Bai Cheng immediately checked the time. It was almost 5 PM.

"Nightfall at five? That’s two hours later than before."

She tried to recall, vaguely remembering someone in the channel mentioning that the first day’s nightfall had been at six in the evening.

But no matter how much she pondered, Bai Cheng couldn’t discern any pattern.

The fog around them grew thicker, and as the sky darkened, visibility dropped even further.

After a full day of travel, the train’s fuel was nearly depleted.

Just as Bai Cheng was about to add coal to the boiler—

BOOM!

A deafening boom shook the train, sending her stumbling.

"What was that!?" she exclaimed, quickly noticing the train’s speed dropping sharply.

At the same time, two notifications flashed on the screen:

[Warning! Train damaged!]

[Durability -1%]

"Young Lady, we’ve struck a fallen tree blocking the tracks," Chi Yan reported after a quick assessment.

But what surprised Bai Cheng more was the fact that the train could even take damage.

"Chi Yan, can you clear it?" she asked.

Boom—!

Another boom followed. The lights flickered, and dust rained from the ceiling, causing Bai Cheng to frown.

[Durability -1%]

"Young Lady, there are too many fallen trees. My clearing speed might not keep up with the train’s movement." For the first time, Chi Yan hesitated, his expression conflicted.

"So we have to stop, then?" Bai Cheng rested her chin on her hand, puzzled by his reaction. "What’s wrong?"

"Young Lady, I’ve sensed creatures approaching. Your safety is my priority," Chi Yan finally said. "I advise against clearing the trees."

Understanding dawned on Bai Cheng, and she nodded.

So that’s it. He had his own concerns but found them hard to voice.

Until now, Chi Yan had always answered directly, never speaking out of turn. He was like a true employee, maintaining reverence and respect for his superior.

But this also proved that he was a thinking person, not just a tool or a beast.

"Chi Yan," Bai Cheng called.

"This subordinate is here."

"You don’t need to be so formal. I’m not as hard to deal with as you think," she said after a moment of thought. "Just focus on your duties when ordered. You can do whatever you want at other times. No need to be tense."

With that, she walked straight to the control panel and pulled the brake lever.

The wheels screeched against the rail tracks, and sparks flew as the train gradually slowed down.

Chi Yan stood frozen, staring at Bai Cheng’s back, his expression shifting before he finally bowed. "Understood, Young Lady."

Stopping was unavoidable now.

As Chi Yan had said, even with his Elite Rank strength, he couldn’t simultaneously clear obstacles, protect the train, and ensure Bai Cheng’s safety.

The Silent Night had arrived.

Peering out of the window, Bai Cheng only saw a gray haze. The world outside was completely swallowed by mist.

She guessed that this time was different from before, but the surroundings hadn’t changed.

However, one thing was certain. The night had become far more dangerous.

"If it’s just beasts, we wouldn’t need to worry even if a whole pack came," Bai Cheng muttered.

But seeing Chi Yan’s alert state, she feared that it wouldn’t be that simple.

Now that the safety period was gone, the train could take damage. Traveling at night was impossible.

What a cursed system!

Suppressing her frustration, she checked the train’s status to see if the lost durability could be restored.

After all, in this world, the train’s life was her life!

[Train Durability: 98% (Repair)]

Relieved, Bai Cheng tapped[Repair].

[Would you like to consume Iron Ingot ×2, Fine Wood ×2 to repair the train?]

"I should’ve known..." She rolled her eyes, realizing that if beasts attacked the train, durability would drop further.

Not only was nighttime travel off the table, but the system also prevented survivors from hiding inside the train.

You have to protect the train at night, daytime is shorter, and you can’t travel far if you sleep. This system is downright inhumane!

All the fine wood in the train had been used for upgrades. Now, she’d have to chop trees outside to repair it.

She turned to Chi Yan. "I need two pieces of fine wood to fix the train."

"Understood, Young Lady." He immediately opened the door, letting in a wave of damp, chilly air.

Bai Cheng turned on her flashlight, illuminating the outside as Chi Yan leaped into the mist. Only then did she grasp the true nature of this Silent Night.

The gray fog was thick, almost tangible, as if touching it would drag you into its depths.

Neither sight nor light could pierce it.

The fog loomed just ahead, motionless. She couldn’t see any trees around, only a bubbling marsh on the other side.

Turning back, she noticed something odd. Unlike the surroundings, she could still see the entire train clearly, as if an invisible barrier kept the fog at bay.

Soon, two sharp cracks echoed from the mist. Chi Yan was seemingly unaffected by the fog as he returned with the wood.

After repairing the train, Bai Cheng prepared dinner while Chi Yan stood guard outside.

He set fire to nearby trees, but the flames couldn’t dispel the mist. And since this was a swamp, the fire couldn’t spread.

Watching this, Bai Cheng felt more convinced than ever that she needed a second employee as soon as possible.

From trading miscellaneous supplies, she had amassed 46 white employee cards. It was a thick stack, almost like a deck of playing cards.

Too preoccupied to check the chat channel for entertainment, Bai Cheng finished her roasted meat and focused on upgrading her dagger.

Between upgrades, she grumbled, "If it wasn’t for this stupid Assassin Upgrade, This Lady would have a second employee by now!"

"Damn it all!"

This time, instead of cutting her own hair for materials, she sliced raw meat.

After five hundred cuts, it took two thousand more to reach Legendary.

Her hands ached, time blurred, and outside, Chi Yan’s occasional clashes with beasts echoed through the night.

Finally... a golden flash appeared!

Exhaustion melted away as excitement lit up Bai Cheng’s eyes.

At the same time, the clock struck 00:00, and multiple notifications flooded the screen before she could examine her dagger.

[Channel Announcement! Congratulations on reaching Station One!]

[Due to a significant drop in survivors, channels will now merge. The [Team] function is now unlocked!]