Chi Mu was stunned.
The entire carriage was asleep—except for one baby who remained awake.
Did… did he drink coffee too?
Babies aren't supposed to drink coffee, right?
Could this baby actually be the Sleep Demon?!
Chi Mu could hardly believe it. He walked to the end of the carriage and was shocked to discover—this was the last car.
That confirmed it.
The Sleep Demon had to be in this carriage. And the only one awake… was that baby in the woman's arms.
Chi Mu approached her slowly, eyes fixed on the infant.
"Am I really going to kill him? He's just a baby…"
He gripped the compass tightly. There was no mistake. This child was the Sleep Demon.
Passengers nearby were fast asleep—so deeply they were drooling.
At the same time, in Japan, Mouri Kawatsuro had already downed his coffee and arrived at Carriage 11.
The moment he saw the awake baby, he made the call.
That was the Sleep Demon.
No hesitation. He ripped the infant from the woman's arms and slammed him onto the floor.
A sharp, pained cry echoed—then the baby turned to ash and vanished.
All around, passengers began to stir and wake up.
"Yoshi! Well done, Mouri Kawatsuro!" Prime Minister Shinzo Abe III beamed with pride. "With the Sleep Demon gone, no one will doze off unknowingly again—we won't lose track of time anymore!"
Back in Chi Mu's compartment, he still couldn't bring himself to act.
The baby kept sobbing, making it even harder.
He raised the compass again… but couldn't do it.
He tried over and over, but always stopped at the last second. His conscience wouldn't let him kill an infant, no matter what he was.
Suddenly, the crying stopped.
"Why won't you kill me?" a childish voice said.
Chi Mu's eyes widened. He stared at the baby in disbelief.
"Holy sh— You can talk?!"
His words blurted out without thinking. A baby that could talk?! That was straight-up horror movie material. A medical freak!
"As a demon, speaking at this age is nothing unusual," the baby said softly.
Chi Mu was speechless.
The baby looked up and continued, "If you're not going to kill me, just leave. Don't disturb me."
"You're the Sleep Demon. If I let you stay here, I'll keep falling asleep over and over."
"Then just kill me."
Chi Mu raised the compass again, summoning all his courage—ready to stab the demon's heart.
But at the final moment… he let go.
He couldn't do it. No matter what, it was still just a baby.
But that didn't mean he had given up.
At the last second, Chi Mu thought of a better solution.
One that didn't involve murder. One that wouldn't leave the stain of a child's blood on his hands.
Without warning, he scooped the baby from the woman's arms.
The moment he held the Sleep Demon, a tidal wave of drowsiness crashed over him.
Chi Mu gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to sleep, and sprinted back toward his private compartment.
The moment he stepped inside—the sleepiness vanished.
Rule Sequence No. 2:
"Demons will never become your compartment's passengers."
At the crucial moment, Chi Mu remembered this rule.
So, what if… the Sleep Demon became his compartment's passenger?
Then, by definition, he could no longer be a demon.
Chi Mu laid the baby on his bed and smiled with relief.
"??? Is that even allowed? Chi Mu, are you hacking the system?"
"You don't get it! That's called perfect use of the rules! He didn't have to kill the baby, and he's immune to the Sleep Demon now. Genius!"
"Compared to Japan's Chosen One, Chi Mu's approach was brilliant. Mouri Kawatsuro straight-up murdered a baby without blinking. Monster!"
Even Qin Jianghe was stunned at first.
But when he saw the results, he laughed aloud.
"This kid never fails to surprise us. Even I wouldn't have thought of that. I'd have probably tried to fight the demon head-on."
Meanwhile, the other Chosen Ones from various countries had all taken the most direct route—smothering the Sleep Demon to death.
Only Mouri Kawatsuro had taken it to the next level—slamming the infant to death in front of everyone.
People across the globe erupted in condemnation.
"He's a monster!"
"This is the real face of the Japanese devils—brutality in their bones."
Chi Mu gazed down at the baby now sleeping peacefully in his bed and chuckled.
The Sleep Demon, now inside his private compartment, was nothing more than a normal baby.
Mouri Kawatsuro, whistling, strolled back to his room.
Unseen behind him, a wisp of black mist drifted in the air—the last trace of the Sleep Demon's soul.
It slipped into Mouri's body just as he lay down.
And instantly—he passed out.
"HAHAHA! Instant karma! That's what you get for being a psychopath!"
"Serves him right! That little demon got the last laugh!"
Shinzo Abe III's face darkened. No matter how loudly he cursed, Mouri Kawatsuro wouldn't wake up, sleeping like a dead pig.
The rest of the day passed without incident.
With the Sleep Demon neutralized, Chi Mu no longer suffered from drowsiness.
He slept naturally at night and woke up the next morning, Day 3.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he asked Meng Dehai for the time.
Meng Dehai told him the exact duration of his sleep.
Day 3. 13:29.
Chi Mu glanced at the baby curled up peacefully on his bed and smiled.
From now on, he could simply stay in his room, sleep when tired, and ask Meng Dehai for the time after waking up.
If everything went smoothly, he'd survive until Day 7 and get off the train.
Just then, the loudspeaker crackled:
"Dear passengers, the train is about to make a stop. You may disembark for fresh air or to purchase supplies."
"This stop will last twenty minutes. Please return before departure. The train will not wait."
The screech of brakes and the blast of the whistle signaled the train slowing down.
Then, from the top bunk, Meng Dehai climbed down, carrying his luggage.
"Xiao Chi, Xiao Zhang, Xiao An… my stop has arrived. Until we meet again," he said with a gentle smile.
Chi Mu was stunned.
Meng Dehai was getting off the train?!
As the doors opened, the old man turned back one last time.
"Chi Mu, remember—never forget the time when you sleep. That mistake can cost you your life on this train."
Then, hunched over and dragging his luggage, he walked out of the compartment.
Chi Mu's heart sank.
Without Meng Dehai, he'd no longer have an accurate time source.
And with four more days to go, it was impossible to never sleep again.
Without hesitation, he jumped off the train to chase after him.
But the moment his feet hit the platform, Chi Mu froze on the spot, stunned by the sight in front of him...