Mu Sicheng froze, his expression darkening instantly. "You mean there are two monsters on this page?!"
Bai Liu nodded, continuing his analysis. "The Thief Brothers. If the younger brother is the brutish, clumsy type, then if I were designing the elder, I'd make him small, with exceptional thieving skills and incredible speed. He'd appear once the players have amassed enough shards, just before the end, to steal them away and ramp up the difficulty at the final hurdle."
"But this is Du Sanying we're talking about. Can he really be robbed?" Mu Sicheng was skeptical. "With his one hundred percent luck, no one's ever managed to take anything from him."
Bai Liu replied coolly, "That's only if he can maintain one hundred percent luck."
"I've pushed Du Sanying's luck too far, having him kite the thief's brother for six stations. I've already broken the game's balance. I suspect the system will lower his luck at this critical moment to restore equilibrium."
Mu Sicheng paused, recalling how, at the end of 'Siren Town,' the system had declared Bai Liu had broken the game's balance, forcibly lowering his stats and boosting the monsters' to compensate…
A not-so-lucky Du Sanying… Mu Sicheng glanced at him, watching as he clumsily climbed into his battered go-kart, ready to lure the thief's brother away. A slow chill crept up Mu Sicheng's spine.
Without his perfect luck, Du Sanying was just a C-rank player, no more resilient than Bai Liu. If his luck failed, he would die.
"If you force Du Sanying to keep kiting, he might manage," Bai Liu went on. "But even if his luck drops from one hundred to ninety-nine, if the thief's brother attacks a hundred times and trips ninety-nine, all it takes is one hit—"
Mu Sicheng stared at Bai Liu.
Bai Liu's gaze was utterly calm. "—and he'll die. But even so, Du Sanying must keep kiting the Thief Brothers. The rest of us are all below thirty HP. The thief's brother could kill any of us with a single blow. If Du Sanying doesn't draw them away, we'll never collect the shards from the passengers."
The doors shuddered, then finally opened, and the passengers flooded in.
The others followed Bai Liu's plan, searching the passengers for shards. Du Sanying once again pulled out his nearly wrecked go-kart, ready to lure the thief's brother away. But everyone saw the thief's brother's charred chest twitch twice.
From inside his skull came two sharp, dry, cackling laughs. Suddenly, a pair of pitch-black, talon-tipped hands shot out from his chest, slashing at Du Sanying. He just managed to sit down and, by luck, dodged the blow—but—
—Du Sanying touched his face in shock. A thin line of blood trickled from a fresh scratch.
He was hurt.
For the first time in this game, he was injured.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying was attacked by the Thief's Elder Brother. HP -2, Sanity -2.]
[System prompt (to all players): As all players are still alive, to maintain game balance, Du Sanying's luck will now be gradually reduced. Please stop relying on him and clear the game with your own strength.]
[Player Du Sanying's current luck: 98]
The thief's brother's muscular chest was torn open from within. His face split down the middle, and from the blackened brain emerged a pair of eyes, forming a head as dark as a newborn's. The flesh around the eyes was charred, but the white eyeballs rolled in their sockets, scanning the room. His jaw, stripped by fire, revealed a full set of gleaming teeth, grinning in a grotesque, triumphant smile.
He perched on the thief's brother's exposed ribs, his body swinging, hands nothing but blackened bone—dry as coal, yet impossibly long and nimble, fingers dancing like a spider's legs. With a sudden, blinding movement, he slashed past Du Sanying's head—so fast he was nearly invisible.
Du Sanying, by luck, dodged again, but was wounded once more.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying was attacked by the Thief's Elder Brother. HP -2, Sanity -2. Luck further reduced by 2.]
['Last Train to Ruin Monster Book' updated—Thief Brothers (2/3)]
[Monster Name: Thief's Elder Brother]
[Traits: Extremely fast (speed 3400, fire-boosted), master thief]
[Weakness: ??? (to be discovered)]
[Attack: Claw, Steal]
Ignoring the blood on his face, Du Sanying gritted his teeth, climbed into his kart, and prepared to run as Bai Liu had instructed. Even with his luck now at ninety-six, it was enough to keep the Thief Brothers busy for a while. But if his luck failed, he'd be left alone against two powerful monsters—almost certainly a death sentence.
But Du Sanying understood—
—he was the only one, with nearly full HP, who could survive even a single round against the Thief Brothers.
No one could help him. His luck had put him in this position, and he had to bear the responsibility. Even if he was no longer so lucky, he couldn't run away and watch Bai Liu and Mu Sicheng die.
With a look of bitter resignation, Du Sanying floored the pedal of his little My Little Pony bumper car. It was a suicide mission, but as he did it, his heart felt…strangely calm.
He had always been the despised, overlooked player who survived by picking up scraps. This was the first time he'd been entrusted with such a vital role—drawing the monsters' aggro. And ever since Bai Liu had given him this task, he had never doubted Du Sanying's ability to do it.
Despite being clumsy and often dismissed as a "vase" player, Bai Liu had placed his full trust in him.
At first, Du Sanying had been reluctant, but gradually, he found himself developing a strange sense of trust and loyalty toward Bai Liu.
He had a hunch—even if his luck dropped to zero, Bai Liu would find a way to keep him alive, just as he had promised Mu Sicheng.
And Du Sanying always trusted his instincts.
The thief's brother slammed into the back of his kart, sending it spinning. The front end jammed against a seat, but Du Sanying, by luck, wasn't thrown out. Yet the elder brother's sneak attack wounded him again, and the thief's brother's flaming fist sent a wave of heat up his back, burning his eyes red. He wiped the blood from his mouth, spat out by the last blow.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying was attacked by the Thief Brothers. HP -20, Sanity -20.]
"Du Sanying, hang in there! Just keep the Thief Brothers busy until we finish collecting the shards. Can you do it?" Bai Liu called out, raising his voice.
Du Sanying coughed, face calm, hands gripping the wheel as he floored the accelerator, shouting back, "I'll do my best!!"
Bai Liu smiled. "The rear guard is yours, Du Sanying."
As Mu Sicheng helped gather shards, he glanced anxiously at Bai Liu. "Du Sanying's only a C-rank. His only strength is his luck, but now that's gone, you're really going to have him kite both Thief Brothers? Can he hold out? If he fails, we'll have a hard time defending!"
Bai Liu answered honestly, "I can't be sure he'll make it."
"But since he agreed, I'll assume he can. Just like when you said you weren't sure you could stay sane at ten sanity—I assumed you could."
Mu Sicheng paused. "And if Du Sanying can't hold out?"
Bai Liu's tone was calm. "Then there's still you and me."
————————
Du Sanying slumped over the wheel, dizzy, coughing up blood. With his luck failing, he'd had to take a direct hit from the thief's brother to protect the shards. Even with a defensive item, the damage was nearly fatal.
His HP and sanity had both crashed below the safety threshold.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying was attacked by the Thief's Elder Brother. HP -20, Sanity -20.]
He gulped down a bottle of sanity bleach, restoring his mental state, but the exhaustion from his injuries and the constant drain couldn't be cured by any potion. He was nearly at his limit.
These Thief Brothers were relentless!
The younger brother was strong but slower, so Du Sanying could just barely outrun him. But the elder brother's speed was over three thousand!
No matter what items he used, he couldn't shake him.
And the two monsters worked together!
The elder brother cackled, and the younger brother hurled him onto the hood of Du Sanying's kart. Black claws reached for the shards, and Du Sanying jerked the wheel, spinning wildly to throw him off. The kart spun like a top, making Du Sanying dizzy, but the elder brother clung on. In desperation, Du Sanying used an item to knock him away.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying used (Sunny Umbrella) against the Thief's Elder Brother.]
A translucent umbrella with a sun motif popped open on the hood, flashing with blinding light. The elder brother shrieked and leapt away, shredding the umbrella with his claws.
[System prompt: (Sunny Umbrella) destroyed by the Thief's Elder Brother, no longer usable.]
"Damn!" Even with his arsenal, Du Sanying cursed as another defensive item was destroyed.
He'd already lost seven or eight protective items, all shredded by the elder brother. Now he had only enough left to withstand two more attacks.
But two more… Du Sanying's face darkened. There wasn't enough time.
Just then, the elder brother was hurled onto his hood again, claws darting over Du Sanying's body like a master pickpocket. Du Sanying, panicking, moved the shards from his neck to a new hiding place—
—in his pants. Uncomfortable, but the safest spot he could think of.
The elder brother hesitated, scanning Du Sanying's body in confusion, unable to find the shards. He circled the hood, chittering as if demanding to know where they were.
Du Sanying stared him down. "You'll never find them. Give up."
The elder brother seemed enraged, his chittering growing louder. They locked eyes, and Du Sanying saw a flash of exasperation and disgust in those black orbs. The elder brother clenched his teeth, then, as if making a great decision, reached a trembling hand toward Du Sanying's crotch.
There's a name for this move in Chinese: "Monkey Steals the Peach."
Bai Liu, busy collecting shards, suddenly heard Du Sanying's anguished scream—"Aaaahhh! Let go of my [bleep]! You pervert! Don't pull! Not my [bleep bleep bleep]!"
Mu Sicheng and the others fell into a strange silence.
"Get off me!" Du Sanying shrieked, yanking at his pants. "You filthy monster! Take your hand out of my pants! Are you a subway molester?!"
The elder brother's eyes bulged, his skeletal hand digging into Du Sanying's pants, his face shedding burnt flesh in flakes, revealing raw, bloody muscle beneath. His mouth twisted in a crazed grin, shrieking as if cursing Du Sanying's shamelessness for hiding the shards there.
As they struggled, the thief's brother closed in, his long arms nearly reaching the shards. Du Sanying cursed, forced to use another item.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying used (Jester Spring) against the Thief's Elder Brother.]
A clown's head on a giant spring shot out from the hood, knocking the elder brother away. The clown's laughter echoed as it absorbed several attacks before finally breaking.
Before Du Sanying could catch his breath, the thief's brother roared, his body erupting in flames. He leapt, fist blazing, ready to smash the trapped Du Sanying.
A wave of suffocating dread washed over Du Sanying. He looked up at the airborne, furious thief's brother, pupils contracting.
A double attack—flame impact and berserk hammer, both charged up. This blow would turn the whole carriage into an inferno.
Du Sanying knew he was doomed.
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying used (Jester Spring) against the Thief's Younger Brother.]
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying used (Golden Bell Shield) against the Thief's Younger Brother.]
The thief's brother's fist crashed down, shaking the entire train.
The carriage exploded into flames. Mu Sicheng, rushing over, saw the wreckage burning, Du Sanying's little My Little Pony kart a charred shell, a melted clown's head grinning beside it, the shattered remains of the shield reduced to ash.
"…Du Sanying probably used a Jester Spring and a Golden Bell Shield, but even together, they couldn't block that punch," Zhang Gui said grimly. "He's most likely dead. Even a full-HP A-rank player would be wiped out by that."
"Especially now that Du Sanying's luck isn't perfect, and he's only C-rank. He couldn't survive that blow." Zhang Gui's voice was heavy.
"Even so, his luck should still be above ninety. I think he's alive," Bai Liu countered calmly. "Mu Sicheng, I'll draw the thief's brother away—he's on cooldown for a minute. You distract the elder brother, give Du Sanying a chance to escape."
Zhang Gui couldn't help but protest. "You don't need to risk yourselves for Du Sanying—he's probably dead…"
Before he could finish, Bai Liu lashed the thief's brother with his whip, cutting him off.
The thief's brother roared, turning to charge at Bai Liu. Mu Sicheng swung up onto the handrails, while the elder brother circled the burnt kart, searching for something. Mu Sicheng lunged, aiming for the monster's heart, but the elder brother dodged, then counterattacked, his skeletal arm lashing out for Mu Sicheng's chest.
With both monsters drawn away, the charred kart twitched, and a battered, soot-covered Du Sanying crawled out from underneath, coughing and collapsing on the ground, eyes glazed, like a half-roasted, featherless parrot. "…I thought I was dead… Thank goodness for my personal skill…"
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying used personal skill (Legal Apprentice), reducing damage taken by ninety percent.]
[System prompt: Player Du Sanying was attacked by the Thief's Younger Brother. HP -20, Sanity -30, Luck -10.]
As soon as he emerged, the Thief Brothers sensed the shards and turned toward him. Du Sanying, barely breathing, scrambled to his feet, wailing, "Bai Liu—I can't hold on!"
"That's enough," Bai Liu said with a smile. "Leave the rest to me. Hand over the shards."
Du Sanying staggered toward Bai Liu, tripping and falling, the thief's brother nearly crushing him. Bai Liu shouted, "Throw the shards!"
Just before the thief's brother could reach him, Du Sanying flung the shards into the air. "Bai Liu! Catch!"
As the shards arced through the air, the Thief Brothers lunged for them, but Bai Liu's whip knocked the thief's brother aside, and Mu Sicheng, moving at lightning speed, snatched the shards first.
Du Sanying collapsed, sobbing, barely able to move. Bai Liu patted his shoulder. "Well done. Leave the rest to me and Mu Sicheng."
Du Sanying, catching his breath, looked worriedly at Bai Liu. "But you only have three HP. Maybe I should—"
"Three is enough." Bai Liu flicked his whip, facing the two charging monsters with perfect composure. "Mu Sicheng, let's begin."
Mu Sicheng swung from the handrails, grabbed Bai Liu by the collar, and grinned. "Hold on tight, Bai Liu. At full speed, I'm over ten thousand."
With that, he hoisted Bai Liu with one hand, adjusted his monkey-ear headphones with the other, and as soon as they were in place, the eyes of the monkey flared red, the plush mouth splitting into a wild grin. It shrieked, "Quick—quick—!!"
[System prompt: Player Mu Sicheng has activated personal skill (Thief's Stealth)—full-speed stamina depletion mode.]
[(Thief's Stealth) skill upgraded: A+ to S-. Speed +9003. Warning! After using this skill at full power, stamina can only recover naturally—no potions. Confirm use?]
Mu Sicheng's eyes darkened, lips curling in a roguish smile: [Confirm.]