105: Chapter 105 The Veteran Driver's Sense of Crisis

Early the next morning, in the holographic combat training room.

The transformation she underwent overnight brought more than just cold, data-driven enhancements; it instilled a deep-seated confidence. For the first time, Lin Xinyi clearly felt that she, too, had the potential to change her destiny. This long-overdue realization transformed into an unprecedented craving for power.

While the other girls in the Train carriage were still whispering, reliving the announcement from the night before that had echoed throughout the compartment, and speculating about what had actually transpired between her and Fang Che, Lin Xinyi already stood in the center of the training ground, gripping a cold steel pipe.

She had to become stronger.

For her own sake, and also... so as not to let down the expectations that man had placed upon her.

She took a deep breath to banish all distracting thoughts, lowered her center of gravity, and assumed a defensive stance. Her eyes were fixed intently on the holographic zombie phantom before her, which was emitting a low growl as it closed in step by step.

The foul, virtual stench hit her face, even bringing back memories of the real scent she had smelled on the first day of the apocalypse, yet her heart remained completely undisturbed.

Just as the phantom raised its sharp claws, about to touch her face.

Lin Xinyi moved.

Her movements were clean and efficient, without a wasted motion. She twisted her waist to the side, precisely dodging the lethal strike. Her arm muscles tensed instantly, and a surge of power far exceeding anything she had felt before traveled from her core to her arm, driving the half-meter-long steel pipe in her hand to sweep out with all her might.

A faint whistling sound pierced the air.

Bang!

A dull thud followed.

The steel pipe struck the side of the zombie phantom's head with ruthless precision. The immense force caused its head to cave in and deform, distorting the entire phantom for a split second before it collapsed and dissipated into the air without even making a sound.

A single blow to kill.

The entire training ground fell silent.

All the girls who had been training hard in their respective areas stopped simultaneously, staring in disbelief at the slender figure in the center of the arena who still held her striking pose.

After a long silence, a few exclamations erupted from the crowd.

"Holy crap, am I seeing this right? Just one hit? And that was a Level 3 simulated zombie!"

"Didn't she struggle just to stand up yesterday? How did she suddenly become so fierce?"

"So this is the benefit of the Creation Agreement? This is just too exaggerated."

The surroundings were filled with a complex mix of shock, envy, and jealousy. Everyone's gaze was fixed squarely on Lin Xinyi, causing her to retract the steel pipe in a flustered manner.

In the corner, Xu Zhaozhao and Chen Keke exchanged a complex look.

A slight smile played on Xu Zhaozhao's lips as she pulled the blushing, evasive Chen Keke straight over to the sandbags.

"Jiang Ning, working so hard?"

Xu Zhaozhao leaned casually against a piece of equipment nearby, her eyes glancing toward Lin Xinyi, who was surrounded by several girls and looking at a loss.

Jiang Ning didn't stop her workout. Sweat had soaked through her sports tank top, and her fists hammered against the sandbag with heavy, dull thuds, causing the massive bag to shake and deform violently under the continuous barrage.

She didn't turn around, her voice low and tight.

"If I don't Train, should I just wait to die?"

Xu Zhaozhao chuckled, tapping her finger against her lips with a casual air.

"Training is definitely necessary, but just training blindly like this is useless. Look, Lin Xinyi got on the Train last night; shouldn't we also step it up a notch?"

She leaned half a step closer, lowering her voice until she was right next to Jiang Ning's ear.

Jiang Ning's movements came to a halt.

The sandbag was still swaying in mid-air, but her fist remained frozen in the air, unable to strike.

She turned to face the two of them, her wheat-colored skin drenched in sweat, her chest heaving from rapid breathing.

She truly felt a strong sense of crisis.

As one of the first people to complete the agreement with Fang Che, she had always viewed herself as the most reliable combatant and an irreplaceable source of physical damage in the team. This self-confidence was the foundation of her survival in the apocalypse.

But now, Lin Xinyi—who couldn't even beat a simulated zombie yesterday—had caught up in attributes by a huge margin overnight. The explosive power and speed of that strike she just delivered were not much worse than her own.

This feeling of being overtaken challenged her. After all, they were a team. It wasn't purely jealousy, but rather a profound sense of crisis at the thought of being left behind.

Especially with the next confrontation station right around the corner, she absolutely would not allow her strength to stagnate, and she certainly wouldn't allow herself to be useless at a critical moment.

Beside them, Chen Keke finally summoned her courage, clutching the corner of her shirt and speaking in a low voice.

"Um... I want to get stronger too. I don't want to... I don't want to be a drag anymore."

Her eyes revealed a hint of determination; the craving for power had overcome her inner shyness. She didn't want to hide behind others when danger struck again; she had had enough of that feeling of helplessness.

Jiang Ning looked at the two in front of her, her gaze involuntarily drifting back to Fang Che, who was correcting the movements of other girls not far away.

Finally, she took a deep breath and made up her mind, slapping her own chest with a dull thud.

"Alright, let's do it."

She added, looking in Fang Che's direction.

"We'll go find him tonight. I refuse to believe the three of us can't outperform a newcomer who just arrived."

Fang Che was currently on the other side of the training ground, correcting the movements of the newly joined girls. His perception far exceeded that of an ordinary person, so he naturally noticed the three women whispering in the corner. When he met Xu Zhaozhao's gaze, he roughly understood what was going on.

This group of women certainly had a strong sense of crisis.

However, competition breeds motivation. In a place where survival is uncertain, complacency is equivalent to slow suicide. He needed a team with vitality and a desire to fight, not a group of vases waiting around to die.

He didn't point it out, continuing his training plan calmly as if he hadn't noticed anything.

...

Night fell.

The day of high-intensity training ended. The girls supported each other as they walked back to their individual rooms; extreme physical exhaustion caused them to collapse and fall asleep immediately, without even the energy to wash up.

The entire carriage fell into silence, save for the rhythmic sound of the Train traveling along the tracks.

After washing up and changing into shorts, Fang Che walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair and preparing to take inventory of the supplies. A knock on the door outside the corridor sounded right on time.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound seemed abrupt in the silent corridor.

He walked over and pulled open the door.

Three figures stood at the door.

Jiang Ning stood at the front, having changed into a clean sports tank top and shorts that highlighted her toned physique. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying hard to appear calm, but her wandering eyes and flushed earlobes completely betrayed her inner nervousness.

Xu Zhaozhao leaned against the doorframe, her freshly washed long hair damp and draped over her shoulders. Her gaze was fixed forward, a smile playing on her lips.

Chen Keke hid behind the other two, revealing only her nervous eyes, her hand gripping the corner of Xu Zhaozhao's shirt as her body trembled slightly.

Before Fang Che could speak, Xu Zhaozhao squeezed through the gap in the door.

She turned sideways and entered the room without hesitation, her body nearly pressing against Fang Che's.

Her warm breath hit the side of Fang Che's neck directly, causing a ticklish sensation.

Xu Zhaozhao's voice was soft and carried a hint of playfulness.

"Captain Fang~ The three of us are here to apply for some evening study tutoring. A special one-on-three session—you'll have to... teach us well."