At Yu Chi Station, the Infinite Train sat quietly on the tracks.
Before dawn, a fierce wind began to howl through the night, carrying snow that lashed against the train’s armored seams, creating a ghostly wailing sound.
Inside the carriage, Luo Shasha clutched her rifle nervously. Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, and she occasionally glanced outside the window with apprehension.
The lights in Carriage No. 5 dimmed briefly before flickering back to life. Shasha startled, glancing upward before shifting her gaze toward the distant carriages.
In the driver’s cabin, Chen Sixuan stood perfectly still, appearing just as vigilant as Shasha.
To conserve energy, the train’s heating system had been shut off, and the temperature inside the carriages had dropped significantly. Shasha blew warm breath onto her hands and looked toward the far end of the train again.
“Chen-jiejie, are you cold?” she asked through the walkie-talkie, her unease bubbling to the surface.
Crack… “A little. What about you?” Chen Sixuan’s voice replied, calm yet tired. Shasha glanced at her watch; dawn was close, and the thought brought her some comfort.
Crack… “I’ll grab you a pair of gloves. I remember we collected some earlier,” Chen Sixuan replied.
“Okay!” Shasha rubbed her hands together, feeling the biting chill.
Yet as she turned to check, Chen Sixuan hadn’t moved. She still stood in the same spot near the driver’s cabin, motionless.
A chill crawled down Shasha’s spine. Gritting her teeth, she spoke into the walkie-talkie again. “Chen-jiejie, are you coming?”
She tried again. “Chen-jiejie, are you coming?”
A strange voice answered, not from the walkie-talkie, but from right behind her.
“I’m already here, right behind you.”
The unfamiliar voice froze Shasha in place. Her face went pale, and she whipped around with her gun raised.
There was nothing there.
The dimly lit Carriage No. 5 was filled with cold tools and storage racks, but no one else.
“What’s going on?” Shasha panted heavily, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She scanned the carriage, her wide eyes searching every shadow.
Her gaze shifted down the narrow aisle. Though the carriages were only 100 to 200 meters long, the distance felt impossibly vast. At the far end, Chen Sixuan’s silhouette remained, but now it was no longer side-on. It faced directly toward her.
Shasha’s voice trembled as she shouted, “Chen-jiejie!”
The silhouette didn’t react.
At that moment, headlights and the rumble of an engine outside caught Shasha’s attention. Relief washed over her as she realized Lin Xian and Da Lou had returned. She turned toward the window—only to find herself staring at a horrifying ghostly face pressed against the glass.
“AHHH!” Shasha screamed, stumbling back and falling onto the floor.
The train’s lights abruptly went out, plunging everything into darkness.
Shasha scrambled for her flashlight, turning it on to sweep the beam across the window. The ghostly figure was gone. The surroundings were silent again.
Heart still racing, she rose shakily to her feet. The train lights flickered back on, and a shout echoed from the far end.
“Shasha, they’re back! Open the door!” Chen Sixuan yelled.
Still disoriented, Shasha nodded and staggered to the control panel. She pressed the button to lower the hydraulic ramp.
The steel ramp of Carriage No. 5 descended slowly. Outside, Da Lou’s off-road vehicle roared onto the ramp with Lin Xian firing at the zombie horde in pursuit.
As soon as Lin Xian jumped out of the vehicle, he started the train’s engine while continuing to fire at the encroaching zombies. Meanwhile, Chen Sixuan activated the locomotive controls, and the massive train roared to life.
Shasha joined in the defense, firing a grenade launcher. The explosion tore through the zombie tide, sending flaming debris and shattered bodies flying.
Da Lou secured the car’s tow chain and fired alongside Lin Xian as they retreated into the train. The ramp retracted, and the train began to accelerate.
“Brother Lin, there’s something wrong with the train!” Shasha exclaimed as Lin Xian climbed aboard.
“On the train?” Lin Xian’s expression darkened. He handed her the iron box containing the eerie blood crystal. “Check if you can pick up any official broadcasts from Mount Daluo.”
If they accelerated too quickly, they might miss the switch to the southern line. He needed a backup plan.
“Got it!” Shasha nodded and began scanning frequencies. Lin Xian rushed toward the driver’s cabin.
The world outside was now darker than ever, the pitch-black void pressing against the train’s headlights. Lin Xian burst into the cabin, finding Chen Sixuan pale and pointing ahead.
On the tracks in front of the Infinite Train stood a grotesque, white figure. Its gangly limbs and pallid flesh resembled the earlier Pale Giant.
Lin Xian’s heart sank. The night’s hunt had stirred up something they shouldn’t have.
“Run it down!” With no way back, Lin Xian could only hope the train’s reinforced armor would hold. He activated the Mechanical Heart to enhance its defenses.
“Lin Xian!” Chen Sixuan cried out as the train surged forward.
“Hold on!” Lin Xian shoved her down and ducked low himself, letting the train charge headlong into the figure.
The Infinite Train, equipped with its Icebreaker Shield, collided with the monstrous entity, sending it tumbling beneath the wheels. A jarring screech echoed as electromagnetic interference caused the train’s lights to flicker violently.
Lin Xian looked up, relieved to see the train’s armor intact. However, the headlights could barely pierce 20 meters ahead, swallowed by the oppressive darkness.
The radar display was a mess of static and noise, rendering it useless.
“Lin Xian, we can’t see anything!” Chen Sixuan’s voice trembled as she stared at the malfunctioning radar. “Should we stop?”
The risk of derailment loomed large, and Kiki’s condition in the medical bay only added to their urgency. Lin Xian’s mind raced.
“Teacher Chen, how far is the next tunnel?”
Chen Sixuan hesitated before replying, “About 13 kilometers.”
“Then we push 10 kilometers and stop!” Lin Xian decided. Whatever they had provoked, staying at Yu Chi Station was no longer an option.
Shasha staggered down the hallway toward Carriage No. 2, keeping an ear on Lin Xian’s orders while checking on Kiki.
The sound of claws scraping and bodies climbing echoed from outside the train. Shadows danced in the dim light, revealing numerous unknown creatures assaulting the carriages.
“Stay alert!” Lin Xian shouted to everyone.
A bone-chilling cold seeped into the train as an eerie silence blanketed the night.