Chapter 34

Chapter 34
Chapter: 34

Chapter Title: Wings of Steel

—

A train consisting of 80 carriages was hurtling across the Siberian landscape. Even with a conservative estimate of 14 meters per car, the entire line stretched well over a kilometer in length.

A massive, heavy juggernaut of that scale, thundering down the rails with such momentum, was practically begging for unwanted attention.

— Anyone currently unengaged, report to car 57 immediately. It is a crisis!

Unengaged? Give me a break. With hundreds of wings creating a literal hurricane of chaos out there, who exactly has “spare time”?

“Great, everything is going just perfectly.”

Take the anomalies from the Erosion Zone, for instance.

We were currently locked in a frantic struggle against a swarm of disembodied wings. They were grotesque sights—enormous wings saturated with blinking eyeballs across their entire surface. They looked like peacock feathers that had been dragged through the depths of the underworld.

Furthermore, these wings were constructed of metal, possessing edges as keen as surgical blades. Having hundreds of them descend upon the train like a plague of locusts was an incredible nuisance.

“If Lee Se-eun could intervene, this would be a simple fix.”

That wasn’t going to happen. To ensure this locomotive continued its journey over the precarious Siberian tracks, maintenance and operation were being handled simultaneously in real-time.

The crews responsible for the rail repairs couldn’t defend themselves against monsters while they worked. If they were eliminated, our kilometer-long transport would be facing a catastrophic derailment.

Because of that, Lee Se-eun was stationed firmly at the front of the train, without a second to spare for trouble brewing elsewhere.

“I have no idea what genius came up with this strategy.”

Keeping the heavy hitters pinned down in one location without letting them loose. If I were the one in charge, I’d have that strategist’s head on a spike in the town square.

I sprinted toward the designated coordinates. The spear in my hand lengthened and retracted of its own accord, ripping through the annoying, eye-covered wings that tried to close in.

“Move!”

I barked the command while gripping the shaft just below the point, extending the weapon to its maximum length to perform a pole-vaulting rotation.

Suspended in the air while the train roared beneath me, I swung the weapon continuously, thinning the monster ranks from above.

“One, two.”

I stuck the landing on car 57. The situation was just as dire as reported: a small group of hunters was barely holding back a frenzied assault of steel wings. The cargo containers were already scarred with deep gouges.

“Get lost!”

I intercepted a wing aimed at my skull, crushed it with my bare hands, and then cleared the immediate area.

“The freight isn’t their priority.”

They were simply looking to butcher people. A small consolation, I suppose?

“Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, we are grateful!”

The struggling defenders gave me a quick bow.

“Go somewhere else.”

I could handle this section alone; it was better for them to go reinforce other weak points.

“You—take a break.”

I directed this toward one of the hunters who was about to move out.

“Wait? I can still fight…”

“Do you want to become a liability? Go rest.”

I sounded authoritative out of habit. His energy was depleted, and his body was clearly exhausted. By my estimation, he was no longer fit for the combat line.

“If you collapse, it’s over for everyone. Recover quickly and then come back.”

My spear never stopped moving as I spoke—extending, snapping back, and pulverizing the swarm.

“Understood.”

He retreated, and I went back to the grind. It had become somewhat mechanical. Detect them, destroy them, one by one.

“They really are coming in waves. Is this just a game of numbers?”

I had slaughtered a massive amount already, yet an endless supply of wings still circled the speeding locomotive. There had to be thousands of them.

Hunters worked tirelessly to bring them down, but a total extermination seemed unlikely.

— 57 is secure.
— Move directly to 30, clearing the path as you proceed.

Accepting the orders, I leaped from one cargo container to the next atop the moving train, eliminating every clinging monstrosity in my path.

That cycle continued for two full hours.

Eventually, the relentless creatures either retreated or we finally crossed the boundary of their territory.

“Phew.”

Hunters slumped down onto the roof, their complexions pale. I retracted my spear to its shortest form, hooked it to my belt, and skipped the small talk.

I surveyed the exhausted crew. The atmosphere was grim.

“Focus on mana replenishment. We might have more skirmishes ahead.”

Hunters, currently downing mana recovery vials, gave me bewildered looks.

“How are you… Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, how do you still look so energized?”

“What are you talking about? Drop the formalities in this mess—keep your speech brief.”

He nodded and continued.

“Your mana reserves seem untouched.”

“It’s one of my better traits.”

I pulled a chocolate bar from my pocket and started eating. Han Sang-ah, covered in scratches, slid her sword back into its sheath and chimed in:

“You handled hundreds by yourself. We would have been in deep trouble without you.”

“Likewise. It’s part of my appeal. The Embargo Tower scouts have a good eye.”

I looked over Han Sang-ah briefly before speaking again.

“Get some eggs. It’s time to check on your progress.”

She complied without protest, fetching them immediately.

Using chopsticks and needles, she demonstrated the results of her practice by piercing them.

I inspected the contents and gave a nod.

“They’re completely done.”

“They’re still raw.”

I wasn’t talking about the eggs—I meant your four-egg precision technique. What was I supposed to do with her? Did her talent and common sense get swapped?

“This specific drill has reached its limit. Your dexterity is undeniable.”

“The boss made me do it constantly—obviously.”

I made the call and took one of her eggs for the next stage.

“More eggs?”

“Yes, eggs. But with a different objective.”

A look of longing touched her face.

“Eggs are a luxury item abroad. In Russia? They go for 3,500 won for a pair.”

That was news to me. In Korea, it was 6,000 for ten—still not cheap, and double what I remembered from the past. It seemed modest compared to overseas prices, though.

“You’re the heiress of Geumyang Group, aren’t you?”

“That’s exactly why I’m doing egg drills.”

There’s no shame in practicing with food. It’s a drill, not a game—we eat them afterward anyway.

“Observe.”

I cracked mine into a container. Inside, the yolk and white were perfectly blended into a yellow mixture.

“The Internal Crush Method?”

“I’ve heard it called that.”

You direct mana inside to pulverize the contents without damaging the exterior shell.

“It’s not just about smashing it. A basic mana pulse can do that.”

“True.”

She could probably break a yolk while keeping the shell intact by now.

But that wasn’t my aim.

“Mix it thoroughly—ready to be poured and fried.”

“That is a difficult task.”

“The difficulty is the whole point of training.”

Her eyes lit up with determination. Her face was incredibly easy to read.

“Just a heads-up: this isn’t a combat technique.”

It’s inefficient in almost every practical scenario.

In musical terms? It was an Etude. You master the Hanon exercises so you can play the concerto perfectly later.

“This is for mana regulation repetitions. In a real fight, you use your refined skills.”

“Understood.”

While talking to Han Sang-ah, I continued scanning the horizon. I suddenly went still and grabbed the radio.

— This is Yoo Chan-seok. I see the glow of cigarettes to the northwest.
— Cigarettes? Are there people nearby?

A memory of the airbase briefing surfaced, and I replied:

“We’ve reached the outskirts of Khabarovsk, right?”

— Yes, that’s correct.

The briefing had mentioned threats—specifically the territory of Nikola’s armed militia in this region.

— Obstruction spotted ahead. Slowing down!

The train began to lose speed. A quick look revealed a mountain of boulders—hundreds of tons—blocking the rails, coated in oil and set ablaze to make clearing it nearly impossible.

— Do not decelerate. I will clear the path…

Lee Se-eun’s voice cut across the radio. The horizon suddenly flared—a terrifying amount of mana began to churn.

“Damn it.”

The mana felt so aggressive that just looking at it caused vertigo—and it was locked onto the train.

— Change of plans—brake the train!

It was her voice again. Simultaneously, the horizon launched a massive, white-hot beam of energy directly toward us.

It never hit. Intercepting it midway was a single figure: Lee Se-eun.

A flash from her two-handed sword erupted—the beam meant to vaporize the train was deflected straight into the sky.

“Wow, that’s not humanly possible.”

Stopping that? No easy task. she had just redirected a mana-based nuclear strike.

One of the Top 10, right? She certainly lived up to the title among the masses of hunters.

It was a sight to behold. The arcing energy exploded high in the atmosphere—the night sky momentarily turned as bright as high noon.

“There are hundreds of them.”

The light revealed silhouettes in the shadows: hundreds of armed individuals were charging toward the slowing locomotive.

The moment they were spotted, haunting horns echoed, and the mob surged forward as a song began to play.

“What is that music?”

Han Sang-ah answered immediately:

“A Soviet march from the Cold War. The lyrics… ‘If enemies dare to test our strength, we will make them regret ever trying.'”

“A bunch of fanatics.”

Madmen were everywhere these days.

Despite the chaos, the train continued to slow. A kilometer-long beast takes time to regain speed once the brakes are applied.

“At least Hunter Lee Se-eun is available now…”

One of the combat hunters muttered this, assuming that once the train stopped and the maintenance crew hit their safe rooms, she could join the fray.

Suddenly, hundreds of paper scraps erupted around Lee Se-eun—connected by glowing purple energy.

“Talismans?”

Their purpose was immediately obvious. In common terms: she was trapped. In more formal language: she was under a high-level seal.

She couldn’t move; she would be stuck there until the barrier was broken.

“How did they set that up so fast?!”

A seal of that magnitude should take time. The speed was shocking.

She was completely immobilized. The situation had just become incredibly complicated.