Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 294

In the final hour of the countdown, a boarding guide arrow appeared on everyone’s phone screens.
Yu Xi and her group had already been waiting nearby, and as they were about to board, Lin Wu noticed another pop-up message on the screen.
“What’s this?”
Everyone else also noticed the pop-up.
When Yu Xi clicked on the message, she found a new prompt.
Prompt: Congratulations, the “Morning” team has completed seven station tasks. The “VIP Train” and the “VIP Train Entrance” have been unlocked. The team can board the train through the “VIP Train Entrance” once they obtain the “Golden Team Ticket.”
Golden Team Ticket: Not available.
The golden words were too conspicuous, and aside from Xing Min, who hadn’t been in the sleeping compartment before, everyone immediately thought of the magnificent golden train they had seen in the darkness before arriving at “Light Academy.”
They had speculated that the station the golden train arrived at might be the final station, but they hadn’t expected to receive related information so soon.
Lin Wu quickly shared his analysis: “So, this ‘VIP Train’ was unlocked because the team as a whole completed seven station tasks. If it’s just one person, no matter how many stations they’ve gone through, it might not be activated.”
“Seven stations?” Yu Zhenzhen counted. “But I haven’t gone through seven stations since joining the team.”
Ya Tong also counted and confirmed she hadn’t gone through seven stations since joining. “It’s referring to the ‘Morning’ team, which should have started from the station where Yu Xi formed the team.”
Yu Xi thought for a moment and nodded at Ya Tong. “Yes, when I first arrived at the Endless Train, I met Lin Wu, and we formed the team then. Since I was the one to form the team, I’m considered the leader by default.”
“Then that’s seven stations.” Lin Wu glanced at his phone again. “The VIP Train Entrance is open? Where is it?”
Soon, they found out where the “VIP Train Entrance” was. Following the boarding guide arrow through a door, they entered the departure hall. To their surprise, they discovered a second platform entrance in the previously old, dilapidated station hall.
In a normal station in the real world, it was common for a single departure hall to have multiple ticket gates. But in the Endless Train world, stations were always special.
The new platform entrance was on the side of the hall, with a staircase leading upward. From their position, they could see a door above the stairs on the wall. A faint red light covered the stairs and the door, giving the already dimly lit station hall a more eerie feel.
The six people in the group could all see the additional staircase and platform entrance, but when they glanced around, they noticed that other travelers passing through the hall didn’t seem to notice the second platform entrance.
A few of the travelers, noticing their gaze, became more alert, quickly running toward the platform.
Yu Zhenzhen waved her electric baton twice, stepping on her tiptoes to hook Ya Tong’s neck. “Ya Tong, they all ran off because of you!”
Ya Tong was the only one who had drawn a weapon, and she pinched Yu Zhenzhen’s face before adjusting her MP5 on her shoulder. “So, this is the VIP Train Entrance? Doesn’t look very VIP, more like the entrance to hell.”
Everyone shared the same feeling, examining the stairs and second platform entrance for a moment, but none of them spoke too much. This wasn’t the best place for conversation, so they quickly moved toward the platform.
There weren’t many travelers actually taking action on the A-level to S-level station platform.
Their group was stronger now than before, and since they rarely caused trouble at stations, other travelers on the platform mostly observed them from a distance.
Ya Tong and Yu Zhenzhen encountered several travelers who tried to start trouble with them, but both of them weren’t indecisive. Any troublemakers that came their way were quickly dealt with.
However, there was one small group that had been watching Ya Tong and Yu Zhenzhen intently ever since they stepped onto the platform. It seemed like these travelers remembered their faces, perhaps from a past ambush attempt, where they tried to attack the two but ended up with no success.
Probably a team that had marked them as targets, they originally might have planned to take advantage of the platform’s chaos to strike and retrieve their own items and tickets. But now, seeing that their group had six people, they quickly retracted their intentions.
Such a group, with some wary and fearful, naturally also had people hoping to rely on attaching themselves to the stronger side.
**
{Please show your ticket}
{Ticket checking, please wait…}
{Ticket checked, please pay attention to the remaining station count}
{Reminder: Fighting is prohibited inside the train}
…
As the group stepped through the train doors and had not yet looked at the options for the next station, a traveler waved to them from the side, explaining that she had just boarded and hadn’t chosen the next station yet because she wanted to join a team.
She was a young girl who seemed gentle and harmless.
When she saw them looking at her, she smiled and then explained her reason for wanting to join.
She introduced herself as Meng Sha, mentioning that she had experienced several stations on her own. In a world where only the strong survive, women often die more than men, and she had always wanted to join a team. However, most of the teams she had seen were male-dominated, with some even having no women at all.
In such teams, the members only had immunity from damage but no protection from other matters.
Such teams made her a bit fearful, but their team was different. The male-to-female ratio was just right, and the guys all seemed righteous. She really wanted to join.
Yu Zhenzhen sneered as she watched the girl’s gaze flitting between Xing Min, Xi Yuan, and Lin Wu. “Righteous? She might as well say we look good instead.”
While Yu Zhenzhen paid attention to the girl’s eyes and expressions, Yu Xi and Ya Tong were examining the weapon the girl had on her back. It was a seemingly ordinary axe, with a head that appeared to be made of ordinary iron and looked somewhat old and dark.
But this metal texture was familiar to them. Lin Wu’s bound weapon, the “Iron Rod,” had the same metal texture.
This girl wasn’t just a traveler; she was a tasker.
In the System Tower world, the options for binding weapons were incredibly diverse. From ancient to modern styles, from East to West, the choices were endless.
Most people would choose firearms or, if they were lucky enough to have enough points, special-function melee weapons. The former included Ya Tong’s MP5, while the latter included Xi Yuan’s black longsword.
Weapons like Lin Wu’s—which looked unattractive and had no special functions, appearing merely as an “iron rod”—were rarely chosen. Normally, no one would pick such a weapon, making it uncommon and easily overlooked.
Since the girl was a tasker, there was about a 70% chance that her stated reason for wanting to join the team was false.
However, since they were on the train where fighting between travelers was prohibited, Yu Xi and Ya Tong weren’t worried that she would suddenly attack Xing Min or the others.
Yu Xi figured that since the girl was clearly targeting the men, this wasn’t something for the women to interfere with. As good teammates, they understood that everyone should have their own personal time. So, she called Zhenzhen and was about to head to the sleeping compartment in the back.
She had barely taken a few steps when footsteps sounded behind her.
“Xiao Xi!”
Just moments ago, Xi Yuan had been standing there, seemingly focused on listening to the girl speak. Now, he had rushed over in a few quick steps and wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind.
“Why didn’t you wait for me? Are you mad at me?”
“…Why would I be mad?”
This kind of action was typical for Xi Yuan. Back at the Fairy Tale Amusement Park station, he did this to her frequently. He just hadn’t found an opportunity at this station since they met up late and had been surrounded by the group ever since.
Xing Min’s gaze shifted. He stared at the arm on Yu Xi’s shoulder, his long eyebrows slowly furrowing.
Lin Wu, having seen this often, was already used to it. But now, he was a bit curious about Xing Min’s reaction. From his observations, Yu Xi and Xing Min didn’t have the relationship that others assumed or speculated about.
Yes, they were close. There was a deep, unspoken understanding between them, one that was difficult for others to interfere with. However, it wasn’t the kind of closeness that existed between a man and a woman in a romantic sense—at least, not from Yu Xi’s side.
But even so, their bond was enviable. It had long surpassed ordinary relationships between people, as if an invisible thread tied them together tightly.
To everyone’s surprise, the first person to act wasn’t Xing Min but the girl with the axe.
“Hello, may I have the honor of joining your team?” She smiled and extended her hand toward Yu Xi. “Xiao Xi? That’s your name, right? Can I call you that?”
“You can’t!” Xi Yuan’s grip tightened slightly, pulling Yu Xi closer into his embrace. “Our team isn’t accepting new members. Please step aside, we have things to do.”
Xi Yuan had already said what Yu Xi intended to say. At that moment, Xing Min and Lin Wu had also walked over, so she simply said, “Sorry,” to the girl before following her teammates to the rear compartments.
Behind them, Meng Sha stood in place, watching them go. The gentle smile on her lips remained unchanged.
**
Departure time: 15:00
Previous station: Light Academy
Next destination: Not yet selected
Team detected, please choose the next station.
Yu Xi: Pinocchio (S-level), Devourer’s Domain (A-level), Dream Town (S-level)
Lin Wu: Jing Shan Hospital (A-level), Devourer’s Domain (A-level), Mermaid’s Love (S-level)
Ya Tong: Devourer’s Domain (A-level), Extreme Temperature Zone (A-level)
Yu Zhenzhen: Devourer’s Domain (A-level), Cliffside Cabin (S-level)
Xi Yuan: Devourer’s Domain (A-level), Dream Town (S-level)
Xing Min: Pinocchio (S-level), Devourer’s Domain (A-level)
Once again, it seemed like they had a choice, but in reality, there was no real option.
Everyone took out their phones and selected “Devourer’s Domain” together.
Next Stop: Devourer’s Domain
Team Sleeping Compartment Upgrade Voucher Used
Reminder: The next station will be reached in 39 hours.
This previous station had been more of a mental challenge, and in the last few days, everyone had stayed together in a relatively safe time layer. As a result, no one felt particularly exhausted.
After choosing the station, no one wanted to rest yet. They gathered around the booth once again and shifted the topic back to the “VIP Train.”
Yu Xi pointed out that since other travelers couldn’t see the “VIP Train Entrance,” it was likely that the staircase and entrance had always existed in the departure hall of the hidden train.
The reason they couldn’t see it before was probably the same—because they hadn’t yet activated the “VIP Train Entrance” function.
If the golden train truly led to the final station, as they had speculated, then their main goal moving forward was to obtain the “Golden Team Ticket” or find related clues from other travelers.
Additionally, Light Academy had been a poor station for stocking up. The only things dropped during combat were some convenient foods and bottled water. Meanwhile, at the previous station, Fran City, they had arrived just before the outbreak. Due to pollution and other hazards, they hadn’t been able to stock up much food or water either.
As a result, after passing through these two stations, their food and water supplies had significantly decreased, especially their clean water reserves. The treehouse’s existence meant they consumed a fair amount daily.
Of course, because they had stockpiled a large quantity earlier and had metallic ice, they still had enough water for drinking and minimal use. But it was no longer at a level where they could use it freely for comfort.
Considering that the next station, “Devourer’s Domain,” could also be resource-scarce—and if they were unlucky, the station after that might be as well—everyone pooled their resources and distributed their food and water supplies accordingly.
For those like Xing Min and Xi Yuan, who had no spatial storage, they each carried a bottle of metallic ice and packed a survival backpack with some nutrient solutions.
They left an empty item slot to store one sealed fuel barrel, one large firearm, and one pack of unopened ammunition.
Xing Min and Xi Yuan initially refused, saying they didn’t need these, but after Yu Xi spoke, both of them gave in.
For those with smaller storage capacities, like Ya Tong and Lin Wu, they focused on carrying metallic ice, compact high-calorie foods like Meiji hamburgers, ready-to-eat military rations, canned goods, dehydrated vegetables, bottled water, fuel, and other daily essentials in their survival packs.
All other food items that were bulky and non-essential, along with boxed daily water supplies, were stored with Yu Xi and Yu Zhenzhen.
This was to prevent situations where resources were scarce and they couldn’t meet up in time, ensuring that everyone’s basic survival needs were covered.
The more stations they passed through, the stronger their teamwork became. After sorting out their supplies and listening to Yu Xi talk about the memory fragments she had obtained, the group finally relaxed and rested.
Before the train left the platform, two more teams boarded. One of them had quite a few female members.
Because of their large numbers, they also chose a team sleeper compartment.
Ya Tong tilted her head slightly, listening to the other team as they passed by their compartment. Then, she turned to Yu Xi and whispered, “Nothing.”
Yu Xi nodded and replied, “Not just nothing, she didn’t even mention it.”
“What’s nothing?” Yu Zhenzhen was curious. “What are you two talking about in code?”
Yu Xi ruffled her soft hair and explained, “That girl who wanted to join our team earlier said her reason was that having more women in a team made her feel safer. But that team just now had eleven people, with more than half being women, yet she didn’t apply to join them.
“If she truly wanted to join a team for the reason she claimed, she would have paid close attention to new teams boarding and, just like she did with us, would have stepped forward to make her request. But after that team boarded, she didn’t even try to talk to them.”
Yu Zhenzhen listened to the explanation but focused on a different detail. “Wow, you can hear that far? You really are my mom!”
“…”
Across from them, Xi Yuan chuckled twice. Yu Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at him.
Xi Yuan pulled out a Ludo board. “Wanna play?”
“I’m in! But this time, no food bets. We’re using items as stakes!”
“Fine.”
Yu Zhenzhen added another condition: “Best of nine, first to five wins. The loser has to sleep in the bed farthest away from my mom tonight!”
Yu Xi: …
“And the winner?”
“Doesn’t matter. As long as she doesn’t beat you up, you can even sleep next to her if you want!”
Xing Min: …
Yu Xi: …
You guys are ridiculous!
Yet, half an hour later, after Yu Zhenzhen lost four consecutive rounds, Xing Min, who had been sitting quietly beside Yu Xi watching her draw, suddenly moved.
He stood up, took a few long strides toward the game, and sat down. “I’m joining.”
Xi Yuan: …
**
That night, Xi Yuan, sulking, was forced to take the bed farthest from Yu Xi.
The sole winner, Xing Min, ignored Yu Zhenzhen’s pitiful gaze and let her take Yu Xi’s upper bunk while he chose a lower bunk on the same side.
Before lights out, Xi Yuan kept pestering Yu Xi, insisting she pat his head and tell him goodnight.
“Come back when you’ve turned into a wolf,” Yu Xi retorted. “Or at least a dog.” She flicked his forehead hard, said a quick “Goodnight,” and then kicked him away.
More than half an hour later, the compartment finally quieted down after lights out.
Yu Xi, half-asleep, wasn’t sure how long she had been resting when she sensed a shadow at the edge of her bed.
A hand reached out and touched her cheek.
Instinctively recalling past experiences, she brushed the hand away and murmured, “…Xi Yuan? Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“It’s not me.”
Yu Xi’s eyes snapped open. Her drowsiness disappeared instantly.
In the darkness, she saw a pair of beautiful blue eyes beneath long lashes.
She was startled. “Why is it you?”
[You haven’t said goodnight to me yet.]
Yu Xi: …
You’re only remembering this now? You even used telepathy for this? If you’re using telepathy, why bother coming over in person?
A flood of sarcastic thoughts filled her mind, but since it was Xing Min, she found herself more tolerant.
She curved her lips into a small smile and whispered, “Goodnight, Xing Min.”
The person sitting at the edge of her bed suddenly leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, sending a tingling sensation across her skin.
“Goodnight, Yu Xi.”
**
{Approaching next station: Devourer’s Domain. Stop duration: 10 minutes.}
{All travelers assigned to the next station, please disembark.}
{Reminder: You must leave the platform within 10 minutes.}
As the train came to a stop and the doors opened, the travelers inside the carriages were stunned.
This is…?
Where… where was the platform?