novelraw Chapter 227
Chapter 227
Among those who had gotten off the train, some, like her, were stunned by the sudden attack and the scene of the Smiling Faces swarming their victim. Some stood frozen in place, completely motionless, while others let out terrified screams.
But in the next second, the ones who had screamed were immediately noticed by the Smiling Faces, who turned their heads toward them. Their mouths, still split open to the ears and dripping with fresh blood, remained wide open. One of them, its teeth still covered in flesh, tilted its head at the frightened people, grinning in an eerie manner.
A few nearly vomited. Some collapsed to the ground in fear, while others, in a panic, turned and ran back toward the train, dashing back inside and deciding that they would rather die than remain on the platform.
For some reason, the Smiling Faces seemed even more excited when they saw people retreating onto the train. Even those who had been further away turned their heads, drawn toward the commotion.
Of course, only a small number of people were caught in this chaos. Most only gave the scene a quick glance—some sneered in disdain, while others, expressionless, continued toward the exit hall.
Yu Xi furrowed her brow. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen bloody scenes before, but this one carried an extra layer of horror.
And that horror stemmed from the unknown.
The people who remained calm and expressionless must have been veterans—those who had experienced this before or understood the rules well enough to act as though this was nothing unusual.
She glanced down at her phone’s countdown timer—8 minutes and 45 seconds remaining.
This was the duration of the train’s stop. She suspected that this time frame was meant to be a safe period. As long as passengers correctly deciphered their numbers and exited through the right door, they wouldn’t break any rules, allowing them to leave unnoticed by the Smiling Faces. But what would happen if the timer reached zero and those who were supposed to get off were still on the train?
Yu Xi recalled the other electronic announcement: Do not get off at someone else’s platform.
That meant that getting off at the wrong stop—getting off when it wasn’t your turn—likely counted as a violation and would trigger a group attack from the Smiling Faces.
Conversely, those who were supposed to get off but chose to hide in the train out of fear—once the countdown ended—would also be deemed as rule-breakers. Their fate would be obvious.
Yu Xi processed various possibilities in her mind while maintaining a steady walking pace, just as she had before, as she headed into the exit hall.
The exit hall was small and looked incredibly old—dilapidated, with flickering lights on the verge of going out.
Her eyes swept across the area as she walked without hesitation toward the main exit doors. Through the glass doors, she saw that beyond the station lay the same inky darkness she had seen through the train windows—thick and impenetrable, devoid of any visible light.
Even in the middle of the night, even in the most remote county, there should still be some faint traces of light.
But she didn’t stop. She noticed that the other expressionless veterans had already walked through the doors.
And the moment they stepped outside, their bodies seemed to be swallowed whole by the darkness.
Yu Xi took a deep breath and plunged into the blackness.
**
A blinding light.
She squinted slightly, only opening her eyes fully once they adjusted to the brightness.
She was now inside a building, where the lighting was bright, and the sound of bustling voices came from outside. It sounded lively.
She was standing in a corridor, and behind her was a restroom door. Judging by her position, she must have just stepped out from inside.
Yu Xi took two steps back and peeked inside. It was not the run-down, dimly lit station hall—it was just an ordinary women’s restroom. White tiles, a row of sinks, and a woman walking out, giving her a strange look for lingering by the entrance.
She withdrew her gaze and followed the corridor out.
Beyond the passageway, people bustled about, many scanning QR codes to take shopping carts.
It was the entrance to a supermarket inside a large shopping mall.
At the supermarket’s entrance, festive decorations were everywhere, and she could hear the familiar tune of Gong Xi Fa Cai playing. It seemed to be nearing the New Year.
So this was Wu Kong City.
At least the people here spoke a language she could understand.
The phone she held in her hand vibrated slightly. Yu Xi took it out and unlocked it. As expected, the information on the screen had changed again.
Location: Wu Kong City (C-level)
Duration of Stay: 44 days
Identity Information: Unlocked
Unlimited Currency: Enabled
Train Ticket: Not Expired
Hint: Find the hidden departure station within 44 days, confirm the station (two attempts available), and board the train.
Time Remaining: 43 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes, 5 seconds
In the bottom right corner of the screen, there was a “Show” button.
Yu Xi tapped “Show,” and several new lines of information appeared below the existing data.
Initial Carried Items (Limit: 10): Currently Carrying (10)
Skill (Limit: 1): Space (100 cubic meters, activated)
Teammates: None
Team Status: Disabled
Easter Egg: Not Activated
At the very bottom of the screen, four function buttons appeared from left to right: Currency, Confirm Station, Add Teammate, and Hide.
Yu Xi thought for a moment and tried pressing Currency. A pop-up window appeared, asking whether she wanted to use the currency function, with two choices: Yes/No?
She tapped No, and the pop-up disappeared.
She then pressed “Hide,” and the newly revealed lines of text and function buttons vanished from the screen.
After pondering for a moment while holding the phone, she realized that this device, which looked like a phone, wasn’t actually one. It was more like her pass for the Endless Train world, or perhaps a guidebook for hints.
Now, the information displayed on the screen was mostly easy to understand.
For example, the “Hint” section was crucial based on the train’s previous announcements. Any instructions given there likely determined whether she would be in violation of the rules, and the consequences of violating them had already been demonstrated vividly by the smiling figures.
Summarizing all the information:
She had to stay in Wu Kong City for 44 days. Once this period ended, she had to leave.Within these 44 days, she had to find the hidden train station. Based on the previous change in scenery after exiting the train station, the station was unlikely to appear in its usual form. Once she believed she had found it, she needed to use the “Confirm Station” function. She had only two chances to get it right.The silver train ticket she carried was still valid, meaning tickets could potentially expire later.The unlimited currency status was currently enabled, but it might be deactivated later, either within a few days or in the next city. Since she had unrestricted access to currency in Wu Kong City, she needed to stockpile her 100 cubic meters of space as soon as possible.The option to add teammates suggested that the team function would become available once she had allies.The “Easter Egg” section remained locked, possibly requiring specific conditions to activate.After analyzing the situation, Yu Xi turned toward the supermarket entrance.
Alright, she would start with this supermarket.
**
A large supermarket could reveal a lot about a city.
For example, the clothing styles, spending habits, and conversations of its customers, as well as the prices and variety of goods on the shelves, could provide valuable insights.
Yu Xi’s storage space had shrunk, and most of her supplies had disappeared. She could no longer sense her transportation storage, fuel storage, or medical bay. Additionally, she had tested and confirmed that her plant communication ability and ice control ability were also gone, as if her powers had been restricted.
Now, all she had left was 100 cubic meters of space and the enhanced physical abilities gained from taking five Strength Pills.
Since she had taken the last pill just before entering this world, and her body had already reached its previous limit after consuming four pills, the additional 50% boost on top of that was a significant increase.
Her physical capabilities should now be approximately 9 to 9.5 times that of a normal person. Based on her earlier observations, she estimated the combat strength of the Smiling Faces at the train station. If she fought at full power, she was confident that she could escape even if surrounded.
Her first stop was the electronics section, where she purchased two of the latest smartphones and got a SIM card for each. The phone section required a separate payment, and she also wanted to test how the identity verification process worked.
It turned out to be simpler than expected—just a facial scan.
After the verification, the store employee quickly activated her SIM cards. When it was time to pay, she tapped the “Currency” button on her phone and selected “Yes.” A QR code appeared on the screen, which the employee scanned, completing the transaction.
Yu Xi raised an eyebrow. Staying in this city for 44 days seemed easy. Since survival wasn’t the main challenge, the real issues likely lay elsewhere.
The new phones were mainly for gathering information about the city. She quickly checked a local lifestyle app and pinpointed her current location. The shopping center housing the supermarket was a four-story complex. The supermarket was in the basement level, and the mall itself was massive, featuring everything from jewelry stores to car dealerships, clothing boutiques, and restaurants.
Behind the shopping center was another building that housed both a business hotel and an apartment-style hotel.
After calling to check room availability, she decided to secure a place first to store her purchased supplies.
She moved quickly—first heading to the luggage section to buy a large rolling suitcase, then to the personal care section, where she grabbed tissues, sanitary pads, toiletries, and disposable underwear.
Next was the clothing section, where she picked up five or six cotton T-shirts and athletic pants. Since they didn’t have professional outdoor gear, she grabbed a few long-sleeved sweatshirts and thick, loose-fitting jeans instead. She also picked up three down jackets for warmth and stocked up on seven or eight pairs of thermal and regular leggings.
After swiftly checking out, she dragged her suitcase straight to the apartment-style hotel.
Since she was only staying temporarily and using the space for storage, she booked a room for two days. It was on the fifth floor—a height that provided both safety and easy escape routes. The room was 40 square meters, equipped with a small kitchenette and an electric stove.
While inspecting the room, she casually turned on the television to a news channel and started boiling some water in the electric kettle. She planned to use the heated water to test whether her storage space still had its time-freezing function.
“…With the Lunar New Year approaching, major supermarkets are experiencing increased foot traffic…”
“Another violent attack has occurred… The victim has been taken to the hospital. A witness recorded footage of the attack…”
Hearing this, Yu Xi immediately turned to look at the television. In the top right corner of the screen, a citizen’s video footage was being shown. However, due to the graphic nature of the attack, most of the screen was blurred out. She watched for a while but couldn’t make out exactly how the attacker had harmed the victim. She could only hear the terrified screams of bystanders and the victim’s agonized cries, making for a chilling scene.
After confirming there were no surveillance cameras in the room, Yu Xi stored her suitcase and all its contents in her space. Then, she poured a cup of freshly boiled water and placed it inside her storage as well.
The vast 100-cubic-meter space looked pitifully empty.
She decided to head back down to the shopping center and fill it up.
First, she needed a car.