Writer Eternal: Lucien learns of the thief's fate and that the killers remain at large. His butler, Gerald, agrees going to Thousand Sword City is the best choice after realizing that Lucien was involved with the mall heist incident. Thanks to Gerald's stone lions, Lucien escapes from the masked killers in pursuit of the satchel.
Chapter 3: Train 53
"Welcome aboard Train 53 headed to the capital. Be advised that we are not at all responsible for the safety of passengers when a passenger wrongs a Ranker on board, personnel or otherwise. There are several stops along the way and there is no guarantee the train stations are still standing when we make our stop. Entry into private cars is forbidden to all non-VIP passengers. You will beheaded if caught in violation of said rule. Next stop: Black Canyon City. As we travel through the canyon, please keep all metal shutters down on all windows in the event of magical beasts or other dangers," a man said in the P.A. before the train left the station. "We are scheduled to arrive at Black Canyon City in the morning."
"So fancy," Lucien muttered as the train car he appeared in looked like a ballroom for high class business events. Several leather seats had tables adorned with gold utensils and servants were on standby for food and refreshments. He noticed that all but table had all seats occupied. Men, women, and several teens wore lavish clothing and emitting a kind of magical radiation exclusive to Rankers.
"This is your red crystal boarding pass. With it, you can enter the V.I.P. train car of any train in the empire. Bind it by putting your spirit energy in it and keep it safe. Your seat is at the lone empty table right next to the door. Refreshments and meals are free. Do be wary not to explore so far down the train. To the left is restricted to personnel and contains areas like the engine room and kitchens. To the right is one more V.i.P. train car and several regular passenger cars," the train man smiled. "After a moment, a server will come by to give you food or beverages."
"Thank you," Lucien said, the train man smiling as he left towards the front of the train. As he sat down, he bound the red crystal card and admired it. Even for Rankers, possessing an Imperial Boarding Pass was expensive. Mortals primarily used a copper, silver, and gold coin system. 100 copper=1 silver, 100 silver=1 gold. As for Rankers, they used purple and red triangular coins. These coins were created from rare crystals containing spirit energy.
Red coins were 10,000 purple coins and could not be converted into mortal currency. The spirit energy inside a red coin was so pure and ancient, a mortal would have his life force sucked dry simply by making contact. Red coins also could be drained for spirit energy and replenished itself over time. Only a fool would actually exchange a red coin for a purple coin. Even if the spirit energy is miniscule, many bountiful resources paled in comparison to the purity and ancient power inside the red coin.
Naturally, a red boarding pass was made of an immortal-ranked crystal and tiny shards of a red coin. Lucien had inherited three red coins and seven thousand purple coins. In terms of purple coins, he had a small fortune. His mother died in childbirth when he was five, but she told him that his father's mother was the reason she and Shen could get married and left an inheritance for him. Lucien had stored the money in his spatial ring before he went downstairs and saw the news.
"Here it is! Look, there are free seats by that table there," a little girl cried as he burst into the train car, all the V.I.P. passengers staring at the little girl.
"Maddy, we can't be in here," a muscular man said, trying to catch the girl.
"All the other train cars are full. We can't even order food. If my father hears about this--" the little girl began until her older brother came and shushed her.
"Sorry everyone. It is her first time on the train and the other V.I.P. car is too crowded," the boy bowed in apology. Gour more people arrived behind the siblings, all four dressed in a red robes with a white and purple flame phoenix on their backs. Their robes matched the muscular man and every passenger could tell the siblings were people of some background.
"You can sit at my table. It can seat eight people," Lucien said, feeling pity for them and turned to a server. "Can we get some food too?"
"Of course," the server said, waving his hand. The security narrowed their eyes and nodded, allowing the seven to enter the train car.
"Sorry about this. My name is Xin and this is my sister, Ling," the boy began, Lucien seeing the boy was around his age. "What is your name?"
"My name is Lucien," the blue-eyed V.I.P. replied shortly after he was asked to change into a white and black robe with gold leaf designs on the sleeves and bottom of the robe. Similar robes were given to all V.I.P.s in their train car and were low-grade magical armor with unique effects.
"Mister Lucien, why allow us a seat at your table?" the muscular man, Shigure, asked as he laid his katana against the table.
"Pity. Believe it or not, I became a Ranker just hours ago. Then again, my father and butler are Rankers. Where are you headed?" Lucien asked.
"The capital," Ling answered, licking her lips before eating the food as it arrived.
"Are you nobles?" Lucien asked.
"Yes. Where are you headed?" Xin asked.
"Thousand Sword City. Another reason I invited you here is that I suspected you were Rankers. I've always admired them, but know as much as public knowledge is given to mortals. My father.....never wanted me to be one. He never spoke anything related to Rankers," Lucien said silently. "I lack information on the new path I am walking."
"Well, I can have Owen and my guards give you advice until we reach Thousand Sword City," Xin said, Owen nodding in approval. "The train ride is very dangerous and the V.I.P. cars are the only ones guarded with the most personnel. Even the material of the train cars are more sturdy and difficult to break. I will return your kindness in turn. I would be fine, but my sister is still a mortal. Even a blast from spells or warrior arts could kill her."
"My thanks," Lucien grinned and inclined his head to them.
"Not so fast," a nineteen year old girl said as she stood up from her table. "You were led in due to affiliation with a Ranker named Gerald, right?"
"Yes. Why?" Lucien asked as he stared at the beautiful Chinese girl. His eyes narrowed as her nine companions also stood up, all ten looked ready to draw weapons.
"Is your father Shen Lei, son of Marquis Richard Salvatore?" the girl asked.
"Yeah. My father was discarded by my grandfather and took his mother's maiden name. What of it?" Lucien asked as the servers and other occupied tables watched in silence. "How do you know who I am? I don't believe my butler told anyone else I was going to come aboard."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"House Salvatore? Your grandfather is one of the lords of the 24 minor provinces? You do have some background," Xin said with slight praise. "Not the descendent of a duke who lords over one of the five great provinces, but you are of noble descent as expected."
"I don't know anything about my father's house or clan," Lucien began as his sword appeared from his spatial ring. "What do you want from me?"
"Your father was a powerful lieutenant in the Imperial Army. He served in the imperial army during their conquest, and they now rule all twenty four minor provinces besides the main five central provinces. Your grandfather led the charge against the small province of Yan," the girl began but was interrupted by a loud bang.
All eyes turned to the back of the train car to see two men donning black clothes and silver masks. The larger man created ten ice arrows, all of them shooting toward Lucien. Lucien tried jumping to the right, using the side of his sword to shield his chest. Two arrows managed to hit his sword, freezing and shattering it like glass in an instant. The other V.I.P. passengers and Xin's guards were about to move but the other man held a vial in his hand, a toxic gas rolling within. If it broke, everyone would be implemented by the gas.
"I don't care about reporting back. I need that bonus!" the large killer roared as he rushed toward Lucien. He scoffed and waved his hands as Lucien took out his pistol. The pistol froze and shattered as a smaller, faster arrow of ice shot it. "Think I'll fall for the same trick twice?"
"That was sword was left for me by my mother and grandmother," Lucien snarled as he got up, all eyes widening as a purple aquatic dragon spirit appeared and coiled around him as he took out his Totem Sword. His spirit energy rose and a foot-sized fireball was thrown from Lucien's left free hand at the charging man.
"Just stay down!" the killer roared as he broke through it and slammed his shoulder into Lucien, the killer's black cloak covered with ice to protect him. Lucien coughed blood he flew over a table and slammed his back into the wall. As he coughed phlegm, a few of the golden leaves materialized and hid themselves under the table.
"You downed the boy. Now grab what we came for and lets go!" the other killer roared.
"No. No. I want to take my time breaking the bones of this brat. He shot Anthony dead," the larger man refused as he threw the table out of the way. "Now---"
The larger man had no time to finish his sentence as Lucien roared with rage. The golden leaves straightened like daggers and pierced the larger man in his chest. Lucien charged forward and used his weight to push his Totem Sword through the killer's chest. The killer screamed as dark and thunder spirit energy began to kill him from the inside.
Everyone stared silently as flames covered Lucien's left hand. The color of the flames changed into a purple and maroon instead of orange and yellow. Lucien placed his hand on the mask of the killer. The killer screamed as his silver mask was melted through. All of a sudden, the flames and Totem Sword disappeared as Lucien collapsed onto the floor. The gold leaves also returned to his robes.
"Bastard! Bastard!" the killer roared, his forehead and some of his hair burned to form a black brand in the shape of a hand. The other killer rushed to the other man as he tossed the vial into the air. Several Rankers rushed to grab the vial, some pushed aside by the other killer as he grabbed his comrade.
"You fool. Even if a fledgling, you don't underestimate a Ranker!" the other killer snapped and turned to Lucien with a black talisman in his hand. "We'll be back for you."
The two killers vanished as the black talisman enveloped them in a sphere of black light and disappeared. Xin and Ling rushed to Lucien and one of their guards began emitting a light onto the unconscious boy. Lucien's wounds were quickly healed and even the bloodstains were gone.
"Why doesn't he wake big brother?" Ling asked as Lucien remained unconscious.
"He overexerted his spirit energy. He won't wake for quite some time. What I want to know is how the killers got on board. They had to get help. We saw Lucien escape on the stone lions while waiting in the long line to the commoner train cars," Xin said looking at one of the train Rankers as they arrived.
"It was a mistake on our part. On behalf of the crew of Train 53---" the Ranker began before Xin snapped his fingers.
"The young lord wasn't asking for an apology. He ordered an investigation," Owen growled and showed a cyan crystal badge to the Ranker, positioning himself so that none of the other passengers could see it.
"Tha, that badge!" the Ranker trembled. Why, oh why, did such an esteemed group enter the train in a commoner car?
"Well? Are you just going to stand there?" Owen barked.
"No sir. We'll investigate straight away," the Ranker blurt and led other Rankers of the train out the train car.
"Now, who is Lucien to you?" Xin asked, turning to the girl and her companions from before. He was surprised that Lucien actually had a dragon beast spirit. After hearing about Lucien's lineage, the boy who helped him and his sister was not as simple as he expected.
"Our sect had gotten word that Shen Salvatore was alive and lived in the previous city under his mother's clan name. Initially, we meant to confront Shen Lei and ask him the fate of one of our sect elders but saw Lucien Lei enter with four stone lion golems as we were about to leave the train car. His face matched the portrait and so we waited here," the girl answered.
"Then why show hostility?" Owen asked.
"Instinct. I sensed killing intent and thought it was him," an old man answered as he pat the girl's shoulder. "I am one of the sect elders of these people here. The masks of those assassins cloaked their spirit energy, but not killing intent. A real assassin could subconsciously shield killing intent even face-to-face with his target. Any one of us could have stopped the man holding the green vial and killed them both. Am I wrong?"
"No. Our young lord ordered us not to as he wanted to see Lucien fight. The boy is indeed a greenhorn, but he's got a strong will to live," Owen said as all the V.I.P.s relaxed and sat down. "I doubt the boy has the answer you seek."
"We guessed that. That is why I put a marking talisman back at the station. I expect the assassins did the same. We'll leave now," the old man said as he pulled out a yellow talisman. The nine disciples bowed respectfully before all ten were swallowed in a ball of yellow light and vanished.
"What happens now big brother?" Ling asked.
"We eat first and wait for him to wake up. Our food is cold so we'll order another meal," Xin said as his men secured Lucien on the chair first before dining.