Chapter 119: Railway Station 24

Chapter 119: Railway Station 24

The conductor's eyes bulged with rage, his gaze widening in astonishment.

He had seen several "fresh supplies" that were supposed to be hanging from the hooks on the train, now walking right on the railway tracks before him!!

Damn it, they had escaped!

Furious, the conductor lifted a nearby kitchen knife to sever the iron bridge, only to find himself unable to reach it.

In a fit of desperation, he hurled the blade directly at Steve!

The edge of the knife narrowly missed piercing Steve's skull; had he not instinctively ducked just as he decided to run, his head would have been split in two at that very moment!

The kitchen knife embedded itself deeply into the steel-reinforced wall with a loud thud.

Everyone gasped in unison.

No longer caring about attracting attention, Steve pulled his girlfriend along and dashed forward with rapid footsteps.

And the one behind him hastily followed suit!

Upon witnessing the prey attempting to escape their grasp, Ubitos and the coachman swiftly moved toward the door. Rapidly, the sound of banging on the door echoed behind them, as if the massive strength of the two giants would shatter the entrance in the next second!

This only intensified the panic in everyone's hearts.

The knocking ceased momentarily, only to be replaced by a buzzing sound of an electric saw outside, followed by the piercing screech of sparks flying as the saw cut through steel plates!

However, at this moment, the most feared scenario unfolded.

Indeed, the railway track was stuck on the fattest person!

Behind the obese man were two others, desperately pushing him forward to save their lives. However, this man with an immense girth was firmly lodged in the narrowing railway, resembling a stubborn piece of fat stuck in the intestines, refusing to budge.

He remained there with unyielding strength, defying all personal will and determination, steadfastly unwilling to move.

The sound of metal being kicked apart echoed, followed by the fresh whine of a chainsaw.

The young lady trapped by the fatty was none other than Yi Lan. She strained to push the man forward, but his flesh had squeezed the entire track so tightly that there was no room for any maneuvering at all.

Behind Yi Lan was a young boy named Vasina, who also tried pushing the fat man, but to no avail.

Yan Qiling knew that continuing like this would be futile, but if they didn't do something soon, those two killers would barge in!

After a moment of contemplation, he said,

"Jump down."

Yi Lan was incredulous.

"What?"

Looking at the mountain of flesh and blood beneath the railway, Yan Qiling said,

"They're sawing through the door now and can't see us. If we jump now, they won't know we've gone down. We still have a chance to circle around, but staying here will only lead to death."

Yi Lan gritted her teeth, gazed at the pile of messy organs below, then immediately climbed over the low railway fence, closed her eyes, and leaped down.

Vasina, watching from behind, was stunned. However, he quickly saw Yi Lan crawl out from the pile of organs, realizing that he had no other choice. With a thud, he jumped down as well.

At that moment, the two killers finally burst through the torn metal and headed toward the railway!

The fat man was utterly helpless, unable to move as he watched in horror as the chainsaw sliced into him. His screams and mangled flesh rained down on the tracks like a shower of bloody meat.

Neither of the two who had jumped down knew how Yan Qiling managed to remain unscathed, but it was not a priority now. Their lives were at stake.

Yan Qiling pointed to two corners and instructed, "Hide there, don't move, and watch my signal."

In this brutal interlude, the two blood-soaked individuals willingly became pawns in their current situation.

They slipped into the shadows they had previously chosen, their stench masking their presence in the bloody kitchen.

The two giants dragged the dismembered bodies into the kitchen. This was their chance.

Ilan took the initiative, silently slipping out of the kitchen while the giants were distracted, and into the small black room.

Vasina followed closely behind, her small frame allowing her to move almost soundlessly.

Yan Qiling seemed to materialize like a shadow around the two of them.

As they stepped back onto the iron bridge, now littered with blood and shredded flesh, Yi Lan suppressed his nausea, attempting to pass by without making a sound.

The shadows, fragmented by the hanging bulbs, once again swept across the two giants as they attended to the corpses.

This time, their arrival would go uninterrupted.

Yi Lan immediately sprinted forward!

At the end of the railway tracks stood another iron gate. She had assumed that passing through it would lead her to paradise; however, upon crashing into it, she realized it was a sealed divide, an insurmountable barrier!

The people who had fled before her had actually shut the door!

She pounded desperately on the gate, her voice echoing with desperate cries,

"Open up! Open up! They're almost here, let us in! Please, I beg of you! We're still alive, we haven't died yet!!!"

Yet, that door remained as immovable as a tightly closed oyster.

On the verge of collapse from the proximity to death, she nearly tumbled to the ground.

Yan Qiling, who had always been composed, gently pushed her aside. Disregarding the giant who had vanished into the kitchen, he knocked on the iron door with a calm demeanor and said,

"There's no danger outside. Open the door."

As his words faded, the carriage driver, wielding an electric saw, rushed over from the other side of the railway.

Yi Lan tightly embraced Vashina beside him, the youth instinctively closing his eyes as he was held by the woman. Subsequently, they heard a crisp "click," followed by the opening of the door behind them.

Opening the door was Hu Gaoming, who, without a word, promptly seized Yi Lan and Vasina, pulling them swiftly inside. Yan Qiling slipped in like a ghost, and the door slammed shut before everyone's eyes.

None of the onlookers witnessed the horrifying scene of the coachman being bisected by an unknown filament.

The frenzied buzz of the chainsaw plunged into the depths of internal organs, sinking like a waterlogged tool, swiftly losing its menace.

Bathed in the soft glow of a dim bulb, a crimson hue shimmered on the iron bridge.

The fragments of the carriage driver were wriggling, attempting to reassemble themselves.

Ubitos stood before them, gazing down in silence. Then, one by one, he crushed these fragments beneath his feet.

He raised his shackled hands high and smashed the driver's glaring head into a pulp!

Next, Ubitos approached the red thread. Placing his shackles under it, he used its sharp edge to rub back and forth.

No one cared about the world beyond anymore.

For the world behind the door was far from lovely.

Exiting the foyer, they found themselves in a long corridor.

The sky-blue paint on the walls contrasted with the pristine white, exuding an extreme cleanliness. However, this cleanliness had been ruined by peeling paint, cracked walls, and doors that had completely rotted away.

The air was filled with the stench of mold and the overpowering smell of disinfectant. Clearly, this place had once served as a hospital or clinic.

But its atmosphere was entirely distinct from that of the kitchen.

Everyone was hesitant to proceed because the recent death was still vivid in their minds.

Within just three hours of the beginning, two out of fifteen had already perished, both in gruesome, irredeemable ways.

They couldn't tell whether this place was safe or fraught with traps.

Someone needed to step forward and probe the potential dangers, but no one was willing to act.

Yi Lan, still deeply immersed in her fear, was met with Dolly's turbid gaze, who had her face concealed behind a purple scarf. Dolly didn't disdain the blood on Yi Lan but instead helped clean the dirt off her face:

"Poor child, thankfully, God is still watching over you."

Yi Lan looked at her tremblingly, demanding an answer:

"Why didn't you open the door back then?!"

No one replied except for Dolly.

In this woman's eyes, there was only a serene stillness, like a pause in a musical score.

"Whether the door opens or closes, it is God's will. You are fortunate, child. Rejoice in your rebirth and do not blame others. Be grateful for the life you have now."

Ilan clearly could not accept this response, but no one else was willing to answer her. Dolley gently wiped away her tears and the clots of blood on her face.

Next, it was Cabius who spoke up for the first time.

He seemed relatively composed, offering a more pragmatic perspective on the unknown than the others:

"We can't stay here indefinitely. Those two monsters know we've entered this door. Though it's unclear why they haven't forced their way in yet, we need to act."

Mobis looked at him, "Act? How? Are you suggesting you go out as a scout?"

Cabius looked at him, his expression showing some dissatisfaction, but he still nodded, "Yes, two more people should come with me."

However, Yan Qiling ignored their conversation and took the lead, walking down the corridor.

Noticing everyone's attention on him, the man spoke gently, "I can sense that there's no immediate danger here. Let's search for as many clues as possible before those two monsters break in."

His words didn't convince everyone, but Hu Gaoming was the first to act, followed by Steve, who grabbed his girlfriend and ventured into the corridor.

Seeing that others were unharmed, Mobis stepped into the hallway, and soon, one by one, everyone entered, starting to scour the area for anything of value.

At the end of the corridor stood an abandoned nurse's station, indicating that this place had once served a medical purpose.

In the drawers of the station, there were a few documents left behind.

Opening them, the names, genders, ages, and photos on the documents were barely recognizable, but remnants of diagnoses could still be discerned.

Dolly, after glancing at the papers, made the sign of the cross over her chest, "Poor children."

Yan Qiling looked at her.

"How do you determine that these cases belong to the 'children'?"

"I used to work as a nurse in a hospital. These are illnesses that only children would typically contract."

Yan Qiling nodded. Just as he left the nurses' station, Hu Gaoming approached him and whispered,

"Brother Yan, I found a map, but most of it is illegible."

"That's alright. Where are we now?"

"The Pediatric Clinic, this entire building is dedicated to it. The place we passed by earlier is collectively referred to as the 'Meat Processing Plant.' The building opposite is called the 'Academic Zone,' the left side is the 'Quarters,' and the right is the 'Temporary stronghold.' All these names are rather enigmatic."

Hu Gaoming narrated the process seamlessly, without missing a beat. Yan Qiling sighed softly.

"You've grown up."

Before him stood the erstwhile tender youth, now stern and aloof, who reluctantly teased out a fleeting smile. Yet that smile was all too swiftly engulfed by the lingering silence.

Mobis approached, clutching an iron rod he had seemingly found somewhere.

"All the chambers here lack doors. Right now, we urgently need a secure haven, somewhere safe to begin with, before we search for anything else. Not everyone is suited for activities outside, and group movements are more likely to draw attention."

He gazed at Yan Qiling and asked,

"Yan, what do you think?"

"Certainly, but as for the situation in the safe house, I'm currently at a loss as well. All I know is that there's no immediate danger here."

Yan Qiling ignored the profound gaze and continued to inspect the remaining rooms.

These rooms were mostly abandoned, with six hospital beds inside. The bedding on the beds had rotten away, but the iron bed rails were still sturdy enough to accommodate someone sitting or lying on them.

Here, one can still find some expired medicines and a small amount of bandages. Though they don't appear very hygienic, they are still valuable resources.

Yan Qiling's gaze fell on the diagnostic records hanging by the bedsides. Most of them were too decayed and tattered to read, but from those that could still be discerned, it was evident that all the patients assigned to these beds were indeed under the age of eighteen.

In the realm of the Unbound Master, such elements don't appear randomly. As a designed component, it could be part of the revelation, or it might serve as a deliberate distraction.

At this moment, Yi Lan is attending to Vasina's wound, skillfully bandaging the leg of the young man who, in the course of his escape, had been grazed by an unknown piece of metal.

The youth, tears brimming in his eyes as he stoically endured the pain, clung tightly to the sapphire necklace that hung around his neck, as though it could imbue him with strength.

Everyone was disheartened by the current situation, for they had just swiftly compared the votes, and the results were discouraging.

Soon, they all received the grim news: This world was a butcher's shop!

No wonder so many people met their demise upon entering...

Amidst the gloomy despair of those around him, Mobis discovered a rusted surgical knife within an abandoned metal box. He stowed it away in his black overcoat, maintaining an unwavering composure throughout.

"It's time for the hunt, everyone."

Some lifted their gazes at him, while others rummaged silently in corners, choosing to remain quiet.

Until they understood the situation better, most preferred to explore from a safe vantage point rather than venture into uncharted territories.

After a brief and uncontroversial discussion, three individuals were chosen to venture out first.

They were Kabius, Mobis, and Yan Qiling.

The remaining men guarded the women and children as they began to inspect the items in this corridor.

Cabyss also grabbed a steel pipe used for hanging water bottles. Seeing that Yan Qiling wasn't taking anything, he couldn't help but ask,

"Yan, don't you need something for self-defense?"

Yan Qiling followed him towards the door, smiling nonchalantly,

"There's no need. I can run fast."

Cabyss couldn't help but chuckle at this sudden display of humor.

Just as they were about to open the door, the usually silent Patland suddenly reached out in Yan Qiling's direction and spoke in fluent Chinese,

"Mr. Yan, take care on your way."

Mobis narrowed his eyes and whistled,

"Yan, you're quite popular, aren't you?"

The man paid no heed to the jesting, his striking heterochromatic eyes of red and blue faintly swirling as he courteously replied to the youth amidst the shadows cast by the doorframe:

"Thank you."

The decayed door, left with only half of its former self, gently creaked shut.