27: Chapter 27 Choice, Flesh and Blood Greenhouse

"There are two ways to clear the 'Flesh Greenhouse'."

Fang Che's voice was not loud, yet it instantly drowned out the sound of everyone's heartbeats.

"First, we activate the Train's incineration system and burn down the entire Greenhouse. It's absolutely safe, but we won't get anything out of it, just wasting fuel while waiting for death."

He raised his hand, his fingertips tapping rhythmically against the cold metal tabletop.

"Tap... tap... tap..."

Each tap felt like it was striking their hearts.

"Second, we get off the Train and slaughter that LV5 Elite BOSS, the Rotting Gardener."

Fang Che straightened up, his gaze like a knife, sweeping across every face.

"I choose the second option."

Three words, leaving no room for anyone to argue.

In the corner, a few girls turned pale on the spot. Living a stable life wasn't enough for him? He had to go risk his life against an LV5 elite monster? He must be crazy!

"But it's so dangerous outside..." Relying on the support of the crowd, Li Wei squeezed half her body out of the throng, about to stir up some trouble.

Fang Che didn't even look at her, instead drawing an invisible line down the middle of the carriage.

"Those willing to get off the Train with me and kill monsters, stand to my left."

His voice was devoid of any warmth.

"Let me be clear: this time, all gains—whether experience, attributes, equipment, materials, or even a sip of water—belong only to those who fight."

He glanced at the empty space on the right.

"If you don't have the guts, stay on the right."

"I'm in!"

Jiang Ning was the first to step out. Teacher Qin Bing said nothing, simply adjusting her ill-fitting professional attire, and walked on her high heels directly to Fang Che's side. Her tall, curvaceous figure, combined with her 30-point Spirit attribute, created an invisible aura that forced the wavering girls nearby to take a step back.

Su Qingxue pushed up her glasses and joined the group in silence as well.

With leaders stepping forward, the psychological defenses of the others instantly collapsed.

"Damn it, I'm in! If I die, I die!"

"I'm done begging for scraps and reading people's faces!"

One by one, over a dozen more girls clenched their fists and moved to the left.

Soon, the group of over thirty people was clearly divided into two.

On the left, the fifteen-person suicide squad led by Fang Che.

On the right, Li Wei, Lin Xinyi, and others mingled with the twenty-plus "smart ones," their eyes fixed on the opposite side, filled with a mixture of fear, jealousy, and resentment.

Fang Che didn't even spare a glance for the group on the right, turning directly to open the LV3 crafting table panel.

[Low-Grade Fiber Armor] — Material properties perfectly counter plant-type dungeons!

Without a moment's hesitation, he tossed all the materials gathered in the team warehouse—enough for ten people—into the synthesis slot.

[Wood - 1000] [Fiber - 1000] [Iron Block - 500] Synthesize!

[Talent: Absolute Critical Hit triggered!] [Critical Multiplier: ×10!] Success!

A rainbow-colored light instantly expanded, swallowing most of the carriage. Everyone was forced to raise their hands to shield their eyes from the blinding radiance, unable to see a thing.

Immediately after, a continuous, deafening "clatter," like a landslide of metal and fiber colliding wildly, erupted from the center of the light!

When the intense light faded, everyone was stunned.

In front of the crafting table, there weren't just ten sets of armor. Instead, there was a small mountain of brand-new tactical armor, nearly half a person high! A full one hundred sets!

The heavy metallic sheen and the tough fiber stitching glimmered under the lights, radiating a maddening luster.

"Gulp." A chorus of swallowing echoed from the crowd on the right.

Lin Xinyi's neck stretched out long, her eyes widened like copper bells, and her breathing stopped. Ten sets of materials... one hundred sets of equipment? Is this f*cking a miracle?!

Data streams flashed wildly in Mu Waner's pupils as she reported the results at lightning speed:

[Low-Grade Fiber Armor] [Quality: Excellent] [Defense: +15] [Special Effect 1: Tough! Effectively resists piercing and tearing of LV3 and below!] [Special Effect 2: Anti-Poison! Reduces plant-type toxin damage by 20%!] [Rating: Beginner's ultimate gear!]

Boom! 15 points of defense! Double special effects! The fifteen-person phalanx on the left completely erupted!

"Combatants, step forward and claim your gear! One set of armor, one katana!"

Jiang Ning was the first to rush up, roughly pulling down a set of armor and putting it on. As the metal buckles locked with a "click," the solid feeling of being encased finally allowed her long-taut nerves to relax for a moment. Security! This was the sense of security that meant she could survive!

Soon, all fifteen people had finished changing into their gear.

"This isn't fair!" In the crowd on the right, Li Wei, watching the women opposite her who had upgraded their gear, couldn't hold back anymore and shrieked, "We can do logistics too! That's also a contribution! Why don't we get any equipment? Do you want us to die?!"

Her words were highly inflammatory, and a few girls nearby who hadn't gained anything immediately chimed in, attempting to use their numbers to apply pressure.

Fang Che couldn't even be bothered to turn around. Teacher Qin Bing moved.

She took a step forward, her 30-point Spirit attribute manifesting as an invisible yet mountainously heavy force that slammed into Li Wei.

"Thump!" Li Wei felt as if she had been hit head-on by a speeding truck. Her mind went blank, her legs gave way, and she collapsed straight down onto the cold metal floor. The two followers beside her who had chimed in were also hit by the aftershock, screaming as they too fell to their knees.

Li Wei's forehead struck the floor hard, her clothes instantly soaked in cold sweat. She tried to struggle, but found her bones aching all over, unable to move even a single finger.

"If you want things, go work," Teacher Qin Bing said, looking down at her with a cold voice. "If you don't want to put in the effort, shut your mouth."

"If you dare stir up trouble again, I'll throw you off the Train to serve as an appetizer for the things outside."

Li Wei trembled violently in terror, scrambling back into the crowd, clamping her hand tightly over her mouth, not daring to say another word.

Only then did Fang Che slowly turn around. He flicked his foot. "Clang!" A set of tactical armor with a faint glow was kicked out from the pile of gear, sliding across the floor with a harsh sound before coming to a stop on the line between the two groups.

The twenty-plus pairs of eyes on the right were instantly glued to this set of armor.

"Want it?" Fang Che's tone carried a hint of mockery.

"After we arrive and the doors open, whoever dares to stand guard at the doorway facing the mist outside for one hour," he gestured with his chin toward the armor on the floor, "after one hour, as long as she's still breathing, this thing belongs to her."

In an instant, the greed that had just appeared on those twenty-plus faces was swiftly replaced by extreme terror. In an environment that was absolutely advantageous to the monsters, being a sitting duck at the door for an hour? Forget an hour—they wouldn't even survive a minute!

This wasn't an opportunity; it was the most naked humiliation, a solid slap in the face to every one of them who wanted a free ride.

Fang Che ignored the ashen-faced women and turned to face his own team. "Check your weapons, prepare for battle."

Just then, the cold voice of the broadcast system sounded. [Notification: 30 minutes remaining until arrival at 'Flesh Greenhouse'.]

These thirty minutes were an unprecedented torment. Inside the carriage, on one side were the "clicks" of the suicide squad checking their gear and their suppressed breathing; on the other, the deathly silence of the bystanders and their uncontrollable fear.

Time ticked away second by second. The Train began to emit a teeth-grinding metallic screech as it slowly decelerated. The immense inertia made everyone unstable.

Outside the portholes, the originally barren wasteland had long since vanished, replaced by thick, rolling pink mist. It clung to the glass like a living thing, making it impossible to see anything outside. One could only faintly make out a massive, twisted glass dome deep within the mist, spanning the path ahead like the pale ribs of an ancient beast.

"Clang—!" The Train jolted violently and came to a complete stop. The world went silent in an instant.

Fang Che stood by the control panel at the front and pressed the door-open button. "Hiss—" The heavy metal pneumatic valves sprang open to the sides.

A cloyingly sweet floral scent, mixed with a stench of rot so intense it was nauseating, flooded the entire carriage like an invisible tsunami of filth!

Almost at the same time, outside the carriage door, a faint yet incredibly clear sound rang out... "Squelch." It sounded like something wet being chewed to pieces.