Chapter 297: Homecoming Express (1)

Chapter 297: The Return Train (Part One)

After the kneeling person was carried out, another figure appeared on the screen, this time a child, also in a crawling position. Then came a third woman, followed by a fourth, a burly man...

The conveyor belt continued to make a clattering sound, and the figures kept coming. Those who had passed through security didn't move away quickly enough, causing a blockage that sounded like luggage piling up.

Some creatures went through the metal detector, while others went through the X-ray machine?

Zhu Ning quickly averted her gaze; the images were too disturbing, as if they were still imprinted on her retinas.

She pulled Lin Xiaofeng away, telling her not to look. Pei Shu and Qi Xueliu had also seen it, but neither of them said anything. This security checkpoint was strange. Zhu Ning had nothing on her, so passing through security was normal.

But Qi Xueliu and Pei Shu had several guns and some weapons on them, yet they also passed through security without any issues. What exactly was the security system detecting?

The four of them fell silent. Pei Shu pointed at their tickets; normally, after passing through security, one should head to the boarding gate to wait.

Their boarding gate was 12B. The entire waiting hall was dim and gloomy, with rows of cold iron seats that looked like tombstones. They walked into what felt like an abandoned cemetery.

This was the most desolate train station Zhu Ning had ever been to. There were only the four of them in the entire station.

They found seats and sat down, pretending to be ordinary passengers. Despite the abnormal environment, their efforts to act normal made them look like ghosts.

One would think that while waiting for the train, companions might chat or discuss the rules of the train ride, but strangely, no one spoke. Once they sat down, they seemed to blend into the environment, becoming part of the station.

A large clock hung inside the station. It was now 11:40 PM. Boarding would start fifteen minutes before departure, and there would be an announcement five minutes before.

These five minutes felt especially long. Zhu Ning held the red ticket in her hand, which displayed her name. She had a feeling that even if she wanted to run away now, it wouldn't be possible. Once you bought a train ticket, you had to board the train.

The other three were also examining their tickets, trying to find loopholes in the rules. Lin Xiaofeng was constantly building up her mental strength.

Ding—

At 11:45 PM, the gates at the boarding gate suddenly opened. The sound startled all four of them. Lin Xiaofeng looked up sharply, seeing the gates open as if a monster had blinked, its eyelids trembling slightly.

The four remained motionless, staring intently at the gates. Instinct told them that danger lay ahead, so they didn't move.

Zhu Ning stood up first. The oppressive atmosphere of the station was overwhelming, even for her, making her feel uneasy.

The other three watched her. Zhu Ning was the toughest among them. She cautiously passed through the gates, as if crossing a line, half-expecting to be sliced into pieces.

But nothing dangerous happened. Passing through the gates seemed simple, but as she did, someone bumped her shoulder from behind.

A passenger brushed past her, and the invisible switch was triggered. Suddenly, Zhu Ning saw countless feet, and the station was filled with people around her.

All the travelers looked like ordinary humans, with no terrifying faces or extra tentacles. But their normal appearance made them seem abnormal.

Zhu Ning paused for a moment, realizing the problem. No one spoke; these people seemed mute, or perhaps speaking would bring some kind of misfortune.

No wonder they had been silent since entering the station, as if an invisible pressure forced them to lower their heads.

It seemed there were other hidden rules besides those written on the tickets.

They had entered the belly of a contaminant, and the contaminant would try to assimilate them. This journey was bound to be dangerous.

The other three also passed through the gates. This time, everyone saw that the passengers boarding at Yinzhan Station were not just the four of them.

Pei Shu's frown never relaxed. This train was definitely more perilous than the bus they had previously taken.

Zhu Ning was somewhat regretful but could only press on. Indeed, a green train had already stopped.

The body of the train was covered in what looked like either rust or blood, giving it a mottled appearance.

The sudden crowd had already boarded, skillfully finding their seats. The four of them had no choice but to follow.

Zhu Ning decided to help Lin Xiaofeng board first. She gave Pei Shu a meaningful look, indicating that he should keep an eye on Lin Xiaofeng.

Pei Shu nodded, signaling that he understood. They communicated through gestures, exploring the rules and information of their respective carriages. Carriage 9 in the middle was the dining car.

They agreed to meet in the dining car once they were settled.

Zhu Ning boarded at Carriage 15. The carriage was particularly crowded, with no air conditioning, only fans.

The air inside was a mix of nauseating cigarette smoke and disinfectant. Zhu Ning found Lin Xiaofeng's berth. Each compartment slept six people, with bunk beds and a table in the middle. There were no doors, and the space was so cramped that raising an arm would touch the neighboring bed.

Lin Xiaofeng's berth was the top bunk. She needed to climb up using the iron bars in the corridor, passing two beds to reach her spot.

When Zhu Ning arrived, the other passengers were already lying down. They didn't speak, lying silently in their berths. With nightfall, the train lights were off, and Zhu Ning couldn't see their faces clearly, making everyone appear blurry.

This type of train was very old. In Zhu Ning's time, high-speed rail was already widespread, and few people took actual green trains.

Lin Xiaofeng didn't take off her shoes. Wearing a full-body protective suit seemed safer. Under Zhu Ning's watchful eye, she began climbing up the iron bars. She tried to act independently, but when she passed the middle bunk, she saw a pair of feet.

The person was covered in a white blanket, with grayish-white feet sticking out. Lin Xiaofeng had seen dead bodies and monsters before, but seeing a stranger's feet made her shudder.

The feet were directly facing her.

She almost slipped and fell from the ladder, swallowing hard to reassure Zhu Ning. She steeled herself and climbed up.

Finally, she reached the top bunk. The small space with three-tiered bunks was incredibly cramped. Even as a child, she couldn't sit upright and had to lie down.

Lying on the white sheet, she felt as if she were in a narrow coffin.

Lin Xiaofeng adjusted for a moment. Fortunately, she didn't have claustrophobia. She wanted Zhu Ning to leave quickly, as the ticket required sitting in the assigned seat. Staying here might violate the rules.

Lin Xiaofeng wanted to tell Zhu Ning she was settled, but when she turned to do so, she suddenly saw the eyes of the man opposite her.

His head was exposed, the white blanket neatly covering his neck. He turned his stiff neck, his face purple, and his eyes bulging as if they would pop out, staring straight at her.

The distance between them was only half a meter; she could pull the person down with just a reach of her hand.

Lin Xiaofeng's heart raced wildly. The other person did not blink, and she closed her eyes to take a deep breath. After a long while, she finally extended her hand and gave Zhu Ning an OK sign.

Zhu Ning confirmed that everyone else was quiet before leaving, though it felt strange, she had no choice but to go first. Without a helmet, Zhu Ning mouthed, "I'll be back."

After Zhu Ning left, Lin Xiaofeng listened to her footsteps, feeling as if she had been abandoned, buried in a deep grave.

Unable to ignore the eyes from the opposite bed, Lin Xiaofeng turned to face the wall. Suddenly, her pupils constricted as she saw pink eggs in the crack of the wall.

...

Zhu Ning went to Car 16, where Pei Shu had already settled on the lower berth. After reiterating her instructions to him, Zhu Ning headed to her own car.

Her seat was the farthest away, in Car 18, with the worst berth—a middle bunk, neither as spacious as the lower nor as private as the upper.

There were no other passengers in her section, only Zhu Ning.

Climbing into her berth, Zhu Ning had just lain down when the carriage suddenly jolted, followed by a loud rumble. It was exactly midnight; the doors closed, and the Homeward Bound started moving.

Lying in her middle berth, Zhu Ning could see outside through the window. Soon, the sign of Yinzhan Station was left behind as the train slowly departed from Yinzhan City.

The last train on Line 1 that Zhu Ning had taken before was said to be driving, but it had actually been circling in one place. However, the Homeward Bound was truly moving, the clattering sound indicating their position had changed.

Is this the means of transportation for the pollutants? Outside the window, everything was pitch black, the cities passed by dark and oppressive. Inside the train, only the night lights were on, not very bright.

Until Zhu Ning saw a signal tower, she remembered contacting He Wenxi from atop it, realizing she had truly left that accursed place.

Zhu Ning examined her berth; such a narrow space really did resemble a coffin.

Lying down, she studied her ticket, which had few rules. She flipped it over and over but found no additional information. Pei Shu had said following the rules would ensure safe arrival, but the problem was she didn't know all the rules.

Should she find an opportunity to explore? Or should she lie still and avoid trouble until they reached the station?

The notebook was still with Zhu Ning, but now was clearly not the time to open it.

The green train was made of iron. Zhu Ning pressed her palm against the metal of the carriage. Her Psychic ability was so familiar; she remembered the first time she used it in the Hive, how the metal veins spread out, allowing her to uproot the entire building. But the metal veins that should have spread out did not.

Zhu Ning frowned; she could only sense the small piece of metal under her palm, vaguely feeling a force resisting her, preventing her from controlling the entire train.

Worthy of being a pollutant beyond the wall.

Zhu Ning withdrew her hand, abandoning the idea of violently destroying the train. She then tried using God's Eye, which worked, but she could only see her own carriage, the others hidden in chaos.

Only unknown things were invisible, but Zhu Ning had been to other cars; they couldn't be unknown. Had the Homeward Bound shortened her field of vision?

That wasn't right either; each carriage should exist independently, connected by doors on the surface, but not actually interconnected.

This was troublesome; a moving train with spaces that were secret.

Zhu Ning wanted to sit up, thinking of getting out of bed to find Lin Xiaofeng, when she suddenly felt something wet touch the back of her neck.

Zhu Ning hadn't had time to check her berth earlier. Now, she noticed that her bed was quite ordinary, with standard white bedding and pillows. At this moment, there were some pink particles on the pillow, crushed by Zhu Ning.

What is this?

Zhu Ning touched it; the pink particles clung tightly together, somewhat solid. Without wearing protective gear, she directly touched it with her fingers, feeling a sticky sensation.

Zhu Ning lifted the pillow, stunned for a moment. Beneath the pillow, there were countless pink particles.

She had never seen anything more terrifying, even ghosts. Zhu Ning carefully lifted the seam of the bed, finding not only beneath the pillow but also in the gaps between the bed and the carriage, these pink particles were everywhere, having invaded the moving train.

These seem to be... golden apple snail eggs?