Volume 1, Chapter 24: That Thing Isn't Mary?

Qin Shang’s joy did not last long, immediately replaced by a look of grave concern.

Because the "Big Sister" was also a passenger in this round!

The mission details had provided almost no clues. After all, Conductor Jack attacked players indiscriminately. Qin Shang had already concluded that neither the God-Slayer nor their accomplice necessarily understood the rules of Jack's attacks. Thus, the accomplice in the team was highly likely to die at the hands of Conductor Jack as well.

He subconsciously opened his skills menu.

【Skills: Inheritance, Decryption (Teacher, remaining usage time: 09:27), Healing (Physician, remaining usage time: 09:27)】

Nine hours and twenty-seven minutes remaining...

The first, 【Inheritance】, was his own profession skill as a Trickster, so it had no time limit. As for the latter two, they originated from the Teacher and the Physician.

Counting from the start of this round, did he only have a little over nine hours left?

When he finished the last round, the "God's Path" notification stated that the first round was completed in fifteen hours. The total exploration time for the "Death Train" dungeon was thirty-six hours. So, if he had finished the first round in fifteen hours, why was there only nine hours left for the second?

That didn't make sense. He had only used fifteen hours. If the exploration time for the "Death Train" was thirty-six hours, and he had just entered the second round, how could there only be nine hours remaining?

Qin Shang’s expression froze as he realized where the missing twelve hours had gone.

Damn it.

Did the "God's Path" actually include the time spent during the break when he was teleported back to reality?

Shit!

Qin Shang cursed internally. As his thoughts raced, the spectral shadow not far away—the one that had just executed the "Big Sister"—turned its pale, hollow gaze toward Qin Shang and his companion in the corridor.

Qin Shang’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively looked down, not daring to meet its eyes. It was too horrifying. At the same time, a thin layer of cold sweat emerged on his palms as a bold hypothesis surfaced: Conductor Jack seemed to be able to see them.

Fortunately, he seemed to have truly grasped the rules governing the spectral shadow's attacks on players.

The burly phantom, wearing a dress and high heels, saw that the two of them remained motionless. It did not linger, hesitating for only a split second before walking with heavy, thundering footsteps toward the fallen "Big Sister."

Then, a scene unfolded that caught Qin Shang completely off guard.

*Crunch...*

The red-dressed figure of Conductor Jack moved closer and took a bite out of the corpse. Qin Shang’s eyes widened; they were barely a meter away in the corridor. He watched, helpless, as the cross-dressing monstrosity grabbed an arm and lifted it to its mouth. With an easy snap, it tore off the "Big Sister’s" left arm. Blood splattered everywhere, accompanied by tissue fluid and a mess of mangled flesh.

Beside him, "Grandpa Cow" was completely petrified, her cheeks puffed out, looking as if she were about to retch.

Qin Shang fought down the rising bile and pressed the little girl firmly against him. To keep her from seeing the gruesome sight, he reached his arm around her, pulled her up, and turned her so her face was pressed against his chest.

He held her tightly. This was hardly the time to be thinking about a young girl’s scent or the fragrance of shampoo. Qin Shang didn’t feel like he was enjoying the embrace of a soft, delicate maiden in such an environment. Besides, as a man of integrity, he maintained a respectful distance from the girl. He just pressed her head down, his mind racing with lightning speed.

Not speaking and not moving were the rules for survival in Carriage No. 3.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that the hidden hint he had inherited from the "Big Sister" was useless