Chapter 280
As night fell, a steam train laden with coal raced along the tracks toward Ansu.
Passing through a small town near Boleun City, a white figure suddenly appeared at the rear of the train. The figure flickered, and Tara's silhouette emerged at the back of the train.
She grasped the railing, and a white shadow sped behind the train, leaping onto the rear just before crossing a stone bridge. The shadow tore apart, and a figure was flung from its center. Tara hurried forward to steady that figure.
At that moment, Shaer gazed at the scenery retreating behind her, feeling a twinge of nostalgia.
This railway was familiar to her; it was the very track where the train explosion had occurred during her first misfortune.
The railway connecting Boleun City directly to Ansu was still under construction. The only line that could lead to the outskirts of Ansu from Boleun City was this one.
Looking at the distant sky, which flickered like a red aurora in the darkness, Shaer still felt a lingering dread.
She hesitated to gamble on whether her Charm skill would affect that spiritual being. To preserve her sanity, she chose to stay in the shadows.
Besides that, she wanted to see if the spiritual being would actually pursue them.
If it dared to chase after them, it would be a chance to see if Ansu had any means to counter it…
This was the influence of the "Instigator" path, which made Shaer more inclined to escalate the situation.
If she were under the influence of the "Gambler" potion, she might have simply stood her ground, waiting for the spiritual being to emerge from its realm, using her pocket watch to push her Charm skill to its limits in an attempt to influence that powerful entity.
It was all or nothing.
Leaning against the railing, Shaer let out a long breath.
Boleun City might be doomed.
She could feel her potion's digestion progressing at a tangible speed.
That terrifying spiritual being had been summoned by the key bearer, and she had merely provided some blood and slightly completed the ritual incantations and formations as assistance. Ultimately, it was still the key bearer’s summoning.
However, the key bearer had died immediately after completing the summoning ritual, leaving the spiritual being uncontrolled and likely heading toward Shaer, the "second responsible party."
Just consider it a reconnaissance mission.
The more Shaer lived in Boleun City, the more she felt it was a place steeped in turmoil, always on the brink of destruction, which made her life quite unsettling.
She was already contemplating that moving to Ansu, the capital where extraordinary powers were concentrated and bustling, might be safer.
After all, there were several divine churches stationed there, and the Queen's "Sword of the Queen" maintained order. If the events that had transpired in Boleun City had occurred in Ansu, they might have been resolved long ago, and she wouldn’t have to fight for her life every day.
This trip to Ansu was just a way to scout the terrain.
Leaning against the railing, Shaer watched the train cars before her. Each jolt of the train stirred up a cloud of coal dust, releasing a pungent odor. However, having walked daily through the cobbled streets of Bell Tower Alley, she had long since grown accustomed to the smell.
Tara, on the other hand, seemed a bit unaccustomed, covering her nose with a handkerchief and frowning slightly.
Suddenly, Tara, who had been gazing intently at the tracks behind them, seemed to have an epiphany. She lowered her handkerchief slightly, looked up at Shaer, and asked, "My Lady Shaer, may I ask a question?"
"Sure," Shaer nodded.
"Why are we avoiding Lord 'Darkworm'? Aren't we trying to summon it?"
Tara's expression was one of confusion.
After all, this was a holy spirit summoned at the cost of her trusted follower's life, and the Mother Goddess had revealed the news of its "uniqueness." Tara had thought the Mother Goddess intended to make the news of the holy spirit public, yet she chose to abandon 'Darkworm' and head toward Ansu.
Tara wasn't asking out of resentment for the sacrifice of her follower and student; she was simply curious.
In her heart, offering her life to the Mother Goddess and the holy spirit was the highest honor. Yet, compared to that, Tara wished to dedicate herself to the Mother Goddess, Lady Shaer.
After pondering Tara's question, Shaer shook her head and replied, "Boleun City is too small."
Boleun City is too small...
Was summoning a holy spirit and divine servants not enough?
Did the Mother Goddess want to summon angels?!
If that were the case, Boleun City's limited population and power indeed seemed inadequate. Ansu was certainly a better choice.
With this realization, Tara began to grasp the Mother Goddess's intentions, and her excitement grew.
Suddenly, Tara, still watching the tracks behind them, seemed to notice something. Uncertain, she said, "My Lady Goddess?"
"Yes?" Shaer leaned against the railing, looking down at Tara, who seemed particularly inquisitive tonight.
"Look, that..."
Tara pointed into the distance, hesitating as she spoke, "Isn't Lord 'Darkworm' following us?"
Shaer turned slightly, following Tara's finger to look back.
The once red glow on the horizon had not diminished as the steam train moved away; instead, it maintained its size and even seemed to grow larger.
No, it wasn't growing larger—it was getting closer.
Hiss—!
Woo—!
The train's massive release of steam echoed, accompanied by the sharp whistle of the train, like a steel behemoth exhaling a thunderous roar.
Was the train slowing down?
Shaer leaned forward to look toward the front of the train. It seemed there was a platform ahead, either for loading or unloading cargo. The train began to decelerate as it approached the platform, unsure if it was preparing to stop for a break or to load or unload.
Looking again at the distant red aurora that seemed to draw nearer, Shaer turned to Tara and said, "Tell the conductor not to slow down."
"Yes, My Lady Shaer," Tara nodded without question, her figure twisting into a white shadow and vanishing from Shaer's sight.
At that moment, the train driver at the front was pulling the whistle cord while slowly "releasing" the vacuum in the brake line, allowing air to enter.
The train's deceleration was not instantaneous; a skilled driver could slow it gradually to minimize the sliding of the cargo.
At the next platform, a passage to Ansu required a ticket, so the driver slightly reduced the train's speed to avoid missing the ticket and causing unnecessary trouble.
Feeling the train's speed gradually decrease, the driver leaned out of the cabin, looking toward the dark platform ahead.
The platform was shrouded in darkness, but a flickering torch illuminated a point, indicating the location of the ticket.
The driver extended his right hand; with just over a thousand meters to go, he needed to stay focused.
"Don't slow down, keep going forward."
A calm voice came from behind the driver.
Instantly, the driver’s body stiffened. He felt as if he had lost control over his own body, even his thoughts slowed to a crawl.
On the ground, hidden from his view, a white shadow loomed over his shadow, controlling it and rendering him immobile.
He barely lasted a second; the mental defenses of the ordinary train driver crumbled in an instant. He numbly retracted his body and opened the vacuum pump, halting the gradual braking.
The air was drawn from the brake line, and the brake pads on the wheels beneath the train slowly released, the screeching of brakes fading away as the train's speed began to increase again.
At this moment, not just the driver, but even several firemen began to speed up, adding coal to the boiler. With the coal burning efficiently, the train's speed picked up once more.
Meanwhile, the signalman at the front of the platform, holding a torch high, raised the ticket in his hand, waiting for the driver to pass before releasing it.
But in his view, the train was speeding up, roaring past him, and he only lowered the ticket after the train had disappeared into the distance, blinking in confusion.
"What just happened? Did I doze off? Had a drink?"
He glanced at the direction the train had gone, then at the tracks it had come from. Only after realizing that there was no illumination around except for his torch did he return to his post, feeling utterly bewildered.
From his ordinary perspective, he could not see the crimson glow in the sky that was drawing ever closer.
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