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

Zhu Peng tilted his head, looking at Jiang Ning, his smile unwavering, repeating those two words over and over: "Ning... Brother... Ning... Brother..."

The sound became clearer and more coherent.

"Ning... Brother! Help... Help me..."

Zhu Peng stretched out his intact hand toward Jiang Ning, his five fingers spread out in the air as if grasping at a lifeline.

The eerie smile on its face finally disappeared, replaced by a twisted expression of pain.

"Brother Ning...it hurts so much...help me..."

Its eyes were no longer completely black; a faint light appeared in its pupils, like a candle flame about to go out making its last struggle.

Jian Lan stood there, stunned.

"Jian Lan, step back."

Jiang Ning's voice came from the front.

Jian Lan bit her lip and took two steps back. She raised her long sword, the tip pointing towards Zhu Peng.

Jiang Ning took a deep breath.

The roar of the Emperor's engine suddenly intensified within him.

A pale red aura exploded from within his body, more intense than ever before, enveloping him like a burning flame.

"Brother Ning...kill me...please...kill me..."

Zhu Peng's voice suddenly became clear, no longer the hoarse and distorted tone, but exactly the same as when he was alive.

His eyes had also fully returned to normal, with light shimmering in his black pupils.

The eerie smile on his lips vanished completely, replaced by a face contorted in pain.

Jiang Ning's eyes were bloodshot.

The roar of the Emperor's engine reached its peak within him.

The crimson figure vanished from its spot and reappeared in front of Zhu Peng the next second.

His right hand, with its five fingers joined together and palm like a knife, pierced through Zhu Peng's jaw from bottom to top, and his palm emerged from the top of his head.

"puff--!"

Black liquid and gray brain matter spurted from the wound, splashing all over Jiang Ning's face.

Zhu Peng's body stiffened.

Its eyes were still open, the light in its pupils rapidly fading, but as it looked at Jiang Ning, the corners of its mouth slowly curved up, this time not with a sinister smile.

"Thanks……"

After uttering the last two words, Zhu Peng collapsed to the ground and remained motionless.

Jiang Ning stood beside "Zhu Peng's" corpse, his palms still covered in black liquid and gray brain matter. The liquid dripped down his fingers and onto the ground beside the corpse.

His imperial engine was still roaring. A deep red aura flickered around his body.

"Brother Ning..."

Jian Lan's voice came from behind.

Jiang Ning did not turn around.

He slowly withdrew the hand that had pierced Zhu Peng's head, wiped it on his clothes to remove the liquid, then bent down and picked up the dagger from the ground.

Jiang Ning put the dagger into her storage space, straightened up, and took a deep breath.

"Zhu Peng is dead. If you want to live, cheer up."

He turned around, no longer looking at Zhu Peng's corpse, and rushed towards the monsters surging towards the east side of the square.

The crimson figure once again drew an arc in the night, the long blade slicing through the air, a bizarre human head flying up and rolling to the ground, the smile still on its face.

Jian Lan gritted her teeth and followed.

……

In the center of the square.

Chen Ye pulled his cleaver from the neck of a crawling monster, black liquid spurting out. The thing twitched twice and then went still.

He didn't have time to check his kill score on the system panel.

Monsters are still pouring out of the houses with open doors, their numbers at least double what they were ten minutes ago.

The square was filled with the sounds of battle.

The sounds of weapons cutting through the air, the roars of monsters, the cries of humans, and the screams of the wounded mingled together, creating a scene resembling a living hell.

"Brother Ye! Look over there!"

Qin Zhaoyang's voice came from the direction of the statue's base, trembling noticeably.

Chen Ye looked in the direction he was pointing, and then his pupils contracted slightly.

On the north side of the square, a monster was charging towards the crowd. The monster looked like a lump of rotting flesh, but the face on the lump of flesh was exceptionally clear.

Chen Ye recognized him; it was Qian Bin from their carriage, the one who traded a D-level skill book and two strength potions for a recovery potion to save his life.

Now he has also turned into a monster.

Qian Bin's facial features were clearly discernible. His eyes were twice the size of a normal person's, with completely black pupils. His mouth stretched to his ears, and he wore an exaggerated smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"That...that's Qian Bin?"

Qin Zhaoyang's voice changed. He held his crossbow in his hand, the arrow tip aimed at Qian Bin, who was crawling and wriggling rapidly, but he hesitated to pull the trigger.

Yesterday afternoon they even made a deal with Qian Bin. Although it was taking advantage of their misfortune, it was a mutually agreeable transaction.

Chen Ye frowned. Qian Bin, who had transformed into a monster, had already rushed to the edge of the square, less than thirty meters away from Qin Zhaoyang's position.

"Zhaoyang, what are you doing? Shoot it."

"Whoosh—!"

Qin Zhaoyang gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger.

The short arrow pierced the air and accurately pierced Qian Bin's left eye socket.

The arrow penetrated nearly five centimeters, leaving only the fletching sticking out.

Qian Bin's body jerked suddenly, but he did not fall.

Its head turned towards Qin Zhaoyang, its still-intact eye fixed on him, the smile on its lips unwavering.

Then it changed direction and charged towards Qin Zhaoyang at an astonishing speed.

Qin Zhaoyang's pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously took a step back, but with his back against the statue's base, there was no way to retreat.

"Brother Hai!"

Chen Ye's voice exploded in the night sky.

Zhao Hai had already charged past from the side, using his own body as a weapon.

Standing at 1.95 meters tall and weighing 100 kilograms, combined with his sprinting speed, he crashed into Qian Bin like an out-of-control truck.

"Bang--!"

Qian Bin's body was thrown into the air, tumbling twice before crashing heavily to the ground ten meters away.

Zhao Hai gave it no chance to catch its breath.

He rushed forward, pulled his right fist back, rotated his waist and hips, and smashed his iron fist, three times the force, onto Qian Bin's head.

"boom--!"

The head that once belonged to a human exploded like a watermelon.

Gray brain matter and black liquid splattered all over the ground. Qian Bin's headless corpse swayed twice and then fell down.

Zhao Hai stood beside the corpse, panting heavily, his metal fists covered in black liquid and gray brain matter.

"Damn it, isn't that Qian Bin?"

He cursed and turned to face another charging monster.

Chen Ye withdrew his gaze from Qian Bin's corpse.

He saw more.