What malicious intent could NPCs possibly have? C43.2

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Chp43. part2

The next carriage was flooded with blood.

It looked as if someone had been slaughtered and bled dry here, the floor submerged in the crimson tide. The dry patches were stained with chaotic footprints, each one a bloody mark.

Some of the seats remained, others had been dismantled, scattered haphazardly across the floor. All of them were stained with blood.

The carnage was so brutal, it was impossible to imagine what had happened here.

Only a few people remained in the carriage.

They were likely the winners of the previous round’s Step Counter competition, who had placed in the top three.

After enduring so many rounds, the survivors stood scattered along the walls, their expressions cold and detached. They kept their distance from each other, none trusting the others.

In this blood-soaked, hellish scene, one person stood out. When Ning Ge and the others entered, he raised a hand and waved cheerfully.

He was a young man with strikingly red lips and skin so pale it seemed almost translucent, revealing the faint blue veins beneath. His eyes were so beautiful that everyone couldn’t help but steal a second glance—he was undeniably striking.

He wore a loose, dark red hoodie and khaki pants, with a black stud in one ear.

As if disgusted by the blood-soaked floor and seats, he carefully perched on the narrow window ledge, his snow-white shoes resting on the steel frame of a broken seat.

He waved at Pei Han and the others, smiling as he spoke, “I saw you through the glass door just now. You’re Pei Han, aren’t you?”

Pei Han was well-known, so it was no surprise that this person knew him. Pei Han hummed in acknowledgment.

Being acquainted with Pei Han means he’s not a novice player, Ning Ge thought. Yet they don’t recognize him, so he’s not one of the famous Alphas.

Only a few people remained in the carriage. The blood on the floor suggested a fierce battle had occurred here. Yet this man’s demeanor was relaxed and natural, unlike the tension of the others, which instinctively made Ning Ge wary of him.

He, however, was curious about Ning Ge. He leaned past Pei Han, tilting his head to scrutinize Ning Ge behind him, and raised a hand to wave at her.

“I’m Wei Jue. What’s your name?”

Wei Jue, Ning Ge thought. Sounds like a hearing-related name.

“Ning Ge,” she replied curtly.

Wei Jue pressed, “Which character? The one for ‘song’?”

“The one for ‘dove’.”

Wei Jue chuckled. “So you’re a bird. Little bird, haven’t you noticed? We’re practically wearing matching outfits.”

Ning Ge wore a bright red T-shirt, which was indeed the same color family as his hoodie. However, her color was more vibrant, while his was a dark red, like congealed blood.

Ignoring his comment about matching outfits, Ning Ge asked, “Why is there so much blood in this carriage?”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either,” Wei Jue said with a smile. “I’ve been walking backward, one carriage at a time, and just stopped here.”

He was another one who had heard Lu Juan’s announcement and was heading toward the rear of the train. He had likely been in the carriage just ahead of Ning Ge and the others, so they hadn’t encountered him earlier.

Pei Han clearly disliked Wei Jue’s “matching outfits” comment. He asked coldly, “Why didn’t you keep going forward when the door opened earlier?”

Wei Jue replied matter-of-factly, “Why would I? I was waiting for you guys, of course. Since we’re all heading to the back anyway, we might as well stick together.”

He hopped down from the narrow windowsill, carefully stepping over the bloodstains on the floor, determined to keep his pristine white shoes clean. He then casually approached Ning Ge and the others.

He glanced at Owen and asked, “What about you? What’s your name?” Before Owen could answer, he continued, “Never mind. Just a random passerby.”

This nearly made Owen choke on his breath.

The other passengers in the carriage silently listened to their conversation, none venturing to speak.

Wangjili station arrived quickly.

The train slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open.

Two LED strips along the ceiling of the carriage, which had been providing the lighting, suddenly flickered as the doors opened.

When Ning Ge looked up, the world went dark.

It was pitch black, so dark that even the display screen at the front of the carriage remained unlit.

It was as if the power had gone out completely.

Ning Ge thought, It really must be a full power outage. Even the broadcast didn’t come on this time. Not only was Lu Juan silent, but even the female voice that usually announced the missions remained unheard.

Outside the carriage, it was completely dark. The moment the lights went out, the interior of the carriage instantly became so dark that she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

As the lights flickered out, Ning Ge felt Pei Han immediately pull her close, shielding her between himself and the carriage wall.

She instinctively glanced at her bracelet and found that even the time display, which had always been lit, was gone and wouldn’t turn back on.

They’re deliberately plunging us into complete darkness.

In the pitch black, someone asked, “What’s going on?”

But no one answered.

The train was stopped, the doors were open, and the lights were out. In this situation, making any noise would be foolish.

Ning Ge reached out and felt around next to her, her fingers brushing against Owen’s soft, plush coat.

Owen didn’t speak but gently patted her hand, signaling her not to touch things unnecessarily.

Everyone’s here. Ning Ge felt a little relieved.

Teacher Wu seemed to be right next to Owen, and Wei Jue was also nearby.

Ning Ge reached out and placed her hand on Pei Han’s back.

He felt like his back was against her, meaning he was facing away from her, toward the outside.

A strange sound came from the car door—faint but distinct, a rustling, eerie sound.

The sound entered the carriage and seemed to stop at the entrance.

The moment the lights went out, everyone instinctively retreated to the carriage walls, now holding their breath.

They didn’t know what had entered, and the thing had gone silent.

The situation remained tense.

Ning Ge thought, based on the pattern of previous stops, most stops lasted about half an hour. Only the last stop, when the Step Counter was activated, lasted a bit longer, but still less than an hour.

So, whatever that thing was, as long as they could hold out for a few dozen minutes, they’d probably be safe.

Ning Ge felt Pei Han’s muscles tense beneath his clothes, like a leopard poised to pounce, ready to fight the unknown thing lurking in the darkness.

A sound came from the opposite side of the carriage, as if someone had stumbled over a seat.

The rustling sound suddenly erupted and lunged toward that direction.

Ning Ge heard a sharp, piercing scream erupt, the sound piercing the darkness and reverberating through her eardrums.

It was followed by an abrupt silence.

The metallic tang of rust in the air grew stronger, now mingled with the fresh, coppery scent of blood.

No one dared make a sound.

The creature attacking them also fell silent, seemingly relying solely on sound to locate its prey.

With this side of the carriage so quiet, they could faintly hear chaos erupting in the next car over.

It was the Step Counter carriage they had just left. Desperate screams and frantic running filled the air.

Ning Ge guessed that because that car was so crowded, they hadn’t been able to remain completely silent after the lights went out.

The monster had easily found and attacked them, and their constant noise had prevented them from realizing the crucial rule: silence was survival.

Ning Ge groped blindly in the dark, unable to find what she was looking for.

She then placed her hand on Pei Han’s back and began tracing the contours of his spine.

Ning Ge could clearly feel the muscles in Pei Han’s waist and back tightening, even more so than before. Knowing his personality, she suspected he was embarrassed.

Ignoring whether he was blushing or not, Ning Ge unceremoniously let her hands slide down his body until she found the strap of the single-shoulder bag he was wearing. Following the strap, she located the bag itself.

So that’s why she couldn’t find it—he’d pulled the bag in front of him.

Ning Ge reached the bag’s opening.

Fortunately, the zipper wasn’t fully closed; it was slightly open, so she didn’t have to pull it, which would have made a noise.

Ning Ge quietly slipped her hand through the small opening and carefully rummaged through the bag, her fingers brushing against the cold tools inside.

The commotion next door grew more horrific.

Many people were wailing and screaming—sounds so saturated with despair they seemed to emanate from hell itself.

The pressure was too much; someone couldn’t hold on.

A soft sob reached her ears.

It came from this carriage, just a few steps away from where Ning Ge and Pei Han were standing.

Though faint, the sound was unmistakable.

The monster waiting in the middle of the carriage immediately moved.

A series of faint, rustling sounds rapidly approached. In the complete darkness, Ning Ge felt something brush past her side.

It carried a gust of wind and a strange, fishy smell, metallic yet reminiscent of a seafood market.

The creature moved with lightning speed, its rustling sounds fading into the corner in an instant.

The person who had been hiding in the corner and crying out now realized the danger and bolted. Ning Ge heard the creature immediately pursue the fleeing footsteps.

In the ensuing chaos, the carriage filled with the sounds of people fleeing and the creature’s relentless pursuit.

Now.

Ning Ge gently pressed the item she had finally obtained. Click.

The soft click was drowned out by the sounds of pursuit.

The pitch-black carriage immediately lit up.

Ning Ge held a flashlight in her hand.

The flashlight wasn’t large, but its beam was far brighter than she had expected. A stark white light shot out, unceremoniously illuminating the center of the carriage.

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