Infinite Train
Chapter 683: Where are you?
The silence in the corridor was heart-palpitating.
Even without turning around, Wen Jianyan could feel the gaze landing on his back—it felt as tangible as an icy, sharp awl, pinning him to the spot like a specimen.
That was Ye Lin.
Not far ahead, through the cursed and distorted half-shell of No.8’s body, Dan Zhu was looking at him with a beaming smile.
She waited patiently, not rushing him.
—Because she truly had no need to rush.
Even though the disparity in numbers wasn’t huge, the difference in strength was almost despair-inducing.
One was the third-ranked player in Nightmare. Even though she couldn’t appear in her true body due to suppression, she was still the proxy captain of the cruise ship, possessing an authority unmatched by anyone present. The other was the second-ranked player in Nightmare and the president of the Dark Fire Guild, who held second place in total points. Even though it was merely a “shell” of his in this instance, it had still withstood the capsizing of the cruise ship, showing just how terrifying his strength was. Not to mention there was also Hugo, who hadn’t arrived yet but had clearly sided with Dan Zhu…
And Wen Jianyan only had himself.
Isolated and alone.
“……”
Wen Jianyan lowered his gaze, his eyes slowly landing on the old-fashioned telephone pushed in front of him.
He knew what Dan Zhu was plotting.
Trying to catch a prophet who possessed the cruise ship’s authority was no different from playing chess against someone who could always predict your second and third moves. It was like chasing a shadow or trying to catch a wisp of smoke—rather than trying to obtain information, it was more like… an open-handed threat.
She wanted the Tarot Reader to willingly throw himself into the net.
“What are you still waiting for?” Seeing that he hadn’t moved for a long time, Dan Zhu grew a bit impatient. She frowned, tapping the metal casing of the telephone with her fingertips. “Darling, my patience is limited, especially after being locked up on this broken ship for so long—I suggest you don’t waste my time.”
“……Indeed.”
Suddenly, Wen Jianyan’s eyes flickered.
“Being trapped on this broken ship for so long, you definitely should be impatient—so, is this why you wanted to ‘talk’ to me the moment I boarded the ship?”
“In other words,” Wen Jianyan turned his head, his gaze flashing as he looked at Dan Zhu, “Are you truly satisfied with becoming the ‘captain’ of this broken ship?”
With Dan Zhu’s personality, would she really accept the fate of becoming a puppet of Nightmare so easily?
After he had boarded the cruise via the train, he had encountered the elevator operator controlled by Dan Zhu on the casino floor. Although her attitude was tough back then, she hadn’t left zero avenues for survival like she was doing now.
In fact, Dan Zhu’s actions had only become ruthless and radical starting from when Su Cheng reestablished contact with him.
Why?
“So,”
Wen Jianyan was slightly startled, seemingly realizing a certain possibility. He drew in a sharp breath and abruptly looked at Dan Zhu:
“You… looking for me, was to use me to negotiate with Nightmare?”
At this moment, the sudden actions Dan Zhu had taken finally had an explanation:
Before he appeared, Dan Zhu’s faction held absolute dominance inside the cruise ship. No matter how well the Tarot Reader could hide, under her suppression, he couldn’t make any major waves. The same went for Wen Jianyan’s side—Dan Zhu used No.8 to monitor his movements, and Hugo alone was enough to force them into a desperate situation.
But once they rendezvoused, things would be entirely different.
Precisely because of this, she chose to show up immediately, even deploying the major card that was Ye Lin—which, no matter how you looked at it, was an overly rule-breaking move—just to completely strangle the threat in the cradle.
“……”
Dan Zhu narrowed her eyes and looked at Wen Jianyan, not replying immediately.
But soon, she let out a short laugh: “Sometimes, one truly cannot underestimate you, darling.”
“I really do need you, whether it’s to gain complete control of the cruise ship or to make some minor, unplanned adjustments with Nightmare…”
Smiling, Dan Zhu took slow steps forward, approaching him.
“You won’t refuse to cooperate, will you?”
Wen Jianyan didn’t dodge; his gaze remained steadily on her.
“Not willing?”
Dan Zhu’s finger landed on his cheek, moving in a hair-raising manner:
“Even if you lost your legs, lost your arms, lost your eyes… still not willing?”
She giggled, her eyes as sweet as her tone: “Of course, don’t worry, I’ll save your tongue for last—just in case you change your mind.”
“Oh, but,” Dan Zhu seemed to suddenly think of something, and her tone shifted abruptly, “If you really end up like that in my hands, the Tarot Reader would probably calculate it, right?”
She rested her chin on Wen Jianyan’s shoulder, laughing so hard she rocked back and forth:
“I imagine, by that time, I won’t need you to call him anymore.”
Hearing these words, Wen Jianyan only felt a chilling horror crawl up his spine, like an invisible sharp knife pressed against the middle of his back, ready to tear his skin and draw blood if it advanced even an inch.
Because he knew very well:
In matters like this, Dan Zhu always did what she said.
The next second, Dan Zhu’s smile vanished without warning. In a mere instant, she completed the transformation from a melting spring to freezing ice.
“So, darling, you don’t actually have the capital to negotiate with me. If you’re willing to cooperate, everything is negotiable. If you’re not, then I can only treat you roughly… Do you understand?”
“……Of course,” Wen Jianyan said. “You know I’ve always been someone who understands the times.”
“But, an obedient bargaining chip is always much better than a rebellious one, isn’t it?”
Under the terrifying pressure brought by two of Nightmare’s top three players, Wen Jianyan desperately utilized the scarce information—which could barely be considered an advantage—to struggle, trying his hardest to seek out more breathing room.
“Even if you really do that, you’ll still waste a massive amount of time, and during that process, who knows if some unexpected accident might happen…”
Dan Zhu narrowed her eyes, seemingly displeased with the direction this topic was taking.
“Anyway, I can call the Tarot Reader, and I can be a good, willing bargaining chip for your negotiation,” Wen Jianyan immediately changed his tune when he saw her expression, speeding up his words. “I promise, with my help, everything will go much smoother than you imagined—and you only need to agree to two very, very small things.”
Dan Zhu stared at Wen Jianyan for a long time. Finally, she spoke reluctantly:
“……What? Tell me.”
“First, if the Tarot Reader willingly gives up the position of proxy captain, you spare his life,” Wen Jianyan said.
Dan Zhu nodded indifferently: “Sure.”
She was never someone who killed for the sake of killing anyway. If the Tarot Reader didn’t stand in her way, she naturally wouldn’t need to take his life.
“Second, before everything starts… let that guy go.” Wen Jianyan jutted his chin, pointing at No.8, who was firmly controlled by Dan Zhu.
Dan Zhu raised an eyebrow and looked at Wen Jianyan in surprise: “……Him?”
“Him,” Wen Jianyan nodded affirmatively.
“……”
Hearing this, a clear look of stunned disbelief flashed across the half of No.8’s face that wasn’t controlled by Dan Zhu. He stared in Wen Jianyan’s direction with a confused expression, seemingly unable to understand why the other party would make such a request—how could this be?
“He did help me, but this matter itself has nothing to do with him,” Wen Jianyan emphasized. “I don’t like dragging unrelated people into this.”
Dan Zhu looked him up and down. A few seconds later, she slowly smiled:
“You do have some backbone.”
“Alright,” she said carelessly, “I agree.”
Saying that, she waved her hand toward Ye Lin in the distance. Her tone was lazy and casual, as if calling a pet that came and went at her beck and call:
“Come here.”
“……” Ye Lin glanced at her, and his cracked, half-hollow shell walked closer step by step.
No.8 uncontrollably raised his arm, his fingers resting on Ye Lin’s palm.
The next second, a slit split open on his fingertip. A rose-red vine, shining with the luster of fresh blood, slithered out from beneath his skin, softly yet lethally winding itself around Ye Lin’s wrist like a dodder vine.
No.8’s expression twisted, a look of agony flashing across his face.
Ye Lin, however, didn’t change expression, standing motionless and letting the thorns climb over him.
Soon, this bizarre transfer ritual ended.
Inside Ye Lin’s empty shell, Dan Zhu’s thorns were safely contained—this was originally a shell created by Nightmare specifically for high-level anchors, inherently possessing the attribute of containment—blood-colored flowers bloomed wildly and smoothly along the thorns, their petals bright red and seemingly dripping.
He lowered his eyes, looking at a cluster of small flowers blooming on his fingertips, a brief look of tenderness flashing across his face.
As Dan Zhu’s power was withdrawn from his body, No.8 lost all support and stumbled to the ground.
On that pale babyface, aside from the pain that hadn’t completely faded, only bewilderment remained.
He looked blankly at Wen Jianyan, who had come closer to support him. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.
However, all the sounds choked in the depths of his throat; he couldn’t utter a single syllable.
The next second, Wen Jianyan suddenly leaned in close to his ear:
“Get ready.”
…Get ready?
No.8 was stunned.
Wait, get ready for what?
Although Dan Zhu’s will had left his body, her control over this area hadn’t decreased in the slightest. In fact, by entering a more suitable shell that didn’t resist her at all, she could unleash even greater power. Dan Zhu wasn’t stupid; she had only seemingly mercifully loosened her claws because she knew Wen Jianyan had nowhere to run.
Ye Lin was eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey, the “staff passageway” was still sealed dead, and the elevator was Dan Zhu’s territory to begin with, offering absolutely no chance of escape.
So what exactly was this guy preparing to—
Before No.8 could wrap his head around it, he saw the human young man in front of him suddenly move. It was as if a long-accumulated power exploded all at once. Pushing off the ground with his back leg, the next second, No.8 only felt a massive force violently crash into him head-on!!
“Pfft!!!”
The excessive impact pressed against his chest and abdomen. Caught off guard, No.8 spat out a mouthful of black blood he had been holding in his throat, lost his balance, and fell backward!
The next second, weightlessness seized him.
No.8’s pupils contracted, and he twisted his head in terror.
On this floor, the closer to the elevator, the more fissures there were on the walls and the ground.
And right behind him was a massive fissure cutting straight across the floor!
Wen Jianyan had just tackled both of them headfirst into the fissure!!!
A few steps away, blood-red vines violently shot out the instant Wen Jianyan moved. However, before they could wrap around his ankle, the slanted floor had already opened its pitch-black maw, mercilessly swallowing the two of them whole.
Everything was pitch-black. A cold, blood-scented wind swept up from the bottom of the abyss, scraping against their skin like knives, emitting a terrifying shriek.
Below, there seemed to be some horrifying gravitational force, accelerating their fall—faster, and faster.
Amidst this endless plummet, No.8 gripped Wen Jianyan’s arm tightly, forcing out a distorted scream of terror from his throat:
“Are you crazy?!!!”
He screamed.
“Do you even know what you’re doing??? This isn’t your fucking real world!!!!”
No.8 felt like he was being driven insane.
Strictly speaking, this cruise ship wasn’t some concrete entity; it only existed in the form of a “ship,” but that didn’t mean everything here could be explained by common sense. Here, the concept of space didn’t exist. This was an overlapping of countless areas. Falling through a fissure like this didn’t mean falling to the floor below like people usually thought—no, things were never that simple.
Those “staff passageways” existed precisely to prevent “crew members” like them from falling in here.
—This place was the true, unknown void.
A bottomless abyss of no return.
“……” No.8 felt the chest of the human young man pressed against his arm vibrating. His voice was torn apart by the gale, and No.8 could only faintly make out a few words, “……I know!”
……What?
No.8 was stunned. Under the immense wind pressure, he struggled to turn his neck, looking at the human young man tightly holding onto him.
The other’s face was extremely pale, and the wounds on his body had torn open during the fall, filling the surroundings with a heavy scent of blood. Yet, his eyes were astonishingly bright in the darkness, almost dazzling.
“I know!!”
He repeated loudly, pausing between each word.
Even though he had stepped onto the cruise ship, Nightmare hadn’t made a single move.
Even when facing Hugo directly, satisfying all the conditions of “being observed,” and falling into the exact same situation as in the Changsheng Building, the livestream room still hadn’t opened as it normally would.
Dan Zhu, acting as proxy captain, cast a wide net, attempting to use him as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Nightmare…
Behind all of this, the same truth was hidden:
The Lucky Cruise, a place that should have had Nightmare’s deepest control and strongest presence—at this very moment, had become a masterless land that even it found difficult to invade.
Why?
How was this done?
Or rather… who in this world could achieve this?
Wen Jianyan knew the answer. Because he had asked everyone he met about that guy’s whereabouts.
Yet he had found nothing.
No traces, no clues, as if he had vanished into thin air, evaporating on the spot.
Even after he boarded the cruise ship, the heart hanging on his chest had not given the slightest response, as if unconscious, unknowing.
The ship had been fully repaired, and Nightmare was excluded.
And Wen Jianyan had once glimpsed deep within the structural fissures of Yuying Comprehensive University—those specks of golden light that had bitten into and reforged the collapsing building.
—Where was He?
“?!”
Suddenly, No.8 realized in shock that something eerie was happening around him.
Their falling speed had slowed down at some unknown point. The cold, howling, knife-like wind around them began to subside, and the darkness around them seemed to be waking up little by little. From a boundless shadow with no presence, it was gradually gaining shape, volume… and even a sense of reality.
What was going on?
The next second, No.8 only felt a wave of terror sweep across his long-numb body. This groundless, incomprehensible fear seized him. Deep within this shell that was no longer human, his soul trembled and curled up under some primal oppression. He could almost hear his teeth chattering with a clack-clack sound.
What happened?
What had awakened in the darkness?
In terror, No.8 turned his head frantically, looking around in panic, not even knowing what he was looking for.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped dead.
Not far away, the falling human young man slowly lifted his head. The depths of his light-colored eyes reflected the swirling darkness. The existence that filled No.8 with inexplicable dread had no effect on him whatsoever. He merely raised his hand gently, letting the invisible shadows wrap around his fingertips.
Between his fingers, specks of red-gold were faintly visible.
—Using his body to manifest the masts, his torso as the sails and rudder, and his flesh and blood as the keel.
In the bleeding, vast sky, his pale lips could faintly be seen parting and closing.
He seemed to be saying someone’s name.
“……Wu Zhu.”
