Chapter 1280: Human-Demonic Labyrinth (3)
More than three hours had passed since the maritime train, which departed from the Onslow Maritime Passenger Terminal, began its journey.
The sky, which had been nearing evening, darkened, and the train floated over the sunset-tinged sea, picking up speed.
Inside the gently swaying carriage, passengers one by one drifted off to sleep or finished their meals, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
However, in the first-class compartment at the very front of the maritime train, an unexpected heated debate was in full swing.
“So, Cheonbeon is definitely a stronger Transcendent than Victor, right? Everything he’s shown so far proves it.”
“The numbers written on the Power Ranking clearly put Black Art above Cheonbeon, don’t they? If we deny this premise, we can’t continue our discussion.”
Across the empty seats, a woman and an old gentleman leaned against their armrests, talking without pause.
They had completely forgotten Lennok’s presence, passionately advocating their own opinions to each other.
“Cheonbeon was just too busy preparing for his own endeavors to be active on the Eastern Continent for long. It’s written that the Power Ranking calculations consider such factors, so how can you interpret that as a simple order of strength?”
“Even looking at the detailed rankings, it’s the same. Black Art’s achievements in the subjugation battle are clearly superior compared to what Cheonbeon showed in the Lighthouse Keeper rescue operation.”
“Wait, I can’t even agree on that part. How can Black Art, who fought alongside tens of thousands of Legion members, receive a similar assessment to Cheonbeon, who faced a Magic Tower alone throughout the rescue operation?”
“If you put it that way, shouldn’t Cheonbeon, who was defeated by Adamant Thunder, not be evaluated the same as Black Art, who didn’t even get a decisive victory?”
“……”
The woman stared sharply at the old gentleman through her blue-tinted sunglasses.
The old gentleman, unfazed by her gaze, calmly met her eyes.
Their opinions clashed, neither willing to yield an inch.
In the sharp tension, the woman, who had been glaring at the old gentleman, suddenly chuckled.
“You must have analyzed the Power Ranking a lot, old man. I thought I’d easily overwhelm you, but you know quite a bit, don’t you?”
“Haha, it’s a bit embarrassing, but… I serve as the president of a small club called the Power Ranking Research Society.”
“Alright. Then, shall we take a short break and resume?”
“I’d be glad to.”
The two looked at each other and smiled, as if they had met a formidable opponent.
As if on cue, they shook hands, returned to their seats, and simultaneously turned on their tablets.
It was obvious what the two, with eyes ablaze, were searching for.
[So, I was arguing with these kinds of organisms on the Deepweb.]
“……”
Lennok, unable to refute Davi’s miserable whisper from his arms, slowly turned his gaze.
The maritime train, having rapidly slowed down, was now descending into the waves, preparing to stop at the seabed terminal.
The beautiful terminal, like a colossal tower made of transparent glass walls, stood beneath the surface of the Sea of Understanding.
“They said they’re making a brief stop at a nearby terminal for fuel resupply before reaching the final destination.”
The old gentleman, who had returned to the seat next to Lennok, spoke as if he had read Lennok’s thoughts.
The old man, who had been fiercely debating with the woman, now wore a benevolent smile as if the argument had never happened.
“Since we’ll be staying for about three hours before departing again, passengers will have some time to disembark and rest. They’re usually flexible about these things.”
“Was that why you took a break from the debate just now?”
“Hoh, did you notice?”
The old gentleman cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed, and said, “It’s a shameful story, but I only became interested in seeking in my later years. I happened to come across the Power Ranking while exploring Self-Transformation, and… the evaluations written there were explicit information that didn’t exist in any academic field or database.”
“……”
“What is the essence of Self-Transformation? What kind of concept is hierarchy? In the process of investigating that, I became engrossed in reading and researching the Power Ranking… and before I knew it, I was enjoying ranking and debating myself.”
Higher-ranked superhumans, who had built up their hierarchy, enjoyed a longer lifespan than ordinary humans.
Though not comparable to Long-lived Beings, they could live for hundreds of years, and aging often stopped once a certain hierarchy was attained.
So, it wasn’t particularly strange or embarrassing for the old gentleman to become interested in such matters in his twilight years.
Rather, Lennok highly valued his honest acceptance of his own desires and his aspiration to pursue them, even if late.
Therefore—
“Self-Transformation isn’t about completely changing yourself or resolving to become a new person.”
“……Yes?”
“It’s a power that takes the aspiration to accept yourself as you are and change it for the better as its driving force.”
Lennok calmly said, turning his gaze out the window.
“Mana is always open to those who don’t hesitate to change. If you strive without stopping, you will achieve results.”
“……”
Did something in Lennok’s advice resonate with him?
The old gentleman remained frozen in his seat, pondering Lennok’s words for a long time.
Rumble!!!
The train vibrated as it came to a halt, and passengers unbuckled their seatbelts and stood up.
Some gathered their luggage, while others, carrying only their passports, streamed out into the corridor.
Only then did the old gentleman, lost in thought, startle back to reality.
Looking at Lennok a moment late, the old gentleman, holding his fedora, bowed to Lennok.
“Thank you. That was truly… helpful advice to me.”
“……”
“I don’t know who you are, noble sir, but just hearing such words about hierarchy makes me… Oh, this is no time for this.”
The old gentleman nervously looked around, grabbed his overcoat, and sprang to his feet.
“I don’t have anything on me right now… I’d like to go down to the terminal for a moment and treat you to something.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t do it expecting anything in return…”
“They say they sell extremely rare local specialties at this Point L Seabed Terminal. Just, just wait a moment!”
“……”
Without listening to Lennok, the old gentleman mingled with the passengers and disembarked from the train.
Was he planning to buy something during the break at the terminal?.
Lennok had wondered why so many passengers were disembarking; it seemed this terminal itself was famous for its supplementary businesses.
As Lennok watched him from the empty train, a sharp voice spoke from beside him.
“You seem to be getting along well with that old gentleman.”
The woman in sunglasses stood before Lennok, hands on her hips.
“You were sitting next to him since you got on the train. Are you also a numerical supremacist who argues for Victor’s superiority in the Power Ranking debate?”
“…I don’t recall joining such a strange faction.”
Lennok slowly turned his head and looked up at the woman, answering.
“I merely happened to meet him in the adjacent seat. I’m not interested in rankings, though I might be in their evaluation or analysis.”
She had tightly curled blue hair. Her active attire consisted of sunglasses and a leather jacket.
He had vaguely sensed it when he first saw her, but up close, she possessed an unusually strong and flamboyant aura.
Even without special ornaments or artifacts, her appearance exuded a vibrant elegance and power.
Lennok remembered encountering this kind of disquieting feeling several times before.
Certainly, among the Central Nobles of Ars Nova—
“Hmm, to not react at all even when I’m scattering this much mana…”
The woman narrowed her eyes.
“You’re not an ordinary civilian, are you? What’s your purpose on this train?”
“Shouldn’t you reveal your identity first to ask such a question?”
Lennok averted his gaze.
“Why is someone from the Central Nobles so obsessed with Cheonbeon’s ranking?”
“……”
Perhaps she hadn’t expected Lennok to bring up her background first.
Her gaze through the sunglasses sharpened for a moment, but she didn’t lose her composure.
Instead, she merely slumped into the seat next to Lennok where the old gentleman had been, crossed her legs, and rested her chin on the armrest.
Lennok frowned at her overtly leaning in and staring, but she paid no mind.
Instead, she simply began to reel off several keywords at Lennok.
“Royal Capital Twelve Palaces. The Designers. Eyes of Blue. Alpha Balancer. 6th Wandering Fleet.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“These are the names of organizations or factions that might be passing through the Eastern Front at this time. Among them, groups with relatively moderate tendencies.”
The woman said, narrowing her eyes.
“Since you’re disguised as a civilian on this train, you can’t be insane. And seeing you accept the old gentleman’s words earlier, you don’t seem to be an evil person either.”
“……”
“Given that you recognize my background and remain calm, you don’t seem like the type of mercenary who’s obsessed with money, so I can narrow down the candidates somewhat.”
He wondered what she was talking about out of the blue; was she trying to gauge which superhuman organization Lennok belonged to?
It was an absurd attempt, but it was impressive precisely because she had almost gotten half of it right.
Rather than a reckless approach, it felt more like the cunning of a veteran who had long worked in the field—
“That’s a meaningless question… I have no affiliation. Nor do I follow or worship anyone.”
“Don’t lie. A superhuman with such sharp insight and intuition, capable of knowing my background, belongs to no organization?”
The woman snorted, leaned back against the armrest, and tilted her head.
“Well, fine. Never mind. Just listen for now. It’s because there’s some information I want to share with you in advance.”
“Information you want to share?”
It wasn’t strange for someone to approach him, guessing his capabilities, but to want to share information?.
At the nuance that something big was happening, Lennok tilted his head, and the woman spoke again.
“You also know where this maritime train stops, don’t you? Its final destination is the city of Matif, but in reality, it’s a route that circles near the border gateway to the Central Front.”
“……”
“Originally, that area wasn’t that dangerous even from the central region, but the situation changed recently with Deadrise’s defeat in the subjugation battle. As the Legion, which supported a part of the central region, collapsed, all sorts of crazy people are rushing in to claim the empty space.”
The woman said in a flat tone.
“Though rumors haven’t spread outside yet, a massive number of superhumans are flocking to this vicinity. Every single one of them is greedy for the spoils after the Legion’s downfall, so it wouldn’t be strange for a major conflict to erupt anytime soon.”
It was a coherent explanation, but Lennok did not answer the woman’s words.
Instead, he simply stared blankly at her sunglasses, not even blinking.
The woman, turning her gaze slightly as if Lennok’s stare made her uncomfortable, said,
“I’m warning you because you know I’m a noble. You seem unusually soft on that old man, so you don’t seem like the type who likes fighting in the first place, but if anything happens, run away as fast as you can—”
“It doesn’t particularly concern me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I already knew this area was Deadrise’s territory. In fact, that’s why I used this maritime train in the first place.”
Lennok averted his gaze.
“Now that the Legion has been defeated and control has broken down, I won’t get entangled with a large faction unnecessarily. I also wanted to take this opportunity to scout out that territory in advance…”
The Forbidden Zone, located in the center of the Eastern Continent, was a key gateway into the Central Front.
And the maritime train Lennok was on took a route that circled the Forbidden Zone along a river near the Sea of Understanding.
He had intended to check that gateway in advance on his way to the Demonic Realm, combining it with Mayor Arjis Ormeon’s mention of Vulcan’s central expansion and the establishment of a new Magic Tower branch.
But that wasn’t why the woman was explaining the situation to Lennok.
“You keep asking about my background and affiliation, but you haven’t said a word about yourself.”
“……”
“You’re warning me about the chaos in the central region and the Legion’s downfall, but what evidence is there that you yourself didn’t come here for that very reason?”
Her unusual background as a noble. Her suspicious nuance, as if she knew the Central Front’s movements very well.
Her speech and actions suggested she was very accustomed to probing and extracting information from strangers.
Above all, the sharp, refined aura emanating from her body, like a single sword.
Lennok had known from the start that the woman was a formidable individual, unlike the old gentleman.
What he needed to confirm was not the truth of her words or her abilities, but her purpose.
“If you came here because you’re interested in the Legion’s affairs, then shouldn’t I be the one asking about your affiliation and purpose?”
“No, actually, I…”
The woman paused, glanced at Lennok, then shook her head helplessly.
“Alright. I’ll tell you. In a way, you could say it’s not entirely unrelated to the Legion.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. As long as you’re involved with the Legion, you can’t be so ambiguous—”
“I’m a Ranger from The Agency, and I’m looking for Cheonbeon Evan Martinez. I’m heading towards the vicinity of the 2nd Command, where he was last observed.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Lennok paused, taken aback by the completely unexpected answer.
Then, could it be that the woman’s suspicious defense of Cheonbeon in the first-class compartment was from the beginning—
“Currently, The Agency as a whole is looking for Cheonbeon because of the [Great Upheaval] of the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors. If you know anything, we’ll compensate you handsomely.”
The woman said with a serious look, tilting her sunglasses slightly.
“If you know Cheonbeon Evan Martinez’s whereabouts, or any information about him, I’d like to trade—”
Click.
At that moment, the old gentleman in the fedora walked in from the far end of the first-class corridor.
Leaning on his cane, the old man slowly moved and stood in front of his seat, where the woman was sitting.
The woman, looking frustrated, let out a sigh and stood up.
“…Sorry, old man. I wasn’t trying to steal your seat; I just had something to talk about.”
The woman gestured towards her tablet, which was on her seat, and smiled coldly.
“Shall we resume after the break? This time, I’ve prepared materials that will surely make your terrible arguments surrender—”
“Wait.”
Lennok interrupted the woman and looked at the old man with an expressionless face.
“Something’s wrong. Step back.”
“…Excuse me?”
The old man had disembarked from the train to buy something at the terminal.
However, the old man, who had returned to the compartment, held nothing in his hands.
An old man wealthy enough to afford a first-class seat wouldn’t have run out of money, nor would he have returned empty-handed because he begrudged Lennok a gift.
In that case, his current appearance—
“…Old man?”
“Cough, cough.”
The old gentleman coughed softly and slowly raised his head.
His eyes, hidden beneath his fedora, were covered by swollen flesh.
Gurgle, gurgle…!!
“Whoosh—”
The old gentleman’s face swelled up like a balloon, letting out a grotesque scream.
Soon, he transformed into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and devoured the woman standing before him.
The dripping flesh instantly scattered in all directions, covering the train seats and melting them like strong acid.
Screeeech!!!
“Ugh, blargh!!”
“Aaaaah!!!”
Passengers gasped, choking on the acrid fumes, or screamed at the sight of the melting seats.
It wouldn’t have been strange if the woman, completely covered by that mass of flesh, had melted away without a trace on the spot.
Gurgle, gurgle…!!
But inside the writhing mass of flesh, the woman did not die.
“Old man.”
Instead, with an unblemished body, she merely looked coldly down at the mass of flesh that had rushed at her.
“My sunglasses melted. What are you going to do about that?”
“Screech, screeeech…!!”
“Haa…”
The woman raised her hand and drew upon her mana, sighing as she couldn’t bring herself to kill the old man.
Clutching the mass of flesh with her activated mana, she exerted force and threw the old man, who had become a monster, to the side.
CRASH!!
The woman, with the mass of flesh crashing into the compartment wall with a loud bang behind her, roughly wiped the viscous fluid from her skin.
“…He was attacked at the transit terminal. He’s been contaminated or transferred with something.”
Lennok said with a grim expression, watching the scene.
“If he mutated to this extent after only briefly disembarking from the train, then the terminal must have been completely compromised already. And this is clearly…”
Offering human bodies as sacrifices, manipulating the mutated forms, and throwing the mortal world into chaos once again.
Lennok had encountered such vile forbidden arts many times before.
Lennok narrowed his eyes and looked at the transparent seabed terminal shimmering in the distance.
“Has the Cult… moved to consume the Legion?”