2: Chapter 2 The Arrogant Campus Belle? Kneel Down!

A deep blue light flowed up Su Chen's right arm like water ripples.

In an instant, Su Chen felt a strange and close connection established between his spirit and this dilapidated green-skinned train.

It was as if this steel behemoth, dozens of meters long, had become an extension of his own body.

Every piece of rusted iron, every loose screw, and even the few remaining pieces of initial coal in the furnace were clearly visible in his perception.

At the very moment Su Chen completely fused with the train's core, the cold and ruthless voice of the Heavenly Dao System boomed through the entire carriage like a clap of thunder.

[Ding! Heavenly Dao Announcement!]

[Initial Number train no. 0099 has successfully bound with the train core!]

[Congratulations to player Su Chen for officially becoming the only legal Train Master of this train!]

[Train Master's exclusive privileges have been activated:]

[Privilege 1: Absolute Driving Control (Can freely control train start, acceleration, braking, and route selection).]

[Privilege 2: Resource Allocation Right (The Train Master has priority over all unclaimed resources within the train and resources looted from stations).]

[Privilege 3: Personnel Expulsion Right (The Train Master can forcibly expel any disobedient passenger from the train at any time).]

[Privilege 4: Train Master's Exclusive Pressure (Inside the train, the Train Master can consume mental power to apply spatial gravity suppression to ordinary passengers).]

[The train is about to start. All passengers, please sit tight and hold on.]

These consecutive system broadcasts echoed clearly in the minds of the thirty-eight Dance Department girls.

The carriage, which had been noisy due to panic, instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked toward the driver's cab in disbelief.

That part-time photographer Su Chen, who usually seemed like a mere low-level worker in their eyes and didn't even dare to say more than two words, had actually become the Train Master holding their lives in his hands?

This absurd contrast caused the brains of many art department girls, who had been pampered since childhood, to short-circuit instantly.

Su Chen ignored the shocked, bewildered, and even jealous gazes in the carriage.

He took a deep breath, his gaze locked onto the oil-stained throttle lever in the cab.

The initial coal in the furnace was emitting a faint heat.

"Since it's a survival game, staying in place means waiting for death."

Su Chen's eyes were cold, and without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed the throttle lever and pushed it all the way forward!

"Rumble—!!!"

Accompanied by a deafening mechanical roar, this Level 0 green-skinned train, which looked like it could fall apart at any moment, suddenly shuddered.

A thick cloud of black smoke billowed from the locomotive's chimney.

The heavy steel wheels made a piercing grinding sound against the rusted tracks.

Immediately after, with a resolute momentum, the train violently broke through the thick blood-colored mist ahead and headed deep into the unknown Wasteland.

The sudden and intense feeling of being pushed back into their seats caused the unprepared girls in the carriage to stumble and fall.

"Ah!"

"Help!"

Screams rose and fell again as many girls wearing high heels and delicate dresses fell directly into the dusty aisle.

The wealthy heiress Zhao Yuxin lost her balance even more, and her forehead slammed heavily against the hard wooden seat back.

A large red swelling instantly appeared on her fair forehead.

The sharp pain and intense sense of weightlessness completely ignited the anger in Zhao Yuxin's heart.

"Su Chen! Are you crazy?!"

Zhao Yuxin clutched her forehead and scrambled up from the floor in a fit of rage.

Her eyes, adorned with exquisite makeup, were full of spite and unreasonable arrogance.

As the daughter of the richest man in Tianhai City, she had been a princess pampered in the palm of everyone's hand since she was a child.

Where had she ever gone without being surrounded and flattered?

When had it ever been a poor loser's turn to give her orders, or even control her life and death?

"Li Jiaojiao, Wang Li, come with me!"

Zhao Yuxin gnashed her teeth and called her two closest followers.

The three of them, in their high heels, charged aggressively toward the open iron door of the driver's cab.

"Su Chen, stop the train right now!"

Zhao Yuxin pointed at Su Chen's nose, her voice as shrill as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"You think just because you snatched that broken core in the chaos, you're the boss?"

"I'm telling you, this is nothing but a boring prank game!"

"When my father's private helicopter finds me, a piece of low-level trash like you won't even be worthy of carrying my shoes!"

Her follower Li Jiaojiao also plucked up her courage and chimed in, "Exactly! You're just a photographer, what do you know about the big picture?"

"Hurry up and give the Train Master position to Sister Yuxin!"

"As long as you hand over control, Sister Yuxin said she'll transfer five million to your account as soon as we return to reality!"

"Five million! You couldn't earn that much taking your crappy photos for a lifetime!"

Zhao Yuxin held her chin high and crossed her arms, striking a posture of giving charity.

In her limited understanding, there was no problem in this world that money couldn't solve.

If there was, it was only because not enough money had been thrown at it.

Five million was enough to make this poor student kneel on the ground and beg like a dog.

However, faced with this laughable combination of threats and bribes, Su Chen only slowly turned around.

His face did not show the greed, panic, or pleasant surprise that Zhao Yuxin had expected.

Instead, there was only a look of extremely cold mockery, as if he were looking at a dead person.

"Five million?"

Su Chen sneered.

"Do you think the world right now is still that rule-of-law society where you can buy everything with money?"

He slowly took a step forward, and the aura around him suddenly changed.

"You... what do you want to do?"

Zhao Yuxin was frightened by Su Chen's terrifying gaze and took half a step back, her voice involuntarily trembling.

"I'm warning you, if you dare touch me, my father will definitely have you sunk in the river..."

"Noisy."

Su Chen couldn't be bothered to listen to this stupid woman's nonsense anymore.

With a thought, he directly communicated with the train core and activated the Train Master's exclusive privilege he had just obtained.

[Ding! Train Master's Exclusive Pressure has been activated. Current mental power consumed: 5 points.]

Boom!

An invisible but extremely heavy gravitational pressure instantly erupted with Su Chen as the center, pouring down ruthlessly toward Zhao Yuxin and her two companions at the door.

This force was simply not something a mortal body could withstand.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Three consecutive dull thuds sounded.

Zhao Yuxin, Li Jiaojiao, and Wang Li, who were arrogant just a second ago, didn't even have time to react.

Their legs buckled uncontrollably, and their knees slammed heavily onto the rusted and uneven iron floor.

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream instantly tore through the air of the carriage.

The intense pain of their kneecaps nearly shattering caused Zhao Yuxin's exquisitely made-up face to instantly twist and deform.

Cold sweat soaked through her back in a flash.

She desperately tried to stand up, but found that an invisible mountain seemed to be pressing down on her shoulders, pinning her firmly to the ground, unable to move an inch.

Humiliation, fear, and sharp pain instantly destroyed all the pride of this wealthy young lady.

This horrifying scene caused the remaining thirty-plus girls in the carriage to gasp collectively.

Everyone instinctively shrank back, their eyes looking at Su Chen filled with unprecedented awe and fear.

The Dance Department counselor Liu Ruyan gasped, instinctively covering her voluptuous chest, her beautiful eyes full of wariness.

The class's "Know-it-all" Su Xiaoxiao swallowed hard, frantically re-evaluating Su Chen's danger level in her mind.

The sports recruit Zhang Man widened her eyes; she could feel the terror of that pressure. Even with her background in Sanda, she would have absolutely no power to fight back against that kind of force.

The sweet girl Lin Momo was so scared she shrank into the corner of her seat like a quail, hugging her arms tightly, not daring to make a sound.

Su Chen looked down at Zhao Yuxin, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling, like a ruthless king.

He took a step with his long legs, walked out of the cab, and his gaze swept across every face in the carriage like a blade.

"Listen to me clearly."

Su Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying an unquestionable iron-blooded will.

"From now on, on this train, there are no wealthy young ladies, no Department Belles, and no counselors."

"I am the only rule here."

He raised his hand and pointed at the rolling blood-colored mist outside the window.

Vaguely, several giant Aberrant Monsters could be seen roaring frantically in the mist, trying to chase the train.

"The Heavenly Dao System made it very clear: if you don't work and don't collect resources, the train will stop, and everyone will die."

"So, put away your ridiculous princess syndrome."

"My rules are simple: obey orders, and food and water will be distributed according to work."

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Whoever dares to stir up trouble, hold us back, or refuse to work here..."

Su Chen paused, his lips curling into a cruel arc.

"I will directly throw her off the train to feed the monsters outside."

"Do you understand?"

The entire room fell into dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Only the "clack-clack" sound of the wheels grinding against the tracks remained.

No one dared to provoke Su Chen at this moment; Zhao Yuxin's blood-soaked knees were the best warning.

Su Chen swept his cold gaze across the room again, demanding word by word:

"From now on, I am the Train Master."

"Who approves, and who opposes?"

The air seemed to freeze.

This was pure, brutal suppression, and also the most effective law for survival in the apocalypse.

Just as the atmosphere was tense and everyone was being crushed until they couldn't breathe.

A voice as cold and clear as spring water suddenly broke the silence.

"I approve."

As the voice fell, a tall and graceful figure slowly stood up from the front row seat.

It was Chu Qingxue.

This class monitor and school beauty from the classical dance department still maintained that cold temperament that kept people at a distance.

But in her eyes, there was a hint of rationality and determination that ordinary people could hardly reach.

She moved her long, straight legs and walked straight to Su Chen, standing less than a meter away, looking directly into Su Chen's deep eyes.

"Su Chen, no, Train Master."

Chu Qingxue's change in address was extremely natural, without the slightest affectation or sense of humiliation.

"I admit that under the current circumstances, you are the most suitable person to lead us to survive."

"Since this is a survival game, then demonstrating one's own value is the only way to obtain the qualification to survive."

As soon as she finished speaking, a bone-chilling cold suddenly emerged from Chu Qingxue's jade-white right hand.

The temperature in the carriage dropped by more than ten degrees instantly.

Under everyone's shocked gaze, a mass of extremely pure ice-blue frost slowly condensed and formed in Chu Qingxue's palm.

That frost radiated a deadly low temperature, even condensing wisps of white mist in the air.

"This is the S-rank talent I just awakened — [Extreme Cold Frost]."

Chu Qingxue's cold, clear voice sounded again, carrying a hint of undeniable confidence.

"I can create and control frost; whether it's used for combat or for storing food and fresh water, it can play a huge role."

"Train Master, I am willing to obey your arrangements, and I also hope you can lead us to survive."

This move by Chu Qingxue not only shocked everyone present but also completely destroyed the last bit of influence Zhao Yuxin had left.

Even the school beauty Chu Qingxue, who had awakened an S-rank talent and was usually the most cold and proud, had bowed her head.

What qualifications did they, ordinary people who hadn't even awakened any talents, have to negotiate terms?

Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes and immediately followed suit, raising her hand to express her stance: "I also approve! Train Master is wise and mighty, I, Su Xiaoxiao, am willing to serve you!"

Zhang Man also boldly patted her chest: "I have great strength, doing rough work is no problem, as long as I'm fed!"

Liu Ruyan sighed lightly, tidied the stray hair by her ear, and said softly: "I am the counselor, I should take care of everyone. Su Chen... Train Master, if you need any help in the future, just give me orders."

Following the stance of these core figures, the remaining girls also lowered their heads one after another, indicating their willingness to obey.

As for Zhao Yuxin, who was kneeling on the ground, her face was ashen, and she could no longer muster even a shred of thought to resist.

Su Chen took a deep look at Chu Qingxue in front of him.

This woman was not only beautiful but also extremely intelligent and extremely sensible.

She understood the rules of the apocalypse very well, so she used the most direct way to demonstrate her value, in exchange for her status and safety.

"Very good."

Su Chen withdrew the pressure he had applied to Zhao Yuxin.

"Go help her up, don't let her die in the carriage and be an eyesore."

Li Jiaojiao and Wang Li were like they had been granted amnesty, hurriedly scrambling to drag the almost fainting Zhao Yuxin back to her seat.

Just then.

The cold prompt of the Heavenly Dao System suddenly sounded in Su Chen's mind again.

[Ding! Train Master, please pay attention!]

[Five kilometers ahead, you are about to arrive at the first mandatory stop — "Abandoned Flesh Mine".]

[This site contains extremely rich low-level energy coal, as well as an unknown beginner supply chest.]

[Warning: This site is severely eroded by mist, and a large number of black iron-grade aberration monsters are lurking there.]

[The train will be forced to stop for two hours upon arrival at the site.]

[Within two hours, players must get off the train to collect enough coal for the train to travel ten kilometers, otherwise the train will be stranded forever until it is swallowed by the mist!]

After listening to the broadcast, Su Chen's eyes instantly became incredibly sharp.

Mandatory stop!

This meant that he had to get off the train to face those terrifying aberration monsters directly.

Although Chu Qingxue had awakened an S-rank talent, she was, after all, a girl without any combat experience.

The only one he could truly rely on was himself.

"Getting off the train unarmed is undoubtedly suicide."

Su Chen turned around and walked quickly back to the driver's cab, his gaze beginning to search frantically in the narrow space.

Soon, he found a solid iron pipe about one meter long, covered in rust, in the corner next to the stove.

This was supposed to be a tool for cleaning the stove.

Su Chen grabbed it in his hand.

It was heavy, weighing over ten pounds, but the rust on the surface was extremely severe, and it might break if swung with force.

Such scrap metal could not cause lethal damage to the monsters at all.

But Su Chen's lips curled into a crazy smile.

"Finally, it's my SSS-rank talent's turn to shine."

With a thought, he activated the [Omni-Modification] talent without hesitation.

[Ding! Target item detected: Rusted iron pipe.]

[Talent effect 1 triggered: Exploring hidden fusion formulas...]

The next second, a few lines of small text emitting a pale golden light immediately appeared on Su Chen's retina.

[Formula 1: Rusted iron pipe + Hard wood block + 5 mental points = Black Iron-grade: Armor-piercing spear.]

[Formula 2: Rusted iron pipe + Strong liquor + 10 mental points = Black Iron-grade: explosive combustion iron staff.]

Looking at formula 2, Su Chen's eyes lit up.

He quickly opened the camera backpack he carried with him.

In order to keep the girls warm while taking outdoor photos, his backpack happened to contain a bottle of high-proof vodka.

Su Chen took out the bottle of vodka and placed it next to the rusted iron pipe.

"I'll choose formula 2!"

"Omni-Modification, start!"

With a low shout from Su Chen.

A small portion of the mental power in his body was instantly drained (10 points).

Immediately after, a brilliant and mysterious dark golden light erupted from Su Chen's palm!

The light, as if it had life, instantly wrapped around the rusted iron pipe and the entire bottle of vodka.

Under the illumination of the light, the laws of physics seemed to be completely rewritten.

The rusty iron shell began to peel off layer by layer, replaced by an unknown extraordinary alloy that appeared dark red.

And that bottle of vodka turned into pure fire-type energy, crazily injecting into the internal texture of the iron pipe.

The whole process lasted less than three seconds.

When the light dissipated.

A heavy iron staff, dark red throughout, with strange flame magic patterns carved on its surface, lay quietly in Su Chen's hand.

[Ding! Omni-Modification successful!]

[Obtained extraordinary item: explosive combustion iron staff (Black Iron-grade).]

[Weapon attributes: Weight 25 jin, indestructible.]

[Additional special effect (explosive combustion): Each time it is swung, the surface of the iron staff will ignite with high-temperature red flames of over a thousand degrees. After hitting a target, there is a 30% chance to trigger a small flame explosion, causing large-scale true burn damage.]

Su Chen gripped the staff body and swung it casually in the air.

"Whoosh — Boom!"

Just by slightly rubbing against the air, the tip of the iron staff instantly erupted with a dazzling crimson flame!

The terrifying high temperature made the air in the driver's cab become distorted.

Su Chen felt the violent power coming from his hand, his eyes flashing with a chilling murderous intent.

"Abandoned Flesh Mine, is it?"

"I'd like to see if the bones of you monsters are harder, or if this explosive combustion iron staff of mine is harder!"

The train let out a long whistle, and its speed began to gradually slow down.

Outside the train window, the outline of a huge abandoned mine covered in dark red flesh tissue, looking like a purgatory on earth, was already looming in the mist.

The real slaughter was about to begin.