Thirty minutes before the Hell Express was scheduled to depart, stairs, seemingly materializing out of thin air, began to appear from one of the many doors lining the monstrous locomotive. It was a rather magical sight, but, as he could see the flow of Shinsu around the Hell Express shifting, Vahn was able to understand the mechanism at a glance. The stairs were actually stored inside the train, and, like removing objects from interdimensional storage, they could manifest anywhere within the locomotives ‘domain’ of Shinsu.
With his own domain and inventory functioning in a very similar way, Vahn couldn’t help but crack a smile. He always found it strangely refreshing whenever he encountered phenomena that emulated the functions of The Path. It made him feel like he was getting steadily closer to his destination, and, the more commonplace such things became, the easier it was to infer that he was in a higher plane of existence.
As there were multiple sets of stairs leading up to the Hell Train, effectively allowing different teams to enter separate ‘paths’, Vahn left FUG to their own devices as he ascended alongside ‘Team John’. He wasn’t actually intending to explore alongside them, as they had their own path to walk, but he could at least look after them during the first leg of their journey. He was also a little curious to see what allowed John to become a prospective member of Wolhaiksong, so, after boarding, he turned to the man and asked, “So, what are you planning to do from here onward?”
Having half-expected Vahn to just ‘disappear’ the moment they boarded the Hell Express, John was at a momentary loss for words in response to his question. His allies were in a similar boat, as, from the time they had met, up until the present moment, Vahn hadn’t actually explained his identity to them. They just thought he was an ‘unreasonably’ powerful Regular, one who had seemingly taken interest in them out of nowhere.
Laughing in response to the group of five’s reactions, Vahn gave John’s shoulder a friendly pat as he said, “Relax. I won’t bore you with the details, but I’m basically an ally of Wolhaiksong. I also owe Ureko a favor so I thought I’d keep an eye on you until you passed the first trial. Don’t worry, even if it’s hard to believe, I’m not plotting to use your team for some nefarious purposes. I just feel a small amount of responsibility towards you after supplying your tickets. If it turns out you lack the ability to advance on your own, I’m afraid you’ll have to disembark once we reach the 36th Floor.”
Though he doubted the veracity of Vahn’s words, John’s expression paled considerably when the former produced a Fourteen-Wing Badge, something that only Baek Ryun and Ureko Mazino, the two leaders of Wolhaiksong, should possess. His own was a mere One-Wing Sapling, a badge that appeared like a miniature wing with roots. It was meant to represent his status as a potentiate, and, the moment Vahn produced his own, John could feel his badge resonating with the former.
Understanding the youth’s thoughts, Vahn adopted a slightly teasing look as he mused, “Not just anyone can owe Ureko a favor. Don’t worry, even if you ultimately have to disembark at the next station, your status as a potentiate won’t be affected. Just do your best without putting your allies in danger. More than anything else, members of Wolhaiksong take care of their friends.”
Punctuating his words by ruffling the youth’s hair, Vahn turned to John’s team, consisting of three men and one woman, with a smile on his face. They were all looking at him like he was some kind of monster, and, considering what they had learned about Wolhaiksong from John, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him one. As a result, even the tallest of their group, a 225cm tall man with a build similar to an Adonis, forced a smile as he nervously gripped his vermillion-red spear…
—
Though information pertaining to the Hell Express was very limited, most Regulars were aware of the fact that it emulated a day-night cycle. The most basic challenge for those aboard the Express was to survive for a period of ten days as they wandered the labyrinthian paths present within the train’s interior. This was relatively easy during the day, as there were very few enemies littering the complex halls and perpetually-shifting corridors. During the evening, however, a seemingly endless tide of monstrous Shinheuh and powerful automatons would appear.
So long as you persisted for ten days, clearing a requisite number of sections each day, you would invariably find yourself at a chamber filled with teleportation devices. These rooms were generally known as the ‘crossroads of fate’, as, depending on your luck, you could experience tremendous fortune or encounter a seemingly insurmountable foe.
Fortunately, even after teleporting and seeing what was on the other side, you still had the option of turning away and choosing a different route. It was for this reason that people boarded the Hell Express numerous times, and, by accumulating both information and experience, it was possible to determine which rooms were ‘safe’ before you even passed through their antechambers.
The only real restriction on exploration was that you needed to complete at least one trial during the thirty-day interval between each station. This was a requirement for advancing to higher floors, so, if you were unable to find a clearable route in the allocated time, you would have no choice but to disembark the moment the train reached the next station. If you attempted to stay, both you and your team would be forcibly, and violently, ejected from the train. Since it often moored itself ‘very’ high in the sky, this was a potential death sentence to weaker Regulars so it was highly advised that anyone failing to qualify be ready and waiting near one of the exists prior to reaching the station…
—
Though he could have called out Ryun to act as their Guide, Vahn found it rather amusing watching Team John fumble through the corridors of the Hell Express. The interior of each car was like a small world, and, due to its ever-changing structure, there were a seemingly infinite number of obstacles, and, every now and again, ‘unsurpassable’ terrain. This included a literal cliff that descended more than three-hundred meters into a channel of magma-like acid. The only way to cross was to either have the physical strength to leap the 80m gap or the intestinal fortitude to try and walk the three-centimeter wide ‘bridge’ linking the two sides.
Eighty meters might not seem like a lot, but it was a lot further than most Regulars could leap in a single bound. The strange acid also interfered with the surrounding Shinsu, so, unless your control was exceptional, Lighthouses would wobble uncontrollably and even body reinforcement became difficult. This made it nearly impossible to transport people across using a Lighthouse, and, while it might be possible for some members to easily leap across, few teams were comprised of Regulars who could ‘all’ cover such distances.
Fortunately for Team John, their leader hadn’t been chosen as a potential member of Wolhaiksong for nothing. Not only was he exceptionally brave, walking across the abnormally thin bridge without even a moment of hesitation, he was also resourceful. It hadn’t even taken him more than a minute to come up with a plan for crossing the gap, a plan that involved tying a safety line around his waist before carrying across two ropes to fasten as guidelines. This allowed his team to cross with relative ease, and, after the fact, he even went back to unfasten the rope in order to make use of it later.
While the feat wasn’t particularly impressive, John’s bravery, combined with the fact that his team didn’t even hesitate to place their trust in him, was worthy of praise. It was rare to see a group of Regulars with such strong bonds, and, though they were individually weak, he could envision them overcoming far more powerful teams thanks to their excellent teamwork and even more remarkable bonds. The only thing they really lacked was power, but, so long as they continued to push forward, it was only a matter of time before they became truly strong.
In the hopes of seeing the group succeed, Vahn began teaching the group numerous survival skills whenever they had time to rest. He also taught their Spear Bearer, a man who introduced himself as Jameson, son of James, how to prepare a number of different dishes that could revitalize his team’s spirits during meals. Food was one of the foundational pillars for mental health, so, if you wanted to stave off the onset of things like depression while simultaneously improving morale, it was best to prepare delicious meals that were properly balanced for each individual’s needs.
Though he had originally thought to teach the female member of the team how to cook, the faces of the other four revealed that this might not be the best idea. The woman in question, Rose, was also against the idea, so, in the end, he ended up teaching Jameson some of Rindo’s easier recipes. He had already been the group’s defacto chef for more than a decade so his skills, while not up to Vahn’s standard, weren’t bad. Rather, he showed a considerable amount of passion for cooking, so, alongside the other items he was preparing as the group’s parting gift, he also included a book of recipes, a set of C-Rank Chef’s knives, and a virtually indestructible cutting board…
—
After ten days and nights of clearing relatively weak yet persistent Shinheuh, Team John finally reached their destination, a room with three pylons, each decorated with a blue, green, and red crystal. The actual teleportation mechanism was the invisible ward inscribed on the ground, but, so long as you placed your hand on one of the crystals, it would teleport you to the antechamber on the other side.
Seeing the varying crystals, John’s expression turned reflective for a brief moment before he turned toward his team and said, “I’ll scout ahead and see what each route holds. Jameson, I’ll leave meal prep to you and Thomas. Rose, Chris, I want the two of you to prepare camp. Though we might be able to push through and enjoy a much-deserved rest in the residences prepared on the other side, I want us all properly rested before we attempt the challenge. At the very least, we’ll recuperate for around five hours or so before pushing forward.”
Without bothering to argue, Jameson, Thomas, and Chris quickly set out to perform their tasks as Rose, causing Vahn to feel a strange feeling of dread, said, “Be safe out there…if something happens to you, I’ll…I’ll beat up your ghost…!”
If it was just Rose’s comment, Vahn wouldn’t have thought much of it, but, immediately thereafter, John adopted an affectionate smile, his voice gaining a gentle overtone as he said, “You’re always worrying for nothing…didn’t we all promise that we’ll climb the Tower together? I would never break a promise I made to my friends. Besides, even a group like Wolhaiksong has taken an interest in me. Do you really think I’ll die in a place like the Hell Train?”
As if to affirm that the flag was properly affixed, John lightly ruffled Rose’s auburn hair, the edges of his smile curling up for a brief moment as he retracted his hand and added, “See you soon…” in an overly casual tone. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, Vahn appeared at his side, hand on the young man’s shoulder as he said, “I’ll come with you…I’m actually pretty curious about what’s on the other side…”
Though he was a little surprised by the ‘grim’ look on Vahn’s face, John still managed an awkward smile as he said, “I can send images back using my-”
Shaking his head, Vahn tightened his grip on John’s shoulder, his expression becoming a ‘smile-that-was-not-a-smile’ as he insisted, “No. I’m coming with you…” in a tone that left no room for argument.
Though they had become somewhat ‘chummy’ over the last ten days, John was still utterly terrified of Vahn. Thus, with the latter ‘insisting’ he comes along, there was little the man could do but smile even more wryly as he answered, “Okay…let’s get going…” in an awkward tone.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘I feel bad for any actual members of Wolhaiksong who see Vahn whip out his badge xD…’,’Even ‘average’ can be ‘exceptional’ when you combine bravery with teamwork~!’,’Vahn be like, “Not today…”‘)
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