Chapter 157: Matsumoto Kika’s Ability
Shen Yu stared at the Sandy who had suddenly returned to life.
His expression was complicated.
After everything that had happened, he still couldn’t completely understand this woman.
Finally, he turned toward the ticket machine.
He reached out and pressed the ticket retrieval button.
Ding-dong!
A delicate train ticket slid out.
Shen Yu picked it up.
The information printed on it was clear.
[Fiction Station → Twilight Station]
[Check-in Time: 150 minutes later]
The moment his fingers touched the ticket—
Something inside his mind suddenly loosened.
The fabricated memories began to fade.
Piece by piece.
The memories of four years at university.
The graduation trip.
The bar.
The sudden zombie apocalypse.
All of them slowly dissolved like smoke.
Shen Yu’s eyes narrowed.
At the same time, he noticed something outside the station.
Several zombies that had already been killed began to rise.
Their bodies transformed into wisps of smoke and drifted toward the Twilight Express.
Shen Yu immediately understood.
"So that’s it."
"Everything here is constructed from memories."
"Twilight Express is using other people’s memories to construct these scenes."
"Putting memories into someone’s mind..."
"Or removing them..."
"Both consume energy."
His eyes narrowed.
"So now that I’ve cleared the level, the memories are being reclaimed."
He looked at the ticket again.
"Interesting."
"The check-in time is so late."
"Is it afraid I’ll go back and tell the others?"
Shen Yu put the transfer ticket away and calmly sat down in one of the waiting seats.
Sandy smiled playfully.
"That’s right."
"The check-in time can change."
"Now that your fabricated memories have disappeared and been reclaimed, Twilight Express doesn’t need to maintain them anymore."
"So it can leave earlier."
"As for why there wasn’t actually a zombie horde..."
Sandy tilted her head.
"Twilight Express doesn’t have enough memories to support creating that many creatures while also maintaining the train itself."
"That’s how it tricks you."
Shen Yu looked at her.
"There are still two things I don’t understand."
"How about we have a little chat while we wait?"
Sandy’s smile widened.
She moved closer and prepared to sit beside him.
Shen Yu glanced at her strangely.
"You don’t mind that I just smashed your head?"
"Hahaha."
Sandy didn’t seem bothered at all.
"Why would I?"
"You getting angry for another woman actually increased my favorability."
"And as for how rough you were with me..."
"That earned you points too."
Shen Yu’s expression became awkward.
Sandy leaned closer, teasing him.
"How about next time you grab my hair and—"
Shen Yu immediately looked away.
His attention shifted toward the waiting hall entrance.
He wasn’t really interested in teasing her.
He was worried about the others.
Can they get out by themselves?
At least he had the system.
He had also received the hint from his gloves.
Those things had accidentally helped him discover the truth.
But what about the others?
Could they realize what was happening?
At that moment—
Wooooo!
The Twilight Express sounded its horn again.
Inside the train, the LED display changed.
After Shen Yu’s fabricated memories disappeared, the departure countdown changed from 150 minutes to 100 minutes.
The change was subtle.
Nobody inside the train noticed.
But the live-stream comments exploded.
Lich Nighting Kaichen: I’m shocked!
"I didn’t expect Shen Yu to actually see through the blood mist!"
"The fog wanted to use the identity of someone he loved to frighten him and make him retreat back into the train."
"Instead, it provoked him."
Dragon 19 Jeeping: Didn’t Shen Yu already say it?
"Love is real."
"Everything is real."
"This level clearly underestimated how strongly people can be driven by emotion."
"It expected him to analyze everything rationally and eventually return to the train."
"But it was wrong."
"What makes someone human isn’t only reason."
"It’s emotion."
Snake Catcher Susien: Actually, even if Shen Yu hadn’t become angry, he probably would’ve discovered the loopholes eventually.
"With Sandy’s hints, entering the waiting hall was only a matter of time."
"I think I understand the real trick now."
"The train kept using memories from Shen Yu’s mind to create people who would persuade him to return."
"Unfortunately, it didn’t realize something."
"Even the characters created from his memories could help him."
"That zombie Sandy didn’t even hesitate."
"She killed the person who was trying to convince Shen Yu to return."
"And Yang Jin pointed toward the way out before she died."
"So Shen Yu’s deepest emotional connection must be Yang Jin."
[Departure time adjusted.]
[The train will arrive at Twilight Station in 90 minutes.]
[Passengers, please prepare accordingly.]
The electronic announcement echoed through the train once again.
Outside the windows, the thick red fog continued rolling.
Inside the pink compartment, Malin leaned against the window.
Her lips were pressed together.
"Why hasn’t Shen Yu come back yet?"
"What if something happened to him?"
She quickly shook her head.
"No."
"That helmet of his is incredibly strong."
"Even if he encountered a horde of zombies, he should be able to hold out."
"Besides, he only went out to lure that zombie away."
Menloa entered the compartment while tearing open a packet of beef jerky.
He stuffed a piece into his mouth.
Bill sat nearby, drinking cola.
A strange smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Menloa."
"You make it sound easy."
"But what if Shen Yu runs into trouble?"
"What if he needs help?"
"I think you should go outside too."
"Maybe you could help him."
Menloa raised his eyes.
"Should I go out too?"
He looked toward the blood-red fog outside.
For a moment, he actually considered it.
Then he remembered Shen Yu’s warning.
His expression changed.
"No."
"If I leave..."
"Only you and Malin will be left in here with Bill."
Menloa’s eyes narrowed.
"What if Bill locks the door?"
"Who else will be able to get back in?"
He glanced at Bill.
"Does this bastard want to monopolize the food and the women?"
"Damn it."
"Why don’t you come with me?"
Bill immediately laughed.
"You just called me a lame bastard."
"How am I supposed to go outside with you?"
"Wouldn’t that just become your burden?"
"I think you should hurry up and go."
"Shen Yu might really need help."
Menloa’s expression darkened.
"Damn it."
"You’re coming with me."
He reached for Bill.
"Come here."
"Hey!"
"Let go!"
"Let go!"
Thud!
The two began arguing again.
Then—
Malin suddenly looked toward the window.
Her expression changed.
Without saying anything, she walked to the compartment exit.
She opened the door.
Then rushed straight outside.
"Holy crap!"
"Malin!"
Menloa immediately released Bill’s arm.
He didn’t hesitate.
He hurried after her and disappeared into the blood-red fog.
The door swung shut.
Bill stood there for a moment.
Then his lips slowly curled upward.
He immediately locked the compartment door.
Click.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Haha."
"A bunch of fools."
"Excellent."
"You’re all going outside to explore."
"That means all the food in this train belongs to me."
He looked around at the stocked compartment.
"If I ration everything..."
"I could probably survive for an entire month."
Bill’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
He had completely forgotten one important thing.
Beneath the loose cracks in his body—
Small cherry-blossom petals slowly began emerging.
A cold female voice echoed again.
"Oh, fool."
"You’re doomed."
Bill froze.
"Who?"
Meanwhile, inside the blood-red mist—
Malin and Menloa walked toward the waiting hall.
The ground was covered in dried blood.
Fresh bloody footprints appeared here and there.
The metallic smell of blood filled the air.
From somewhere inside the station came a series of strange hissing growls.
"Shen Yu!"
"Are you okay?"
"Shen Yu!"
They shouted into the fog.
There was no response.
Menloa’s expression became tense.
"Damn it."
"Where is he?"
The two reached the entrance of the waiting hall.
Menloa stopped.
The growls coming from inside were oppressive.
He looked into the darkness.
"Malin..."
"There are so many zombie sounds inside."
"Do you think Shen Yu already went back?"
"Maybe we should return too."
The cold wind blew against his back.
Even though Menloa was nearly two meters tall, his heart couldn’t help pounding.
But Malin was different.
Her affinity with Shen Yu had already exceeded seventy.
She couldn’t simply turn around and leave him.
She clenched her fists.
Then unconsciously touched her abdomen.
Memories of what had happened inside the carriage flashed through her mind.
Her face became slightly flushed.
Shen Yu had said he wanted to discover the truth.
Therefore—
He had to be inside.
"I know he’s there."
Malin took a step forward.
Tap.
Then another.
Tap.
She continued toward the waiting hall.
Suddenly—
Two figures rushed out of the red fog.
One tall.
One short.
"Big sister!"
"Big sister, run!"
"Run!"
"There are so many zombies!"
Menloa and Malin froze.
The figures emerged from the fog.
A little girl who looked around ten years old.
And a sturdy woman.
The two looked remarkably similar to Malin and Menloa.
Malin stared at them in shock.
"What...?"
"What is this?"
"How did you get here?"
The little girl immediately rushed into Malin’s arms.
"Sister!"
Malin stared down at her.
The girl’s eyes filled with tears.
"Mom and Dad brought me to see you."
"I was coming to find you, but there was an accident with the high-speed train."
"Don’t worry."
"There is a security room inside the station."
"Everyone is hiding there."
"There is also an older brother named Shen Yu hiding there."
"I saw you on the monitor."
"So I crawled out through the ventilation duct."
"Sister, let’s go back."
"Let’s go back."
"If we stay inside the train and wait for those big brothers with guns to come tomorrow, everything will be fine."
The girl grabbed Malin’s hand.
She tried to pull her back toward the Twilight Express.
At the same time, the older woman grabbed Menloa’s arm.
"Menloa!"
"I finally managed to get inside under the Self-Defense Force’s protection."
"Hurry."
"Come back to the train with me."
"As long as we get through today..."
"Just one day."
"Everything will be fine."
Footsteps echoed through the fog.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The two women continued pulling Malin and Menloa toward the train.
The temptation was overwhelming.
After all—
In a situation like this, who could easily refuse when someone they loved appeared before them and promised:
Just stay with me for one more day, and everything will be okay.