Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.01 第1章 谁破…谁的窗
第1章 谁破…谁的窗
Chapter 1: Who Breaks Whose Window
杨子藏醒来时，发现自己在陌生的巴士内。
Yang Zicang awoke to find himself inside a strange bus.
「我，没死？」
“I… didn’t die?”
车窗外的昏暗光线下，一辆黄色计程车从这辆停在路中间的巴士旁开过。
Through the dark window, a yellow taxi drove past this bus halted in the middle of the road.
它路过的瞬间，杨子藏见到那辆计程车的副驾位上，是位脸颊如刀削斧琢般冷峻的消瘦男生。
As it passed by, Yang Zicang saw, in the passenger seat of that taxi, a lean boy with a chiseled, cold face—sharp as if carved by a knife.
他穿著暗纹蓝色衬衫，斜挎著黑色运动包，头戴著顶鸭舌帽，耳朵上是枚蓝色耳钉。
He wore a dark-patterned blue shirt, a black sports bag slung diagonally across his body, a cap on his head, and a blue ear stud in one ear.
那是自己！
That was himself!
是另一个自己？！
Another version of himself?!
杨子藏的瞳孔紧缩，不敢置信地看著那个车载著另一个自己和在后排座上玩闹的弟弟，开进旁边的陌生社区。
Yang Zicang’s pupils constricted. He couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the taxi, carrying that other self and the boisterous little brother playing in the back seat, drive into a nearby unfamiliar residential area.
他双手拍住车窗，将脸贴了上去想要看清那人。
He slapped his palms against the bus window, pressing his face close to get a better look at that person.
「喂！」
“Hey!” he yelled.
他大声喊道，但外界根本听不见车内的声音。
But the outside world couldn’t hear a sound from inside the bus.
无数支离破碎的记忆涌来，爆炸、纷飞的血肉，搞搞抛起的头颅，以及金属翼人般飞行的怪物…
A flood of shattered memories surged forth—explosions, blasted and scattered flesh, a head tossed high, and a metal-winged, humanlike monster flying through the air…
杨子藏转头看了眼这个巴士，车上的男女全部陷入沉睡，怪异气氛笼罩此地。
Yang Zicang turned to look around the bus; all the men and women aboard were sunk in deep slumber, an eerie atmosphere enveloping the place.
似有谁的心跳声在响起。
It seemed someone’s heartbeat was echoing.
「这到底是怎么回事？ 不行，我要离开！」
“What the hell is going on? No, I’ve got to get out!”
他起身跑到车门口。
He stood up and rushed to the door of the bus.
司机的位置烟雾弥漫，拇指粗的怪异网状密布，那里悬浮著一个缓慢闪烁的淡白色小光环，里面似有无法看清的数位，它即将消失。
Thick smoke filled the driver’s seat, where strange thumb-thick mesh patterns densely spread. Suspended there was a faint white halo blinking slowly, containing what seemed like unreadable numbers, and it was about to vanish.
空气变得有些粘稠与窒息，仿佛有什么东西即将在车内诞生。
The air grew thick and suffocating, as if something was about to be born inside the bus.
阴晦气氛让杨子藏寒毛倒竖。
The eerie atmosphere made Yang Zicang’s hair stand on end.
门把手变得滑腻，它长出了肉膜，双手根本拉不开这扇紧闭的车门…
The door handle became slippery and slimy, covered with a membrane of flesh; his hands couldn’t pull the tightly shut door open.
「这里… 是哪儿？」车内几道声音响起，这些昏沉的人也逐渐苏醒了，车内开始闹哄哄的。
“Where… is this?” Several voices rang out inside the bus as the dazed passengers gradually woke up, the interior turning noisy.
忽地，停电的车内，车载电视萤幕亮起光芒，信号不稳的画面闪动，带著背噪的一道声音出现。
Suddenly, in the powerless bus, the in-vehicle TV screen flickered to life with signal instability, and a voice crackling with static background noise emerged.
「这辆车已经处于育魇前奏的状态，你们最好在三分钟内出来。」
“This bus has entered the state of Breed-Night Prelude. You’d better get out within three minutes.”
「这道门根本打不开！」 杨子藏对著电视焦急道，他不知道对方能不能看见这里。
“This door won’t open!” Yang Zicang shouted anxiously at the TV, unsure if whoever was on the other end could see him.
「我来。」 一个地中海发型的男人站起身，走到门面前，另外也有三人围了过来，他们都是四五十岁的中年人，手上力气很足，杨子藏往后退去为这些人让出路来。
“Let me handle it,” a man with a combover stood up and walked to the door. Three others gathered around, all middle-aged men in their forties or fifties with considerable strength in their hands. Yang Zicang stepped back to clear the way.
同时，车上有人拿钉锤翘起窗户玻璃，却无论如何用力，都无法敲碎它们。
At the same time, someone onboard tried to pry the window glass with a hammer and chisel, but no matter how hard they exerted strength, they couldn’t crack it.
「诸位，这辆车的状态已经不一样了，从某种角度来说，它已经算是一个即将诞生的特殊生命，而你们就是诞生它的养料。」
“Ladies and gentlemen, this vehicle is no longer in its former state. In a sense, it is already a special life about to be born, and you are the nourishment that will give birth to it.”
众人都或茫然或皱眉地看著那车载电视萤幕。
The crowd stared blankly or with furrowed brows at the screen on the car’s TV monitor.
「喂，你是谁啊，你们是绑匪吗？」
“Hey, who are you? Are you kidnappers?”
一个胖子站起身说道，他往驾驶位的方向走去，想要将车启动，但是那里阴气森然，他还未靠近就浑身发抖，不敢再往前。
A fat man stood up and asked, then headed toward the driver’s seat to try starting the car. But there, an eerie chill emanated; before he even got close, he began shivering uncontrollably and dared not go further.
「大约还有两分三十秒，如果你们无法成功离开这里，就会成为它的口粮。」
“There are about two minutes and thirty seconds left. If you fail to leave here successfully, you will become its food.”
电视里的人影很模糊，画面不断左右闪动，杨子藏根本看不清他的模样。
The figure on the TV was blurry, the screen flickering left and right. Yang Zicang couldn’t make out its features at all.
「请问，该怎么离开？」 后排车座上一个二十来岁的女孩柔弱地道。
“How do we leave?” a girl in her early twenties asked from the back seat, her voice sounding fragile.
「如果你们愿意达成一项交易，那么我就告诉你们离开的方法。」
“If you agree to a deal, then I will tell you the way to leave.”
车内顿时骚动起来。
The car quickly erupted in turmoil.
「果然是绑匪，喂，谁有手机，报下警。」
“So it really is kidnappers. Hey, who’s got a cell phone? Call the police.”
「我手机不见了。」 女人声叫到。
“My phone’s gone,” cried out a woman’s voice.
「欸，我的衣服不是昨天的吗，你们想怎么样！」
“Hey, weren’t I wearing different clothes yesterday? What the hell do you want?”
一些人拍著窗户大声叫喊起来，可是外界路过的人似乎都看不见这辆车一样，根本无人注意这里。
Several people began banging on the windows and shouting loudly, yet passersby outside seemed unable to see the bus at all, paying no attention to what was happening inside.
杨子藏可是清晰的记得自己已经死过一次了，他对著电视道：「你想要什么？」
Yang Zicang, however, vividly remembered that he had already died once. He spoke to the television, “What do you want?”
「呵，还是有人能拎得清状况的嘛。」
“Hmph, at least someone here can read the situation.”
那电视内的黑影露出个赞赏的表情，冷声笑道：
The shadow within the TV revealed an appreciative expression and sneered coldly.
「交易就是，在七日内，支付我50年的时序，只要同意就是交易达成，如何？」
“The deal is this: within seven days, you must pay me 50 years of Chronos. Agree, and the deal is sealed—how about it?”
「50年时序？ 那是什么，商品吗？」
“50 years of Chronos? What’s that? Some kind of merchandise?”
「商品？ 哼哼，算是吧，对这个世界来说，那就是你们的本金，快做决定吧，只有不到两分钟了。」
“Merchandise? Hmph, you could say so. To this world, it’s your principal. Make your decision quickly—there’s less than two minutes left.”
使劲拉门的人无论如何也无法将车门打开，巴士内的气氛越来越阴沉。
Those desperately pulling at the door found themselves unable to open it no matter what, and the atmosphere inside the bus grew heavier and darker.
司机座位上闪烁的光球彻底消失，于此同时，那里扩散的烟雾融入了整个巴士内。
The flickering sphere of light on the driver’s seat vanished completely, and at that moment, the mist spreading from that spot merged throughout the entire bus.
车辆像是震动了下，更强烈的慌闷情绪萦绕众人心间。
The vehicle seemed to tremble slightly, and an even stronger wave of panic suffocated the hearts of everyone present.
车厢的顶棚上长出来一道道黑色的蛛网般的晶膜，似乎有恐怖的魔物即将诞生。
On the roof of the cabin, black web-like crystalline membranes began to grow, as if some horrifying monster was about to be born.
「50年… 难道，要用寿命才能打开？」杨子藏不可思议的道。
“50 years… Could it be that we have to use our lifespan to open it?” Yang Zicang said in disbelief.
周围人如看神经病般扫了杨子藏一眼，随后又焦急的望向门口。
The people around him glanced at Yang Zicang as if he were insane, then turned their anxious eyes back to the door.
听闻此话，电视里的人影顿了下，他的喉咙里发出干燥的笑声。
Hearing this, the figure on the television paused, and a dry laugh escaped from his throat.
「没想到你居然自己猜到，呵，既然这样，我就直说好了。」
“I didn’t expect you to figure it out on your own. Hah, since that’s the case, I’ll speak plainly.
「这辆车会吞噬你们所有人的生命，它的门与窗，都已经不是物理意义上的门窗了，你们的攻击只是徒劳。」
“This bus will devour all of your lives. Its doors and windows are no longer physically what they seem— your attacks are futile.
「想要将它打开，要么用时间将它催熟，要么用超越它蕴含时间的长短来将它砸破。 而且每多死一人。 你们要打开的难度都会增加更多。」
“To open it, you must either use time to ripen it, or smash it apart with a span greater than the time it contains. And with each additional death, opening it will only grow more difficult.”
众人震惊的看著他，大脑还没有接受这个资讯。
The crowd stared at him in shock, their minds struggling to process this information.
「我来！」
“Let me do it!”
那地中海男人推开众人，满脸怒容地双手握住门把手。
That balding man shoved through the crowd, his face twisted in rage as he gripped the door handle with both hands.
「黄主任，你，你真的相信这话吗？」
“Director Huang, you… you really believe that talk?”
「试试不就知道了。」
“We’ll find out easily enough if we just try.”
「可万一是真的。」
“But what if it’s true?”
「呵，真的就真的。」 这黄主任满脸狠劲，低声咆哮道：「不管你要吃掉我多少寿命，给老子开啊！」
“Hmph, so what if it is?” Director Huang, his face filled with grit, growled in a low voice: “No matter how many years of my life you want to devour, just open the hell up for me!”
哗啦！
Whoosh!
砰地声沉响，巴士大门瞬间被打开。
With a heavy thud, the bus door burst open in an instant.
这黄主任身上的皮肤肉眼可见的变得松弛暗沉起来，他仅剩的一圈头发逐渐花白，脸上浮现出老人斑。
Director Huang’s skin visibly sagged and dulled; the thin ring of hair on his head turned gray, and age spots crept across his face.
座位上几位女士霎时捂住了嘴。
Several ladies in their seats instantly covered their mouths.
与黄主任相识的那中年人双手颤抖地扶住了汽车的椅子。
The middle-aged man who was acquainted with Director Huang propped himself unsteadily against the car seat, his hands trembling.
他变老了，这居然是真的！
He had aged—this was actually true!
黄主任眨巴了下眼睛，又使劲用手擦拭了下。
Director Huang blinked his eyes vigorously, then rubbed them hard with his hand.
「这，就是老花眼的感觉吗… 我刚刚，居然用掉了，三十多年…」
“So this is what presbyopia feels like… I just used up, over thirty years…”
车内一片倒吸凉气的声音。
A collective gasp echoed inside the car.
「很好，你们得救了。」
“Good, you’re saved.”
电视机里那人沉笑了下：
The man in the TV chuckled darkly,
「既然已经当了好人，那我还是好人做到底好了，接下来，是关于这怪物的资讯…」
“Since I’ve already played the good Samaritan, I might as well see it through. Next up—information about this monster…
「要是你们能击毙这怪物，不光怪物的寿命，乃至它里面所有死去的人的寿命，都会转移到击败它的人身上。 唔，好好享受死亡吧。」
“If you can kill this monster, not only its remaining lifespan, but also the lifespans of everyone who died inside it, will transfer to its slayer. Mm, enjoy death while you can.”
屏幕画面闪烁了下，随后消失。
The screen flickered, then went dark.
「快，我们出去，时间马上就要到了。」 周围人都慌张地起来。
“Quick, let’s get out—time’s almost up.” People around scrambled up in panic.
黄主任在门口用昏花的老眼看了车里的人一眼，随后迈步下车。
Director Huang glanced back at the others with blurry, aged eyes, then stepped out of the car.
「老黄，这次可真是多亏你啊，没想到你是这么高尚的一个人。」
“Old Huang, we really have you to thank this time. I didn’t know you were such a noble man.”
「呵呵，不用客气，反正… 人总是要死的。」
“Heh, don’t mention it. Anyway… everyone has to die sooner or later.”
他一步落地后，扶著车门的身子紧绷地立在那儿，背后几名准备下车的人虽然有心想催促下他，但最终还是忍住了。
As he set foot on the ground, his frail body tensed, gripping the car door frame. A few people behind him, eager to rush out, wanted to urge him on but held back in the end.
毕竟眼前这个可是刚救了大家的英雄。
After all, this was the very hero who had just saved everyone.
「我…」黄主任转头看向里面，笑了下道：「不好意思，各位。」
“I…” Director Huang turned around to look inside, gave a slight smile, and said, “Sorry, everyone.”
在众人还没反应过来这话的意思时，他双手猛然拉住车厢门，哐当声将门拉紧，在车外死死拽住了门把手！
Before the others could grasp the meaning of his words, he suddenly grabbed the carriage door with both hands, slammed it shut with a bang, and held onto the handle from the outside with a death grip!
「你不要再开门了。」 他自言自语般说道。
“Don’t open the door again,” he muttered to himself as if in a trance.
里面的众人疯狂拍打著玻璃窗，但外面的黄主任只是将头埋住，闭眼不敢看里面。
Inside, the crowd pounded frantically on the windowpanes, but outside, Director Huang simply buried his head and closed his eyes, not daring to look inside.
「有我的三十年，应该会不到两分钟了吧，孩子…」
“With my thirty years, it should be less than two minutes now, kid…”
就在刚刚，他用三十年催熟了这扇门后，心中得到了若有若无的一丝反馈，这即将诞生的怪物居然像是将自己当成了父亲！
Just moments before, after using thirty years to ripen this door, he had felt a faint, elusive response from within—this soon-to-be-born monster seemed to see him as its father!
他浑身燥热起来，心中纠结一番后，终于下定决心… 反正要死了啊，就赌一把吧！
His body burned with heat; after a moment of inner struggle, he finally made up his mind… Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well take a gamble!
「对不住了啊，大家，要是我能获得更多寿命的话，我以后一定当个好人，想办法多击杀些这种东西，祭奠你们…」
“Sorry, everyone. If I could have gained more time, I would have been a better man in the future, rushing to kill more of these things to console your spirits…”
这车里，少说有十多人，按每人四五十年算，最少都有五六百年寿命！
There were at least a dozen people in this carriage; counting forty or fifty years per person, that meant at least five to six hundred years of life!
「要是失败… 就一起下地狱好了！」
“If it fails… then we’ll all go to hell together!”
他面容扭曲地拽住这门，车门被里面的人打得变形，两三次都差点被拉开，又被自己死死按住。
His face twisted as he grasped the door, which had been battered out of shape by those inside; two or three times it was nearly yanked open, but he held it shut with all his might.
里面已经又有三人变得苍老了起来，他们破口大骂，拿脚踢著这扇只要关上就会消耗众人三十年以上寿命才能砸坏的车门！
Three more people inside had already aged abruptly, cursing vehemently as they kicked at the car door—a door that, once shut, would only be smashed after consuming over thirty years of everyone’s lifespan!
「不是已经打开了吗，为什么又要寿命！」
“Wasn’t it already open? Why does it cost lifespan again!”
「我刚才还能感觉自己可以催熟它，现在已经不行了。」
“I could feel myself speeding up its decay just a moment ago, but now I can’t anymore.”
众人又急又怒。
The crowd seethed with panic and fury.
「大哥哥，我们会死吗？」
“Big brother, are we going to die?”
杨子藏被周围的人挤得有些无法立足，同样被人群掀到一边的还有个十七八岁的少女。
Yang Zicang was squeezed so tight he could barely keep his footing, and also tossed to one side by the crowd was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen.
沐小雨无助的噙著眼泪，双手拽著他的手臂，下意识将这个第一位发现寿命可以被使用的人当成了依靠。
Mu Xiaoyu helplessly choked back tears, clutching his arm with both hands, instinctively relying on the first person who had discovered that lifespan could be spent as their pillar of support.
「死？ 不，不会！」
“Die? No, no way!”
杨子藏扶住车窗立稳后，咬牙伸手取下车壁上的破窗锤，他将这锤子高高举起，心中吼道：反正我都死了，不论多少年，给我破啊！
Bracing himself against the window frame, Yang Zicang gritted his teeth and grabbed the emergency hammer off the inner wall. Raising it high, he roared in his heart: *I’m dead anyway—no matter how many years, break for me now!*
手上抡起劲风狠狠扎在已经出现丝网菌线般的玻璃窗上。
Swinging with all his might, the wind whistling, he slammed the hammer into the window covered with a weblike crack.
「喀嚓！」
“Crack!”
玻璃窗出现道裂纹。
A fissure spidered across the glass.
这一锤砸下的瞬间，杨子藏感觉自己身体内的精气顺著手臂被抽出，与这玻璃上涌现的无形能量进行了一次对抗。
The instant the hammer struck down, Yang Zicang felt the vital energy within his body being drawn out along his arm, engaging in a confrontation with the formless power surging through the glass.
在女孩眼中，杨子藏转眼间成熟许多。
In the girl’s eyes, Yang Zicang had aged noticeably in the blink of an eye.
「开啊~」
“Break!”
青年再次抡动破窗锤，又一锤砸下！
The young man swung the window-breaking hammer once more, and another strike came crashing down!
他的皮肤迅速衰老。
His skin rapidly aged.
砰！ 窗户瞬间如陈旧多年的树胶般碎裂，他一拳将之打破。
Bang! The window instantly shattered like aged tree sap, crumbling as he punched through it.
两锤共计消耗寿命… 四十五年！
The two strikes cost him a total of… forty-five years of his life!