Chapter 281
At the same time, Xia Er's gaze was fixed on the crimson sky that was steadily approaching along the railway, his expression growing increasingly grave.
From his vantage point, he could see the radiant glow still several kilometers away; at this moment, the blood-red light on the horizon was clearly visible, and it was only a matter of hours before it caught up with them.
No, this won't do... The train is moving too slowly...
Even at its maximum speed, the steam train barely reached 40 kilometers per hour, a pace that couldn't even match a family car from his previous life.
But he couldn't just run to Ansu from here... His stamina wouldn't hold out. In fact, it was already a stroke of luck that he managed to board this train.
Bolen City was at least five hundred kilometers from Ansu, and it would take around twelve hours to reach there...
Earlier, when Yulisi from the Church of the Savior sent a message to the Ansu Holy See, she mentioned that even with the fastest delivery, it would take more than a day to receive support.
Now it seemed that it wasn't the cumbersome procedures of the Church of the Savior that delayed things; it was purely the limitations of the railway's maximum speed. Not to mention, regular trains would stop at stations along the way.
Xia Er's hands gripped the railing tightly, a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.
If he were truly caught, he might have to consider abandoning the idea of saving his progress altogether.
Because that would pose a significant risk to his mental state in reality. After all, he had already completed the ritual and obtained the key to the spiritual notes. If he wanted to save his progress, he could simply use the "Instigator" next time and down two potions.
What frustrated Xia Er was that he hadn't yet brought this thing to Ansu.
After all the effort to create such a powerful toy, it was the perfect opportunity to test the safety of Ansu. Most importantly, the greater the destruction caused by this spiritual creature, the better his potion digestion would be.
Moreover, the rewards for surviving successfully versus failing were worlds apart.
He needed to think of a way.
"Lord Xia Er, Tara has completed her task."
At that moment, a white figure suddenly appeared beside him, twisting into shape as Tara materialized, bowing respectfully.
Tara...
Xia Er lowered his gaze slightly, focusing on the petite figure of Tara.
As the archbishop of the Holy Church, the one most loyal to the Mother Goddess, how much time could she buy by probing whether the "Dark Worm" was friendly or not?
At that moment, Tara looked up, meeting Xia Er's intensely aggressive gaze without a hint of fear; instead, her heart began to race.
What’s going on? Is the Mother Goddess finally going to...
Tara slightly parted her lips, waiting for the words "I am willing" to spill forth.
To dedicate herself to the Mother Goddess would be her honor.
Xia Er stared at Tara for a long time before finally shifting his gaze away.
Relying solely on the flesh and blood of those extraordinary beings, without much of his own blood to support it, that creature from the other realm might not have enough energy to complete this journey.
Letting Tara off the train to block it was a backup option, not Xia Er's only choice; he still had the opportunity to observe further.
If it were the "Assassin" version of Xia Er, he might have kicked Tara off without hesitation.
At this moment, Xia Er indeed had faster means of movement.
He could summon Xiao Zuo from the other realm, allowing it to drag him into that realm for rapid movement, arriving at Ansu ahead of time.
However, doing so would mean entering the other realm once again, which contradicted Xia Er's initial intention of stabilizing his mental state.
Seeing Xia Er's gaze shift away, Tara felt a wave of disappointment wash over her, her shoulders drooping. Just by observing her body language, one could sense her disheartenment.
An hour passed, then two...
To increase the train's speed, Xia Er severed the connections of several freight cars at the rear but did not continue to cut further.
If the weight distribution was insufficient, there was a significant risk of the train derailing.
The crimson glow was drawing closer to the train, now only about six or seven kilometers away; Xia Er could almost see the massive shadow of the insect wings made of flesh and bone.
Feeling the growing hum in his mind, Xia Er turned his gaze back to Tara.
At that moment, Tara was excitedly watching the direction of the "Dark Worm." Even as the whispers in her mind grew louder and the things before her began to distort, her fervor remained undiminished.
But just then, Xia Er suddenly felt the hum in his mind lessen slightly.
He looked up at the distance; the crimson glow that had once covered a significant portion of the sky had dimmed a bit, as if the Dark Worm's speed was beginning to decrease.
Can't take it anymore?
At this rate, the Dark Worm would definitely not catch up to the train; the gap between them would only widen, unless the train suddenly derailed or the engine exploded.
"Lord Xia Er, the Dark Worm has slowed down."
Tara seemed to have noticed this as well, glancing nervously in Xia Er's direction.
She seemed eager to see the Dark Worm up close, to pay homage to that spirit mentioned countless times in the scriptures.
Why can't it keep up?
Xia Er frowned slightly.
While he was worried about the Dark Worm catching up and polluting his mind, he would also be displeased if it didn’t follow.
The Dark Worm was continuously affecting and destroying the towns and villages along the way, and Xia Er's potion had almost been digested to the point where he could no longer hear a single whisper; his eyes had returned to normal.
If this continued, completely digesting the potion, even perfectly, was not just a dream.
Moreover... he still hadn't seen the fun of bringing this thing to Ansu.
Fun was as important as life itself; without life, one would miss out on much fun, but without fun, losing life felt just as unbearable.
"Carving knife, Tara."
Xia Er extended his left hand.
Tara, standing to his left, nodded vigorously, then drew her ritual carving knife and handed it to Xia Er, simultaneously loosening her collar to expose her snowy neck and collarbone, making it easier for Xia Er to draw blood.
However, after taking the knife, Xia Er ignored Tara, directly slicing into his own wrist with the blade. Crimson blood began to flow down his arm, dripping onto the tracks below.
And so, Xia Er quietly waited, watching the fading red light.
About twelve minutes later, the once dim red glow suddenly brightened, and its speed noticeably increased.
It really works?
His blood seemed to hold an unusual allure for the creatures from the other realm...
Xia Er pressed a handkerchief against the wound to stop the bleeding, preventing too much blood from flowing and allowing the creature to catch up too quickly.
At the same time, a slight smile crept onto Xia Er's lips.
This feeling of baiting a hook brought him joy; by controlling the amount, he might really be able to lure this thing to just outside Ansu City.
However... he had to use his blood the entire time and couldn't use the pocket watch.
If the side effect of [Time Distortion] caused other saves to take over, it might ruin his "somewhat" dangerous plan.
In the events that followed, Xia Er repeatedly cut open his wrist, releasing blood to entice and maintain the activity of that creature from the other realm...
Until the sky slowly began to lighten with the first hints of dawn.
...
As noon approached, in the capital city of Ansu, Knight District, at No. 10 Bruton Street, Duke Thaddeus's residence.
"Has that brat Opode not replied yet?"
At the head of the dining table, a stern-looking middle-aged man set down his knife and fork, turning to the butler beside him with a question.
He was tall, with meticulously groomed deep brown curls, streaked with hints of gray, symbolizing his experience and authority.
But at that moment, his sharp gray-blue eyes revealed a hint of impatience, as if he were eager for an answer to his question.
Before the old butler could respond, a finely dressed blonde noblewoman beside him spoke up, "He's an adult now; he can handle his own affairs."
"Hmph... You just indulge him. Letting him go to the 'Queen's Sword' will surely lead to regret one day."
The duke scoffed, his usual politeness and restraint evaporating as he vented his inner frustrations.
Just then, the dining room door swung open, and a figure clad in knight's armor strode in briskly, drawing the duke's displeasure.
Duke Thaddeus was already in a foul mood, but when he looked up at the newcomer, his pent-up anger subsided slightly. He elegantly picked up his napkin to dab at his mouth and turned to the newcomer, asking, "Andrew Russell, what brings you here?"
"Your Grace, I apologize for not being able to continue the pleasantries,"
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