"Train to Busan?"
"Holy cow, where even is Busan?"
"Train to Busan... going by the name, it sounds like a mountain-climbing type of plot, right?"
"Hmm, it shouldn't be too tough."
A collective sigh of relief swept through the surrounding Reincarnators.
Haha! It really isn't difficult!
Stephen secretly exulted!
Stephen was intimately familiar with the movie Train to Busan!
It was a classic zombie film!
The plot wasn't overly complicated: it told the story of a diverse group of individuals traveling to Busan by train, only for a zombie outbreak to erupt immediately after their departure. In the end, almost all the significant characters met tragic fates, with only a pregnant woman and a small girl safely reaching Busan.
Zombies were perilous.
But even more dangerous was the darker side of human nature when confronted with disaster.
To clear the Train to Busan plot, one merely needed to arrive safely at Busan Station.
However, if that was all one did, the system rating would likely be very low.
To achieve an A-grade rating or higher and secure a Kindling, one had to actively engage in the plot and complete additional system tasks.
Ding.
At that moment.
The ethereal system voice once again resonated through the White Light Hall:
"Fellow Reincarnators, you have three minutes left to prepare."
"In three minutes, you will be officially transported to the Train to Busan world."
"Holy crap! Only three minutes left!"
"Wuwu! I'm not ready yet! I want to go home! I want my mom and dad!"
"Anyone want to team up? Although teaming up will slightly lower the performance rating, it's at least easier to survive, and it also makes completing system tasks more manageable!"
Among the Reincarnators, a tall, muscular man stepped forward, asserting, "Everyone, my name is Dan Smith. You might not have heard my name, but my older brother is Liam Smith! He's the captain of the [Transcendence] professional Reincarnator team! If you team up with me, I guarantee you'll all be safe and sound! Obtaining Kindling information isn't even impossible!"
"Wow! It's him!"
"Dan ! Team me up!"
"Dan, please carry me!"
"Dan, my Strength attribute is 12 points! You'll definitely need me!"
Another female Reincarnator said coquettishly, "Dan, I want to cling to your manly abdomen~"
"Haha, good, good!" Dan swelled with self-importance, fully embracing everyone's flattery and compliments.
Stephen observed coldly, with no inclination to join this particular group.
"Bro, wanna team up?" A chubby Reincarnator approached Stephen, his eyes involuntarily drawn to the Tang Blade in Stephen's hand. He then lowered his voice and added, "I also drew an A-grade item."
Stephen's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
The stout man mysteriously produced a syringe from his hospital gown.
"This is an A-grade Immunity Potion. Although I don't know what it's specifically used for, I've noticed that among our group of 30 Reincarnators, only the two of us drew A-grade items."
"And then?" Stephen prompted.
The stout man declared, "Isn't it obvious? This means we're both Children of Fortune! If we team up, our luck definitely won't be bad!"
Holy crap.
This counted as a Child of Fortune?
Damn, your thinking is very… metaphysical!
Stephen's lips twitched slightly, almost breaking into a laugh.
Speaking of which, the A-grade Immunity Potion in the stout man's hand was most likely used to cure zombie infection.
With this potion, even if one was bitten by a zombie, they could recover immediately.
In other words, possessing this potion was akin to having an extra life!
To be able to draw such a prize, this stout man truly had good luck.
However, as for teaming up, Stephen decided against it.
In a dungeon like Train to Busan, one had to outrun the zombie horde from the very beginning. Taking an extra teammate felt like an additional burden.
Moreover, within the Main God Space, Reincarnators were permitted to kill each other.
Sometimes, the most dangerous individuals were often one's own teammates.
Stephen was unwilling to take such a risk.
Stephen offered a slight smile, "Sorry, I don't want to team up yet."
The stout man shrugged, probably accustomed to previous rejections, and turned to seek out new teammates.
"Hey, brother with the Tang Blade." Dan looked at Stephen with an arrogant expression, "There's still one enforcer spot left in my team; want to join?"
Stephen remained indifferent, "No, I prefer to go solo."
Dan immediately frowned, his face darkening.
"One of his goons stepped up with a smirk, showing off. 'Listen, kid. Mr. Smith's asking for you 'cause he's got an eye on that Tang blade you're holding. Don't go acting ungrateful now.'"
"Hmph, you oughta feel honored running the same job as Dan this time! He's reaching out to you, and you're acting like it's nothing? Kid, with that attitude, you won't last five minutes once we're in there!"
"What, you think just 'cause you lucked out and pulled an A-grade Tang blade, you can handle this alone?"
"Boss Dan, let's rough him up and show him his place!"
"Forget it," Dan cut in with a smirk. "No fighting in the Main God's Space. We'll settle this once we're inside." He sneered at the kid. "Keep that Tang blade nice and warm for me, kid."
Stephen just gave a cold little grin, not bothered in the slightest.
Once they entered the Train to Busan dungeon, the zombies would be the first to teach them a lesson.
"System notification: Transmission will begin in ten seconds."
"Finally, please remember, all newcomers—do not easily trust anyone, including your teammates."
"Jungle law, survival of the fittest."
"This is the final advice."
"Good luck to all."
Three, two, one.
The Ouroboros reincarnation imprint on Stephen's chest suddenly felt a sharp sting, as if bitten by venomous fangs!
Stephen felt his entire soul twisting!
Enveloped by a strong light, Stephen lost consciousness!
…
When Stephen's eyes could perceive again.
He had already been transported by the system into a station passage.
Beside him were three other Reincarnators who had just awakened.
It seemed that each Reincarnator's transmission drop point was different.
Their clothes had all been changed by the system into normal attire suitable for the plot.
The three Reincarnators looked at each other, not knowing their current location.
One of the female Reincarnators was the very one who had previously coquettishly desired to cling to Dan's abdomen.
Speaking of which, this female Reincarnator was indeed quite attractive.
But Stephen didn't care at all.
Stephen quickly stood up and looked up… Daejeon Station!
Hiss!
Isn't this the station that was impacted by the first wave of the zombie horde?!
In the original plot, after the train departed, a zombie crisis erupted en route. The Train Conductor informed the passengers that Daejeon Station was safe and had security personnel stationed there.
When the train stopped at Daejeon Station, passengers disembarked en masse, seeking protection.
Only to discover, outside the station, that the security personnel had all been infected!
In other words, they would face the initial impact from the zombie horde right here!
Gripping the Tang Blade in his hand, Stephen swallowed hard.
At this moment, the system prompt sounded in Stephen's ear:
[System Task One has been activated.]
[Board the TDX Train bound for Busan.]
[Accept and complete the task to earn reincarnation points.]
[Failure to complete the task will result in direct annihilation by the system.]
[System notification: Refusing the task does not affect survival in the dungeon, but your passive performance will lower your overall rating.]
[You have ten seconds to make a decision.]
Accept!
Stephen did not hesitate.
Boarding the TDX Train was not a difficult task; as long as he protected himself, this task was practically a freebie.
However, if it was just boarding the train, the system rating definitely wouldn't be high!
He had to try his best to boost his rating!
Only then could he get information about the Kindling!
In Stephen's mind, he quickly recalled the important characters in Train to Busan.
The male lead Seok-woo, his daughter Su-an, the pregnant woman Seong-kyeong, the pregnant woman's husband Sang-hwa, the baseball couple, and a pair of elderly grandmothers.
These people were all plot NPCs with inherent human brilliance!
As long as he could ensure the safety of these individuals, the rating would undoubtedly be very high!
Stephen began to formulate a plan—
On the platform, the TDX Train carrying the main plot NPCs had already halted, and the terrified passengers were desperately running towards the main station passage.
At the same time, the passage where Stephen and the three Reincarnators were located rumbled and vibrated!
The first wave of the zombie horde had arrived!