Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 225: Death Game
Lin Xian and KIKI's expressions were grave as they looked downward. Below them was a pitch-black void, where the room that Wang Duo was in could no longer be seen. To isolate both the room and the sound was to expose human nature to the extreme. This meant that if Wang Duo had died, no one would know who the murderer was.
The remaining seven rooms, each person carried their own thoughts.
At this moment, the dark side of human nature was endlessly invoked. Lin Xian's expression darkened;the human heart is unpredictable, and this was the most tormenting moment.
Soon, everyone saw Wang Duo appear at the far left of the enormous room. Her figure was frail, and the youthful radiance she should have had was replaced by a ghostly, fragile form. Just standing there, she looked lifeless.
"Challenger No. 8, if you're ready, tell me."
The voice of the red-headed figure rang out.
At this moment, Wang Duo had been blindfolded with a black eye mask. Even from afar, everyone could see her slender body trembling slightly. Regardless of the time, when facing death, humans will always experience innate fear. Her hands were tightly clenched into fists. After a long pause, she gently nodded.
"I announce, the game begins!"
The loud voice of the red-headed figure made the temperature in the space drop by a degree.
Drip.
The first light illuminated the room, and it was No. 7, the room directly in front of Lin Xian. The young man named Chen Jia, seeing the indicator light in front of him, immediately felt his fingers tremble with nervousness.
He decisively looked at the situation around Wang Duo and then nervously pressed the direction key on the screen.
Inside Wang Duo's room, she heard the instructions and quickly crouched down, preparing to jump. Then… she leaped with all her might!
Clap!
She landed on a solid surface. It was her first jump, and she was still somewhat unaccustomed to it. Wang Duo swayed her arms slightly before stabilizing herself.
She kept mentally counting numbers, listening intently to the instructions coming through her earpiece.
"Left."
Hearing the command, her left foot rotated 90 degrees on its heel, followed by her right foot, to avoid any misalignment of her position.
"Forward."
Wang Duo took a step forward.
"Right."
She took another step to the right.
The seven people in the separate rooms were now staring intensely at Wang Duo. Every time she jumped, it seemed to tighten the hearts of the onlookers.
Clank~ Clank~ Clank~
The massive room's mechanical floor continuously opened and closed, rising and falling, changing its shape.
And the seven individuals in the separate rooms were like directors, controlling Wang Duo's every move.
Upstairs, KIKI gripped Lin Xian’s hand tighter and tighter, her eyes fixed directly on the girl leaping below.
Lin Xian glanced at KIKI and gave her a meaningful look.
KIKI, understanding the look from Lin Xian, nodded in response.
Down below, the jumping game was progressing smoothly, and Wang Duo surprisingly made it to the far right side.
At this moment, everyone could see that only the last step remained.
There, she only needed to jump forward to complete the challenge.
At this point, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Suddenly, Lin Xian's eyes narrowed as he noticed something unusual. Originally, Wang Duo was supposed to jump forward, but instead, her right foot spun, and she turned toward the right side…
Lin Xian's heart sank as he sensed something was wrong.
Just as Wang Duo was about to complete the challenge, she turned toward the direction where the others were.
Having followed the correct instructions the entire way, Wang Duo’s once pale face was now faintly flushed. Beyond her fear of death, the countless jumps had exhausted her physical strength. She gently exhaled, tightly pressed her lips together, and, as before, bent her knees, leaped forward with all her might!
Whoosh!
In an instant, KIKI shot forward, releasing a surge of invisible psychic power. But strangely, her psychic force didn't manage to grab hold of Wang Duo. The crowd watched in disbelief as her fragile form disappeared into the abyss…
Lin Xian's eyes narrowed. He immediately stood up.
"Ah!" KIKI's face turned pale, unable to believe that her psychic power had failed.
"I forgot to tell you, this is just a projection, not the real scene," Hua Xiaoling, sitting calmly, glanced at the two of them with an indifferent expression.
Lin Xian’s expression grew cold. Although it was the apocalypse, he still could not accept such methods of using living humans as experiments.
Looking at Hua Xiaoling, Lin Xian spoke in a cold voice, "Is this the so-called experimental project you mentioned?"
Hua Xiaoling’s gaze subtly shifted. After a moment of silence, she responded, "There's no need for you to rush. This footage is not over yet. What you’ve seen may not be the truth."
"You've killed someone, and it's not over? What exactly are you trying to do?!" KIKI’s voice was filled with fury as she clenched her fists tightly.
Hua Xiaoling remained silent and made a hand gesture toward the glass window, signaling the two to keep watching.
Click.
In the game room, all the walls turned transparent once again.
“Damn it! Who did this?!” Wang Anjian, in room No. 6, immediately cursed furiously.
“My God, she really fell! She actually fell!” Qiao Min from room No. 3 was clearly horrified.
“This game really kills people?!”
“Who did it?!” Tan Meng from room No. 5 was the most agitated. Her eyes narrowed as she thought deeply, and suddenly, she realized that room No. 2 was still dark.
“It’s No. 2!”
Everyone turned their gaze toward it. At that moment, the glass door to room No. 2 swiftly became transparent, and inside, Zhao Bo was nowhere to be seen.
“Damn it, that bastard!!”
“Damn, this son of a bitch was acting all righteous just now! I spit on him!” Wang Anjian ground his teeth in fury.
The Murderer had appeared.
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At that moment, some were panicking, some were regretting, some were fearful, and some were cursing.
Choosing the correct answer meant relinquishing control of survival, while as a traitor, one could survive and escape. At this moment, human nature’s primal instincts were fully triggered.
“Congratulations, everyone.”
At that moment, the red-headed figure appeared again. Although a young life had been lost, ‘it’s’ first words were congratulations.
“The first round of the game failed. To make the game more exciting, the reward for the next round will double to 2 million in supplies!”
Clank!
The display case’s lights turned on again, and the pile of supplies inside had doubled in size.
So many supplies—just by using a train, it would at least fill two freight carriages!
At this moment, seeing the mountain of supplies, everyone fell silent. Their gazes shifted quietly.
Not only could they survive, but they could also gain supplies. This seemed to be telling everyone that only selfishness would allow one to survive the longest.
The remaining six people now stood in an eerie silence. Their gazes met and crossed, but no one was willing to speak.
“The second round of the game, just like the previous one, will have 30 minutes of free discussion time for everyone.”
No one said a word, silently waiting.
The red-headed figure’s strange voice seemed a little excited. “Now, let me introduce the second round of the game, called…”
“‘The Sword of Trust’!”
Clang!
The floor in the enormous room rose again, and two iron maidens facing the crowd appeared in the center of the room.
Unlike traditional iron maidens, these two humanoid metal torture devices didn’t have steel spikes inside. They resembled bulky suits of armor, with black holes instead of sharp spikes on the outside, and the head area exposed, somewhat similar to a "bucket-shaped" design. The difference was that the lower part was humanoid, separating the limbs and torso.
A masked black-robed figure stood nearby, his posture slightly hunched, revealing a pair of eyes that glinted with sharpness—whether human or ghost, no one could tell. His presence sent a chill down the spine, immediately making everyone tense.
Everyone’s eyes shifted to the right corner of the room, where they were horrified to find the area where Wang Duo had fallen earlier still had an un-dried puddle of blood…
But the body was gone.
“What the hell is this?!” Seeing the torture-like apparatus, everyone’s faces turned ashen.
“Let me introduce this fun game,” the red-headed figure’s voice rasped.
“This game is very simple. It requires two challengers to participate and enter the specially designed armor. Each of these armors has 7 identical holes, numbered 1 to 7, placed in specific spots: the two shoulders for numbers 1 and 2, the abdomen for number 3, the waist for number 4, the chest for number 5, and the two legs for numbers 6 and 7. So, the two sets of armor have a total of 14 holes. This black-robed figure has 9 sharp swords. The two challengers will take turns selecting the number of holes in their opponent’s armor, and the swords will be thrust through. However, out of the 14 holes, 9 are impervious to the swords. So, if luck is on their side, both challengers can win without shedding a drop of blood!”
The red-headed figure excitedly continued, “This round differs from the last. Only two people can participate. If both survive, they will clear the game and receive supplies and freedom.”
“If both die, the mission fails, and the remaining players will receive supplies and freedom.”
“There’s one more rule. If only one person dies, the mission still fails. The survivor won’t receive any prizes, but they will be free to leave.”
“Two people to participate?” Tan Meng from Room No. 5 was clearly terrified. She exclaimed, “Wait… does this mean the other four people are irrelevant to the game?”
“That’s right,” the red-headed figure replied slowly. “Those who don’t voluntarily step up will lose the right to choose and must wait for the outcome of the game.”
At these words, everyone’s faces turned pale.
This game was almost identical in nature to the previous round: personal survival was entirely in the hands of others.
Even for the two participants, life or death was in the hands of the other.
Who would be willing to let someone else stab them in the back?
Wang Anjian's gaze turned cold, “I’m not participating in this kind of game, letting someone stab me.”
Among them, Fang Xiaonian’s face was trembling, and he attempted to comfort himself, saying, “If the 9 swords are all aimed at the shoulders and thighs, they shouldn’t be fatal. Plus, with some holes that can’t be pierced, if both of them discuss beforehand…”
But he couldn’t continue.
Discuss beforehand?
Wang Duo's death is still vivid in memory. Who would be willing to trust anyone else?
Who knew that his words were overheard by Qiao Min, who thought in confusion for a moment, then suddenly turned around and looked at Han Dong. At that moment, Han Dong happened to be staring directly at her.
The two instantly understood each other!
If there was anyone among the six who could still trust each other, it was the two of them.
Qiao Min trembled all over. She wanted to speak but couldn’t muster the courage.
She was afraid of being stabbed by the sword.
But when she thought about the 2 million in supplies and the chance for freedom, she was filled with desire. This could be the best opportunity for her and her husband to escape!
Even someone as cautious as she knew that this game was only suited for her and Han Dong!
Han Dong saw through her thoughts, his face turned pale as he thought for a moment, and quickly gritted his teeth, giving a confirming look.
If they missed this, they might regret it forever!
Lin Xian looked at the couple on the far left, and he guessed what was going on.
This game seemed to be tailor-made for this couple.
If they didn’t participate, the others wouldn’t. Who would give a sword to a stranger?
Ridiculous.
As time passed, everyone fell silent. Clearly, there was no need for any discussion about this game. Watching the 30-minute countdown slowly approach its end, Han Dong, drenched in cold sweat, gritted his teeth and raised his hand.
“I’ll participate!”
“I... I’ll participate too.” Seeing Han Dong raise his hand, Qiao Min eagerly raised hers as well, seemingly afraid that someone else might take the opportunity.
“Very good, we now have our participants for the second round of the game tonight.” The red-headed figure slowly turned to face the two and smiled eerily. “Good luck.”
The remaining four people had dark faces and remained silent, staring at the couple. The atmosphere was thick with tension. They had no other choice but to wait for the result.
Clang!
The glass doors of rooms 1 and 3 slowly opened, and the shackles on Han Dong and Qiao Min automatically unlocked. The two of them staggered out nervously.
Unlike the first round, the remaining rooms were not isolated by soundproofing or visual barriers.
"What's this? This time, we can communicate freely?" Wang Anjian said solemnly, looking around.
Tan Meng trembled and looked anxiously at the front rooms. "If we want to survive... it seems like we can only pray they all die."
Once she said this, Fang Xiaonian and Chen Jia had complicated expressions.
"They’re a couple. If they both choose their hands or legs, they... shouldn't die, right?" Fang Xiaonian said nervously.
Hearing this, the bald, chubby Wang Anjian muttered,
"If they don’t die even after being stabbed a few times, I’ll admire them." His eyes were burning as he stared at the front rooms. "Whether it’s the legs or hands, even one stab would cause serious injury. It's not that simple."
He was right. Humans have major arteries in their legs, and if they bleed excessively, in the post-apocalyptic world, without medical help, and if they were ordinary people rather than special ability users, death was very likely.
Soon, the lights in the large room ahead flickered on. Han Dong and Qiao Min had been locked in humanoid armor. They looked at each other, both filled with fear.
“Honey, we’ll win!”
“Husband, I’m scared!” Qiao Min’s voice trembled, the shadow of fear completely consuming her.
“Honey, I love you. Trust me, I’ll protect you!”
Perhaps to encourage each other, Han Dong, who didn’t know where his courage came from, gritted his teeth, his lips turning pale.
The red-headed figure turned sideways to look at them.
“Now, the game begins. Who will choose first?”
“Her! Let her choose first!” Han Dong swallowed hard. Letting her choose first meant he would take the first stab, but how could he bear to let his wife be stabbed?
Qiao Min nodded tremulously, grateful to Han Dong. “Okay... okay, husband.”
The hunched black-clad sword bearer slowly approached.
“Choose. Which number?”
The dry voice was like sand being scraped from a parched throat, making it eerie to hear.
Qiao Min’s face turned pale, her eyes filled with struggle and hesitation.
Such a bloody choice was something she had never experienced. It was a huge test for her.
Han Dong, seeing this, gritted his teeth and hurriedly said, “Stab me. It’s okay, we’ve always had good luck. Remember, honey, do you remember that time we were trapped in the collapsed tunnel, but we found a hole to escape through?”
“And the times we encountered zombies? Didn’t we survive?”
“No matter how big the challenge, we can’t be beaten as long as we work together!”
Qiao Min was encouraged by his words, and she regained some of her composure. She nervously looked at Han Dong’s armor and shakily said, “6... I choose... number 6.”
Number 6 was Han Dong’s right leg, the lowest position among all the numbered holes.
As soon as this decision was made, the others clearly heard it. This was the safest spot.
At this moment, everyone’s hearts tightened.
The black-clad sword bearer walked to Han Dong’s spot and drew a sword from the rack of nine swords.
Han Dong felt an unprecedented fear and anxiety. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, and his face turned pale as cold sweat poured down!
The sword bearer raised the sword, the cold light gleaming as he aimed at the hole marked number 6.
Then, with a swift motion, the sword was thrust in!
In an instant, Han Dong felt his heartbeat stop, his back teeth almost crushing.
But then, there was a crisp clang!
It was the sound of metal meeting metal, and in Han Dong’s heart, it felt like the sound of heavenly music.
Because this sound meant the hole was fake, and the sword couldn’t pierce it!
“It’s fake! It’s fake!” Han Dong sighed in relief, and in just those few seconds, his back was completely soaked with sweat.
Qiao Min looked at the scene in delight and, after a moment, excitedly said, “Great! Great! Husband, you’re fine?”
Han Dong felt like he had just survived a catastrophe.
At that moment, the black-clad sword bearer still stood in front of him, his voice cold as he said, “Now it’s your turn to choose.”
“Which part of her will you choose?”
Han Dong was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled darkly, looking up at the black-clad sword bearer with determination.
“How could I stab my wife? This time, I choose my number 7!”
At this moment, Qiao Min hurriedly explained, "I-I know... but I'm just a woman. If a sword stabs my leg, I might die too, right? You’re a man;surely you can hold on longer than I can..."
Upon hearing this, Han Dong’s eyes widened in terror, and a chill rose in his heart. Looking at Qiao Min’s tear-streaked face, he suddenly felt that the woman he loved seemed strangely unfamiliar.
He stared at her in disbelief, not realizing that the black-clad swordsman had ignored their argument and was walking toward them, picking up a gleaming sword.
"Wait! Wait!" Han Dong snapped back to his senses and cried out in alarm.
But the black-clad swordsman paid him no mind and thrust the sword forward!
Position two!
Clang~
The sharp sound of the sword striking the air shook Han Dong to his core. His mind went blank for several seconds as he watched the sword fail to penetrate, a complex look in his eyes. It was as if some part of his resolve had suddenly become uncertain.
"Great! Hubby, this is great!!!" Qiao Min cheered, her face lighting up with joy. "You’re alright! This is wonderful!"
Panting~
Panting~
The black-clad swordsman stood in front of Han Dong, who had just regained his composure from the hellish fear. His head lowered, sweat already soaking his forehead, and his glasses fogged up. He gasped for air, his face as dark as a storm cloud.
“It’s your choice now,” the swordsman asked.
Silence.
After a long pause, Han Dong slowly spoke, not raising his head, his bangs hiding his eyes.
“I choose... her position six.”
“Wait!!” Qiao Min shouted in shock. She cried out, "Han Dong, weren’t you going to protect me?!!!"
Seeing the black-clad swordsman slowly walk toward her, Qiao Min’s fear reached its peak, and she desperately shouted.
Meanwhile, Han Dong slowly raised his head. Through the foggy glasses, his terrified eyes met hers as he trembled, saying, "Haven’t... I already protected you?"
"Stop! Stop!! No!!"
Qiao Min screamed in agony as the swordsman’s blade pierced through her!
Whoosh!
The sword pierced her sixth position, the one on her leg.
"Ah!!!!!!!!!!"
Qiao Min let out a piercing scream as excruciating pain skyrocketed her terror to the utmost.
"I choose his position three!!" Without waiting for the black-clad swordsman’s inquiry, Qiao Min cried out, gritting her teeth through the pain.
Upon hearing her words, everyone’s expression darkened.
She didn’t even choose the remaining position one on her shoulder but directly chose position three on her abdomen. Had she lost her sanity in this pain?
The scene unfolded in a way no one expected. The two people who had trusted each other moments ago now seemed like strangers.
Lin Xian scanned the room, and the expressions of the others had turned grim. This game was even more twisted than the first round, breaking trust completely through people’s primal survival instincts.
In the room, Han Dong’s eyes were filled with terror. He watched the black-clad swordsman walk toward him, raise his hand, and thrust the sword!
Han Dong closed his eyes, seemingly awaiting death.
Clang!
Han Dong’s luck was good—the position turned out to be fake!
At that moment, Han Dong no longer hesitated, decisively shouting, "I choose... her position seven."
Position seven, still her leg.
"Ah! No! Don’t! Han Dong, you bastard!!!"
The swordsman walked toward her again, the blade thrusting forward.
Whoosh!
Qiao Min’s seventh position was indeed real!
"Ah!!!"
With a heart-wrenching scream, Qiao Min’s legs were pierced. The pain almost knocked her unconscious. Her body trembled violently, spasming in agony as she wailed, “Han Dong, you bastard!”
However, Han Dong, instead of showing sorrow, shouted excitedly, “Great, wife!”
Qiao Min turned in terror, looking at him in disbelief. "What... What did you say? You think this is great because I’ve been pierced? Am I blind to have chosen you? Are you a demon?!"
Han Dong’s face turned pale as he shook his head, his eyes full of hopeful explanation. "No! Wife, listen to me! Nine swords, fourteen holes. Six swords are done, three are fake, three are real. One sword in my leg, two in yours. This means there are eight positions left with six fake holes, but only three swords remaining!”
Han Dong was a math teacher, and he managed to stay rational in such a situation, which was quite rare.
Hearing Han Dong’s words, Qiao Min’s mind slowly started to regain clarity. Her gaze shifted thoughtfully, and she nodded slightly, muttering, "Right, there are three swords left..."
“We need to stay calm, calm down,” Han Dong urged.
"Calm down?!" Qiao Min glared at him, eyes filled with both resentment and hurt as she screamed, “You’ve only taken one sword, I’ve been pierced in both legs, I’m dying, do you know that?!”
“But I never chose your upper body!” Han Dong tried to explain.
“I don’t care!” Qiao Min’s eyes were bloodshot. “Since there are three swords left, I think all of them should be for you, that’s fair!”
Han Dong’s face turned white as his lips trembled in disbelief. "You’re crazy! I’ve only got one shoulder left, and you’ve already been pierced twice in your upper body! The remaining ones are the chest and waist! And you haven’t even been touched on your shoulder, how is that fair?! If one of my chest or waist holes is real, I’m dead!!!"
“You can divide those three swords between our shoulders, maybe they’re all fake holes! Then we both survive!” Han Dong shouted, trying to make her understand his reasoning.
“How could that be possible?” Qiao Min shrieked. “Two swords in my shoulders, are you insane?!”
“I’m not insane! This game needs both of us to survive to win! I’m just stating the truth—if I die, it’s over for both of us!” Han Dong responded.
Survive...
Survive...
Han Dong’s words echoed in her mind, the cold sword that pierced her legs, and the overwhelming pain filling her with terror. It felt as though death was closing in on her step by step.
Then, suddenly, a demonic thought surged in her heart.
Seeing that she was silent, Han Dong felt something was wrong.
Blood continued to pour from Qiao Min’s armor, filling the air with the scent of death, making everyone around feel both fear and madness.
After a long silence, Qiao Min slowly raised her head, her hollow eyes staring at the red head.
"Still... still three swords left... So, I still have two chances, right?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
The four other people in the room all turned pale as they began to realize something ominous.
"Hey!" Qiao Min suddenly shouted at the red head. “I want to know, if someone dies, can the remaining holes still be used to insert swords?”
Han Dong’s pupils shrank as he looked at Qiao Min in disbelief, panicking as he shouted, "Hey, Qiao Min, wife... What are you trying to do?!"
Qiao Min didn’t respond but continued to stare at the red head with bloodshot eyes.
Suddenly, the red head laughed eerily, its voice dripping with sinister satisfaction, as though it had smelled something it liked.
"The rules don’t say it’s not allowed," it said, its voice low.
"So, the living can insert swords into the dead!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Han Dong’s face went ashen. He immediately shouted in horror, "Wife! Don’t do this! You’ve forgotten our promise, haven’t we agreed to survive together?!!"
"We need both to survive to win!" Han Dong continued. "What are you doing?!!"
The tension in the room reached a boiling point, and the four watching the game all looked grim. The rules that seemed so simple at first were now becoming nightmarish.
One death means the other can leave. This game aimed to destroy trust between the closest people. The simplest way to do this is to deceive and then kill the person you trust the most.
