Chapter 985: White Day Zone
Half a minute ago, it seemed like Liang Yi was about to be skinned and eaten alive, but now the person who threatened her had become a corpse. The word "penniless" belittled the four vicious individuals like jumping clowns—of course, they weren't really jumping clowns either, so the remaining passengers in the same car involuntarily lightened their movements, especially Liang Yi and the stubbled man.
Xu Huo glanced at them but didn't pursue Liang Yi's deliberate act of leading the attackers to him. He walked straight into his room to rest.
The entire afternoon, the car remained quiet. Aside from the robot delivering meals, no players from the same car came in or out.
Someone from the front car did come over, but after seeing the situation inside, they hesitated and turned back.
Xu Huo slept until just before lights-out before getting up. The train's rule required daily consumption, so he ordered a meal just before lights-out and also paid the attendant for a table.
While he was eating, the other players in the car came out one after another. Besides Liang Yi and her two companions who boarded at the same time, there were two who had been outside earlier, plus a man and a woman.
The two players in their thirties playing with communication devices seemed indifferent to others. They found a spot to lean against and lowered their heads again. The remaining man and woman knew each other; both had snow-white skin. The man focused on a Rubik's Cube in his hand, while the woman kept touching up her makeup.
When Liang Yi was attacked, she had called out to Ye Kaihua for help, but Ye Kaihua didn't lend a hand. The two who had been friendly before boarding had now grown cold. Meanwhile, the stubbled man, who looked like a troublemaker, kept a low profile by his door, not speaking to anyone or meeting anyone's eyes.
Xu Huo finished his meal and checked the time. It was past lights-out, but the sky outside was still bright. The sun hung directly overhead without any sign of shifting or disappearing. Even sitting inside the train, he could feel the light outside growing more glaring.
"Ding dong!"
"Welcome, all passengers, aboard this train. The train is now traveling from the four-dimensional space passage to the five-dimensional space platform. For the next three days, it will rapidly pass through a White Day Zone. Under the universal time system, there will be no night for twenty-four hours. Passengers are advised to rest properly and use their eyes wisely."
"No night? Does that mean we won't encounter any Xenomorphs?" The man watching an action movie looked up.
Another player next to him glanced at his screen, silently closed the simulation human figure page on his own communicator, and lazily replied, "Probably. But maybe the Xenomorphs here are active during the day. Who knows if they've degenerated into blind creatures."
"This environment isn't suitable for Xenomorphs," Ye Kaihua glanced at Xu Huo before continuing. "It's also not suitable for humans. Xenomorphs degenerate from humans and can't survive here long-term. This train should be safe from attacks for the next three days."
"That's great." The action movie man turned off his communicator and cheerfully chatted with others. "I'm heading to Zone 003. Where are you all going? Maybe we can travel together?"
With someone starting the conversation, those who felt bored and wanted to talk gathered around. Though no one knew if they were telling the truth, they each stated their destinations. Most were going to different zones. The action movie man and Ye Kaihua were heading to the same zone but different instances.
"Sir, which zone are you going to?" The makeup-touching female player closed her small mirror and actively struck up a conversation with Xu Huo.
"Zone 002." Xu Huo glanced at her.
The female player exaggeratedly "surprised" and said, "We're going the same way! We're heading back to Zone 002."
"You're players from Zone 002?" Xu Huo showed some interest.
"That's right," the female player said with a grin. "But my brother and I are going home this time."
"Why don't you use a Return Ticket? Using a Return Ticket would save you this ride," the action movie man said.
Clearing an instance gives you a Return Ticket. Unlike a regular ticket, which requires passing through stations and trains to reach the destination, a Return Ticket can take you directly back to your birthplace, regardless of whether that zone is fully integrated into the game.
"Return Tickets are meant to be saved for emergencies. If a crisis arises, you don't want to have to hide in a station, since stations aren't safe either," the female player said.
"That makes sense. Return Tickets are much harder to get than regular tickets," another player interested in the simulation figures remarked.
With a regular ticket, as long as the entire zone isn't an instance field, you have the option not to start an instance, so the ticket is just a ticket.
"What kind of place is Zone 002?" Liang Yi asked.
"Of course, it's a great place." The female player pointed at her face. "Look how pale I am. Over there, both men and women have skin as white as snow. We even save money on whitening products."
As she spoke, she opened her small mirror again, admiring her face from different angles. "If I could, I'd stay in Zone 002 forever. But I have to come out for instances. I think I've gotten a bit tanned lately."
The female player admired her hometown as much as her own face. Seeing someone interested, she shared a bit more.
"Zone 002 is famous for its transparent plants and animals. The capital has a large botanical garden that holds an annual competition for the most beautiful plant. It's a grand event in Zone 002, attracting countless visitors!"
"There's also a Snow Palace. Everything inside is transparent, like glass. After each beauty pageant, the top ten beauties in the zone can live there for free until they find a spouse."
"Though my beauty is rare, the ones living in the Snow Palace are the cream of the crop. Their offspring are highly likely to be beautiful too. They're born surrounded by beauty—everything they eat and use is selected as the finest. From head to toe, they're like ethereal elves untouched by worldly concerns."
The female player rested her chin on her hand. "Only top-tier players can get close to them. I have to work hard to level up so I can have the most beautiful child!"
"May I ask," the action movie man interrupted, "do those people fart and shit?"
The pride on the female player's face vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised disgust. "What did you say!"
The man didn't expect such a strong reaction and quickly raised his hands. "Just kidding."
But the female player seemed genuinely offended. Her gaze turned cold and terrifying. Though she looked away, she occasionally shot him a glance that sent chills down one's spine.
By this time, Xu Huo had already looked up some information about E20-002 Zone on the Under Dimension. After reading, he closed his personal panel and asked, "When does the beauty pageant usually start? Is there a chance to see it if I go now? I'd like to see those elf-like beauties too."
The female player's smile returned, and she said enthusiastically, "The pageant is held every three years. It's probably in the final voting stage now. The results will be announced in about ten days. But before that, there are competitions for the most beautiful plant and animal, which are also lively. You've come at a good time!"