Chapter 9: Violation

Yan Jiayu muttered in a low voice, "Evil has its own retribution."

The woman in heavy makeup checked the mouths of the two people on the floor. "Their teeth are completely intact."

She made a move as if to check the others' teeth as well.

"That’s enough, it was just talk, not for real." He Yang curled his lip at the middle-aged woman who had already stood up, ready to show off her teeth, then glared at Li Fei. "Satisfied?"

Li Fei gave a cold snort, turning instead to rummage through the dead bodies. Finding nothing useful, he cursed and sat down in the corner.

This was normal. Most players were transported onto the train without any prior knowledge, carrying very few personal belongings, if any at all.

"The dead are gone; let's take this time to rest," Professor Han said.

There was no point in arguing over whether the dead players were Bloody Players or not, because they couldn't possibly kill Xu Huo or Li Fei. Whether they could succeed was one thing, and secondly, no one could guarantee that there weren't other Bloody Players among the survivors. The fewer people there were, the higher the risk.

Xu Huo took Li Fei’s seat by the light switch, and the woman in heavy makeup sat down opposite him. "I believe what you said. What else do you know? Tell me, and we can cooperate."

Xu Huo looked at her. "Information for information."

The woman in heavy makeup used her hand to shield her phone screen, typed a line, and then placed it in front of him.

"Bloody Players enhance their physical fitness by eating; the more they eat, the bigger their appetite."

This matched Xu Huo’s guess. Bloody Players would maintain the instinct to devour. He pondered for a moment and turned on his own phone; he had turned it off before lights out yesterday to save battery.

"The growth of a Bloody Player's special ability is limited."

This was also his guess.

When he fought Chen Yi, he discovered that his speed had increased significantly, far exceeding what it was before boarding the train. This was likely related to his special ability, "Legs That Never Tire." Bloody Players could gain physical fitness quickly, but there must be deficiencies in other areas; otherwise, "Dimension Rift" should be renamed "Degenerate Game."

Professor Han was very insightful—for a game played by humans, the mainstream must conform to human ethics and values.

As for whether special abilities were restricted, he wasn't sure.

The woman in heavy makeup looked a bit grim after reading, but quickly changed the subject to ask who he suspected of being a Bloody Player.

Li Fei and the middle-aged woman were highly suspicious, as was the old man.

Among the remaining people, although there was chaos last night, Xu Huo hadn't noticed Yan Jiayu’s presence. Having paid attention just now, he noted that her breathing and footsteps were both very light.

Perhaps it was a special ability, perhaps it was evolution. He couldn't rule out that she was a Bloody Player.

What was strange was the ponytail-wearing female student who had testified for him.

Yesterday, Chen Yi had actually been standing right next to him, while she was on the other side of the door, yet she hadn't hesitated to speak up for him.

Furthermore, she had shouted just before Chen Yi made his move, and she remained unscathed afterward, which seemed a bit abrupt.

On the other side, the female student tremblingly showed her phone to Professor Han and He Yang. After reading it, both of their expressions turned grave.

There was no substantial progress in his exchange with the woman in heavy makeup. Xu Huo determined that she didn't know much about the inner workings of the train and lost interest in the conversation.

Soon, it was lunchtime.

The attendant, who turned a blind eye to the corpses and bloodstains in the carriage, handed the menu to the person sitting in the first row.

The situation was similar to yesterday. Players had to purchase at least one cup of water. Professor Han bought a cup of water for the old man, and the old man called Yan Jiayu over again; the two of them ate their biscuits with the water.

As the wealthiest person in the second-class carriage, Xu Huo ordered a meat dish and a bowl of rice, costing eight hundred white notes. He then took out twelve hundred, split into one thousand and two hundred, and handed them to the attendant. "The chef’s culinary skills are exquisite; this is just a small token of my appreciation. Could you please do me a favor and run this over for me?"

The attendant, whose expression had been downcast, suddenly brightened and deftly pocketed the two hundred white notes. "The gentleman’s sentiments will certainly be conveyed."

The attendant who had rejected Li Fei and the others yesterday was now helping the chef collect tips—it really worked. It made one wonder what kind of benefits could be gained next; it was enough to make people jealous.

For a moment, Li Fei even considered detaining the attendant to force information out of him.

But he quickly dismissed the thought because a commotion broke out in the third-class carriage. A player was thrown directly off the train and into the cliff below. Before their wailing had even faded, the train’s announcement system blared

"Third-class player 'I Am the Greatest' has been expelled for attacking an attendant."

The announcement played three times. The attendant walked back into the second-class carriage, completely unharmed, though his expression was unfriendly.

Li Fei didn't even dare to look at him, and the middle-aged woman also looked fearful. Fortunately, the attendant did not return after leaving.

"They really do get kicked off the train..." Yan Jiayu murmured.

The others remained silent, staring at the bottomless scenery outside the window.

After becoming an Evolver, the extraordinary power brought by increased physical fitness inevitably caused one's ego to inflate. Yesterday, most people might have still treated the game with a "playful" mindset. Even with the mutual slaughter at night, everyone was mentally prepared; after all, Evolvers attacking each other wasn't something that only started after boarding the train.

But the attendant’s intervention told them a fact: even with their newfound strength, they still had no power to fight back against the game’s characters.

This meant that the rules of the game could not be violated, and it also represented the danger of the game.

"Someone’s money just went down the drain," Li Fei said, stabbing at him with an unknown motive.

Xu Huo looked at the front door as if he hadn't heard.

Professor Han and He Yang helped each other, intending to move the corpses to the corner.

"Place them separately," Xu Huo said. "Two at the back door, one at the front door."

Professor Han understood immediately. He sighed but did as he was told.

After eating, everyone was exhausted and sat in their seats, closing their eyes to rest.

"Knock, knock." Someone knocked on the door; it was a player from the front carriage.

Li Fei and the others were on high alert, but Xu Huo calmly opened the door. "Something up?"

Nie Xuan, looking weary, tilted his chin at him. "Want to step out and talk?"

Xu Huo walked out voluntarily, closed the door behind him, and offered him a cigarette.

Nie Xuan didn't take it.

"Six people died in first class," he said directly. "The ratio of Bloody Players to ordinary players should be one to one."

Xu Huo nodded slightly, not surprised. "Three died on my side, two of them were Bloody Players. Also, the appetite of Bloody Players will gradually increase."

He lit the cigarette he had offered himself, took a drag, and added, "Bloody Players have fast physical growth and strong self-healing, but their special abilities might be restricted."

Nie Xuan shook his head. "I’m unlucky; four ordinary players died."

After a pause, he took out a gold business card. "If you're interested, contact me after we get off the train."

"Is your salary high?" Xu Huo suddenly asked a question that had nothing to do with the topic.

Nie Xuan made a gesture. "Ten thousand."

"No wonder you use a gold business card." Xu Huo tucked it into his pocket and said casually, "Why don't you come to the second-class carriage?"

Nie Xuan raised his eyelids and looked him up and down. "Every player only has one chance to board the initial screening train, but not every player who gets off can get a ticket for the next stop."

A ticket.

The look in Xu Huo’s eyes changed.

Nie Xuan stopped there and turned to return to his own carriage.

Xu Huo leaned against the door, waiting until he finished his cigarette before going back in.

Just as he stepped into the carriage, the doorbell at the back door rang.

Standing at the back door was a sinister-looking man with a fierce gaze.

"As long as we don't open the door, he can't get in," the middle-aged woman nearby said, frightened.

Professor Han walked over, took a look, and said in surprise, "There’s a disabled player."

"Open the door and ask," Xu Huo said, walking toward that side as well.

"No!" Li Fei grabbed the door handle first. "Look at how the third-class carriage was yesterday; how did a disabled person survive? What if they’re even stronger than us? What if they attack us once we open the door?"

"There are nine of us," Xu Huo glanced at him. "I want to see if there are penalties for entering other carriages."

Li Fei looked at him in astonishment. "Are you crazy?"

In this situation, survival was what mattered. Who cared about the consequences of violating the train rules? As long as they were safe, wasn't that enough?

"Let's vote," Xu Huo said. "I agree to open the door."

"I agree too," Yan Jiayu was the first to respond. "Maybe they really need help. One should have a kind heart. Even if they are Bloody Players, there are so many of us, we shouldn't be afraid."

(End of chapter)