Gu Jiu sat in the clean and tidy studio, watching a young boy devouring his meal with gusto.
Her tone was gentle, “Don’t rush. There’s more—you can eat slowly.”
The little boy ignored her, even shifting aside slightly, and continued eating from the lunchbox.
In the real space, ghosts could revert to their human form. Xiao Hui, now appearing as a human, had a chubby, round face that was undeniably adorable and could easily win over adults.
Gu Jiu took out two cartons of milk. She placed one next to Xiao Hui, within easy reach, and held the other in her hands, sipping slowly.
She gazed out through the glass window of the studio, her eyes fixed on the other side.
Across the way, a bright advertisement board was visible on the wall, along with a subway map. Unfortunately, the subway map remained blurry, like countless black dots leaping on its surface, making it impossible to discern.
Xiao Hui finished his meal, hesitated for a moment, then picked up the carton of milk and awkwardly poked the straw into it.
When he took the first sip of the sweet milk, his face lit up with a look of surprise and satisfaction.
Gu Jiu’s attention turned to him.
Xiao Hui glanced at her warily and shuffled aside again.
Gu Jiu smiled gently, “I’ve already come all the way here. Hiding won’t do you any good! If you’re hungry, I’ve got more—lunchboxes, milk, and even snacks. You can eat as much as you like.”
“Really?” Xiao Hui looked at her distrustfully.
With a grand wave of her hand, Gu Jiu summoned over a hundred lunchboxes, dozens of cartons of milk, and several boxes of snacks, filling the studio to the brim.
The snacks were all things Xiao Hui had never seen before, but the illustrations on the packaging were enough to dazzle a little boy who had starved to death in his previous life.
“All of this is mine?” he asked repeatedly for confirmation.
Gu Jiu waved her hand casually, “It’s all yours. Don’t worry, I won’t take it back.”
Xiao Hui stared at her for a long time. Finally convinced that she wasn’t plotting anything sinister, he shooed her out.
Of course, “shooing” was only in his mind. If the young lady didn’t want to leave, Xiao Hui’s current abilities couldn’t force her out. In fact, he’d likely end up being subdued by her Hypnotic Pipe.
“I’m going for a walk. Make sure to let me out later,” Gu Jiu said, waving at Xiao Hui as she leisurely strolled out of the studio.
She wandered around the subway station. It was likely the middle of the night, as the station was eerily empty—no passengers, no staff, just a haunting silence.
Thankfully, the lights in the station were still on.
Gu Jiu meandered around the first basement level. Unsurprisingly, she found that all the subway maps were intact, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make out a single route.
She descended to the second basement level.
The second level was just as quiet—clean and orderly, as though cleaned daily. It looked like a typical scene from the real world, so spotless it carried a faint chill.
She looked up toward where the station signs should be, and, as expected, saw no names.
This didn’t surprise her.
As Chai Yingying had speculated, the game system brought in so many players with the intention of winning through sheer numbers, hoping that the players would unite. It also banked on the idea that those with special abilities would unravel the truth behind the Death Train and discover a way to clear the level.
Wan Xingzhou was one of those with special abilities.
She believed that Wan Xingzhou wasn’t the only one; there must be other players capable of uncovering the truth.
Gu Jiu wandered aimlessly around the empty subway station and eventually returned to the first basement level.
Emerging from the escalator, she looked up to see Xiao Hui standing at the studio door, peeking in her direction. When he spotted her, he quickly turned and retreated into the studio.
The moment Xiao Hui stepped inside, the space around them shifted.
It was as if the lights flickered in her vision. When the scene stabilized, she found herself back at the Death Train’s subway station—stained with mottled blood, damaged facilities, and fragments of human remains scattered on the ground.
Gu Jiu stood there for a moment before hearing the sound of hurried footsteps.
She turned to see Lu Ji rushing up from the escalator. She was incredibly fast, appearing before her in the blink of an eye.
“Ah Jiu, are you okay?” She asked, her tone laced with concern.
Gu Jiu gazed deeply at her, then shook her head with a smile.
Other players followed, running up from the escalator. Seeing that only Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were there with no other ghosts in sight, they collectively heaved a sigh of relief.
Moments ago, they had been attacked by ghosts and trapped in an illusory space conjured by them. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t escape.
They had prepared themselves for a fierce battle, only for the illusionary space to vanish suddenly, along with the gruesome ghosts.
“Miss Gu, did you make the ghosts disappear?” Chai Yingying asked with a smile. “Were you here to see Xiao Hui just now? How’s Xiao Hui doing? You didn’t beat him up, did you?”
Xiao Hui was the mini-boss of the Eighteenth Stop, and he controlled all the ghosts. His actions undoubtedly caused the sudden disappearance of the ghosts.
Gu Jiu responded with a faint, enigmatic smile. “What do you think?”
Chai Yingying stared at her, a little shocked. Did the young lady really do something as malicious as a villainess would?
Just then, Wan Xingzhou ran over excitedly. “Miss Gu, I just saw the name of Station 18!”
His words caused an uproar, sending waves of excitement through the players. They crowded around him, bombarding him with questions about the station’s name.
Wan Xingzhou announced, “The name of Station 18 is Xinghui Plaza.”
Xinghui Plaza?
Gu Jiu turned to look in the direction of the studio, suddenly understanding everything.
No wonder Xiao Hui was so unwilling to leave. She had initially assumed it was because of the Hypnotic pipe. But encountering him here again made her realize it was more than that. Now, hearing the name of Station 18, it all became clear.
Xiao Hui couldn’t bear to leave a subway station that shared a connection to his name.
The players cheered, elated to have discovered another subway station’s name.
They now knew the names of three stations.
Chai Yingying watched the jubilant players for a moment before approaching Gu Jiu and whispering, “Is this because of Xiao Hui? You didn’t kill him, did you?”
Gu Jiu cast her a sidelong glance. “Killing is the most primitive solution.”
“Then, you…”
“I gave him lots of food and drinks. He probably thinks I’m a kind and beautiful big sister, so he voluntarily let Wan Xingzhou see the subway station’s name,” Gu Jiu said with a teasing smile.
Chai Yingying was momentarily speechless.
Sure, we know you’re beautiful—you don’t need to emphasize it.
“Xiao Hui’s that easy to appease? Just give him some food and he’s fine?” Chai Yingying said, her face showing a tinge of regret. “When we ran into him last time, we should’ve given him more food and drinks. We could’ve saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”
Although she said this, deep down Chai Yingying knew that this wasn’t something just anyone could have accomplished. Only Gu Jiu could.
Gu Jiu was the first person to accidentally enter the real space controlled by Xiao Hui and also the first to give him a lunchbox. Although the little ghost probably resented her when she controlled him, once Gu Jiu voluntarily released him, her image as a “big sister” must have left a profound impression on him. That’s why Xiao Hui cared about her attitude so much.
And because he cared, Gu Jiu’s food easily won him over.
Sure enough, he was just a simple, naive child.
“Miss Gu, you’re so evil—tricking such an innocent child!” Chai Yingying said, her words full of mock condemnation, but her expression betrayed her amusement. “Next time something like this happens, let me handle it. I’d love to play the role of a caring big sister to little ghosts.”
Gu Jiu didn’t bother responding to her and instead left Station 18 with Lu Ji.
—
By the time they returned to Station 1, they had already gathered the names of six subway stations.
As the train arrived at Station 1, they saw a Hunter standing in front of the return train even before they got off.
The cloak he had worn earlier had been destroyed by Gu Jiu. Now, without his cloak, he stood there with his remaining hand gripping a large axe. Despite having only one arm, his presence and killing power were undiminished, sending chills down the players’ spines.
The axe dripped blood, and a few player corpses lay scattered across the station floor. Clearly, there had been another slaughter here.
It wasn’t hard to guess that the players who had arrived at Station 1 earlier were the victims.
The remaining players quickly made their decision: stay on the train.
The train restarted, but the Hunter turned his head to look in their direction. Even though they were some distance apart, the players felt as if a terrifying beast had fixed its gaze on them.
“I suddenly miss Sasha,” one player murmured quietly. “Compared to the Hunter, Sasha was an angel. She even let us get the name of Station 1 with some kindness.”
“Let’s not go there! Think about Sasha a few days ago—she was literally eating people.”
“I’m talking about the Sasha we have now. She’s obedient. Even Lisa doesn’t eat people anymore.”
Old Hei, rubbing his severed hand, gazed worriedly ahead. “What if the Hunter just stays there indefinitely?”
“We’ll have to fight our way through,” Gu Jiu said calmly. “But we can plan first—try to trap the Hunter and buy time until the return train arrives.”
Chai Yingying nodded in agreement. “Based on previous experiences, the Hunter doesn’t appear immediately. There’s usually some delay. From the time he appears to when the train arrives, it’s never more than ten minutes. All we need to do is hold out for ten minutes…”
The Hunter at Station 1 was indeed formidable—his strength far exceeded the standard for a C-level world.
Perhaps because his presence caused such massive casualties, the time he spent at the station was always limited. If players had to face him the moment they stepped into the station and endure for more than ten minutes, the station would likely become a graveyard for them all.
A group of players gathered together to discuss their next plan.
Fifteen minutes later, the train returned to the First Stop.
When the train doors opened, a dozen quick-footed players darted out and scanned the second basement level. After confirming that the Hunter wasn’t there, they signaled for the rest of the players to disembark.
The time between the train doors opening and closing was 40 seconds, just enough for the players to thoroughly check the second basement level and assess the situation.
“Could the Hunter be on the first basement level?” Wan Xingzhou asked nervously.
Gu Jiu replied, “Let’s go check the first level. The rest of you stay here.”
With that, thirty players headed to the first basement level.
The first level was eerily quiet—no Hunter and no sign of the little girl, Sasha.
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Although they knew that someone or something would eventually appear, the absence of immediate danger gave them a brief moment of reprieve.
Still, fearing that the Hunter could emerge from any shadowy corner, no one dared to wander far. The group lingered near the elevator, careful not to make a sound.
The silence was broken by an ominous noise.
Gu Jiu was the first to notice, turning her head toward the sound. She spoke softly, “The Hunter is here.”
The group: “!!!!”
From the dark tunnel emerged the Hunter, dragging a massive axe behind him. The weapon, though heavy, became a swift and deadly tool in his hands, slicing through the air with terrifying speed.
Chai Yingying felt a sting on her cheek. She reached up to touch it and discovered she was bleeding.
Her beautiful face was injured?!
Her rationality snapped. With a furious roar, she screamed and hurled tools at the Hunter. Unfortunately, each of her items was easily destroyed by the Hunter’s axe.
Her teammates yelled, “Sister Chai, calm down! Calm down!”
Gu Jiu joined in, shouting, “Throw more! You can do it!”
The group: “….”
Old Hei, Wan Xingzhou, Wu Yang, and the other men finally grasped how much women valued their appearance. Despite Chai Yingying’s outburst, her wild attack managed to distract the Hunter, buying the group precious time.
In the distance, they could already hear the train pulling into the station.
“The train has arrived!” a player on the second level shouted, alerting those on the first level.
Gu Jiu instructed, “You go down first.”
Some players began retreating to the second basement level, while others stayed behind, fighting desperately to hold off the Hunter.
Lu Ji retrieved a long spear and repeated his previous strategy. With a powerful throw, the spear pinned the Hunter to the wall, giving the players a chance to flee to the lower level.
By the time the Hunter broke free and gave chase, all the players had boarded the return train.