🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 55
Coron Maures.
For thousands of years—through an ancient, unnamed nation, the Rune Empire, and now the Kingdom of Helvetia—this city had remained the heart of the capital.
This place was not just a capital.
It was a thriving hub of trade and a center of learning, rich with history and culture.
Among all its landmarks, the most famous was Echarsita Station, located at the very heart of the city.
A grand railway station that uniquely blended ancient architecture with designs from the Rune Empire and the Kingdom of Helvetia—it stood as a symbol of Coron Maures, embodying both artistic beauty and practicality.
But now, Echarsita Station was covered in collapsed debris, shrouded in an eerie stillness.
The plaza that once bustled with travelers had become complete ruins. Scattered fragments of statues were the only remnants hinting at its former grandeur.
“Hey! Catch that brat!”
A rough shout echoed loudly through the silent central hall.
“What are you idiots doing?! Can’t even catch a scrawny little kid?!”
The one yelling hadn’t managed to catch him either, yet his voice was the loudest.
The boy glanced back as he ran. Men with vicious expressions were chasing him closely.
If they catch me, it’s over.
Biting his lip, the boy ran faster.
After running for a while, the men suddenly disappeared from sight.
Did I lose them?
Panting heavily, the boy looked around. Somehow, he had reached the platform.
After checking his surroundings once more, he crouched in a corner.
If I stay here, it’s only a matter of time before they find me. I need to go somewhere they can’t—
“Got you, you little rat!”
A man with a scar across his cheek suddenly grabbed the back of his neck.
What?! There was no one here!
The boy struggled desperately.
“No matter how much you squirm, a rat’s still a rat!”
The man’s fist slammed into the boy’s stomach.
“Ghk—!”
Spit spilled from the boy’s mouth.
If they drag me back… I’ll be thrown into that hell again…
No—worse than hell.
He would rather die than go back there.
“I found a young livestock over here! Get over here!”
The man’s voice rang throughout the station.
The boy tried to resist again.
Then—
“Quiet.”
A low, unfamiliar voice came from behind the man.
“Huh?”
The man tried to turn—
“Urk—!”
But before he could, he let out a short scream and collapsed to the ground.
The boy seized the chance and broke free.
Instinctively, he turned to run—
“What are you?”
A cold voice stopped him in his tracks.
The boy slowly turned back.
Standing there was a tall man, almost like a sculpture.
His sharp, refined features combined with a cold aura.
For a moment, the boy forgot he was being chased and simply stared in awe.
The men chasing him had been big—but crude, like lumps of flesh shaped into humans.
But this man…
It was as if a god of the night had sculpted him.
Black hair like the night sky. Pale violet eyes.
As the boy stared, mesmerized, his gaze met the man’s—Ishanka.
“Are you with them?”
“What? Of course not!”
The boy shouted instinctively.
At that moment, heavy footsteps thundered from afar.
“Stop right there, you rat!”
The men had returned, flooding onto the platform.
It’s over… I can’t escape now.
The boy’s face turned pale with fear.
Then—
“Enough.”
A low, firm voice cut through the air.
One of the men frowned at Ishanka.
“What’s this? Playing hero? Didn’t think idiots like you still existed.”
The men snickered.
“Get lost while we’re being nice, pretty boy. Or do you want to come with us? With that face, you’d make a better pet than livestock.”
“Yeah, looks like you’re just their type. Might need a little training though.”
“Or maybe I should have a taste first. For… educational purposes.”
They laughed crudely.
Their lewd gazes filled the air.
But Ishanka didn’t react.
No anger. No mockery.
He simply looked at them.
And yet—
The atmosphere shifted.
The laughter gradually died.
A chilling silence settled in.
A cold sensation brushed against their skin.
Some instinctively touched their necks.
Ishanka’s gaze swept over them—
As if evaluating cuts of meat.
Where to strike to knock them out fastest.
Where to break so they could never resist again.
Where to cut to end it cleanly.
Their bodies froze.
Only then did they realize.
Those were the eyes of someone who had spilled blood before.
And not just a little—
Far more than they could ever imagine.
“…What the hell is with this guy? Creepy bastard.”
The largest man spat on the ground.
“Take him down first!”
But before he could finish—
Ishanka moved.
“Gah!”
A scream echoed.
Before the others could react—
Smack!
Another man hit the ground.
“W-What?!”
They fumbled for their weapons—
But Ishanka gave them no time.
He moved like lightning, precise and relentless—breaking joints, cutting off breath.
Swift, yet heavy.
One by one, they fell.
Until only one remained.
“You… you monster…!”
He staggered backward, trying to flee.
Bang!
Ishanka grabbed his shoulder and slammed him to the ground.
The man lost consciousness instantly.
Silence.
The boy stood frozen, staring.
Ishanka lightly rolled his shoulders, as if nothing had happened, and looked over the unconscious men.
“It’s quiet now.”
Only then did the boy come back to his senses.
What… what just happened?
After the Day of Catastrophe, society had collapsed.
The world had become one where the strong dominated the weak.
The powerless became livestock, exploited without mercy.
Fear ruled everything.
The men who chased him were among the cruelest enforcers of that world.
And yet—
They were defeated in mere moments.
The boy swallowed hard, staring at Ishanka.
What… is this man?
“Um…”
He tried to speak—
But before he could continue, Ishanka suddenly started walking.
The boy followed his gaze.
Step. Step.
Without hesitation, Ishanka walked toward—
“Eh? What’s this?”
Nana, who had just stepped off the train.
* * *
A few minutes earlier.
Nana woke up a few hours after arriving in the capital.
“Ahh… that was a good sleep. Feels like the first proper rest I’ve had in a while…”
The moment they arrived, she had collapsed onto the bed and passed out.
Understandable—
She had driven the train for five days straight without a single moment of sleep.
“If it weren’t for those damn zombies, I could’ve taken it easy… ugh, my life.”
She recalled the past five days.
In one word—
Hell.
And in the worst possible way.
Just when it seemed like things were calming down—
Another zombie wave.
The train had been under constant attack.
The front window had been smeared with blood and flesh, and the endless system notifications drove her insane.
Slowing down wasn’t an option. If she did, the zombies would swarm inside.
The fact that they reached the capital safely without derailing was a miracle.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, she muttered,
“If I didn’t have the Clear-Minded Berserker trait, I would’ve either gone insane or collapsed.”
At least, thanks to the heavy rain just before arrival, most of the blood and flesh had been washed off the train.
Otherwise, it would’ve looked like a slaughterhouse.
“Still… it wasn’t all for nothing.”
Nana opened the system window to check the results of her efforts.
