EP.⑨ · [Listen · Listen]

Foreword:

Time heals all wounds, precisely because it can kill everything, including love and compassion.

[--Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov]

[Part 1: Taking credit for someone else's work]

When the people returned to Albert Research Station, a full two weeks had passed.

It wasn't that the Xue Ao Troops's marching speed was lacking, but rather that the people of [JoeStar] chose a relatively stable time to enter the mountains.

In this remote and harsh environment, where gale-force winds blow for three seasons of the year, driving in such conditions and navigating winding mountain roads is like constantly testing a driver's driving skills; a single mistake could result in a fatal accident.

Hydra and Jason broke down the door of the Red Nail Inn, and the rest of the team began to move the wounded.

Xue Ming and Liuxing lay limp on the stretcher, needing to rest for a very long time.

Following closely behind was Su Ling. Halfway through the journey, the Vita Imprint erupted again in this VIP's body. It seemed that even in the treacherous Northern Territory, in the air filled with deadly poison, countless viruses still existed. Whenever Su Ling's immune system dropped to a critical level, she would immediately fall ill, and even Universal Elixir would be ineffective.

Finally, it was Xiao Qi; she and Teacher A Ling walked in sideways.

Bai Ziqing was severely injured in the deadly battle with the giant hybrid warriors. Almost all of her organs were displaced by the rock salt bombs, and her spirit was riddled with holes by the soul power attack of [Icon·Holy Statue]. She ran back and forth between Red Star Hill and the research station three times. Her Madness Index was already very high, and after Xue Ming's confession, it soared to the sky.

Fortunately, Hydra is very reliable, Jason is also very reliable, and William, whom Meteor just met, is even more reliable.

The three middle-aged men split into three groups: Hydra went to find Universal Elixir supply, Jason went to find fuel, materials, and vehicles, William went to find various underground food ingredients to nourish the wounded soldiers.

Xue Ming, Liu Xing, Xiao Qi, and Su Ling were all lying paralyzed on the bed.

The boss hired someone to knock down the partition wall on the second floor and build them a large ward with four air purifiers for ventilation. They also connected telephone lines to their bedsides and finally got internet access, allowing them to surf the internet via wired bridging.

Their physical bodies were largely unharmed thanks to the Universal Elixir, but the damage to their spiritual essence would require a very long time to recover.

When they returned to the Red Nail Hotel, the Slavic men who had been loafing around on the first floor had abandoned their usual arrogant and domineering ways, and their eyes were now filled with increasing respect for Jason Megan.

There is no other reason --

--Because Jason was one of the few who came back standing up.

The same goes for Diamond; although he didn't look very energetic, at least this "Diamond who only knows how to dig holes" came back standing up.

The Xue Ao Troops sat down at the U-shaped counter on the first floor, and immediately a burly Slavic man made way for them, offering chairs to the true warriors.

These people kept asking about the current situation of Red Star Hill.

"Brother, how's the situation at the front?"

"Any progress? Any new job offers?"

"How much money did you get? Is there a lot of treasure or heritage in that place?"

The Xue Ao Troops members were only focused on drinking, their hearts still lingering with fear.

--That kind of fear is the lingering terror of being on the brink of death amidst the snow-capped peaks, enduring fierce winds and spiritual pressure.

The noisy crowd swarmed around the soldiers like flies, still chattering away.

"In my opinion, this time we're sure to win a resounding victory!"

"Yes, yes! So many people died last time, but this time everyone is safe and sound, at most a few will be crippled. There must be good news, right?"

"Please, find me a more meaningful job?"

A dozen or so boys in yellow hats sat around the members of the Xue Ao Troops, chattering excitedly about their bright future.

Unlike the members of the Xue Ao Troops, they don't need to brave the wind and snow outside the dangerous station. They have a stable income and find new ways to have fun every day.

These soldiers are known for their bad tempers. If the Northern Territory is considered the frontier of the Abyssal Railway, then the garrison troops at Albert Research Station have to travel to Niflheim, the enemy-occupied territory, almost every day. They're all fearless and ready to fight anyone who dares to challenge them.

Just as the greasy, lazy man was about to get slapped a few times by the soldier, Commander Hydra returned carrying a large oil drum—full of Universal Elixir.

The wolf pack leader returned to the pack, and his wolf cubs became much more well-behaved, no longer arguing with these frenzied and irritable people.

"Take it to the ward," Hydra ordered, handing the oil drum to the sentry.

He took off his winter coat and cotton lining, removed his hat and mask, and you could see that thick ash covered his silver hair, and his bronze skin and red eyes were covered with a hazy grease.

As he walked toward the restroom, five or six nosy young men gathered around him.

"Ghost weather"

The officer complained, and the people behind him echoed his sentiments.

"Yes! You've worked hard, sir!"

"Commander Hydra! How is the fighting at the front?"

"Can we go to Red Star Hill? Like Diamond, he came back alive, so it must be safe there by now, right?"

Hydra was so engrossed in washing her face, trying to clean the mud out of her ears and nostrils, and to remove the dust from her shoulders, neck, and hair.

People just waited, not afraid of being slapped by their superiors, until finally all the questions were asked.

After the officer rubbed his eyes, he took the warm towel from the people and thanked them.

Hydra asked, "Where's that guy in the white vest? Where did your foreman and supervisor go?"

Someone answered hesitantly, "He's dead."

Hydra didn't press the matter further. After all, in a place like this, survival was difficult, but death was incredibly easy. He thought for a moment and decided to tell people something good.

"Wait for news—lads, I know you're anxious, but don't worry. The heroes at the station have defeated the giant, and the area around Red Star Hill is safe. There are many buildings and industrial facilities that need to be rebuilt."

Hydra patted the young man next to him, and when his palm touched the young man's shoulder, it got covered in oil.

"Relax, no one will take your jobs. You can handle the spiritual pressure in Niflheim."

People immediately cheered.

--They've been waiting here for far too long. They've been doing nothing all day, and their body fat percentage and Madness Index are skyrocketing.

As time slips away, just as Diamond said, if the Abyssal Railway were to suddenly close down one day, the Albert Research Station would be the first to be abandoned.

They were also anxious, their hearts gradually being hollowed out by this manic emotion.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Great! Great! We can finally leave this place!"

"How long do I have to wait? Do I have to wait until Ming De survives the harvest season? I can't wait any longer. If Diamond can go, why can't I?"

"That's the stupidity of capitalism; it's like an empire where everything is decided by the head of state. Why don't we set off first?"

"Stop for a minute." Hydra was exasperated. These young men had read many books in the Soviet Palace, yet they were nothing like their fathers. "Wait a minute."

He patiently explained everything clearly, one thing at a time.

"You shouldn't thank me; I'm just doing this for money. You should thank the passengers at the station."

Someone immediately asked, "Aren't they paid to do things?"

Hydra laughed heartily and slapped the young man's face.

"This job can't be measured in money, young man."

Then Hydra spoke to another young man.

"You keep talking about Diamond, I think you must look down on him, want to compete with him, want to prove yourself. Young people are all proud and arrogant, but unfortunately, you'll never win—because he was the first among you to go to Red Star Hill. In my opinion, even if the station assigns you engineering and infrastructure work, Diamond will still be your new foreman."

Hydra threw the towel back.

"That's why I say this matter can't be measured in money—for the station, RSH has transformed from an unknown frontier into a new station, a seaport. For all of humanity, it's new territory, an inexhaustible source of wealth. Above us—"

Hydra pointed to the ceiling, then to the second floor.

"--Remember the names of these passengers. This information should be written into history books and sent to the Arcane Library. Perhaps it will be made public decades later. They fought against giants and ultimately won a great victory."

Upon hearing the words of the Xue Ao Troops commander, some young people screamed in surprise.

"I once pointed a gun at them! Wow! Did I do something amazing?!"

"Yes, sir! We must have inspired the heroes' fighting spirit! That must be it!"

"I even told that seemingly cold guy! AKs can't have Picatinny rails! Gun Jesus will be angry! He must have listened! He must have listened!"

Hydra was both amused and exasperated when he heard his brothers shouting.

He gave a perfunctory reply as he walked out.

"Yes, yes, you all deserve credit, you all deserve credit."

This is a good thing.

--Hydra thought, "This is a very, very good thing."

Showing off verbally isn't a despicable act; perhaps everyone has moments when they engage in this inexplicable ritual, wanting to accomplish some great feat with their words, as if they themselves have acquired a touch of divinity while discussing a clay idol. For example, when arguing about who is stronger, Superman or Sun Wukong, they might argue until they're red in the face, and the moment they win, they experience a satisfying sense of transcendence and sainthood.

It's far better than suspicion, jealousy, cold-bloodedness, violent outbursts, or greed.

The owner of the Red Nail Inn, for example, is a shrewd businessman. The price he paid for the accommodation and meals for the Xue Ao Troops was completely different from the price he paid when [JoeStar] first arrived.

[Part ②: The Broken Backbone]

In the large ward--

Xue Ming is always busy.

He talked to some fellow patients about his injuries and started thinking about studying electromechanical automation.

The spine is such a fragile thing. The underground world is a dangerous, complex, and unpredictable environment. If the spine breaks frequently, does that mean I'll be paralyzed for months every time?

So Xue Ming thought--

"--Should we build a semi-automatic or fully automatic battle suit, for example?"

"Wake up." VIP Su Ling's cold words extinguished his enthusiasm. "Human materials science and semiconductors have their limits."

Xue Ming: "What if Canaan Creatures also participate?"

"Wake up," Su Ling continued. "All the little Canaan inside the Fireman's body are dead. I've received news that the Canaan creatures at the Pavlov substation are becoming less and less active. They can't stand this environment. Besides, it's so powerful; it can act as a catalyst and also perform nanomechanical work. The BOSS should be more concerned about the reproduction of this creature's population than you are, instead of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."

"Alright, let me try a different approach." Xue Ming tore up the industrial design drawings of the armor and immediately began drawing something else, "How to maintain combat effectiveness while paralyzed, hmm."

Meteor craned his neck and saw that a new vehicle had appeared in Ming Ge's logbook.

"Hey! Ming Ge! That's rare! You're not drawing dump trucks anymore."

Xue Ming didn't answer immediately. After a while, he sent the design to the [JoeStar] online chat group.

[Wen Bucai: What the hell is this weird thing?]

[Jiang Xueming: It was I who designed the wheelchair vehicle.]

[Bu Liuxing: Hahahahahahaha.]

[9527: Hahahahahahahahahahaha.]

[Jiang Xueming: First of all, it has two wheels, uses dilute sulfuric acid battery fluid, and has no armor on the body, but it can serve as a mini firepower platform. Since it's an experimental machine, it looks rather rudimentary.]

[Bu Liuxing: Hahahahahahahahaha!]

[9527: Hahahahahahahaha!]

[Jiang Xueming: Can you guys please stop laughing? You're in the same ward as me, so it's fine if you're smiling, but why are you laughing in the WeChat group too?]

[David Victor: Very good! My student, you've done a great job!]

[Jiang Xueming: Professor Victor, do you also think this kind of vehicle is feasible in practice? It's so good that you understand my good intentions.]

[Wen Bucai: It's not that he should be, it's just...]

[Jack Martin: He probably just felt he needed a wheelchair because he kept getting his legs broken by waiters.]

[Su Ling: Hahahahahahahahaha!]

[Robert Tang Ning: Boss, when are you coming back?]

[Jiang Xueming: I don't know, the train service has been suspended, and I'm still recovering from my illness. How is Bailu doing?]

[Robert Tang Ning: We were both constantly learning, eating dust on construction sites.]

[Jiang Xueming: Thank you all for your hard work. How is the BOSS? It should be undergoing its tribulation by now, right?]

[BOSS: It's still early!]

[Jiang Xueming: Why is this guy in my group? Who added him?]

[Jiang Bailu: OwO!]

[BOSS: Pregnancy lasts ten months, okay?! Do you think my harvest season is like going to the toilet to take a dump? You can't just do it whenever you want!]

[BOSS: That's why I said, give up your illusions, focus on healing your injuries, and if no train is coming to pick you up, just walk back yourself.]

[David Victor: That's exactly what I think.]

[BOSS: And you too! Victor! I've lost count of how many times you've abandoned your attendants and sneaked off on adventures.]

[David Victor: I'm not alone; I'm actually escorting a heinous criminal for the Qingjin.]

[BOSS: So you mean I have to praise you a bit? Where the hell are you? I'll send the Bloodhounds to find you right away.]

[David Victor: No need, just reserve a wheelchair for me.]

[BOSS: Where does he get his confidence from? How can he say such embarrassing things with such a cool tone!]

Looking out from the Albert Research Station, past the statue of the scientific giant in the Soviet Palace --

--Following the railway, we crossed snow-white peaks, ventured into dark caves, and traversed winding mountain roads.

Numerous iron-framed triangular beams supported the pontoon bridge over the underground waterway. More than 400 kilometers further on, Victor unplugged his phone's data cable from the railway's substation terminal.

Maddes Bruno stood beside him, looking into a hole on one side of the cave, like an observation window on a submarine.

Beyond these holes are vast stretches of obsidian, within which flow shimmering golden lava, resembling distant blood vessels, while the railway is constructed within dried-up, dead pipes.

After Victor cut off the communication, he continued on with Maddes.

"You don't get along well with your servant?" the Lord of Cinder asked casually. "Like me? Do you think she's a burden?"

Victor: "I'm rather timid and reserved in this respect, but on the other hand, I'm incredibly audacious and do whatever I want."

Maddes: "What aspect is this? What aspect is that? Your train of thought is too fast for me to keep up with. I'll have to trouble you to explain it to me slowly and deliberately."

Victor: "I'm considerably older than you, Maddes Bruno."

Maddes: "Are you immortal too?"

Victor: "They just don't age; they'll still die from a fatal wound."

Maddes: "That's amazing."

Victor: "There is an insurmountable generation gap between me and the waiter. My brother has personally experienced the pain of these separations and deaths. I cannot imagine the feeling of watching my loved ones and children grow old and die one by one in front of me. It's like being cut by a dull knife and pierced by a thousand arrows."

Maddes: "Is this your cowardly side?"

Victor: "As for the daring side, I found myself already on the journey almost before the travel plans were made. For example, a few weeks ago I was thinking, 'My students might encounter danger,' and then I came to my senses and found myself on the platform of Albert Research Station, as if time had been stolen."

Maddes: "Your waiter must be having a hard time; he sounds like he's suffering terribly."

Victor: "In other words, time will give me the answer; time heals all wounds."

Maddes: "You shouldn't have run away! You should have faced her! You coward!"

Victor suddenly stopped, smiling.

--He looked at Maddes beside him with a very strange expression.

The King of Cinder felt a chill run down his spine under that intense gaze, and finally stammered out a hesitant reply.

Time heals all wounds, precisely because it can kill everything, including love and compassion.

Victor then stopped using that knowing, unspoken look in his eyes to torture Maddes.

He simply said, "You're right."

Maddes was surprised. "Really?"

"That was said by Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, who later changed his name to Maxim Gorky. He was a great poet and writer," Victor continued on his way. "You're all right."

Maddes Bruno immediately seized the opportunity.

"Victor! Why don't you reconsider?"

"No chance."

"You killed my advisor, and that's exactly the kind of person I need. If you let me go, we won't have to take this long detour, and I can become the sun sooner. That would be excellent for the Abyssal Railway, and for you, it would be an opportunity to make a name for yourself. Many people would come to study your work, and that's what you care about most, isn't it?"

Don't even think about it.

"You bastard! You slut! You shameless bastard!"

"No swearing."