Chapter 16. Monster Train (2)
Splat! Crunch!Rat-tat-tat!
"Ooh..." Leaning my chin on the windowsill, I blankly watched the gruesome yet spectacular massacre unfolding outside. At first, it was gross and a bit terrifying, but after it repeated for tens of minutes, it started to feel... familiar. There was nothing for me to do. I just tore open a bag of snacks and spectated as the monsters dropped dead, scattering glittering mana stones and items across the ground.
"This is totally like playing a defense game..." Humming a little tune, I headed to the kitchen in car 2, brewing one of the instant coffees I'd been saving. I didn't even like coffee that much before, but maybe it was the changed world or my changed body—lately, that sweet-bitter taste hit the spot sometimes. Sipping the steaming brew, I enjoyed the fireworks show outside.
"Phew... looks like it's wrapping up." Just as my instant coffee hit the bottom, the relentless gunfire from the external turrets finally stopped. The eerie howls and shambling monsters that had filled the view beyond the window were gone. I flipped the switch on the monster lure from the control panel. With the heavy hum vanishing, dead silence returned, like a graveyard.
"Help me pick up the mana stones." I gave the drone a quick order, geared up, and stepped out.
Hiss— Thud.
Opening the train door and stepping outside brought a rush of metallic blood and gunpowder on the wind. It wasn't revolting, though—instead, a strange sense of accomplishment washed over me first. Within a 50-meter radius around the train, it was a total item paradise. Beehives of monsters. Steam rising as corpses vanished. And amid the bodies, countless spoils gleaming iridescently.
"Worth every bit invested in that lure." Humming again, I started picking up the mana stones littering the ground. Lowest-grade mana stones were everywhere, tripping hazards, with the occasional low-grade mana stone and materials from unfamiliar monsters mixed in.
"One or two more runs like this, and I'll break even..." Smiling at the sight of car 2's warehouse filling back up with mana stones, I felt a grin spread across my face.
Around the same time, in a back alley abandoned shop strip about 500 meters from the train.
"Hah... hah..." The man's hand trembled around the hilt of his broken longsword. Behind him, his blood-soaked little sister slumped against the wall, gasping ragged breaths.
"Oppa... I really can't run anymore..."
"Just a bit more, Jiyeon. Please, just a little longer..." Despair laced the man's voice too.
Bad luck—they'd stirred up a pack of monsters hiding in the corner of a convenience store shelf. They'd bolted like mad, but couldn't shake the pursuit, ending up trapped in this dead-end alley.
"Grrr..."
"Kyaaang!"
A dozen monsters filled the alley mouth, drooling rotten spit as they tightened the noose. The man's stamina was shot. His item-sourced longsword had shattered earlier, and his skill cooldown had ages left. This is it. The instinct flashed through his mind.
"...Jiyeon."
"...Yeah?"
"I'll charge those bastards and draw their eyes. You run—no matter what—and hide in that building. Got it?"
"...No way! How are you gonna handle them alone?!"
His sister wailed, clutching his clothes, but he bit his lip hard and raised the broken sword. Just then, the biggest monster coiled its hind legs for a leap.
As the man squeezed his eyes shut to charge—
Vrrr—BOOM!
A bizarre, earth-shaking vibration cleaved the air.
"Grk, grrrk!"
"...Huh?"
Crash! The monster lunging at him froze midair, then tumbled grotesquely to the ground. Then, the unbelievable happened.
"Grraaawr!"
"Kieeeek!"
The monsters that had cornered the siblings, slobbering, all whipped their heads in unison toward one direction. Their bloodshot eyes gleamed, entranced. The apparent leader bolted first, and the rest ignored the humans entirely, sprinting out of the alley at mad speed.
"...Huh?"
"Wha... what's going on? Why are they...?"
The alley emptied in seconds. The man stood dazed, broken sword in hand. Death, breathing down his neck moments ago, had vanished like a lie.
"O-oppa? What happened?"
"...No clue. Let's get into that building quick!"
And shortly after, from the direction the monsters fled—explosions echoed, sounds unheard since the apocalypse began.
Rumble-rumble!Thud!
"Agh!"
"Gunfire...? What the hell is that... Did the military show up?"
Sounds like they rent the sky—gunfire and impacts—echoed through the night. The racket from where the monsters swarmed sounded just like the military rescue they'd desperately hoped for. Maybe that's why. Despite the violence that could burst eardrums, it felt incredibly reassuring. The noise cut off abruptly. Peering out the window, massive smoke billowed up.
"That smoke..."
Monster-death smoke. The man knew every monster charging him had died. Whoever it was, they'd been saved. Tension drained, his legs buckled, and he sank to the ground.
"O-oppa... you okay?"
"Yeah."
His sister crawled over, hugging him tight in worry. The siblings collapsed in the alley, clinging to each other.
"We survived... Jiyeon. We survived."
From the jaws of death, miraculously spared, they confirmed each other's warmth.
"Alright, loot sorted. Time to move." Checking the now-plump car 2, I settled into the cockpit. Prepped the engine, gently pushed the lever up.
Vreeeng—Clunk!
"Huh? What the—?"
The train, meant to glide smoothly, screeched metallically and halted in place. Like it was solidly snagged. I hurriedly checked outside.
"Ah..."
I hadn't considered this. The train body shrugged off monster charges unscratched, but the tracks below? Dozens, hundreds slamming into it had bent the iron rails supporting it.
"Now what..."
But I didn't panic. Just an early preview of future headaches. First, I unsummoned the train.
"Recall for now."
Fwoosh! The massive train dissolved into light particles and vanished. With it gone, the twisted tracks' damage was starkly revealed. I placed a hand on the mangled rail and used the Repair skill for the first time.
"Repair."
A soft blue glow poured from my hands, enveloping the crushed rail. That skill some gallery folks called trash. Greeeak—Clang! Like rewinding time, the taffy-twisted steel straightened itself, restoring its rigid form. Cracks on the verge of snapping welded seamlessly.
"It works..."
Honestly, I'd half-doubted it'd fail. Unsure where "repair" drew the line. "Fixed." Nodding in satisfaction, I resummoned the train.
Rumble! It settled solidly on the straightened rails.
"Whew."
Flopping onto the sofa, I habitually pulled out my smartphone, opening the Survivor Gallery's exchange tab. Planning to list some fresh loot at market price.
But scrolling the listings, my finger paused.
"What the hell is this?"
Amid ordinary survivor trades, this post stood out. Two weird things. First, the quest details. Fine, a ghoul dungeon at Busan Dalmaji Road. But knowing the boss drops exactly "corrupted blood"? How?
Someone already cleared it? But cleared dungeons vanish soon after...
Second, the post style. Unlike other users' fonts, this title was thick and bold, like an announcement forcing attention. Plus, all bold trades offered rare, hard-to-get rewards. And the posters' nicks were all grandiose.
"Should I ask?" I fired off a private whisper to Signal. Check in on them too.
⊳ Did you get back safely?
Sending gear and time passing with the gallery still up suggested yes, but better confirm.
Reply was swift.
⊳ Yes, thanks to you, I'm safe.
⊳ [Long, rambling thanks continued... so grateful, offering gallery sub-manager role, etc.]
"Why repay kindness like that?" I declined. Sub-manager... just a blue icon by my nick, no perks. Only amps the spotlight. Fine if it benefited me, but otherwise, no thanks—
With wellness checked, time for the question.
⊳ What's with those bold exchange posts?
A bit later, a frantic reply.
⊳ I'm panicking about it too.
⊳ A few hours ago, my skill suddenly leveled up by force. Then special beings took interest in the gallery...
⊳ Can't delete or edit their posts.
"So those 'special beings' posted them." I frowned. Special beings, huh.
"Like... NPCs?"
Quest-like trades screamed game NPCs. With monsters and skills, NPCs wouldn't be weird. Other users were buzzing too.
Amid guesses and conspiracy theories, one post caught my eye.
"Constellations..." Hard to buy it. But I'd keep it as a possibility.
"Either way, solid trade terms." I started digging through the bold posts for quests I could handle.