Chapter 326: On the Train
There were a few other people in the station, but they all stood in different spots, minding their own business. Players kept their distance, wary of each other but not interfering. The few in the corner showed no interest in the others either; even as players appeared one after another, they didn’t lift their heads, merely eating instinctively.
Xu Huo only glanced over before withdrawing his gaze. His train arrived soon, and with a shift in his field of vision, he was transported onto the train.
“Welcome aboard the Dimension Crack Game Special Train. This train will depart from the E-Class starting station and head to a D-Class station. Please ensure your personal safety while boarding in an orderly manner and abide by the train rules.”
“The train rules are as follows:”
“1. Do not bring non-game items onto the train.”
“2. You must make a purchase.”
“3. Do not turn on the lights after lights-out.”
“Additionally, the train encourages various leisure activities such as sneak attacks, fights, and hunting. Please feel free to choose.”
“Wishing you a pleasant journey.”
After the familiar announcement, Xu Huo had already grasped the general situation inside the carriage.
Six players had boarded with him from the station. Combined with the seven already in the carriage, there were now thirteen players total. Figures could also be seen in the carriages ahead and behind, quite a few in number.
A projection timetable on the front door of the carriage scrolled to show the names of upcoming stops.
With the start of D-Class instances, the number of players taking the train had surged. The trains no longer went directly to a single station; instead, players constantly got on and off, multiplying the risk factor.
Fortunately, all the stations listed on the timetable were D-Class stations, meaning the vast majority of players on board should be D-Class players.
“Hey, big brother, want to buy some good stuff?” A man who looked like a skinny monkey sat down in front of Xu Huo and addressed the burly man wearing a sleeveless leather jacket. “Everything I’ve got here is top-notch. I guarantee it’ll blow your mind!”
As he spoke, he pulled open half his clothes to display his wares, giving off the vibe of those guys who used to sell little books and CDs on trains.
The burly man was sharpening a bone and didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Get lost!”
The skinny monkey grinned and said, “Don’t be so grumpy, big brother. I’ve also got a bone-sharpening knife specially for human bones. It was once a collector’s item from a C-Class player. Who knows how many bones it’s ground down under that blade? The edge is polished so bright it’s dazzling even when you take it out at night!”
Hearing this, the burly man finally showed some interest. “Let me see it. If it’s no good, watch your head!”
The skinny monkey flipped his hand and produced a short knife with a jade handle. The blade was indeed as shiny as he’d claimed; under the fully transparent windows, it was almost impossible to look at directly with the naked eye.
The burly man’s breathing changed. He immediately asked, “How much?”
“Seeing how fated we are to meet, I’ll knock off the odd change. How about this number?” The skinny monkey held up three fingers. “Ten thousand.”
The burly man frowned. “Too expensive.”
“Oh, come on, big brother! You don’t look like someone short on cash. As the saying goes, ‘Sharpening the axe won’t delay the chopping of wood.’ If you buy a good knife outright, you save all the trouble of sharpening. Thirty thousand white notes is a real steal!” The skinny monkey hurriedly added, “I’m always moving around on this train. Not a single customer who’s bought from me has complained. I’ve got plenty of repeat customers!”
The burly man tested the knife on the bone and found it quite handy, but he only paid twenty thousand white notes. Then he shoved the skinny monkey away. “Get lost.”
The skinny monkey yelled in anger, but when he saw the other man raise his fist as if to strike, he immediately turned and walked away.
“Idiot.” A player wearing a hat to Xu Huo’s right cast a contemptuous glance at the smug burly man.
The skinny monkey glanced at him but didn’t approach. His eyes swept around the carriage and finally landed on Xu Huo. Just as he was about to head his way, he looked toward the front carriage, stopped selling his goods, walked a few steps to the last row, sat down, and pulled his coat over his face, pretending to sleep.
A few seconds later, the carriage door opened. A flashily dressed man, clearly furious, strode in and raised his voice to ask, “Have any of you seen that scrawny monkey selling items?”
No one in the carriage spoke. The man punched the wall of the carriage. “Has anyone seen him?!”
“Who do you think you’re yelling at? Pretty big mouth you’ve got there.” A female player sitting in the front raised her hand and waved. The carpet in the aisle suddenly stood up, striking out several times like a living person, forcing the man back to the door. Then it gave a violent shake, blowing dust and dirt from the fabric right into the man’s face.
“Pah!” The man smacked his lips repeatedly, ready to make a fuss, but the carpet lay flat again and returned to the floor.
The female player examined her nails, glanced at him, and laughed. “How strange. I’ve never seen anyone trying to pick a fight with a rug.”
Laughter rippled through the carriage. Before anyone knew which player had pulled the trick, the carriage door slammed shut with a bang just as the man reached it.
The man’s anger turned to a cold laugh. He nodded repeatedly. “Fine. You all better watch out!”
“Coward!” A baby-faced man sitting in the back sneered, then asked the pretending-to-sleep skinny monkey, “That disguise item of yours is pretty fun. Can you sell it to me?”
The skinny monkey, now with a completely different appearance—looking like a frail young man—pulled open his clothes and smiled apologetically. “Don’t make things hard for me. It’s a tool for earning a living and staying alive. I can’t just sell it casually.”
The baby-faced man didn’t press further, but the burly man who had bought the knife walked over and grabbed the skinny monkey, lifting him up. “Why was that guy looking for you? Did you sell me fake goods?”
“You’re just figuring that out now?” The female player in the front turned around, leaning on the back of her seat to reveal half her face. “Buying stuff casually on the train takes some guts. Getting fake goods is one thing, but if you accidentally trade away your own life, that’d be a real tragedy.”
Hearing this, the burly man’s eyes bulged. He slammed the skinny monkey against the window. “You trying to screw me over?!”
The skinny monkey stammered, “By heaven and earth, I’m just reselling some items. I’ve got no bad intentions. Besides, how could there be an item that trades away your life? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
The burly man turned back to look at the female player, but the woman laughed mischievously. “Oh dear! You believe everything people say. How cute.”
The burly man’s anger shifted instantly. He strode over as if to teach the woman a lesson, but when he was still several meters away, the carpet under his feet suddenly jerked. Then it twisted in midair, tore itself into strips, and hovered, all aimed squarely at him.
“Be careful. If they pierce your eardrums and burrow into your brain, I won’t be responsible.” The woman stood up slowly, her smile turning cold.
The burly man was caught in a dilemma. He couldn’t easily make a move, nor could he swallow his pride and back down. He just stood there, breathing heavily and glaring at her.
“At home, you rely on your parents; out in the world, you rely on friends. Running into each other like this is fate. Why be so hostile over a little thing?” A middle-aged man with blond hair stood up behind Xu Huo. He waved his right hand left and right, clearing a path through the carriage full of fabric strips. He walked straight up to the burly man, put an arm around his shoulder, patted him, and then looked at the female player. “Don’t you think so, beautiful lady?”
(End of chapter)