Chapter 8: Welcome to the Apocalypse

After a moment, the bloodhound shook its head and staggered to its feet. Its entire lower jaw had been smashed into a mangled mess, making it look even more hideous and terrifying.

"Gah... Roar!"

Pain wiped away the last remnants of its bestial instincts, and its hysterical howling made the heart tremble. It lunged madly at the train.

"Bang!"

Su Huan’s mouth twitched as he looked at the dent in the outer wall of the carriage. That was three-millimeter steel plate!

The sound drew Yu Jing and her daughter from the forward carriage.

"Yu Jing, go fetch the sniper crossbow from my room," Su Huan said, glancing over.

"Bang, bang—crackle!"

The next moment, the tempered glass shattered into a pile of fine particles, hanging precariously from the window frame. The metal frame itself deformed violently. The people inside the carriage were struck with terror. Seeing this, even someone as hardened by the apocalypse as Su Huan felt a jolt of alarm.

"Bang!"

The tempered glass exploded into shards across the floor, and the carriage jolted violently. Canine evolved beasts possessed greater endurance but were less agile than felines; they lacked the ability to compress their skeletons to squeeze into tight spaces. Moreover, the train window was still too narrow for the bloodhound’s massive frame.

After struggling for a long time, the bloodhound failed to crawl inside, instead snapping its blood-red jaws and howling frantically, saliva dripping everywhere. Several passengers ran to the seventh carriage behind them and locked the corridor door. Liang Kuan grabbed an axe and was about to charge forward, but Su Huan stopped him from behind.

"Don't go over there. Everyone, retreat with me!" Su Huan said calmly.

The group retreated to the fifth carriage. Standing there, Su Huan said in a deep voice, "Wait until I tell you to shut the door. We only have one chance."

Liang Kuan dropped his axe, nodded as he stared at the bloodhound struggling to force its way in, and gripped the door handle with both hands. Yu Jing finally arrived, carrying a sniper crossbow as large as a rifle. Seeing it, Su Huan felt a slight sense of relief.

The Leica sniper crossbow had an effective range of 160 to 180 meters and could even penetrate the skull of an elephant. It might be ineffective against evolved beasts in the later stages of the apocalypse, but against a bloodhound in the early stages, it was more than enough. Its only drawback was that it could only be loaded with one bolt at a time.

***

"Bang—"

The bloodhound finally broke free from the constraints of the window frame and tumbled into the corridor. It looked wretched, blood dripping from its mouth onto the carpet, staining it crimson. Its bloodthirsty, crazed gaze locked onto Su Huan and the others at the end of the hall.

"Get ready."

Su Huan’s gaze was icy. He knelt on one knee, pressed the sniper crossbow against his right shoulder, and let sweat run down his eyelids. The bloodhound let out a wild howl, pushed off with its hind legs, and lunged at them!

'Now!'

Su Huan pulled the trigger decisively. The bolt whistled through the air and struck the bloodhound squarely in the forehead.

"Close the door!"

Liang Kuan, prepared, slammed the carriage bridge door shut.

"Boom—"

The violent impact drowned out the sound of the bolt piercing flesh. The bloodhound’s massive body crashed into the door; glass shattered, the door twisted, and blood mixed with shards of glass splattered backward.

"Clatter!"

Su Huan raised his hands to protect his face and fell backward.

The noise ceased for a moment, replaced by the bloodhound’s pained shrieks. The next second, half the door was smashed through, and Liang Kuan, who had been bracing it, was sent flying.

'Damn it!' Su Huan cursed inwardly. These evolved beasts had incredibly tenacious vitality; even with a fatal wound, they could struggle for a while. He scrambled up and quickly reloaded the crossbow.

The young man in the wheelchair stared at Su Huan, who was covered in dog blood but still standing at the front, fighting back stubbornly. A strange look flashed in his eyes. Because of his disability, he had seen many wicked people, but none compared to these few days since the apocalypse. Fear, greed, desire, rage... but in Su Huan, he saw something different.

Qi Xiaoba raised a hand. The metal door frame that had been twisted by the bloodhound’s impact came alive like a python, coiling around the dying beast with a screeching sound.

"I can't hold this for long, you..." Qi Xiaoba said, straining.

But Su Huan didn't even look back. He pressed the sniper crossbow directly against the hole in the bloodhound’s head and pulled the trigger ruthlessly.

"Bang!"

A spray of blood mist erupted. The bloodhound’s head snapped back, and the metal bolt flew out, embedding itself in the wall of the carriage. Its body twitched before going limp, tangled in the metal.

Qi Xiaoba froze in place. He didn't know why, but he had the illusion that the two of them had worked together many times; they didn't even need to speak, yet their tacit understanding was perfect.

***

"Huff..."

Su Huan let out a long breath. In that instant, his clothes had been soaked through with sweat. He slumped to the floor and cast an appreciative look at Qi Xiaoba in the wheelchair. "Su Huan."

Qi Xiaoba was stunned for a moment, then said somewhat shyly, "Qi Xiaoba."

Su Huan flashed an exaggerated smile. "Welcome to the apocalypse, Xiaoba."

...

Liang Kuan finally climbed to his feet, a lingering fear on his face. "What the hell is that thing? It's fiercer than a bear."

"A bloodhound. It evolved from a common stray dog, but it's much more dangerous than a bear. Even after a sniper bolt capable of piercing an elephant's skull hit it right in the forehead, it could still struggle for so long," Su Huan said, eyes narrowing as his smile faded.

This little episode truly startled him. He had originally thought that with his status as an evolved individual, he could move unimpeded in the early stages of the apocalypse. He hadn't expected to almost capsize in the gutter.

In the early stages, an "Energy Supplier" was still too weak when facing evolved beasts. The plans for an armed train needed to be accelerated.

Collecting his thoughts, Su Huan stood up and said, "Check yourselves for wounds. The chances of mutation are much lower at this stage, but the incubation period has also become longer."

"Of course, evolved individuals are the exception." Su Huan stared at Qi Xiaoba as he said the last sentence.

Qi Xiaoba’s eyes suddenly brightened. "Why?"

"Because an evolved individual has essentially completed the evolution and already passed that mutation phase."

Yu Jing, standing nearby, looked thoughtful.

"Is there any way to become an evolved individual?" Qi Xiaoba asked immediately.

Su Huan gave him a suspicious look, then glanced at the nervous-looking woman behind him, narrowing his eyes. "How long has she been infected?"

The woman opened her mouth, hesitating.

Qi Xiaoba said quickly, "About an hour."

"That's fine, there's a chance. You all go to the dining car and wait. Xiaoba, you fix the hole in the sixth carriage first," Su Huan said.

Qi Xiaoba turned back to comfort the woman. "Sister Xingzi, you go ahead first."

Once they left, the hopeful light in Xiaoba’s eyes settled down, and he said earnestly, "If Sister Xingzi survives, I owe you a life."

'As expected of Young Master Ba, he's a straight shooter!' Su Huan thought, the corners of his mouth curling up.

Outwardly, however, he said calmly, "I didn't say it was a hundred percent; it’s just a chance."