I got Tei’s special mana stone (whatever that ‘manbal’ is, it doesn’t have any visible effect for now).
I’ve set the contact addresses for Cornelia, Mia, and Alicia.
Finally, I was able to set off towards the Clockwork City.
Sniff sniff “It smells like the sea. Is that the strait coming up?”
The transcontinental train crossing the continent.
As I opened the window, a gentle breeze filled with saltiness blew in.
Sitting in the first-class seat of the long-awaited train, I asked,
“Is it tasty?”
“······Nyaa.”
As usual, I offered my nape to Mi Jeong.
She was so eager, she was nibbling on my neck without even giving me a chance to respond.
With how fiercely she was chewing, it felt like my flesh was about to be torn apart.
But thankfully, without fangs, such a terrifying scene didn’t unfold.
She just lightly nibbled, and slightly drew blood.
Now, it’s just part of my daily life.
I decided to let her suck away freely and turned my gaze back outside.
‘How long has it been since I headed north?’
Since Clockwork City is located in the Northern Continent, I had no choice but to take the train.
Considering this is the first time in about five months since I was last up here, it feels quite long.
Considering the cultural aspect, the north feels a bit more familiar to me.
But at the same time, a tingling unease wraps around me.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been hurt by Yerina way too many times.
Every person I make eye contact with seems like a watcher from Palana.
So, today, I booked a private first-class seat tightly enclosed with no one around.
I’m just too sensitive to the gazes of others.
I must be developing paranoia.
‘But it’s true, Yerina isn’t to blame. It’s my fault for trying to seduce her 12 times thinking she was just a regular girl.’
Of course, it’s my own paranoia that I brought upon myself.
I know I should avoid a minefield when I see one.
But I kept throwing myself in until I almost self-tortured.
“······Slurp.”
Having finished, Mi Jeong detached her mouth from my neck and wiped her lips.
She took out a band-aid and stuck it on my nape.
Training is going well.
Still, it’s a bit chilly with the wind blowing.
Even when I close the window, the cold still lingers on my body.
“It’s cold. Heater.”
“······Yeah.”
Just as I said it, Mi Jeong wrapped her arms around my waist.
Then she shivered, and my chest started heating up.
2nd Tier Magic.
Heating.
It’s usually used for low-temperature cooking.
If I accidentally fall asleep like this, I might become sous-vide meat.
But if I’m careful about that, it’s perfect as a heater.
“Whew. So warm. The massage chair feels amazing.”
I can’t express how fortunate I feel that Mi Jeong learned magic.
In winter, she uses it as a heater.
In summer, it doubles up as a cool pillow.
It’s basically a multifunctional home appliance.
“Did you suck all the blood out?”
“······Yeah. Full belly.”
“Then keep an eye on my spot for a minute. I’m going to grab some food.”
“······Okay. Come back.”
Leaving Mi Jeong, who stared at me with her red eye light, I exited the first-class car towards the dining area.
Now that Mi Jeong is full, it’s my turn to get filled up.
As I passed through the aisle and reached the dining car, I could hear the soft music from the band and chatter filling the air.
Considering this train travels almost a month from end to end, the dining car is quite spacious.
“One omelet rice, and a beer.”
“Sure.”
I settled into a suitable spot and placed my order.
I chose something that could come out quickly.
Ordering expensive and luxurious food in this train’s dining area would result in a significant drop in quality.
It’d be better to just get off at Clockwork City and eat at a decent restaurant.
“That guy’s getting wasted. Get him out.”
“Whoa. Vice Captain. I hardly drank anything.”
“Enough with the excuses. Go back to your cabin. We absolutely do not allow any ruckus on the train. Got it?”
“Yes, Vice Captain!”
A group of burly men occupied a corner.
Seeing their antics, they must be mercenaries.
Led by the Vice Captain, there were about eight of them.
By the looks of the Vice Captain, I didn’t recognize him, meaning they might be a no-name mercenary group or a new one.
‘Looks like they have decent discipline. I doubt they’ll cause any trouble.’
Still, they seemed somewhat organized.
I decided not to worry and focused on enjoying my food and drink that soon arrived.
“What should we be cautious about when going to the north?”
“Vice Captain! It won’t stick in my ears! We must maintain the reputation of the mercenary group, right?”
“Alright. Just remember that. We’re going to the north because there’s a shortage of dungeons in the south, which could lead to conflicts with the local factions there. Avoid any violent clashes as much as possible. Understood?”
“Yes!”
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the mercenaries’ voices coming from their side.
There’s a shortage of dungeons in the Southern Continent?
What on earth does that mean?
There are still over a hundred dungeons in the South.
“Everyone’s too excited. Calm down. You’re heading to the Black Star Dungeon.”
“Hey, don’t worry. People have soloed all the Black Star Dungeons down south. We’re more than enough with our elite squad.”
“Are they trying to get themselves killed?!”
So they’re a party aiming for the Black Star Dungeon.
I had heard rumors about more people aiming for the Black Star Dungeon recently.
It seems the perception that it isn’t so dangerous has spread since they saw me wrecking it.
For those who entered the Black Star Dungeon and got wrecked, they have every right to be upset.
But there’s not much they can do.
Most of them are probably folks who never entered in the first place due to the Conquest Abandoned Rating.
But suddenly, a no-name guy starts wrecking all the Black Star Dungeons?
I’d be suspicious too.
Could it be that the Mercenary Council is manipulating the difficulty just for their own gain?
‘You have to experience it to know.’
Those kinds of guys won’t be swayed by words.
They’ll only realize their folly after getting their heads smashed.
Still, it’s good news that dungeon conquering is becoming more active again.
It would take me ages to clear the Black Star Dungeon all alone.
The value of the top-grade mana stones from the Black Star Dungeon has long fallen.
Now, my main mana stones are not those from dungeons, but those made from the Four Heavenly Kings’ magic.
In terms of both base performance and added effects, black mana stones far outclass the regular top-grade ones.
If I were to switch mana stones, I’d rather get those obtained from taking down other Heavenly Kings rather than from dungeons.
Moreover, as the speed of dungeon conquest increases, the day I face the final boss will also come sooner.
That’s the crux of it.
While being chased by the main heroines, time is truly a precious resource.
“Have you heard about that guy? The maniac who keeps wrecking the Black Star Dungeon?”
“Black Star Slayer?”
“Yeah. That guy.”
The Black Star Slayer.
That’s the nickname attached to me, the one wrecking the dungeons with the ‘Black Star’ label.
If possible, I would’ve preferred a cool English nickname like ‘Black-Slayer.’
I thought about sneaking into the Mercenary Council and causing a ruckus to get my nickname changed to ‘Black-Slayer,’ but then thought better of it.
I have no time to waste on such things.
Still, it’s quite disappointing.
The thought of seeing the mercenaries applaud my fantastic naming sense was a nice little fantasy.
“I also heard that they plan to make him the 4th Swordmaster by including that guy among the 3 legendary swordmasters.”
“Who said such nonsense…”
“Our leader mentioned it.”
“Thinking back, that does make sense.”
The Three Great Swordmasters.
They refer to the three strongest swordsmen in the world.
But as you can guess from the name itself, it’s just a list concocted by a bunch of armchair experts.
Unlike the strict hierarchy and witnesses in the Swordmaster status, the Three Great Swordmasters is purely based on speculation.
Of course, there are certainly those who rival Swordmasters among those who aren’t Swordmasters.
For example, Yerina.
Or Blood Ghoul, Transylvania.
Yerina, being from the Northern Continent, has no intention of being included in the Southern Swordmaster hierarchy.
And as for Transylvania, she’s a regained Blood Ghoul, so she isn’t regarded as human, thus can’t qualify as a Swordmaster.
Considering these points, the Three Great Swordmasters could be seen as somewhat objective.
However, since none of them have fought each other, nobody really knows if they’re truly that strong.
It’s just like the ‘Top 3 Swordsmanship Rankings for Fun!’ gossip.
Even if I got included, there would be no real benefit, and my honor wouldn’t rise at all, but…
It simply feels good.
That’s all there is to it.
My desire to stealthily use my connections with Cornelia or Mia to push for inclusion as the 4th Swordmaster flickers within me.
“Yeah. But regardless of that, how can they possibly include the unknown Black Star Slayer among the Three Great Swordmasters? We don’t even know if he uses a sword.”
“There’s plenty of evidence for that. The monster corpses found in the dungeons he swept through were all shredded by a sword.”
“So, he must be a swordsman?”
“Yeah.”
It seems that quite a bit of analysis regarding me has been done without my knowledge.
At the very least, it seems they have figured out that I’m a swordsman.
But it looks like that’s about it.
Thank goodness.
I was careful to erase my traces, but I was worried that there might have been some evidence I accidentally leaked.
Fortunately, it seems that hasn’t been the case.
During the last 12 times, I hid to avoid Yerina’s suspicions, and it seems like I’m well-trained now.
Thanks! Yerina!
“Take the dishes away.”
“Sure.”
Having gathered enough information through eavesdropping, I finished my meal and stood up.
The train should soon be crossing the strait into the Northern Continent.
Then, Clockwork City won’t be far off.
I’ll arrive by this evening, so I should try to catch a quick nap.
“Vice Captain! This is bad!”
“What? What’s going on?”
Just as I was about to exit the dining car,
Before I even grabbed the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open, and a mercenary rushed past me.
Panting heavily and looking pale, he seemed greatly startled.
“The rookie… the rookie lost consciousness!”
“How much did he drink?!”
“It’s not the alcohol. His fever shot up and he just collapsed, unable to come to.”
“What the…”
Just as I was about to snap back irritably, the Vice Captain staggered.
The bewilderment spread across his face.
And I soon realized as well.
‘Huh? Why does my head hurt so much?’
I was feeling off, something was definitely wrong with my body.
My head throbbed severely, and my stomach churned.
Looking around, the once lively dining car had quieted down significantly.
Several people were already slumped over, lifeless.
‘Poisoning?’
At first, I thought perhaps someone had poisoned the food, so I glared at the chef.
However, the chef too seemed dazed, unable to regain consciousness.
At least the chef didn’t poison the food.
Then what could it be?
‘Could it be…’
I had a hunch.
A phenomenon this quiet and ominous, impacting a large area.
To my knowledge, there’s only one thing that fits.
I knelt and placed my hand on the train floor.
The moment I activated Inspect Trait, I saw it.
[Transcontinental Train]
[Status: Curse]
[A large passenger train operating from Galia in the Southern Continent to Palana in the Northern Continent. Cursed. Debuff effects are imposed on all passengers.]
Just as I suspected.
This bizarre occurrence was caused by a curse caster.
Unlike magic, which consumes mana, curses utilize demonic energy.
In that aspect, it can be considered similar to necromancers who use spirit magic.
‘This guy is pretty skilled.’
I’m sensitive to the movements of mana, but I’m not as attuned to the movements of demonic energy.
Still, I can feel it to a certain extent.
For instance, I could sense Belphegor or Kali releasing a tremendous amount of demonic energy even from afar.
Considering that this curse was cast over the entire train, the level of demonic energy was significant.
Yet, I failed to notice it at all.
He must be a curse caster of considerable skill.
‘Damn it. Why does it seem to be getting stronger?’
Right now, the only ones in the dining car remaining conscious are me and the mercenaries.
It seems like my larger build and muscle mass make me resistant to the curse’s effects.
But even the mercenaries soon begin to crumble, one by one.
It looks like I won’t last much longer either.
“This is insane…”
There’s only one way to stop this.
I need to capture the curse caster.
If a totem is set up, even if I catch the caster, I’ll need to destroy the totem too…
But if I can capture the caster and interrogate them, I should be able to learn the totem’s location.
“Ugh. Damn it.”
However, just as I tried to leave the dining car, my legs gave way.
It felt like I had downed about eight bottles of whiskey.
My sense of reality started fading, the world began to spin.
‘Heavenly Armor Plate wouldn’t even work here.’
For a moment, I considered deploying the Heavenly Armor Plate skill, but decided against it.
The range of this curse enveloped the entire train.
The Heavenly Armor Plate just repels physical force, and wouldn’t guard against curses, so it wouldn’t help.
If this goes on, I might wake up bound in the Northern Slave Market.
Or maybe I’d wake up during surgery, having all my insides taken out while they cheer, “Brother, this bastard is smiling.”
As those horrifying thoughts ran through my mind,
I saw someone approaching at the end of the corridor, someone walking heavily.
As they came closer, I got a clearer focus on who it was.
“······Why. Are you lying down?”
Mi Jeong looked at me with a befuddled expression.
She tilted her head and squatted in front of me.
I could see her panties, that brat.
“You…”
You should run away.
Just when I was about to say that,
“······This is moving.”
Mi Jeong was holding out a small wooden box toward me.
That box contains Kali’s Dead Soul.
And it was shaking like crazy.
Radiating an ominous energy.
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