CHAPTER 47: THE CONDUCTOR

Why is the Conductor here?

Ace stared at the headless man astride an undead horse. The man wore a black conductor’s suit, his tie flapping even without wind like it had its own aura. His presence brought a chilling darkness that stole the sunlight and the wind.

The armored horse, eyes cold and blue, wore the conductor’s hat in his place and watched Ace’s Core Team. At its hooves, darkness unrolled in mist-like clouds that ate the forest roots, letting the horse glide without hindrance.

The Conductor was the headless undead who oversaw the Train and handed out tickets to his judgment game. The Sixteen who won his game earned spots on the Train. Afterward, anyone could attack the Train if they could reach it by other means. Being first to claim that safe zone and its facilities gave a huge advantage.

In his first life, Ace had never met the Conductor. He hadn’t worried about him either.

Back then, he’d been a budding Ranker with sealed potential—no way the Conductor would come for him that early. In this life, Ace was the number one Ranker, so the Conductor had every excuse to target him. Ace hadn’t thought it through and hadn’t expected to meet him this soon.

There’s a chance he’ll go easy on us. If we endure him, we might earn tickets. Survival is still the priority.

Of course it was. Even top Rankers in his first life had lost arms or eyes after meeting the Conductor. Then the horse reared and let out a mix of sounds—the Conductor’s whistle, the Train’s horn, and its own chill wheeze.

"Here he comes!" Ace shouted. "You can’t dodge. Take the hit and get tossed. Minimize damage."

A wave of darkness swept through Ace’s Core Team. The horse moved so fast it seemed to teleport. The Conductor appeared in front of Chaewon. His horse barreled into her, sending her flying.

She brought the flat of her katana up in time to take the blow and reduce the damage. Even so, she flew so far that her landing echoed across the Conductor’s domain. She forced herself up, coughing mouthfuls of blood, shaking.

Ace was already sprinting toward her. Mercer reacted, too, and ran as fast as he could, which relieved Ace—his little brother moved fast in a crisis.

Kneeling before Chaewon, Mercer cast Rejuvenation Flux, patching her wounds. As his mana sank into her, he saw the damage: broken bones and torn vessels.

The pain had to be brutal. He couldn’t give her a potion while she kept coughing blood.

"Turn around, Mercer!"

"Huh?"

Death loomed over him before he realized it. Clouds of darkness swept through him, and the low, now‑familiar sound that marked the Conductor’s presence thrummed above Mercer’s head.

The horse snapped its head and smashed him aside. The hit was too much. Mercer went limp—out cold.

Shit!

"I’ll grab him! Keep moving! You got this, Chaewon!" Ace shouted. He hooked Mercer under his right arm and ran.

Marko and Alex saw up close how bad Chaewon’s and Mercer’s wounds were. Both looked dented, and the bruising was ugly. Chaewon kept up only thanks to Marko’s Rejuvenation Flux. Mercer was bleeding too much. His clothes were a drenched mess, blood streaming down. His insides had to be ruptured.

Cherry hopped off Ace’s shoulder and landed on Mercer.

"Don’t drink his blood," Ace warned.

I’ll shtop the bleeding!

"Good."

Cherry’s power stopped the bleeding and warmed Mercer, dulling the pain. He blinked awake and took in how bad things were.

He reached for his staff and realized he’d dropped it. Without a staff, he only had his sword left.

Could he even heal with a sword? His face went ashen.

The Conductor appeared beside Alex, matching the team at an easy lope. While everyone else ran for their lives, the Conductor’s horse seemed to drift in slow motion, enjoying the cold air. Alex noticed too late.

Ace yanked down his left sleeve with his teeth. Armament!

His arm blackened, then spilled ink that shaped to his thoughts and formed a long spear. He gripped the shaft and swept it into Alex’s legs, tripping him.

"Ugh!" Alex hit the ground chest‑first.

Above, the horse’s headbutt missed.

"Roll! Let him toss you! Think, Alex!" Ace yelled.

Alex obeyed. The horse’s second strike slammed his shield. He rooted himself to raise his defenses, but the horse tore him free as if uprooting a giant tree.

It hurled him several miles, like a bullet.

"D‑Don Capo! How long do we have to run like this?!" Marko asked.

"Until we’re out of his domain!" Ace said.

Marko bit his lip. "T‑Then... there’s no way I survive this. I’m not tough like Alex or competent like you or Godmother. Lil bro can’t heal, so it’s only going to get harder from here!"

"You suddenly growing brain cells and doing basic math wasn’t on my bingo card. But you’re right." Ace nodded.

"I’ll sacrifice myself, then!" Marko shouted.

"Huh?"

"I won’t blame you like Sean. Good run with Don Capo. I thought I could make it—even being weak. If my death buys you time, I’m doing it! You hear me?!"

He turned and ran the other way, putting his life on the line to buy the gang time. Chaewon and Mercer cried out.

Watching Marko’s back slip away, Ace’s eyes widened. Memories from his first life hit, and he saw those same friends, who had thrown themselves away for him, sprinting beside Marko.

Is this how it’s going to be? All the same? Why did I return to the past?

"Take Mercer," Ace said, passing him gently to Chaewon.

Cherry bounced off and landed back on Ace’s shoulder. Ace kept his eyes on Marko. It was clear what he was about to do.

He’ll follow them to his death if I let him.

"Ace, don’t die! You absolutely can’t! Show me your peak—and beyond! Got it?!" Chaewon shouted, clamping her lips shut as blood threatened to spill.

Ace nodded. "Got it."