...
Considering the powerful "transformation" ability of the Sinking Sand Giant Worm on the terrain and topography, Sun Hang ultimately chose to stay put—ghost subway is clearly a rule-based supernatural entity, and the best way for rule-based entities to "operate normally" is to ensure that all triggering "conditions" remain unchanged.
No one can guarantee that after the Sinking Sand Giant Worm turns the dunes upside down, the subway card Sun Hang holds can still summon the ghost train.
Sun Hang stayed honestly until local time 23:23, then swiped the Chunming City subway card at the self-made subway turnstile again.
Accompanied by a slight tremor in the dunes, the ghost train emerged from the flowing sand and stopped in front of Sun Hang.
"What’s good about rule-based supernatural entities," Sun Hang stepped into the compartment, as if talking to himself, or to the main brain, "is that they follow rules and reason. I like such entities."
But just as the carriage door was about to completely close, Sun Hang saw something like a sail emerging from behind a distant dune.
"Wait! What’s that?"
Sun Hang instinctively wanted to reach out to pull the door open, but the ghost train’s door was already closed, and the scenery outside the window instantly blurred.
"You saw that too, didn’t you? That thing that looks like a sail!" Sun Hang asked the main brain for confirmation.
"I have recorded your entire process aboard the ghost train. You can replay the recent video to check," the main brain immediately replied.
Sun Hang directly opened his personal terminal, retrieved the recent video files, and began replaying them frame by frame.
Due to the great distance, even though Sun Hang had a high-resolution camera, the thing in the picture that seemed like a sail was only a few dozen pixels in size.
But Sun Hang could confirm it was indeed a sail, and not some fin of a supernatural entity swimming in the Desert Sea.
Because at the top of the sail, there stood something resembling a human.
Very much like a sailor from the Age of Discovery at the top of a mast observing the sea route.
"A sailboat traversing the Desert Sea... humanoid creatures resembling sailors..." Sun Hang muttered, "Could there be survivors in the Egypt Surrendered Area? Or is it a humanoid supernatural entity?"
"If it’s a supernatural entity, their ability to shield their presence is likely extremely terrifying," the main brain said, "The sail and the object resembling a humanoid entity were very close to the Sinking Sand Giant Worm’s path. Any slight leakage of memetic presence would attract the Sinking Sand Giant Worm’s hunt."
"Not just close... they’re right behind the Sinking Sand Giant Worm... It’s trailing! They’re tracking the Sinking Sand Giant Worm!" Sun Hang suddenly realized, "Is there a nemesis for the Sinking Sand Giant Worm? Or some kind of natural enemy?"
Main Brain: "There is no relevant record in the known information."
Sun Hang: "..."
...
For some unknown reason, this time the ghost train traveled much longer than when coming here. During this period, the other compartments occasionally had passenger phantoms get up and get off, and occasionally new passenger phantoms boarded—the train never stopped when these phantoms were getting on or off, and the doors never opened.
They were like ghosts, phasing through the tightly shut train doors, coming in and out.
Until 10:17 AM Chunming City time, the ghost train finally came to a gentle stop and opened its doors.
The moment the doors opened, a cacophony of noise surged in from outside, and Sun Hang astonishedly looked out, discovering that the platform outside was actually crowded with people.
"Is this... World Trade Center Station?"
World Trade Center Station is one of the busiest subway stations in Chunming City, located in the city’s central commercial district, far more bustling than Xiaojiacun Station.
"The ghost train can actually enter a crowded subway station during operating hours?!"
Sun Hang suddenly realized that those waiting on the platform didn’t seem to see him—even though people kept boarding and alighting from other carriages, none came towards Sun Hang’s carriage.
Sun Hang looked towards other carriages, the passengers alighting seemed to appear out of thin air, and those boarding did not appear in the ghost train compartments.
"How strange." Sun Hang stepped out of the compartment, and when he turned around, the ghost train had transformed into a regular subway train, packed with passengers.
Watching the subway depart the station, Sun Hang glanced at his phone, now with signal, showing a list of missed calls. Picking one at random, he called back.
"Sun Hang? You’re back? Where are you now?" Mr. Wang’s urgent voice came over the phone as soon as it connected.
"I’m at the World Trade Center Station now..."
Before Sun Hang could finish speaking, Wang Xiyi interrupted him: "Wait there for me! I’ll come and pick you up!"
"I’m not a child, nor am I missing any limbs, I can walk myself... Let’s meet at Dubhe Tower." Sun Hang said helplessly, "Also, Main Brain, immediately summon the experts at Dubhe Tower who have knowledge of supernatural entity warfare, Egypt War Zone, Surrendered Area ecological environment, and Sinking Sand Giant Worm. I have brought back some very important information."
"Understood." At the moment the carriage door opened, the mini main brain reconnected with the main brain body at Dubhe Tower, and all the main brain’s functions were once again unlocked for Sun Hang.