Chapter 193: Mark

Car 5, Da Lou's Roarer K23 rotary electric machine gun had exhausted its ammunition, its barrels glowing red; he grabbed his original M556 light machine gun and continued firing.

Lu Xingchen stood in the middle of the car, cracking open the automatic door just enough to continuously spew flame, igniting vast stretches of trees along the route.

In the front cab, Lin Xian, Kiki, and Chen Sixuan, upon hearing Ding Junyi's words, all wore expressions of confusion.

"Stop? Why?"

Ding Junyi didn't waste a second; she grabbed her mobile terminal and showed Lin Xian the newly recorded changes in the Hell Black Chrysanthemum.

"We still don't know why those parasites are drawn to Blood Calamity Plant No. 1, but the changes in this red glow—I think I've found the reason."

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened: on the screen, the red light on the Hell Black Chrysanthemum had visibly surged at a specific node.

Ding Junyi pressed on urgently: "Since lab records began, Blood Calamity Plant No. 1 has shown three brightening events and one dimming. The three times it turned red were: when we fled from Underground City 9, when we escaped from Yubei Airport, and just now, when we left Rain Town!"

"Though this sample is too crude for a rigorous scientific conclusion, given our life-or-death situation, I'm boldly hypothesizing—based on the mob-hunting effect—that these dark creatures mark their unslain prey with some invisible signal, and the red glow on the Hell Black Chrysanthemum is the physical manifestation of that mark, much like how the scent of blood in a forest makes us targets for more eerie entities at night."

"This mark might be how dark creatures communicate. Another possibility: larger eerie entities leave deeper marks. If the mob-hunting effect explains Yubei City, then why, after we left Rain Town without gaining any new members, did the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's red glow change immediately—and why did we instantly face overwhelming attacks from dark creatures? I believe that if we keep fleeing, once this mark reaches a certain threshold, we'll suffer the same fate as the Fireline convoy… total annihilation."

Ding Junyi finished in one breath, her eyes flickering slightly. Given her meticulous nature, voicing such a subjective conclusion was extremely difficult—and she knew that if her theory was wrong and accepted by the team, it could very likely lead to the entire train's destruction.

After hearing her, Lin Xian and the others grew even more grim. Lin Xian frowned directly: "So you're saying the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's purpose is to warn us humans?"

Ding Junyi replied: "Not entirely. This plant absorbs dark energy, which proves Blood Calamity Plant No. 1 can sense dark energy. From that, we can infer the dark creatures' mark is a form of that energy—but that's only one part. Its other functions may require me to collect samples and conduct experiments…"

"Director Ding!!"

Lin Xian's expression turned grave; he suddenly shouted to cut her off: "Enough talk. Just give me the conclusion."

Outside, artillery fire raged as countless eerie entities surged forward; the train's armored plating endured constant, violent impacts. Lin Xian was already frantic—he had no patience for Ding Junyi's logical analysis under these conditions.

Lin Xian's roar made Ding Junyi flinch. She opened her mouth in surprise, then narrowed her brows and spoke rapidly: "Two options. First: stop and kill every eerie entity around the train, erasing all marks completely. Second: return to Rain Town and eliminate the large parasite and the other parasitic impostors. I recommend the second. Biologically, creatures that rely on traps usually lack strong defenses or escape abilities—they're especially vulnerable in nature, so they use traps or deception to survive. That large parasite hunts by splitting and impersonating humans, and it has a fixed territory. That means its direct combat threat to humans isn't necessarily higher than the eerie entities at night. Our current troubles keep multiplying endlessly. Compared to that, Option Two has a higher chance of success. That's all."

Kiki and Chen Sixuan stared, stunned. They quickly turned to Lin Xian, who wore an equally grave expression.

As team leader, every decision directly affected the group's survival. Ding Junyi's deduction had brought them a glimmer of hope—but also handed Lin Xian a near-suicidal choice.

Lin Xian's mind raced. His instinct told him Ding Junyi's theory about the "mark" was almost certainly correct. It explained the mob-hunting effect, the Hell Black Chrysanthemum's change after leaving Rain Town—and more importantly, he'd long suspected it himself.

The white giant from Jiang City, the crimson centipede chasing us from Yushan to Beiwan, the sky jellyfish after escaping Underground City 9, the full-train assault right after fleeing Yubei's eerie entities!

Even the Taitiewei's colossal atmospheric mica, which had followed them all the way from Dalaoshan to Yubei Airport. Hunter. Mark. The Hell Black Chrysanthemum's crimson glow—suddenly, everything made sense.

He even recalled last night's chat with Kiki, when she'd casually mentioned how the team could only run—and the more they ran, the more and stronger the monsters became, as if they'd been put on a bounty list by the night's creatures…

The team's expansion was just surface-level. The real danger was this "mark" on them, amplifying threats endlessly in the dark. If this theory held, the safest way to survive the night was to eliminate encountered monsters and enter a state of silence.

This was deeply counterintuitive. Most wouldn't think of it immediately—or wouldn't even have the chance. That is: dark creatures can communicate.

And this communication? It's the hunter's mark.

Squeee!

In an instant, the Infinite Train slammed on its brakes. Many eerie entities, caught by inertia, tumbled off. The tidal assault now surged from the side cars.

Everyone gripped the train's interior tightly. Chen Sixuan looked at Lin Xian. Stopping meant he'd made his choice.

Whoo!

The electric motors roared. Before anyone could even catch their breath, the train began moving in reverse!

"Lin Xian!" Chen Sixuan called out.

"We're going back," Lin Xian said, locking eyes with Ding Junyi. "I think Director Ding is right."

Ding Junyi's gaze burned with intensity. She said nothing, simply nodded at Lin Xian, then turned and walked toward Car 3.

As a researcher, her only contribution was information and knowledge. As a team member, that was her duty.

The entire train suddenly reversed direction—completely unexpected by everyone aboard.

At that moment, Lin Xian's voice crackled over the train's intercom.

!

"Everyone, prepare. We're returning to Rain Town. Don't conserve ammo. Kill every threat you encounter!"

"Received." Shu Qin didn't understand Lin Xian's reasoning, but she trusted his orders completely.

"Got it, Lin Brother." Sha Sha's voice came through.

"Understood. Do we open the doors and fight outside?" Lu Xingchen's voice came, sounding almost eager.

"We'll see," Lin Xian said firmly. He pushed the train to full power, smashing through the obstacles behind. Fortunately, he'd specially reinforced the front of the Twin Star 11R nuclear-electric locomotive with double-layer armor—its protection was solid, and though it lacked an icebreaker shield, its ramming force was still formidable.

He didn't know if Blue Star's biological theories applied to these dark creatures—but since he chose to trust Ding Junyi, he had no hesitation. He already had a plan.

(End of Chapter)