Chapter Seventy-One: Awakening

In the confined space of the tunnel, Fang Nian lay flat on the ground, eyes tightly shut, his body covered in a layer of white frost, shivering uncontrollably. Duan Rui knelt beside him, disregarding all propriety, lifting Fang Nian’s head onto her lap and briskly rubbing his cheeks with both hands to warm him.

Seeing this, Xiao Xueluan, Xu Dong, and Jin Jinhui also set aside their reservations and began to imitate Duan Rui, rubbing Fang Nian’s limbs to bring back warmth.

But while this scene unfolded, a thick flame of jealousy began to smolder in Guo Ji’s eyes. Watching Duan Rui, whose hands were already red and swollen from the cold yet still tirelessly warming Fang Nian, his envy was unmasked and raw.

It was the first time he had ever seen Duan Rui behave this way, especially towards a man.

Of course, Guo Ji understood that he and Fang Nian were part of the same team, and Fang Nian’s condition was purely a result of his efforts on their behalf. It was only natural that he should receive such treatment.

Resigned, though reluctant, Guo Ji crouched down and joined in, helping to warm Fang Nian.

Before long, under the group’s ministrations, Fang Nian’s awareness began to return. His fingers twitched first, and a healthy flush crept back into his skin.

After about five more minutes, Fang Nian finally woke. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Duan Rui still rubbing his cheeks.

At this point, Duan Rui had kneaded his face into a thoroughly unsightly shape. The scene was uncannily reminiscent of two lovers teasing each other, leaving the rest of the group awkward and embarrassed. Guo Ji looked as though he might burst into flames.

Eyes wide, Fang Nian stared at Duan Rui, then realized his head was resting on her lap. Only then did Duan Rui become aware of the awkwardness and hurriedly stood up.

But as she did, Fang Nian’s head fell unceremoniously to the ground.

“Ouch…”

A sharp pain shot through him, making the world spin; he nearly fainted.

Realizing her oversight, Duan Rui quickly asked, “Are you alright?”

Fang Nian paused, rubbed his aching head, and replied, “I’m fine—though I nearly lost my life.”

The others, seeing Fang Nian had come to, finally stopped and collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Jin Jinhui, panting, patted Fang Nian on the shoulder.

“Good thing you’re awake! I’m about dead myself. Who knew giving someone a massage could be such hard work?”

Xiao Xueluan also sighed with relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked at Fang Nian with excitement, even changing the way he addressed him.

“Old Fang, you’re unbelievable! That was a deathtrap if I ever saw one—how did you make it out? That’s just miraculous.”

Jin Jinhui crowded in too, her face alight with curiosity. “Yes, tell us! I thought you were done for, but here you are, standing whole before me. I’m amazed.”

Fang Nian smiled and explained how he had used the ring of ice to escape. The others listened in wonder, even the usually taciturn Xu Dong gave him a thumbs-up.

“Brother Fang, you’re incredible. Even though I’m from the Xu family, I have to say—I admire you. This whole mess is my fault. If I hadn’t smashed that chair with brute force, you wouldn’t have had to take such a risk. I owe you.”

Fang Nian waved him off with a smile. “Don’t mention it. We’re a team, after all. I was just lucky, nothing special.”

At that, Duan Rui, having finished tending to her reddened hands, interjected coolly, “Excessive modesty is just showing off. In that situation, any one of us would have given up before the ring of ice even arrived. To survive in such harsh conditions and stay so sharp and agile, to recover so quickly after such a blow—and you call that luck? I think your physical abilities are greater than we imagined. It’s a waste for you to be the fifth member of this team.”

Fang Nian was momentarily lost for words. Duan Rui was right—his physical condition was indeed extraordinary, thanks largely to the system. But she was so blunt—was this what people called a true iron-willed woman?

After Duan Rui’s remarks, Xu Dong, Xiao Xueluan, and Jin Jinhui gathered around again, showering Fang Nian with praise. But just then, Guo Ji, who had been silent for some time, spoke coldly.

“Is the celebration over? Have we already cleared the level?”

At his words, the group fell silent, awkwardness settling over them as they recalled the hunt was still ongoing. Each withdrew to their own place.

Guo Ji’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Jin Jinhui, shedding all trace of his earlier genial demeanor.

“Jinhui, we’ve already scouted ahead. The two tunnels before us should lead to two different carriages. Have you found any new leads in the storyline?”

Jin Jinhui’s expression grew serious. “Yes. According to the notebook, aside from foretelling an impending catastrophe, there’s another crucial piece of information: this train is divided into classes.”

Xu Dong was taken aback. “Classes? Are there other people on this apocalypse train?”

Jin Jinhui nodded. “Yes. According to Brian’s records, the further forward in the train you go, the more luxurious it becomes—the better the equipment, the richer the food. Where there are classes, there are people. So, we’ll definitely encounter NPCs—characters designed for this scenario.”

“As for clearing the level, the method should be in the very last carriage—no, it must be the engine, because Brian’s descendants are supposed to live in the very front. If we want to find a way out, we’ll have to make it to the frontmost carriage and find Brian’s descendants.”

Guo Ji nodded in satisfaction. They had finally found a way to clear the level—a breakthrough compared to wandering about aimlessly.

At that moment, Xiao Xueluan, who had been propping up his chin in deep thought, suddenly spoke.

“By the way, according to Brian’s prophecy, the ring of cold has already appeared and is swallowing up the train, essentially chasing us. But why hasn’t it caught up yet? When it consumed the last carriage, it took less than an hour, and we haven’t gotten that far away.”

This question was on everyone’s mind, but they all exchanged glances, unable to come up with an answer.

Fang Nian, having noticed earlier that his moment in the spotlight had irked Guo Ji, hesitated. But seeing that the others were stumped, he had no choice but to offer an explanation.

“It’s probably because of the day-night cycle.”