Everyone's Train Survival Quest: Blessed by Fortune

In that instant, everything around seemed to slow down. Even the seemingly high-tier vine moved sluggishly.

[Potential Focus] didn't affect the environment but enhanced the user's perception, making everything appear slower.

Zhao Kuo didn't hesitate. He sidestepped while simultaneously firing bullets and slashing at the vine with his dagger.

But in that moment, Zhao Kuo noticed that the green specks on the vine were actually tiny glowing insects.

These insects seemed to have a symbiotic relationship with the vine. They provided light and vision for the vine, while the vine supplied them with nutrients.

After the attack, Zhao Kuo activated [Three-Minute Enthusiasm]. Under the effects of [Potential Focus], he sprinted toward the alley's exit.

His speed was incredible. To an onlooker, it would have seemed like a gust of wind had passed by.

Zhao Kuo dashed out of the alley and immediately ducked into another one.

Only five seconds had passed!

Five seconds later, [Potential Focus] ended. Zhao Kuo's furious attack hadn't dealt any damage to the vine.

However, the vine seemed confused. The insects attached to it suddenly flew up, circling around as if searching for something.

The vine itself had no vision and relied mostly on the symbiotic insects for information.

After a few seconds, the insects returned to the vine, having found nothing.

The vine hesitated for a moment before quickly retreating.

Meanwhile, Zhao Kuo continued to run, using the three minutes of [Three-Minute Enthusiasm] to put as much distance as possible between himself and that monstrous thing.

Fortunately, as he had predicted, the vine didn't pursue him.

There was no denying that [Potential Focus] was an excellent skill. It had saved him many times. If only it could be upgraded further.

Soon, the three minutes passed, and a wave of weakness washed over him.

Zhao Kuo hid in a house, gripping the Evil Revolver tightly to ensure his safety.

He had been separated from Gu Shan and Tang Yingying… which was definitely not a good thing at this stage.

However, with so many vines around, other teams were likely in a similar predicament.

As Zhao Kuo had expected, after the initial wave of slaughter, the vines began to retract one by one. Only a few vines didn't have corpses skewered on them.

One of the vines retreated into a large pit. Beside the pit, a figure slowly poked their head out.

Inside the pit was a frail-looking willow tree, surrounded by circles of glowing insects.

"Hehe, found you," the figure chuckled, jumping into the pit along its edge.

Time reached the final three minutes before the zone shrank.

Zhao Kuo stayed hidden in the house, not daring to venture out. He was still in the weakened state after using [Three-Minute Enthusiasm]. If he encountered other players in this state, the consequences would be dire.

However, if the safe zone refreshed too far away, it wouldn't be good for Zhao Kuo either.

In the darkness, Zhao Kuo waited as the countdown ticked away.

Finally, with one minute left, the map refreshed, and the safe zone was reduced to just two blocks.

Fortunately, it wasn't far. Even with his reduced attributes, walking there would likely take just over a minute.

Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Kuo groped his way out of the building.

He moved along the green belt as much as possible.

His eye drops had run out, and without night vision, he had no effective way to counter attacks from the depths of the darkness.

He could only rely on the green belt to conceal his presence.

Following the green belt, he bypassed a road, using his fingers to block most of the flashlight's beam, leaving only a faint glow to illuminate the path ahead.

Luckily, the alley Zhao Kuo chose wasn't blocked. Even if it had been, given his current strength, it was hard to say who would come out worse.

Zhao Kuo gripped the Evil Revolver.

Although his attributes were reduced, at close range, the Evil Revolver could easily land a headshot, dealing critical damage.

Apart from classes like Gu Shan, who could use skills to reduce damage, most players would be killed instantly at close range.

The Evil Revolver's guaranteed hit wasn't for nothing.

However, avoiding combat was preferable. If a fight broke out outside the safe zone, it would inevitably draw the attention of players inside.

Zhao Kuo heightened his senses, paying close attention to the subtle movements in the darkness.

He seemed to hear a faint, almost imperceptible breathing sound that sent shivers down his spine.

Suddenly, a strange light appeared in the alley to his left.

For a moment, Zhao Kuo couldn't tell if it was actual light or some unknown anomaly… It was as if a darkness deeper than the surrounding blackness had somehow become "bright" within the dark.

A hunched figure slowly walked in the darkness, pale all over, holding a pitch-black "lantern" that gleamed unnaturally.

Perhaps it was a lantern, or perhaps it was something entirely unknown.

[Encountered a special anomaly. Player's Sanity -20.]

Just one glance, and his sanity dropped by 20 points!

Zhao Kuo's breath hitched, and he immediately turned to run toward the safe zone.

This thing was dangerous—extremely dangerous—and it was something he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

At the same time, in the deepest room of Lushan Station, Yole's youthful face showed a hint of confusion as a warning bell suddenly lit up and began flashing.

"Did it escape from the Abyss Station? Could it be that there's something about this guy that interests you?"

In front of Yole was a massive city model—the dark city where Zhao Kuo and the others were trapped.

Yole slowly stood up. "Ah, what a hassle. Even I can't do anything about the old ones in the Abyss Station. I hope the regulators arrive soon, or else…"

Zhao Kuo ran wildly through the darkness, but he noticed that everything around him, even the darkness itself, seemed to be receding.