From the Abyss of Stars

133. Ode to Joy

133. Ode to Joy

Blood.

The bullet passed through Qiu Ran's shoulder. Fortunately, it didn't stay inside, causing an exit wound.

Despite this, Qiu Ran's right shoulder was torn open, with bright blood splattering outward, rendering her arm powerless.

"Ah—"

The pain was so intense that she couldn't make a sound. Qiu Ran was almost instantly brought down by the pain of the gunshot. This wasn't a common 9mm police handgun round but a full-power rifle round with vastly greater destructive force. Qiu Ran collapsed to the ground, unable to lift her right arm.

Get away—get away, get away, get away!

In a panic, Qiu Ran only recognized the shooter as the Frost-Plated youth who had been on guard duty before, named Hodro, she thought. She had no time to wonder why he was attacking her. Biting her teeth, she used her remaining left arm to crawl forward.

The shooter stepped closer, racking the bolt and loading another round. 'Hodro's' face began to morph, melting like gel, revealing feminine features. Under the flickering carriage lights, his blond hair turned deep red, pupils dilating and contracting into light-colored ones. Within seconds, even his clothes changed to match Qiu Ran's attire.

Just a few seconds after being shot, another bullet grazed Qiu Ran's spine. She hurriedly crawled out of the hard-seat carriage and hid behind the door, regaining her composure.

The carriage she had just escaped from was empty, not a soul inside.

"What's going on, how is this happening?"

Perhaps fear had triggered her survival instincts, as Qiu Ran's usually slow mind suddenly became agile. Before the attacker could reload and chase her, she lifted her left hand and placed it on the overturned gasoline barrel.

Boom—

A surge of flames instantly filled the carriage aisle, blocking the shooter's vision and path. Grabbing the last gasoline barrel, Qiu Ran knew this was her lifeline.

'Don't think about anything, just find Li Aozi and Ms. Celia!'

Qiu Ran crouched low, the acrid smell of burning gasoline, the scent of her own blood, and the sweat from excessive tension all mixed together, making her panic even more.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—no! I can't die, no matter what, I can't die!

Plop, plop...

Blood trailed behind her, and the intense pain made Qiu Ran scream out:

"Help—help me!"

She was so close to going home, so close to reuniting with her younger siblings. Dying here would mean losing everything.

The noise of the train was deafening, and outside, the sound of fierce artillery fire suddenly erupted—Qiu Ran realized it might be the new wave of beast tide that Celia mentioned.

'No, if this continues, no one will hear my cry for help!'

She rushed forward anxiously, thinking that the man who silently wiped out the whole carriage must be stopped. She had to alert Li Aozi and the others.

Only they could deal with such a terrifying monster—

Bang!

Another bullet narrowly missed, ricocheting off the wall and landing at Qiu Ran's feet. She nearly stumbled in fear, screaming and dropping the gasoline barrel in panic.