Chapter 138: Hunger
Clearly, at this moment, a bright-red notification suddenly appeared across the live stream.
[Shower City: 1 million people have disappeared.]
[The Memory Train is growing longer due to the influx of population.]
[The train is currently hovering over Soul.]
[People are beginning to flee.]
[Estimated final number of disappearances: 2 million.]
The bright-red information continued scrolling across the screen.
What a tragedy.
Other countries could only watch in silence.
For the moment, the live-stream chat had been completely replaced by a frenzy of excitement.
Inside the carriage—
"Are you saying we’re going through a trial?"
"Yes."
Shen Yu nodded.
"The trial probably requires us to ride the train all the way to the final station."
He briefly explained their current situation.
The other three exchanged glances.
Uncertainty flickered across their faces.
Among them, Malin reacted the fastest.
"According to that head balloon, there should have been seven of us in total."
"Three have already died."
"And there are still at least four or five more stations ahead."
She frowned.
"This is really tough."
"What are you afraid of?"
Menloa confidently patted his chest.
"Everyone has superpowers."
"Don’t worry."
"If something happens, I’ll step up."
"Shen Yu, you’re a good buddy."
"You even came back to save us."
"Don’t worry. I’ll definitely stand in front of you."
Menloa’s confidence was genuine.
Bill remained silent.
His gaze occasionally flickered toward the information above Malin’s head.
The amnesiac version of him was indeed much more honest.
At least he wasn’t constantly shouting about making someone shine his shoes or acting like some unstoppable boss demanding everyone’s obedience.
Shen Yu shook his head.
"No."
"Superpowers aren’t the key."
"What I’m afraid of is something else."
"The sudden disappearance of our memories."
He looked toward the others.
"At the last two stations, our memories were almost completely erased."
"I don’t even know who my mother is anymore."
"Then, according to that logic..."
"What will the later stations erase?"
He paused.
"I can’t even imagine it."
Shen Yu’s expression darkened.
The carriage fell silent.
Everyone understood what he meant.
Yes.
Only two stations had already consumed most of their memories.
What would happen at the next station?
And the one after that?
What would remain of them when they finally reached the end?
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Under the LED display, the train’s speed had already reached 320 km/h.
It was almost the maximum speed of an ordinary high-speed train.
Outside the windows, the landscape was a vast, desolate plain.
Then—
Orange light suddenly flickered in the distance.
Several enormous orange rings appeared ahead.
Shen Yu and Menloa looked over curiously.
"A tunnel?"
The train rapidly approached the entrance.
Inside the tunnel, warm orange lights illuminated the walls.
At the same time, the train’s announcement sounded.
"The train is about to enter a tunnel."
"Please pay attention to your personal safety."
"The estimated duration of this tunnel crossing is twenty minutes."
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The train entered the tunnel.
Instantly, warm orange light flooded through the carriage.
Everything was covered in a soft orange glow.
Under the warm light, the atmosphere inside the carriage gradually relaxed.
A strange sense of warmth spread through the train.
Then—
Gurgle.
Gurgle.
No one knew whose stomach growled first.
But soon, everyone subconsciously touched their stomachs.
Hungry.
An intense, almost unbearable hunger.
The kind of hunger that made their stomachs tighten and their bodies instinctively crave anything edible.
Gurgle.
Shen Yu swallowed.
Saliva unconsciously gathered in his mouth.
He licked his lips and looked around.
He could still barely suppress the sensation.
But Menloa and Bill had already lost control.
They immediately tore open the public bag in front of their seats.
Sizzle.
The thin disposable packaging ripped open.
Inside was a strange mixture of dried fruit kernels and nuts wrapped in plastic.
They looked like a combination of walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios.
Menloa didn’t care what they were.
He grabbed a handful.
Om.
He stuffed them into his mouth.
"Damn!"
"I’m so hungry!"
"So hungry!"
"I’ve never been this hungry in my life!"
"I’m so hungry I feel like I could eat a bear!"
Om.
He devoured the entire bag in front of his seat.
Then he stood up.
His eyes immediately locked onto the public bags in the other seats.
He began searching for more.
The smell of the fruit kernels spread through the carriage.
Shen Yu’s hunger became almost uncontrollable.
"Damn it..."
"Why am I so hungry?"
His expression was strange.
Normally, even if a person skipped a meal, they could endure it.
But this wasn’t normal hunger.
It felt as though he had been starving for three entire days and nights.
His intestines cramped continuously.
Even his stomach began twitching.
Om.
Om.
The sound of Menloa chewing became almost maddening.
It was like a strange melody constantly stimulating his appetite.
Then Shen Yu realized something.
His hand had already reached toward the public bag.
He hadn’t even noticed himself moving.
He opened it.
The moment the package containing the fruit kernels was torn open, an intense fragrance rushed toward him.
His instincts took over.
He grabbed one.
And shoved it into his mouth.
Mmm.
His eyes widened.
"So delicious."
"So delicious..."
After the first bite, he immediately wanted another.
Then another.
Then a fourth.
The overwhelming flavor filled his taste buds.
The sensation of food filling his stomach made it almost impossible to stop.
Mmm.
Mmm.
In an instant, the four people in the carriage seemed to have been possessed.
They fought over the food like starving beasts.
They looked less like humans eating snacks and more like demons feasting.
The live-stream barrage exploded.
Wild Boar Peppa: What the hell?!
"Are they starving to death?"
"They’re eating like this?"
Northeast Rain: Brother, is this really what it’s like?
"So impressive."
"They look exactly like my pigs eating at the pigsty."
"Are they really that hungry?"
Why, Cat?: Although your description is a little harsh...
"But you’re right."
"Shen Yu and the others really don’t look normal right now."
"Normally, it’s been less than two hours."
"How could anyone possibly be this hungry?"
"I suspect something else is wrong with the carriage."
What the Hell: Menloa has already eaten twenty packs!
"What the heck?!"
"His stomach is so swollen that his veins are showing!"
"Something is definitely wrong!"
"Can someone please remind them?"
"This isn’t right!"
At the same time, several viewers had already noticed the abnormality that began the moment the train entered the tunnel.
Shen Yu and the others had suddenly developed an unreasonable hunger.
"Damn!"
"What do we do?"
"No one has any way to warn them!"
"Are we really going to sit here and watch them eat themselves to death?"
Bear Country Drink Wholesale: Nope.
"What a stupid way to die."
Dragon Nine Sheeping: Someone save them!
"Where’s Sandy?"
"Isn’t anyone going to help?"
The comments descended into chaos.
Languages from all over the world filled the screen.
Yet strangely—
There wasn’t a single concerned comment from Iron Tower Country.
Inside the carriage, the four continued devouring the food.
Menloa had already opened another bag.
Bill was eating just as frantically.
Shen Yu’s hands were also moving almost automatically.
Then—
Malin suddenly stopped.
She had already eaten her third bag.
Just as she reached for the fourth—
A powerful wave of nausea suddenly surged through her stomach.
"Ugh!"
She bent forward.
Then—
Blargh!
A thick, yellow, putrid substance spilled onto the floor.
Malin stared in shock.
Her entire body suddenly began itching.
Red rashes rapidly appeared across her skin.
The hunger that had consumed her moments earlier was instantly replaced by unbearable itching.
Her muddled gaze slowly cleared.
The food bag fell from her hand.
She began scratching at her skin.
"Itchy..."
"Itchy..."
The more the rash spread, the harder she scratched.
It looked like a severe allergic reaction.
One that could potentially lead to shock.
Yet strangely—
The worse the allergic reaction became, the clearer Malin’s mind grew.
The hunger gradually disappeared.
Her consciousness slowly returned.
She stopped.
Then she looked around the carriage.
Her pupils widened.
"Ugh..."
"The carriage..."
"What carriage?"
Only now did she truly see what was around her.
Her face went pale.
The train carriage was gone.
In its place was a long, flesh-colored passage.
It looked like the inside of an enormous blood vessel.
But there was no blood flowing through it.
Instead, the flesh-covered walls were coated with thick, yellowish grease.
The greasy substance dripped from above like heavy mucus.
Drops continuously fell onto their faces.
The ground beneath their feet was covered in an equally thick layer of muddy grease.
Malin swallowed nervously.
Then—
Gulp.
The surrounding flesh suddenly emitted a strange, satisfying sound.
As though something enormous were feeding.
The flesh walls around them began opening.
Tiny, densely packed holes appeared across the surface.
Then—
Hissssss...
Waves of yellow mist poured from the openings.
A rancid smell immediately filled the passage.
It smelled like the sour, disgusting taste left in the mouth after vomiting.
Malin’s face turned even paler.
She looked around in horror.
"Where..."
"Where on earth is this?"