Chapter 130 - Escaping from Arcanum Train (XXIII)

Bonus chapter (1/1)–Thank you so much Kitty & Kofi-Supporter

Editor: Kitty

It was easier to kill Black cat than Crow thought. The man basically did not resist.

When Crow stabbed him in the stomach, Black cat just grunted and held Crow tighter. The man began to call Crow again, calling him that strange name: “Ah Jian…”

Who was he calling? Crow did not understand. When the man called that name, he felt restless. But Crow did not know where the restless feeling came from. Maybe it was due to the influence of the deep waters in this train car. The dangerous and gradually rising water always brought about the illusory feeling of peril to people.

In order to let the man not voice something out again, Crow viciously stabbed Black cat again. Black cat fell on Crow, and the blood began to dye carriage No.3, causing the area around him to be colored entirely red.

“Ah Jian…” But Black cat still could not stop calling the name. He almost leaned on Crow’s body and put his head on Crow’s shoulder. He touched Crow’s cheek with his hand. His fingers felt a little rough, and his hands were a little wet, but his palm was warm.

But this warmth would disappear completely in a few minutes, and Black cat would become a corpse floating on the water’s surface in this carriage. He would never be able to go out again, and he would never be able to maintain this temperature. He would never be able to speak out again.

How lamentable.

Crow also started to feel fearful. He did not know what was wrong with him or why he had done such a cruel thing to this man. He caused the man to be sad, depressed, and in pain before he died.

But Crow could not stop. He could not stop himself. He was like a wind-up doll, one that was eternally charged. Again and again, he created multiple wounds on Black cat, and now, he appeared just like the black cat in carriage No.12.

He stroked Black cat’s head and allowed Black cat to lean on him.

Afterwards, Crow gently kissed him and felt that Black cat’s breath was gradually becoming weak in his arms. The man, like a child, stubbornly grabbed onto Crow’s clothes and forced himself to open his eyes to look at him.

Blood had almost made the whole carriage become red, as if covered in a veil of gorgeous color. It made the whole carriage appear dazzlingly beautiful.

“Ah Jian…” Black cat called him again. This time, his breath was weaker. He could feel the agony of impending death, and that made the man who was originally strong weak. However, Black cat still held the strength to attract him. He still had such charm. When he looked at Crow, Crow could only look at him and could not move his eyes away from him.

“Ah Jiank2026;k2026; I willk2026;k2026; I will no longer be able to protect youk2026; ” Black cat trembled and touched Crow’s cheek.

In a low, weak voice, he said to Crow, “I’m afraid. I will alsok2026;k2026; never be able to see you againk2026;k2026; and can never hug youk2026;”

Crow did not speak. With his eyes wide, he gazed at him and suddenly noticed something strange. Black cat’s eyes were turning red from the original dark grey. The red irises were beautiful, but this also caused him to receive a fright.

“What to do…… What can I do…” Black cat suddenly looked at Crow with a particularly sorrowful look. The colour in his pupils seemed to tell a secret, and in a panic, Crow was attracted to look at it.

But Black cat soon began to laugh. He seemed to think of something. He reached for Crow’s neck and leaned close to the back of his ear. At a distance almost face-to-face with him, Crow heard his voice ring from inches away:

“Don’t worry…… Ah Jian, no matter where it is, I will be able to protect you…”

The water in the carriage had already risen to his shoulders, and even an action like turning around had become difficult. Crow found that Black cat’s eyes had not completely turned red, but before that, Black cat had already shut his eyes forever.

Before he could tell how he actually felt inwardly, Crow felt that his senses had become dull. He slashed Black cat’s stomach with a knife, reached in, and felt in it for a long time. Soon he found a metallic item. Then Crow left Black cat’s body behind and swam towards the connecting door of carriage No.3.

Don’t panic. Soon…… I’ll be out soon.

As Crow swam, he constantly reminded himself this, but he could not stop feeling that his chest was extremely uncomfortable, just like someone had twisted a knife inside his heart. It felt as if some cruel fella had stabbed his heart and slowly sliced parts of it away. That pain almost drove Crow crazy. After that, the undulating water blurred Crow’s sight, but he did not know whether it was water…… or tears.

Crow realized that he was crying, but he did not want to cry. His body took the liberty to act on his behalf. Crow just wanted to get out quickly, get out of this train car filled with water, leave, leave here!

After that, Crow finally swam to the door to carriage No.3. The key in his hand was shaking. He could not tell if the key was shaking or if his hand was shaking. He tried to insert the key for a long time before he finally placed the key into the keyhole. Thereafter, using some strength, he opened the door to this carriage.

The water pressure made it difficult to open the door. Fortunately, the door opened smoothly. Because carriage No.3 was filled with water, Crow was rushed into carriage No.2 as soon as he opened the door. Fortunately, Crow grasped the firm handle in time and closed the door with much difficulty against the flow of water.

Miraculously, when the water rushed into carriage No.2, Black cat’s body was not washed here along with it. Black cat was still quietly suspended in the water of carriage No.3. Crow could see him through the gla.s.s window on the connecting door. He looked very quiet, as if he was asleep. If not for the b.l.o.o.d.y water around his body……

Even when he gotten to carriage No.2, Crow hesitantly stood in front of the connecting door to carriage No.3.

Carriage No.2 was soaked by the blood from carriage No.3. Fortunately, there was not much water here, but the ground was wet. Crow stroked his chest. Now, he was the only one here.

He went to the connecting door of carriage No.2. He had to take a look at the hint provided here. On the door was inscripted:

[Do you think you are still alive?]

Crow felt that inwardly, something within him stirred. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He needed to calm down and think about what he should do next. Only when he was alive could he achieve the final victory.

But the question was, why waas there only such a simple sentence inscripted on carriage No.2?

What does that mean?

“Do you think you’re still alive?” Crow read it out, repeated it, and said with a sneer, “Could it be that I’m already dead?”

Crow spoke to himself, and his voice echoed in the whole carriage No.2. This also showed that this carriage was extremely quiet; it was so quiet that his voice echoed.

Crow looked around carriage No.2 and found that there was nothing here because it was an even-numbered carriage. There was nothing in this train car except for some b.l.o.o.d.y water on the ground that had rushed in from carriage No.3 moments ago.

It was very clean and very quiet.

Crow felt that he needed to look around. He first wandered around carriage No.2 and thereafter went to the toilet. Because he was soaked in water, it was necessary for Crow to tidy up his face and hair to maintain his hygiene.

After that, Crow went to the crew’s lounge in carriage No.2. He found a set of dry clothes, trousers, and even shoes hanging on the wall hook in the coat room. This garb was similar to what Crow wore, but it was dry. It felt much better than the sticky clothes Crow was wearing. Crow deliberated and decided to change entirely into the dry clothes provided, including his shoes.

But after changing, Crow found a problem.

This dress was not only similar to the garb he wore…… but it was exactly the same. On the chest area of the clothes, even the same name card was engraved there. On it, the English word Crow was engraved. It meant crow.

Something was not right.

Crow realized this, but he was powerless to resist it. He subconsciously searched through the clothes and found the key to carriage No.2 in the pocket of his pants. When he got the key, Crow grew to be more afraid.

Something was not right!

In the end, Crow took the key to open the door to carriage No.2. When he opened the door, the light in carriage No.1 hit him in the face, but the light looked so familiar. When he walked into carriage No.1, and the door to carriage No.2 naturally closed behind him. He turned back to look, but he could only see a cold iron gate.

Carriage No.1 waas a dirty odd-numbered carriage. There were all kinds of snack bags, fruit peels, paper sc.r.a.ps, sh.e.l.ls of melon seeds, all kinds of lunch boxes and instant noodles, and half empty beverage cans on the table. Small bags and clothes were strewn all about the sofa seats. The overhead luggage rack was full of large and small luggages.

This scene looked extremely familiar yet so foreign.

Crow walked on slowly as he stepped on the unclean floor. He noticed that in every train car, on the wall near the connecting door, there was a small numbered sign indicating the carriage number.

So Crow naturally raised his head and looked upwards. He took a glance at the carriage number.

The sign said 13.

Crow took a deep breath. He almost trembled. He walked forward quickly but seemed to b.u.mp into something, and that made him stagger. He turned his head and found a man lying on the sofa seat beside him.

Crow stopped for a moment and looked at the man. He saw him lying on the sofa, gently breathing. He was asleep and had yet to awaken. Also, he was alive.

“Owl—” Crow whispered. He looked at the man lying peacefully on the sofa, wearing clothes similar to Crow. The name card engraved on his clothes was also familiar. It was a three-letter word—owl.

And yet, how magical it was…… and how scary it was to see him.

T/N: Not sure if everybody caught the cues and the hint given throughout this arc…but I believe most of you would have gotten it after reading most of the chapters in this arc. Does this arc pose more questions for you guys, or has it answered some of your doubts?

Countdown: 1