Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 275

Yu Xi’s third memory fragment was obtained in the “Sleeping Beauty” section. Unlike the others, this memory fragment was not a reward from a nighttime amusement park game. Instead, it appeared as a notification on her phone the moment she entered the “Sleeping Beauty” section, with a time limit for retrieval.

The prompt read: “It is a thorny fortress, yet also a place of soft beauty.”

Given the story of “Sleeping Beauty,” this clue was quite obvious.

After the princess fell into a deep sleep, the thing that protected her and everyone in the castle was the wild roses growing unchecked outside. These roses wrapped around the castle like a thorny fortress, yet at the same time, they bloomed into the softest and most beautiful flowers.

The clue itself was easy to decipher, but pinpointing the exact location was difficult. The “Sleeping Beauty” section had five different rose gardens. In addition, there were six or seven hotels, inns, restaurants, and dessert shops named after roses.

And she only had two hours.

Although Yu Xi was fast, running at an inhuman speed during the daytime would attract attention, making it easy for the local guards to arrest her.

Then, she remembered the “Hover Step Substitution Skateboards” she had stored before. She took out two, gave one to Xi Yuan, and they both dashed at full speed, scanning every possible rose-related location. Finally, within the time limit, she obtained the third memory fragment.

Compared to the second fragment, which contained key information, this one was not as revealing. Based on the imagery, it seemed to continue from the second fragment, depicting a routine daily life in that solitary room—changing into white clothes, washing up, sleeping, waking up on time, eating, and then being taken to a medical-like room for a full-body examination.

However, this fragment aligned with the ones obtained by Ya Tong and Lin Wu in their latest nighttime amusement park game. Theirs was an “Easter Egg” memory fragment, containing nearly identical details—especially aspects like the clothing, the medical check-up procedures, and the room layout. But their fragments contained even more information. For example, they showed a person wearing a helmet, connecting their consciousness to a virtual training ground where they underwent physical, combat, and reaction-based exercises.

“It seems we all entered this place through the same method,” Yu Xi said.

By now, they were nearly certain—the Endless Train world was a virtual world. Or at least, the part of the world they were in now was virtual. It was as if their consciousness had entered a computer-simulated training ground.

The only difference was that this simulation was vast, incredibly detailed, and eerily realistic.

So, if they wanted to complete the world mission, escape from this place, and return to where they originally belonged, they might not be able to do so from within this virtual section. They needed to find a way back to the “real” part of this world.

That raised a crucial question—how could they break out of the virtual realm and return to reality?

Perhaps, if someone managed to piece together the full Easter Egg and recover all their lost memory fragments, they would discover the answer.

At the same time, another pressing issue troubled them.

It was obvious that Leng Mian had gathered Ya Tong and the others together and sent them to Yu Xi. The goal was to take down the System Tower. However, all they had done so far was travel between different stations.

What exactly were they supposed to do to fight against the System Tower?

What made this world special? Were they supposed to find a method here to counter the System Tower, or was there some other approach?

And finally—the biggest question—would Leng Mian come here herself?

“She told me that if she entered this world herself, the System Tower would detect her immediately,” Xi Yuan said.

“When did she say that? Before you came here?” Yu Xi turned to look at him.

Xi Yuan hadn’t expected her to ask so suddenly. He hesitated slightly. He didn’t want to lie to Yu Xi, but the truth was that Leng Mian hadn’t told him this before he entered this world.

She had told him decades ago—on his own timeline—back when he returned to the Sevenfold Prison world to save Yu Xi.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Xi had clearly noticed his hesitation.

He thought back to that time, hidden within the body of Yin Yin, silently watching from mere inches away. Back then, he couldn’t speak. He wasn’t able to say a word.

Now, he could speak, but somehow, this still didn’t feel like the right moment.

Those memories—important, deeply personal moments in his life—he only wanted to share them with her.

So, he merely gave a brief answer. “Not this time. It was before.”

Yu Xi nodded. In truth, she also wanted to know whether Leng Mian would come here herself.

It had happened many times already. Since the beginning, Leng Mian had used her own power to send allies to Yu Xi’s side, people who could assist her. Yet, she had never appeared in person, and Yu Xi had never understood why.

What Xi Yuan said about “if she enters herself, the System Tower will immediately detect her” was something Yu Xi had never heard before. But if that was the reason Leng Mian had never been able to come to her directly, then it explained many of her previous doubts.

She hoped that this time, things would be different.

With the memory fragment discussion finished, they moved on to sorting through their collected items. They had stayed in “Fairy Tale Amusement Park” for 22 days. Other than Yu Xi, who participated in a nighttime amusement park game every night, Ya Tong and the others had participated in about thirteen games in total.

Since clearing a game always awarded an item, each of them had obtained at least thirteen items. While many of these were somewhat impractical, such as Yu Xi’s “Dwarf Bread,” and some were downright ridiculous, when they were all laid out together, they made for an impressive collection.

Then, Yu Xi took out Xi Yuan’s collection of items. Incredibly, he alone had obtained nearly half as many items as the four of them combined.

Xi Yuan explained that all of these were acquired in “Fairy Tale Amusement Park.” Due to his unique status at each station, he rarely received mission rewards before. He still hadn’t obtained a personal storage space, and his inventory slots were limited to fifteen, so he couldn’t carry too much.

However, because of his native resident status, he always had a reasonable amount of savings at each station and a place to stay. He would always appear in locations near his designated accommodations, so he never needed to stockpile large amounts of supplies.

The storage space in the amusement park wristband had been the first storage ability he gained in the Endless Train world. When he discovered that surviving as a Nightmare Amusement Park NPC granted item rewards, he spent a period of time working every day just to be selected for the nighttime games. Over time, the items accumulated…

“A lot of these are duplicates. You guys can split the extras, and the unique ones can go to Yu Xi,” he said, shrugging. Since he would lose his storage space upon leaving “Fairy Tale Amusement Park” and his inventory slots couldn’t hold this many items, there was no point in keeping them.

There was a wide variety of items—enhancement-type, weapons, and several with special effects, such as temporary skill boosts (though the skill obtained was completely random). There were also multiple individual sleeper cabin upgrade tickets and two team sleeper cabin upgrade tickets.

Yu Xi also noticed several round crystal-like bubbles. According to Xi Yuan, once activated, these bubbles would expand into large, thick, transparent spheres big enough for a person to enter. The sphere had an entrance that could be sealed from the inside.

While inside, the sphere would roll according to the occupant’s movements. Because the sphere was lightweight and elastic, even if it hit an obstacle, it would bounce off and continue rolling in the same direction.

It sounded absurd, but the bubble actually provided a degree of defense—it allowed the user to roll away while protecting them from attacks. However, prolonged use required an oxygen mask; otherwise, the user could suffocate once the oxygen inside ran out.

Xi Yuan said he had tested one before, during a nighttime game. At that time, he encountered a particularly strong and ruthless traveler who, for some reason, kept chasing and attacking him. Xi Yuan found it annoying—he wanted the item rewards but didn’t feel like fighting (or working hard), so he simply jumped inside the bubble and let the other traveler attack it for half an hour.

“And then?” Yu Zhenzhen asked eagerly.

“Then the game ended, and he left, of course.”

“Not bad!” She nodded approvingly.

After some discussion, everyone unanimously decided that all the crystal bubbles should go to Yu Xi—the only one without a protective shield.

Yes, even Xi Yuan had a shield. His skill was bound to his weapon—a black longsword with a burning effect—and he had also collected several high-level defense cards in his starting inventory slots.

Yu Xi looked at the pile of crystal bubbles and imagined herself rolling around inside one…

Yu Xi: …

This was ridiculous.

However, the real MVP item in this inventory review—the one unanimously voted as the most valuable—was something Yu Xi had obtained in the special event game.

It was a “Happy Four-Person Treehouse,” a shrinkable item that, when inactive, looked like a tiny decorative charm attached to a keychain. The charm featured a small green tree with a loop on top, appearing just like an ordinary trinket.

But once activated, a large simulated tree would appear on the spot, with a four-person treehouse nestled among its branches.

Inside, it was an open-concept space with a bathroom and a simple kitchen. The setup included a generator and a water tank—meaning that as long as they had fuel and water, both the kitchen and bathroom could function normally.

Although it was designed for four people, it could easily accommodate six or seven if they laid out floor mats.

Essentially, it served as a substitute for tents, portable toilets, camping tables, and chairs—a compact yet highly functional temporary shelter.

It was similar to an RV or a yacht, except that it couldn’t move once deployed. It also required careful placement and defensive measures to ensure safety.

Yu Xi considered that Xi Yuan didn’t have a storage space, and carrying tent-like items would be too inconvenient. She initially planned to let him keep the “Treehouse” so he could use it when needed, but he refused.

“I have a native resident identity at the station, so I have a place to stay. Even if something goes wrong and I need to move, I can sleep anywhere. This suits you best—you’re the only one with enough fuel and water supplies. It wouldn’t be as useful for the rest of us. Once we reach the station, let’s regroup as soon as possible.”

So, Yu Xi put it away herself.

She then thought about giving some metal ice and nutrient solutions to Xi Yuan, but his inventory slots were limited to fifteen, and each slot could only hold a single nutrient solution or one bottle of metal ice.

Metal ice was slightly better since it provided a large amount of water, with one bottle lasting a decent amount of time. Nutrient solutions, on the other hand, were a hassle—each one took up a slot and only lasted for three days.

She considered giving him a whole box, but according to inventory slot rules, once an item was unboxed, it couldn’t be placed back unless sealed in another airtight container…

In the end, Xi Yuan stored one bottle of metal ice in his inventory and put ten extra nutrient solutions into his backpack.

Sorting and organizing all their items was an enjoyable process. They spent three to four hours carefully categorizing everything before finally settling in to rest.

After Yu Xi chose her bed, Xi Yuan quietly picked the bunk below hers. When the compartment was locked and the lights were off, he stealthily climbed up the ladder and peeked his head over the edge, looking at her pillow.

“Go to sleep,” Yu Xi murmured with her eyes closed.

“You haven’t petted me today…” He scooted his face closer.

Yu Xi: ???

She opened her eyes and stared at his strikingly handsome features up close, looking completely incredulous. “Aren’t you a little too old to be asking for this?”

“Pfft…” A muffled laugh came from the other side of the sleeping compartment. Yu Zhenzhen hadn’t fallen asleep yet and had overheard everything.

Xi Yuan wasn’t bothered by being heard. He deliberately let a trace of grievance slip into his voice. “But you used to pet me all the time…”

Yu Xi fell silent, looking at him with a mixture of amusement and regret.

Xi Yuan understood that look immediately.

…It was true. People could never compare to wolves.

Feeling a little dejected, he sighed and said goodnight before preparing to climb down. But just as he turned, a hand reached out from the darkness, gently pressing against his hair.

“Goodnight, Xi Yuan,” Yu Xi said softly. “I’m really happy to see you again here.”

Xi Yuan felt the lingering warmth of her fingers.

In the darkness, his eyes turned red.

He was happy too—extremely, extremely, extremely happy.

**

The station was old and dimly lit. The walls were yellowed and blackened, covered in unknown stains and sticky residue. Overhead lights flickered unpredictably, casting the entire platform in an atmosphere of decay and desolation.

Almost as soon as the train doors opened, the waiting travelers inside instinctively covered their noses.

A putrid, overpowering stench flooded into the car—like a massive pile of rotting fish and shrimp or a heap of garbage crawling with maggots. They were completely unprepared and nearly gagged from the sheer intensity of the smell.

Fortunately, Yu Xi had stocked up on breathing masks at the last station and distributed them to everyone. Now, they all quickly retrieved their masks from their storage spaces (Xi Yuan from his backpack) and covered their mouths and noses.

According to the station announcement, there was no puzzle-solving required here—this was a physical endurance station. They were allowed to disembark through the same door, but they had only twenty minutes.

“I don’t think we’ve ever encountered a stench this unbearable at a station before. What is this place?” Yu Zhenzhen eyed the filthy, sticky ground outside and decided to keep her shield up the entire time.

Lin Wu’s voice was low and serious.

“This… is the smell of human decomposition.”