Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 311

She was once again standing inside the lavish and extravagant leisure tea bar carriage.
The boarding door was just behind her, not far away. Outside the windows on both sides, the same starry black void stretched infinitely, just as she had seen before.
This was not the same carriage she had boarded earlier—the decorations were different, and the layout was unfamiliar. Even the attendant standing nearby, eagerly presenting a wristband, was not Number Seventeen. Clearly, there were multiple such reception tea bar carriages.
She hadn’t returned to the moment in time when she first boarded, but she was free now. And she had regained the peak of her physical strength and combat power.
Aside from herself, Xing Min, Ya Tong, Yu Zhenzhen, Lin Wu, and Xi Yuan had also likely been reset into their own respective reception carriages.
Before Yu Xi could even call out to Xing Min in her mind, his voice had already reached her.
【Xiao Xi!】
Yu Xi: I’m here.
【Did you use an item to free everyone?】
Yu Xi: Yes. A long time ago, I obtained a reset voucher. I originally planned to rescue you all after escaping myself, but I didn’t expect the reset voucher to take effect on the entire team.
【I’m sorry for making you worry.】
【I actually heard your voice earlier, but I was still trapped in the virtual world. My response couldn’t reach you.】
The deep crease between Yu Xi’s brows finally smoothed out, and she smiled slightly. “Ask your attendant what carriage number you’re in. Once I take care of things on my end, I’ll come find you, and then we’ll search for the others together.”
With just that one sentence, Xing Min immediately understood.
【Is this a station?】
Yu Xi: Yes. I used a station reset voucher, and it worked. This proves that the Golden Train is not actually a train heading toward a final destination—it is a station. A special station! And since it’s a station, the usual train rules don’t apply here.
When she had reviewed the entire situation earlier, she realized that the phone notifications had only stated that no fighting was allowed in the waiting hall and platform. They never mentioned anything about combat being prohibited on the train itself.
This was crucial information, as those safety notices were always displayed whenever they boarded a train. The fact that this time, there was no such notification was, in itself, a clue.
If her guess was correct, the VIP waiting hall functioned similarly to previous station platforms. The notice only stated that fighting would result in ticket cancellation—it never said that passengers would die.
From another perspective, this meant fighting was actually possible. Tickets could be revoked, but as long as one wasn’t killed, it wouldn’t matter.
However, for those who had fought through numerous stations and finally obtained the rare “Golden Team Ticket,” who would dare to risk having their ticket revoked by engaging in combat?
That fully glass-enclosed passageway and the VIP platform were most likely where the real train existed—a train where fighting was prohibited, and passengers were teleported directly onto the Golden Train.
And from the very moment they set foot on the train, they had already entered the true station.
This station was simply unique—like a cunning entity that knew how to disguise itself, hide its nature, and infiltrate unsuspecting minds before striking at the perfect moment.
Not far away, several other passengers were already being escorted away by their assigned butlers.
Behind the bar, the attendant was preparing new drinks, his movements slightly flustered. Every so often, he glanced at her, as if her presence was unexpected—an anomaly that had disrupted his pre-established workflow. He was clearly scrambling to correct the deviation.
Yu Xi watched as the attendant approached, tray in hand. She flexed her neck and fingers slightly, then drew her Tang sword and slashed at the man as he neared.
With a sharp crack, the tray and all the drinks on it were cleaved in half, crashing onto the pristine marble floor.
Before the attendant could even react, the edge of the Tang sword was already pressing against his carotid artery.
Yu Xi gazed at him and smiled faintly. “Where’s my assigned butler? I’ve been here quite a while, and yet he still hasn’t come to welcome me?”
**
As the Golden Train slowly resumed its journey, the scenery outside the window transformed into another breathtaking landscape—a vast expanse of lush green rainforest. Thick vines twisted in peculiar shapes, exotic flowers bloomed in abundance, and birds and butterflies flitted through the dense foliage. Occasionally, glimpses of other tropical creatures appeared.
But by now, she no longer found these sights remarkable.
The door to the tea bar carriage slid open, and a young man stepped inside.
Just like the last time she had seen him, he wore a uniform, white gloves, and a polite smile. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he immediately bowed respectfully, as if completely unfazed by the bound and gagged bar attendant at her feet, or the Tang sword resting against his neck.
“This distinguished guest,” he said warmly, “we meet again.”
“You remember me?”
It seemed that even though she had reset, past events hadn’t been erased. They hadn’t disappeared from the minds of the Golden Train’s attendants either.
Yu Xi didn’t waste time with small talk. “The Golden Train is a station, isn’t it? Tell me how to leave this station.”
She had already checked her storage space—the Endless Train’s phone was still there. However, it displayed no station-related notifications. She had encountered this type of situation before; it simply meant she hadn’t yet triggered the necessary conditions for those notifications to appear.
When travelers clung to the fragile hope that the “Golden Team Ticket” was their one and only way out, believing it to be their escape from this world, they were already trapped.
It made no difference whether they chose to stay on the train or disembark—there was no escape either way.
Number Seventeen did not answer. His gaze flickered toward the severed tray and shattered drink glasses on the floor. He let out a soft sigh.
“My apologies,” he said, “it seems his service was unsatisfactory. Allow me to personally prepare you a drink instead.”
As he spoke, he turned gracefully and stepped behind the bar, elegantly removing his white gloves. Taking a beautifully crafted crystal glass from the rack, he began preparing a special drink. “Does the esteemed guest have any flavor preferences?”
In Yu Xi’s hand, the Tang sword transformed into a heavy hammer. Without a word, she brought it down on the back of the head of the attendant she had tied up like a dumpling.
The attendant had little ability to resist and collapsed to the ground without a sound.
Yu Xi switched the hammer back to the Tang sword and walked slowly toward the bar. She locked eyes with Number Seventeen for a few seconds before smoothly stabbing the Tang sword straight through his shoulder.
The Tang sword was a finely honed weapon, and with her strength, it pierced clean through his shoulder with ease.
The smile on Number Seventeen’s face faltered slightly, but he neither dodged nor retaliated. He remained standing in place, still holding the glass in his hand as if nothing had happened. “Esteemed guest, may I ask what you are doing?”
Yu Xi studied him again. It wasn’t surprising that the attendant had low combat ability, but why wasn’t a designated train butler like Number Seventeen dodging or fighting back?
Her attack speed had not been fast—if he had wanted to avoid injury, he easily could have. He could have even counterattacked.
Was he pretending to be weak?
But what was the point? She already knew this was a station. His reaction wouldn’t make her let down her guard.
She met his gaze for another moment before abruptly pulling out the Tang sword and stabbing it clean through his other shoulder. “I was just curious. Are you real? Do you bleed?”
Number Seventeen’s face gradually paled. He struggled to maintain his polite smile. “Esteemed guest… there is no need to test me further, nor is there any need to provoke me. I am merely a humble, ordinary train butler.”
Ordinary train butler, my ass!
Yu Xi stared at the wounds on his shoulders. The blood flowing from them was green.
He clearly wasn’t human!
The carriage door suddenly opened again. Yu Xi, staying alert, glanced toward it from the corner of her eye. A panicked-looking attendant appeared in the doorway—only to be instantly struck and sent flying by someone behind him.
The attendant’s body hurtled over several tables before crashing heavily onto the floor. The sheer force of the impact revealed the anger of the one who had struck him. Golden light shimmered around the downed attendant, transforming into golden ropes that tightly bound him where he had fallen.
Yu Xi turned to see Xing Min, his gaze icy cold, and was slightly surprised.
This was the first time she had seen him show such barely restrained anger. He was always composed, his emotions deeply restrained. No matter what danger he faced, his expression never wavered.
Compared to a living being, Xing Min was more akin to an artificial intelligence. That was why, for a long time, she had treated him as a genderless intelligent entity.
But clearly, this time, he couldn’t suppress his emotions.
Then again, this wasn’t the first time—just the last time, it had been out of worry and anxiety.
Worry, concern, anger…
It seemed that every time his emotions fluctuated greatly, it was because of her.
Yu Xi looked at his striking but icy-blue eyes and suddenly thought that her System really was both handsome and captivating. She wondered—if she bit down on his tightly pressed lips right now, what kind of expression would he make…?
【…】
Yu Xi: …Oh? You heard that?
【…】
Without saying a word, he walked over and placed a large hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Yu Xi tilted her chin slightly, gesturing toward Number Seventeen. “He’s not.”
Seeing that she was unharmed, the coldness in Xing Min’s lake-blue eyes finally subsided.
“Why did you come here?”
“You said you’d come find me once you took care of things, but you were taking too long. I thought you had fallen into another trap—” Xing Min hadn’t finished speaking when other familiar voices echoed from the carriage entrance.
“Xing Min, you’re fast!”
Yu Zhenzhen stepped inside, gripping her bound weapon, its mechanism already deployed. Ya Tong was also within the safety of her shield.
Behind them, Xi Yuan and Lin Wu followed, Lin Wu’s protective weapon shield also activated.
Judging from their condition, their abrupt reset had forcefully pulled them out of the virtual world, and the shock had hit them even harder than it had hit Yu Xi.
After everyone had entered, Xi Yuan, who was at the rear, turned around and manually locked the carriage door. He then walked to the other end of the carriage and locked the door there as well.
“Xiao Xi, you used the station reset voucher?” Lin Wu had already gotten a brief explanation from Xing Min, but the fact that the Golden Train was actually a special station still left them stunned.
“Yes.”
“Good thing you woke up on your own.” Ya Tong rolled her shoulders. When she had been forcefully pulled from the virtual world, she had distinctly felt the sharp pain in her shoulders, neck, and the back of her head. Though the wounds were now gone, the pain seemed to linger.
She wasn’t afraid of strong enemies or getting injured, but this kind of inexplicable injury—one she hadn’t even realized had been inflicted—was something she had rarely encountered. Even now, she couldn’t figure out when exactly they had been manipulated into entering the virtual world.
Xi Yuan remained silent. He walked over to Yu Xi’s side, glanced at Number Seventeen, and said, “Put your sword away.”
“…?” Yu Xi hesitated briefly but ultimately withdrew the Tang sword.
As soon as she removed the blade, more green blood poured from Number Seventeen’s shoulder.
Without a word, Xi Yuan pulled out his black sword and plunged it into the same wound—this time, activating its burning effect.
He deliberately controlled the intensity of the burning, letting the flames seep through the flesh inch by inch, causing excruciating pain down to the bones—yet not enough to kill him immediately. If, that was, he could even die.
“You sure know how to play your games—treating passengers like objects? Hanging them up, letting you manipulate them at will?” Xi Yuan’s lips curved slightly, but his eyes were sharp. He had survived countless worlds, and patience was not one of his virtues.
There was only one person he ever softened his claws for. Against enemies, he had a hundred, a thousand ways to make them beg for mercy. And this time, what he had experienced in the virtual world had thoroughly crossed his bottom line.
The more he had enjoyed the dream, the more furious he felt upon waking.
Number Seventeen’s body trembled, a muffled groan escaping his lips. Yet, he clung to the bar for support, forcing himself to maintain the composed appearance of a train’s exclusive butler.
“We’re fully awake now. With our guard up, there’s no way you can deceive us again.” Xi Yuan twisted the sword’s tip slowly, intensifying the agony. “How do we leave this station?”
“…Why do you have to leave?” Number Seventeen’s voice quivered as he spoke. “This train provides everything you could ever want—delicacies, fine clothes, jewelry… top-tier service. You don’t have to fight for survival. You don’t have to work. The train will take you around the world, to see landscapes you could never witness in your lifetime—”
“Shut up! That’s just how you lure passengers into staying. And besides, everything outside the windows is fake. The Golden Train, like all the others, is forever traveling through an endless black void!”
They had all seen this train from the outside while aboard other carriages. Back then, they had been willing to believe the scenery outside was real, because they thought the Golden Train was leading them to the final destination.
For them, this train had represented the conclusion, the escape from this world. Even if they had harbored doubts, they had been willing to set them aside for a while and enjoy the view.
But now, they knew the truth. The Golden Train was just another advanced station. They still hadn’t found a way to leave the Endless Train world. That fact alone was frustrating enough.
And yet, this thing standing before them—who wasn’t even human—kept babbling with fake politeness, pushing Xi Yuan’s irritation to the limit.
He had no patience to continue this pointless exchange. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed his black sword across the bar between them.
The heavy, lavish wooden bar was split cleanly in half. The force of the sword’s energy shattered all the glassware and liquor bottles in the cabinets behind Number Seventeen, reducing years—possibly centuries—of rare vintage collections to nothing.
Shards of glass and spilled liquor scattered across the floor.
Xi Yuan raised his black sword again, this time aiming directly at Number Seventeen’s forehead. A dark blue flame flickered at the sword’s tip, radiating a terrifying heat.
“Speak.”
The moment the sword left his body, the immediate pain lessened, but Number Seventeen’s expression finally darkened for the first time. “You can do whatever you want to me, esteemed guest, but you should not damage the train’s property.”
“Is that so?”
Ya Tong cracked her neck and pulled out an MP5 from her storage. Without hesitation, she turned and opened fire on the elegantly decorated dining tables and sofas. The gunfire echoed through the carriage as bullets shredded the furniture. Of course, she was careful—none of the shots hit the train’s walls or doors.
Number Seventeen: …
For a moment, Yu Xi thought he was about to pass out from sheer fury.
But anger was a good thing. Only when their opponent was enraged could they extract useful information.
As expected, Number Seventeen let out a bitter laugh, but this time it was a mocking sneer.
“Hah… What’s there to ask? Haven’t you all figured it out already? The Golden Train travels through the black void. Of course, the scenery outside is fake. But you’ve all seen virtual worlds before—simple VR technology couldn’t create something this immersive, this vibrant.”
“The scenery outside is a projection of the passengers’ minds, a composition of their consciousness.”
“The places they’ve been, the landscapes they’ve admired, the faraway destinations they longed to visit… All of these images merge to create the breathtaking views outside this train’s windows.”
“They bring the train to life, making it feel like a real journey around the world. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Beautiful enough that many passengers willingly stay on board just for the scenery. But what they don’t realize is—once they choose to stay, they too become part of those landscapes. They become the illusions that lure the next batch of travelers. Isn’t it ironic?”
“Hah… Humans really are the most foolish creatures. Always so eager to deceive themselves. Among all the voids, the travelers in this one are the easiest to manipulate. A few cheap luxuries—some food, clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, and fancy rooms—and you’re all ready to stay voluntarily—”
Yu Xi said nothing.
She pulled out high-temperature perfume, adjusted the setting to low, and carefully controlled the range. With a flick of her wrist, she incinerated the shattered remains of the bar into black ash.
Number Seventeen: …
He shut up immediately.
But Yu Xi didn’t stop there. She turned and burned the rows of ruined tables and chairs that Ya Tong had shot up, reducing them all to a fine pile of black dust.
“Do you believe me now?” Yu Xi looked at him. “If you keep spouting useless nonsense, I’ll go carriage by carriage and burn every single piece of interior decor on this train. It’ll take some time, but I refuse to believe you’ll still be in the mood to talk nonsense once I’ve turned the entire train into an empty shell.”
Number Seventeen: …
Yu Xi nodded in satisfaction but didn’t put away the high-temperature perfume. “Looks like you understand now. So, tell me—how do we leave this station?”
Yu Zhenzhen couldn’t help but clap softly. “My mom is still my mom… So freaking cool!”
Xing Min: …
The answer to leaving this special station was only four words: easter egg fragment.
It didn’t matter whether one chose to stay on the train or disembark—if they hadn’t found the final easter egg fragment, they could never truly break free from this station.
Once a passenger activated the easter egg fragment function, no matter how hard they tried, they could only find four fragments across all other stations.
More fragments didn’t necessarily mean more information. The ones they had collected from previous stations had only contained irrelevant memories.
The crucial memory—the key easter egg fragment—was on the Golden Train.
Only by obtaining this last fragment could they learn how to leave.
Even after Number Seventeen provided this information, they didn’t believe him right away. Their initial plan had been to restrain him and then interrogate Number Sixteen, Number Fifteen… questioning them one by one to compare their answers.
But before they could act, the Endless Train phone, which had been silent for so long, suddenly vibrated.