Chapter 80: Boundless Darkness

Page 1

Fang Nian and Duan Rui stared at the wall of cabin doors before them, a chill creeping up their spines. They knew that what lay within might not necessarily be what their imaginations conjured, yet the unease lingered.

Fang Nian stepped forward to examine a cabin door in the fourth row. The door was made of metal, and not just any metal—it was a sturdy titanium alloy. Each door bore its own serial number, presumably to distinguish what was inside. The one before him was labeled C6D35; Fang Nian had no idea what it meant. He randomly entered a few numbers into the keypad.

“Beep beep... Incorrect password. Unable to open cabin.”

The system’s voice confirmed that each door required a password to be opened.

“It seems we won’t be able to open this one,” Fang Nian said, knowing that Duan Rui was an expert at cracking codes. Yet faced with a password lacking any clues or pattern, even she would be at a loss...

“Beep beep... Password correct. Cabin door opening.”

His thought was interrupted by the sound of the door unlocking. He turned in surprise to see Duan Rui quietly slipping a device into her pocket.

“How did you do that? It’s open already?”

Truthfully, he had only known Duan Rui for less than a day—from the lecture to here, he had always been the one acting clever. Now, seeing him thwarted at her hands, Duan Rui felt immensely satisfied, her delight almost palpable.

She rolled her eyes and, with an air of pride, addressed Fang Nian.

“Not everything is within your grasp. You should know that there’s always someone better out there.”

Fang Nian was speechless; hadn’t he just said those words to Guo Ji earlier? Now this girl was using them against him.

“Women... always so cunning.”

After a period of venting and decompression, the cabin door slowly opened. A bed-like platform emerged, and Duan Rui instinctively stepped back by two paces. Neither of them had expected to find what they did inside. Yet, when they saw the person lying within, they were surprised to discover he wasn’t dead.

Page 2

Before them lay a tall, muscular man, appearing to be in his thirties. His well-defined physique showed not a trace of excess fat; he was clearly a fitness enthusiast.

“Who is this guy, and why is he locked up here? His complexion is healthy, and his chest is rising and falling—he’s alive, and slowly regaining consciousness,” Fang Nian observed. The man was strapped to the bed with four leather belts. Even if he awoke, he wouldn’t pose an immediate threat. Fang Nian inspected the area around him.

He found a tablet-like device beside the man’s arm. Duan Rui quickly picked it up and pressed the only button. Instantly, the man’s full profile appeared, along with video footage of him.

The information revealed the man was an extremely dangerous fugitive. Murder, arson, theft, robbery—he had committed every crime except virtue.

Just then, Duan Rui pointed to a line on the tablet and said to Fang Nian, “Look here, it seems to be a date.”

Fang Nian followed her finger. It was indeed a date.

“March 23, 3845—?”

He quickly understood. “This might be his sentence. The infinity symbol means he was sentenced to life imprisonment.”

Seeing this, Duan Rui guessed, “So you’re saying this is actually a prison on the Apocalypse Train? All these cabins are holding criminals?”

“Heh, you’re right.”

Before Fang Nian could reply, a cold voice suddenly echoed. Fang Nian quickly pulled Duan Rui back. The man who had just been lying on the bed now sat up, the belts binding him snapping apart.

“I should thank you both. If you hadn’t opened this cell, I would have spent my life in endless darkness.”

Duan Rui regretted opening the door. She could sense the man’s formidable strength—it likely surpassed Xu Dong’s. Dealing with him would be troublesome.

Compared to Duan Rui, Fang Nian remained calm. The man was difficult, but not unbeatable.

“Can you tell me what endless darkness means?”

Page 3

The man stretched his limbs and looked at the somewhat frail Fang Nian, speaking in a low voice.

“I was going to deal with you both right away, but since you released me, I might as well explain. At least you’ll die knowing why.”

He pointed to the other cabin doors.

“You guessed right. This is a prison, all inmates. The computer beside me shows our sentences. I am, indeed, a villain of the worst sort.”

He licked his dry lips, then shifted tone abruptly.

“But compared to those in the front of the train, I’m not much of a villain. Those who stop at nothing to satisfy their desires—they deserve to be cast into hell.”

His body tensed unconsciously, fists clenched tighter.

Fang Nian didn’t interrupt, listening as the man continued.

“This prison is their handiwork. It looks like a comfortable place to serve your sentence—lying here without a care. But you only understand its horror once you’re actually inside.”

“In this prison, the creators draw you into a dreamlike realm.”

“At first, it feels wonderful. Many desires you couldn’t fulfill in reality—money, women, power—are all at your fingertips. It’s a treasure trove, a genie’s lamp.”

But here, the man’s expression suddenly darkened.

“The true horror, the endless darkness, is only just beginning. When you believe your world is filled with hope and light, disaster strikes.”

“You may personally kill your child, your lover, your parents. You may lose the company, the kingdom, the nation you built. You might even lose your very self, facing incurable disease.”

“And this endless collapse repeats over and over, the pain and darkness overwhelming everything until you’re utterly consumed, unable to escape.”

Listening to the man’s confession, Fang Nian couldn’t help but feel sympathy. To be given everything, only to have it mercilessly stripped away—such is the boundless darkness.