Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 236

The platform was empty.
Under the dim yellow lights, the platform appeared old and worn. Wild grass had broken through the faded ceramic tiles, sprouting from the cracks. The corners of the walls were entirely covered in overgrown vines, making this platform look far more dilapidated than the one at Wu Kong City—like an abandoned structure left to decay for years.
As the train came to a full stop, the doors of every car opened automatically.
A few cautious travelers intentionally stayed behind, silently observing those who stepped off first.
Yu Xi and Lin Wu gripped their weapons tightly, fully on guard, and were the first to step off the train—becoming the test subjects for the cautious observers.
They were well aware that some travelers were using them to gauge the situation, waiting to see if any violations occurred before stepping out themselves. But from their perspective, the rule this time consisted of only two words: time limit.
Regardless of why, they had to leave the platform within ten minutes. Since the prompt emphasized this, it meant that time was the most crucial factor.
They didn’t want to waste any time. As for what was on the platform, stepping forward would reveal the answer soon enough.
The moment Yu Xi stepped off, she swiftly scanned her surroundings. Once again, there was only a single railway track, with platforms on both sides of the train. However, unlike before, the arrival hall wasn’t located across from the platform.
Instead, across from them was a cracked, peeling wall—weathered and full of fractures. It stood roughly three meters high, with everything above that swallowed by the infinite darkness.
To their left was the direction the train had come from, shrouded in impenetrable blackness beyond the platform’s boundary. The dim station lights couldn’t reach past that edge, as if the light itself was devoured upon contact.
The exit had to be on the right side of the platform. This time, however, the platform was incredibly long. Judging by the distance, it was nearly 200 meters from the first train car to the end of the platform, where a staircase led upward.
Peering past the train, Yu Xi could see that the platform on the other side was identical.
Lin Wu glanced at his phone screen. Countdown: 9 minutes and 15 seconds. He spoke up, “There’s only one way forward. Let’s go.”
The first wave of travelers stepping off the train numbered around thirty. They were spread across both platforms on either side of the train, keeping a cautious distance from each other as they moved toward the staircase.
Among them were seasoned travelers and newly awakened rookies who still seemed lost.
New travelers were easy to spot. They kept scanning their surroundings with bewildered expressions, repeatedly approaching others to ask questions—despite the impatience and reluctance on the faces of those they questioned.
“Why are we here?”
“Where is this place?”
“Why do we have to get off the train?”
Like headless flies, they flitted about—fearful, yet recklessly ignorant.
Before disembarking, Lin Wu and Yu Xi had analyzed the differences between Wu Kong City and Desolate Land. In general, Wu Kong City had required more mental effort, fitting the need to solve a numeric puzzle before disembarking.
Desolate Land, on the other hand—if their guess was correct—posed a different kind of challenge.
A sudden scream shattered the cautious silence.
A rookie traveler, still glancing around aimlessly, pointed to the upper section of the platform wall with a trembling voice. “Th-That… what is that!?”
A black creature clung to the wall, its four limbs pressed against the surface. Its elongated neck twisted like a serpent. At the end of that disturbingly long neck was a blank, grotesquely distorted human-like face.
It slowly crawled down from the darkness above, its golden vertical pupils gleaming as its pale lips parted, revealing a flicking, blood-red tongue. Its gaze locked onto the travelers like a predator eyeing its prey.
Though its limbs retained a vaguely human shape, its joints were grotesquely twisted. A long, whip-like black tail trailed behind it, raised high like a scorpion’s stinger.
Despite its monstrous form, the travelers could still recognize something horrifying—it had once been human.
In the moment of their stunned hesitation, the black creature suddenly accelerated, its contorted limbs writhing in an unnatural, insect-like motion as it darted down the wall.
With terrifying speed, it lunged at a traveler who had just stepped off the train, completely unprepared.
A sharp scream echoed through the platform.
The creature’s tail lashed out, coiling around the traveler and violently dragging him to the ground. Then it climbed onto his body, pinning him down with its twisted limbs. Its grotesquely long neck lowered its wooden, expressionless face toward his—before its snake-like tongue shot straight into his eye socket.
The scream shifted into an agonized, ear-splitting shriek.
Blood gushed from the traveler’s eye socket as he struggled desperately. But the more he fought, the tighter the creature’s tail constricted around him. The tongue burrowed deeper and deeper, wriggling through his skull. His limbs convulsed—until they didn’t.
He was dead. Right before everyone’s eyes.
The black creature withdrew its tongue, pulling out yet another spurt of blood from the gaping hole where the man’s eye had been. Then, slowly, it turned its head.
And looked at the rest of them.
“Aahhh—!” A rookie traveler let out another terrified scream.
As if that sound had triggered something, another wave of panicked cries erupted from the other platform beyond the train.
Yu Xi and Lin Wu had seen enough. They had observed the creature’s attack pattern and instantly turned toward the staircase at the far end of the platform.
They had been leading the group from the start. With their quick reaction, they immediately widened the gap between themselves and the others.
More black creatures slithered down the walls on both sides, their twisted limbs shifting unnaturally as they emerged from the darkness above.
These creatures didn’t need to determine whether anyone had broken the rules.
They were the rule.
The remaining travelers bolted toward the staircase, as if a switch had been flipped. The ones who had stayed on the train to observe the situation now realized something was terribly wrong. Their eyes flicked to the ten-minute countdown—and they regretted not getting off sooner.
The two who had rushed forward were already far ahead, while the black creatures had mostly gathered near the train. If those hesitant travelers got off now, they would have to fight their way through the creatures.
Yu Xi’s speed and strength far surpassed Lin Wu’s. With one hand gripping her tang blade and the other seizing his arm, she practically dragged him along as they sprinted.
“Watch out!” Lin Wu suddenly pulled back, forcing them to stop as he raised his crossbow.
They had instinctively run closer to the railway tracks to avoid the creatures on the walls. But just then, a black creature emerged from the tracks, nearly colliding with them.
It twisted its body, its long tail flicking aggressively. Lin Wu’s arrow barely grazed its skin, leaving a shallow cut.
The creature recoiled, its tail thrashing wildly before it suddenly lunged forward at them.
Yu Xi released Lin Wu and swung her tang blade in a swift, horizontal arc.
The creature froze mid-motion, its tail snapping up to intercept the blade.
The sound of metal scraping against something hard echoed as her blade struck its tail—but instead of slicing through, the impact barely left a mark.
It was like slashing against armored scales.
This thing’s tail was a weapon for attacking.
Yu Xi dodged another whip-like strike from the tail, swiftly slashing three times—once at the neck, once at its limbs, and finally at its slender, writhing torso.
The black creature’s neck and limbs were only slightly cut, but its torso was sliced open with a deep gash. A spray of thick black liquid erupted from the wound, filling the air with a foul, pungent stench.
Like a snake struck at its weak point, the creature let out a hissing sound and twisted in pain, writhing uncontrollably. What made it even more disturbing was the fragmented, garbled words mixed into its hissing:
“Hsss… eat you… hss… brain… eat… hsss…”
If it had only been a suspicion before, it was now certain—this thing was once human.
But what had happened to them? What had they encountered that turned them into such monsters?
Lin Wu had already switched from his crossbow to a handgun, firing multiple shots at the creature’s vulnerable waist. Yet, despite its contorted body writhing in pain, it did not die.
“Move!” Yu Xi grabbed him again.
More of the black creatures were now crawling up from the tracks below the platform. Every passing minute, their numbers multiplied exponentially.
They all emerged from the darkness—climbing down from the walls above, slithering up from the tracks below, and creeping in from the direction the train had come. From three different angles, they closed in. Only the staircase at the far end of the platform remained untouched.
That was their only way out.
The travelers left at the rear were thrown into chaos. Some were so terrified that they trembled uncontrollably. Even knowing the consequences of breaking the rules, they still didn’t dare step off the train.
Some decided to fight to the death, only to find themselves surrounded. In a desperate bid for survival, one man suddenly grabbed his companion and shoved them into the approaching creatures. As the beasts wrapped around his sacrificed ally, he turned and fled.
Others wielded weapons or activated their abilities, forcing their way through the swarm in a desperate, bloody escape. Some refused to abandon their injured companions, dragging them along even at the risk of their own lives.
“Run! Run for your lives!”
“Ahhh! Help me, help me—!”
“Come on, you bastards! I’ll kill you all!”
“Move! We’re running out of time!”
Countless voices mixed with the screeching and slithering sounds of the creatures as they scraped across the walls and floor.
Yu Xi and Lin Wu sprinted at full speed, dodging the ever-growing horde. They only attacked when absolutely necessary—if something blocked their path, it was struck down instantly. No time was wasted on finishing blows. These creatures wouldn’t die easily, and wasting time would only lead to their own demise.
Yu Xi unleashed her full speed, practically carrying Lin Wu as she bolted up the staircase.
At the top, dim yellow lighting flickered. They turned back, seeing the creatures that had been chasing them stop at the bottom of the stairs.
The beasts had been struck at their weak points and were writhing in pain, hissing furiously, but they dared not—no, they
could not
—ascend the staircase.
The stairs marked the boundary of the rules. These creatures were confined to the platform.
More travelers rushed toward the stairs. The moment they did, the black creatures shifted their focus, slithering toward the fresh targets. But then—
Boom!
A deafening blast echoed as one of the creatures at the front was blown apart, its thin body split into two, spilling dark liquid and fragments of organs everywhere.
For the first time, one of them had been completely killed.
Yu Xi pointed her [Air Hair Dryer] at the remaining creatures, firing two more shots. The pressurized air bullets struck with pinpoint accuracy, obliterating the three black creatures blocking the staircase.
“Thank you!” a traveler gasped, realizing the fight they had expected was suddenly over. Relief was evident in his voice.
Yu Xi put away the [Air Hair Dryer]. This star artifact had a limited supply of 100 shots, so she only used it when absolutely necessary.
Her attacks had two purposes—one was to clear out the creatures tailing them, and the other was to confirm whether these monsters
could
actually be killed.
Now that she had her answer, she said nothing further, merely nodding at the grateful traveler before continuing up the stairs with Lin Wu.
The upper floor was the station’s exit hall, eerily quiet, dimly lit, and decrepit.
Countdown: 6 minutes 12 seconds.
The two of them pushed open the glass exit doors and plunged into the darkness beyond.
After they left, more groups of travelers fought through the swarming creatures and made it to the stairs.
Countdown: 1 minute 0 seconds.
But many were still struggling below. Some heard an eerie sound and instinctively glanced toward the direction the train had come from—only to freeze in horror.
From the abyss beyond the platform,
countless
twisted, vacant faces emerged, densely packed, crawling toward them at an unnatural speed.
The last wave of travelers who had reached the stairs turned back, only to see the platform being consumed by darkness.
Those weren’t shadows. They were creatures.
An unrelenting tidal wave of black monsters surged forward, filling the air with bloodcurdling screams.
Some travelers were caught, wrapped by two creatures at once—one gripping their arms, the other their legs—before being ripped apart in the next instant.
Some desperately pounded on the train’s windows, their bloodied hands leaving smears on the glass as they pleaded for help—only to be yanked away into the abyss.
No one who had made it to safety felt any joy. The scene before them sent shivers down their spines, their hands trembling with fear.
Inside the train, those who had refused to disembark in time had withdrawn far from the windows. They clung to their last hope, praying that when the countdown reached zero, they would somehow be spared.
But in the world of the Infinite Train, the rules were always fair.
The countdown ended.
The train rumbled as it slowly began moving again, leaving the station behind.
The travelers who had ignored the prompt, who had hesitated, who had chosen not to step off in time—realized something horrifying.
The train had left.
But they were still standing on the tracks.
The black creatures gnawing on the remaining travelers all lifted their long, grotesque necks. Their blank, distorted faces were now smeared with fresh, red blood. Staring at those left behind, they parted their mouths and flicked out crimson forked tongues.
The platform lights dimmed.
In the consuming darkness, the screams began again.
The sun blazed overhead.
Before her stretched an endless expanse of desolate wasteland. To the right, several hundred meters away, rolling sand dunes undulated like golden waves. To the left, the landscape was marked by barren, jagged red rock mountains, their shapes twisted and strange.
Yu Xi lowered her hand, which had been shielding her eyes from the sun, then shrugged off her thick outerwear, retrieving a white baseball cap from her inventory and putting it on.
The temperature was scorching—well over 40 degrees Celsius. She scanned her surroundings but saw no signs of life—not even Lin Wu, who had exited the station with her.
Her phone vibrated as the latest information updated.
location: Wu Kong city – Desolate Land (b-level)
duration: 33 days
identity info: disabled
infinite currency: disabled
ticket: valid (2 rides remaining)
hint: locate the hidden departure station within 33 days. confirm station (1 attempt), then board the train.
remaining time: 32 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes, 32 seconds
inventory slots (max 10): full (10/10)
skill (max 1): spatial storage (100 cubic meters, active)
teammate: lin wu
team status: active
team permissions (enabled): damage immunity, messaging, arrival station (selectable), hints (optional)
easter egg (activated): fragment collection rate (0%)
fragment available in this station: 1 (uncollected)
hint: “it is the most precious gemstone of the barren world.”
Most of the information remained unchanged from previous stations, except for the newly activated easter egg feature, which now displayed a collectible fragment—along with a hint.
“it is the most precious gemstone of the barren world.”
If “barren world” referred to this desolate land, then what kind of gem could be considered its most valuable treasure?
Yu Xi tapped into the team’s messaging feature, which opened a chat interface similar to WeChat. Unfortunately, it was as literal as the name suggested—only text messages were allowed. No calls, no voice messages.
chen an: where are you? what’s around you?
lin xiang: there’s a large area of rock mountains to the southeast.
chen an: hold on.
Yu Xi took out a compass, double-checking her direction before replying.
chen an: the rock mountains are northwest from my location. are they red?
lin xiang: yes.
chen an: i think i know where you are. stay put. i’ll confirm with the drone.
She retrieved a drone from her inventory, put on her vision headset, and launched it. The drone ascended quickly, speeding toward the red rock mountains in the northwest.
After about ten minutes, it flew past the rugged terrain and found Lin Wu, who was already waving at it from a few hundred meters beyond the mountains.
The drone hovered down, landing right at his feet.
Lin Wu bent down to pick it up and noticed a note tied to it—Yu Xi’s handwriting.
“flying back and forth wastes too much battery. keep it with you for now. return it when we meet.”
He chuckled, tucking the drone into his storage.
On the other side of the red rock mountains, Yu Xi materialized a jeep from her inventory, stashing the vehicle’s supply crate into her spatial storage to save space.
She climbed into the driver’s seat, took off the winter clothing she had worn in Wu Kong City, storing them away, and changed into light, breathable sweat-wicking gear.
Turning on the engine, she activated the internal air-conditioning, connected her phone to the vehicle’s Bluetooth, and played a pre-downloaded playlist.
Lastly, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses and put them on.
chen an: i’m on my way. where should we meet?
lin xiang: i’ll wait here.
As the rapid piano melody of “croatian rhapsody no. 2” filled the air, the jeep turned sharply, kicking up dust as it roared toward the red rock mountains at full speed.