CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45 – CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES (PART 5)

Chapter 45 – Choices and Consequences (Part 5)

"My apologies for arriving late. I had to deal with the threat outside first."

The voice came from somewhere within the haze of blood and silence, calm and composed—so smooth and unshaken that it sent an involuntary chill down Zane’s spine. He whipped his head up, heart still pounding, and saw a solitary figure standing a short distance away amidst the pools of blood.

It was the conductor.

He stood in the same pristine black uniform as before, almost entirely untouched by the chaos around him. In one hand, he held what looked like a dagger—though unlike any ordinary weapon, it shimmered faintly with what Zane immediately recognized as Core Energy.

"... Did he...?"

Zane felt his brain falter for a moment, as if trying to reject the possibility. The man hadn’t just killed the monsters—he had erased them. There wasn’t a shred of flesh left. Only blood. Just a sea of crimson coating the floor, walls, and windows.

’No way... That wasn’t killing. That was... annihilation.’

Zane’s fist clenched tightly as cold sweat gathered on the back of his neck. A sickening realization dawned upon him—he hadn’t even seen the attack. Not a flicker. Not a blur of movement. Just monsters one moment... and nothing the next.

Just how strong was this man?

His perception of the conductor began to shift rapidly. He was no mere train worker. No doubt remained now—he was a Knight. A powerful one. Maybe even among the strongest Zane had ever seen.

Slowly, the conductor turned to face them fully. His brown eyes met Zane’s with unreadable calm.

"Hm. It seems Mr. Zane has sustained an injury."

The two teens remained silent, too stunned to speak. The adrenaline, the carnage, the sudden shift from death’s door to eerie quiet... it was a lot to process.

"If you do not mind," the conductor said again, "may I take a look at your injury?"

Zane narrowed his eyes, still cautious. "...Why?"

"I can treat it for you. If you allow me, of course."

Zane glanced down. His leg was still bleeding heavily. The pain hadn’t dulled—if anything, it had grown worse with the slowing of adrenaline. His face had turned pale, his muscles weak, and he could feel the blood pooling beneath his fingers. If he didn’t get help soon...

’I don’t have a choice. The potion won’t be enough for this...’ He exhaled slowly, teeth clenched, and released Elizabeth’s trembling hand. With effort, he hobbled toward the conductor.

"Zane..." Elizabeth called after him, voice filled with unease.

Her eyes flickered to the floor, to the blood-covered seats, the walls painted with viscera. Her stomach churned. The smell of iron, the weight of death—it was too much. ’So this is the world of Knights...?’ Ruthless, efficient, terrifying.

The boy approached and finally stood before the conductor. The man’s face was unreadable, his brown hair slicked neatly back, his presence more ghostly than human.

"Please," he said, motioning, "take a seat."

Zane looked at the nearest bench—and flinched. It was soaked in blood, sticky and glistening. The next one wasn’t any better. Every surface was painted in death.

"Sigh..."

He forced the disgust down, biting it back, and sat with a grimace. Blood seeped through his pants as the conductor knelt in front of him and examined his mangled leg.

"It will sting a little," he warned softly. "Please bear with it."

Zane nodded silently, jaw tightening.

The man gently unwrapped the soaked shirt tied around the wound. Zane hissed through his teeth.

"This is quite the injury," the conductor murmured. "The Cluster Spider must have latched on tight."

"Didn’t... ugh... think it’d survive the stab," Zane muttered, gripping the nearby table with white knuckles.

"Monsters can be tenacious," the man replied. "Even lethal wounds won’t always bring them down. You must never look away until the creature is well and truly dead."

Zane didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. He already knew that too well. That mistake was just purely because he lacked knowledge and experience, something crucial in battles. It cost him a lot of pain, but he learned that lesson well.

The conductor then hovered his hand over the wound. A subtle glow radiated from his palm, and suddenly, Core Energy surged down into Zane’s leg.

"AAGHH!!"

The boy arched backward with a shout of pain, eyes wide. It felt like fire had erupted beneath his skin, burning through flesh and nerve alike. His vision blurred.

’It hurts! Damn it, it hurts!!’

Elizabeth’s hands flew to her mouth as she watched, trembling. "Zane..."

The healing process was more brutal than the injury itself. And yet, the boy endured it, gritting his teeth hard enough that his jaw ached.

A full minute passed—each second dragging by like an eternity.

Finally, the conductor pulled his hand away, and the agonizing heat began to fade. Zane blinked the sweat from his eyes and looked down, gasping.

The wound was gone.

Only blood stains remained, but the flesh beneath was fully restored. No pain, no scar—nothing.

"That should suffice," the conductor said, standing. "Try to stand on it."

Still in disbelief, Zane slowly pushed himself up. He tested his leg. No pain. No discomfort. Nothing.

’What the hell... How? This level of healing... is insane.’

He could barely wrap his head around it. Not only was the man powerful enough to decimate monsters instantly—he could also heal catastrophic injuries in mere moments.

Some sort of Core Stigma? Or... something else entirely?

"Excellent. You’re stable again," the conductor said. "The threat has been neutralized. Such attacks are rare, but unfortunately, not impossible. Still, the worst is over."

"W-Will they attack again?!" Elizabeth asked, still visibly shaken.

"They might, but it’s highly unlikely," the man replied calmly. "This kind of breach happens only under rare circumstances. The tracks are enclosed in glass shells designed to withstand most threats. Cluster Spiders, however... are one of the few that can pierce through."

Zane rolled his eyes. ’Of course, it had to be one of the rare exceptions. Just my luck.’

"I recommend you both relocate to the second cart," the conductor added. "It’s safer. As you can see, this one is rather... unsanitary now."

"Yeah, no arguments there..." Zane muttered, reaching for his sword. As he walked toward the exit, he paused—then turned back.

"...Thanks. For healing me."

The conductor gave a faint nod. "It is part of my duty, sir. No thanks necessary."

Zane hesitated a moment longer. Those eyes—brown and empty—bothered him. There was no warmth. No anger. No fear. Just... nothing. A blank stare devoid of any trace of human emotion.

’How can someone have eyes like that?’ Even the coldest people still feel something.

He turned away and stepped into the next cart, his mind still heavy with questions.

As he entered, he was greeted by a strange sight—Emilio, poking his head cautiously around the corner. His eyes were wide, wild, and his entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

’This bastard’s still alive?’ Zane thought with a sharp click of his tongue.

When Emilio spotted him, relief bloomed across his face.

"Oh thank god! Are the monsters gone?!"

Zane didn’t answer.

"Cough, cough, I mean... yes, of course they are," Emilio said quickly, standing upright and patting his chest with false bravado. "Close one, huh? I had to fend off more than one, you know. Real tough bastards."

Zane stared blankly, unmoved.

’Hopeless...’

Without a word, he walked past Emilio, heading to a cleaner seat at the far end of the cart.

But then—

[Ding!]

[You have killed Erased-Rank Cluster Spider.]

[You have leveled up!]

Zane blinked.

’Wait... leveled up?’

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, the pain and confusion of the day momentarily replaced by something else.

Progress.

Even in the middle of hell... he was still getting stronger.