During the preparations before departure, Ashley discovered that the parrot was listless and could only be left in the dormitory to recuperate. The Demon Flower Mantis was too large to bring onto the train, so her two powerful helpers were unavailable, greatly reducing her strength.
She selected a few Ancient Relics to take with her, along with that bottle of Family Spirit Elixir for emergencies.
Additionally, Flora’s loving bento boxes were very important to prevent her from being drugged in the first few days. She had made ten boxes, enough to tide her over until she found a safe food source.
This trip to Bull Town required taking the Hades Train intercity express. Even Cadavers weren’t allowed on board; only the Shriek Devil Crow could accompany them in the sky above.
“This is from the teacher.” Amber tossed over a box.
Ashley caught it with both hands and unfastened the clasp. Inside lay a blue-and-white “Squid Arm.”
She slipped her arm through and pulled it up to her elbow. The soft, elastic, transparent skin sheath clung tightly to her flesh, and the side tendrils tied fast like shoelaces.
Inside the Squid Arm was a flat bone sword. With a slight flick of her wrist, it popped out like a Sleeve Sword—transparent as if it didn’t exist, its sharp edge gleaming with an eerie blue light, laced with the neurotoxin of the blue-ringed octopus, extremely potent.
“Ashley, no—Assassin, yes!”
The Blue-Haired Loli excitedly played with the Sleeve Sword. This weapon made up for her lack of close-combat ability.
“Bull Town is in the ‘Isolated Lands.’ Union City has no permanent officials in isolated regions and relies entirely on local gentry for self-governance. Powers like the Boothslot Family, the local snakes, aren’t to be trusted,” Amber reminded her.
Ashley nodded. It wasn’t hard to understand. Due to insufficient manpower and backward information dissemination technology, Union City’s control only extended to the outposts, bases, and satellite towns around the cities.
Further out, the farther the distance, the weaker the control, allowing local powers to develop wildly. After bloody struggles pushed to the extreme, the victorious faction became the controller of the region.
Thus, this was the highest-difficulty mission.
The atmosphere in the Seventh Squad was heavy as members meticulously checked their gear. The office was filled only with the sounds of machinery and leather being handled.
Ashley saw plenty of black tech, like beetle bullets and matching muscle-force guns—weapons that used coiled muscle to generate launching force, even quieter than silenced pistols. There were insect pupae with various functions, insect-shell armor to protect organs and joints, vials to store liquid metal, and more.
These were provided internally by the Tribunal and exchanged with points—awarded based on team contributions after each mission.
As a newbie, Ashley had some startup points in her account, but she hadn’t exchanged them. These gadgets were useless to her; with limited carry weight for a single soldier, it was better to bring one more Ancient Relic.
Once packed, she slipped into the office and took one of her teacher’s white jazz hats.
She flipped it in her hands and put it on her head.
“Brothers! Off to… oh wait, special dispatch to Bull Town!”
“Hey! Why are you wearing the teacher’s hat?!” Amber exclaimed in surprise.
“She said to leave this hat with me for now.”
“Liar! Take it off!”
Amber got anxious and reached to snatch it, but Ashley darted away like smoke.
–
A pattering light rain fell without end.
At the station.
Rainwater streamed off the station canopy like a curtain. Between platforms weren’t iron tracks, but metallic soil—sticky and tough, riddled with countless holes from massive spikes.
Ashley had heard Letisia say that the Hades Train was a Cadaver made by the Lord of Insects, the Nether King. Being an insect, it naturally crawled. Just looking at the dense footprints in the soil conjured images of the colossal beast’s arrival.
“When teacher gets back, I’ll definitely expose you!” Amber grumbled, unable to grab the hat.
“So what?” Ashley struck a pose of utter shamelessness.
“I’ll flick your forehead! Make your little brow swell up like a rhino horn!” Amber threatened.
“How scary,” Ashley said with a pout, narrowing her pretty eyes. Her tone turned flirtatious. “But, Amber, as long as you don’t snitch, I can let you do anything.”
She circled to the side, leaning close to the black-haired loli’s ear, her voice soft and alluring: “Anything, okay…”
Amber shivered as a tingling itch spread rapidly from her ear to her whole body.
“You haven’t seen me shy yet, have you? Want to know?” Ashley twirled a lock of her deep blue hair around her finger.
“I won’t fall for it, you shameless temptress!” Amber said, holding back her urges.
“Hmph, you’ll regret it.”
As the two bantered, a rumbling vibration came from afar. A blazing beam of light pierced the rain curtain, illuminating the wind-whipped droplets crystal clear, shattered water beads like glass fragments scattered in the breeze.
As the Hades Train drew near, the ground trembled more violently, the canopy shook, and pillars creaked.
Ashley narrowed her eyes and saw that the light source was a massive eyeball over twice the height of an adult!
Its spindle-shaped pupil, woven from countless radial dark-golden threads, gaped like a rift to hell, spewing annihilating death rays from the center.
Humans seemed utterly insignificant before it, overwhelmed by a strong sense of contempt.
On its rough, thorn-covered head shell were embedded dozens of smaller eyeballs, trailing back over two or three body segments. No matter the angle, it felt like the Lord of Insects’ cold, mad gaze fixed upon you.
The jaw legs flanking its mouthparts curved viciously; their opening width and force could snap a truck in half.
Along its sides, dark-red segmented legs like massive conical knight lances stabbed into the earth one after another, joints extending backward into spikes, pistoning up and down like engine cylinders.
Ashley had no doubt that even an armored vehicle ramming from the side would be torn apart like a tin can.
The Hades Train gradually slowed before entering the station and came to a steady stop at the platform.
This gigantic millipede used its segments as carriages. Each single segment was only five meters, so four segments shared two doors.
The doors were metal, embedded in armor-plate-thick carapaces. Though weathered over ancient ages into a pitted, rocky texture, not a single tiny crack marred them—exceptionally hard.
Fountain City was the largest hub nearby, and the platform teemed with passengers. But the Seventh Squad had bought second-class tickets on the Tribunal’s dime—slightly better, no sardine-can crush with standees.
After sitting down, Ashley pulled out a bento and felt it still warm. She handed one to Amber beside her.
“I made it myself,” the Blue-Haired Loli said with a gentle, charming smile. “Doesn’t it feel like a little wife?”
“Aaaah!”
Amber was overjoyed beyond words. Ashley looked too adorable, stirring the heart.
Opening the paper box revealed neatly arranged octopus sausages and char siu slices, with asparagus and carrot dice as sides, even fruit. She swallowed, almost reluctant to eat.
Ashley was already devouring hers, but after a few bites, her face changed. She muttered:
“Why are there green peppers? I hate them.”
“Huh? Didn’t you make it?”
“Ah, uh, yeah, maybe I forgot.” Ashley stammered.
“Liar! Little wife? Little liar!”
Amber was so mad she was full. The sweet, tasty meal turned to tasteless wax.
The Hades Train sped through the wilderness. Though without suspension, the dense soil absorbed shocks; the body only undulated slightly, and without track-clacking noise, it was surprisingly comfortable.
Several hours later, the train pulled into Bull Town.
The sky still drizzled fine rain; twilight struggled through thick clouds, outlining a town of sharp-roofed brick buildings.
“Is this Bull Town…”
Ashley peered out. Only sporadic streetlights glowed in the town, details lost in pitch black.
Then, the first-class door opened. A group of passengers in hooded black robes and masks filed out, their eerie slanted shadows cast by dim lamps. Who knew what bizarre forms hid beneath those angular robes and vivid face paint.
Captain Roy’s pupils shrank sharply. Among the black-robed figures, he sensed several extraordinarily strong supernatural fluctuations—like swirling ocean depths, roaring with flecks of blue light patterns.
