Pei Ran, however, had noticed a different kind of pattern.
Shi Geye always looked impeccably dressed and had an assistant in tow—clearly someone from a well-off background who didn't need to earn a living. Yet his drawing skills were exceptional, and he had even published a manga collection. That had to be true passion. After becoming a fusion entity, his special ability turned out to be—drawing.
Pei Ran's original self had graduated from a pure engineering major—Intelligent Systems Engineering—but had secretly enjoyed writing a few lines of poetry in her memo app. Her supernatural ability manifested through... handwriting.
Then there was Aisha. She formed hand seals with astonishing skill, and after receiving the green light, she could use them to blast an excavator into the air.
It seemed everyone's supernatural abilities were somehow tied to their personal hobbies.
Aisha finished performing a dazzling flurry of hand seals. At last, she interlocked her fingers to form the very first one she'd shown.
She pointed the seal outward, made a symbolic bang gesture, as if firing a gun.
Pei Ran understood—Aisha was saying that this seal was currently the only one that worked.
That was fine. The ability could grow with time—no need to rush.
Aisha then pointed at herself, wiggled her fingers, then pointed at Pei Ran and tapped her own forehead.
She was asking: I use hand seals to launch attacks. You? Do you just think and it happens?
After all, Pei Ran hadn't even moved a muscle, and that mechanical monster had been blasted into the sky.
Not wrong. Pei Ran nodded.
She reached for Aisha's virtual screen, drew a mouth, and between the lips, she added a squiggly, bow-shaped zigzag line.
W guessed, "A zipper? You're telling her not to talk about supernatural powers?"
"Exactly," Pei Ran said approvingly. "Your comprehension's getting better."
W replied modestly, "I think I'm just getting used to your style."
Pei Ran had gone to the trouble of drawing a zipper instead of a big X over the mouth because she wasn't sure if symbols like an "X" would be recognized by the mysterious force behind the attacks as actual written language—and risking her life wasn't worth it.
Turned out Aisha adapted to Pei Ran's style even faster.
She nodded immediately, then made a zipping motion across her lips.
She tapped her mouth again, mimed words rushing out in a stream, then pointed at Pei Ran.
The message was clear: I'm only saying this much because it's you. I wouldn't for anyone else.
She then turned her head, curiously pointing at the metal orb sitting on the console—probably because she'd seen Pei Ran carrying it everywhere.
Pei Ran calmly reached out and smacked the back of the orb.
With a snap, its light came on.
W: "…"
Now glowing, W remarked coldly, "Is it weird for you to carry me around? She's literally carrying a whole peace lily on her back."
"That's different," Pei Ran said. "A flower is decorative. When it blooms, it'll probably be beautiful. Like keeping a kitten—it's not exactly useful, but it's cute."
What she didn't say was: This busted orb can't bloom, isn't cute, and its looks are nothing to write home about. Its only redeeming quality is utility.
Like illumination.
W went quiet for a moment. Then, without warning, he shut off his own light with a snap.
Apparently, even artificial intelligence could throw a tantrum.
Suddenly, there was a light knock at the cabin door—three gentle, tentative taps.
Aisha immediately closed the virtual drawing screen and opened the door.
It was the group of college students they'd encountered earlier at the gate.
One tall boy turned his virtual wristband screen toward Aisha and Pei Ran.
They had come prepared. The screen displayed a pre-drawn sketch:
Two parallel train tracks extended forward. Beside them was a box-like structure with a sign—it looked like a station. The boy mimed a train approaching and stopping at the platform.
W said, "Look. The two tracks in his drawing converge at a point ahead. And if you extend the platform's edge lines, they meet at the same place. That's one-point perspective."
"So what?" Pei Ran said. "Fancy perspective or not, it still just means: stop the train."
The tall boy's meaning was simple: he wanted to get off.
W explained, "At our current speed, we'll reach the next stop in a few minutes. It's a small town near Night Sea City called Star Tower. That boy—his name is Jin Hejun—is a senior finance student at Night Sea University. His home isn't in Star Tower, so he's probably planning to hike the rest of the way."
The train had escaped the burning city. Now, on the outskirts, someone wanted off.
No problem. Pei Ran gave them a nod. Reassured, the group backed out politely, even closing the door behind them.
Sure enough, just two or three minutes later, a small town appeared ahead.
It looked much better than Night Sea—just a few wisps of smoke and scattered fires here and there.
The Night Sea Line 7 station in Star Tower was located at the town's edge. It was an open-air platform, seemingly untouched.
Pei Ran pulled the lever to slow the train. Night Sea 7 eased gently into the station.
The platform was completely empty. Silent.
Once the train stopped, Pei Ran—just as before—grabbed her wrench, opened the cabin door, stepped halfway out, and knocked the wrench against the train wall.
Clang—
Clang—
It was the signal: we've arrived.
W asked, "You're kinda enjoying being a train conductor, aren't you?"
Pei Ran: "I am not."
W, ever patient, exposed her: "I observed your expression—brows lifted, forehead relaxed. That means you're in a pretty good mood."
Pei Ran didn't reply. Honestly? Yeah. Driving a train, delivering a whole group of people to safety, letting them off at each stop—it was kind of fun.
Doors in the rear cars began to open. Families started getting off.
W commented, "Most of these people are residents of Night Sea. They boarded the train because of the fires. Now that they've escaped the city, there's no need to keep going."
The college students were the first off. Only Jin Hejun had a backpack; the others seemed to have come just to see him off.
Jin Hejun hugged each of his friends, waved goodbye, then gave a distant wave to Pei Ran before turning to leave with the crowd.
He hadn't gone far when his steps slowed. He turned his head slightly, looked toward the exit—and stopped.
A few seconds later, he bent down.
His backpack slipped off his shoulder, landing with a thud that echoed clearly across the silent platform.
Everyone turned to look at him, startled.
Jin Hejun didn't pick up the bag. He hunched like a shrimp, hands clawing frantically at his face, knuckles whitening with effort.
He was gasping, body suddenly arching backward—and then his fingers dug into his own eyes.
Blood streamed down.
Whether it was because of the tape over his mouth or sheer force of will, he didn't scream.
Then, in the crowd, someone suddenly raised an arm, face frozen in fear, and silently pointed toward the exit outside the station.
Everyone—on the train and off it—turned in that direction.
So did Pei Ran.
There was a row of ticket gates at the exit. They were boxy, motionless, showing no signs of fusion. The street beyond was dead quiet. The road was gray. The buildings were gray. The sky was gray.
The entire town looked like a silent, ash-colored ghost.
Pei Ran asked W, "What's out there?"
The metal orb still sat on the console. W answered, "The angle's too narrow. I can't see your side."
Then he paused—and added, "But Pei Ran, take a close look at the buildings."
From the platform, the view of Star Tower's skyline was sparse—no towering skyscrapers like Night Sea. Most buildings were no more than 10 or 20 stories tall, spaced far apart.
Then Pei Ran saw it.
Every building in sight...
was subtly, continuously writhing.
A few years ago, when I was on the surface collecting supplies, I happened to catch a rare sunny day. The sun was blazing, scorching the earth, and the hot air above the ground shimmered like water, making the abandoned city seem alive, the buildings rippling gently in the heat.
Now, although the sky was overcast, with no sign of the sun, and cold winds blew, the buildings not far away were moving, just like that scorching hot day, gently swaying, as if they were alive.
The crowd getting off the train noticed this strange phenomenon. They paused for a moment, then immediately turned and ran back.
Among the crowd, only Jin Hejun crouched on the ground, painfully covering his eyes.
His two friends, the girl wearing a red woolen hat and the boy with a dark blue scarf, rushed over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him back.
Jin Hejun's eyes were injured, but his mind seemed clearer now. Stumbling, he followed them back to the train doors, where his friends hurriedly pushed him back inside.
At that moment, Pei Ran saw someone she hadn't seen in a while—You Lianka.
He came down from a carriage behind and ran to the door of the front one.
There was an elderly woman who, in her panic, couldn't step onto the high platform. You Lianka rushed over, lifted her waist, and helped her onto the train. Then, he turned around to assist a child onto the train.
When he saw everyone was on board, he helped close the door, then sprinted to the front car.
As he ran, the white coat fluttered in the wind, dazzlingly white.
People rushed back to the train as fast as they could, and the platform quickly emptied. Pei Ran returned to the driver's seat, pushed the handle, and the Night Sea No. 7 roared to life, speeding away from the station.
Such enormous fusion bodies, as large as buildings.
This world was getting crazier.
The train sped ahead, leaving the gigantic fusion bodies of Xingta behind. Pei Ran stared at the extending track ahead, silently pondering W's words about "perspective," that one point.
W spoke in her ear: "Pei Ran, I don't think what just happened is right."
Pei Ran replied in her mind: "Yes, I agree."
W said, "I suspect someone was up to something at the Night Sea No. 7 entrance, using some kind of power to deliberately push people toward the turnstiles, to test what would happen when the fusion bodies passed through them. That person is still on Night Sea No. 7."
Her guess was exactly what Pei Ran thought.
Pei Ran replied: "Yes, that just happened."
Just before Jin Hejun had gouged out his own eyes, he had slowed down for a moment, turning around in confusion, his movements exactly the same as the boy who had been split in half by the turnstile earlier, and the other two who had been drawn toward the turnstile.
Pei Ran said, "It feels like hypnosis."
W replied, "The question is, what's the purpose of this person's hypnosis?"
It was easy to explain the hypnosis at the Night Sea No. 7 entrance. That person probably also wanted to get on the train but didn't want to take any risks, so they pushed others toward the blade's edge.
But why did they gouge out Jin Hejun's eyes?
If the intent was to warn everyone that the giant buildings outside the station had turned into fusion bodies and were dangerous, they didn't need to go to such brutal lengths.
Pei Ran pondered: "I can't think of any other reason. It's like someone doesn't want anyone to leave the train."
Scaring everyone this badly certainly had an immediate effect.
W said, "That's possible. But what could keeping everyone on the train do for them?"
Pei Ran didn't know either.
She said, "W, I've noticed that the abilities of fusion bodies are usually related to their personal hobbies. Can you check to see if any passengers on this train have hobbies related to things like hypnosis or controlling others?"
She thought for a moment. "I know you can access their profiles, but can you find out their hobbies?"
W responded: "Although the citizen database doesn't contain this information, maybe their personal experiences will reveal a clue. I'll need to scan their faces one by one."
Pei Ran stood up, grabbed the rope on the metal ball, and slung it over her shoulder.
"I'll walk you through the carriages. I also want to ask Jin Hejun what he saw and why he gouged out his eyes."
W wasn't too optimistic: "We can't talk or write now, and Jin Hejun's eyes are damaged. He can't see you. How do you plan to communicate with him?"
Pei Ran answered honestly: "I don't know."
W: "…"
Anyway, they would figure something out.
Aixia had been standing at the door of the driver's cabin, peering back at the distant Xingta town and the enormous fusion bodies.
Pei Ran patted her on the back and pointed to the driver's seat.
Aixia's eyes widened in excitement, the brightness in them showing: Really? Can I drive the train??
Everyone thought being a train driver was fun.
Pei Ran approached, touched the handle, and silently asked Aixia with her eyes: Do you know how to drive?
Aixia immediately nodded.
She sat down in the driver's seat, quickly made a hand seal, then gave a thumbs-up, signaling that her seal was ready to go.
With her seal, she could turn everything upside down. Handing the train to her was the best choice for now. Pei Ran gestured behind her, then grabbed her backpack and opened the door to the next carriage.
Between the two carriages, there was a small, swaying, soft passageway. After that, they entered the next passenger carriage.
The passenger carriages were all four-seat arrangements, two facing each other, with a small table between them. The seats were covered with thin blue floral seat covers, looking rather uncomfortable.
In this age of flying cars hovering in the sky, traveling on a train slowly across the ground had become a novel experience. Some people even specifically bought tickets to endure this hardship.
Engineer Jiang was in the front set of seats. On the small table in front of him, there was a potted white peace lily, lush and green.
She leaned against the seat and the wall of the carriage, eyes closed, seemingly resting, possibly asleep. A thick blanket covered her legs, and she held a small, fluffy, round bag, which was probably one of those heated ones.
Next to Engineer Jiang was Aixia's big bag, which had collapsed on one side, as if it had originally held a blanket.
Aixia not only carried a potted plant but also things to keep her grandmother warm.
Pei Ran didn't disturb her, continuing to move forward.
The carriage wasn't too crowded, with people scattered about. For safety reasons, everyone tried to keep their distance from each other, sitting mostly with their companions.
The next carriage, the second one, was similar.
After what happened earlier, it was clear that the train was no longer a safe world. Monsters were everywhere, and many people who had originally planned to get off could only stay in their seats for now, looking nervously out the windows.
Pei Ran's attention was suddenly drawn to a young man.
He was sitting by the window, and there was something very strange in his mouth.
In situations where people couldn't talk, many had come up with various ways to seal their mouths, like using tape, clips, scarves, medical adhesive, or even stuffing something in their mouths. Aixia, for example, had come up with a creative solution—biting a small stick.
But this young man was different. He had a small ball in his mouth.
The ball was attached to straps on both sides, looping around the back of his head and holding it in place. It was quite professional, with adjustable holes on the straps, and small holes in the ball for breathing.
Pei Ran stared at the young man, asking W: "What kind of equipment is this? It looks so professional."
The young man turned red as he noticed her staring and quickly averted his gaze.
W seemed a little helpless: "Pei Ran, don't stare at him."
Pei Ran didn't understand: "Why?"
W replied, "That's a gag, a specialized device for certain scenarios. To me, it's no different from a mask, but I'm worried that being too straightforward will damage our relationship."
Pei Ran asked, "What kind of scenarios are those?"
W was speechless.
He didn't respond, but Pei Ran suddenly realized.
She couldn't help but glance at the young man and the small ball in his mouth, and couldn't help but sigh: "W, your knowledge is really impressive."
W coughed and said: "Of course. I'm AI."