Dimension Apocalypse

DA Chapter 9

A Hidden Threat

The journey was quite far from Norkton to the mountains, even more so for the northmost Dawn Star Empire. By using the fastest means of transportation, the electro train, it would still take two days of travel to arrive at the base of the mountain range.

Once there, everyone would then choose either to loiter at its base, idling at a few attractions. The bold would venture off into the mountain ranges to explore, camp, and seek out the thrill they yearn to experience.

An electro train of an angular shape swooshed towards the distance, leaving behind a line of neon lights due to its incredible speed. When it moved, it’s delayed echoes of its cybernetic noise sounded through its vicinity, giving a strange kind of charm to the nighttime ranges.

The train was divided into many compartments, naturally separated by first, business, and economy class, each having its own staff to cater for each traveler’s needs.

A uniformed woman walked through the silent halls of economy class, traveling towards one of the passenger’s quarters. She knocked on the door a few times before opening it and entering with a food tray.

Inside was a contained room with a sofa and a tiny table, resting before a small TV screen. The window was currently tinted, shrouding most of the rapidly flashing outside scene as a handsome youth sat in idle posture, sleeping with drool flowing down his mouth corners.

The woman snickered at this as she put down the tray and left, but as the door closed, the youth’s snoring ended as he opened one eye, revealing a glimmer of menacing crimson light before returning to normal as he stared at the closed door.

It seems that I was overthinking things. Micheal didn’t do anything strange back then, so I could hardly see why he’d do anything foolish, like sending assassins in this time. Still, it’s good to keep a level of caution just in case. I have yet to awaken after all. Evan thought with a calm but wary expression. He recalled when he felt as if someone was watching him back at the transport center, noticing two strange individuals.

Thinking back, he couldn’t help but remember the scene at the Golden Hall. He concluded, Since it’s not Micheal, then whoever is watching me is likely to be related to that Alan Lawson. They are likely from that Special Military Division or some other private group sent to observe me because of my blunder with my Battle Intent. Alan was quite a stubborn man, always in the company of that estranged spear freak Felix. Their two-person team, capable of wonders, even more so than the Twin Angels. If I recall correctly, right now, he and those others should have already become Transcenders, I don’t know how they did it, but they must have stumbled upon another method to enter a Fragmented Rift at this phase. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have become some of the forerunners during the start of the apocalypse. Heh, I guess that even with a second life, there are things which I simply won’t know in the world.

Evan couldn’t help but think back to the future as he stared outside of the windows, many different scenes flashing by in his head as he contemplated.

“Thinking back, each of our squads had to unite for the Final Dimension Calamity, but even before reaching its summits, most of our squads were destroyed. That bastard Ender was supposed to scout ahead for dangers, but rather than performing his role, he vanished, leaving us open to the many unknown dangers. Tsk, by the time we met that demon, even with all our means, the final five of us that remained were simply no way a match for him,” Evan muttered with a look of rage in his eyes, his hatred for Ender at its peak. Soon though, he took a deep breath, calming himself once more as he decided to clear his thoughts.

I shouldn’t be concerned with the past. I should focus on the now and simply take things one step at a time, moving with an awareness for the unexpected. Even more so for my accompanying guests. Evan inwardly said as he opened his food tray and started to eat, his eyes cunningly gleaming while he thought, It’s a good thing that I chose to awaken at such a difficult to find Fragmented Rift. Otherwise, it would be hard to lose track of them…

As Evan continued to eat in silence, two average-looking men sat with tablets raised in their palms in the neighboring compartment room. One had a sturdy build, bald head, and thick mustache, and the other had a slender frame, with a pale face and round glasses shrouding his eyes.

While they casually pretended to browse the tablets, they spoke to each other in hushed tones.

“Raven, any idea what this kid is up to?” the thick-mustached man asked.

Raven had a pensive look on his face as he replied, “No idea. From his actions, it seems like an ordinary trip to the mountains.”

“Odd, a brat like him headed this far at such a time seems a bit strange to me, don’t you think so? We should send an early report to Mr. Lawson. I think that there’s something he’s aiming for in the mountain range, likely a—” The mustached man was about to say something, but Raven’s eyes flashed as he acted.

“Anders, let’s wait and see what happens. We can report to Mr. Lawson after we find out everything,” he said, cutting of Anders’s words.

Anders halted before sighing and lowering his head to reply, “Fine, you’re right, I’ll …” He was about to finish his statement, but suddenly, when he lifted his head to look at Raven, he opened his mouth wide in terror. Before he could even scream, the sound of something cutting through flesh sounded as with a smooth crescent arc. A long knife had easily severed Anders’s head from his body.

Now, Raven had changed entirely from his prior manner. His eyes narrowed with a sinister look as he stared at Anders’s corpse below his blood dripping knife. The blood from the headless body slowly flowed outwards towards the compartment room door.

“Anders … you had to go and run your mouth. Now look at you, fallen because of your negligence. Tsk tsk,” Raven muttered as he wiped the blood from his knife, putting it away before reaching his hand forward. Inside his palm was a tube with strange dark substances. He opened the lid, dripping a droplet onto the body, which soon created an unusual scene.

With a sizzling sound, steam began to rise as the black substance expanded at a rapid rate, soon enveloping not only the corpse but even a drop of blood on the floor. It shrunk to the size of a droplet in mere moments, revealing an empty floor and a missing body.

Raven smirked at this as he reached over and picked up the substance, which had now solidified. He looked at its glistening dark round edges as he held it in his fingers and spoke to himself.

“Such a handy thing only makes my job much easier.”

The small round object began to shrink even further before vanishing from existence. As if nothing happened, Raven leaned back and reached for his tablet once more, pretending to browse, his glasses shimmering in its reflected lights.

Suddenly, with the sound of two knocks, the door opened, followed by a train attendant. She placed down a tray of food before lifting her head to realize that one party was missing.

“Excuse me, sir, but when will your companion be returning?”

Raven fixed his glasses and put down his tablet, showing his appealing face as he replied, “Oh my, I didn’t even notice. I was so busy reading. He must have had a bit of issue with the train’s speed. I believe he might have gone off to the restroom.”

The woman blushed as she replied, “Ah, I understand. Please excuse me.”

Soon after, she left the room and closed the door, and Raven’s smile vanished, showing an indifferent look. He glanced towards the door as his eyes beneath his glasses flickered with a strange light, one that showed the figure of Evan who was leaning back in ease.

“Evan Cross … to think that a child like you would have gained the attention of Alan Lawson. You are certainly hiding something. Huhu! The organization did me a favor by dispatching me to watch Lawson’s activities. With the information I’ve received recently, I wouldn’t be able to achieve anything. But as for you, if you can grant me a surprise, I might be able to climb my way up in the ranks. My future looks good,” Raven said as the electro train rushed across the distance, vanishing beyond the horizon.

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