Xia Miao had finally made it to the safety of the second-class carriage when, in a sudden impulse, she rushed back out and returned to the dangerous first-class carriage, throwing her arms around the armed squad member.
This was utterly incomprehensible—she must have lost her mind!
After the initial shock, Xue Fufu snapped back to her senses and instinctively glanced at the man beside her.
Long Shenting looked stunned, clearly taken aback by Xia Miao’s unexpected actions.
After all, in the eyes of many, Xia Miao was nothing more than a spoiled, princessy, and utterly useless socialite. She should have been a calculating egoist, always making the smartest decisions. Yet here she was, risking her life for a man.
How laughable. Could a woman like her ever truly give her heart to someone?
After the disbelief faded, many of the men couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
Just how lucky did one have to be, to have someone choose them without hesitation?
Noticing Long Shenting’s lingering gaze into the distance, Xue Fufu suddenly felt a surge of unease. Flustered, she said, "You don’t look well—you must be exhausted. Let’s go back to my room so you can rest."
Long Shenting seemed to take a long moment to process her words before finally nodding.
A black monster lunged forward, but before No. 13 could fire, someone else had already pulled the trigger.
No. 7 called out, "Hey, 13, go take care of your girlfriend first."
No. 8 chimed in, firing at a mutated man, "She came all this way for you. It’d be pretty messed up if you didn’t protect her."
No. 13 turned to them. Unlike his usual fixed, smiling expression, there was an uncharacteristic seriousness in his gaze.
"Thanks," he said.
Gripping Xia Miao’s hand tightly, No. 13 led her into a room under his teammates’ cover.
"Miao Miao, stay here. Don’t go outside."
The room was encased in iron walls—originally a cell for high-risk prisoners, but now, it had unexpectedly become the safest refuge.
Xia Miao clutched his hand in return. She knew how dangerous it was outside. If he left, he might never come back.
Yet when he looked at her, the words begging him to stay died in her throat.
There were still so many people fighting out there—his teammates among them.
As if sensing what she wanted to say, No. 13 leaned down and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, his thumb brushed gently over her damp lips before his eyes curved into a smile.
"I promise you, I’ll come back to you in one piece."
"Miao Miao, I won’t get hurt. Don’t worry."
"All of this will be over soon."
He had never been one to make sincere promises. In fact, he found it amusing to dangle false hope before others, watching them strive toward his empty words only to realize they’d been played—their despair and rage a spectacle to him.
But this time was different. The promise he made to her, he would keep, no matter what.
Because she was his girlfriend, the other half of his life, the soul that filled the hollow shell of his humanity.
He kissed her lips once more, softly. "Trust me."
Xia Miao slowly loosened her grip on his hand. "Come back to me quickly."
He smiled. "I will."
In the first-class carriage, the black alien creatures were multiplying at an alarming rate. The effectiveness of their firearms against them was dwindling.
Worse, these monsters seemed to be evolving as they fought humans. They were learning not to charge recklessly into gunfire, instead lurking in the shadows to ambush their prey.
What chilled the humans to the bone was how they’d even begun coordinating—one would distract while another struck from behind.
No. 3 yelled, "Weren’t the experts saying these things were mindless, low-level life forms? At this rate, they’ll be using military tactics soon!"
No. 5 scoffed, "What era are you living in, still taking experts at their word?"
No. 6 fought like a man possessed, wielding a high-frequency electromagnetic gun as he charged forward. "Get the hell away from me, you bastards!"
The others scrambled to cover him, thinning the swarm before his recklessness got him killed.
No. 3 shouted, "Old Six, have you lost it?!"
No. 5 muttered, "He’s worried about his girlfriend."
When the crisis hit, No. 6’s first thought had been to find her. But she wasn’t in her room, nor among the crowd at the border between first and second class.
That left only two possibilities.
Either she’d abandoned him, slipping into the second-class carriage at the first sign of danger, or she was already dead.
Though everyone understood the instinct to save oneself, neither outcome sat well with them.
So No. 6 was taking it out on the monsters.
Thanks to the well-fed elites, their bodies had become perfect hosts for the parasites, spawning more grotesque abominations than anyone could fathom.
The creatures grew at an alarming rate. With enough flesh, they could mature from larvae into towering adults within hours—and with that came greater danger.
But human stamina had its limits.
The armed squad was gradually cornered, backs pressed together as they gripped their weapons with trembling hands. Staring down the grotesque monsters, they braced for death.
No. 3 panted, "Damn, I regret not finding someone to love. Dying a virgin is such a waste!"
No. 5 sighed. "Lucky you, Old Six. You and No. 13 are the only ones who got to know what it’s like to be with a sweet girl."
No. 6’s eyes reddened. "I don’t want to die yet!"
The corridor lights flickered out—likely the power system failing—leaving only the eerie glow of emergency lamps. The black monsters lurked in the dark, their beastly eyes occasionally catching the green light, fraying human nerves.
Then, footsteps echoed from the shadows.