–What do you mean by asking for help?–
{Our headquarters personnel are trapped in Zone A by the Heroic Elite group. Could you use that train of Matt Chao to pick them up?}
–Oh? Why? Didn’t your headquarters stop me from destroying the containment facility before?–
{Well… who knew you could actually bring back someone like Zhao Anlong!}
He said with slight embarrassment:
{As long as you agree, Headquarters said they’ll prepare fifty thousand Chronos Dominus for you, help you stabilize one A-Class zone, and all the previously promised conditions will remain unchanged.}
–I want to know, who was the one that saved a young girl from Matt Chao? Are they also trapped in that A-Class zone?–
{Save someone? Sigh, I don’t know who you’re talking about. But Yang Zicang, if you delay any longer, it’ll be too late. In about half an hour, dawn will break, and your train will lose its crossing effect. Plus, our people might not be able to hold out for another half hour.}
Midnight train!
That’s right, this ability can only be used between 11 PM and dawn. Previously, thanks to the extended state of Chronos, it was perpetually dark here, allowing the train to be summoned at any time.
But now the effects of the Secret Artifact have faded, and soon, aside from within the subway station, Matt Chao’s ability can no longer be used casually.
Moreover, there are additional restrictions to it.
That is, if one harbors doubt toward this ability, the train sustained by the conductor’s telekinetic willpower will also suffer diminished effects—its range, speed, and penetration power will all decrease, or even vanish entirely.
In other words, at night, its speed depends entirely on the conductor’s state of mind and will.
Fortunately, this doubt had never crossed my mind before.
–Fine, for Mu Xiaoyu’s sake, I agree this time.–
With a single willful thought, the train—already linked to me via telepathy—materialized behind me with a woosh.
Yang Zicang said, –Right now, I can appear directly beside those from the Xiongying Squad, so your people must be very close to them, right?–
{Well… Please hold on. Maybe you should contact our Boss Zhou directly.}
…….
On the other end, Zhou Heng finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
In just a few minutes, all but three of the martial experts sent into the Chronos Expanded Zone by headquarters had been slaughtered.
Fortunately, the A-level zone was vast, and after the terrain converged, the range they could circle spanned tens of kilometers. Even so, those from the Xiongying Squad clung like a gnawing bone to their marrow, impossible to shake off.
Tong Wenqi’s Moxel ability created a meat-grinder-like blast of air in the space behind them.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, the three of them charged into the nearby marshland, a forest of reeds as tall as corn stalks. Though in dire straits, Zhou Heng had regained a hint of his usual composure.
He looked at the shattered ground at the other end of the sensory projection.
Behind the young man with his torn clothes was a depression dozens of meters wide—how terrifying the Defenders and that Zhao Anlong must be, to have blasted through the interlaced terrain.
{They’re still in the interlaced terrain at a time like this?}
–Xiongying Group only pretended to leave the interlaced terrain on the Nightmare Train before—they were actually hiding within the shifting scenes. Only Matt Chao went out to look for you, and he ended up dead by your hand. Tipped off, they seized the moment, cutting losses, and decided to take us out, then enter Hubville and wait for the city to finish collapsing.–
Yang Zicang was stunned—unwittingly, his actions had twice undone the Xiongying Group’s makeshift schemes.
–Can you use your Invest to determine our position?– Zhou Heng asked.
{Are you close to Xiongying Group’s people? I could head over directly right now, but it’d be troublesome if you were attacked from two sides at once.}
Zhou Heng knew that Yang Zicang’s evasive response was intentional, as he didn’t want to reveal more information about that train.
–It’s okay, relatively close.–
He turned to look at Tong Wenqi: –Can you hold on a bit longer?–
–With that mysterious Lyu Bu around, I’m afraid I can only last at most five minutes, unless…–
Zhou Heng knew what he wanted to say. This was clearly an opportunity to counterattack, but unfortunately, if Yang Zicang went to headquarters at this moment to fetch reinforcements, the three of them would likely die.
With Yang Zicang present, the two exchanged words rather discreetly while on the move.
Zhou Heng tapped his foot lightly, his body leaping agilely across the ground like a swallow. The three of them, with their clothes rustling in the wind, charged toward the other end of this dark, rocky expanse, leaving the swamp far behind.
……
Yang Zicang roughly discerned what was happening on the other side.
A group of people swiftly darted through the wilderness, chasing and counter-chasing each other. They had previously concealed themselves in a closer backdrop, not too far away.
His gaze was drawn to those from the Heroic Group; as expected, they were an organization that could represent the entire monster faction. Each of them exuded a considerable aura.
–How much faster can you move at your top speed compared to them?–
The three people across from each other exchanged glances, and one of them, a woman with a serene demeanor, nodded.
{Our top speed can cover a thousand meters in just one second, but afterward, we’ll remain still for ten seconds.}
The ability to span a kilometer in the blink of an eye.
Yang Zicang raised an eyebrow slightly—this was a show of his trump card. Although it came with side effects, it was already a formidable ability.
–I’ll come as soon as I can. Hang in there.–
After cutting off Syn-Link, Yang Zicang looked at the people gathered around him.
In the night, they were of varying heights, some dressed in tattered rags like beggars, while others wore all kinds of homemade protective gear—wooden plates over their hearts, thick pads on their elbows, far too hot to even take off in the heat.
–Big Brother Yang, you’re going to form a squad, right? Can I join?–
–Count me in too, Brother Yang. If I can join your team, I’ll follow your orders without question.–
The crowd around him grew larger and larger.
–Sorry, but I don’t have any plans like that for now.–
He got in touch with Liang Xi and felt relieved to find that although she was buried, the intricate network of pipes meant she wasn’t in immediate danger for the time being.
Yang Zicang stepped onto the train: –I’ll be back as soon as possible. Please help rescue those who are buried—some of them are my friends.–
He pointed to where the pipe had been. –About this direction, around ten meters deep.–
–Don’t worry, we’ll get to it right away.–
–Hey, someone, come quick! There are people buried under this—everyone, come move the stones!–
–Coming, coming! Hey, does any brother here have the ability to dig a hole?–
Watching the figures sprinting over in the moonlight, Yang Zicang let out a sigh. In times of disaster like this, one could still catch glimpses of the lingering humanity within people.
This was the version of humanity he was familiar with.
[I have consumed 1N principal. The Midnight Train has started.]
[Next stop: Zhou Yu Station, estimated time: four minutes.]
–Woo——–
Sitting somewhat wearily on the seat, Yang Zicang propped himself with the 50N Chronos war accoutrement he had retrieved.
–What kind of world is this?–
He asked the train.
{**_The conductor once asked me the same thing. In the past, I would have said I didn't know._**}
Hearing this slightly surprising second half, Yang Zicang, who hadn’t really expected an answer, couldn’t help but tilt his head toward the direction of the locomotive.
{**_A long, long time ago, there was a continent._**}
–A continent?–
–Originally, the continent was devoid of life, but later it emerged. Even later, some parts of the continent were destroyed, yet beings similar to me appeared. Slowly, life continued, but it always faced the risk of imminent annihilation.–
This is somewhat akin to the world revealed in You Hui’s dream.
Yang Zicang cast a strange glance at the carriage.
Because of his appearance, those tribes destined for destruction managed to survive and even gave rise to civilizations of fantasy. Unfortunately, there were no statues on either occasion.
He hoped that on his third entry, he would finally obtain the statues. So, does such a parallel world truly exist?
–How do you know all this?–
{The Paleshade Wyrm told me. He’s from there, and I suppose I am too, in a way.}
「……」
Yang Zicang rubbed his cheeks in exasperation, the fatigue thereby dissipating considerably.
A white light flickered on his chest as he linked up with the Invested Zhou Heng, saying:
–Follow the route I laid out. I’ll show up on the straight line between myself and the guy lugging that electric fan. But this’ll drain my Chronos, so you’ll need to toss in some extra compensation.–
{Rest assured, a top-tier seat at headquarters will be yours in the future—I’ll recommend you for a spot on the board.}
……
Within the intersecting space.
Lyu Bu looked behind the drowsy Zhou Yu, where intense energy was gradually converging.
This was the mysterious figure that everyone in the city feared—the Chairman of the Xiongying Association, whose code name was –Flying General Lyu Bu–.
No one knew the precise abilities of the Xiongying Association Chairman, for anyone who had witnessed him in action was dead.
Lyu Bu suddenly raised his head and, with half-closed eyes, looked straight ahead and stated:
–The Midnight Train and Yang Zicang are here.–
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