A Level 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
Chen Mang heard the new term in his mind but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pressed his body tightly against the iron surface of the train car. At this moment, no one cared about the jolting of the train or the putrid stench inside.
Everyone was consumed by a state of sheer panic.
Survive. That was the only thought in everyone's mind.
No!
They couldn't just sit here and wait to die!
Chen Mang tightly shut his eyes, his mind racing through various possibilities. After a moment, he abruptly opened his eyes and whispered to Lao Zhu beside him, "This train has nine cars."
"The first car is the engine compartment, and cars seven, eight, and nine are the Slave compartments."
"Didn't you say the train isn't flexible enough?"
"If we can find a way to get to the engine compartment in the first car, disconnect all the other cars, and then have you drive the train—didn't you used to be a Deputy Train Conductor? You should know how to operate a train, right?"
"No!"
Lao Zhu immediately rejected the idea without hesitation, his face pale as he shook his head and rasped, "All trains are bound to the Train Conductor. Only the Train Conductor has the authority to operate the train. Even if we break into the control room, we can't take over the train or control it."
"But—"
"Mang Ge, your idea is a good one. If we disconnect all the cars, it would essentially turn the first car into a universal wheel, giving us another chance to escape."
"Let's just hope the Train Conductor doesn't think of that."
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions grim.
It was clear.
If the Train Conductor thought of this, they would immediately become expendable.
Still, Chen Mang got up, ready to head toward the sixth car, his face tense as he muttered, "We still need to get to the first car first. Follow me."
But before they could act—
"Clang! Clang!"
A series of metallic clashing sounds suddenly came from outside the window, and they felt the train begin to slow down rapidly.
"Huff…"
Chen Mang took a deep breath, pulled out the last crumpled cigarette Lao Zhu had given him, and lit it while standing on a straw mat in the chaotic car. He exhaled a long plume of smoke, then calmly gripped the gls pistol in his hand, waiting for the inevitable judgment.
Death was certain.
They had been abandoned.
He didn't hate the Train Conductor, though. If he were in the Train Conductor's position, he'd probably do the same. He just felt a sense of disappointment in the man's lack of initiative.
When they were guarding the mine, had the scouts fallen asleep on the job?
Why was the Corpse Tide allowed to form a complete encirclement before it was noticed?
How precious could resources be that they couldn't even spare the effort to build a Level 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
With so many Slaves, weren't they worth more than a single Level 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
Still…
Chen Mang clenched the cigarette between his teeth, loaded his pistol, and stepped over the bodies of the Slaves in the car, striding toward the iron door. He yanked down the iron lever—
And the train door swung open with a crash!
A freezing wind mixed with the stench of decay instantly flooded the car.
Though their car had lost power, it was still moving forward at a decent speed due to inertia. But it wouldn't last long. Once the door was open, they could see the Corpse Tide was almost upon them.
Only a few meters away.
Looking out, there was no end in sight. All they could smell was the overwhelming stench that made them want to faint, and they could see countless Zombies charging toward the train, their faces twisted in grotesque snarls.
"This is so unfair…"
Chen Mang muttered as he took in the scene. He'd read post-apocalyptic novels before. In those stories, the protagonists usually started by facing one or two Zombies. How had he ended up in a situation like this, with a Corpse Tide of this magnitude right from the start? It left no room for survival.
Who could possibly survive a Corpse Tide like this?
But…
Even in death, he'd take a few down with him!
The next moment—
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out, and a Zombie lunging toward Chen Mang now had a gaping hole in its head. Its body crashed to the ground, quickly trampled by the Zombies behind it, disappearing from sight.
This was the first Zombie he'd killed.
It wasn't because he was a sharpshooter—he'd never even held a gun before. It was just that the barrel was practically shoved into the Zombie's mouth. At that range, anyone could be a marksman.
The Zombies' bodies didn't seem particularly tough, though. A single pistol shot at close range could nearly blow their heads off. If it were just one Zombie, an average adult could probably handle it.
If there was no infectious toxicity, a person might even be able to take on three or five.
But…
The sheer numbers were overwhelming.
"Bang! Bang!"
The gunshots kept ringing out, and Chen Mang quickly got the hang of it. He emptied a magazine in no time, though he wasn't sure how many Zombies he'd actually killed. It was too chaotic.
All he knew was that he'd fired into the Corpse Tide. How many he'd taken down, he couldn't say.
By now, the train's speed had slowed significantly, which meant he didn't have many chances left to shoot. Chen Mang quickly ejected the magazine and began reloading it with the brass bullets from his pocket.
Before he died, he'd make sure to take as many down as possible.
Just then—
A Slave suddenly rushed over, dropping to his knees in front of Chen Mang at the open door. His face was filled with terror as he begged in a trembling, tearful voice, "Brother, can you shoot me? I want to die quickly. I don't want to die in the mouths of the Zombies."
"No."
Chen Mang replied indifferently as he swiftly reloaded his magazine. "Bullets are limited. It's better to kill a few more Zombies. That way, it's a more worthwhile death."
It wasn't just here.
He could hear rapid gunfire coming from the next car. The thugs in the sixth car had also been abandoned and were now making their last desperate stand.
"I… I…"
The man on his knees looked up at Chen Mang, his face twisting into a snarl, veins bulging in his neck as he screamed, "You're going to deny me even this request?"
"I just want to die quickly. Is that too much to ask?!"
"You're all—"
Before he could finish, the man suddenly lunged at Chen Mang, aiming straight for the pistol in his hand.
But…
Chen Mang sidestepped the man's attack, watching as he stumbled toward the open train door. Without hesitation, Chen Mang kicked him with full force.
The man tumbled into the Corpse Tide.
A piercing scream of terror sliced through the air, but it was quickly cut short.
(End of Chapter)