Chapter 19: First Cooperation

The rain outside tapped against the windows with a dense pitter-patter. The abandoned train had been started by someone unknown, and the friction between the wheels and the tracks produced a rhythmic, heavy roar as it sped toward an unknown destination deep within the dense forest.

The lights inside the carriage flickered, and the buzzing of electricity made their shadows stretch and shrink. The oppressive atmosphere was even heavier than before.

Rebecca Chambers leaned against the carriage wall, gripping her gun tightly. Listening to the sound of the moving train, she knit her brows. "The train actually started. We have no idea where it's going. It'll only get more dangerous if this continues."

Billy Coen stood not far away, his gaze quickly scanning every corner of the second-floor carriage. He tapped his fingers lightly against the wall, trying to find a shortcut to the front of the train. "That weird guy outside must have done this. The path through the carriages is full of monsters and blocked passages. Going over the roof is the only way to reach the front as quickly as possible."

He walked quickly to a half-open window on one side, pointed to the metal ladder hugging the side of the train, then turned to Rebecca Chambers and whispered instructions. "There's a ladder outside that leads to the roof. I'll go up first to scout the way. Stay here and don't wander off. Guard the stairs and call me immediately if anything happens."

"Be careful. The roof is slippery, and there might be unknown dangers," Rebecca Chambers cautioned instinctively. She tightened her grip on her gun, her worry becoming more apparent, no longer as guarded as before.

Billy Coen nodded and climbed out the window. The rain instantly soaked his short hair, and the cold wind pelted his face with raindrops. He gripped the rusty metal ladder firmly and climbed up steadily, step by step.

The strong wind from the moving train buffeted him, making him sway slightly, but he didn't panic at all. He soon reached the jolting roof.

"How is it? Is it safe up there?" Rebecca Chambers leaned out the window and called out softly toward the roof. Her voice was diluted by the wind, rain, and the roar of the train, barely carrying through.

"It's fine for now! The surface is very slippery; I'm heading toward the front!" Billy Coen leaned down and shouted back. He then crouched low, keeping his center of gravity down as he moved slowly across the jolting roof.

The train tilted slightly at a curve, and rainwater flowed continuously along the slope of the roof. Every step required extreme caution. After traveling the distance of three or four carriages, Billy Coen suddenly discovered a huge hole in the roof ahead. The edges of the sheet metal were twisted, and several exposed power lines hung over the hole, their ends still emitting faint electrical sparks.

Billy Coen stopped and slowly approached the hole. He leaned down to check the power line interface, then reached out to grab the wet wires, carefully aligning them with the control interface in an attempt to reconnect them.

Just as the power lines were precisely connected, a sudden change occurred!

The controller on the roof suddenly emitted a piercing electrical "sizzle." Immediately after, a massive torrent of water erupted from the controller's interface. The current was swift and powerful, and the unprepared Billy Coen was instantly knocked down. He slid across the slippery roof toward the massive hole.

He instinctively reached out to grab something to steady himself, but the current was too fast and the roof was too slippery. There was nothing to hold onto. He fell straight through the hole and landed heavily on the floor of the carriage below.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Billy Coen landed, his whole body aching. He endured the discomfort and stood up quickly.

The sound of a heavy object hitting the floor came from inside the carriage. Rebecca Chambers's heart tightened, and she immediately shouted toward the source of the sound, "Billy! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, I just fell!" Billy Coen rubbed his aching shoulder and stood up, quickly scanning his surroundings. He found that the carriage door was jammed shut by a heavy metal fixture and couldn't be pushed open. "This door is stuck. I can't get out. I need something sharp to pry the lock!"

He searched the carriage quickly and unexpectedly found a metal key engraved with the train's emblem in a tin box. His gaze shifted to a small food service elevator in the corner. Billy Coen immediately placed the key into the transport box and manually operated the elevator to go down, while shouting to the outside, "Rebecca, I found a train key. I've sent it to you via the service elevator. Go to the Dining Car and get it!"

"Got it! I'm going now!" Rebecca Chambers immediately set off, running quickly through the corridor toward the Dining Car. Watching the transport box descend slowly, she picked up the cold metal key. "I've got the key. What does it open?"

"It should be a key to an important room. See if you can open the Conductors Office first; there must be clues about the front of the train in there!" Billy Coen's voice came through the gaps in the carriage, sounding steady.

Relying on her memory, she passed through several carriages and found the door to the Conductors Office. She inserted the key into the lock, gave it a gentle turn, and the door clicked open.

The Conductors Office wasn't large, containing a desk, a filing cabinet, and an old chair. Documents and pens were scattered across the desk, everything looking as though it had been suddenly abandoned. Rebecca Chambers closed the door behind her and immediately picked up the briefcase on the desk, searching through it quickly.

The documents inside were dense, recording the train's logs and safety control instructions. She flipped through them quickly and finally found the key information: the security door leading to the Driver's Cab required a special Keycard to open.

Putting the documents down, Rebecca Chambers didn't delay. She knew Billy Coen was still trapped in the carriage and had to find something sharp to help him open the door as soon as possible.

A folding metal ladder happened to be in the corner of the office. She immediately unfolded it and climbed up to the storage loft above the office. In a tool box in the corner, she found a sharp, hard Ice Pick. The point was sharp enough to pry the metal block jamming the door.

With the Ice Pick in hand, Rebecca Chambers wanted to head back. But just as she reached the middle of the second-floor carriage, a sudden loud noise shattered the silence!

Clang—!

A deafening sound of metal tearing erupted. The roof of the second floor was suddenly smashed through by two massive, dark, thorn-covered pincers. The sheet metal twisted and tore instantly as a gargantuan monster slowly crawled down from the hole in the roof!

It was a Giant Mutated Scorpion, its body dozens of times larger than a normal one. Its dark brown shell was incredibly hard, and its two massive pincers made a piercing grinding sound as they opened and closed. The stinger on its tail was held high, glinting with a cold, sinister light. Its eight long legs stepped onto the carriage floor with heavy thuds, and its murky compound eyes locked onto Rebecca Chambers, radiating a thick, ferocious aura.

Rebecca Chambers's face turned pale instantly, and she instinctively backed away, her heart pounding wildly. This monster was far larger and more ferocious than the zombies or Leech Zombies from before; her handgun wouldn't be able to cause any effective damage to it.

The giant scorpion let out a sharp hiss and moved its long legs to give chase quickly. Its massive pincers slammed down behind Rebecca Chambers, denting the carriage floor instantly. Rebecca Chambers rushed into the storage room with all her might and closed the door behind her, but a single strike from the pincers smashed the door into a deformed, shattered mess.

Without a moment's hesitation, she rushed forward and grabbed the Shotgun from the corner. She expertly chambered a shell and raised the gun in a clean, swift motion. The giant scorpion burst through the door and lunged at her. Rebecca Chambers gritted her teeth, steadied her trembling hands, aimed at the scorpion's soft underbelly, and pulled the trigger hard!

Bang!

The Shotgun's power was immense. The pellets instantly struck the scorpion's belly, and black bodily fluids sprayed out. The giant scorpion shrieked in pain, its movements faltering for a moment. Rebecca Chambers seized the opportunity to keep backing away, re-aimed, and pulled the trigger again, landing several precise shots on the monster's vital spots.

The giant scorpion struggled for a moment before its massive body collapsed to the floor, no longer moving. Its hard shell was riddled with bullet holes, and thick, foul fluids flowed all over the floor.

Rebecca Chambers panted heavily, her arms slightly numb from the Shotgun's recoil. Cold sweat soaked the clothes on her back. She didn't dare linger. After confirming the monster was dead, she immediately took the Ice Pick and hurried to the service elevator in the Dining Car. She placed the Ice Pick in the transport box and operated the switch to send it to the carriage where Billy Coen was.

Trapped inside the carriage, Billy Coen was searching everywhere for a tool to pry open the door when he suddenly saw the Ice Pick arrive via the small elevator. Understanding immediately, he picked up the Ice Pick and walked to the carriage door.

He inserted the sharp Ice Pick into the gap in the door, aimed it at the jammed metal block, and used all his strength to pry it. With a crisp "crack," the metal block popped off, and the door was finally opened.

Billy Coen pushed the door open and moved quickly through the carriages, soon meeting up with Rebecca Chambers in the Dining Car. Rebecca Chambers's face was still a bit pale, but seeing Billy Coen unharmed, her heart finally settled. "It's good you're okay. That was too dangerous."

"Thanks for sending the Ice Pick over in time." Billy Coen looked at her slightly disheveled appearance. His previous slight disdain had lessened, replaced by a sense of recognition.

The train was still speeding along, and the jolting sensation grew stronger. Neither of them dared to delay, and they each took stock of their supplies. Rebecca Chambers took out her extra handgun magazines and handed them to Billy Coen. "I have extra handgun ammo here; take it."

Billy Coen took the magazines and then pulled out all the Shotgun shells he had, placing them in Rebecca Chambers's hand. "The Shotgun suits you better. Take all the shells. Next, we need to find the Keycard and get to the front. We have to look out for each other."

"Yeah. Once we find the Keycard, we can go to the front, stop the train, and get out of this hellhole." Rebecca Chambers tucked away the ammo, her eyes determined. Her original wariness was gradually fading, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.

Billy Coen nodded, his gaze turning to the passage opening next to the Dining Car. "The documents said the Driver's Cab needs a Keycard. We have to find it now. The train is still moving; we can't delay any longer."

"Okay, let's go together." Rebecca Chambers gripped her gun tightly. The roar of the train grew louder, and the path ahead was still full of unknowns, but the two had finally set aside their differences and truly begun to face this desperate situation side by side.