Chapter 9: Bloody Resonance

Su Huan crouched down, pulling a dagger from his calf, and began slicing through the skin of the bloodhound.

“A chance is all we need.”

Qi Xiaoba’s eyes gleamed with a metallic reflection. He raised his palm, and the twisted metal doors and windows swiftly returned to their original form.

Su Huan looked up. “Is there enough energy? If so, seal everything tight.”

“Should be fine.”

With that, the metal entangling the bloodhound rose into the air and flew toward the window frame, transforming into a metal plate that sealed the entire window.

The moment the window was sealed shut, Su Huan once again felt enveloped by a sense of security, though it was not as intense as before.

A mere 3mm steel plate could not provide him with sufficient protection.

Standing up, Su Huan held something extracted from the bloodhound’s body.

He casually grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the nearby supplies, took a long gulp, then poured the remaining half bottle over the bloodied mass in his hand.

The crimson blood washed away, revealing its true form.

It was, unmistakably, the heart of the bloodhound.

Qi Xiaoba stared thoughtfully at the heart in Su Huan’s hand.

The two approached the dining car, and upon seeing the scene inside, Qi Xiaoba’s face changed drastically.

“What’s wrong with Sister Xingzi?”

Yu Jing frowned. “She collapsed as soon as she entered. She’s still conscious but pale, showing signs very similar to those of a mutated zombie.”

Qi Xiaoba turned his gaze to Su Huan beside him.

Su Huan crouched down, looking calmly at the weak Xingzi. “There’s a way—not only can it heal your injuries, but it might also turn you into an evolver, granting you supernatural abilities. The cost is that you might die. Want to try?”

Xingzi stared blankly into Su Huan’s eyes, unable to detect any emotion within them.

An aura exuded from them, inexplicably compelling trust.

Glancing at Qi Xiaoba beside her, Xingzi’s reddened eyes flickered with a hint of color. “How do I do it?”

Su Huan held the bloodhound’s heart up before her eyes and said seriously, “Eat it.”

...

Inside the dining car, the atmosphere was strange. A group of people anxiously formed a circle around a woman drenched in blood, who steadfastly gnawed on the heart in her hands.

Only the faint sound of chewing pierced the silence.

The mood turned eerily somber.

Su Huan leaned back, sitting on the sofa, watching the scene with interest.

There are generally two ways to become an evolver.

One is to slowly expose oneself to freshly deceased zombies, accumulating ambient energy, and when reaching a certain threshold, quietly evolving.

...

The other is far more direct—like Xingzi, who devours the heart of an evolved beast raw.

This instantly pushes the body’s ambient energy to the critical point.

The advantage is speed.

The drawback is that one can just as quickly turn into a zombie.

When she had eaten halfway, Xingzi seemed less weak, her chewing growing faster.

After the final bite, her eyes were shrouded in a white film, as if covered by a membrane, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Qi Xiaoba nervously glanced at Su Huan.

Su Huan shrugged. “I can’t do anything now. It’s up to her to withstand it.”

After all, Xingzi was a free gain. If she became an evolver, he’d profit.

If she died, it wouldn’t be a loss; a single evolved beast’s heart wasn’t that precious.

Thinking this, Su Huan instinctively shifted his gaze to Liang Kuan. He had witnessed Liang Kuan’s earlier behavior and, though unsure how much was an act, decided that the first test was passed.

For now, Liang Kuan would be listed as an internal member.

Glancing at the thermometer on the wall, the temperature had soared to 27°C. Su Huan muttered to himself about how quickly it was rising, worrying it might reach 28 or 29 degrees during the hottest part of the afternoon.

“Liang Kuan, go turn on the air conditioner.”

Liang Kuan stood and went to the front of the vehicle. Five minutes later, cool air flowed into the VIP dining car.

“So, becoming an evolver means accumulating enough... ambient energy?” Yu Jing suddenly looked up at Su Huan, her eyes showing a glimmer of confirmation.

“Snap!” Su Huan snapped his fingers. “Correct.”

“Absorbing ambient energy promotes biological evolution. Whether plants, trees, or animals like cats and dogs, they can evolve—just like that evolved beast earlier—the bloodhound.”

“And you’ve seen the result of failed evolution: turning into a zombie, capable of infection.”

But even zombies evolve.

In a previous life, there was a theory that those who became zombies were merely fighting a resurrection race of evolution.

He had heard too many such half-truths and rumors and saw no need to explain them now.

“So, zombies and evolved beasts contain vast amounts of ambient energy. Frequent contact can activate abilities in some people, granting powerful powers. But note—it’s only ‘some people’; most become infected and turn into new zombies,” Su Huan explained earnestly.

Qi Xiaoba listened intently. Though he was also an evolver, his knowledge of the apocalypse, ambient energy, and evolvers was far less than Su Huan’s.

From just a few sentences, everyone could tell Su Huan was presenting a logically coherent conceptual framework, not mere speculation.

Yu Jing didn’t press Su Huan on how he obtained this information. Her beautiful phoenix eyes flickered toward Xingzi.

She heard everything clearly.

Long-term, frequent...

None of those words matched the method Xingzi had just used.

“This rapid way of devouring ambient energy is called—Bloody Resonance,” Su Huan said slowly, perhaps sensing her confusion.

“Oh.”

Yu Jing responded indifferently.

Su Huan felt slightly uncomfortable, lifting his head in surprise to find Yu Jing staring at him with a strange, probing gaze.

It was not the way a woman looks at a man, but more like a researcher encountering an intriguing... subject.

...

“Ho…”

After more than ten minutes, Xingzi, lying on the ground, suddenly sat up. Everyone was startled. Liang Kuan instinctively reached for his axe.

Only Su Huan’s face broke into a smile as he noticed the non-reflective membrane had disappeared from Xingzi’s eyes.

He approached and crouched before her, extending his palm.

“Welcome to the Armed Train.”

Xingzi fixed her gaze on Su Huan for a long moment before she reached out and struggled to utter two words from her throat.

“Thank you.”

“If you feel dizzy, try shutting down your visual analysis and carefully recall. You should have that kind of information in your memory,” Su Huan advised.

“Seems… that’s right?”

The lifeless film in Xingzi’s eyes gradually vanished, reflecting Su Huan’s face.

Su Huan snapped his fingers, a smirk playing on his lips. “Correct. You’ve now entered the world of evolvers. By the way, what’s your full name?”

“Wan Xing—the ‘Xing’ from ‘apricot blossoms in spring rain.’”

“Su Huan—the ‘Huan’ meaning ‘to ignite new life.’ You can also call me Train Conductor, Boss, Chief, Brother Su, or just Su Huan. The title doesn’t matter, but you must understand one thing: as long as you’re on this train, you answer to me. That’s the only time I’ll say this.”

Though his tone was calm, it carried an unyielding coldness.