Thrilling Journey
Opening his eyes slowly, Eylan took in the room. Sunlight seeped in through the edges, natural light filling the entire cabin.
Getting up at an unhurried pace, he stretched and headed to the bathroom.
When he glanced at the top bunk, he noticed some strange movement.
It seemed Ravon was already awake, but upon realizing Eylan was up, he chose to stay in bed.
Ignoring him, Eylan went to the bathroom, took a shower, and then got ready for breakfast.
Sitting by the window, he watched as the food was served.
The atmosphere was solemn—some people chatted excitedly, others watched the scenery, and some simply ate in silence. Eylan was one of the latter.
'The food's good… but I think that old folks' café-restaurant had better stuff…'
As he compared flavors in his mind, he noticed that Ravon had finally arrived—but chose to sit at another table.
'Works for me,'
he thought, pleased that the other guy was reserved. That way, he could eat in peace.
Then, a faint noise rang out.
Trying to focus on it, Eylan concentrated—but at that moment, a soldier walked by, speaking loudly:
"Attention. We'll be passing through some trouble shortly. Please return to your cabins."
The noise came from within him—low, subtle, pulsing as if inside his soul.
'It's weak… shouldn't be a serious threat.'
The atmosphere around him shifted. The light mood vanished, replaced by a heavy tension. People who had been smiling now looked worried. The change was obvious.
Decisive, Eylan hurried through his meal.
Just as he was about to finish, strange vibrations ran through the entire train.
The train shook violently, plates and utensils crashing to the floor. Some people stumbled. Passengers began rushing back to their cabins.
The roar of weapons fire began—a grim omen of disaster.
Hearing the sounds and feeling the vibrations, Eylan quickly turned his head toward the window.
Pale flashes of light cut through the outside, heavy impacts echoing nearby.
The turrets on the locomotive and the first cars were firing.
Green creatures emerged—slimy bodies covered in eyes.
Eyes that twitched restlessly, watching everything. Myriads of them were scattered across their amorphous mass; some fell off as the creatures advanced.
The monsters shifted between solid and liquid, changing shape in an unsettling way—most were an eerie blend of both.
They looked slow at first glance, but that was an illusion. They were closing the distance to the train at high speed.
Bullets had no effect, passing straight through the gelatinous bodies without dealing damage. Soldiers shouted through the corridors, ordering everyone back to their cabins.
Still chewing, Eylan stood up and quickly headed for his room, skillfully weaving through the crowd.
As he opened the door, he caught sight of a figure approaching from the corner of his eye.
Ravon was running like his life depended on it.
Seeing his panic, Eylan held the door open. Once the young man slipped inside, he shut it quickly.
"For someone who wasn't afraid of monsters yesterday, you sure look terrified today, huh?"
He remarked sarcastically, looking around the messy room—tremors had knocked clothes and belongings to the floor.
"…Yeah."
Ravon replied while frantically searching for something, anxious, almost panicked.
He rummaged through the mess with frantic movements.
Eylan noticed, but assumed the guy had just lost something important.
Suddenly, Ravon's expression changed—pure relief.
He was holding a small wooden box.
The box was covered in strange symbols, runes that gave off the feeling of containing or sealing something.
'A mystical artifact? So that's why he was freaking out…'
Understanding that much, Eylan chose to stay silent.
A muffled boom echoed in the distance.
Looking out the window, he saw that the number of creatures was decreasing.
Right after that thought, a radiant arrow streaked through the air—wrapped in flames.
With almost impossible speed, it pierced one of the monsters, igniting it and burning all the eyes inside.
"…Awakened soldiers. Must be them."
The barrage of blazing arrows intensified, wiping out the horde with precision.
Far away, atop a small hill, a colossal creature appeared—over five meters tall. It was a gigantic version of the earlier slimes.
BBGRRBBB!
A muffled roar escaped the amorphous mass, like something howling underwater—after all, the creature didn't even have vocal cords.
Then it transformed, taking the shape of a massive worm with a mouth full of teeth, dragging itself forward with monstrous tentacles.
"An Awakened Tyrant…"
Eylan muttered, a chill running down his spine.
"Damn it… at that size, even arrows won't do anything!"
Missiles were launched—all aimed at it.
But instead of exploding, they were swallowed whole. Their outlines were visible inside the creature's stomach.
"…No effect."
Anxiety began to creep into Eylan's chest.
The Tyrant advanced, its shape growing clearer. Screams echoed from nearby cabins.
But then… something changed.
A yellow glow enveloped the Tyrant. Its movements slowed.
Watching closely, Eylan realized—
As the missiles began to decompose inside the creature, they started glowing intensely—then detonated.
A massive light swallowed everything in sight.
A horrific scream echoed.
When the light faded, the Tyrant was torn apart. Pieces of its body were scattered everywhere. Some tried to reassemble themselves, but blazing arrows destroyed them before they had a chance.
Without the Tyrant, the horde quickly collapsed.
Those farther away fled; the ones nearby were exterminated.
The battle was over.
Applause echoed throughout the train.
Satisfied, Eylan turned back to the room. He noticed Ravon's box was chipped, small bits of wood scattered around—but it was still intact.
Walking closer, he asked:
"That thing gonna be a problem?"
Ravon jumped like he'd been caught doing something illegal.
He looked at Eylan and smiled awkwardly.
"Don't worry. Everything's under control."
Eylan could clearly tell it was a lie… but there wasn't much he could do.
"Alright then."
After the chaos, Eylan returned to the tables and finished the interrupted meal.
When he went back to the room, something stirred within his instincts.
A wave of nausea hit him, his head starting to spin.
He tried to steady himself against the wall, but ended up slipping and falling to the floor.
Heat spread through his body; his breathing grew heavy; his cheeks flushed.
A sudden surge of excitement—like he'd been hit with an aphrodisiac.
But the sensation lasted only an instant.
Still dizzy, he got back up, confused by the abnormal reaction.
Carefully, he opened the door just a crack.
The scene inside was… exotic.
Ravon was putting something into the box while whispering:
"My lady… my lady…"
'What…?'
For a moment, Eylan's mind went blank.
He considered intervening—or calling someone.
But…
In the end, he simply closed the door.
"Everyone's got their own problems."
---
Near noon, Eylan had already packed his things, ready to get off the train.
In the distance, he could see the massive walls protecting the NQSC.
Letting out a sigh, he headed for the door.
Ravon was still packing, so he wouldn't be getting off with him.
As he said goodbye, Eylan remarked:
"Farewell. I hope we don't run into each other anytime soon."
There was open disdain in his voice.
"Same to you."
Ravon replied, not even looking up.
Walking through the cars, Eylan reached the doors. Many people were already waiting there.
"At last… NQSC. I finally made it."
His destination was close.
---
Still inside the room, Ravon muttered to himself:
"Why did her statue react like that…? Was it because of him? If so, I need to find out why…"
In his hands, he held a statue.
The figure of a voluptuous woman—so beautiful it seemed to transcend the very concept of beauty.
She had a curvy silhouette and generous features that emphasized her femininity.
She radiated an indescribable feeling.