The Poisonous Water game from Carriage No. 1 was like a recurring nightmare.

Su Baiye's face was a mask of utter despair and agony.

"Really... I can't... drink... another drop..."

He thought he had escaped that nightmare, but who would have guessed that after all this time, he'd end up right back where he started.

The item Tang Ruyu used was called the [Dice of Gambling Madness]. It could force an opponent into a gamble with him, but it had certain restrictions: The power gap between the two parties couldn't be too great, and the simulated game had to be one that Tang Ruyu had already cleared, among other things.

From Tang Ruyu's perspective, there was another hidden condition—he had to be certain he would win!

And the game from Carriage No. 1 perfectly met all his requirements.

Tang Ruyu had a Poison Resistance physique. In this game, the loser wasn't the one who drank the Poisonous Water first, but the one who died first.

Under such rules, how could Tang Ruyu possibly lose?

[...Both parties will take turns drinking water. The first to die from poisoning loses.]

Looking at the prompt before him, Su Baiye sighed.

A life-or-death game right from the start. *I hate you robbers; you have no class at all...*

*Wait, I have a cheat? Oh, never mind then.*

"The Dice of Gambling Madness. Kid, you'll be running into this thing a lot in the future. Since you've paid the tuition, I might as well teach you something!"

Since things were going so smoothly, Tang Ruyu was in a good mood and didn't mind elaborating.

"This die has two modes. In the first, people might die during the game, but everyone comes back to life at the end. The number rolled determines the number of rounds, just like what we're doing now."

"As for the second mode... it's quite rare. If you crush the die, it becomes a 'deathmatch.' The game only ends when one party is completely dead and eliminated by the Lost Train."

Su Baiye had already noticed that the die gained a new crack after each use. This meant that once the die reached its limit, it would also enter a deathmatch mode!

After explaining, Tang Ruyu clapped his hands.

"Kid, it's time to place your bets."

Tang Ruyu didn't start the game right away, instead setting the stakes.

"Let's start small for the first round... How about you offer this old man 500 Points."

As he spoke, Tang Ruyu bet 1,000 Points, while Su Baiye only needed to bet 500.

The Dice of Gambling Madness adjusted the betting leverage based on the parties' relative strength. Since Tang Ruyu was far stronger than Su Baiye, the ratio was 2-to-1.

Dice of Gambling Madness of different qualities had different ratios; the higher the quality, the more it favored the user.

The game would last for three rounds, with them taking turns to set the stakes. If one person's bet was too high, the other could only choose to go all-in.

Newcomers had a 1,000-Point base and had to keep at least 200.

Su Baiye didn't hesitate at all, immediately putting up the 500 Points.

In Carriage No. 2, a Revival cost 2 Points, which meant he was essentially betting 250 lives.

"So it really is 250..."

Without even looking, Tang Ruyu casually picked up a glass of water and downed it in one go.

"Ah, that's the stuff!"

Tang Ruyu said this deliberately, but his insides felt like they were on fire. His luck wasn't great; he had picked the Poisonous Water on his first try.

But that didn't stop him from putting on a brave face.

In any case, a newcomer was guaranteed to die if they chose the wrong glass!

After finishing his drink, Tang Ruyu looked at Su Baiye.

"Don't even think about stalling. There's a countdown, kid. The sooner you die, the sooner you can move on."

Under Tang Ruyu's watchful eye, Su Baiye walked to the table, a troubled look on his face. After a great deal of hesitation, he picked up a glass from the crowded table and, with a pained expression, slowly forced it down.

He didn't die?

"Lucky you!"

Tang Ruyu didn't think much of it and once again picked up a glass, downing it in one go.

"Hiss—Damn it!"

This time, the pain made Tang Ruyu curse out loud. Even with his Poison Resistance Physique, drinking two glasses of Poisonous Water in a row took a heavy toll on his body.

He took a couple of deep breaths and glared viciously at Su Baiye.

"Your turn, kid!"

Su Baiye acted just as he had before—brows furrowed, silent, and indecisive. He finally picked up a glass and drank it with a pained look.

Tang Ruyu watched with bated breath, his eyes glued to him.

*He has to be dead this time, right? It's been how many turns? It'd be a crime against nature if he didn't die!*

Su Baiye finished the water, his face contorting, but he was still alive.

Still not dead!

Tang Ruyu's face was a picture of shock. *Is this kid's luck really that insane?*

With a 90% chance of poison among the glasses on the table, picking two non-poisonous ones in a row was a one-in-a-hundred feat!

Tang Ruyu was certain that Su Baiye was a newcomer who hadn't undergone the enhancements from Carriage No. 3. It was absolutely impossible for him to have something like a Poison Resistance physique.

*What the hell...*

At this point, Tang Ruyu could only bite the bullet and pick up a third glass.

It was poisoned.

Su Baiye repeated his performance from the previous round. Tang Ruyu was numb to it by now.

*Something's off about this kid. Something is very, very off!*

Even though he was screaming internally, Tang Ruyu knew he couldn't just ask, "Hey, can we call a truce?"

Even if Su Baiye agreed, Tang Ruyu would still have to get his initial stake back!

Tang Ruyu could only grit his teeth and continue the game.

The fourth glass, the fifth, the sixth...

Finally, before Su Baiye's stomach and bladder could explode, the legendary king of poison resistance, Tang Ruyu, succumbed to the poison and died. His expression froze at the moment of death, as if he had seen a ghost.

*This guy... he's definitely not human!*

Tang Ruyu absolutely refused to believe anyone could have such insane luck. He would rather believe that Su Baiye possessed the legendary Poison Resistance Holy Physique.

Tang Ruyu revived, the memories and shock of his death still fresh.

He had lost 1,002 Points—1,000 to Su Baiye, and 2 for his own Revival.

The Revival process took a bit of time, just under a minute.

The moment Tang Ruyu revived, he saw Su Baiye pulling up his pants.

Tang Ruyu: ???

In that moment, Tang Ruyu forgot all about their grudge. A rare, genuine emotion surfaced as he yelled,

"What the hell are you doing?!"

*We're fighting for our lives here, and you're busy with your pants? This is a robbery! Be serious! Have some decency! Besides, I'm the one getting robbed!*

Su Baiye looked apologetic and quickly said,

"Sorry, I really couldn't hold it anymore."

Anyone who had chugged over a dozen glasses of water in such a short time wouldn't have been able to hold it in either.

But Su Baiye's movements were restricted, so he had no choice but to relieve himself on the spot.

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Su Baiye kindly explained,

"I figured peeing on the floor would be rude, so I took off your shirt, peed on it, and then used it to cover you up. That way the smell wouldn't be so bad..."

Even so, Su Baiye received his due punishment:

[Urinating in a public area, contaminating the train's environment. Points -1]

It was no exaggeration to say that Su Baiye had just pissed away half a life.

Looking relaxed, Su Baiye called out to Tang Ruyu, "Give me a hand. Help me move your corpse. If we don't cover it with this shirt, the stench is going to be unbearable."

For a stunned moment, Tang Ruyu actually considered helping him...

*This is just too bizarre, isn't it?*

Before either of them could move, a flash of white light swept through, and the carriage was cleaned spotless.

After that little interlude, the two returned to the gambling table. Only this time, the tables had turned.

"Let's make this quick. I really need to use the bathroom."

Su Baiye started the betting immediately.

"3,000 Points!"

With the 2,062 Points he'd earned in Carriage No. 1 plus the 1,000 he had just won, Su Baiye was betting nearly everything he had.

After all, with the 1-to-2 odds, Su Baiye's bet of 3,000 meant Tang Ruyu had to put up 6,000 Points!

Tang Ruyu exclaimed in surprise, "Where did you get 3,000 Points?!"

"That's none of your business!"

Su Baiye had already read the item description for the [Dice of Gambling Madness]. He knew that if he bet 3,000 Points, Tang Ruyu would be forced to go all-in.

Su Baiye was certain Tang Ruyu didn't have that many Points! If Tang Ruyu had a net worth of 6,000 Points, he wouldn't be robbing newcomers.

It was precisely because he had seen this that Su Baiye struck decisively, leaving Tang Ruyu with no way out.

According to the rules, after Tang Ruyu went all-in, even if he won, he could only claim the corresponding Point Reward. Su Baiye would still have some Points left over.

With a grim expression, Tang Ruyu could only go all-in along with Su Baiye, not saying a word.

Soon, Tang Ruyu's total assets were appraised: 1,966 Points.

This wasn't just pure Points; it included the converted value of many [Abilities] and [Items].

For example, his [Poison Resistance] was valued at 300 Points—the price was lower since it was "second-hand"—and the [Dice of Gambling Madness] was worth 900 Points.

Without those two, Tang Ruyu didn't have many Points left.

Of course, the Dice of Gambling Madness left him with 4 Points for Revivals to ensure the game could continue.

Looking over his soon-to-be-acquired spoils, Su Baiye picked through them and commented with some dissatisfaction,

"How are you even poorer than I am?"

Tang Ruyu: ...Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you're just too rich?

Tang Ruyu quickly found a flaw in Su Baiye's logic!

"When I mug people, of course I'm going to target the rich ones!" *Am I supposed to rob the poor instead?*

Su Baiye retorted with righteous indignation,

"But I'm the one doing the robbing now! You bastard, next time you go out robbing, remember to bring more cash!"

Tang Ruyu wanted to cry but had no tears. *If there even is a next time...*

With that, Su Baiye briskly drank a glass of water, raised a hand, and said like a gentleman,

"After you."

Tang Ruyu's face fell. His [Poison Resistance Physique] was now part of the bet.

In other words, facing a 90% chance of poison, his defeat was all but certain!

Tang Ruyu's hand trembled as he reached for a glass. The scene seemed to transport him back to his first time on the Lost Train. In front of Su Baiye, he felt like a greenhorn, getting younger and more pathetic by the second.

If this kept up, he'd be reduced to groveling.

After switching his target several times, Tang Ruyu steeled himself, picked up a glass, and shakily drank it down.

It wasn't poisoned!

A small flame of hope ignited in Tang Ruyu's heart. *Maybe Lady Luck is on my side after all...*

That fleeting hope lasted less than three seconds.

The next moment, his hope was mercilessly crushed.

Su Baiye drank a second glass of water and once again extended his hand. "After you."

Tang Ruyu gritted his teeth and stepped forward. He wavered, changing his target again and again, before finally, carefully, selecting a glass... It was poisoned!

Poisonous water, a searing pain.

Tang Ruyu, dead.