Meanwhile, in the Frigid Snowy Mountains...

Several trains were currently parked in the vast, frozen wasteland.

They were scattered around a small icy plain, with the massive triangular screen standing silently at the center.

The blizzard raged, and the biting cold seeped in. The trains of these survivors had long since been covered by frost.

Originally, they were teammates of those who had entered Treewood Town Station, but due to exceeding the participant limit, they had been left stranded outside.

And the reason they chose to stay was because there were a total of four teams that entered the station. They had been united by the mission, but what about after leaving the station?

Their leaders knew, and so did they. They were lingering here to get a share of the spoils.

So, from beginning to end, there had been no communication between them. And with such a harsh environment, who had the energy for idle talk?

Each of them huddled inside their own trains, occasionally glancing outside while desperately searching the trading list for cold-resistant clothing.

"Damn it, this fucking weather!"

A man cursed, pressing close to the boiler. Although the worst of the chill was kept at bay, the ordinary cold from the train still left his skin purplish.

"Should’ve bought some damn clothes back at Snow Mountain Castle!" another grumbled.

The three of them were squeezed into the cramped locomotive space, trying to minimize fuel loss from the cold erosion.

"I wonder how Brother Wen and the others are doing inside the station. Is the Pioneer really that tough?"

"I heard from Brother Wen that the Pioneer they’re up against is a real beauty. Lucky bastards!" another chimed in, though his eyes only showed regret that he wasn’t the one enjoying it.

Just then, a low train whistle echoed across the snowy plains.

The train shattered the ice around it and slowly began moving into the distance.

"Another one’s gone. Maybe we should..." The man trailed off hesitantly. "If this keeps up, we’ll freeze to death!"

The other man wavered, and both turned to the last of their group.

He was staring intently at his train’s screen, fixated on a trade order.

"Pioneer Yu Nian is selling winter coats... for 80 Infinite Coins?!"

The group froze, then erupted in outrage. "That’s daylight robbery!"

"She won’t haggle," the man said with a frown. "How much do you guys have left?"

After scraping together everything they could and selling off some of their supplies, they finally pooled together 240 Infinite Coins.

Now equipped with winter coats, they abandoned any thought of leaving and decided to wait for Brother Wen and the others to return.

But then, something none of them—no, something none of the survivors present expected happened.

The massive triangular screen in the distance suddenly burst into flames before crumbling into ash, vanishing completely.

They thought it meant that the mission was over, and that trains would emerge from it, but in the blink of an eye, only an empty clearing remained where the screen had been.

"What the hell just happened?"

One of them glanced at the detection desk and stiffened in shock.

"The next station’s guidance info just appeared! And... a new train signal popped up within a ten-kilometer radius!"

"This..." The three finally realized the seriousness of their situation.

"Don’t tell me Brother Wen and the others—"

"Bullshit! No way!" another snapped. "Enough talk—let’s just chase them down!"

With that, the other two rushed back to their own trains, ready to move.

If they could rob that train, the haul would be enough to keep them alive in these mountains.

As for whether Brother Wen and the others were alive or dead, or whether they should avenge them, survival was all that mattered.

Among the remaining survivors, some quickly decided to flee, while others made the same choice as these three.

However, just as the trains began moving, another signal suddenly appeared on the detection desk.

Two trains, one east and the other west, flickered on the map, as if echoing each other from afar.

Half an hour earlier...

As the massive triangular screen before Bai Cheng turned to ash, and the entire station platform was swallowed by white light.

Her train hummed, and the scenery around her shifted abruptly.

Then, cold, snow, and wind swept against her once more. The world outside was still an endless white.

Bai Cheng blinked at the window. "Huh? The terrain didn’t change this time?"

But then she remembered that station names often hinted at the next area, yet this one had been called Treewood Town Station.

The name alone gave no useful clues.

"Wait, when we first arrived, there were dead trees in the distance. The station itself felt more like the Muddy Swamp..."

And judging by the fact that none of the survivors’ loot included bronze ingots, it was clear that they hadn’t reached the snowy mountains yet or had only just arrived, with no time to gather resources.

"In that case... it must be because of the special station."

Bai Cheng guessed that entering a special station prevented the terrain from changing.

She turned her attention to the detection desk.

But before she could check the next station’s guidance, three blinking dots on the screen immediately caught her eye.

"Trains approaching?" She was slightly surprised.

After her previous encounter with Leng Ningxue, she had realized that while survivor trains couldn’t control their direction, the tracks they laid tended to converge.

The dots were slowly closing in on her position, and Bai Cheng instantly recognized them as three survivors.

Because they couldn’t control their train’s movement.

"Is my train too fast now?" She narrowed her eyes, tapping her chin in thought. After all, she had just upgraded it.

But if they were kind enough to deliver themselves to her doorstep, how could she refuse?

She immediately decided to slow her train down and wait for them.

But before she could look away from the detection desk, five more dots suddenly appeared to her west.

One dot led ahead, while four chased. Clearly, it was a situation just like hers.

"Huh? That many people?"

Just as she was about to reduce her speed, Leng Ningxue sent her a message.

Leng Ningxue: "Be careful when leaving the station. Other survivors are lying in wait."

Bai Cheng paused, glanced back at the detection desk, then replied:

Bai Cheng: "Are you the one being chased by four people at my eight o’clock due west?"

Leng Ningxue: "And you’re the one being chased in the east? What a coincidence!"

They had entered the station at almost the same time. And now, they were leaving it simultaneously as well.

Bai Cheng: "Should we meet up ahead?"

She had questions for Leng Ningxue anyway, and she could use this opportunity to give her a thank-you gift for the warning.

Leng Ningxue: "Sure!"