Chapter 52: A Snowy Night

*Clang, clang*

The ghost train slowly stopped at a snow-covered platform. The doors were pulled open by sticky flesh and blood, and cold air instantly flooded into the carriage. Lu Xiu and I stood up and walked toward the exit.

In their seats, Copper Head, Eyes, Intestines, and Top Hat remained where they were.

Their terminal station was not here.

Just as we reached the door, Top Hat suddenly spoke.

“I look forward to you, I gaze at you, I watch you. We, all of us, are watching you.”

‘That sentence… what does it mean?’

I didn’t know, because Lu Xiu had already led me off the train.

*Clack, clack — *

The ghost train doors closed, and the entire train began to turn transparent and pale. It crawled forward slowly, eventually vanishing into the vast white snow.

Only we were left.

*Whoosh, whoosh — *

I exhaled hot breath and stuck out my tongue, letting the snowflakes land and turn into icy water.

*Kekeke.*

It was fun.

“Sui, give me your hand.”

I looked over. Lu Xiu was crouching on the ground, holding a red rope soaked in a yellow liquid.

He pinched it between two knuckles and pulled hard in one direction, squeezing the yellow liquid back into a bottle.

“What is this?”

“A binding rope.”

“Can I eat it?”

“… You can try, but it doesn’t taste very good.”

He actually handed the rope to me after saying that.

‘Eh? I can eat it? I can eat it!’

I immediately grabbed the rope happily and put it in my mouth —

*Gag — *

I knelt on the ground, unable to stop dry heaving.

‘I’m dying, I’m dying, I’m dying, I’m dying…’

‘There’s such a horrific taste in my mouth.’

‘It’s so stinky, so fishy, and so numbing…’

‘My mouth is ruined!’

‘This is definitely the most garbage thing I’ve ever eaten!’

I hurriedly grabbed a handful of white snow and stuffed it into my mouth, attempting to wash away the lingering, foul taste.

“I told you it didn’t taste very good.”

Lu Xiu sighed. He took my hand, tied the rope around my wrist, and gave it a gentle tug.

I lifted my wrist, and the red line moved with it, drooping down in an arc. The other end of the arc was tied to Lu Xiu’s wrist.

“What’s the use of this…?”

Curious, I poked the red line.

“It prevents me from losing you.”

I looked at the red line, which was less than 1 meter long, and nodded.

True enough.

“Let’s go.”

As he spoke, he began to walk forward. The binding rope vibrated slightly, as if urging me to set off with him.

Toward that rocket at the end of the world.

I looked around. Wooden houses were scattered everywhere, but most were buried under endless snow, completely deserted.

“Lu Xiu.”

I spoke to the person in front of me.

“What does Reality Border mean?”

He didn’t turn back, his voice drifting over with his exhaled breath.

“A Reality Border is a gap located between hell and reality. When something falls from reality toward hell but hasn’t completely fallen yet, that area or phenomenon is called a border.”

It was a bit hard to understand.

“Borders are divided into two types: one is a Reality Border, and the other is a hell border.”

‘What’s the difference?’

“A Reality Border is reality collapsing and transforming toward hell. A hell border is hell invading and polluting reality. Although the final result for both is becoming a part of hell, there is a difference.”

“A Reality Border can be stabilized, but a hell border can only be dispelled. The birth of a hell border is inevitably accompanied by the emergence of a large number of demons, making it much more dangerous than a Reality Border.”

I nodded, having already given up on thinking.

I felt like I was still better at fighting.

“Then where are we going?”

“The Landing field.”

“The Landing field?”

“Yes, the rocket Landing field. It’s also the anchor point for this Reality Border.”

My gaze passed him and settled on the distant rocket ahead.

“Are we going to kill a demon?”

He paused for a moment. “Do you know what demon is inside?”

“What kind of demon?”

“A death demon. In other words, the disk you saw before.”

*Crunch.*

My footsteps stopped.

The loose knot suddenly pulled taut, and Lu Xiu’s body was jerked back. He looked back in confusion.

“That… I want to go home and pee.”

The corner of his mouth twitched wordlessly. “You can pee here. I won’t look at you, and there’s no one else around anyway.”

“No way! That’s not good at all! I’ll be shy.”

“You’re like a rice dumpling.”

He covered his face. “We can’t go back. The train is gone. Besides, who was the one clamoring to come with me?”

“I didn’t know a big villain lived here,” I said, scratching my face.

“Fine then. Find a place to hide, and I’ll go alone.”

As he spoke, he began to untie the rope.

“… Forget it, forget it.”

I waved my hand.

“A person shouldn’t give up halfway! That’s what you taught me.”

He froze for a moment. Just as he was about to pull out a smile, he heard my next sentence —

“Besides, I’ll starve to death without you.”

“… That’s your true thought, isn’t it?”

“Hehe.”

***

We continued forward as the wind and snow grew heavier. I had to take out some clothes from my small suitcase and put on several extra layers, wrapping myself up like a little ball.

“Lu Xiu, I feel like a penguin!”

I clumsily moved forward step by step.

“You’re the big penguin, and I’m the little penguin. *Kekeke.*”

“… Can’t I just be a human?”

“Then you’re a big penguin person, and I’m a little penguin.”

“What kind of strange name is that…?”

We walked and walked.

The accumulated snow grew deeper, nearly covering my calves.

The sky gradually darkened. After thinking for a moment, Lu Xiu found an empty wooden house and led me inside.

“Wow.”

Everything inside looked exactly as it had before the people left. There wasn’t even a speck of dust; everything looked brand new.

Lu Xiu searched around and spread several thick, colorful quilts on the floor.

I shook off the white snow and placed my small suitcase in the room.

I watched as Lu Xiu gathered firewood, placed it into the stove in the center of the room, took a lighter from his pocket, ignited it, and closed the stove door.

Before long, waves of warmth spread through the room.

“I’m so bored.”

I sat on the floor with my legs spread out, pulling at my feet with my hands. Since there was no electricity, I couldn’t watch TV. There were no lights, and I couldn’t take a bath.

If I had known, I would have brought my little yellow duck toy.

Outside, the sky had turned pitch black. The wind howled with a strange sound. Only the faint firelight burned in this eternal night, flickering in solitude.

*Crackle, pop.*

Sparks flew. Lu Xiu sat on one side while I sat on the other.

“Yawn — “

“Lu Xiu, I’m going to sleep.”

“Mhm, go to sleep.”

After saying that, I started taking off my clothes.

“Wait? What are you doing?”

“Taking off my clothes to change into my pajamas.”

Didn’t I always have to wear pajamas to sleep?

“… You really care about your rituals.”

“Eh… I don’t understand that.”

He shook his head and closed his eyes.

In the lingering fire of the long night, the rustling of clothes mixed with the crackling of the fire.

“Yoha!”

After changing into my Xiaoxiong Pajamas, I crawled into the quilts and curled into a ball.

‘So warm…’

I squinted happily and poked my head out from the covers, looking at Lu Xiu.

“Goodnight, Lu Xiu…”

“Mhm… Goodnight.”