Translator: Anubis Translations
Tier 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
Chen Mang heard the unfamiliar name in his mind but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pressed himself tightly against the metal wall of the carriage. No one cared about the train's violent jolts anymore, nor did they notice the foul stench filling the air.
Everyone was consumed by sheer panic.
Survive.
That was the sole thought burning in every heart.
No! We can't just sit here and wait to die!
Chen Mang squeezed his eyes shut, possibilities flashing through his mind. After a moment, he abruptly opened them and leaned toward Old Pig beside him, whispering, "This train has nine carriages."
"The first is the engine, and carriages seven, eight, and nine are slave cars."
"Didn't you say the train wasn't maneuverable?"
"If we can somehow reach the engine in the first carriage, disconnect the rest of the train, and have you drive it... You were a deputy train conductor, right? You should know how to operate a train."
"No way!"
Old Pig immediately rejected the suggestion without hesitation, his face deathly pale as he shook his head hoarsely. "All trains are bound to their conductors. Only the Train Conductor has the authority to operate them. Even if we stormed the engine car, we couldn't take control, let alone drive the train."
"But..."
"Brother Mang, your idea is sound. Disconnecting all the carriages would essentially give the first carriage a speed boost, creating another escape route."
"We just have to hope the Train Conductor hasn't thought of that..."
The two men exchanged worried glances.
It was clear: if the Train Conductor had considered this, they would instantly become expendable pawns.
Nevertheless, Chen Mang immediately rose to his feet, preparing to head towards the Sixth Carriage. His expression grim, he muttered, "We still need to reach the first carriage first. Follow me."
The next moment—
Before either of them could move—
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal colliding echoed from outside the window. Immediately, they felt the train begin to decelerate rapidly.
"Huff."
Chen Mang took a deep breath, pulled out the last crumpled cigarette Old Pig had given him, and lit it on the straw mat amidst the chaos of the slave car. He exhaled a long plume of smoke, gripped his GLS pistol, and calmly awaited his fate.
Death was inevitable.
They had been abandoned.
He didn't exactly hate the Train Conductor; if he were in the Conductor's position, he would have done the same. But he felt a bitter contempt for the man's incompetence.
When we were stationed at the mine cave, were the scouts napping on the job?
How did they only discover the zombie horde when it was already surrounding them?
How precious could a single resource be that they couldn't even afford a Tier 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
Weren't all these lost slaves worth more than a single Tier 2 Auxiliary Universal Wheel?
But...
Chen Mang clamped the cigarette between his lips, chambered a round in his pistol, and strode over the bodies of the slaves toward the iron door. He yanked down the adjacent iron lever, and—
The carriage door of the sixth carriage burst open!
A frigid wind carrying the stench of decay swept into the slave car!
Though their carriage had lost power, inertia kept them moving at a decent speed—but not for long. When they flung open the train doors, they discovered the zombie horde was practically upon them.
Just meters away.
One glance revealed no end to the mass, only the nauseating stench of decay and the sight of countless, grotesque zombies surging relentlessly toward the train.
"This isn't fair," Chen Mang muttered, staring at the scene before him. In the apocalypse novels he'd read, protagonists always started by facing one or two zombies. How had he landed in the middle of a horde of this magnitude? It left no room for survival.
Who could possibly escape a zombie horde like this alive?
But...
Even if he was going to die, he'd drag a few down with him!
The next instant—
Bang!
A gunshot cracked through the air. A zombie lunging toward Chen Mang from the horde suddenly had a gaping, bloody hole in its head. Its corpse slammed into the ground, quickly trampled out of sight by the relentless horde.
This was the first zombie Chen Mang had ever killed.
It wasn't because he was a crack shot; he'd never even held a gun before. It was simply because he'd shoved the barrel almost down the zombie's throat. At that range, anyone could be a gunslinger.
These zombies didn't seem particularly tough. A single pistol bullet to the head at close range could practically explode their skulls. An adult man could easily handle one or two. If they weren't too contagious, he could probably take down three or five without much trouble.
But...
They were simply too numerous, swarming like locusts.
Bang! Bang!
The gunshots echoed continuously as Chen Mang grew increasingly proficient. He quickly emptied his magazine, losing count of the dead in the chaos. He only knew his bullets were ripping into the zombie horde; how many corpses they felled was impossible to tell.
By now, the zombies' advance had begun to slow, leaving him fewer opportunities to shoot. Chen Mang swiftly ejected the empty magazine from his pistol and began painstakingly reloading with the brass cartridges from his pocket.
Before I die, I'll take as many of these bastards with me as I can.
Just then—
Inside the carriage, a slave suddenly rushed forward, his face contorted with terror. He knelt at Chen Mang's feet, who stood guard at the doorway, his voice trembling with urgency and a sob. "Big Brother, please, just give me a bullet. I want to die quickly. I don't want to be torn apart by those zombies."
"No," Chen Mang replied nonchalantly, swiftly reloading his pistol. "Bullets are limited. Kill a few more zombies first—at least make your death worthwhile."
It wasn't just their carriage. Chen Mang could hear the frantic gunfire from the adjacent carriage. The thugs from the sixth carriage had also been abandoned and were now desperately fighting for their lives.
"I... I..." The kneeling man looked up at Chen Mang, his face twisting into a grotesque snarl. Veins bulging in his neck, he roared, "You'd deny me even this?! I just want a quick death—is that too much to ask?!"
"Enou-"
Before Chen Mang could finish speaking, the man lunged at him, his hand reaching for the pistol.
But Chen Mang sidestepped the attack effortlessly. Seeing the man still reeling from his failed lunge, he kicked him hard—without hesitation—into the zombie horde.
A piercing scream of terror tore through the air, only to be abruptly silenced.
(End of Chapter)
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