◎ Outbreak of the Great Battle: The First Train’s Sacrificial Passengers ◎
Day 20 since the Extreme Cold descended, and Day 22 since the command center was established.
For the past 22 days, everyone at the command center had been working with their nerves stretched to the breaking point. Aside from occasional incremental gains and small victories, there had been no relief.
Tonight, in particular, the atmosphere was more terrifyingly tense than ever before.
All doctors had been urgently summoned to a single location; guards had completely cordoned off a specific sector; and subsequently, all high-ranking leaders were notified to attend an emergency meeting.
Those without high enough clearance did not know what had happened. They only knew that when their superiors returned from the meeting, their faces bore a look of grim determination—the look of soldiers preparing for a final, desperate stand.
It was as if the situation had escalated drastically in a short span of time, reaching a point of life or death.
…
In the conference room after the meeting, Zhang Zhengtian sat motionless for a long while before finally standing up.
It was completely unexpected that the second internship phase would cause Jiang Qi to fall into a coma. They kept saying there was still time, still time, but now it seemed there truly was none left.
An Intern Conductor was lurking within Spring City, preparing to cause chaos on the final day, forcing 1,000 of their comrades—who had already become players—to hide away. Even without wearing player masks, they couldn’t show their faces for fear that their “player panels” would be detected by the enemy. These 1,000 people, who should have been their most effective force, were being completely suppressed.
A formal train conductor would descend upon Spring City after the dungeon ended, bringing unpredictable dangers.
A powerful cloaked figure, most likely a veteran player, was acting like a ghost—hidden away, waiting for God-knows-when to emerge and do God-knows-what.
Furthermore, there were tens of thousands of players. No one knew what kind of havoc they would wreak during these final ten days.
Under the weight of these various threats, there was very little the “natives” (NPCs) could do. Even though they possessed heavy weaponry and artillery, unless they were forced into a situation of mutual destruction, did they truly dare to use them?
Without Jiang Qi, they suddenly fell into an extremely passive position.
They had felt this sense of helplessness once before when Jiang Qi fell into a coma due to train coins, but that time she was only out for half an hour. This time, it was a full ten days.
The last and most critical ten days.
Zhang Zhengtian passed through layers of guards and reached the monitoring room. Through the transparent glass, he looked at Jiang Qi lying on the bed. She lay there peacefully, appearing as if she were merely asleep, but the EEG monitor beside her showed a series of highly erratic brain waves.
At times they were so flat it seemed as though she were on the verge of death; at other times they were so active it was as if all her brain cells were firing in a wild, frantic “disco.” It was a terrifying sight.
Clearly, Jiang Qi’s consciousness had indeed entered the simulation environment and was likely facing a massive challenge.
Zhang Zhengtian turned to Dong Shengfeng and the others guarding the door: “For the next ten days, even if the sky falls, she must not be disturbed. If anyone attempts to force their way in—no matter who they are—shoot to kill!”
Dong Shengfeng and the others saluted in unison: “Yes, sir!”
Zhang Zhengtian turned and left.
Once Jiang Qi woke up, they would still have half a day left. As long as the dungeon hadn’t ended, they still had a chance to turn the tables; it wasn’t a dead end yet. He hoped that Jiang Qi would gain something and become stronger during this second internship.
As for their side, they couldn’t just sit and wait. The work that needed to be done still had to be done.
…
On the morning of May 30th, Spring City took major action.
Surviving civilians from all areas were gathered into designated shelter zones to live there. Supplies were no longer distributed to individual households but instead transported centrally to the shelters. Temporary local security posts were disbanded on the spot, and the city’s armed forces were reorganized and reassigned to the shelter zones.
The crematoriums and funeral homes that had been operating for half a month all closed their doors. Several power plants that had been struggling to generate electricity were forced to shut down one after another due to the extreme cold.
For a time, the original residents withdrew into hiding. The entire Spring City grew even quieter, like a frozen ghost town, devoid of vitality.
A portion of the players followed the crowds to the shelter zones, but most chose to roam free outside.
With no one left to govern them, they were finally able to move unconstrained within the dungeon. They no longer needed to maintain fake identities. They wantonly ransacked whatever the NPCs had left behind, breaking into homes, shops, malls, and warehouses, looting like bandits.
With the help of map information, Wolf Sai quickly located his former crew. Some were unwilling to return to his command—it didn’t matter; a quick beating made them obedient.
Leading dozens of men and following his maps, he tracked down other player factions one by one—robbing them, absorbing them, and breaking through all resistance. His power grew greater, and his numbers increased.
News of Wolf Sai’s “return to the underworld” spread among the players. Some avoided him, while others sought him out to join his ranks. Some even came to pry into where he had been during his disappearance.
There were even some NPCs with strong ambitions who were unwilling to remain ordinary and came to pledge allegiance to him (arranged by the command center). Their only request was to obtain even a trace of the players’ supernatural abilities.
Wolf Sai, of course, had no idea how to give NPCs player abilities, but that didn’t stop him from accepting them as underlings. He was quite proud of himself—he was now a man with NPCs seeking his patronage, not much different from that “Lord Yi.”
As the number of players and NPCs coming and going around him increased, Wolf Sai’s information network naturally became more effective.
He learned who Luo Shang was, and more importantly, that Luo Shang had been double-crossed while trying to sell corpses. The person collecting the corpses was a mysterious cloaked figure—the very murderer Lord Yi was looking for.
He became extremely interested in this cloaked figure. Not just because of Lord Yi, but because he wanted to know the purpose behind collecting so many bodies.
He began to monitor, investigate, and track the cloaked figure’s movements. He sent men to sell corpses to get close to the target and capture them, but he failed.
However, he did “discover” (under the deliberate guidance of the command center) the Old Doctor behind the scenes. After watching him for a few days, he confirmed that the Old Doctor was a player who hid his tracks deeply. On the surface, he seemed unremarkable, but he secretly commanded a group of player subordinates.
“Damn it,” Wolf Sai thought. “Clearly a player with constant small schemes and a heart as twisted as anyone else’s, yet he insists on acting like he’s above it all, calm and indifferent. It’s infuriating!”
Wolf Sai was annoyed. If you’re so good at acting, why don’t you go to heaven? I can’t beat that Lord Yi, but I can’t beat you either?
He sent people to approach the Old Doctor, only to find that the moment they arrived, they became fiercely loyal to the doctor, as if they had been brainwashed.
It was truly eerie! He sent a few more people, and they were likewise won over; one of them was even one of his most capable henchmen.
Wolf Sai: “???”
Seeing this, the command center personnel planted beside him began to sow suspicion. “Lord Wolf Sai, there may be something strange about this doctor. Could he have some method of controlling people’s minds? He was able to take control of your trusted aides so easily. Who knows how many people he has already controlled in secret.”
Then, as if remembering something, they added: “That cloaked figure is this old man’s subordinate. The corpses they’re collecting everywhere are probably for him. Could it be that his mind-control methods require those bodies?”
Wolf Sai believed it instantly. Mind control was sinister, and collecting corpses was sinister—it wasn’t strange at all for the two to be linked.
He felt both wary and tempted. He was wary that such a powerful character existed among the players; if this control ability kept growing, he might fall victim to it himself one day. But he was tempted by the thought that if this power belonged to him, he would be unstoppable! In the future, even controlling Lord Yi might not be out of the question!
He was now completely focused on the Old Doctor, viewing him as his greatest immediate enemy.
…
Command Center.
“Commander, it worked. Wolf Sai has finally developed the intent to kill Mantis.”
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The “Mantis” was the Intern Train Conductor.
The “Oriole” was that Cunning Snake.
These were the codenames they had assigned to the two; even if a player accidentally overheard them, they wouldn’t understand the underlying meaning.
Zhang Zhengtian received the news and let out a soft sigh. It had taken six full days of step-by-step guidance to finally reach the current situation.
Without Jiang Qi, they lacked the power to confront Mantis directly; they could only use Wolf Sai to do it.
He glanced at the date: June 4th.
He asked, “How many of Mantis’s personnel have been identified?”
“By filtering people Mantis interacts with daily, we identified some of his subordinates, and through their social circles, we tracked down those at even lower levels. Currently, within the Xingqing District, we have identified approximately 112 players suspected of being his followers.
“On the surface, these 112 people are all local citizens of Spring City. Their household registration info is real, their life histories are complete, and some even have happy families and relatives—all of which provide excellent cover for their hidden identities.
“It was only after repeated verification—noticing changes in their temperaments, habits, catchphrases, and professional abilities, as well as catching them secretly taking out player items—that we confirmed their identities. I’m afraid they killed the original inhabitants and replaced them the moment they entered the dungeon.”
Zhang Zhengtian closed his eyes in pain. They had guarded so strictly, yet the reality was that the moment the dungeon opened, so many of the civilians had already met a tragic end.
And this was just the Xingqing District; who knew how many more were in the other districts.
The Intern Train Conductor was truly not to be underestimated.
He ordered: “Make the necessary arrangements around these people. Be ready at any moment to execute them on the spot!”
…
June 5th.
Wolf Sai launched a surprise attack on Mantis.
He was discovered. The cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere. Wolf Sai fought him but was no match and retreated in embarrassment.
Wolf Sai returned in a fury.
June 6th.
Wolf Sai gathered all his forces and launched another surprise attack.
The cloaked figure appeared again and was tied down by Wolf Sai and his men, while the others attacked Mantis. Mantis immediately summoned more subordinates.
Those who had been perfectly disguised tore off the skins of the natives, revealing the faces of players.
A fierce battle followed, with casualties on both sides.
At this point, it was not only Wolf Sai who was consumed by hatred. Mantis was also thoroughly provoked and vowed to turn Wolf Sai and all his followers into corpses.
June 7th.
The cloaked figure was sent to assassinate Wolf Sai. Wolf Sai was seriously injured and fled in defeat, his hatred growing even stronger.
…
The cloaked figure looked in the direction Wolf Sai had fled but did not pursue him. He turned and left calmly.
Suddenly, a voice called out to him: “Sir.”
The cloaked figure turned around and saw the NPC who had been at Wolf Sai’s side.
The NPC stepped out of the shadows and looked up at him without avoiding his gaze. “Sir, our commander would like to meet you.”
The cloaked figure’s face was hidden beneath the brim of his hood, his expression unseen. There was a subtle nuance in his voice. “The leader of the dungeon natives?”
“Yes.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“What if we have a way to help you resolve your current predicament?”
The cloaked figure narrowed his eyes slightly.
…
Ten minutes later, the cloaked figure met Zhang Zhengtian.
To be precise, Zhang Zhengtian had come to the Xingqing District to meet him openly, bringing only a few guards.
With just one glance, the cloaked figure knew this man was indeed the leader of the dungeon; they hadn’t sent some random fake to fool him.
Zhang Zhengtian wore a gentle, courteous expression. “Please, have a seat.”
The cloaked figure remained where he was, not moving. “You have one minute.”
Zhang Zhengtian paused. For players—especially powerful ones—to treat natives with such an attitude was entirely normal.
It was even possible for them to kill at the slightest disagreement; after all, this cloaked figure had a record of killing over a dozen players in a row.
By coming to meet him, Zhang Zhengtian had already put the matter of life and death aside. Arrangements had been made at the command center; someone was already set to take over his position.
He didn’t care about his own life; if he could obtain some help or critical information from the man before him, he didn’t mind trading his life for it.
He didn’t waste words: “You are controlled by that person and forced to follow his orders, aren’t you? He is only an intern now and you already can’t escape him; once he becomes an official Train Conductor, it will be even harder. Why not cooperate with us? We have a way to help you break his control over you.”
The cloaked figure gave a slight sneer, his voice cold: “You are not qualified to negotiate terms with me.”
A person with no bargaining chips has no right to a seat at the table; they can only become the snack served on it.
The cloaked figure turned his head, his eyes peering from beneath his hat: “However, if the person behind you were to come, I might have some interest.”
He was certain now: his suspicions from that night were correct. Someone had indeed tampered with him, and his conversation with the Doctor had indeed been relayed.
Someone who could tamper with him and track him without being detected must have an extraordinary background.
Therefore, he wasn’t surprised that the other party saw through the fact that he was being controlled.
What puzzled him was why, after so many days, the other party had taken no action. Even when they approached him, they did not appear in person but instead sent a native he could crush with a flick of his hand.
Such a dismissive attitude was not pleasant.
Zhang Zhengtian did not take the mockery to heart. He simply said, “The person behind me has other matters to attend to for the time being, but he has told me everything. We do not need you to do much. We only need you to delay the time when that person makes his move until after 9:00 PM tomorrow night.”
The cloaked figure rejected him coldly. “Impossible.”
“I swear upon the lives of every person in this entire dungeon: I will help you break free from them.”
The cloaked figure remained indifferent. “Setting aside the fact that your oath is worthless to me—when I say it’s impossible, it means it’s impossible. Didn’t the person backing you tell you? Tomorrow is the final day. There will be a concentrated drop of Easter Eggs. He intends to conclude this grand affair before those eggs drop.”
Zhang Zhengtian knit his brows slightly. “What exactly is he planning to do?”
The cloaked figure seemed to see right through him. “The person behind you is likely gone, isn’t he? Or perhaps you’ve had a falling out? In that case, we have nothing left to discuss.”
The cloaked figure’s form began to fade.
Zhang Zhengtian hurriedly shouted, “Please, stay!”
It had taken so much effort to track him down by Wolf Sai’s side!
“You’re being controlled by the Source Marrow, aren’t you? We can provide you with higher-quality, more powerful Source Marrow to help you escape that control!”
Upon hearing “Source Marrow”—a term ordinary players couldn’t possibly know—the cloaked figure paused. He finally looked Zhang Zhengtian in the eye.
He subconsciously touched his left eye. So, it’s Source Marrow?
I see!
No wonder he felt an abnormality but could never detect the cause.
Zhang Zhengtian continued, “I know he needs corpses, but even an official train conductor cannot directly harm natives, let alone go too far. We hope that when we stop him, you will stay out of it. That shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Based on his observations over the past few days, Zhang Zhengtian couldn’t tell how strong the “Mantis” was in terms of raw combat power, but this cloaked figure was definitely a massive threat.
Especially since the cloaked figure was a player and could attack natives without restriction.
The cloaked figure lowered his hand. “It seems you truly don’t understand. For the sake of your admirable courage, I’ll tell you this: He doesn’t want corpses. He wants living people—sacrificial passengers for his First Train.
“Do you know why he hasn’t left Xingqing District? He chose the people here. All this time, his low profile was part of the setup. Unfortunately for you, his preparations were completed two days ago. Xingqing District is now under his control. The fate of everyone here is already in his hands. You are too late.”
Zhang Zhengtian felt a violent jolt run through his body.
Too late!
After learning that the Mantis intended to move against Xingqing District, he hadn’t evacuated the citizens.
First, there were too many people; such a massive movement would be too conspicuous. He feared the citizens would suffer in the extreme cold, and he feared that provoking the Mantis would lead to even worse consequences.
Second, even if they evacuated Xingqing, the Mantis could simply move elsewhere to continue his plot. It was a temporary fix that didn’t strike at the root of the problem. It seemed better to keep him stabilized for the time being.
He had always hoped to resolve the crisis at the minimum cost. With Jiang Qi there, he believed it was possible. After Jiang Qi fell into a coma, they became passive, making them even more afraid to take big risks.
He never expected they would be too late.
The cloaked figure’s form dissipated, leaving behind one final sentence: “If you want to stall, then stop the players under his command from approaching Xingqing District. Their Player Panels are the final keys required to form the lockdown field.”
Zhang Zhengtian stood dazed for a moment facing the empty space before turning to leave. The guards scrambled to follow.
Immediately after leaving Xingqing District, Zhang Zhengtian issued an order: Set up a full perimeter around the district. The troops previously deployed there would finally be put to use.
He paused, then added: “1,000 comrades—excluding the guards with Xiao Jiang—all of them are to move out!”
It was no longer the time to stay hidden.
Between the surface and the underground of Xingqing District, there were over 400,000 people! If the Mantis took that many people, who knew what would happen? Who knew if his power would undergo a terrifying, qualitative transformation after obtaining so many sacrifices?
The cloaked figure had said these were the passengers to be sacrificed for the first train!
Was he now just one step away from becoming a true train conductor?
They had to stop him. They had to stall for time—stall until Jiang Qi woke up!
“As for Wolf Sai, send him an order in the name of ‘Lord Yi.’ Tomorrow, he is to use every ounce of strength he has to entangle the Mantis!”
…
A busy night passed.
June 8th. 7:00 a.m.
The Old Doctor was in an exceptionally good mood today. He even took a drink out of his backpack, mixed a cup for himself, and sat in his consulting room savoring it.
Only after finishing did he stand up. “After waiting so long, it’s finally time to pull in the net. Bai Hong.”
The cloaked figure walked in from outside. “Doctor.”
“Doctor” was the title this Intern Train Conductor had given himself. Since he was about to become a full Train Conductor, he naturally needed a formal title.
He felt the word “Doctor” was elegant, rational, and professional, yet hid a sharp edge. The knife in a doctor’s hand could save lives or take them—it was perfect for his image.
It was because of this codename that he had chosen a doctor NPC as a stand-in in this dungeon.
He said, “Let us complete this 100th internship project. Bai Hong, guard me. I leave my safety to you. Once I finish this project, I will help you collect Easter Eggs to boost your strength.”
He stared fixedly at the cloaked figure, his eyes shimmering with a dark red light.
The cloaked figure’s eyes lit up with the same glow.
That sensation returned—the feeling of being uncontrolled, unable to resist, and needing to dedicate everything to the other person.
However, he could feel a slight abnormality in his left eye, as if there were a small area there that was not under the Doctor’s control.
It was precisely this vacancy that had made him feel, more and more recently, that the intensity of the control was no longer that great.
Is it a higher quality, more powerful Source Marrow…?
The cloaked figure’s expression remained unchanged as he slightly lowered his eyes: “Yes.”
The Doctor was very satisfied and reassured. He turned around and waved his hands. A dark red Train Conductor’s panel appeared before him. After some manipulation, a larger virtual sandbox materialized.
This sandbox was a miniature model of the entire Xingqing District; at this moment, not even the rustle of a blade of grass in the entire area could escape his perception.
He smiled with immense self-satisfaction, feeling as though he were the king of this entire region.
The one and only King!
However, this area was currently missing one final “seam.” Once it was locked, he could take the entire area away “pot and all”—this was the terrifying ability of a Train Conductor.
To ensure nothing went wrong, he had deliberately waited until the final day. No matter what powerful experts might be hiding in this dungeon, they wouldn’t be able to reverse the situation by the last day.
Afterward, he only needed to hold out until the end of the dungeon, return to the Train, start it, and hijack it to obtain his official title.
At that time, not even the Cunning Snake would be able to touch him!
He raised his hands and began chanting like a sorcerer. Waves of strange energy pulsed outward like ripples on water, nearly distorting the space around him.
Finally, he let out a sharp cry. The voice wasn’t loud, but it rolled like thunder: “Return to your positions!”
Simultaneously, throughout the entire scope of Spring City, many players raised their heads at once, red light flickering deep within their eyes.
Suddenly, their bodies no longer felt like their own. They dropped what they were doing and stood up, heading toward Xingqing District as if guided by an invisible force.
Within Xingqing District, over a hundred people moved as well, heading toward the district’s perimeter.
These people were under constant surveillance; since this morning, each person had five or six pairs of eyes on them.
Thus, as soon as an abnormal movement occurred, it was discovered and immediately reported.
…
At this moment, Zhang Zhengtian was not at the command center; he was at a temporary command post on the edge of Xingqing District.
Upon receiving the news, he knew: the Mantis had moved.
It was only 7:20 a.m.
He didn’t order his men to immediately take out those hundred-plus people in Xingqing District. Instead, he waited—waiting for the players coming from all directions to step into the ambush circle.
Currently, very few local residents were moving about, so people heading toward Xingqing District from every direction were extremely conspicuous.
Along the way, they fell under the gaze of many observers. Their identities were confirmed one by one. Those who were closer and moved faster soon reached the edge of Xingqing District and entered the strike zone.
Zhang Zhengtian picked up his walkie-talkie: “Do it!”
As the words fell, gunfire erupted everywhere.
The players who had entered the firing range were instantly mowed down by a volley of bullets.
Another wave was harvested by special forces dropping from above.
Their controlled state was exactly what caused their sluggish reactions.
Even if some remained agile and fought back with the skill of a normal player, they were immediately suppressed by friendly players who charged out from nowhere.
The friendly players, who had been forced to stay low for so many days, shouted: “I’ve put up with you bastards for long enough! Die!!!”
As for the hundred-plus players inside Xingqing District, their throats were slit even more directly. Because they were off-guard, they had no power to fight back.
Screams rose and fell in the surrounding area.
It was only after these players were dead and their items scattered with loud thuds—and their real appearances revealed as the player masks failed—that the bystanders realized these were not their fellow citizens at all.
…
Inside the consultation room.
The Doctor didn’t yet know the situation outside Xingqing District, but within the district, he immediately sensed that his hundred-plus subordinates had all lost connection simultaneously.
He snapped his gaze to the sandbox. Seeing the icons representing the player panels go dark, he was stunned, then nearly went mad: “What’s happening? Who! Who did this! Who is blocking me?!”
“Crash—” glass shattered as a cannon shell flew toward him. He was shocked, momentarily unable to react.
At the critical moment, the cloaked figure reached out and yanked him away.
The shell blasted a huge crater into the wall behind him, and dust rained down from the ceiling.
Immediately, a shadow wolf leapt in, opening its mouth and howling: “It’s your grandpa!”
Wolf Sai was extremely frustrated. That “Lord Yi” who hadn’t popped up for many days had appeared again and given him a death order!
He hadn’t wanted to listen, but the other party had given him too many benefits—all sorts of powerful player items—and promised future rewards. Combined with the fact that he was already genuinely furious with this old man, he decided to go for it!
He roared and pounced toward the Doctor: “Grandpa is back, did you miss me?!”
The Doctor barked: “Bai Hong!”
The cloaked figure’s silhouette flashed, appearing in front of the Doctor. He raised a hand, and a blade-light like a white arc appeared, slashing toward the shadow wolf.
“Holy shit, you again!”
Wolf Sai was sick to death of this guy, yet he couldn’t beat him.
However, he came prepared today. He used an amplification item; his attack power was incomparable to before!
He didn’t dodge. The blade-light passed through his shadow-like body as he roared and bit down.
The Doctor retreated to the side, furiously swiping at his panel: “No one can stop me! No one!”
The next moment, the players rushing toward Xingqing District from outside suddenly had their eyes turn blood-red. They let out a roar as their combat power increased significantly.
“Come then, all of you! Break through all obstacles and complete this final step!”
Just then, with a boom, several more shells blasted inside, tearing the room to shreds and causing the panel to distort.
The Doctor was furious!
In the midst of the flames and smoke, several more players emerged.
Among them were Wolf Sai’s people as well as friendly players.
Cui He’s body was half-covered in a layer of sharp, thick scales. In his other hand, he held a bayonet dipped in neurotoxin. Along with several comrades who had also activated their talent abilities, they surrounded and attacked the Doctor.
…
At the command center:
In the monitoring room, Dong Shengfeng was worried about the battle in Xingqing District when the instruments suddenly started to beep.
She looked over quickly. The brainwaves on the screen had suddenly distorted into jagged scribbles, and beneath her closed eyelids, Jiang Qi’s eyeballs were rolling rapidly.
The indicators on the other instruments were also in disarray.
“Jiang… Jiang Qi?” She didn’t dare speak loudly and immediately went to call the doctor.
The doctor arrived, but he was also helpless. He only knew that Jiang Qi’s condition was abnormal, but they had no means to intervene and didn’t dare use any medication.
“Perhaps… she’s about to wake up?”
Dong Shengfeng was shocked. “There are still thirteen hours left!”
“What if she can wake up early? Based on our observations over these past few days, her consciousness is currently in an extremely active state, as if she is struggling to break free from something.”
“You mean she’s breaking free from that simulated environment?”
The doctor shook his head: “Uncertain. But when she wakes up, or if she can wake up at all, is not something we can control. The only thing we can do is watch, wait, and protect.”
Dong Shengfeng looked at Jiang Qi, both hoping she would wake up early and worrying about the harm it might cause her.