknowledged immediately, trusting him without question.
“Got it, Lin-ge!”
Shasha
chimed in.
“Wait, does that mean we’re heading out to fight?”
Lu Xingchen
asked, almost excited.
“We’ll see.” Lin Xian responded decisively, pushing the Twin Star 11R Nuclear Electric Locomotive to full throttle.
He didn’t know if Blue Planet’s biological theories applied to
Dark Entities
, but he had already chosen to trust Ding Junyi.
And in his mind—a plan was already forming.