Chapter 881: [Authority - The Escapee]

Using hundreds, even thousands or more worlds as fuel.

Beings like Train Conductors had never been the kind-hearted sort.

Even the Heavenly Organization was the same, only they possessed a higher bottom line.

Possessing a good bottom line was indeed enough to be called kind among Train Conductors.

"Do you know how many worlds they burned to obtain fuel?"

Zhou Shangqing's eyes were bloodshot as he extended his withered finger with that despairing voice.

"One thousand seven hundred and ninety-six! Even if many of these worlds were just scattered fragment worlds, even if the vast majority of them had no life at all, but do you understand?! Because of that one careless sentence I spoke about world fuel, the number of worlds burned is actually this many!

They're all madmen! Every last one of them is insane!"

Zhou Shangqing had gone mad too.

As more and more people became aware of him within the Memory World.

More and more people offered him help as well.

Occasionally, walking down the city streets, some would even directly call him a hero among Train Conductors.

From this, it wasn't hard to see.

At least in his era, the number of Homeward-bound Souls seemed considerable, and they hadn't been as hostile toward the vast majority of Train Conductors as they were now.

But as these expectations piled up.

Zhou Shangqing's pressure grew greater and greater.

He chose to hide.

Within that small station platform that belonged solely to him, he became completely immersed in the world of games, unwilling to leave.

Perhaps, if he had truly been allowed to vent properly for a few days, he might not have necessarily broken down.

But everything was just so dramatically ironic.

As the one who was meant to carry out this Wasteland Crossing plan, the Homeward-bound Souls thought something had happened to him. Merely on the second day of his refusal to contact the outside world, they forcibly broke into his home and found Zhou Shangqing.

Although afterward, the Homeward-bound Souls learned he was still fine and didn't continue to do anything further.

But no one noticed.

Zhou Shangqing's emotions had already reached the Critical Point of collapse.

["Why does it have to be me? I just want to stay at home, I don't want to do any of those superfluous things... Why does the person who has this damned talent have to be me?! Why, why is it that only I can't be an ordinary person!"]

["Damn it, damn it, damn it! If only I didn't have this talent..."]

He left behind a suicide note, and left behind that Talent Cube that remained in Ye Qiyan's hands.

The time in the Memory World arrived at the day of departure.

In the station, he wore a forced smile, boarding the train under everyone's gaze to enter the Wasteland, beginning the crossing.

This crossing lasted an entire Wasteland year.

He could not enter the next station, could not go to the city, could not slow down, could not leave the train...

That train space he had once loved most in the past, during this entire year, became an existence akin to a cage.

Finally, the scenes in the Memory World returned once more to that day.

[The End of a One-Year Crossing]

He who had maintained his talent for an entire year could only mechanically repeat three things.

Take pills, receive mail, drop fuel.

His speed was truly fast.

The Memory World even seemed to drop frames because it couldn't simulate this speed.

Zhou Shangqing curled up his body, gazing painfully at those words on the Light Screen.

There was encouragement, confusion, daily inquiries...

And there were still those worlds being burned because of his one lie.

["Why is everyone forcing me? The talent, it's all because I have this talent, it's all because of me... that's why so many worlds died because of me... it's all because of me... if I die, if I fail..."]

Zhou Shangqing called up the System Light Screen, took out a Dagger and pressed it against his neck.

This Dagger possessed the concept of [Instant Death], a powerful level 12 item, and also a gift given by his friend.

As long as he drew it across, his life could meet its end!

But...

He didn't dare... he was afraid... he didn't want to die.

Clang!

Zhou Shangqing threw the Dagger to the ground, his two legs continuously kicking backward until he could retreat no further.

["No, I don't want to die, I, I... right, that thing, that Authority!"]

He tremblingly called up the Light Screen.

Because he had received others' help, even if it wouldn't lower the quality of options, his upgrade options not only wouldn't be cheaper, they would actually be more expensive.

So he had already given up quite a few options, especially those Authorities that cost astronomical figures.

But there was one Authority that he had purchased for very few Train Coins back when he was only around level twenty.

At that time, he was high-spirited, believing that all upgrade options should be bought into his hands regardless of whether they were useful, because only then could one become a Top-Tier Train Conductor.

[Authority - Escapee]

[Uses: 1/1]

[Upon activation, obtain the Title [Escapee]]

[Escape from the Wasteland, abandoning [Train Conductor][Train], randomly entering any Station World of the same clan as the [Escapee]]

[Furthermore, after obtaining the [Escapee] Title, the train system can erase your number and existence from the system records]

[Note: This is a choice]

This Authority seemed destined for Zhou Shangqing to possess.

Even though past him had never thought of using this Authority, merely treating it as an option to buy up everything.

But the options the train system constructed for him seemed to have known long ago the fate he would display in that Memory World.

The train system favored all Train Conductors.

Even though it didn't like stasis, it still gave Train Conductors another choice.

What happened afterward was already obvious.

Zhou Shangqing used this Authority. After sending a failure notice to everyone, the train decelerated, entering stasis.

A tiny mass of void, only capable of containing one person, yet appeared before him.

Zhou Shangqing took one last look at his train, brought only some Train Coins and a few items, and crossed the void alone to arrive in this world.

He had originally thought about living a good life here, being an ordinary person, marrying and having children, establishing a family, and then relying on his long lifespan and strength to become a clan patriarch.

But whenever night fell, all of the past came surging in like a nightmare.

It was as if it were the price for lying to everyone, or perhaps the punishment for becoming an Escapee.

He thought of the one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six worlds burned because of him.

Every night, it was as though countless dead were demanding his life.

And so.

He went mad.

Zhou Shangqing discarded all his items, leaving only this set of inner-spiked clothing used to punish himself. After personally sealing his memories, he chose to become a beggar, carrying out self-punishment.

He was unwilling to remember the past, yet could not escape the past.

He wanted to die, yet wanted to live.

He blamed all his faults on the talent he possessed, [Surpass the Stars].

If he didn't have this talent, his future would absolutely not be like this.

The Memory World gradually disappeared.

Zhou Shangqing continuously poured out his suffering to Ye Qiyan.

Ye Qiyan looked at him, yet in his mind he inexplicably thought of another person.

Li Xiaosheng.

A man who was similarly tormented by his own talent.

Unlike Zhou Shangqing, Li Xiaosheng was unwilling because his talent was too weak.

And him?

This legendary Train Conductor who possessed the absolutely powerful talent [Surpass the Stars], was instead crushed by people's expectations because his talent was too strong.

If Li Xiaosheng were still alive, the two of them perhaps would absolutely never be able to understand each other.