7: Chapter 7 Modified Version, Gale-force Barricade Armor

Su Chen's thunderous roar overrode all the screams and ghostly wails with sheer dominance.

The girls in the carriage fell silent instantly, their eyes turning toward that god-of-war-like man with both terror and hope.

"Train Master... are we going to die?"

Su Xiaoxiao sat slumped on the floor, her voice thick with tears.

"Die? On my train, it's not that easy to die even if you want to."

A cold and crazed arc curled at the corners of Su Chen's mouth.

He turned abruptly and strode back into the driver's cabin.

"Chu Qingxue! Zhang Man! Take some people and tear down every piece of iron in the carriage, even rusty screws, and throw them into the driver's cabin!"

"Hurry!"

Su Chen's command was brief, but it carried an unquestionable iron-blooded will.

Chu Qingxue didn't hesitate for a second; she didn't even ask why.

"Did you all hear that? If you don't want to die, do as the Train Master says!"

This cold school beauty and class monitor erupted with incredible decisiveness at this moment.

She was the first to pull a rusty iron pipe from a seat and stumbled toward the driver's cabin.

Zhang Man was like a maddened lioness, violently snapping several scrap iron bars from the carriage joints with her bare hands.

Under the threat of death, the girls' potential was fully unleashed.

Lunch boxes, iron wires, and some even resolutely pulled out the underwires from their bras, tossing everything into the driver's cabin.

Meanwhile.

Su Chen solemnly took out the [Wind Elemental Core] he had traded from Lin Momo earlier that day from his system inventory.

This crystal, emitting a faint cyan glow, looked beautiful and mysterious in this cold, desperate night.

"Success or failure depends on this one move."

Su Chen took a deep breath, his gaze instantly becoming sharp.

He slammed both hands onto the deep blue core crystal in the center of the train's control console.

"Omni-Modification!"

"Fuse! Train Armor Enhancement!"

[Ding! Target detected: train no. 0099 (Level 0), a large amount of scrap iron, Rare Wind Elemental Core!]

[Talent effect triggered: Searching for hidden fusion recipe...]

[Recipe locked: Consume 50 Spirit Points to reconstruct the train's hull into Black Iron Top-tier Armor!]

"50 Spirit Points? I'm going all in!"

Su Chen let out a wild roar in his heart.

Boom—!

In an instant, Su Chen's face turned as pale as paper, and an intense wave of dizziness and tearing pain surged deep within his brain.

That was the price for having his Spirit Points violently drained in a second.

But at the same time.

A brilliant, even blinding, cyan-gray light erupted from where Su Chen's hands met the train core!

This light was like a living gale, overbearingly sweeping through the mountain of scrap iron in the driver's cabin.

Those rusty iron pipes, lunch boxes, and underwires were like snow meeting fire the moment they touched the cyan-gray light.

They instantly melted into pools of pure liquid metal!

Following that, this liquid metal, containing massive wind energy, followed the train's core network and spread frantically throughout the entire train!

"Kacha kacha kacha—"

A dense sound of metal restructuring echoed all around the train.

Under the shocked and disbelieving gazes of the girls in the carriage.

The thin, rusty green shell that was about to be smashed by the Mist Wraiths.

Underwent an incredible transformation in just a few seconds!

A layer of cold, hard cyan-black metal armor, five centimeters thick, rapidly covered the surface of the entire train like dragon scales!

This armor was not only heavy but also featured a perfect streamlined design.

On the surface of the armor, mysterious cyan wind-elemental magic patterns faintly flickered.

Meanwhile.

"Shua! Shua! Shua!"

Outside the dozen or so fragile glass windows on both sides of the train.

Heavy explosion-proof metal shutters descended as swiftly as guillotine blades, completely sealing off all blind spots for the Mist Wraiths' attacks!

The Heavenly Dao System's cold voice, tinged with a rare hint of shock, exploded in Su Chen's mind!

[Ding! Congratulations to Train Master Su Chen of train no. 0099 for successfully triggering the SSS-grade unique hidden recipe!]

[Modification successful!]

[Obtained Train Module: Gale Abatis Armor (Black Iron Top-tier)!]

[Armor Attributes: The train's overall defense has increased by a terrifying 300%!]

[Streamlined design and wind energy blessing: Train speed has increased by a significant 20%!]

[Exclusive Effect (Wind Blade Abatis): When the armor surface is hit by physical or spiritual attacks, there is a 30% chance to automatically release sharp micro wind blades for a counterattack!]

The moment the system prompt ended.

The frenzied Mist Wraiths outside the windows slammed into the newly formed Gale Abatis Armor once again.

However, this time.

What met them was no longer fragile glass, but a violent death backlash!

"Zheng—!"

The mysterious cyan magic patterns on the armor's surface flashed brilliantly.

Hundreds of sharp micro wind blades, almost invisible to the naked eye, abruptly shot out from the armor's surface!

"Si-ah—!"

Accompanied by a series of shrill, hair-raising screams.

The Mist Wraiths that slammed into the armor were instantly shredded into countless pieces by these terrifying wind blades!

Their illusory bodies were like popped bubbles, turning into dots of black light and completely dissipating into the cold night.

[Ding! Killed Mist Wraith (Lv3), obtained survival points: 2.]

[Ding! Killed Mist Wraith (Lv3), obtained survival points: 2.]

...

Listening to the dense notifications of points being credited to his account.

A satisfied, cold smile finally appeared on Su Chen's face, which was pale from overdrawing his Spirit Points.

Inside the carriage.

All the girls stared blankly at everything.

They looked at the indestructible, heavy metal shutters.

They listened as the shrill ghostly wails outside gradually faded away, eventually replaced by the steady sound of the train moving.

They clearly realized.

They were saved.

The train's durability not only completely stopped its dangerous decline, but with the addition of the armor, it began to slowly self-repair.

Silence.

In the entire carriage, there were only the heavy breaths of the girls.

Then.

All eyes turned toward the driver's cabin door as if by prior agreement.

There.

Su Chen was casually leaning against the doorframe with one hand.

His sharp-featured, cold profile, illuminated by the fire in the driver's cabin, looked so domineering and peerless.

He just stood there calmly.

Yet he was like an invincible god, overbearingly controlling the power of life and death on this train!

Chu Qingxue leaned against the cold seat.

In her cold, beautiful eyes, a strong, strange light now flickered.

She watched Su Chen's back intently, and her heart actually skipped a beat.

In this desperate apocalypse.

This man was that blinding beam of light.

Lin Momo even more exaggeratedly clutched her heart with both hands.

Her large, watery eyes had completely turned into infatuated hearts.

"Train Master Big Brother... so handsome... he's so handsome my legs are going weak..."

This soft and cute popular sweetie had now completely fallen for him in her heart.

Su Chen took a difficult deep breath, forcing down the intense dizziness deep in his brain.

He turned around coldly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the carriage like a knife.

"Tonight, we are safe."

Su Chen's voice was low, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Next, Chu Qingxue, Zhang Man, Su Xiaoxiao."

"The three of you take the lead, divide everyone into three groups, and take turns on night watch."

"Everyone else, rest where you are and sleep."

"Remember, on my train, I don't keep idlers, nor do I keep fragile useless people."

Having said that, Su Chen turned and walked into the driver's cabin, slamming the iron door shut.

This domineering and decisive manner.

Not only did it not cause any resentment, but it caused Su Chen's status in the girls' hearts to climb to a terrifying new height once again.

However.

Just as the atmosphere in the carriage finally relaxed.

And the girls were preparing to close their tired eyes to rest.

A discordant turn of events suddenly occurred once more.

"So cold... I'm so cold..."

A weak, painful groan came abruptly from the middle of the carriage.

Chu Qingxue opened her eyes sharply and walked over quickly.

She saw a girl named Wang Yue curled up in her seat in pain.

She was trembling excessively, her forehead covered in fine beads of cold sweat.

What was even more hair-raising.

Her originally fair skin was now tinged with a weird, deathly gray!

"Wang Yue, what's wrong?"

Chu Qingxue reached out worriedly to touch her forehead.

"Hiss—so hot!"

Chu Qingxue pulled her hand back in shock; Wang Yue's body temperature was terrifyingly high, like a furnace!

Just then.

Wang Yue rolled over in pain.

Her calf, exposed by her short denim shorts, was revealed to everyone.

"Ah—!"

The surrounding girls instantly let out terrified screams and scrambled backward.

On Wang Yue's fair calf.

There were three terrifying claw marks that were deep enough to see the bone!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The flesh around the wound had already severely blackened and rotted.

Foul-smelling, putrid black blood was slowly oozing from the wound!

"This is... a Ghoul's scratch marks!"

Zhang Man widened her eyes in terror, her voice trembling.

"She was scratched by a Ghoul during the day! And she actually didn't dare to say anything!"

This terrifying truth instantly plunged the entire carriage into desperate panic once more.

"She's going to mutate! She'll turn into a monster!"

"Stay away from her! It's contagious!"

The girls who were usually close to Wang Yue now heartlessly kept their distance, their eyes filled with intense fear and disgust.

The cruel laws of the apocalypse were displayed vividly at this moment.

Wang Yue despairingly opened her eyes, which were already beginning to lose focus.

She helplessly reached out, trying to grab the hem of Chu Qingxue's clothes as she approached.

"Class monitor... save me... I don't want to turn into a monster... I'm really so scared..."

The shrill, mournful plea made Chu Qingxue bite her cherry lips in pain.

Although she was rational, she was not a cold-blooded machine after all.

However, facing the terrifying zombie virus, even she, a powerful Ice-type ability awakener, was helpless.

"We must immediately report this to the Train Master and have her... expelled from the train."

Chu Qingxue made this cruel decision with great difficulty.

Because once Wang Yue completely mutated within the enclosed carriage.

It would be a terrifying disaster for everyone.

Just as Chu Qingxue turned around with difficulty, preparing to knock on the iron door of the driver's cab.

A gentle, mature, yet firmly powerful voice rang out in the chaotic carriage.

"Wait a moment."

Everyone looked toward the sound in surprise.

They saw the young and beautiful counselor accompanying the group, Liu Ruyan, step out elegantly.

She pushed through the crowd with difficulty and walked to the side of the suffering Wang Yue.

At this moment, Liu Ruyan.

Her tight white shirt had two buttons popped open due to the previous strenuous activity.

Large, alluring stretches of snowy white, deep cleavage were exposed to the air without reservation.

Her hot, proud bust heaved exaggeratedly with her rapid breathing.

Exuding the breathtaking charm of a mature woman.

But at this moment, her eyes were clear and compassionate.

"I am your counselor. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will never easily give up on my student."

Liu Ruyan knelt down gently.

The curves of her full buttocks pulled the tight black hip-hugging skirt taut, looking alluring.

Disregarding the foul-smelling black blood on Wang Yue's leg.

She gently placed her hands over the terrifying wound.

"Teacher Liu, you're crazy! You'll easily get infected!"

Zhang Man shouted anxiously.

But Liu Ruyan just shook her head slightly.

"Don't be afraid, I have awakened a rare S-rank ability."

Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, and a brilliant green light of life suddenly erupted from her beautiful eyes!

"S-rank ability—[Life Recovery]!"

An emerald green light bloomed from Liu Ruyan's fair palms.

This light was full of vitality, as if it could soothe all the pain in the world.

The power of the S-rank ability [Life Recovery] was fully displayed at this moment.

Wang Yue, enveloped by the green light, let out a comfortable hum.

The three terrifying scratch marks on her calf, deep enough to see bone, were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The foul-smelling black blood that had been continuously oozing out slowly turned into bright red.

The surrounding girls widened their eyes in succession, watching this scene, which was like a miracle, in disbelief.

However, the cost of using an S-rank ability was also enormous.

Liu Ruyan was just an ordinary woman who had just awakened her ability.

The initial mental energy within her was simply not enough to support such a huge consumption.

In just over ten seconds, Liu Ruyan's smooth forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

These sweat droplets slid down her long, swan-like neck and vanished into that deep, alluring cleavage.

The white shirt that was already tight on her body was now completely soaked through with sweat.

The semi-transparent fabric clung tightly to her skin, outlining hot curves that would make any man's blood boil.

"Teacher Liu, are you okay?"

Chu Qingxue looked at the swaying Liu Ruyan with concern.

Liu Ruyan bit her delicate red lips tightly, her stunning face now as pale as paper.

She only felt waves of needle-like stinging pain coming from deep within her brain.

The scene before her eyes began to blur and double, and her legs were so weak she could barely stand.

But she still held on tenaciously, refusing to move her hands from Wang Yue's wound.

"Just a little more... it will be done soon..."

Liu Ruyan's voice was so weak it felt like it could be blown away by a gust of wind.

Just at the moment she was about to completely overdraw her mental energy and fall into a coma.

The iron door of the driver's cab was pushed open.

Su Chen had arrived behind her, unknown to anyone.

He had actually noticed the commotion outside long ago.

Before stepping out of the cab, Su Chen had casually taken out the two low-level monster cores dropped from the Ghoul he had just killed.

He activated the [Omni-Modification] ability without hesitation.

Accompanied by a faint dark golden light flashing.

The two fishy-smelling monster cores instantly melted and reorganized.

Finally turning into a glass test tube filled with a deep blue liquid.

This was the [Primary Mental Recovery Potion] created through modification.

Su Chen strode behind Liu Ruyan and extended his strong, powerful right arm.

He wrapped his arm around Liu Ruyan's soft, slender waist that could be encircled with one hand.

"Ah!"

The sudden physical contact made Liu Ruyan let out a delicate cry.

She instinctively wanted to break free from this aggressive embrace.

But Su Chen's arm was like an iron clamp, pressing her full, hot body tightly against his chest.

Through the thin fabric, Su Chen could even clearly feel the astonishing surging waves.

"Don't move."

Su Chen's deep and magnetic voice rang in Liu Ruyan's ear.

Accompanied by the man's breath, a strong scent of male hormones instantly surrounded this dignified counselor.

Liu Ruyan's whole body went limp, and she completely lost the strength to resist.

She could only collapse helplessly onto Su Chen's broad chest, panting heavily.

"Open your mouth."

Su Chen didn't give Liu Ruyan any time to think.

He extended his left hand and, without hesitation, pinched Liu Ruyan's delicate, luscious red lips.

With a slight squeeze of two fingers, he forced her alluring little mouth to open slightly.

Liu Ruyan opened her eyes, which were filled with mist, in confusion.

Before she could see what was in Su Chen's hand, a stream of cold liquid was forcibly poured into her mouth.

This was the bottle of [Primary Mental Recovery Potion].

The potion dissolved upon entering her mouth, turning into a cool stream of water that traveled down her throat straight to her stomach.

Immediately after, an incomparably pure energy instantly exploded within Liu Ruyan's body!

Her originally exhausted mental energy, like parched land meeting sweet rain, was being rapidly nourished and replenished.

The stinging pain deep in her brain vanished without a trace.

Replacing it was an unprecedented sense of comfort and clarity.

As her mental energy instantly recovered, the green light of life on Liu Ruyan's hands surged violently!

"Sizzle—"

With the last trace of black blood purified, the wound on Wang Yue's leg healed completely, leaving not even a single scar.

"I... I'm healed?"

Wang Yue touched her smooth calf in disbelief, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Thank you, Teacher Liu! Thank you, Train Master!"

Wang Yue was so excited she was incoherent, quickly scrambling up from the seat and bowing repeatedly.

The surrounding girls also breathed a sigh of relief, their gazes toward Su Chen and Liu Ruyan filled with admiration.

Although the crisis had been resolved, Liu Ruyan was still leaning in Su Chen's arms and did not get up.

It wasn't that she didn't want to get up, but she was now completely limp and couldn't muster any strength.

She pressed her burning cheeks against Su Chen's chest, and could clearly hear the man's strong, powerful heartbeat.

"Thump thump... thump thump..."

Every heartbeat seemed to strike at Liu Ruyan's heart.

This beautiful counselor, who was usually dignified and elegant on the podium, had her cheeks flushed completely red at this moment.

She slightly lifted her delicate chin, and in the eyes looking at Su Chen, there was less of the dignity of a teacher.

Instead, there was a hint of indescribable ambiguity and deep reliance.

In this wasteland world where life is as cheap as grass, the nature of women is to admire the strong.

And Su Chen's extremely domineering action of feeding her medicine just now not only didn't make her resentful, but instead directly pierced through her inner defenses.

"The medicine has been absorbed enough, hasn't it?"

Su Chen curled his lips into a playful smile, looking down at the docile Persian cat in his arms.

Liu Ruyan shyly lowered her eyelids and gave a soft affirmative sound, her voice as quiet as a mosquito.

Seeing this, Su Chen's right hand, which was wrapped around her slender waist, slid downward.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound appeared exceptionally abrupt in the quiet carriage.