Hundreds of people shoved and clamored like rolling waves to reach the train, but thousands held back, hesitant of what could potentially emerge. Feiyu was casually inspecting the clean cut in the wall from my sword, tapping the ground with his long blade.

As the number of adults increased, Amelia grew more intimidated and clung onto me harder. I quickly lifted her into my arms, where she would bury her head into my shoulder.

I thrust my sword into the train car’s door, trying to pry it open. Wei held the shoving parties back, his body a barrier.

Only one party was allowed per train car. Although there would be enough cars to satisfy every party thanks to the magic of the system, entering the first car of the train gave a perceived aura of power. There was no material benefit to it, but gods who were joining broadcasts late gravitated to the ones in the earlier cars. More liked to select “Broadcast Car #1” over “Broadcast Car #47.”

The train skidded to a halt when I finally managed to crack the door open. With the nod of my head, I gestured for my party to follow, but when I tried to step in, an invisible strange barrier shoved me back. My shoulder pressed into the barrier, and I strained to enter, but it shoved me back with equal strength.

“Sorry, Peijin,” Feiyu called out, easily maneuvering around the crowd that shrunk in his presence, “but my party has already claimed the first car.”

“But this car just opened…? ”I gawked as he led his party into the train. There were four people in total from his party walking in, but I only recognized two of them as characters. The one I didn’t recognize was a young girl who looked oddly familiar.

When I peered inside, forcefully pressing the side of my cheek against the invisible barrier, I saw the door connecting the first and second car had already been opeened. Their party must have claimed the first car using that.

I scowled and was about to pull back before a small black figure at the very front of the first car slowly turned to meet my gaze. A fifth party member. Shrouded in darkness, I was unable to make out any discernible features, but a shiver travelled through my spine. They must’ve been the one who used the connecting door. I instantly pulled back.

“Nice one,” Yue called out, rolling her eyes. “You can’t even enter the arc properly.”

Yang promptly elbowed her in the side, which caused her to reel over for a moment before cursing.

The front of the claimed train cars changed to display the party’s name. My eyes widened when I read the words that slowly formed in black ink before me.

“Twenty-Two.” Feiyu’s party.

[Hindsight activated!]

I stared at the name of Feiyu’s party for a moment, stunned. “Twenty-Two” wasn’t the name of his party in Surviving My First Run. So far, the apocalypse played out the exact same as it had in Surviving My First Run unless it was directly influenced by a disciple’s actions… what could have possibly made Feiyu change the name of his party?

“Yang,” I said, “Do you know why the name of the party is ‘Twenty-Two?’”

Yang shrugged. “Apparently, the party leader is really into tarot cards.”

Feiyu was certainly not into tarot cards.

I shook my head, getting rid of the thought. Was I a hired detective or something? Why the hell would I care if Feiyu now liked zodiac signs or palm readings? Quite frankly, if I was rich and alive, life was good. My top priority right now was the arc.

The cabin door shut as the train shifted, the next one opening with the sound of scraping metal. I instantly jumped in along with my party members and entered our party name to claim the car.

“Peijin’s World Dominion.”

“More like World Tyranny…” Yue muttered under her breath before quickly sitting on one of the cushioned rows of chairs.

Earlier, I had told Athena and Chang that I knew these dungeons would devolve into personalized horror rooms for each party member; however, if they asked for any specific details, they would quickly discover me to be a fraud.

Apart from Wei and Yue, I had no clue what these rooms were going to look like. These room was full of uncertainty, even for me, the author.

But one thing was for certain—my party needed to survive, so I could make the most out of this room. It was easy to lie to Athena and Chang by telling them I was a god—our contract discussion would remain private, and they wouldn’t be able to tell any other parties.

But I needed to convince the other disciples that I was a god, even if I was a fake. Words and promises were more convincing to the gods—man, however, would only consider a display of power as truth. I needed to become a stronger disciple by leveling up as much as possible before declaring I was a god.

The biggest threat and key to my goal was…

My gaze slowly shifted over to Wei; it was clear to any onlookers that he was… beyond strange. He resembled a historical cosplayer if anything.

For most of his life and the present time, Wei resembled a wagging and foolish dog, blindly loyal to whoever he latched onto. But, on the tragedy of his eighteenth birthday, Wei’s entire world would crumble, and he’d find himself entirely alone for the first time.

Stolen story; please report.

People would curse him ever since, calling him a dog. Men cursed him as a son of a bitch, women called him a little mutt, and worst of all, his friends damned him to a good-for-nothing mongrel.

Luckily, Wei had no recollection of this. But, Wei’s dungeon room would rekindle these lost memories—and he’d become a ticking time bomb with too much power for his own good.

If things went awry, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

For now, the best thing I could do was show my trust in him. Then, when the time came, he might remember me through his madness.

I handed Amelia to Wei, and he sat down with her on his lap, holding her still in case the train was to start moving.

“Do you have to argue with everything Peijin does?” Yang said, letting out a sigh. He was peering at the posters on the wall, tilting his head curious.

“Don’t worry about it, Yang,” I replied in a cheery tone. “Everything she says is either wrong or stupid. When she disagrees with me, it reassures me that my decision is the right one.”

“The hell? Are you sure you’re older than me? You act like a child!” Yue spat back.

I shrugged. “I’m not the one throwing a tantrum.”

To my side, Wei covered Amelia’s ears and made a hand puppet that blabbered incessantly, making fun of Yue.

“Wait, Yue, how old are you?” Yang asked, seeming to be entranced as he stared at the posters lining the windows of the train. They were large and elaborate, detailing countless scenes with small plaques below them.

Yue huffed as she crossed her arms, turning her head to the side. “What a rude question to ask a woman.”

Yang then turned to me, jerking his chin up to signal for me to answer the question if Yue wouldn’t.

Noticing his gesture, Yue quickly chimed in before I could respond. “I’m twenty-two.”

Yang’s gaze then shifted to the next poster, his hand tracing the strange, embossed plaque below. “And Peijin is twenty-four… Amelia, how old are you?”

“If you already knew how old Peijin was, why were you acting like you were going to ask her?” Yue quizzed, her brows furrowed.

“Because that’s the only way to get you to do something,” Yang replied nonchalantly.

“I really hate you guys.”

Yang uncovered Amelia’s ears and quietly repeated the question for her.

“I’m nine,” she replied, her voice still quiet and reserved.

“That’s strange,” Yang whispered under his breath, still staring at the posters. “All of these posters have our corresponding year of birth under them… Wei, how old are you?”

“I’m eighteen, why?”

“Your poster... it’s not here.”

Yue quickly scooted up behind, peeking around him to stare at her own posters. Her face immediately drained of color, turning a ghostly pale as she looked at what was depicted on her poster. “What the hell…”

The poster displayed a girl that shared a shocking resemblance to Yue herself. She was sitting on a remote island, completely alone. She was shrouded by darkness, with nobody and nothing in sight but herself.

Amelia let out a choked gasp at the sight of her own poster. To my surprise, instead of the poster showing a scene of her losing her parents, it was the large sea serpent from the first arc roaring as it hovered over a bridge. Wei quickly tightened his grip around her and shifted his weight to block her view.

I hesitantly looked at my own poster. It was… a terrible wave of fear hit me all at once, and I froze in place, my thoughts a jumbled mess. My hands became clammy, and my throat parched. I quickly looked at Yang, trying to ground myself in the familiarity of his existence.

I already knew my room was going to be one of the worst. It was a psychological one, so my entire mind would be toyed with. Ha, I really hated fourteen-year-old me for coming up with this cruel idea for an arc.

“What do you mean my poster isn’t here?” Wei said. “I’m eighteen. Just look for my year.”

“There’s only one other poster,” Yang said, pointing all the way at the end of the car. “And it’s dated back to more than two thousand years ago.”

Wei quickly stood up, gently passing Amelia to me before rushing to the end of the car. He stared at his poster; it depicted a stunning ancient Chinese temple, with curved, red tiled ceilings and a golden bell in the center. Countless floral trees surrounded it, disguising the cliff edge. Out of all the posters, it was the only one not outwardly horrific in its appearance.

“I…” Wei trailed off, his eyes repeatedly darting between the written year and the poster in front of him.

I watched Wei, glancing up his sleeve and noticing the band around his arm beginning to slither against him, slowly pulling away from his arm.

“Are you hiding something from us?” Yue questioned Wei, her voice pressing. “The posters match for the rest of us. Why would yours be any different?”

Wei shot me a pleading look and put both his hands in the air as if surrendering. “I swear, I’m not! Believe me! I really am eighteen. Do you want my ID?”

[Disciple Yue has activated ‘Lie Detector!’]

Yue was constantly surprising me despite me being her creator. She was gaining key skills left and right, and although they weren’t anything major to her character, her growth was unparalleled. The system truly rewarded people who shifted right into what it wanted.

[Disciple Wei is telling the truth.]

Both Yue and Yang’s face contorted into mixtures of confusion, speculation, and hesitancy. My hand gripped suspended strap from the ceiling as I readjusted my hold on Amelia.

Yue’s eyes tracked my movement. “What are you holding on for? We’re not even mov—”

The train lurched forward, causing Yue to slam into Yang with a loud cry. Yang quickly steadied her, grabbing her shoulders and holding her still. The lights flickered out, and everyone was sent into pitch blackness.

[Observers Chat]

Socrates: Jia Li, you already know what’s happening. Why aren’t you explaining it to them? You’re making Wei anxious.

I felt my way along the wall until I brushed against loose, flowy robes. “Wei,” I whispered quietly into his ear. “Calm down. I believe you, but the last thing you should do is get overwhelmed right now. That’s how you become nothing more than fodder to the gods.”

Divinity Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts is filled with a deep sense of dread.

Archangel Michael had way too many stars and too much spiritual energy if he was wasting it on messages like these.

The slithering on Wei’s arm calmed for a moment, and I could hear his breathing slow down. The lights soon flickered back on, and the clinical interior of the train greeted us once more, but the doors were open now. The sight of a rundown and cracked dungeon appeared before us, stretching out from the train platform.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I pointed at Yue and burst out laughing, reeling over as waves of laughter took over me. She was fearfully hanging onto an awkward Yang, his eyes wide and pleading and lips pressed into thin line.

“Shut up!” Yue cried, immediately shoving herself off of Yang.

[Observers Chat]

Nipon23: Good luck, Jia Li. You’ll need it this time. Even if you pretend it doesn’t exist, you saw your poster, and you know exactly what it means.

[ARC #2 — DUNGEONS OF GREAT TURMOIL]

Difficulty: D

Task: Kill all the beasts in as many dungeon rooms as possible. Each room will get progressively more difficult. Rewards will be given out at the end of each room. The more kills correlates to more stars for that party member. You will not proceed to the next room until all rewards are collected.

Time: 20 minutes

Reward: All items collected from dungeons and 10,000 stars per party member.

Failure: Death