Minutes passed, turning into hours, while the train continued to move smoothly.
We didn’t encounter any monsters along the way, so there was nothing for us to do except sit and watch the scenery constantly changing beyond the thick glass.
The train was now moving along the beautiful coastline.
I relaxed in my seat as I watched the sunrise behind the endless tide of ocean waters.
The blue surface shimmered, reflecting the sunlight, of which only half had risen, glinting across the glossy sea.
The view was truly beautiful.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay and watch it until the end, as the terrain soon changed and the train began moving along a cliff overlooking the ocean.
The moment I saw that, I stood up from my seat.
Commander Arthur noticed me and asked,"Where are you going?"
"To the bathroom."I replied as I walked toward the end of the carriage, which contained a small restroom.
I entered and closed the door behind me, then sat down and pulled out a small box from my ring.
The same box that had reached me from the Red Eye.
I opened it and took out a slightly thick glass tube. Inside it was a white flower emitting a faint, ethereal glow.
I stared at it for a few moments before opening the glass tube, from which a light white mist seeped out.
I held the flower in my hand and returned the other items to my ring.
"So, all I have to do is eat it." I muttered.
The Red Eye had told me that the method of use was to consume it, and that I would remain conscious while dreaming.
The effect of this flower would last for three hours before fading away.
I didn’t wait long before stuffing it into my mouth... especially since it would start at any moment now.
I chewed the stem and leaves as the bitter taste spread across my mouth, then swallowed it.
I felt nothing.
"Could it be that it doesn’t work?"
Well, that was a possible outcome.
But even if the flower didn’t work, my main plan wouldn’t be ruined. After all...
Elliot was still here.
...
In carriage number two, connected to the control cabin, Professor Lucas sat staring at his phone, an excited smile etched across his face.
"Finally, all my efforts will bear fruit."He thought.
Now, after stealing all these Relic worth tens, or even hundreds of millions, and offering them to the Void system, they would acknowledge his efforts and raise his rank without a doubt.
"Finally, they won’t look down on me anymore."He muttered.
But all of that was merely extra... what he truly wanted was something else that would come with a high contribution.
Something that could break the limits that had proven to be at rank 3... allowing him to grow stronger once more... without limits this time.
He looked at his phone and read a message that had just arrived:[Everything is ready. We’re just waiting for the train to reach the designated point.]
Lucas’s smile deepened as he read the message.
Then he stood up and headed toward the control cabin with steady steps.
...
At the same time, near the edge of the cliff, five people appeared, all wearing black outfits, their faces covered with white masks.
All of them were at rank 3.
One of them stepped forward and glanced at the others before asking,"Is everyone wearing the protective gear?"
The others nodded in response.
Their leader cast one last look at the metallic structure beneath the cliff... their escape route after completing this operation.
Then he moved toward the railway stretching dozens of meters ahead, with the others following behind him.
They walked calmly beneath the rising sun, unhurried, while at the same time the tracks began to tremble as a massive object approached them at high speed.
Seeing this, the leader pulled something out of his pocket.
A cube the size of a fist, made of a glass-like material. Inside it, a small sphere of purple light glowed.
It continuously contracted and expanded, as if trying to escape this cage... which was exactly what it was doing.
That small sphere was a rank 5 monster, sealed inside this special cube for use here.
With every passing moment, the train drew closer to the group, until it was almost within range of the surveillance devices installed on its surface.
But the train was moving far too fast. In just a few seconds, it closed the distance, coming within a few hundred meters.
At that moment, the leader’s hand clenched around the glass cube, cracks spreading across its surface.
Until the sound of shattering glass rang out.
Without wasting any time, the purple sphere expanded to the size of an adult human—but it didn’t end there.
In the next instant, it exploded into a wave of purple light, consuming everything within a hundred-meter radius...
The oncoming train, the birds in the sky, and even the group themselves.
Yet there was no sound of an explosion.
No sign of destruction.
Only the world being engulfed in purple light for a few moments before it faded and vanished.
The five individuals remained standing in place, unmoving, while the train continued on unaffected.
But after a few moments, the screech of brakes echoed as the massive metal body began to slow down.
...
Inside the train...
Lucas walked calmly toward the control cabin until he reached the door and opened it.
Inside, two people were seated among the buttons and levers.
One was the captain driving the train, and the other was a guard of rank 3.
They were observing a group of suspicious individuals at some distance from the train.
Just as they decided to alert the people in the other carriages, they heard the sound of the door opening behind them.
The two turned at the same time, and before they could react...
Purple light engulfed everything.
Their bodies slumped forward, their heads colliding with the buttons in front of them.
Lucas continued walking, completely unconcerned by the two sleeping figures.
He searched for the brake lever and pulled it, causing the train to begin slowing down.
At that moment, everyone aboard the train sank into a world of beautiful dreams.
Even those of rank 4 were no exception.
And inside the bathroom, Caius’s body leaned against the wall behind him, his eyes closed.
Who knows what kind of beautiful dream he was seeing at that very moment?