[System tip: Player Bai Liu has been attacked by Older Brother Thief! HP -2, Mental Value -2. Remaining HP: 1. Warning! You are on the verge of death!!]
Bai Liu casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He lifted his head and looked at Mu Sicheng, whose face had gone deathly pale.
"What are you yelling for?" Bai Liu said unhurriedly. "I'm not dead. Damage values from these monsters aren't determined by where they hit. Older Brother Thief only deals 2 points of damage. I had 3 HP. Even if he pierced my head, I'd still survive. Now, hurry and help me."
Mu Sicheng snapped back to his senses. Looking at Bai Liu, covered in blood, swaying as if he might collapse at any second, he felt more shaken than if his own chest had been pierced.
Mu Sicheng darted away from Younger Brother Thief and focused.
Only then did he notice that Bai Liu had wrapped the whip tightly around Older Brother Thief's wrists. The monster was stuck behind Bai Liu, unable to withdraw his hand from Bai Liu's chest. He shrieked furiously, struggling.
Bai Liu raised his eyes weakly. His voice was faint from blood loss, but still calm and steady.
"His hands. It's in his hands."
Mu Sicheng froze. "You think the broken lenses are in Older Brother Thief's hands?"
"Yes. Hurry." Bai Liu smiled faintly. "I can't restrain him for long. We don't have much time."
"For a thief, the most important part is the hands. That's why Liu Huai cut off yours. Because your hands are your greatest strength."
"So for Older Brother Thief, the most important part should also be his hands."
Mu Sicheng stared at him for a moment.
Then he suddenly burst into laughter—laughter so intense that tears welled up in his eyes.
"Right… I forgot. The most important part of a thief is his hands." His laughter turned hoarse. "After all, mine have been cut off more than once."
"You're absolutely right."
Mu Sicheng lowered his eyes, a cold smile curling at his lips. His hands were no longer empty.
His eyes glowed red as he partially transformed into a beast. His jaw widened unnaturally, and he bit down viciously on Older Brother Thief's wrists.
He tore. The sound of flesh ripping echoed sharply. He yanked the hand free from Bai Liu's chest.
The moment the hand was pulled out, Bai Liu let out a soft hiss and collapsed backward. Mu Sicheng's face was splattered with Bai Liu's blood. Still gripping the severed hands in his mouth, he muttered thickly,
"The most important thing for a thief… really is his hands."
As soon as the dry, shriveled hands were separated from his body, Older Brother Thief let out a shrill, agonized scream. He struggled violently, then froze when he met Mu Sicheng's icy gaze.
[System tip: Player Mu Sicheng has activated Thief's Monkey Paws and stolen 20 broken lenses from Older Brother Thief.]
The instant Older Brother Thief lost his hands, his body weakened drastically. He shriveled further, shrinking as though life itself had drained away.
He forced open his bleeding eyes and roared unwillingly. Mu Sicheng opened his palms.
Black ash clung to his fingers, and each fingertip gleamed faintly. Two broken lenses were embedded in every finger.
Ten fingers. Twenty broken lenses.
At that exact moment, Younger Brother Thief unleashed his ultimate skill.
He crouched and slammed down with Rage Hammer.
Flames erupted from his body, surging through the carriage in a roaring inferno.
Even with Mu Sicheng's speed, he couldn't retreat in time.
The flames caught up.
Without hesitation, Mu Sicheng hurled Bai Liu out of the fire's range. Then he turned his back to the flames, shielding Bai Liu as the blaze swallowed him.
He groaned.
Bai Liu hit the ground and rolled weakly several times before coming to a stop.
Mu Sicheng's face was streaked with blood. His back was covered in severe burns.
Bai Liu lay on the floor, chest heaving violently, pupils dilated. He was so exhausted he couldn't move even a finger. Blood soaked through his white shirt, spreading from the wound in his chest.
And yet—
He was smiling. The same delighted smile as Mu Sicheng.
Because they were thieves. Successful thieves.
Their HP bars were nearly empty. But they had survived.
"Wow…" Bai Liu murmured, struggling to wipe the blood from his lips. "It feels pretty good to succeed at doing something bad."
"Especially when you steal something valuable."
[System tip: Player Mu Sicheng has been burned by Younger Brother Thief's flames. HP -20, Mental Value -20. Current HP: 16. You are in danger!]
[System warning: Player Bai Liu's HP is critically low (1). Avoid excessive movement and protect yourself!]
Mu Sicheng slumped to the ground as well. He leaned back against a seat, lowered his head, and simply breathed.
Then he let out a short laugh and cursed at the bloodied man lying nearby.
"You crazy bastard, Bai Liu… What the hell do you do in real life? You're good at stealing, manipulating, calculating people—and you're skilled with a whip. What are you, some high-IQ criminal mastermind?"
Bai Liu replied lazily, "I'm just an unemployed worker who's short on money."
Mu Sicheng snorted. "Unemployed worker? As if I'd believe that."
The train's broadcast rang out again.
"The train is about to depart. Please line up to disembark. Do not remain inside the carriage—"
After losing the broken lenses, the resentful thief brothers exited the train alongside the scorched passengers. They stood outside the slowly closing doors, glaring bitterly at Bai Liu and Mu Sicheng inside.
Bai Liu lay on the floor, blood still flowing from his chest.
Yet he smiled at them. "Goodbye."
The thief brothers roared unwillingly.
[System tip: Player Bai Liu's Broken Lenses Collection Progress (360/400)]
[The Exploding Last Train Monster Book has updated—Brother Thief (2/3)]
[Monster Name: Older Brother Thief]
[Features: Extremely high movement speed (3,400 movement points; flames grant bonus effects). Skilled at stealing.]
[Weakness: Broken Lenses (1/3)]
[Attack Mode: Scratching and Stealing]
Xiang Chunhua and Liu Fu emerged from the game drenched and trembling. They collapsed at the exit, coughing, their bodies reeking faintly of fish.
For two ordinary people entering a horror game for the first time, the experience had been overwhelming. Their faces were deathly pale, hands and feet were shaking uncontrollably.
If not for the young man who had guided them and their burning desire to avenge Guoguo, they would never have survived.
Beside Guoguo's gravestone, the young man had told them he couldn't explain too much. Even if he did, they wouldn't remember.
Bai Liu had only smiled gently and told them, "Just listen carefully and do as you're told once you go in."