The first basement level of the subway station was eerily quiet.
Most of the others were active on the second basement level; few ventured up here.
Gu Jiu stepped over a patch of half-dried blood on the floor, carefully avoiding the scattered pieces of human remains. Her gaze swept across the first basement, passing over crumbling walls and large smears of blood.
When she walked past the subway staff office, she suddenly paused.
“Ah Jiu?” Lu Ji turned to look at her.
Gu Jiu said, “Let’s check inside.”
Lu Ji nodded, not stopping her. However, his gaze towards the office was deep and cautious, and he casually tossed a few small paper figures into the room.
The office door was slightly ajar. Gu Jiu pushed it open and raised her leg to kick back a dark shadow lunging toward the entrance.
The shadow flew backward, crashing into a cabinet. The cabinet swayed precariously before it collapsed under the impact, making a loud bang. Not far away, Old Hei and the others, hearing the commotion, quickly ran over.
They arrived at the doorway and peeked inside. When they saw the “person” pinned under the fallen cabinet, they were taken aback.
“Whoa, so the Hunter is here!” Chai Yingying said in surprise. “He didn’t leave after all?”
The one Gu Jiu had just kicked was indeed the Hunter from Station 17 the day before. Both of his arms were now gone, severely weakening him. That was why, when he attacked Gu Jiu, he had been sent flying back with just one kick.
No matter how vicious a murderer might be, without hands, they couldn’t do much harm.
Even without hands, though, the Hunter could still use his terrifying strength to attack players.
Like a slippery fish, he flipped the cabinet off himself and charged toward them. Old Hei, Chai Yingying, and the others stepped forward together, subduing and restraining him again as a team.
It wasn’t difficult to tie up a Hunter without hands.
As they worked to bind him, they chatted.
“Does this mean that bosses subdued by players can’t leave? Xiao Hui was an example, and now this Hunter too.”
“There’s not enough evidence yet—too few examples.”
“True. Let’s see if there are other Hunters and test it out.”
The group spoke casually, as though subduing Hunters had become a routine task, with none of their former fear or exhaustion.
Old Hei, cigarette dangling from his mouth, couldn’t help but sigh at their ease.
He turned to the players and said, “Be more cautious, will you? You’ve just learned to walk and now you want to run. If another Hunter shows up, you won’t even have time to escape, let alone subdue it. Stop dreaming!”
He felt this group was getting overconfident. Worried they might recklessly charge at Hunters in the future and lose their lives, he felt compelled to knock some sense into them.
The scolded players exchanged glances before one of them quickly said, “But doesn’t that show we have confidence in you guys?”
“Exactly! Our team now has nearly 80 people, not to mention you, Sister Chai, and Miss Gu. If you all team up, catching a Hunter would definitely be no problem!”
“Old Hei, our team isn’t what it used to be. You should have more faith in us.”
Old Hei sighed and said, “What if two Hunters appear at once?”
Everyone fell silent.
“…Old Hei, don’t jinx it! There’s only ever been one Hunter at a time!”
Their confidence stemmed from the fact that only one Hunter had ever appeared at a time.
Gu Jiu looked at the Hunter, now suspended midair by the group, and suddenly chuckled.
Her laughter drew Lu Ji’s attention. He seemed puzzled by what she found amusing but didn’t ask. He trusted her completely, regardless of what she did.
Gu Jiu said, “I wonder if other players will be scared out of their wits when they come here and see this.”
Dangling the Hunter so blatantly was undoubtedly an act of audacious retaliation.
“If they’re scared, it’s not our problem. We take no responsibility,” Chai Yingying replied with a cheerful grin. She waved at the Hunter mockingly. “Hope you’re still hanging around when we come back tomorrow!”
Hearing the commotion from upstairs, the people on the second basement level hurried up.
When they saw the Hunter strung up, their expressions were a mix of oddity and amusement, and eventually, they couldn’t help but laugh.
This was the happiest moment they had experienced since entering the Death Train world. It felt truly memorable.
Looking at the Hunter, then at their companions, they realized that even in this bloody, dark world, there was a glimmer of hope.
The courage and hope their companions brought made them feel less despairing.
They believed now—they could survive, clear this world, and leave the dark and bloody subway station behind.
—
When the train arrived, the group left Station 17 and headed for Station 16.
Today, the players traveled station by station. Each time the train stopped, they would disembark and explore the subway station. Sometimes they were lucky and encountered no danger. Other times, as soon as they got off the train, they were attacked by ghosts, undead, or puppets.
When they reached Station 9, they ran into two Hunters simultaneously.
“Old Hei, you jinx! This is all your fault!” Chai Yingying shouted angrily.
Old Hei, drenched in sweat, felt wronged. “I was just making an offhand comment! I didn’t know two Hunters would actually show up!”
The others chimed in, “Old Hei, we didn’t know you had the innate talent of a jinxed crow.”
Though their words were accusatory, no one backed down or ran away. Instead, they charged at the Hunters head-on.
Meanwhile, others stood ready on the sidelines to provide support.
Gu Jiu wielded her dagger, driving it into the wall as she used it to push off. Her body shot forward like an arrow, her crimson nails gleaming like a vengeful ghost’s claws as she slashed at the Hunter’s arm.
Her nails sliced effortlessly through the Hunter’s pale skin and bones, severing an entire arm with surgical precision.
Wan Xingzhou seized the moment, grabbed the severed arm from the ground, and stuffed it into his personal inventory.
The Hunter roared and lunged to retrieve its arm, but other players intercepted it. Gu Jiu used the same tactic to sever the Hunter’s other arm.
Players couldn’t kill a Hunter, but who said they couldn’t take its limbs?
Without arms or legs, the Hunters posed no threat.
Watching Gu Jiu slice off both arms of the Hunter, Chai Yingying gave her a big thumbs-up. “Nice work, Miss Gu! Come help us with this one!”
Old Hei swung a massive broadsword at the other Hunter’s shoulder, only to feel like he had struck a wall of iron. The blade didn’t leave the slightest mark on the Hunter’s body.
He was stunned for a moment before realizing—this was how it normally felt for players to face Hunters.
Earlier, seeing Gu Jiu easily sever the arms of both the woman in red heels and the Hunter was clearly abnormal. Normally, a C-level player facing a Hunter wouldn’t stand a chance—they couldn’t even scratch the Hunter, let alone harm it. They could only await death.
It wasn’t just Old Hei who noticed this anomaly; the others were beginning to piece it together as well.
They vaguely realized that Gu Jiu’s ability to cut off the Hunter’s arms wasn’t due to her dagger or any other tool—it was her nails.
Her blood-red nails, sharp and retractable, surpassed even the sharpness of their best tools. It was likely some sort of innate talent or skill she had awakened.
Understanding this, Chai Yingying wasted no time calling Gu Jiu over for help.
Old Hei and Chai Yingying threw aside their weapons and physically restrained the Hunter, pinning it down to give Gu Jiu a clear shot to sever its limbs.
Only after the Hunter’s arms were removed did Old Hei and Chai Yingying roll aside. They couldn’t hold back any longer and spat out mouthfuls of blood.
The Hunter’s strength was utterly terrifying. Only by confronting it directly did they truly understand how difficult it was to deal with. Even the briefest contact with it was enough to rupture their internal organs and cause bleeding.
Meanwhile, the others clumsily tied up the now-handless Hunter, binding it tightly to ensure it couldn’t move.
When the Hunter was finally restrained, the players collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
Aside from those who lacked the strength to participate and had stayed hidden, nearly everyone bore injuries, though thankfully, no one had died.
Whether it was Old Hei, Chai Yingying, or Gu Jiu, they had all fiercely protected their teammates throughout the battle.
Lu Ji took out some hemostatic medicine and gently grabbed Gu Jiu’s hand to treat the wound on the web of her thumb.
The tear in her skin was from the shockwave generated when she blocked the Hunter’s attack, a testament to the immense force it could exert.
Lu Ji’s lips pressed into a thin line, his face tense. It was taking all his self-control to suppress the destructive energy surging within him, preventing it from exploding outward.
He couldn’t afford to destroy this place. Gu Jiu was still here.
Over and over, he reminded himself of this, slowly calming his violently pounding heart.
“I’m fine. It’s just a minor injury,” Gu Jiu said with a soft smile. “Look at Chai Yingying and Old Hei—they’re hurt far worse than I am.”
Chai Yingying, weakly leaning against another female player, had just swallowed a painkiller when she overheard Gu Jiu. She wanted to roll her eyes.
Was this young lady showing off?
What was worse, Lu Ji actually responded, “You’re not like them. Their skin is thick and tough.”
Chai Yingying: “….” This was outrageous! She was also a delicate and beautiful woman—who was she calling thick-skinned?
Old Hei couldn’t hold back his laughter, even as he coughed up blood. With what little energy he had, he chimed in, “Lu Ji’s right. We men have tough skin—it’s nothing to take a few hits.”
“I’m not a man!” Chai Yingying protested.
Old Hei pretended not to hear her.
After taking down the Hunter, the group decided not to leave the station immediately. They opted to rest for a while, reasoning that as long as they didn’t exceed half an hour, they should be safe from a second wave of threats.
The medicine from Boundless City worked wonders. Gu Jiu’s wound quickly scabbed over. She wrapped a bandage around her hand to protect the scar and checked her dagger to ensure it was undamaged.
The dagger, which she had acquired in the “Death Movie” world, lived up to its reputation as an unparalleled weapon that could cut through iron like mud.
Having finished treating her own injuries, Chai Yingying slowly shuffled over to Gu Jiu.
Chai Yingying glanced at the dagger in Gu Jiu’s hand, then shifted her gaze to Lu Ji. “Lu Ji, what kind of item is that black sword of yours?”
Gu Jiu looked up at her, a flicker of emotion in her eyes.
Chai Yingying lowered her voice and continued, “Our items couldn’t even scratch the Hunter’s arms. Your black sword looks so ordinary, yet it managed to cut them off…”
Yesterday, when they saw Lu Ji effortlessly sever the other arm of the Hunter at Station 17, they hadn’t thought much of it. But after today’s encounter with two Hunters, she finally realized just how remarkable that black sword was.
“It’s a Demon Slayer Sword I got from a game world,” Lu Ji said calmly.
Chai Yingying’s eyes lit up as she fixed her with an intense gaze. “Lu Ji, would you sell it? I’ll offer 3,000 points for it!”
“No!” Gu Jiu interjected before Lu Ji could respond. “It’s Ah Ji’s weapon of choice. She’s used to it—it’s not for sale!”
Chai Yingying turned back to Lu Ji, who sat silently, taking her cues entirely from Gu Jiu. She sighed. “I figured as much…”
Her gaze at Lu Ji was filled with a mix of disappointment and frustration, as though she couldn’t believe how far she’d fallen.
Despite the dangerous situation earlier, she had noticed how Lu Ji once again stayed behind Gu Jiu, seemingly letting her take the lead. If she hadn’t seen with her own eyes how effortlessly she had sliced through the undead in the past, she might have been fooled into thinking she was entirely useless.
Even Chai Yingying’s teammates were lamenting the situation.
Lu Ji, once a formidable leader, had now become a shadow of her former self—all because of one young lady!
They longed to see the old Lu Ji dominate the battlefield once again, but instead, she seemed content to stay in the background, playing the role of Gu Jiu’s support. As long as Gu Jiu was safe, she rarely took action, seemingly coasting through every encounter.
It was heartbreaking to watch.
—
After resting for about half an hour, the group boarded the train again.
When the train reached Station 6, they were greeted by a swarm of puppet rats flooding the area.
Gu Jiu reached into her pocket and pulled out the mermaid doll. Her expression was one of tender kindness, but to the mermaid doll, it looked utterly sinister. “The rats are here. How many do you want to eat?”
The mermaid doll grabbed her sleeve with its tiny hands and shook its head furiously, like it had overdosed on denial.
It didn’t want to eat rats! Not even one!
Gu Jiu simply stared at it in silence.
The doll slowly released its grip on her sleeve, its head drooping in despair. Its entire body language screamed resignation as though its tiny life was over.
Gu Jiu placed the doll on her shoulder, and with a single slash, she cut an oncoming puppet rat clean in half. In a calm, unhurried tone, she said, “Remember, if you ever disobey me again, you’ll be eating dead rats.”
The mermaid doll nodded solemnly, committing this profound lesson to memory. It would never, ever defy her again.