3: Chapter 3 Exploration: The Abandoned Flesh Mine

"Clang— Clang—"

The dilapidated green-skinned train let out a tooth-aching grinding sound on the rusted tracks.

Inside the carriage, the thirty-eight girls from the dance department huddled closely together.

In the narrow space, the air was filled with a captivating scent of various high-end perfumes mixed with the delicate fragrance of young women.

But at this moment, no one was in the mood to appreciate this romantic atmosphere.

Everyone's eyes were fixed in terror on the landscape gradually becoming clear outside the train window.

As the train slowed down, the thick, blood-colored mist was forcibly pushed aside by the front of the train.

A massive, eerie, and nauseatingly foul-smelling abandoned mine, like an ancient giant beast lurking in the darkness, slowly revealed itself before everyone's eyes.

The surface of the mine's buildings was actually covered with a layer of dark red flesh tissue that seemed to still be squirming.

Occasionally, a few thick black blood vessels were wrapped around the rusted iron frames, pulsing and oozing out a brownish-black mucus.

"This... is this the station where we're supposed to stop?"

Lin Momo gripped the arm of Zhang Man, a physical education specialist, with a death grip.

Her exquisite and soft face was currently deathly pale, and her large eyes were filled with tears.

Due to excessive fear, Lin Momo's petite body couldn't stop trembling.

The sophisticated Hanfu she was wearing had become somewhat disheveled from being rubbed against, her collar slightly open, revealing a section of dazzlingly snowy-white collarbone.

"Don't be afraid, Mo Mo, I'm here."

Zhang Man had neat short hair, and her bold, big-sister-like demeanor was fully on display at this moment.

She pulled Lin Momo into her arms and stared warily out the window, but her slightly trembling fingertips still betrayed her inner tension.

"Everyone, take a deep breath, don't run around."

The counselor, Liu Ruyan, stood up, trying to maintain her dignity as a teacher.

Today, she was wearing a tight black hip-hugging skirt and sheer black stockings.

Because her movements were too large, the already tight white shirt was now being stretched by her extremely voluptuous bust to the point where it seemed like the buttons would pop off at any moment.

As she took deep breaths, those heart-stopping curves rose and fell violently, exuding the unique intellect and charm of a mature woman.

But even with Liu Ruyan's reassurance, the atmosphere in the carriage remained suppressed to the extreme.

"Chiii—"

Accompanied by the piercing sound of air brakes releasing, the green-skinned train finally came to a complete halt in front of the Abandoned Flesh Mine.

The cold and heartless voice of the Heavenly Dao System exploded in everyone's minds right on time.

[Ding! train no. 0099 has arrived at the mandatory stop—Abandoned Flesh Mine.]

[Stop Countdown: 2 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds.]

[Train Master, please organize personnel to disembark immediately to collect coal and other survival supplies.]

[Warning: A large number of low-level Ghouls are detected approaching!]

"Bang!"

Just as the system prompt finished, the iron door at the front of the carriage was kicked open violently.

An extremely intense stench of decay, mixed with a nauseating smell of blood, instantly flooded into the carriage.

"Urgh—!"

Several delicate girls, who usually found even seafood too fishy, immediately covered their mouths and began to retch.

However, even more terrifying than the smell was the hair-raising roar from outside the door.

"Roar— Uh-ah!"

Amidst the rolling mist, several twisted black shadows rushed to the train door at extreme speed.

They were three monsters covered in pus-filled blisters.

Their humanoid outlines were severely distorted, and their skin appeared a deathly gray and decayed.

Their eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty scarlet light, and their mouths were split open to their ears, revealing a mouth full of jagged fangs hanging with shredded meat.

These were the most basic monsters of the wasteland world—low-level Ghouls!

"Ah—! Help!"

"Monster! A monster has come in!"

The girls in the front row were scared out of their wits by this sudden terrifying scene.

They screamed and cried, retreating desperately toward the back of the carriage.

In the pushing and shoving, someone twisted an ankle in high heels, and someone's skirt was torn.

More than thirty stunning beauties were squeezed together, their snowy-white thighs, slender waists, and violently heaving chests inevitably pressed tightly against each other in the chaos.

It formed an extremely sensual yet despair-filled apocalyptic tableau.

But in front of this group of panicked lambs stood a figure as upright as a pine tree.

It was Su Chen.

He didn't retreat a single step; instead, facing that nauseating, bloody wind, he strode out of the driver's cabin.

"Just a few pieces of walking rotten meat."

Su Chen's eyes were as cold as knives, and a bloodthirsty sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

His right hand tightly gripped the explosive combustion iron staff he had just modified.

On the dark red staff, mysterious magic runes were faintly flickering, as if sensing the call of blood.

"Roar!"

The Ghoul in the lead immediately locked onto Su Chen as its fresh prey.

It let out a piercing roar, its hind legs suddenly exerting force, and with a gust of bloody wind, it lunged through the air toward Su Chen!

Those claws with sharp black nails went straight for Su Chen's throat.

"Seeking death."

Su Chen advanced instead of retreating, his physique, slightly buffed by his Train Master authority, erupted with astonishing power at this moment.

His legs slightly bent, his waist suddenly exerted force, driving his right arm to swing that twenty-five-pound explosive combustion iron staff into a dark red full moon in mid-air!

"Whoosh—"

The iron staff tore through the air, making a tooth-aching whistling sound.

Just as the staff was about to hit the Ghoul's head, the additional effect of the modified weapon was perfectly triggered.

"Boom!"

A ball of thousand-degree crimson flame exploded from the tip of the iron staff without warning!

In that blinding firelight, the heavy iron staff, carrying immense force, slammed solidly into the Ghoul's decayed skull.

"Bang— Pfft!"

It was like an iron hammer smashing a ripe watermelon.

Under the double devastation of massive kinetic energy and a micro-explosion, the Ghoul's head instantly burst into a charred mist of blood!

The headless corpse didn't even have time to scream before it was sent flying by the huge impact, crashing heavily onto the abandoned tracks outside the mine, twitching twice before stopping completely.

In the air, a pungent smell of hair and rotten meat being burned at high temperature permeated.

[Ding! Successfully killed a low-level Ghoul (Lv1).]

[Obtained survival points: 1 point.]

[Dropped Item: inferior flesh chunk *1 (Automatically stored in the train warehouse).]

The system's cold prompt sounded in Su Chen's mind.

But at this moment, the entire carriage fell into a deathly silence.

All the girls forgot to scream, forgot to cry, and even forgot to breathe.

They stared blankly at the man standing at the train door.

The firelight reflected on Su Chen's sharp-featured, extremely cold face, adding a bit of demon-god-like dominance to him.

The iron staff in his hand was still burning with residual crimson flames, and a few drops of black blood slowly dripped down the staff, making a "hissing" sound on the ground.

This scene brought a soul-shaking shock that couldn't be described in words to these thirty-eight girls who had lived in peaceful times since childhood.

The man who, in their eyes, was just a low-level worker, a part-time photographer they usually wouldn't even spare a glance for.

At this moment, he was like an invincible god of war, standing between them and death.

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed hard.

Su Xiaoxiao hid at the back of the crowd, her shrewd large eyes staring fixedly at Su Chen's back through her black-rimmed glasses.

Her heart, with its great business sense, was pounding wildly.

"Too strong... this kind of overwhelming power, a thigh! This is definitely the thickest golden thigh in the apocalypse!"

As the class's "know-it-all," Su Xiaoxiao instantly re-evaluated Su Chen's value to the highest level in her heart.

The remaining two Ghouls also seemed to be deterred by their companion's instant and tragic death.

They stopped in their tracks, looked fearfully at the flaming iron staff in Su Chen's hand, and out of the instinctual fear of fire, they actually slowly retreated and faded back into the edge of the mist.

The crisis was temporarily averted.

Su Chen casually shook the blood off the iron staff, turned around, and looked down at the group of terrified girls.

There was no pity in his eyes, only cold scrutiny.

"What are you still standing there for?"

Su Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"The monsters outside have temporarily retreated. Now, everyone, get the hell off the train!"

"Go to the mine and pick up coal!"

"If we're missing even one piece, no one on this train gets to eat today!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere that had just relaxed a little instantly dropped to the freezing point again.

"G-get off the train?"

A girl dressed flamboyantly stammered, her tears falling again in anxiety.

"It's so dark outside, and there are monsters... we'll die..."

"Yeah, Train Master, we're just girls. How could we possibly fight those disgusting things?"

"Please, you're so powerful, can't you just go by yourself? We'll give all our food to you!"

Pleading voices rose one after another, and many girls even struck pitiful poses, trying to use their proud beauty to trade for Su Chen's sympathy.

Liu Ruyan also felt a bit of pity. She stepped in her high heels and carefully walked to Su Chen's side.

A wave of rose fragrance unique to a mature woman wafted over.

"Su Chen... no, Train Master."

Liu Ruyan bowed slightly, that deep snowy-white cleavage flashing before Su Chen's eyes as she tried to use this subtle benefit to soften Su Chen's attitude.

"They are, after all, pampered girls, and those monsters just now were indeed too terrifying."

"How about letting some of the braver ones go down first, and the others stay on the train to provide support?"

Liu Ruyan's voice was soft and melodious, with a hint of natural charm.

If it were any ordinary young lad, he probably would have been dazed by this mature and intellectual older sister.

But Su Chen was not.

His gaze was clear, and he unabashedly glanced at Liu Ruyan's proud figure before letting out a cold laugh.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Teacher Liu, you don't seem to have grasped the situation yet."

Su Chen took a step forward, the distance between them closing so much that Liu Ruyan could clearly feel the scorching, masculine heat radiating from him.

"This is the apocalypse, not your orientation party."

"If you don't work, you have no value for survival."

"I went down alone today to gather coal, but what about tomorrow? The day after?"

"I don't need a group of vases who only know how to scream for help, and I certainly don't need a group of blood-sucking parasites!"

Su Chen spun around abruptly and struck the nearby steel train door with his explosive combustion iron staff, producing a loud "clang."

"My rules will not change."

"Anyone who doesn't get off the train to work will have all food and water rations cut off until they starve to death."

"If anyone thinks they have a hard enough life to survive, feel free to try."

Su Chen's iron-fisted methods completely shattered the last shred of fantasy in these girls' hearts.

They finally understood that the man before them possessed a heart harder than stone and colder than a glacier.

Tears and beauty were worthless here.

However, there were still some who refused to face reality.

"I'm not going down! You can kill me, but I won't get off the train!"

A sharp, tearful voice came from the back of the carriage.

It was Zhao Yuxin.

She was currently huddled in the corner of her seat, her face deathly pale, her hands gripping the seat back tightly.

Her two loyal lackeys, Li Jiaojiao and Wang Li, were guarding her on either side, their faces equally terrified.

"There are disgusting zombies everywhere outside, and I'm a potential star who has awakened a C-rank [Agility Enhancement] talent!"

Zhao Yuxin seemed to find some confidence and started shouting loudly.

"What if I get infected? I'm supposed to become a powerhouse!"

"Su Chen, this is attempted murder! You're just jealous of my talent!"

Zhao Yuxin's brainless comments made many of the girls in the carriage look at her as if she were an idiot.

How dare someone with only a C-rank talent bark in front of this SSS-rank big shot?

Su Chen couldn't even be bothered to look at her.

"Suit yourself."

"But I'll remind you, the Heavenly Dao System just said that the train only has a two-hour stopover time."

"If we don't gather enough coal, this train will remain here forever and be swallowed by the fog."

"When that happens, even if you have an S-rank talent, you'll have to be buried along with this pile of scrap metal."

Su Chen's tone was flat, but every word pierced their hearts.

Upon hearing the words "swallowed by the fog," everyone's faces turned pale once again.

At this moment of panic.

A cold, aloof, yet incredibly determined voice rang out in the carriage.

"I'll lead the team off the train."

Chu Qingxue stood up.

This class monitor and school belle from the Classical Dance Department displayed astonishing perspective and mental fortitude at this moment.

She didn't wear those cumbersome dresses, but instead wisely wrapped a long trench coat tightly around herself and changed into a pair of flat shoes.

Although a trace of paleness could be seen on her stunningly cold face, her eyes were clear and calm.

"The Train Master is right; we cannot hide under someone else's wings forever."

Chu Qingxue walked to the train door and looked back at the girls who were still hesitating.

"Those willing to work to survive, come with me."

"Those who don't want to live, stay on the train and wait for death."

After speaking, Chu Qingxue took a deep breath, stepped off the train first, and walked into that Abandoned Flesh Mine filled with the stench of rot.

Watching Chu Qingxue's thin yet firm back, Zhang Man gritted her teeth and pulled Lin Momo along to follow.

"What the hell are we afraid of! If we die, we die! Mo Mo, stay close to me!"

"I... I'll go too!" Su Xiaoxiao adjusted her glasses and quickly followed.

She knew very well that this was the best time to show her loyalty to Su Chen.

With Chu Qingxue leading the way, the remaining thirty or so girls, despite being filled with fear, had no choice but to bite the bullet and tremble as they walked off the train.

Except for Zhao Yuxin and her two lackeys, who remained huddled in the corner of the carriage, dreaming their self-deceiving dreams.

Inside the Abandoned Flesh Mine.

The light was extremely dim, red fog permeated the surroundings, and visibility was less than ten meters.

The ground underfoot was sticky, and stepping on it produced a disgusting "squelch" sound.

But scattered along the edges of the abandoned mine pits covered in flesh tissue were many black crystals emitting a faint glow.

That was the primary energy source required for the train to move forward—black iron coal.

"Everyone pair up, don't spread out. When you see coal, pick it up and put it in your pockets or clothes."

Chu Qingxue directed calmly.

The girls suppressed their inner fear and physical nausea and began to bend down to search the ground.

At this time, those art department goddesses who usually paid extreme attention to their appearance could no longer care about their demeanor.

Their movements while bending down to pick things up caused their tight clothing to cling closely to their bodies, outlining beautiful and alluring curves.

Rounded hip lines and slender waists appeared vaguely in the dim fog.

Some girls, because their clothes pockets were too small, could only stuff the coal they found into their collars or skirt hems, getting black coal dust all over their snow-white skin, creating a visually striking aesthetic of abuse.

Su Chen held the explosive combustion iron staff and stood at the entrance of the mine, watching all of this with cold eyes.

He did not go to help pick up the coal.

As the Train Master, his duty was to control the overall situation and clear away those deadly threats.

For example, right now.

"Ah—!" A shrill scream suddenly came from the left edge of the mine.

It was Lin Momo!

Because she was picking up a relatively large piece of coal, she accidentally strayed from Zhang Man's protective circle and walked to the entrance of an abandoned mine tunnel.

And there, a Ghoul, larger and stronger than the previous ones, was lurking!

The Ghoul pounced down silently from above the mine tunnel, its scarlet eyes fixed firmly on Lin Momo's fair neck.

"Mo Mo!"

Zhang Man's eyes were splitting with rage; she was too far away and couldn't reach her in time to save her.

Seeing that the claw covered in pustules was about to pierce Lin Momo's throat.

At this critical moment.

An ice-blue light suddenly lit up!

"Extreme Cold Frost—Condense!"

Chu Qingxue shouted delicately; she had arrived near Lin Momo at some point.

Her jade-white hands pushed forward, and the mental power she had just awakened surged out madly like a floodgate opening.

The moisture in the surrounding air was instantly drained.

A sharp ice cone about half a meter long, radiating bone-chilling cold, formed instantly in front of Chu Qingxue!

"Go!"

Chu Qingxue's face was pale, and she endured the throbbing pain in her brain as she commanded the ice cone to fiercely pierce toward the Ghoul in mid-air.

This was her first time using her talent in actual combat, and inevitably, her aim was off.

The ice cone, originally aimed at the heart, flew past the Ghoul's shoulder.

"Pfft!"

But fortunately, the ice cone was sharp enough that it pierced directly into the Ghoul's scarlet left eye!

"Roar—!"

The Ghoul let out a shrill, miserable scream, and half of its head was frozen by the extreme cold temperature.

It fell heavily to the ground, rolling in pain.

"Huff... huff..."

Chu Qingxue's body swayed violently, her face instantly turning as pale as paper, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down from her smooth forehead.

Using an S-rank talent above her level for the first time had almost instantly drained her meager initial mental power.

A strong sense of dizziness washed over her, and Chu Qingxue's legs went weak; she was about to collapse onto the muddy ground.

Just as she was about to fall.

A strong and powerful arm suddenly wrapped around her slender waist.

Chu Qingxue shuddered and instinctively wanted to struggle.

But a scorching scent, carrying a strong masculine hormone, instantly enveloped her.

It was Su Chen.

He had crossed a dozen meters at some point, appearing beside Chu Qingxue like a ghost.

Su Chen's left hand held Chu Qingxue's soft, slightly cold body firmly, and he could even smell the faint scent of orchids in her hair.

And his right hand casually raised the explosive combustion iron staff.

"Bang!"

No extra movements.

Su Chen didn't even look at the Ghoul still rolling on the ground; he just smashed it with one strike.

Flames burst, and flesh flew everywhere.

The one-eyed Ghoul was instantly headshot and killed completely.

The whole process was smooth and extremely domineering.

Su Chen lowered his head and looked at the stunningly beautiful face in his arms, which appeared exceptionally delicate due to exhaustion but was still forcing itself to remain cold.

A hint of imperceptible appreciation flashed in his dark eyes.

"The timing was good, although your aim was a bit off."

Su Chen's voice was still cold, but there was a rare hint of approval.

"However, as your first performance in actual combat, I'll give you a passing grade."

Listening to Su Chen's condescending critique.

A rare, faint blush appeared on Chu Qingxue's originally pale, pretty face.

She had been a proud daughter of heaven since she was a child; when had she ever been held in someone's arms and critiqued like this?

A strong sense of shame and an inexplicable sense of security intertwined, making this cold school belle's heart skip a beat uncontrollably.

"Let... let me go, I can still stand..."

Chu Qingxue bit her cherry lips, trying to break free from Su Chen's scorching embrace.

However, Su Chen had no intention of letting go.

Because just at this moment, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of pairs of scarlet eyes lighting up in the mist deep within the mine.

The real horde of monsters had been attracted by the smell of blood here.