The force of the explosion was extraordinary, unlike anything that the passengers on board the train had encountered before.
The ensuing shockwave was vast and uncontained, and it swept across the surrounding region with an overwhelming force.
The magnitude of the blast was so intense that it caused the train, caught within the radius of the shockwave, to shudder violently. It teetered on the brink of capsizing, its equilibrium disrupted by the cataclysmic force.
However, amidst the chaos that caused everyone inside the train to panic, Lucious acted with commendable quickness. He firmly planted his foot onto the floor of the rocking train. The force exerted by his stamp transferred through the train, countering the unsettling sway.
His action, taken with precise timing, was enough to restore balance and prevent a catastrophic derailment.
Everyone on board the train breathed a sight of relief. Lucious’s swift intervention had averted a potential disaster.
“Did we… did we get them?” Erben’s weary voice cut through the silence that had fallen over the train’s occupants.
“Can devils like Morthos, who have been terrorizing the kingdom for years, and that Stormgazer, which can harness the forces of nature as easily aa breathing, really be taken down just like that?” Martha questioned, her voice laced with disbelief.
Lucious seemed cool and unflappable as always. He gazed out of the train’s window, looking at the aftermath of his retaliation, which looked like a plume of smoke staining the night sky.
“Concerning the Stormgazer, I can’t make any assured claims. As for Morthos, he’s known for his tenacity. He isn’t one to surrender his life easily.. However, even if Morthos managed to survive the blast, I doubt he would dare to strike back, not after witnessing what we’re capable of.”
Lucious’s gaze never left the horizon. His lips curled up as he saw a human-like figure retreating at full speed.
It was Morthos.
It had survived, but it was severely injured.
Moreover, it was so terrified that it had lost the will to fight.
“It’s as he said. We’re saved.”
A wave of relief washed over the passengers and guardians as neither Morthos nor Stormgazer reappeared from the dust, nor was there any kind of retaliation.
Against all odds, they had survived Morthos’s assault!
A rare smile crept onto Val’s face as he thought that he had survived the onslaught of the infamous destruction devil, Morthos.
“We made it,” Leroy breathed out, his eyes wide with relief and awe. He looked at the others, the similar relief mirrored in their faces too. He clapped a hand on Erben’s shoulder, offering him a wide grin. “Never thought I’d see the day where we’d be dancing with death and come out of it still breathing.”
Erben, typically reserved, returned the grin, “Well, we did more than just dance, Captain. We stepped on its toes, but still lived to see another day.”
“That we did, Erben. “That we did.” Martha, who had been quietly observing their interaction, chuckled lightly at Erben’s dry humor.
“It was thanks to Lord Lucious, and Sebastian we survived. I reckon we owe both of you one.” It was Halden who broke the light-hearted banter and reminded everyone who they owed their lives tom
Instantly, Sebastian, who had returned to its basic form and snuck inside the train, piped up in a surprisingly squeaky voice, “Yes, yes, show your reverence to me! Shower me with your respect and gratitude. Worship me, and I, the Great Sebastian, shall bestow upon you long life and great luck!”
What a silly fool!
Everyone chuckled at its antics.
Seeing his familiar making a fool of itself, Lucious merely pinched the bridge of his nose, a small sigh escaping his lips.
“Sebastian,” he chided his familiar, though there was a note of fondness in his voice, “you’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Am I, my lord?” Sebastian seemed to ponder this for a moment before he continued with unabashed enthusiasm, “No, no, I believe I am not. After all, is it not the priority of a hero to receive the adoration of the masses?”
In response, Lucious merely rolled his eyes as if he had heard something foolish. Unlike you, heroes don’t beg for it!
Ahem!
Leroy cleared his throat, capturing everyone’s attention, before turning towards Val. “We all owe you a round of applause, Master Val. You were instrumental in our victory today. Without your support, we might not have been able to withstand Morthos’ onslaught.”
Though Val’s face remained impassive, a flicker of satisfaction could be seen in his eyes.
It felt good to be recognized.
There was no denying it.
“There’s no need,” Val responded to their admiration stoically. “We all played our part.”
A silence fell over the group as Leroy nodded in acknowledgement of Val’s words.
He then raised his hand, signalling to everyome to quiet down. “Before we continue our celebrations, I ask for a moment of silence. For those brave souls who lost their lives in this hard-won battle. They stood their ground, fought courageously, and sacrificed themselves for our survival. Let’s honor their memory.”
Following his words, everyone on board the train fell silent. 𝒩𝑂𝗏𝗅xt.𝓒𝓞𝑀
The passengers and guardian, many of whom had been relishing their victory over Morthos and his horde, suddenly found a somber mood settling over them as they were reminded of their fallen comrades.
They bowed their heads and closed their eyes, paying their respects to the departed souls who had given their lives to protect them.
After a few moments, Leroy gestured to a nearby attendant.
The server promptly stepped forward, carrying a tray full of drinks. The captain took one, raising it high. “And now, let’s toast to the fact that we faced a nightmarish threat and lived to tell the tale!”
A cheer erupted in the room as the drinks were passed around.
Clink!
Everyone took a glass, raising it in a toast.
Laughter and cheerful conversation resumed once again.
They spent the next hour sharing stories and toasting to their survival.
After the celebration, everyone moved to return to their seats.
‘Damn, I’m so tired that I am on the brink of collapse.’
Val felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He had been using every ounce of his strength and willpower to stay awake and now that the danger had passed, his body demanded rest.
Eliana noticed Val’s fatigue as he walked into their shared compartment that was on the badly damaged carriage of the train.
Val’s eyes were heavily-lidded and his movements were sluggish, making it apparent how bad of a state he was in.
Wanting to help, Eliana quickly stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Soft, warm light began to emanate from her hand, wrapping around Val in a gentle caress.
Val blinked in surprise, his fatigue momentarily forgotten. “Eliana?” he asked, looking at her in surprise.
“I’m just lending you some of my energy,” she replied in a soft voice.
“But you must be tired yourself. You don’t need to do this,” Val protested softly.
He didn’t want his assest to damage herself by overdrawing the power of her bloodline. After all, the consequences of such foolishness were often time too heavy to bear and left lifelong scars and regrets.
“I want to be of help to you, Brother Val,” She smiled at him sweetly. “Please don’t decline.”
‘Is this girl smitten with me?’ Val wondered.
He didn’t argue further as he knew that it was useless to argue when a nun from the holy church of light has made up her mind, and truth be told, he felt a lot better already thanks to her help.
He simply nodded at her, mouthing a quiet ‘thank you’ before taking a seat. Eliana sat beside him, her hand, still glowing with her holy power, was gently guiding stream of warmth in his body, making him feel relaxed.
‘I am dead tired, but I can’t risk falling asleep.’
Although Val was feeling sleepy, he resisted the urge to sleep.
It was because he was uncertain if there were still potential assassins on the train, biding their time to strike when he was most vulnerable.
With such uncertainty looming over him, he found it difficult to surrender to his natural instinct.
“Sleep, Val. I will watch over you.” Lucious seemed to understand his dilemma. Thus, he offered him a helping hand.
Val glanced at him, meeting his gaze.
If Lucious wanted to kill him, he would not be able to resist even in his peak state. Maybe he would be able to survive if he rush into the Other Side befoee their battle begin. Anyway, if he was any threat to his life, he wouldn’t be alive right now. Basically, there was no need to doubt his concern for him.
Besides, the elder man’s gaze held nothing but sincerity as he looked at him.
“I will be depending on you.”
Trusting in Lucious’s words, Val allowed his heavy eyelids to fall shut.
In mere moments, he succumbed to the exhaustion that had been hounding him since he used the Hellish Punch Bloodline skill to bombard the horde, which was controlled by Morthos.