Players, Please Board the Train-Chapter 17: Trick Ticket

After compiling all the information, he now had an official player ID, gained one trait, two items, four types of potions, one gift pack, three train tickets, and an additional two thousand bonus points.
Flipping up his collar, he confirmed a string of numbers similar to the delivery woman's had appeared on his shoulder, though with different colors and digits. Every official player who passed the preliminary trial should have such markings - cannibal players had red numbers, while killer players had black ones.
This didn't seem like an ordinary tattoo - whether it could be damaged or altered remained uncertain.
He examined his items first.
The "Super Running Shoes" looked no different from regular footwear and felt lightweight when worn. His base speed already exceeded twice that of an average person, so the additional 30% boost was quite substantial.
His old shoes couldn't be stored in the item inventory, so he discarded them on the spot.
The "Arsonist's Tools" appeared as a plain brass lighter, less distinctive than the one given by the tattooed gangster. However, according to its description, this was actually an interesting item with ranged attack capabilities - extremely convenient and guaranteed to hit unless someone wasn't wearing clothes.
Of course, this assumed no other defensive items were in play.
Pocketing the lighter, Xu Huo moved on to examine his trait.
"Informer's Perspective" enhanced his vision. After activation, his eyes felt like they were covered with magnifying glasses, amplifying minute details to achieve true microscopic observation.
Similar to "Legs That Never Tire," this represented physical evolution, just framed through unconventional professional angles.
This indicated that profession selection in the game wasn't meaningless. The traits players developed were somewhat connected to their professions - the higher their professional role completion in game instances, the more traits they might unlock.
While ordinary players clearly had greater long-term potential than cannibal players, the latter held an immediate advantage for newcomers since they could gain power through consumption - particularly in terms of vitality.
The delivery woman's powerful regeneration and the first-class passenger's ability to play dead both demonstrated enhanced vitality.
In contrast, the wound on his palm still throbbed painfully, no different from before his evolution.
"To bridge this gap..."
Xu Huo turned his attention to the evolution potions. He chugged one bottle - pleasantly strawberry-flavored. After thirty seconds without noticeable physical changes, his evolution percentage jumped to 9%.
Downing two more bottles raised it to 10%, accompanied by a new note:
[Congratulations to Player Extra for reaching 10% evolution. Note: P0 potion effectiveness will progressively decrease beyond this point. Search for P1 potions within the game!]
He flexed his fingers and threw a punch through the air, producing a distinct sonic boom. Both his strength and speed now far surpassed his capabilities from just two minutes ago.
However, if potion efficacy diminished with evolution, their usefulness would become increasingly limited. Beyond P0 and P1, there might be P2 and P3, but physical capabilities couldn't improve indefinitely.
"So the key lies in trait development."
Rubbing the stubble on his chin, Xu Huo took out his three train tickets.
Unlike real-world paper tickets, these were rectangular glass blocks - three fingers wide and half a finger thick - resembling transparent smartphones. The front displayed station names while the back listed departure times in both game and real-world time, with swipe-to-select functionality.
The soonest upcoming instance departure was in just thirty minutes.
[Player has selected Train 134 departing in 29 minutes. Players must arrive at the station 5 minutes before departure. Teleport now?]
Xu Huo didn't confirm immediately, first testing the remaining potions.
The healing potion perfectly demonstrated why it was discontinued - when applied to his wound, it barely dulled the pain, making negligible difference.
The cleaning solution worked remarkably well though. A dab on his clothes instantly erased dried bloodstains. Apart from the torn areas, they looked freshly laundered - explaining why cannibal players showed no traces on the train.
Ordinary players might board with one or two traits/items, but on the preliminary trial train, this offered no advantage. Cannibal players possessed terrifying stamina and tools for disposing evidence... The game clearly favored them.
After applying some hair growth solution to his scalp with no visible effect, he finally selected [Yes].
Seconds later, he stood inside a glass-constructed station.
The so-called station contained nothing but wind-blocking glass walls and a floating projection screen at its center. The empty glass cube seemed suspended midair - neither grounded nor skybound - sandwiched between two mirrors of blue skies and white clouds stretching endlessly, completely lacking physical presence.
Five strangers occupied the station, including two suited men who fixed their gaze on him the moment he appeared.
"We're station attendants checking tickets," the taller, thinner one approached.
Xu Huo glanced at them, leisurely lighting a cigarette with his lighter before exhaling smoke.
The attendant expected compliance but found Xu Huo ignoring him entirely, even daring to provoke them. His face darkened: "Refusing inspection means exile. That what you want?"
"Of course not." Xu Huo flicked the lighter's brass lid open and shut, its flame dancing. "But I don't have a ticket. Do you? Mind lending me one?"
Exchanging looks, the thin attendant pressed: "Show your ticket. Everyone here has been checked already."
Xu Huo observed the three silent players watching nearby before smiling: "Like I said - no ticket."
"How?!" the shorter one snapped. "Your train appeared on the screen!"
Xu Huo had noticed only one train displayed. Nodding, he said: "Ah, so trains only appear when ticketed players arrive. Meaning none of you have tickets. How pitiful."
"In about ten minutes without tickets, I wonder what happens? Can't board, can't leave - might starve to death here. Cannibal players could last days waiting for ticketed players."
"But the game never said ticketless players can stay indefinitely. Maybe when time's up, you'll get cleaned out like trash - dumped in wastelands, fed to monsters, or worst - teleported into high-risk instances. Know what that means?"