C3: The Great Train Attack (1)

The cloud of dust from the explosion settled.

“Okay.”

I got up, wiping the shattered debris that covered my body. Fortunately, there were no injuries because even the shattered shards couldn’t penetrate the coat I was wearing.

‘It was good to wear sturdy clothes.’

The hallways and vehicle walls that had been intact until a moment ago were completely blown away. The cold wind blew through the open cracks and scratched my face like a knife.

“……I thought he was just an ordinary robber.”

Detonating a bomb wrapped around his body while being suppressed by magic, this is by no means the behavior of a train robber. He was more like a fanatic, with a mindset of dying together with the enemy.

‘A remnant of the prince faction from the Utah kingdom? No, they’re busy hiding now. These people belong to another organization.’

As I wiped my face with my hands in frustration, I sighed as I felt my skin sagging. For some reason, I felt the cold wind blowing straight into my face.

“It was expensive, but it’s a pity.”

I took off the mask I was wearing on my face. There was no point in keeping it on my face since it was broken. The face of a man in his 40s with wrinkles and a beard couldn’t do his part anymore, so I threw it out of the train.

‘By the way, where is that man?’

Rudger, who was appointed as a teacher at Theon Academy, was nowhere to be seen.

Immediately after, I realized that when the explosion occurred, the man did not react and he was swept away. A wall was blown away and Rudger was gone without a trace.

I leaned my head out slightly and looked down to see a distant cliff. A blizzard still raged below the cliff, and it was covered with foggy snow clouds.

‘……He must have died.’

If he had known in advance, he could have prepared for it with magic, but unexpected situations always happen. He is a pitiful man, dying on the day he became a teacher at Theon Academy.

I silently prayed for Rudger’s well-being.

‘It’s not the time for me to relax either.’

Knowing that these guys are not ordinary robbers, the risk has increased a few times. If all of them use bombs even this sturdy train, protected by magic, might derail.

‘Maybe derailing the train might be their goal.’

Having made a decision, I headed back to the car. At that moment, the door of Car No. 5 opened and the conductor with a very nervous face appeared.

“What? Customer, are you okay? Gee, what is this..….”

He was a little perplexed as he saw me standing alone in the hallway next to the wall that had been blown off and stuttered.

I answered calmly.

“A robber attacked. He was armed with a dangerous bomb and I was almost swept away by the explosion.”

“I see.”

“They seem to be mainly targeting Vehicle No. 1, so I think it would be better for us to step back.”

“Most passengers have been evacuated to the back of the train.”

“That’s good.”

I approached the conductor with a relieved face and as soon as the distance was narrowed enough I stretched out my arm and grabbed the conductor by the collar.

“Why, why do you do that?”

“Did you think that such fake acting would work in front of me?”

“Yes, yes?”

The conductor looked at me with a puzzled face. If it had been someone else, this would have erased their doubts, but not me.

“I thought something was strange. How can a magic train, which is equipped with magic crystals and protected by strong defensive magic, be infiltrated so easily? Besides we’re going at high speed through the rugged Arete Mountains, how could those people know exactly when to attack?”

“That……”

“It’s virtually impossible without having someone on the inside of the train that could turn off the magic that should work.”

“…….”

At that moment, the conductor’s face changed. He moved his hand and tried to get something out, but I knew he would and prepared for it.

I thrust a sharp knife under his chin.

“Stay still.”

“Ugh.”

“You act fast, that means you’re no ordinary robber. Where do you guys come from?”

“…….”

“Are you going to keep your mouth shut? Well, that’s good too.”

I wasn’t even curious about it anyway.

If my prediction is correct, something might have happened to the 5th vehicle that this guy passed over.

“Move!”

I held the knife in my right hand at the guy’s neck but the bastard refused to move so twisted his arm a little until he obeyed.

“How many comrades do you have on the train?”

“…….”

“Are you not going to tell me? Then I’ll have to make you talk.”

At that moment a sound was heard from Vehicle No. 5, which the conductor came from.

It was a small sound that could not be heard from Vehicle No. 4, where the bulkhead was blown away and the cold gust of wind outside the train blew but my ears we’re extremely alert and caught the sound properly.

It’s something I’ve heard a lot of times, metal meets metal.

Having reached that point, I threw the conductor forward and immediately fell flat on my seat.

Tutatattattattattatta!

Shortly afterward, a blast of bullets shot through the door and passed over my head.

───!

The conductor that I pushed out became a beehive. Scattering the debris and powder I covered my head with my hands and looked out the door but the bullets showed no sign of stopping.

‘Is it a submachine gun? They are very well prepared.’

If that’s the case, I’ll have to deal with this one as well.

They thought that this was enough, so they stopped shooting.

‘They shoot without mercy even though their comrade was there and didn’t even let him send any signals.’

That means that if they don’t hear from him after a certain time they’ll open fire.

‘The suicide bombers and now this, it’s obvious these people are crazy.’

Why did this happen when I got on this train… I sighed and stood up.

After wiping off the powder and dust from my body, I looked over the door. Soon after, the door was smashed, and three tall men rushed into the hallway.

“Someone is still alive?”

“Didn’t you say that anyone would die after that?”

“Why don’t you just kill yourself so I don’t have to hear you talking?”

I looked at them chattering amongst themselves and said with an annoyed voice.

They exchanged glances and then began to approach me. The hallway was narrow enough for only one person to come, so I had to deal with only one person at a time but the other side it’s plump and a lot taller than me. To be honest I didn’t want to fight here because I’m at a disadvantage.

‘Even if I surrender now they won’t accept it.’

Seeing them, it looks like they have no intention to keep me alive.

“……There is one thing I want to ask you.”

“What? You want to beg for your life now?”

No way.

“With what guts did you attack this train? Is it worth it to throw your lives away? Besides the rescue team will be here soon.”

“Do you think your threat will work on us?”

The guy who took the lead at my warning snorted and drew his sword.

“I’ll kill you with a single strike.”

He came towards me but I slowly retreated back. However, space was limited and I had to stop. If I go back anymore I’ll fall from the train.

“You have nowhere to go.”

“Right.”

If I jump out of the train here, I will be following Rudger’s.

“I’m busy, so I’ll finish it as soon as possible!”

The moment he spit those words out and tried to attack me I activated the magic I had prepared in advance.

With the sound of the air exploding, the body of the guy who was about to slam his sword at me bounced back like a cannonball. The ones standing behind him didn’t react in time so they we’re thrown to the floor together.

“Ouch. uh, what….”

“Wizard?!”

They didn’t show any signs of being greatly distressed, perhaps because they were quite strong. No, they were wearing something under their clothes. Is it like a protective suit?

I released the magical energy I had accumulated and engraved the runes. The three-dimensional figure drawn in the air eventually turned into magic, and in an instant, it became a huge wind and lifted up the guys in the air. It was like an invisible hand was holding them.

“Uh, huh?”

“Let me go! Put me down!”

“As you wish.”

I used the wind to move them and threw them out of the train.

“Save me! Please!”

They are the ones who attacked the train with the intention to kill everyone so I won’t spare them. After throwing them out of the train their screams echoed and slowly moved away.

After dealing with them I pulled out a string from my pocket, tidying up my slightly messy hair. I don’t pay much attention to my appearance, so my hair is quite long, and if I don’t tidy it up in time, it becomes quite cumbersome.

“It’s better now.”

I was thinking of running away now, but this time the door of the 3rd car opened and new guys appeared. When you deal with one, another one keeps coming out. There seems to be no end, that’s why I wanted to leave quickly.

“What is this…….”

The guys who came over from Car No. 3 looked at the inside of Car No. 4, which was half-destroyed, and me standing alone, and their faces became cold.

“Kill him!”

The guy who seemed to be the captain gave the order. At the same time, the guys who were waiting pointed their rifles at me.

Seeing that scene, I desperately wanted to let out a sigh. What can I do? If I’ve come this far, I have to see the end.

“Shoot!”

The captain gives orders and his men pull the trigger but the bullets didn’t go out.

Clap! Clap!

“Huh?”

“What are you doing?”

“Second, the gun is broken!”

“What?”

While they were confused I prepared my next magic. However, there was one thing that I overlooked, there was a magician among them too.

Paah!

The magic I cast is canceled in the air.

The wizard, who pointed his wand towards this side, looked at me with a wary gaze.

“He is a wizard.”

“…….”

“It doesn’t matter he must die as well.”

What’s wrong with this? You were trying to kill me from the beginning.

I’m sure these guys are terrorists, and whatever I say here won’t work. I took the watch out of my pocket and checked the time. Less than 10 minutes had passed since the attack started.

‘Time is……still a little lacking.’

The scenery passing by outside is still cold and airy. I thought it was very beautiful when I looked through the window, but it became terrifying since a wall was destroyed.

There was still time before the train left the Arete Mountains and it will be difficult for the reinforcements to come right away.

‘I can’t help it.’

Considering the location and the time, reinforcements will need at least 5 minutes to arrive.

‘I have no choice but to persevere.’