Gu Jiu stepped out of the stalled elevator, arriving at the second underground level of the subway station.
The situation on the second underground level wasn’t any better than the upper floors. Bloodstains were splattered everywhere, and marks from sharp weapon attacks could be seen throughout. A vending machine near the elevator entrance had been severed in half, leaning precariously, its contents already emptied.
This time, the little girl in the red dress, Sasha, and her doll were nowhere to be seen on the second underground level.
However, Gu Jiu remained cautious. Her steps were light as she moved in the direction where the little girl had previously appeared.
Rounding the automatic escalator, she arrived at the central area of the subway station. The space here was more open, yet still devoid of any living creatures other than herself. The eerie silence was enough to unsettle anyone.
The second underground level wasn’t particularly large; it took her less than ten minutes to make a full circuit.
On either side of the level were train tracks, presumably for inbound and outbound trains, just like a regular subway station.
There was no subway map here either. The area where the map should have been displayed had similarly been scraped by some sharp tool, rendering the chart illegible. From the remaining faint markings, she could deduce that this route had no fewer than 25 stations.
With 25 subway stations, there might be one or two trains. The players’ activity area this time was indeed vast.
Gu Jiu couldn’t determine which station she was currently at. She’d have to wait for a train to arrive to assess the situation.
She glanced at the LED display hanging above her. The display was dark, providing no time information, leaving her clueless as to how long it would take for a train to arrive.
As Gu Jiu patiently waited for a train, an unusual noise broke the silence of the subway station.
Zzz-la zzz-la!
It sounded like metal scraping against the ground, coming from afar. The noise was distant at first, and Gu Jiu instinctively looked up.
The sound was coming from the first underground level.
Gradually, the noise became clearer, as if someone was dragging a heavy metal object while walking slowly. The sound began descending the staircase. With each step, the metal object struck the solid stone stairs, creating a thump-thump-thump sound.
Gu Jiu turned to look at the staircase beyond the elevator entrance.
Between the first and second underground levels, passengers could use three types of passages: an elevator, an escalator, or a staircase. The elevator was out of service and completely unusable, leaving only the escalator and the stairs as viable options.
Someone was descending the stairs, dragging a heavy metal object in their hand—possibly an axe.
Finally, the figure emerged at the bottom of the stairs.
Gu Jiu retreated behind the escalator, peering toward the glass window outside the train tracks.
The scraping noise grew louder and closer until she finally saw the figure through the glass.
It was a person cloaked in a large black hooded cape, entirely concealing their identity. It was impossible to determine whether they were male or female. The figure was tall, at least two meters in height, and was dragging a massive axe. The axe was rusted and stained with fresh, still-dripping blood. As it scraped along the ground, it left faint bloodstains in its wake.
Gu Jiu suppressed her breathing to an almost imperceptible level. When the figure dragging the axe approached, she deliberately avoided facing them head-on.
The cloaked figure patrolled the second underground level, dragging the massive axe behind them as if inspecting their territory.
Gu Jiu circled cautiously around the cloaked figure, keeping a safe distance while remaining vigilant for any signs of the little girl, Sasha, and her doll, Lisa.
Fortunately, Sasha did not appear.
It was unclear whether the relationship between the cloaked figure and Sasha was one of mutual avoidance, or if there was some other dynamic at play. With too little information at hand, Gu Jiu could only suppress her thoughts and wait patiently.
After finishing its patrol, the cloaked figure did not leave the second underground level. Instead, it stood motionless in front of the right train track.
Gu Jiu’s gaze shifted toward the right track.
The right track remained silent, but from the left track came the loud rumble of an approaching train, the sound distinctly signaling its arrival, as if alerting passengers.
The right train didn’t arrive, but the left one did.
What was about to happen?
The left train finally pulled into the station, and Gu Jiu noticed the route map lights on the train flickering on, marking the first station on the route.
The first station? Was this where she had ended up?
Before she could process this realization, the train doors opened, and a dozen or so passengers, their faces taut with tension, hesitantly stepped out. Upon seeing the cloaked figure with the axe, their expressions instantly changed.
“The Hunter is here!”
“Get back on the train! It can’t board the train!”
“Damn it, just our luck to run into the Hunter today!”
The group erupted into a panic, their voices trembling with fear. Some turned back immediately, scrambling onto the train, while others stayed frozen, cautiously watching the cloaked figure.
The cloaked figure turned its gaze toward them.
The train wasn’t going to wait for long. Just like a regular subway, it emitted a beeping sound to signal that the doors were about to close. Realizing this, the passengers reluctantly retreated back onto the train, unwilling to face the cloaked figure directly.
Hidden in the blind spot of the cloaked figure’s vision, Gu Jiu suddenly darted forward, making a run for the train.
The moment she emerged, the cloaked figure moved as well. Despite its towering stature, it charged at her with a speed that seemed utterly disproportionate to its size.
This time, Gu Jiu ran faster than she ever had in her life. Even so, she could feel the oppressive, metallic tang of blood in the air—the deadly aura emanating from the massive axe.
Suddenly, she sensed a cold killing intent bearing down on her from behind. Acting purely on instinct, she ducked low, shifting her weight to the right. Her momentum from running so fast nearly caused her to stumble and slide sideways.
The passengers on the train, who hadn’t expected someone to be hiding in the subway station, held their breaths as they watched her narrowly dodge the axe aimed at her head.
The cloaked figure’s first swing missed. The second swing came almost immediately, and Gu Jiu could feel death breathing down her neck. Her heart pounded violently as she pushed off with her foot in a desperate burst, throwing herself forward and diving headfirst into the train just as the doors began to close.
The cloaked figure’s axe struck the closing doors with a deafening screech.
Inside, Gu Jiu couldn’t control her momentum and tumbled forward, only stopping when she crashed into the opposite wall of the train car. The impact was so forceful that the entire section of the train seemed to shake from the collision, a testament to how hard she had hit.
The train began to move.
The passengers on board stared at her with wide eyes, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
Gu Jiu clambered up, her face smudged with dust. This was the first time since becoming a player that she had encountered such a perilous situation. Even when she first entered the game world with no resources and was attacked by a ghost doll during the night, it hadn’t been this dangerous.
At least back then, though death loomed near, there had been Lu Ji at her side.
This time, survival depended entirely on her own desperate efforts.
Her heart pounded violently, cold sweat mixing with hot sweat as it poured from her body. Within moments, her clothes were soaked, and even her hair dripped with sweat.
Seeing her in this state, the passengers in the train gave her sympathetic looks, though their sympathy carried a tinge of self-pity. After all, everyone here was trapped; it seemed easier to sympathize with themselves than with others.
“Sis, you okay?”
Leaning against the wall to catch her breath, Gu Jiu raised her head. Standing five meters away was a robust, dark-skinned man with a commanding aura. He maintained a cautious distance. His outfit was tight-fitting and practical for combat, though it was wrinkled and stained with dust and blood.
The man’s hardened demeanor suggested he had been through countless battles. His sharp gaze carried an intensity that made him seem dangerous, like someone forged on a battlefield.
Gu Jiu glanced around at the rest of the passengers in the car. There were thirteen of them in total. Each gave her the same impression as the man—seasoned individuals who had been through numerous trials.
They kept a careful distance from her, as if wary of being misunderstood or simply out of an ingrained sense of caution.
“I’m fine. Are you all players?” she asked directly.
The dark-skinned man nodded. “Don’t worry, we’re players. Otherwise, we’d have attacked you already.” He sighed heavily. “In this place, aside from us players, everything else is a murderous maniac or a flesh-eating monster. Even if you want to run, there’s nowhere to go.”
Another person nearby added, “Luckily, those creatures don’t easily board the trains. At least it’s relatively safe in here.”
The others nodded in agreement, offering Gu Jiu a small measure of reassurance.
“Sis, are you a new player?” the dark-skinned man asked.
Gu Jiu nodded. It wasn’t something worth hiding. She had only just entered the game world and didn’t know much about it. These people likely already knew that without her needing to say it.
Introductions followed. The dark-skinned man introduced himself as “Old Hei.”
Old Hei asked, “Sis, how did you end up at the first station? The first station is notorious for being dangerous—it’s got both the Hunter and the little girl, Sasha. Players avoid getting off here whenever they can.”
Gu Jiu replied, “I started at the first station.”
The other players gasped, their expressions filled with sympathy. Someone asked, “Did you run into the little girl, Sasha, and her doll, Lisa?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “I did.”
The sympathy in their eyes deepened, mixed now with a hint of scrutiny.
Old Hei gave her an approving look. “Sis, if you ran into them and still survived, you must be pretty strong!”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly but didn’t elaborate. Instead, she asked, “What about you? Why did you come to the first station?”
“We didn’t have much choice,” Old Hei replied. “As players, we have to board the train every day. Even if we don’t want to, certain… things force us to. We’re constantly looking for a safe station to rest. We can’t keep fighting all the time—people need rest.”
“Exactly. Every day feels like a never-ending escape. We’re running ourselves into the ground, and there’s no telling when we’ll clear this place and get out.”
“We haven’t found a safe station today. Once the train stops again, let’s hope that Hunter is gone.”
“Yeah, and let’s hope neither the Hunter nor Sasha shows up, so we can board smoothly and leave the first station.”
……
Before Gu Jiu could ask further questions, the passengers began speaking over one another in a chaotic flurry of words. It was clear that their mental states were highly unstable, and they desperately needed an outlet. Their complaints seemed to be a way of venting their frustration.
Amid the noise, Gu Jiu managed to extract some key information from their chatter.
“When the train stops later, it will return to the first station?” she asked, surprised.
Old Hei nodded and explained, “Yes. After we boarded earlier, we came from Station 16. There are two trains running on this subway line. One travels from Station 25 to Station 1, while the other is the return train, going from Station 1 back to Station 25. Station 1 is considered a transfer station. Players must disembark at Station 1 and board the return train heading in the opposite direction.”
“Typically, the return train takes players to a safe station to rest. However, players can only board the return train starting from Station 1 each day.”