[Instance: The Bizarre Great Train Escape]

[Content: This is a train named 'Time Escape'. It runs from 11:40 PM to 00:14 AM, operating only once a day for 34 minutes. It consists of seven carriages and passes through nine stations, with rumors of passengers mysteriously disappearing late at night.]

[Number of players: Unable to count]

[Main task: Board the 'Time Escape' train, play your role, and successfully arrive at the terminal station.]

[Note: Two players cannot be in the same carriage; otherwise, one will be randomly erased.]

Another role-playing game. This one isn't too bad.

But what's this 'unable to count' for the number of players?

Could the game system be so riddled with bugs it can't even count the players?

Gu Mian frowned slightly.

Furthermore, the 'two players cannot be in the same carriage' condition was a bit harsh. Gu Mian was certain that if he and another player were in the same carriage, the system would definitely choose to erase him.

However, there was one thing he didn't quite understand: if this game could indeed erase him directly, why bother with such convoluted ways to kill him?

"This is strange," Gu Mian muttered.

Still, he didn't want to experience being in the same carriage as other players; staying alive was more important.

Due to personal limitations, Gu Mian couldn't carry any inconveniently large special items.

So this time, Chu Changge had given Gu Mian the [Mail from Hell] he had recently obtained.

Once this item was burned, the user's living aura would disappear for ten minutes, making it easier to hide without being detected. Simply put, it was used to fool ghosts.

For this reason, Gu Mian had specifically bought a lighter from the supermarket that could be brought into the instance.

In addition to the [Mail from Hell], Gu Mian carried a few other special items: [Hemostatic Spray], [Dimension-Breaking Phone], and the [Strange Camera] Fatty had given him. He was also wearing his white lab coat and a brooch.

Other items were simply too large to bring.

While Gu Mian was still counting his special items, a light shone before him.

He squinted. It seemed the instance was about to begin.

Then, light surged from all directions, dispelling the darkness. However, it wasn't particularly bright, as they were now underground.

Gu Mian scanned his surroundings. The place closely resembled a high-speed rail station from the real world. He could see several train tracks and, not far off, a sign. Next to the sign was a bulletin board with what looked like photos of several people pinned to it.

There was a similar bulletin board on the other side of the tracks, but it was too distant to make out its contents. Not that anyone had the leisure to examine it anyway.

Everyone was sizing each other up, Gu Mian included.

Including him, there were a total of seven people there. Aside from the obvious Han Shan and Guigu, judging by the expressions and actions of the others, it was easy to deduce that everyone present was a player.

Besides these three, there was an older man, a middle-aged woman in a business suit, a young man, and a girl with long black hair.

Normally, Gu Mian wouldn't need to guess if people were players by observing their behavior, as player information was usually accessible. But this time was different. Everyone soon discovered that, for some reason, their player information couldn't be accessed.

"What's going on?" Han Shan frowned.

Gu Mian mulled over the rule again. "Two players cannot be in the same carriage." And since we can't determine if other players are in a carriage, the death rate in this instance must be quite high. Two players might end up in the same carriage completely unaware.

Moreover, they also had to play their assigned roles in this instance, so they couldn't just shout, "Are there any other players in this carriage?" before boarding.

Guigu had a strange expression. "If players end up together, it means death, and we can't be sure if other players are in a carriage. Is this instance really so hostile towards players?"

"Not necessarily," the long-haired girl beside him suddenly spoke up. "I remember the instance description mentioned this train has seven carriages. Coincidentally, there are seven of us players. That's exactly one carriage per person, so allocation shouldn't be an issue right from the start. I don't think the instance would present a no-win scenario without reason; perhaps hiding the player nicknames is a key clue..."

She paused for a moment before adding, "Of course, this is just my speculation. If you don't agree, feel free to dismiss it as nonsense."

Han Shan, at least, didn't dismiss her words as nonsense; his brow furrowed and smoothed out repeatedly. Gu Mian finally understood why Han Shan looked older than his actual age.

Meanwhile, the long-haired girl spoke again, "Could everyone share their names? Using 'hey' or 'you' is fine, but it might get confusing. By the way, I'm Angel Slaughter."

Such a childish name. She doesn't seem like an easy person to deal with...

Gu Mian would never reveal his real name unless he had a death wish, so he gave his name as 'Doctor'.

The young man's name was Fang Xiang, the middle-aged woman was Suo Qingqiu, and the older man called himself 'Your Lovely Xiao Tiantian'.

That name is quite sweet too.

These were the names they gave; no one knew if they were real.

This instance hid the players' names. Could it be because something has infiltrated their group? As he pondered this, Gu Mian subconsciously touched the [Strange Camera] in his pocket. This camera could photograph invisible ghosts, but he wondered if it could reveal the true form of a disguised one.

At this moment, the loudspeaker in the underground starting station suddenly activated.

"The time is now 11:35 PM. Train attendants, please prepare yourselves. The 'Time Escape' train is now approaching the station."

Train attendants? Gu Mian instinctively glanced towards the bulletin board not far away, where photos were neatly posted.

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