Death Train: SSS-level talent right from the start!

The open space was quiet for a moment.

Then, people in the crowd started to move.

A group of five people was the first to emerge from the crowd.

The man at the front was around thirty years old and had a sturdy build. He turned his head and said something to the team members behind him, then walked into the forest without looking back.

They moved quickly and soon disappeared into the shadows among the ancient trees.

Immediately afterwards, another team of four followed.

Once someone started, others followed suit and made their choices.

Those who broke away from the main group did not speak, but silently walked in their chosen directions.

Chen Ye stood at the front of the crowd, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm, watching as the people disappeared one by one into the shadows of the forest.

These groups were clearly Level 10 passengers and still had some ability to protect themselves.

Huang Xuan and the tall, thin guy, who were previously in Jiang Ning's team, also chose to leave the main team.

After they left, the remaining people exchanged glances. A few hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to leave the main group.

Ten minutes later, the number of people in the station's open space decreased from one hundred to sixty-eight.

Chen Ye glanced at Su Jin and slightly raised his chin: "You can command the people who stay behind. We'll be responsible for clearing the way ahead."

Su Jin nodded: "No problem."

She turned to face the lower-class passengers who had chosen to stay, her voice softer than before: "Don't worry, everyone, since you've chosen to stay, we will do our best to ensure your safety."

"We don't need you to be cannon fodder, nor do we need you to charge into battle. What you need to do is stay close to the team, follow orders and don't cause trouble. When there is a battle, just act according to my instructions."

After she finished speaking, she turned her head and glanced at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye didn't say much, but took out the Demon-Slaying Halberd from his storage space, held it in his hand, and then strode towards the endless primeval forest.

This time, Gu Qinghuan didn't lag behind the group, but kept up with Chen Ye's pace.

Zhao Hai, Wen Ning, Qin Zhaoyang, and Zhou Yating followed closely behind.

Jiang Ning, along with Jian Lan and Li Jiahao, followed.

Lei Xing and Su Jin's team were together with the main force behind them.

The large group of 68 people left the station in a grand procession.

At the edge of the Blood Mist Forest, ancient trees reach for the sky, their canopies intertwining to form a dense, dark green dome nearly a hundred meters high, with only sporadic slivers of grayish-white sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves.

A faint red mist permeated the forest, like a thin veil of blood, drifting slowly between the tree trunks.

The fog had no smell, but visually it always gave people an ominous feeling, as if every breath was inhaling something unseen into the lungs.

The group of sixty-eight people moved slowly through the gaps between the ancient trees. Their footsteps made a dull sound on the thick layer of humus. Occasionally, they would step on a dead branch, and the sound of it snapping would carry far through the open forest.

The group walked for nearly half an hour, and the forest was unusually quiet.

There were no birdsong, no insect chirps, no sounds of any living creatures, only the whistling of the wind blowing through the treetops and the sound of people's footsteps on the fallen leaves.

"Hey bro, there aren't any monsters. How about we find a tree and chop it down? See if we can get that tree god's blessing?"

As Qin Zhaoyang spoke, he looked around as if searching for a tree that looked like a good target.

Chen Ye did not answer; instead, he raised his right hand, signaling the team to stop advancing.

The footsteps gradually stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Su Jin walked quickly up from the middle of the line.

Chen Ye withdrew his gaze: "We've been walking for so long and haven't encountered a single monster. Let's pick a tree to cut down and see what happens."

Lei Xing also walked up from behind, his gaze sweeping over the thick tree trunks: "I think it's fine. We need to figure out the rules here. Anyway, someone has to make the first move."

"It's best to let someone of a higher rank take the lead, so that they can respond immediately if anything happens."

Jiang Ning also came over at some point. He didn't get too close, but he did interject with a comment at the opportune moment.

"That doesn't sound like something you'd say."

Zhao Hai glanced at Jiang Ning, knowing her as he did, she should be the one choosing the guinea pig at this time.

"You seem to have forgotten the purpose of our group this time. If they all die, then we can expect the trains to merge."

Jiang Ning glanced at Zhao Hai, her tone indifferent.

After a moment's thought, Su Jin glanced at the people present and said, "I'll do it. My attack range is long, so no matter what happens, I'll have time to retreat."

As soon as she finished speaking, the long sword was drawn, its blade gleaming with a white light.

Su Jin gripped the knife and took two steps back, creating a distance of about ten meters between himself and the ancient tree. He slowly raised his arms, the tip of the knife pointing towards the tree trunk.

She took a deep breath, about to swing her sword.

"ah--!"

A piercing scream erupted from the rear of the column.

Su Jin stopped moving, the white light on the long sword suddenly receded, and she abruptly turned her head to look in the direction from which the sound came.

The crowd at the back of the line had already descended into chaos. Some people retreated in fear, some covered their mouths, and some instinctively pushed their way into the center of the crowd.

All eyes were focused on the same large tree.

Chen Ye frowned, turned around, and quickly walked towards the back of the crowd.

Zhao Hai and Wen Ning followed closely behind, and Su Jin, Lei Xing, Jiang Ning, and others also followed.

Chen Ye pushed through the crowd and his gaze fell on the roots of a giant tree ahead.

There, a headless corpse lay among the raised roots, dark red blood gushing from the severed neck, seeping into the humus on the ground.

The corpse's right hand was gripping an axe, the blade covered in sawdust and dark red liquid.

His head has been lost.

Lei Xing's face darkened, and his gaze swept across the crowd, landing on a thin man trembling.

He strode over and grabbed the man by the collar: "What's going on?"

The man's face was as white as paper, his lips trembled violently, and his Adam's apple bobbed several times before he managed to squeeze out a broken sentence: "Just now... just now he wanted to cut down a tree to see if he could get the blessing of the tree god."

His voice grew softer and softer, as if he were recalling what had just happened.

"He chopped down with his axe... and the tree bled... and then... then a dark shadow darted out. I didn't even see what it was before his head was gone... and I don't know where the shadow went."

Lei Xing loosened his collar and didn't press the matter further. He looked around, trying to find the dark figure the thin man had mentioned.

Su Jin's face darkened. She turned to look at the lower-class passengers still gathered around: "Didn't I tell you not to do anything, just follow the line?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a short-haired woman stepped forward from the crowd: "Sister Su, he just wants to complete the trial mission. Not only him, we also want to complete the trial mission. If we just keep following behind the group and do nothing, how can we complete the trial mission?"

As soon as these words were spoken, murmurs of agreement immediately arose from the crowd.

"She has a point... We'll still die if we don't complete the trial."

"Sister Su, can you guarantee that we will all receive the Tree God's blessing before the trial ends?"

"I just need to complete the trial mission; whether I get points or not doesn't matter."

Three more voices came from the crowd.

The lower-class passengers surrounded Su Jin, their expressions varied, but their eyes were filled with anxiety and a longing for the "Blessing of the Tree God".