Chapter 49: Foggy Town

"Got it, boss."

"Holy shit! Such a powerful spiritual energy item for just 10 red coins?"

"I'm heading to the trading area to grab one now!"

"Wait! Save one for me! I'm a student!"

"Even if you were livestock, it wouldn't matter!"

"Ah, I got one! I am livestock."

"You damn animal! It was gone before I could blink!"

"You all deserve to die!"

"Join."

"I probably won't be back tonight."

Lin Ye reluctantly stroked Coo Coo's feathers. Compared to previous card creatures, Coo Coo was practically a workaholic.

"Coo coo."

"Alright, see you next time."

When Lin Ye regained consciousness, he found himself sitting in a private compartment of an old-fashioned train - the kind he'd only seen in movies.

Outside the window, only the enclosed tunnel was visible, with no indication of their location.

The compartment held four people, matching the avatars from the chat room.

The other three were: Zhou Wen, a cute-looking high school student; Xu Changnian, a 40-year-old man with stubble; and Hu Tingting, a provocatively dressed woman in her 30s.

Lin Ye: "Zhou Wen, are you male or female?"

Lin Ye frowned at the high schooler across from him. He could use spiritual energy to sense the answer, but that would be too rude.

Zhou Wen: "Which do you prefer?"

Lin Ye: "If you're asking about sexual orientation, then definitely female."

Zhou Wen: "Oh, then I'm female."

Hu Tingting: "He's male. Though he is quite cute."

Zhou Wen: "How would you know?"

Hu Tingting: "How many men do you think I've slept with?"

Zhou Wen: "...Sis has quite the experience."

Hu Tingting: "Heh, at least I don't pretend to be male to seduce women."

Xu Changnian: "Enough arguing. We need to choose a station soon. I suggest selecting a captain first."

Zhou Wen: "I vote for Brother Lin."

Lin Ye: "You know me?"

Zhou Wen: "No, but my senses are sharp. Actually, you could've just used spiritual energy to check my gender. I wouldn't mind."

Lin Ye: "I mind."

Lin Ye shared the spiritual energy circulation diagram in the chat.

Xu Changnian: "Is this an energy absorption diagram?"

Lin Ye: "I collected all the Mutation Cards. This is a simplified version of the customized diagram the system made for me. I've already shared it in our regional group. I hope you can spread it to yours."

Zhou Wen: "Understood, Captain."

Xu Changnian: "Fine. As long as you don't give stupid orders, I agree with you as captain."

Hu Tingting: "I agree too. Can I charge some coins before sharing it in groups?"

Lin Ye: "Your choice. But you'll bear the consequences."

Hu Tingting: "...Never mind then."

Lin Ye: "Let's choose a station first. We can discuss other matters afterward."

Zhou Wen: "The captain's right."

Hu Tingting: "You'd make big money in my line of work."

Zhou Wen: "I can tell sis is doing well. Not me though - strict family, decent grades. No chance to enter that industry."

As the two exchanged pleasantries, the train stopped at the first station.

Unlike last time, they couldn't see outside - only the station's interior walls covered in movie poster-like descriptions:

"An exploration team enters the Endless Wasteland searching for lost relics. Can they survive the monster-infested death zone?"

Beneath the text was a black wasteland illustration with four stick figures surrounded by monstrous creatures.

Lin Ye: "Next one?"

Zhou Wen: "This looks dangerous. Next one must be easier."

Hu Tingting: "I don't want wilderness adventures either."

Xu Changnian: "Average. Let's see more."

Ten minutes later, the train reached the second station.

Station description:

"Deep-sea mines attacked by abyssal creatures. A team is trapped underwater. Can they return to the surface?"

The illustration showed an underwater mine with four stick figures surrounded by shadowy shapes.

Lin Ye: "Skip."

Zhou Wen: "Agreed."

Hu Tingting: "Agreed."

Xu Changnian: "Agreed."

No one wanted deep-sea dangers.

The train moved again. Ten minutes later, it stopped at the third station.

Station description:

"An extremely dangerous relic has surfaced in Mingting City. As law enforcement, can this team prevent the coming disaster?"

The illustration depicted a crowded city with four blurry stick figures lost in the masses.

Lin Ye: "Too complicated. Better skip."

Zhou Wen: "My thoughts exactly."

Hu Tingting: "But options are limited. We just need to find that relic, right? As law enforcement, we'd get official support."

Xu Changnian: "This station seems good. If we find the relic early, it should be safe."

Lin Ye: "Do you understand what relics are? Extremely dangerous ones don't just appear in cities. There's always unseen causality. Mingting City must be crowded. Night missions last one night. We'd need to distinguish allies from enemies in chaos while finding an unknown dangerous relic. I'll agree if you're ready to fight for your lives. With bad luck, the whole city could turn against us."

Hu Tingting: "Uh... I admit I spoke too soon."

Xu Changnian: "That's worst-case... but valid."

The train moved again. Ten minutes later, the fourth station.

Station description:

"A remote town shrouded in eerie fog. A team investigates. Can they escape alive?"

The illustration showed a fog-covered town with four stick figures lost in mist.

Lin Ye: "This one. No extreme environments or troublesome relics. Zhou Wen and I have good spiritual perception - less likely to get lost."

Zhou Wen: "Agreed."

Hu Tingting: "If you're confident about navigation, I agree."

Xu Changnian: "Agreed. Though rewards might be lower."

Lin Ye: "Surviving is reward enough."

They left the compartment. The hallway was empty - others must still be inside.

At the station, there were entry and exit points. The exit was a pale green light gate.

One by one, they stepped through - arriving at Foggy Town.