Chapter 167: This is a Doomsday Train!

“What? What rumor?” KIKI asked, puzzled, upon hearing their conversation.

Shu Qin looked at KIKI with a complicated expression, then turned to Lin Xian.

“They’re talking about the rumored group hunting effect. Haven’t you heard of it?”

“Group hunting effect?” Lin Xian’s eyes sharpened. “Is it related to the situation here?”

Shu Qin’s expression darkened slightly. “It’s just some baseless rumors.”

“How is it a rumor?” Hearing this, Zhou Yixuan walked over with an urgent expression. “Didn’t we encounter a corpse tide the night we joined up with Old Xu and the others at Quguan?”

“Didn’t I tell you that was the work of the Black Crow Four?” Shu Qin immediately retorted.

“But what about the blood ghosts later? We lost four vehicles that night.” The more Zhou Yixuan spoke, the more agitated he became. “And Yubei City, how could there be so many zombies and monsters? Many people thought it was too unusual. It must be because too many survivors gathered there, which triggered the group hunting effect. Now, as we’ve traveled, we haven’t seen any other convoys. Only the Fireline convoy had an accident here. They merged three convoys, Sister Qin. Isn’t this the truth?”

Lin Xian immediately understood. In fact, this conjecture wasn’t just Zhou Yixuan’s; he had also thought of this point.

“So the group hunting effect means that the more people there are, the more Aberrations will come to hunt, is that what you mean?” Chen Sixuan also asked at this moment.

Shu Qin nodded and said in a deep voice, “That’s right. There have been some rumors on some survivor radio stations for a while, saying that the larger a survivor team expands, the more Aberrations and monsters they will encounter. But there’s also another explanation, which is, what does it mean if two hunted prey meet?”

“It means there are two hunters following behind,” Lin Xian answered.

“Right. No matter which one it is, it means that the larger the group, the greater the danger. Now, many survivors are constantly grouping up. I think this might be what those monsters want to see,” Zhou Yixuan said.

“They want to wipe us all out in one go!” another girl said with a frightened expression.

Lin Xian’s expression brightened upon hearing this. This statement did sound somewhat credible. He was even more inclined to the hunter’s judgment.

From the pursuit of the red centipede to the pursuit of the white behemoth, including the Atmospheric Cloud Jellyfish’s pursuit of the Iron Guard Brigade, whether it was a coincidence or baseless rumors, there seemed to be a hint of that meaning in it.

“I understand.”

Lin Xian nodded. “You think that if you merge with us, there will be more danger, right?”

“Captain Lin…” Shu Qin was about to speak, but Lin Xian waved his hand at her, signaling for him to finish.

Hearing Lin Xian’s words, Zhou Yixuan’s agitated expression suddenly froze. He opened his mouth, his eyes flickering.

When they were in the maintenance workshop earlier, he indeed hadn’t been very enthusiastic. In fact, Lin Xian had also noticed that not everyone in Shu Qin’s team had this idea.

“No, Captain Lin, that’s not what I mean…”

Zhou Yixuan’s face was full of fear, and his voice trembled as he spoke. “Everyone thinks that the survival rate will be higher if they can follow Espers or large convoys. Indeed, that’s true. Like the Silver Star, the Dragon Mountain One, so many people, including the Phoenix Society’s organizations. But for us ordinary people, the increased risk of rashly grouping up is not proportional to our strength. I’m just worried… worried that we will become a burden to your Infinity.”

When he said this, the expressions of the people in Shu Qin’s convoy were all somewhat complicated, with different looks in their eyes.

Lin Xian looked at Zhou Yixuan and saw through his lie at a glance.

Worrying about becoming a burden was false; worrying about becoming cannon fodder for Espers was true. His worry was not entirely unreasonable. If the group hunting effect was true, the troubles encountered by powerful Espers or large convoys would be a disaster for the ordinary people in other convoys, even an undeserved one.

But under the crumbling nest, thinking about the problem with such a delicate mindset of seeking refuge was already going to an extreme.

Simply put, a normal person would not think like Zhou Yixuan. Even if they did, they wouldn’t say it out loud. It probably wouldn’t change anything. Grouping up, clinging to the powerful, and seeking advantages while avoiding disadvantages were human instincts.

Zhou Yixuan’s expression at this moment clearly showed that his fear had overcome his reason. He attributed the troubles they had encountered along the way to Shu Qin’s decision to join other convoys and not listen to the group hunting effect. Because as an ordinary person, he couldn’t change anything, so he believed that Shu Qin leading the team to join the Infinity would bring even greater trouble, and this trouble would definitely befall them, the ordinary people.

The death of the Zhong Jiahao family earlier had also made Zhou Yixuan’s escapist thoughts more concrete.

Lin Xian looked at Zhou Yixuan and then at the others. A thick smell of blood wafted through the air on the highway. He said in a stern voice, “Whether this group hunting effect is true or false, unity is a way for humanity to amplify its individual influence. So, I respect your choice.”

“Shu Qin.”

Lin Xian said to the complicated-looking Shu Qin, “There are many usable vehicles here, including heavy trucks. It’s still early. We should be able to reach Hengshan Pass before dark. I still welcome anyone who wants to join us, but they must have the determination to die, because the monsters we will encounter will definitely be more terrifying than before. If anyone has concerns or other ideas, they can choose a car and drive away.”

As soon as he said this, Zhou Yixuan suddenly felt his head clear a little, but he was also a little hesitant now.

In front of him was the well-equipped heavy truck of the Fireline convoy. According to the theory he firmly believed in, this was indeed a good opportunity.

Zhou Yixuan’s gaze turned to Shu Qin. Shu Qin just looked at him with a calm expression. “I respect your choice.”

“Thank you, Sister Qin.”

Zhou Yixuan’s expression was tense, and he felt somewhat suppressed. He didn’t say anything more, returned to his car to pack his luggage. At this moment, three other people in the team also followed his actions. The four of them took a heavy truck and an off-road vehicle, said goodbye to everyone, and drove off into the distance.

A desolate atmosphere hung over Shu Qin’s convoy. Lin Xian watched this scene with a sigh.

In fact, when he was forming his team before, he was also prepared for people to leave at any time for the sake of their lives and interests, including Chen Sixuan, KIKI, and Da Lou.

No matter how foolish the other party’s reason might seem, it was each person’s own choice.

In this ruined apocalypse, talking about human hearts was too naive. Whether they were ordinary people or not, all they cared about was their own life.

“Shu Qin.”

Lin Xian looked at her and said with a serious expression, “What about you?”

“I’ll always follow you.”

Shu Qin said with a solemn expression, “If you don’t welcome me, I’ll take them and leave immediately.”

Watching this scene, Shasha nervously clutched the corner of Chen Sixuan’s clothes. The Infinity team felt the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

The remaining members of Shu Qin’s team all looked at Lin Xian, the desire in their eyes self-evident.

Regardless of their considerations, these people who stayed all had a desire to join the Infinity.

Lin Xian looked at Shu Qin, then at the others, and said with a stern look in his eyes, “Whether it’s the group hunting effect or baseless rumors, perhaps tonight we will be wiped out just like this Fireline convoy. If you want to get on my train, you’d better be prepared for that now. The union of survivors is a major trend. If we can’t win even with unity, then we will have failed the sacrifice made for us by the spaceport’s guard regiment and the Iron Guard Brigade.”

“So, now all of you, look clearly!” Lin Xian suddenly pointed to the black armored train behind him and said loudly, “This is not a safe tourist train. This is…”

“A DOOM! DAY! TRAIN!”