“What? What rumor?” KIKI asked in confusion after hearing their conversation.
Shu Qin’s expression was complicated. She glanced at KIKI, then at Lin Xian.
“They’re talking about the rumor of the Predator Effect. You’ve never heard of it?”
“Predator Effect?” Lin Xian’s eyes sharpened. “Does it have anything to do with what’s happening here?”
Shu Qin’s gaze darkened slightly. “It’s just so baseless rumors.”
“Rumors?!” Upon hearing that, Zhou Yixuan walked over, looking tense. “Didn’t we experience exactly that in Qu Guan when we tead up with Old Xu and the others? That very night, we were hit by a corpse horde!”
“We already told you—that was the Black Crow Four’s doing!” Shu Qin imdiately retorted.
“But what about the Blood Fiends afterward? We lost four vehicles that night!” Zhou Yixuan’s agitation grew. “And Yubei City—why were there so many zombies and monsters? A lot of people think it wasn’t normal at all! There were too many survivors gathered there, and that triggered the Predator Effect. Now, all the way along our route, we haven’t seen any other convoys except Fireline Convoy, and they’re the ones who got attacked. They rged three convoys together, Shu Qin—doesn’t that prove it?”
Lin Xian instantly understood. In truth, he had already considered this theory himself, just as Zhou Yixuan had.
“So you’re saying that the more people there are, the more eerie entities show up to hunt them? Is that the idea?” Chen Sixuan spoke up.
Shu Qin nodded solemnly. “That’s right. There have been rumors circulating on survivor radio stations that the bigger a survivor group gets, the more eerie entities and monsters they encounter. But there’s another explanation: if two prey being chased suddenly et, what does that an?”
“It ans there are two hunters behind them,” Lin Xian replied.
“Exactly. Either way, it suggests that the larger the group, the greater the danger. Right now, a lot of survivors are banding together, but maybe that’s exactly what these monsters want,” Zhou Yixuan said.
“They want to wipe us out in one fell swoop!” A girl in the group exclaid fearfully.
Lin Xian’s eyes narrowed. This theory did seem plausible. In fact, he leaned more toward the hunter explanation.
The way the Red Dragonflies pursued them, the Pale Giant’s chase, and even the Atmospheric Mica targeting the Iron Guard Brigade—whether it was re coincidence or sothing more sinister, there was a pattern forming.
“I get it now.”
Lin Xian nodded. “So you’re saying that if you join up with us, it’ll bring even more danger?”
“Captain Lin…” Shu Qin was about to speak, but Lin Xian raised a hand, signaling her to let him finish.
Zhou Yixuan, who had been so worked up just monts ago, suddenly hesitated. His expression flickered with uncertainty.
Back in the maintenance workshop, he hadn’t been particularly eager to rge groups. Lin Xian had noticed that—not everyone in Shu Qin’s team shared the sa mindset.
“No, Captain Lin, that’s not what I ant…” Zhou Yixuan’s face paled. His voice trembled slightly. “Everyone knows that following ability users or large convoys increases your chances of survival. It’s true—just look at Silver Star, Dragon Mountain One, or even Phoenix. But for ordinary people like us, suddenly rging with a big group also ans higher risks that don’t match our strength. I’m just… worried… that we’ll beco dead weight for Infinite Train.”
As he spoke, the mbers of Shu Qin’s convoy had complicated expressions. Their gazes shifted subtly.
Lin Xian looked at Zhou Yixuan and imdiately saw through his lie.
He wasn’t actually afraid of being dead weight—he was afraid of being cannon fodder for the ability users.
And truthfully, his fear wasn’t entirely irrational. If the Predator Effect was real, then rging a group of strong ability users and a massive convoy would inevitably attract bigger threats. And for ordinary survivors, that could an disaster.
But overanalyzing like this—trying to navigate survival with such a perfect risk-avoidance strategy—was an extre way of thinking.
Simply put, most normal people wouldn’t think like Zhou Yixuan. Even if they did, they wouldn’t say it aloud—because in the end, it wouldn’t change anything. Sticking together, following stronger people, and seeking safety was human instinct.
Yet Zhou Yixuan’s fear had overpowered his rationality. He had taken all the hardships they’d faced so far and blad them on Shu Qin rging with other convoys, disregarding the Predator Effect. As an ordinary person, he felt powerless to change anything, so he saw Shu Qin joining Infinite Train as a looming disaster—one that would ultimately harm his people.
And after witnessing the death of Zhong Jiahao’s entire family, Zhou Yixuan’s urge to flee had only intensified.
Lin Xian glanced at him, then at the others. The air was thick with the scent of blood from the road. His voice was calm but carried weight.
“Whether the Predator Effect is real or not, unity has always been how humanity amplifies its influence. I respect your decision.”
He turned to Shu Qin.
“There are plenty of usable vehicles here, including heavy trucks. It’s still early—if you leave now, you should reach Hengshan Pass before dark. Anyone who wants to join us is still welco, but they have to be prepared to die, because the monsters ahead will only be more terrifying than the ones we’ve faced before. If anyone has doubts or hesitations, take a vehicle and go your own way.”
The mont he finished speaking, Zhou Yixuan’s mind cleared slightly—but hesitation flickered across his face.
Before him were fully equipped Fireline Convoy heavy trucks. If he stuck to his own logic, this was actually a great opportunity.
Zhou Yixuan turned to Shu Qin. But she only gave him a calm, indifferent look.
“I respect your decision,” she said.
“…Thank you, Shu Qin.”
Zhou Yixuan’s expression was stiff, the atmosphere heavy. He said nothing more, simply returned to his vehicle and began packing his belongings. Three others followed suit.
Together, the four of them took one heavy truck and one off-road vehicle. After a brief farewell, they drove away into the distance.
Shu Qin’s convoy was left in a somber silence.
Lin Xian watched them go and sighed inwardly.
When he first built his team, he had already prepared for people to leave at any ti—whether for survival or personal gain. The sa applied to Chen Sixuan, KIKI, Da Lou, and the others.
No matter how foolish a person’s reasons might seem, everyone made their own choices.
In this ruined apocalypse, talking about human nature was naive. Ordinary or not, survival was the only priority.
Lin Xian turned to Shu Qin, his expression serious.
“And you?”
“I’ll follow you.”
Shu Qin’s voice was firm. “If you don’t want , I’ll take my people and leave right now.”
At those words, Shasha gripped Chen Sixuan’s sleeve anxiously. The entire Infinite Train squad sensed the tension in the air.
anwhile, the remaining mbers of Shu Qin’s convoy stared at Lin Xian, eyes filled with silent desperation.
No matter their individual reasons, those who chose to stay wanted to board Infinite Train.
Lin Xian swept his gaze over them, his expression sharp.
“Whether the Predator Effect is real or not, perhaps tonight we’ll end up just like Fireline Convoy—completely wiped out. If you’re getting on my train, be ready for that. The union of survivors is inevitable. If unity isn’t enough to survive, then we’ve failed the Spaceport Security Regint and Iron Guard Brigade for the sacrifices they made.”
“So open your eyes and look clearly—”
Lin Xian suddenly turned, pointing at the black armored train behind him.
“This isn’t so safe passenger train. This is… the Doomsday Train.”
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