All of the Red High-Heeled Woman’s attacks were concentrated on Gu Jiu.
She glared venomously at Gu Jiu, and countless blood-red threads began to spread out from her high heels. They were like a spider’s web, creating an inescapable trap that surged toward Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu retreated while slashing with the Lingyuan Blade, cutting through the blood threads that reached toward her.
Finally, she was forced back to the last carriage of the train, her back pressed against the wall with nowhere left to go.
The woman laughed eerily and maniacally, her sharp cackles echoing through the carriage. She seemed like a spider watching a helpless insect struggle futilely in its web—no matter how hard the prey fought, it could only end up as the spider’s meal.
While Gu Jiu bore the brunt of the attacks, the others finally regained their composure.
Old Hei scrambled to his feet and, seeing the scene before him, lunged forward. His steel blade hacked at the blood threads spreading across the walls, severing a few.
The others joined in, using their tools to cut the threads, preventing them from advancing further.
The Red High-Heeled Woman’s most dangerous weapon was these blood threads. They behaved like mutated spider silk; once they formed a web and ensnared a player, escape was impossible. The victim would become prey to the Red High-Heeled Woman.
Thus, players who encountered these blood-red high heels had to avoid letting her get close enough to weave her web, or they’d walk straight into their doom.
The woman ignored the others entirely, focusing on Gu Jiu. As the blood threads encircled her, cutting off any escape, the high heels clicked ominously against the bloody strands as the woman charged forward.
She moved with the agility of a spider, as though her heels allowed her to walk along the ceiling. With a single leap, she closed the distance.
Her hand shot out, slender and pale yet eerily beautiful. Her crimson nails, soaked in the color of fresh blood, were sharp and long. A single swipe could tear away half a player’s body.
Gu Jiu stood pressed against the wall as the blood threads crawled to her feet, binding her legs.
Calmly, she watched the woman approach. The sharp, blood-red nails were already closing in on her neck. The pungent stench of decay and blood wafted from the woman, carrying a suffocating aura of death.
“Gu Jiu!” Old Hei yelled, urging her to flee.
But Gu Jiu did not run. Instead, she suddenly grabbed the woman’s outstretched hand, halting the deadly nails inches from her throat.
The woman froze, stunned. She had not expected a human to seize her hand and immobilize it with such force. Her gaze shifted to the hand gripping her wrist and noticed it was more beautiful than her own—slender, well-proportioned, and elegant. Even the nails were longer and glossier, with a more striking crimson hue.
Both had hands and nails of similar kind, yet Gu Jiu’s looked far superior.
Jealousy and rage twisted the woman’s face. She let out a screech and raised her high-heeled foot, aiming to stab the sharp heel into Gu Jiu’s abdomen.
Instead of retreating, Gu Jiu advanced. Her other hand clamped down on the woman’s shoulder, her crimson nails digging deep into the scapula. Using the woman’s body as leverage, Gu Jiu propelled herself upward, evading the deadly heel and twisting the woman’s arm with a sudden, brutal motion—ripping it clean off.
The others, who had rushed to help: “…”
A piercing, bloodcurdling scream erupted from the woman.
Whether it was the Lingyuan Blade or the Banshee’s Claw, both inflicted real damage on spirits and monsters. The woman’s agonized scream was so sharp and harrowing that it hammered into the players’ minds, leaving them momentarily disoriented.
The sonic attack was devastating.
Old Hei clutched his head with one hand, struggling to maintain focus.
This was the first time they realized that the Red High-Heeled Woman’s scream was another terrifying weapon. If any other monsters launched an ambush at this moment, they would be utterly defenseless.
Fortunately, the Red High-Heeled Woman had always preferred working alone and never collaborated with other murderous monsters, so there was no need to worry about an ambush.
“Ding-ding-ding!”
The train’s arrival announcement sounded, as soothing as a heavenly melody.
Li Jing and Pang Hou shouted, “The doors are open!”
“Gu Jiu, hurry!” Old Hei rushed forward, driving his steel blade into the ground. A burst of energy tore through the surrounding web of blood threads, creating a clear path to Gu Jiu’s feet.
Gu Jiu had initially intended to make another move, but Old Hei seized the opportunity to grab her hand and pull her along. With no choice, she followed, dragging the Red High-Heeled Woman’s severed arm with her as they dashed off the train with the other players.
The Red High-Heeled Woman, enraged, gave chase.
As she stepped off the train, Li Jing and the others, who had been waiting by the doors, unleashed their attacks without hesitation, forcing her back onto the train.
Ding-ding-ding!
The train doors closed again.
The sealed doors blocked the Red High-Heeled Woman’s pursuit. She pressed against the window, her black pupils filled with venomous malice, glaring at them with a mix of hatred and despair. Her sharp nails scratched at the train’s glass, screeching as though trying to break through, but no matter how hard she tried, the window remained intact.
Old Hei bent over slightly, watching the train depart with the woman still inside. Catching his breath, he said, “Even though these monsters are powerful, the subway station and the trains aren’t ordinary. There’s no way they’d let her break the windows so easily.”
As long as the train doors were closed, the world inside and outside the train were completely separate.
Gu Jiu watched the train disappear into the dark tracks before finally turning her gaze to the severed arm in her hand.
Everyone else’s eyes followed her movement, landing on the arm as well.
Their expressions twisted into disbelief as someone asked incredulously, “You even brought that thing off the train?”
“There wasn’t time to throw it away,” Gu Jiu said with a shrug. Though she found the severed arm rather repulsive, she’d already handled Lisa’s hand before, so holding this didn’t feel much worse. Casually, she stuffed the arm into the same storage pouch that had previously held Lisa’s hand.
One of the group shuddered and asked, “You’re keeping it?”
“Why not?” Gu Jiu replied nonchalantly. “Littering is bad, and besides, it’s her hand. I’ll just give it back to her the next time we meet.”
The group: “….” Are you seriously planning to meet her again, just to annoy her to death?
Although they’d seen Gu Jiu’s extraordinary abilities back at the first station, they hadn’t expected her to be this bold.
The Red High-Heeled Woman was the nightmare of the train. Who would have imagined someone tearing off one of her arms, only to plan to politely return it later?
If they were the woman, they’d probably cough up blood in rage and beat Gu Jiu to death.
So, she did it on purpose, didn’t she?
While the group’s attention lingered on the train disappearing into the darkness, they hadn’t forgotten their surroundings.
This was Station 18.
Forced off the train by the Red High-Heeled Woman, they hadn’t had a chance to assess their current location. For players, being ejected from the train wasn’t unusual, but stepping off didn’t guarantee safety.
The group cautiously surveyed the station. Li Jing helped Old Hei straighten up. “Old Hei, are you okay?”
Old Hei slowly stretched his back. “I’m fine, just some pain in my lower back.”
Earlier, the Red High-Heeled Woman had kicked him hard against the train wall, the impact hitting him squarely. Pain was inevitable.
“A back injury needs proper care,” Gu Jiu said. “Whether you’re a man or a woman, your back is important. I’ve got some patches for back pain. Want a few?”
Old Hei: “…Why do you even carry those?”
Gu Jiu replied casually, “I hurt my back when I was hit by a ghost doll shortly after becoming a player.”
Well, it seemed that even the strongest had humble beginnings. Gu Jiu was no exception.
Old Hei accepted the patches and couldn’t help but laugh heartily. The other players, initially a bit on edge after witnessing Gu Jiu’s fierce encounter with the Red High-Heeled Woman, felt their tension dissipate as smiles crept onto their faces.
The B2 level of Station 18 appeared safe.
The players searched the area thoroughly and found no immediate dangers. Their attention shifted to the B1 level above.
If B1 was also safe, they could rest here tonight and recharge for the battles to come.
Gu Jiu glanced at Old Hei. “Shall we head up?”
Old Hei stretched his muscles, then straightened the slightly bent edge of his steel blade and sheathed it at his waist. Smiling, he said, “Let’s go. I’m feeling much better now. Those patches are pretty effective.”
“They’re from the pharmacy in Boundless City. Quality guaranteed.”
The men nearby chuckled. “We’ve stocked up on all kinds of medicine but never thought about bringing something like back patches. Guess we’ll need to from now on. If we really mess up our backs, where’s the dignity in that?”
All the men understood the underlying implication.
But what made them feel a bit embarrassed was Gu Jiu’s expression. Her face seemed to say, ‘I understand completely’, making it hard for the men to continue their banter without blushing.
Sigh. Making suggestive jokes in front of a gorgeous and badass woman wasn’t as easy as they thought.
The group made their way to the escalator.
The escalator was long and straight, with no turns. Any potential dangers could be spotted at a glance, making it safer than the stairs.
Old Hei and Gu Jiu led the group, while the others followed closely behind.
The ascent to B1 was uneventful—calm and quiet.
Seeing that the area appeared safe, Old Hei instructed the group to split into pairs to explore. “If anything happens, shout immediately.”
Old Hei and Gu Jiu stuck together, scanning their surroundings as they walked.
The subway station looked surprisingly new, as though it had just been built. Of course, it was possible that its upkeep had been meticulous. However, the pristine condition of the facilities added to the eerie sensation of realism when they were damaged by terrifying forces.
The floor was littered with dried bloodstains and shards of broken glass. At the entrance gates, the metal barriers lay sprawled haphazardly across the ground.
The two continued exploring as they walked. When they passed the subway staff’s office, they decided to take a look inside. The room was a mess—desks, chairs, and cabinets had all been smashed and overturned, scattered across the floor.
Old Hei uprighted a toppled metal cabinet, while Gu Jiu straightened a fallen desk. Suddenly, Gu Jiu bent down to peer underneath it.
“What is it?” Old Hei asked warily, striding over.
Gu Jiu didn’t reply but gestured for him to take a look.
Old Hei crouched down and came face to face with a small ghost hiding under the desk.
It was a little boy, his body covered in blood. He had curled himself up in the darkest corner of the room. When they discovered him, he didn’t cry, scream, or attack. He simply stared at them silently with eyes that were completely black.
Old Hei chuckled. “You little ghost, why are you hiding here?”
The ghost boy continued to stare in silence, saying nothing.
Old Hei reached out toward him, but the boy jerked away, burying his face in his knees and refusing to be pulled out.
In the end, Old Hei gave up on dragging him out.
As they left the office, Old Hei rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The subway station is crawling with ghosts and monsters, but harmless ones like that boy are rare. Can’t tell if he’s really weak or just pretending.”
Gu Jiu smirked. “Then why didn’t you kill him?”
Player tools were capable of killing ghosts. After all, ghosts weren’t immortal.
“No need to add to the body count,” Old Hei said. “It’s not like he wanted to become a ghost. What if he’s innocent and never did anything wrong? Killing him would feel like overkill. Besides, you didn’t do it either.”
Gu Jiu smiled but didn’t respond.
After thoroughly inspecting Station 18, top to bottom, they confirmed it was safe.
The group finally relaxed.
“Finally, we can get some proper rest.” Li Jing stretched, and as his shirt rode up, it revealed a set of well-defined abs—quite impressive.
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but glance over.
Li Jing blushed, quickly lowering his arms. Normally, he wouldn’t think twice about being shirtless, but her gaze made him self-conscious.
Seeing her still looking, he stammered, “What—what are you looking at?”
Gu Jiu replied nonchalantly, “Nothing.”
Nothing? Then why are you looking? Li Jing wondered, his face turning even redder. Does she… have a thing for me?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Gu Jiu said, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I probably like women more. I’m not interested in men at the moment.”
Li Jing: “….” Thunderstruck. Are all the good women now “self-sufficient” or what?