Chapter 877: Ghost Train’s Banquet

Hehe, hehe…

As the train passed through a small town overrun by monsters, a string of secretive laughter filled the air.

Countless monsters burst through the roofs of houses and grew high above the town, their dense canopies entwined to nearly drown the entire settlement. On every branch hung a black fruit the size of a watermelon, resembling a hairy pomelo. But when these fruits slowly turned around, the other side revealed human faces.

Their eyes gleamed as they leaped lightly on the wind’s breath, watching the train steadily glide beneath them.

Some of them drooled with desire.

Yet they forced themselves to hold back, using their mutual connection as monsters to calm everyone down and exercise patience.

Mind your dining etiquette.

Only when the entire train is inside the town, blocked at both ends, can they finally enjoy this long-awaited feast.

Thus, under the watchful gaze of countless eyes, the Ghost Train slowed down more and more…

Dawdling, it finally edged its way into the town.

Even before the train was completely inside, some grew restless. They quietly turned their heads, revealing their faces as long tongues extruded from their mouths to lick their noses and eyes. Then their heads dipped, taking the branches along until, inch by inch, they aligned with the train windows, slowly drawing near…

Excitement!

Thrill!

Who wouldn’t be curious about the origin of their dinner?

Thus, as they anxiously rubbed their eyes with their tongues and peered inside the train window, their excitement soared.

However, the interior window appeared unlit, and the glass was thick and dark.

They strained to widen their eyes, nearly pressing against the window, until a vague shape seemed to emerge inside.

Was that their own reflection?

At that moment, the red moon in the sky seemed to shine a little brighter.

And then, they finally saw clearly.

There, inside the train, was a face pressed against the window, studying its own reflection…

“Eh?”

That happy head suddenly froze for a moment.

It wasn’t quite what it had imagined?

A tremor, deep in its instinct, made it hurriedly wrench its branches away from the window.

And away from that face within.

But with a swish, the window abruptly slid open, releasing a cold, sinister aura from within. A small hand reached out fiercely, grasped its hair, and excitedly pulled it into the train compartment. This drew its head ever nearer to the messy tangle of black hair and sharp teeth on that ugly… yet strangely beautiful face, as exhilaration bloomed across it.

It could even hear an exclamation of surprise: “Brother, it’s really here…”

Despair.

As its head was yanked through the window, all it felt was despair.

It wanted to warn its companions, but at the corner of its eye it only saw another companion, disembarking excitedly from midair.

Meanwhile, those inside the train were even more exhilarated than the ones outside.

…

…

“After passing such a lush orchard, picking a few fruit that you can grab in an instant isn’t too much, right?”

Lu Xin stood in the open train window, shaking his head slightly.

“Of course, plucking every single fruit at once would be a little excessive…”

“Hey, Number Three, you even uprooted the tree! What’s it for?”

“…”

While musing over the conversation, he sighed softly and, as if walking on air, made his way to the very top of the train. He lifted his gaze toward the vast, dark lands where gloom stretched all the way to the horizon. At the junction of the dark red night sky and the pitch-black line of the earth, he could make out large, distorted shadows, standing like dead winter branches in this world.

It seemed to be an endless night.

Gazing at the melancholy evening breeze and the red moon overhead, who could have guessed that it was actually noon?

How long had it been since this land last saw the sun?

“Looks like those people still intend to confront me head-on, huh?”

Lu Xin nodded slightly as he sensed the strange radiation seeping from the earth, one after another.

He deliberately retracted the aura around him, careful not to frighten these zealous hosts.

Through the eerie radiation, he could see that across the world there were countless bizarre towns, well-trained armed forces, and strange mental creatures clinging to the land… all greedily waiting and searching for something.

It was truly terrifying…

Faced with a land teeming with grotesque beings and horrific presences, what could one do?

Of course, cleanse everything completely.

Lu Xin pondered the matter, took a deep breath, and as the captain, issued his orders with solemnity:

“Undercover Units, print out all the bizarre coordinates spread across this land.”

“…”

At Lu Xin’s command, all the Undercover Units immediately scurried about, climbing swiftly out of the Ghost Train’s windows before disappearing into the night. Before long, an old-fashioned printer in front of an elderly Undercover Unit began to churn out a stack of white papers—like letters with a life of their own—filling the train compartments page by page.

“Card players, take a break as well!”

Lu Xin ordered again, “Pick your favorite ones, sort them out, and clear your minds.”

Hearing the captain’s command, Vice-captain Gecko, who had just been grinning ear to ear after a win, immediately straightened up and shouted:

“Yes!”

Truly, nothing befits a vice-captain more—adept at both card games and following orders, never missing a beat…

The others, disheartened, dropped their cards. Particularly Number Three, clutching four kings, slipped into deep contemplation.

“The train will pick up passengers in three hours. Everyone, gather up!”

Lu Xin ordered once more, his tone tinged with guilt, “Time is short; please forgive me.”

“With so many monsters, can this be resolved in just three hours?”

All the team members shook their heads, expressing that the task this time was overwhelmingly daunting.

Yet the ruthless captain cared little for their feelings. After a brief moment of thought, he felt his plan was comprehensive enough.

Then, with a dismissive gesture, he commanded, “Move out!”

…

…

The revelry began.

As each person aboard the train grabbed a task sheet, exhaled deeply, and stepped off, the town—though oppressive and gloomy—had stabilized somewhat within its own terrifying realm and began to boil like a pot of water.

In a brightly lit small town, with bustling crowds and numerous vendors, some drank by roadside tables, others danced gracefully in the plaza’s center, and some caressed cellos as they played in a trance. Among them were special spectators and travelers, dressed in various attires—some in pastoral garb, others in crisp suits, and still others in professional combat wear.

Now, all wore joyful smiles as they strolled the streets.

Sometimes browsing roadside goods, sometimes admiring the dancers’ performances, sometimes savoring locally brewed beer.

It was a beautiful scene.

If one’s gaze drifted downward from their smiling faces,

It would reveal shoes so worn that bloodied, mangled toes were exposed, with some even stripped bare of flesh on their feet, leaving nothing but dull bones supporting them as they ambled on.

Some bellies had split open, with sticky yellow fluid seeping onto the ground along with spilled alcohol.

Some bodies had rotted away, swarming with countless flies that buzzed away in unison.

This was because they had lingered in this town for far too long.

No matter who you were—age, identity, or background—if you unwittingly stepped into this town, you became its traveler.

As a traveler, you naturally had to roam around, look about, and sample the food and beer.

Thus, they couldn’t stop walking, couldn’t stop looking, and couldn’t stop tasting—even when their feet were worn raw, their bellies burst, and their lives had long since faded, they continued to wander, dutifully fulfilling the role of a traveler.

Until this small town—with its bright lights and mellow music that nevertheless carried a somber hue—welcomed a new traveler.

It was a little girl in a white dress, small in stature. Her legs, visible beneath her skirt, bore marks of stitched-up cuts. She looked timid and obedient, her small hands clasped behind her back as she hesitantly entered the town, her innocent eyes taking in the dancing figures, the exquisite beadwork at the stalls, and those lost in the cello’s melody, all with a fresh sense of wonder.

Soon, everyone took notice of her and set their sights on her.

They excitedly closed in, warmly surrounding her and beginning to tout their wares.

“Little Sister, want some pretty beads?”

Someone held up a string of black beads before the little girl. “If you don’t fancy these…”

“I have two different ones as well…”

“…”

As he spoke, he pulled out two eyeballs and threaded them onto a rope.

In his hollow sockets, fleshy buds slowly writhed.

“Little Girl, how about tasting our local specialty grilled meat?”

Another, waving a large fan and seated by an iron rack with his legs casually crossed, continuously sliced meat from above.

They salted it and grilled it until it sizzled.

“Little Beauty, care for some of our local beer?”

“Want me to show you around?”

“…”

Amid the various voices, the little girl grew timid at first, then increasingly irritable.

She wished to shake her head in refusal.

But with every question from these enthusiastic onlookers, an invisible thread tangled around her little head, preventing her from shaking it. As one thread after another entwined around her, she seemed completely controlled.

Unable to shake her head, she couldn’t express her refusal.

Unable to refuse, she had no choice but to remain a traveler.

So, the little girl stood dumbfounded amidst the encircling crowd, pondering for a while.

Then she raised her small hands to cup her head and, with a sharp “clack,” lifted it up.

Her head, tangled in countless threads, dangled blankly in midair.

And her little body, now headless, took a step back, leaving her empty neck exposed to the air.

Soon, an eerie silence fell upon the surroundings.

The once enthusiastic locals, clutching their goods, seemed at a loss for how to proceed.

Meanwhile, the little girl who had detached her own head once again reached her hands behind her.

When she retrieved it, she was already holding a gleaming dinner knife.

“Swish…”

Using the vantage afforded by her head suspended over the center of the street, she suddenly dashed into the crowd, brandishing the knife in a sweeping, deadly arc.

…

…

Pollution Source Series 1023 – Guide Village

It appeared as a bustling, prosperous town with warm vendors and tourists.

Upon entering the town, you must not directly meet the locals’ eyes, purchase their food, or agree to their requests.

If you fail to explicitly say no when they ask, it will be regarded as acceptance.

Those who accept will be forcibly bound as travelers in the town, doomed to remain forever fulfilling their traveler duties.

Even in death, they will not stop.

Note: The pollution in Guide Village appears to have escalated, possessing the power to prevent any refusals.

That is to say – it’s unsolvable.

…

…

Someone was walking through the ruins of a small town, their footsteps echoing back and forth.

A pair of cold, sinister eyes hid in an empty room behind broken walls, tracking every step and choosing the right junction to crouch behind a wall, eagerly waiting for someone from the other side to pass by so it could suddenly jump out and give them a scare.

So it waited and waited.

After what felt like an eternity with no one coming, it couldn’t help but peek out to see where the person had gone.

But what it saw was an empty street, utterly bare.

Just as confusion filled its mind, a pat on the shoulder startled it.

Its soul flew as it whipped its head around to see a little monster in a pink suit covered in tentacles, smiling warmly at it. Its face bore one large, jagged maw, with eyes sprouting from the top of its tentacles.

“Ah…”

A bloodcurdling scream erupted as its body began to disintegrate rapidly.

…

…

Pollution Source Series 1599 – Prankster Ghost

From the abyss.

It wields a unique logic of contamination, choosing different ways to play pranks on its targets in varying environments.

Anyone successfully startled will be contaminated and transformed into a Prankster Ghost—like a clone.

Fission Limit: Infinite

Weakness: Recommended reverse scare

…

…

A stooped old man, wrapped in an oversized trench coat and bundled up tightly, entered an abandoned lab overrun with weeds. He strolled through a cluttered corridor, curiously surveying the empty rooms. Yet after he passed through, subtle sounds began to echo from those dark, vacant spaces.

Figures clad in white medical suits, covered by plastic raincoats and masks—some holding nails, others surgical scalpels, or studded with shining silver nails on their bodies—slowly began to creep out from the ward.

They followed him silently through the corridor.

They moved without sound, their numbers endless, and in each pair of eyes lay a look of greedy delight.

Until their numbers grew and eventually cornered the stooped man in the abandoned hall.

Then, their actions became increasingly animated and synchronized. From the stairs, the elevator, and the corridors leading out of the hall, group after group emerged, their eyes gleaming brighter.

Hehe…

And then, at that very moment, they suddenly heard the laughter of a woman.

It seemed to take them by surprise, for they were incapable of such laughter.

The prisoner they had encircled appeared to be a man.

In a brief, puzzled trance, the man in their midst suddenly straightened his body and removed the coat draped over him, revealing a slender woman with delicate limbs crouched on his back. Her face bore an expression of surprise as she manipulated the stooped, burly man like a machine.

Then, they set down a black case they had been carrying, opened it, and retrieved a monstrous, fearsome chainsaw.

With one swift pull, the chainsaw roared to life, its jagged teeth spinning wildly.

The white silhouettes that had closed in glanced at their small scalpels and then at the chainsaw in front of them.

A sudden shiver ran through them…

…

…

Pollution Source Series 1041 – Life Research Lab

A certain mobile mysterious pollution source once appeared in Soda City of the Alliance, causing 300,000 people to vanish from the West City area of Red Leaf City’s main town within thirty minutes. Records show it appeared in two places simultaneously. It is listed as one of the top ten city-overturning pollution sources.

Pollution Logic: Undisclosed

Cleanup Recommendation: None

Note: If you encounter this source, it is advised to flee immediately or use any means to take your own life.

…

…

Similar events have occurred in many parts of this world.

For instance, a fully armed military force of up to a hundred soldiers, equipped with top-level protective suits and high-damage weapons, advanced eastward in an armored vehicle in search of the tyrant who had arrived by train. Yet unexpectedly, atop a ruined building along the road, they spotted a dashing man in a suit wearing a 200,000-watched wristwatch.

“Rat-a-tat-tat…”

Knowing well the terror of ability users or pollution sources, the armed force unleashed full firepower without hesitation.

But as bullets soared through the air, the dashing man leapt from the building’s peak. While still midair, his body suddenly bulged, transforming into a massive ball of flesh over a hundred meters in diameter, with gaping mouths splitting open on its surface.

Three minutes later, the man changed into a new suit, re-donned his wristwatch, and left looking immaculate.

This area was left with nothing but craters.

Then there was a knight order that had become contaminated without realizing it. They delighted in tormenting others, collecting enough torture devices to fill an entire museum. Every time they captured a person, they used the entire collection on that individual. But as the number of Westerners dwindled, they had long failed to find new “victims,” leaving them exceptionally dejected.

Just then, a refined man donning a suit jacket draped over his arm strolled into their museum.

He glanced at the torture devices displayed on the walls and shelves and offered a courteous smile.

“You’re all wrong, so I’m going to administer your punishment.”

As he spoke, he set his briefcase on the ground, gently opened it, revealing an assortment of torture instruments.

The knights looked momentarily perplexed, then burst into laughter.

Compared to their own collection, the devices in this case were clearly insignificant.

Especially since this seemingly ordinary fellow had brazenly intruded into their territory—where they numbered over thirty…

Before they could even process the thought, another refined man with a briefcase appeared at the main gate, joined the first man, and placed his case on the ground.

It was as if two identical twins had arrived, only the torture devices in their cases were completely different.

Then, without waiting for the knight order to speak, another one walked in.

And another…

Within less than thirty seconds, over a hundred refined men filled the museum.

They simultaneously smiled and said, “The three of us will attend to you. How about using all the devices from these three cases on you?”

“What a pity, if it weren’t for the need to rush back to play cards…”

“…If it weren’t for Captain Lu’s order to return in three hours, we could have had a hundred of us taking care of you.”

“After all, what is fairness?”

“Fairness means I don’t care whether you became like this due to contamination; you get what you deserve.”

“Since you have inflicted pain on others in the past, I will make you endure every bit of it again…”

“In full, minute detail…”

“…”

Having ridden the Ghost Train and been with Captain Lu Xin for so long, they finally got a chance to stretch their legs.

Everyone had an amazing time.

Some dashed off to browse the lively town, others played hide-and-seek, some ventured into the legendary haunted lab, while others went to flaunt their 200,000-watched wristwatches. Still, others discussed professional knowledge with the local experts, and some diligently kept an eye on the team members, even joyfully scavenging with their little backpacks.

Across this wasteland, endless bizarre creatures awaited the tyrant, itching for a confrontation.

And the members of the Tyrant Squad watched them, tears of joy streaming from their mouths…

At that very moment, Lu Xin arrived at the sacred city of the Nomadic Tribe, Gaoshan City, built on the southern side of the Sleeping Mountains.

Looking up, he saw continuous dark vines covering the entire city, stretching all the way up the mountain.

They clawed at everything like the guards of hell.

…

…

Lu Xin knew that here was Gaoshan City, and also one of the Thirteen Ultimate—the Dark Queen’s Illusory Land. He also knew that the Dark Queen was one of the first ultimates to descend into reality, often referring to Mom as her sister and remaining one of the opponents Mom highly valued. He further knew that not long ago, she had been to Qinggang and successfully escaped from Father’s grasp to return here.

“A truly fearsome person…”

Lu Xin glanced at the electronic watch on his wrist then looked toward the mountains and said softly, “Auntie, hello…”

“I only have ten minutes to deal with you all.”

“So, will you come down and face the consequences, or should I go up and handle the procedures?”