Death Train: Come If You Dare!

* Also known as Line Zero

--Synopsis--

A rookie who can really carry his weight boards the death train on Metro Line Zero.

The rookie is Gu Yun. Handsome and scholarly, he is clearly a bookish type with no combat skills at all. Faced with all the unknown horrors aboard the death train, he remains utterly calm.

Someone dies on the train, and blood splashes onto his hand.

While everyone else shrieks in terror, he merely frowns and wipes the blood off the back of his hand. He is unmoved by a horror attack right in his face, and even insults the other players for their low intelligence.

What a show-off! Such a huge show-off!! He's more stuffed than a garbage bag!!!

When they enter the instance world, everyone expects Gu Yun to be hunted by terrifying NPCs, scared witless and begging the veteran and rookie players for forgiveness, ready to take the blame and keep his head down. Instead--

Gu Yun sets the entire instance world ablaze.

Whatever pathetic villagers or terrifying NPCs there are, they all end up as charred black lumps.

Still expressionless, Gu Yun takes the important identity card and turns to board the train. When no one follows for a long time, he looks back, a rare hint of confusion finally appearing on his blank face.

Gu Yun: "Are you planning to stay here and celebrate Qingming with the NPCs?"

"..."

The veteran players quickly catch on, their faces breaking into obsequious smiles. "Boss, what would you like to drink? I can trade you a ticket for it!"

The new players stare in shock. "Wait, you changed your tune that fast? Weren't we supposed to laugh at that guy?"

There are fifteen stations on the subway line. Gu Yun blows up everything from the first station to the seventh, and the number of players rallying behind him keeps growing.

From that point on, an unwritten rule emerges on the subway line:

Gu Yun is a god! Everything Gu Yun says is right!!

To keep Gu Yun, a ticking time bomb, from destroying the entire railway, the Railway Authority decides overnight to promote him from an ordinary passenger to a subway inspector. He can get off wherever he likes and lead new players into instance worlds.

They think things might finally settle down for a while. Instead, Gu Yun leads the other players in blowing up the entire subway line.

The Railway Authority: "Stop! Stop! Stop!!!"

The bloodthirsty players: "GO! GO! GO!! The mighty Gu will protect us!"

*

Gu Yun's memories of Metro Line Zero are jumbled. He hates any uncontrollable factor that falls outside his plans, but the one soft spot in his heart belongs to Qi Ce, the inspector who first led him into an instance.

Qi Ce is an interesting man: casual to the point of being sloppy, yet powerful and clever. He always comes to Gu Yun's aid when he least expects it.

The condition for getting his help is simple. At the subway exchange center, Qi Ce's finger brushes Gu Yun's fingertips, sending a tingling sensation through him.

"Ten tickets for a bag of dried fish."

Gu Yun: "That's all?"

As Qi Ce walks past him, countless flecks of light spill from his blue eyes. His voice is audible only to the two of them.

"Maybe I was sent by heaven to assist you."

His voice tickles Gu Yun's ear.

"I ask for nothing in return, my dear god..."

--

"What I hate about the unknown is the feeling of being controlled. If you truly feel sorry or afraid, then choose to sacrifice yourself."

* Stoic face x openly flirtatious

* Gu Yun is the bottom, Qi Ce is the top

A note for the fainthearted:

1. Both are pure, both are strong, happy ending.

2. Set in a fictional world. All instance stories are made up, so don't relate them to real life.

3. Two updates a week for the week before the novel goes premium (Wednesday and Sunday at 9 p.m.).

4. Mild horror, brain-bending mysteries.

Theme: Stay positive and face the future without fear