"The train is about to depart. May you all live forever."
A deep, metallic voice echoed in the darkness.
Thump, thump…
Jack's heart pounded as he opened his eyes. His head throbbed with a sharp ache, forcing him to press his temples while trying to collect his thoughts.
"A… train car?" he muttered weakly.
He sat up from the cold floor and looked around in confusion. The carriage was dim, its metallic walls trembling faintly with the rhythm of moving wheels. His memories were hazy. The last thing he remembered was binge-watching anime deep into the night. Then—darkness. Everything after that was a blur.
"Did I… die from staying up too late? Is this hell?" he whispered, half-joking, half-terrified.
Before he could think further, the mysterious voice returned, this time reverberating as though it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"All survivors have awakened. Issuing basic Train Rules."
Jack froze.
The voice continued, calm yet commanding, like a decree carved into stone.
"Rule One: Do not abandon your train.
Rule Two: Every 24 hours after departure, all trains will arrive at a new platform.
Rule Three: Upon arriving at a platform, you may stop for three hours and choose whether or not to disembark.
Rule Four: Please collect resources. Resources can increase the train's level, and each level increase will unlock upgrade module options.
Rule Five: Do not leave the train before arriving at the platform.
Rule Six: Survive.
Rules as above. Please, obey them!
The train's first stop will arrive in one hour. Please prepare yourselves."
The announcement ended, leaving behind a heavy silence broken only by the steady clatter of wheels.
Jack pinched his cheek hard. "Ow… so it's real. Not a dream."
The pain confirmed it—this bizarre nightmare was reality.
The headache faded slowly as he steadied himself on shaky legs and examined the carriage. It was just as he saw when he woke: a sealed train car, plain and metallic. Beyond the windows on either side stretched a vast wasteland. Endless plains of scorched earth rolled by, colorless and lifeless, as if the world outside had been abandoned long ago.
At the very front of the car stood something peculiar—an oval-shaped device resembling a futuristic console. Above it floated a light screen, bright and sharp, displaying the words:
Train Operating System
Jack's curiosity outweighed his fear. Without hesitation, he walked over and placed his hand on the console.
"The Train System is at your service," a softer mechanical voice chimed. "Current operable options: Train Conductor Information, Train Details, Chat Room, Trading Platform."
"Chat Room?" Jack whispered.
The screen flickered, revealing a scrolling window of text.
Current population: 10,000 / 10,000.
Instantly, countless messages poured in:
"You! Who exactly are you? Let me go! I have money! My godfather is rich! Just send me back!"
"My medicine! Where's my medicine?!"
"Husband? Husband, where are you? It's Xiaowen!"
"What's going on? Did I transmigrate?"
"Hahaha! Perfect! No more work tomorrow, no more boss breathing down my neck!"
The chat scrolled so fast Jack could barely keep up. Desperation, fear, excitement—ten thousand people from who-knows-where, all trapped on trains like his, venting into the shared channel.
Then one message caught his eye.
"Heh, what a farce. You all think you're clever actors? I know this is a reality show. I've seen documentaries—they went into space before, now they're faking a train. How boring. I'm leaving now. Let's see if they really dare hurt me."
Immediately, the chat exploded.
"Big brother, calm down! What kind of show could kidnap ten thousand people?!"
"Don't be stupid! Sit down!"
"Haha, let him try. If it's fake, he'll be fine."
"The guy above me is even dumber."
Barely a minute later, the chatter shifted. The population count at the top changed from 10,000 → 9,999.
The reckless man never appeared again.
Jack's face hardened. "So… he really died."
He closed the chat window, refusing to dwell on it, and dragged the interface to Train Details.
Train Details
Level: 1
Carriages: None
Speed: 20 kilometers per hour
Workbench: Level 1 (Can recycle and disassemble resources and items)
Frame: Level 1
Wheels: Level 1
Floor: Level 1
Required for upgrade: 100 kg wood, 150 kg metal, 50 mechanical parts
Jack frowned. "Speed? But the rules said every train arrives after 24 hours, no matter what. Then why have speed at all?"
Unless…
He turned his gaze toward the endless wasteland. "Could it be that if the speed's too low… something will catch up?"
A chill ran down his spine.
Shaking off the thought, he opened the Conductor Information page.
Conductor: Jack
ID: E-3-1102
Owned Train: Level 1
Spirit: 100 (Below 80: fatigue. Below 50: self-doubt. Below 20: loss of rationality. Below 10: madness. Below 1: ???)
Stamina: 100 (Restores with food or sleep. Below 0: extreme indolence).
Ability: None
Talent: Sublimation
Train Module: None
"Talent?" Jack muttered.
He tapped it.
Sublimation: Consume Stamina or Spirit to sublimate and evolve any existence, regardless of category, level, or completeness.
His eyes widened. "Any existence?"
He quickly reopened the Chat Room, typing "Talent" into the search bar.
No results.
Not a single mention.
Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, not everyone has this. Maybe only a few… or maybe just me."
If it were common, at least some fool would've bragged about it by now. The silence confirmed its rarity.
His pulse quickened. "Then this… this is my cheat."
Memories from his old life surfaced. He'd always been a little unusual. His friends once joked he had a strange aura. Old machines revived after his touch, sluggish computers suddenly ran smoothly, battered cars roared like sports vehicles. He had dismissed it all as coincidence.
But this Talent proved it was real.
"Sublimate everything, huh? Let's test it."
On the workbench lay three items: a bottle of water, a piece of bread, and a dull, rusty knife. Clearly starter supplies—beginner's welfare.
Jack picked up the knife.
"Inferior Small Knife. Level 1."
He focused his thoughts. Sublimation.
A strange ripple surged from within him, like invisible energy passing into the blade. His Stamina dropped from 100 to 90.
The knife shimmered—and changed.
"Sharpness Enchanted Dagger. Level 2."
Jack's eyes lit up. "It worked!"
The dull blade had transformed into a sleek weapon, gleaming with a cold, sharp aura. He swung it experimentally—the air whistled as if sliced apart.
"Only ten Stamina… and the quality improved drastically." He grinned. "This Talent is broken."
Excitement surged through him. His gaze shifted from the dagger to the console at the front of the carriage.
"If I can sublimate a knife… then what about the train itself?"
The Talent's description was clear—all existences. That included this colossal iron beast carrying him through the wasteland.
Jack's breath quickened. A strange anticipation welled inside him, like standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking endless possibilities.
He pressed his palm firmly against the oval console.
"Sublimation."
The moment the word left his lips, the train trembled.