chapter 41
Jiang Li stared at the two options before her, hesitating.
The left one looked like the “Angel” choice-the one she was supposed to pick.
But choosing it would mean an innocent child and his pregnant mother would have to suffer the final consequences…
The only thing Jiang Li was certain of was that every decision she made aligned with the “Angel” role: preserving her kindness, as long as her own safety was assured.
Yet each so-called “Angel” choice only ever led to the story’s tragic ending.
One wrong step, and every step after went wrong.
Was it doomed from the very beginning…?
The “Angel” card burned hot in Jiang Li’s hand.
“Big sister, three seconds are up.” The Little Boy wiped his tears with his wrist. “Looks like you lost.”
For the first time, Jiang Li made a truly irrational decision.
The Little Boy who won didn’t look happy at all.
Instead, he turned away, sniffed quietly, and muttered, “…You should go now, big sister.”
“You lost, so I can’t grant your wish. Still, thanks for playing-no one’s played with me in so long.”
Jiang Li noticed that as the Little Boy cried, the woman who had guided her earlier appeared behind him.
She was still dragging a dead infant. Bloody tears streamed down her deathly pale face. Whenever her mouth opened, blood kept pouring out. Her throat made only muffled, choking sounds-no clear words would come.
The Little Boy’s sobbing grew more and more intense.
At the same time, Jiang Li sensed the Train collapsing around her, corrupted by the sound of his crying.
The newly repaired roof, windows, and beds rusted, sprouted weeds, and rotted before her eyes…
The entire order of time and Space began to unravel.
Huge cracks split the floor of the Train. The Space convulsed violently, threatening to swallow her up at any moment.
She was losing control of her balance.
She was going to die-
No! There was still a chance!
Jiang Li looked up at the child.
Her only way out now was to force him to be quiet!
She lunged forward with all her strength, reaching out both hands to grab him.
But, just like last time, the instant she was about to catch him, the light and shadow shifted. She missed, and fell back into her original Space.
She was back in the corridor of the Train.
Jiang Li looked around as her pounding heart slowly steadied.
She checked the carriage sign: 16.
She sped up, heading toward Carriage No.10.
But the Train felt oddly empty this time.
Jiang Li walked from Carriage No.16 to Carriage No.10 without seeing a single living person.
A suspicion flickered through her mind. She immediately checked her phone.
When she saw the time-14:09-her blood froze.
Damn…
It was after 14:00.
The Evacuation Alert had already been issued on the Train.
Everyone had probably rushed to Carriage No.9 to secure a spot.
Cursing under her breath, Jiang Li hurried toward the Dining Car.
She could only hope she wasn’t too late!
Just as she was thinking this, a surge of killing intent hit her from ahead.
A dark shadow lunged out from the side, swinging a Kitchen Knife at her neck.
Jiang Li instinctively bent backward, narrowly dodging it!
The Kitchen Knife whooshed past her throat.
Jiang Li jumped in fright.
She immediately stepped back and saw who it was.
It was a thin, bespectacled man-Glasses Man-holding a Kitchen Knife. One lens of his glasses was shattered, but the murderous glare on his face was undiminished.
Jiang Li frowned, shook her right hand, and a Brick appeared in her palm.
It was the Brick left over from the last Instance.
Glasses Man shouted and rushed her again with the Kitchen Knife.
Timing it right, Jiang Li swung the Brick hard at his glasses.
With a loud crack, it hit him square in the face.
Glasses Man staggered back two steps, and his glasses fell to the floor with a clatter.
He clutched his face, howling in pain, his cheekbone visibly knocked out of place.
Noticing his glasses had fallen, he immediately dropped to the ground and started scrambling for them like a mad dog.
Jiang Li took advantage of his blurry vision, stepped on a piece of trash, and quickly kicked it under a distant bed.
The Glasses Man thought she had kicked his glasses and immediately crawled under the bed to look.
Jiang Li seized the chance, darted around the man, and sprinted frantically toward the Dining Car refuge.
As she ran, she saw a strong Black Bear beside the corridor of Carriage No.10, “bang, bang, bang”-it was ramming the carriage window.
Again and again it seemed the glass would shatter and the bear break in.
Now she had to beware of not only people, but also bears!
Jiang Li’s face went pale as she quickly ran out of Carriage No.10.
When she reached the entrance of Carriage No.09 Dining Car, the scene nearly made her heart explode!
It was insane.
A group of people blocked the entrance, each holding a blood-soaked Kitchen Knife, all scrambling to get inside.
But for some unknown reason, every time someone got close, they were driven back-and the ones at the front ended up dead.
“Get out of the way! Anyone who comes closer, die!!!”
A familiar voice-it was Xia Xiaoqiang!
Just as Jiang Li was confused, another group was hacked down, falling one after another.
Through the gaps left by the fallen, Jiang Li saw Xia Xiaoqiang’s face clearly.
Xia Xiaoqiang stood alone at the entrance, blocking the way. Next to her, the electronic display flashed the number “39” rapidly.
Only one spot left!
Xia Xiaoqiang held a Large Machete over a meter long in her hand.
At that moment, she also saw Jiang Li at the back of the crowd.
Their eyes met, and Xia Xiaoqiang couldn’t help but feel her nose sting.
“Sis! Hurry over! There’s… only one spot left…”
As Xia Xiaoqiang cried out, the group at the entrance of Carriage No.09 gripped their Kitchen Knives tighter, glaring fiercely in Jiang Li’s direction.
Jiang Li wanted to go over.
But facing this pack of wolves and tigers at the door, could she really make it through…
Nearly a dozen people-their eyes looked as if they could burn right through Jiang Li.
The Glasses Man had also caught up from behind.
Now Jiang Li was attacked from both front and back!
“Red Infant, didn’t you say you hadn’t eaten a Heart yet? Now you have one-eat as much as you like!”
Jiang Li shouted, and the crowd swarmed to attack.
Jiang Li went for vital points, cutting down one with each strike.
Red Infant’s fighting ability was even stronger.
His skill at ripping out hearts was simply unparalleled!
Meanwhile, Xia Xiaoqiang also wielded her Large Machete, slashing at waist level.
In just a few strokes, the entrance to Carriage No. 09 was littered with bodies.
Some dead, some wounded.
The survivors were clutching their sliced-open bellies or broken arms, lying on the ground howling in agony.
Jiang Li stepped over a pile of corpses, grabbed Xia Xiaoqiang, and quickly entered Carriage No. 09.
As soon as they entered, the Staff Member slammed the door shut and locked it with a loud bang.
“All 40 passengers have arrived. Congratulations to all of you!”
The Staff Member in the Dining Car announced the good news.
As soon as the words fell in Carriage No. 09, outside Carriage No.10, the Black Bear smashed through the window and roared into the Train.
Except for Carriage No. 09, the other carriages were breached one after another by wild animals.
Whether alive or dead, everyone inside instantly became the beasts’ buffet.
The entire Train was filled with screams, the sounds of tearing and biting-pure horror!
Everywhere outside Carriage No. 09 had become a living hell…
Inside Carriage No. 09.
After Xia Xiaoqiang and Jiang Li entered, the Staff Member gave each of them a Wrist Tag.
The Wrist Tag was worn on their wrists.
Xia Xiaoqiang was No. 39, and Jiang Li happened to be the last, No. 40.
At this point, Xia Xiaoqiang was already exhausted.
Her Large Machete was covered in blood.
Xia Xiaoqiang herself was wounded in several places.
Especially on her left forearm, there was a deep knife gash.
Jiang Li supported Xia Xiaoqiang.
“Sorry, I came too late,” Jiang Li said apologetically.
But Xia Xiaoqiang shook her head and didn’t blame her. “Don’t say that, Sister Jiang. If you hadn’t helped me before, I might have died long ago.”
As the two spoke, Jiang Li sensed some unfriendly gazes.
Those gazes were filled with greed and desire.
Jiang Li looked around.
The other 38 passengers in the carriage were all suppressing their drool, staring hungrily at Xia Xiaoqiang’s bleeding left arm.
It was as if they were eyeing a delicious feast…