The train was approaching the third station.
Chai Yingying glanced at Lu Ji and said, “There are three stops left. If we don’t find Gu Jiu at the second or third station, I suspect she might have already boarded the return train.”
They had started their search from the 25th station, moving one stop at a time. While the journey had been relatively smooth, it was mentally and physically exhausting.
Each station posed a unique danger, opening their eyes to new horrors. Even those who rode the death train daily couldn’t accurately predict what dangers awaited at each stop. The threats and bosses in the subway stations changed daily, leaving no room for preparation.
Lu Ji remained silent, staring out at the dark train tracks beyond the window.
The train gradually slowed, and everyone turned to look at the doors.
Beep, beep, beep!
The announcement of the train’s arrival echoed.
When the doors opened, the players peered at the subway station outside. To their shock, they saw a horde of rats scurrying chaotically around the station, their presence impossible to ignore.
“Puppet rats,” Chai Yingying muttered, swallowing nervously. “It looks like the Puppet Master is at the third station today.”
Lu Ji gazed into the subway station.
Chai Yingying quickly added, “Lu Ji, the Puppet Master is incredibly dangerous. He can turn both humans and animals into puppets. If his creations swarm us, even if we could fight them off, we’d eventually be overwhelmed. It’s better not to—”
Before she could finish, Lu Ji was already dashing into the station like a gust of wind. Her black trench coat billowed as she ran, and the black sword in her hand gleamed as it cut through the air, leaving a trail of puppet rat corpses in her wake.
Although the display of strength was impressive, the sheer number of puppet rats was overwhelming. Wave after wave swarmed toward her, threatening to encircle her completely, their sharp teeth eager to tear away flesh.
The players still on the train watched anxiously. Knowing the Puppet Master was at this station, they had no intention of stepping out. They called out, trying to persuade Lu Ji to return.
Without turning back, Lu Ji said firmly, “Ah Jiu is here!”
That single sentence silenced everyone.
They knew Lu Ji had been moving station by station to find Gu Jiu. If she was indeed at the third station, there was no way she would leave without her.
Chai Yingying gritted her teeth as she watched Lu Ji kill her way through the swarm of rats. Finally, she made up her mind and followed her off the train.
The other players had no choice but to follow as well. They could only watch helplessly as the train doors closed behind them, leaving the station and taking their last chance of escape. The bitterness in their hearts was indescribable. At that moment, Gu Jiu’s image in their minds transformed into that of a femme fatale, someone who had bewitched Lu Ji to the point of disregarding her own life. Even in the face of danger, she still rushed to find her.
While fending off countless puppet rats, Chai Yingying asked, “How do you know Gu Jiu is at this station?”
“There are no paper figures here. She didn’t have time to leave them. She must be upstairs.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Ji charged toward the first underground level of the subway station.
The others struggled to keep up, forming a wedge-shaped formation behind her. Following her lead, they fought their way through the horde of puppet rats, inching toward the lower level.
Although the players were quick, the puppet rats weren’t slow either. Being small and able to scurry on the ground, they were challenging to deal with. A moment’s carelessness could result in a rat leaping onto someone and biting through their flesh.
The sharp pain brought cries of agony. Players retaliated by turning the attacking puppet rats into lifeless corpses.
Fortunately, Lu Ji had scattered a significant number of protective paper constructs around the area, preventing the players from being severely bitten.
Finally, they reached the first underground level.
The number of puppet rats in this area was staggering. The space seemed like a veritable nest of rats. None of the players had ever seen so many rats in their lives, and they couldn’t imagine where, in this enclosed subway station, such a massive horde could have come from.
Lu Ji immediately spotted a group of players huddled near the left entrance wall. They were surrounded by flames and protected by paper constructs.
“Ah Jiu!” he called out.
—
The mermaid doll, forced by Gu Jiu to devour rats, was on the verge of wanting to die.
But as a tool, it couldn’t disobey its owner’s command. It could only begrudgingly kill rats.
Created as a tool from the rules of the mermaid world, the mermaid doll not only inherited the temperamental nature of mermaids but also their powerful abilities. It possessed sharp shark-like teeth, razor-sharp claws of a top marine predator, and a strong, agile little tail.
Smack! The mermaid doll slapped several rats that had entered the circle of fire, burning them alive. With each swipe of its claws, it tore a rat into two halves.
To avoid eating the rats, the mermaid doll was fighting desperately.
Though no larger than the palm of a hand, this miniature mermaid doll demonstrated combat prowess comparable to that of a player. It even helped by using its tail to sweep the rat corpses into the flames, preventing the pileup of bodies from shrinking the players’ already limited space.
“Gu Jiu, this tool of yours is amazing!” Old Hei exclaimed with delight. With the mermaid doll, it felt as though they had gained an extra combatant.
“But its attitude is awful,” Wan Xingzhou added. “Look at it! It even rolls its eyes at us. And it flat-out refuses to eat the rats when ordered. What kind of tool defies its owner’s commands? This one’s way too full of itself.”
Gu Jiu replied calmly, “That’s just how mermaids are. You’ll get used to it.”
The sheer number of puppet rats was overwhelming, and gradually, the players began to think of retreating.
“Old Hei, we need to fall back!”
Sweat dripped like beads from Old Hei’s dark face as he swung his large machete, each strike creating arcs of light. His raspy voice responded, “The problem is, we can’t.”
The horde of puppet rats completely blocked the path back to the second underground level. Without clearing them out entirely, retreat was impossible.
What should have been a short few hundred meters felt like an unbridgeable ocean. The players were all gripped by exhaustion and despair.
It had been nearly half an hour since they entered the station. The next train was due to arrive soon, yet they hadn’t found a chance to retreat to the second underground level to board and escape.
Gu Jiu pressed her lips tightly together, knowing that her presence was the reason they were all in this dire situation.
She retrieved a few paper constructs, among them two paper cats. The moment they touched the ground, they grew into half-human-sized giant cats. Standing in front of the players, the cats shielded them from the puppet rats, giving them a moment’s respite.
The players leaned against the wall, gasping for air as they stared at the paper constructs. They knew these constructs weren’t invincible and would eventually be torn apart by the relentless puppet rats.
Gu Jiu pulled out a small painting. The palm-sized artwork was framed in gold, but the canvas inside was blank.
“Miss Gu, what are you doing?” Wan Xingzhou asked, instantly recognizing it as the Death Painting.
Back when they left the “Death Film” scenario, he had seen this Death Painting, a tool created by the game world. At the time, he hadn’t bought it, hoping to save points.
Holding the painting, Gu Jiu said, “I want to curse the Puppet Master.”
The Death Painting could be used once to cast a death curse. The target was unrestricted, making it an incredibly powerful weapon. Using it to curse the Puppet Master at this station seemed, to Wan Xingzhou, like overkill. He felt it would be a waste.
He tried to dissuade her, saying, “Miss Gu, let’s hold out a little longer. We should save it for something bigger down the road.”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and was about to activate the Death Painting when she suddenly heard Lu Ji’s voice.
“It’s Ah Ji!” Wan Xingzhou exclaimed in both surprise and joy. “Miss Gu, Ah Ji is here!”
The others were equally overjoyed. Not only had Lu Ji arrived, but she had brought reinforcements. With the additional players, they were sure to escape this predicament.
Gu Jiu didn’t respond immediately. Her eyes were fixed on Lu Ji as she carved her way through the swarm of puppet rats, wielding a black sword that felled the rodents in droves. She cut a bloody path through the horde with unyielding determination.
Her eyes didn’t blink as she watched her sprint toward them, and a faint smile curved on her lips.
Finally, Lu Ji reached them, leaping into the one-meter-high ring of fire.
With a single step, she closed the distance between them, standing mere inches from Gu Jiu. When she leaned forward, her nose was nearly brushing hers, their breaths mingling in the confined space.
Gu Jiu looked up at her with a smile. Though her breathing was uneven, her expression was calm, even tinged with amusement. “Ah Ji, you arrived so quickly.”
Lu Ji responded with a raspy hum. “I was afraid I’d be too late… afraid I wouldn’t know when I’d find you…”
As her subtle scent wafted toward him, the tips of his ears turned faintly red, and his heart thumped uncontrollably in his chest. The icy chill that usually enveloped him seemed to melt under her presence, replaced by her warmth. However, not wanting her to notice, he kept his expression cold and indifferent, though his sharp eyes stayed locked on hers.
“Well, if it isn’t you all!” Chai Yingying called out, waving casually at Old Hei and his group, clearly recognizing them.
Old Hei wasn’t surprised to see her and greeted her with a smile. “What brought you here this time? Don’t tell me someone spent points to hire you again?”
“Of course!” Chai Yingying replied matter-of-factly. “It was a hefty commission too—20,000 points and a defense item thrown in.”
Old Hei scratched his head in confusion. “You’ve already earned so many points. Why keep taking on such dangerous jobs?”
“Who would ever complain about having too many points? Did you ever think you had too much money?” Chai Yingying retorted with confidence.
Fair enough. Old Hei couldn’t argue with that logic.
While chatting with Old Hei, Chai Yingying didn’t miss the scene unfolding between Gu Jiu and Lu Ji. The two stood extremely close, their conversation seemingly normal, but the subtle yet unmistakable tension between them was palpable.
So, Miss Gu really has been won over!
Chai Yingying couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Ji’s scheming. To think this quiet and unassuming follower had the audacity to woo and win over the famously cold-hearted Miss Gu.
Wan Xingzhou was equally stunned, his nerves on edge.
He hadn’t expected that after just one day apart, Lu Ji’s emotions had grown even darker and more intense. The black desire emanating from her was almost tangible, threatening to engulf Miss Gu entirely. Just looking at it made Wan Xingzhou’s eyes ache.
Thankfully, Miss Gu couldn’t see the shadowy lust that surrounded Lu Ji, or she’d surely be terrified.
But what if Miss Gu didn’t reciprocate her feelings in the future? Would Lu Ji spiral into darkness, locking her away forever? Wan Xingzhou had heard that the silent, brooding types were the most terrifying when they snapped.
With Chai Yingying and the other reinforcements joining the fray, Old Hei and his team finally got some breathing room.
True to her reputation as the “Points Witch,” Chai Yingying took out several defensive tools, successfully holding back the tide of rats for the time being.
However, this was only a temporary reprieve. Sooner or later, they would have to fight their way out and leave the station.
Noticing the Death Painting in Gu Jiu’s hands, Lu Ji asked, “Ah Jiu, were you planning to use that to curse the Puppet Master?”
Gu Jiu nodded and smiled. “That was the plan, but now I think I can hold off a bit.” She stowed the painting away, her movements seemingly casual, though her eyes never stopped subtly observing Lu Ji.
As sharp as Lu Ji was, he immediately sensed her gaze.
But Lu Ji couldn’t figure out why Gu Jiu was sneaking glances at him. His heart was a swirl of confusion, nervousness, and a hint of fear. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had caught on to his feelings and was trying to confirm them. If she did, would she get angry? Would she decide to dissolve their partnership?
He spiraled into overthinking, imagining one scenario after another, each more anxiety-inducing than the last. Yet, on the surface, he kept a stoic expression, unwilling to betray his inner turmoil.
Gu Jiu broke the silence. “Ah Ji, are you hurt?”
“No,” he replied instinctively. “What about you?”
“I hurt my back earlier,” Gu Jiu sighed, lamenting to herself how important a woman’s back really is. With that thought, she glanced at Lu Ji.
His nerves heightened immediately. “Do you want me to help massage it? What injured you?” A dark edge flickered through his thoughts, a surge of destructive intent rising from the depths of his being—the terrifying remnant gift left by the gods.
If not for her presence grounding him, he might have lost control to that consuming urge to destroy.
Gu Jiu answered nonchalantly, “I ran into some ghostly hands at the fifth station, but they’ve disappeared now.” She rubbed her back lightly. “It’s really nothing. I already applied a heat patch. It doesn’t affect me at all.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Lu Ji again.
Lu Ji: “…”
Chai Yingying, who had been quietly observing the two, suddenly felt her thoughts take a peculiar turn. Was Miss Gu subtly trying to prove to Lu Ji that her back was perfectly fine and wouldn’t hinder… anything in the future?
—
Author’s Note:
Female Lead: A strong back is important. I’ll make sure Lu Ji is thoroughly “happy” in the future… so much that “she” won’t be able to get out of bed =-=