4 of Spades - Beast Walker

Chapter 28: [4 of Spades - Beast Walker]

Ji Xun's commotion was so significant that the middle-aged man in seat 11 of the tail car could no longer pretend to be asleep.

Especially after the gunshot, several Spell Card Masters rushed towards his direction.

Anyone would instinctively think: these guys are coming for me.

That shot just now was clearly the enemy's signal to attack!

First strike, best strike!

The middle-aged man was also extremely decisive. Seeing the enemies approach, he suddenly exploded into action, snatching the assassin closest to his seat with lightning speed. In that instant, his previously withered arm suddenly bulged with muscle, the flesh tearing through his clothes. With terrifying strength, he crushed the assassin's bones.

"Ah!"

The sound of cracking bones echoed as assassin Xiao Wu let out a tragic scream, cold sweat instantly covering his forehead.

He couldn't understand why the attacker's speed and strength were so terrifying.

Rose, arriving a moment later to provide support, saw her teammate severely injured in a single exchange, her expression changing drastically. She was also surprised: did that guy have such a powerful accomplice?

She ignored the gunman who had lost his target and focused on saving her teammate.

Since an accomplice had appeared, she felt that whatever the group was looking for must be on this stronger individual.

She pulled out a card and aimed it at the middle-aged man who had suddenly erupted, softly chanting in her heart, "Dream Release!"

The white hexagram on the back of the card lit up, and the card dissolved into specks of white light, a mental shockwave sweeping towards the middle-aged man.

This [Dream Release Card] was a common technique used by Mental Type Spell Card Masters, an area-of-effect attack that could make the target drowsy.

But even if it couldn't control the enemy, it could slow down their thoughts.

In the confines of the train car, there was no way to avoid it, and the attack hit the middle-aged man precisely!

However, before Rose could make another move, her pupils widened in terror.

She never expected that her action would not only fail to save anyone but would instead unleash a more terrifying demon!

In the darkness, she saw the middle-aged man, affected by the mental technique, his eyes suddenly glowing with beast-like crimson light. An indescribably terrifying aura swept through the entire train car.

She didn't know that the middle-aged man before her was already struggling to control his Curse Power, which was on the verge of going berserk.

At this moment, due to the mental hypnosis, his Curse Power completely lost control!

In the instant his Curse Power went wild, the middle-aged man's bones made cracking sounds, and his muscles bulged and swelled. His body visibly expanded. Simultaneously, black fur grew rapidly on his exposed skin, fangs emerged from his mouth, and his face rapidly beastified.

In the blink of an eye, the middle-aged man transformed from human form into an Adamantine Black Ape nearly three meters tall!

His body was enveloped in dark elements, like blazing flames, and his aura suddenly increased several times over.

The black ape was out of control and had no reason. It crushed assassin Xiao Wu's arm, and the smell of blood further stimulated its ferocity.

It grabbed his thigh with its other hand, roared, and tore with both hands. With a "splash," blood splattered everywhere, and it tore the assassin in half alive!

Just then, the hunters in the train car, who had been caught off guard by the Concussion Grenade, also recovered and turned on their various emergency lighting devices, illuminating the entire car.

Instantly, hundreds of pairs of eyes witnessed the terrifying black ape committing the atrocity.

Fortunately, someone attracted the monster's attention, and the hunters fled towards car 15 for safety.

In front of the black ape, Rose was splattered with hot blood, her face pale with fright.

She never expected things to turn out this way. In a single exchange, her teammate was dead?

But after all, they were professional mercenaries who lived by the sword, so she reacted instantly. Rubbing her hands together, five cards appeared in her hand: "Arcane: Nightmare Devour."

There was no point in hiding her abilities now.

She knew very well that if she couldn't control this monster, she would surely die!

Instantly, a needle-like mental attack swept through the spacious train car towards the Adamantine Black Ape.

The black ape's mind felt like it was hit by a heavy hammer, and it clutched its head, letting out a thunderous roar.

It flung the mangled corpse, splattering blood all over the train car.

For a normal person, this mental technique would have at least severely injured them, if not killed them.

But this was already a rampaging, mutated monster!

This attack did not kill the black ape.

At this moment, all it saw was terrifying, needle-like brutality!

Thump, thump, thump.

The black ape slammed its arms down heavily, and the surrounding tables and chairs exploded into countless wood chips that flew everywhere, striking various parts of the train car like a torrential downpour.

Mental Type professionals were naturally physically weak. Rose wanted to flee and dodge, but it was already too late.

She was about to die on the spot!

However, at this moment, a series of heavy footsteps echoed on the floor: "Stomp," "Stomp," "Stomp." A tall figure clad in Serpent Scale Heavy Armor charged into the battlefield. He wielded a sword in each hand and struck the black ape with one of them.

The power behind this sword strike was immense, the sound of it cutting through the air, and visible ripples emanated from the blade.

But the effect was not as expected.

With a crisp "clang," as if striking hard granite, the longsword only managed to inflict a shallow bloody gash on the black ape's waist.

The heavily armored warrior was also startled.

Without time to ponder why his target was so strong, the black ape's heavy fist struck. He could only hastily swing his sword to block.

With another dull "thud," he was sent flying backward like a cannonball.

The black ape's immense strength astonished onlookers.

The heavily armored warrior slammed against the wall. Before he could catch his breath, he charged forward again.

Both the man and the ape possessed tremendous strength; the steel frames of the seats in the carriage were like paper, shattering at the slightest touch.

The few Blackwater Mercenaries who arrived sequentially also swarmed forward.

In an instant, these members of the Blackwater Mercenary Group were locked in a fierce battle with the black ape, the commotion growing more exaggerated by the second.

The fight in the rear carriage, from its very beginning, was like igniting a barrel of gunpowder, immediately escalating to its most intense state.

The hunters were initially quite shocked by this unexpected turn of events.

But since the trouble wasn't directed at them, they quickly regained their composure and began watching the spectacle from a safe distance.

"A [Ace of Spades - Black Knight] professional sequence, and that Serpent Scale Heavy Armor... so it's that sub-captain 'Iron Fist' Roc from the Blackwater Mercenary Group."

"Tsk, I was wondering who was so reckless as to start a fight on the train. Turns out it's those guys from Blackwater. Do those mercenaries really think they can do whatever they want in Sinless City just because they've hitched themselves to some high-ranking nobles?"

"Isn't that the truth? When we boarded, I even heard some of the Blackwater guys demanding the train stop, saying it was an order from some big shot. Ha! Spit! To hell with their big shots!"

The hunters already had a poor impression of the mercenaries who only cared about money. Furthermore, with this group now associating closely with the nobles of the Upper City, the hunters held them in even greater disdain.

Now, watching those mercenaries get beaten, not only did they have no intention of helping, but while watching coldly from the sidelines, they also couldn't resist pointing and commenting.

In an inconspicuous corner of the crowd, Ji Xun, who had blended in amidst the chaos, put away the relic [Clown Mask] card and quietly joined in watching the commotion.

The plan to divert the trouble seemed to have succeeded.

When the carriage had plunged into darkness earlier, he had used the [Shadow Dive] skill to merge with the darkness, instantly evading all sensory locks.

His original plan was to jump off the train amidst the chaos, but seeing the current situation, it seemed unnecessary.

This probe had confirmed that the target was indeed the notorious fugitive wanted at the Cross Camp.

Moreover, his combat power far exceeded expectations.

He killed that assassin in just two exchanges?

Tsk, that was a fully-fledged, transferred Spell Card Master.

With this kind of combat strength, the Blackwater Mercenary Group's small contingent likely wouldn't fare well.

No.

They might even be wiped out!

If he didn't have to jump off, then he wouldn't.

Ji Xun watched the heavily armored knight fighting fiercely in carriage 16, witnessing the combat power of a formal Spell Card Master for the first time.

"So strong... is this the kind of power a human can possess?"

He marveled inwardly, estimating that 'Iron Fist' Roc's strength stat must be over 10?

However, that black ape was clearly stronger, its strength at least twice that of Roc's!

And from listening to others, Ji Xun also became curious: why was this black ape so strong?

In the blink of an eye, this revealed black ape had beaten several more Blackwater mercenaries to death.

It was almost one punch, one critical hit.

The heavily armored knight could only barely hold on thanks to his heavy armor, but he was still being knocked around and pummeled repeatedly.

The fight didn't last long; the outcome was already decided.

The Blackwater Mercenary Group was not well-regarded in the hunter circles, and no one offered them any help from start to finish.

This meant that as long as these few people died, there would be no further threats on the train.

With this thought, Ji Xun patiently continued to watch the unfolding spectacle.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that this Adamantine Black Ape was a transformed human, and he marveled at how outrageously strong this creature was.

The hunters clearly knew more.

Watching this fierce battle, they began to discuss and comment.

"What's the origin of that beast-transformed black ape? It seems to be a [4 of Spades - Beast Walker] sequence? But this guy is clearly also a Tier 1 Spell Card Master, so why is his combat power so terrifying, even suppressing 'Iron Fist' Roc to the point of being unable to fight back?"

"Body transformation and mutation inherently break human limits, so it's understandable that it's a bit stronger."

"It's more than just 'a bit stronger,' isn't it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this must be 'Lone Wolf' Baron, the murderer and plunderer who was previously wanted by the camp. I didn't believe before that a beginner Spell Card Master could single-handedly wipe out a small camp. Now that I see it, hiss... he's truly brutal."

"Curse Power out of control, there's no one else it could be. But why is he so outrageously strong? Could it be that ancient relic?"

"Yo~ So the Blackwater Mercenary Group is also interested in that ancient relic? Looks like you've run into some tough competition, hahaha."

.

Everyone's attention immediately shifted.

From the perspective of the hunters, the Blackwater Mercenary Group had likely clashed with Ji Xun over the relic.

Mercenaries already had a bad reputation, and fighting on the train for personal gain was a violation of the rules. This made no one willing to help.

Even the several experts from the Hunter's Guild who had rushed over had no intention of intervening.

They clearly intended to wait for the outcome of the fight before stepping in to control the situation.

Fighting on the train, regardless of the reason, was a violation of the rules and had severe consequences.

They deserved to die if they were killed!

Fortunately, the train carriage was heavily armored, otherwise the fierce battle inside wouldn't have torn the train apart.

That Black Ape was truly ferocious; ordinary mercenaries were practically knocked out with one punch.

The battle was also quickly nearing its end.

To prevent the fight from spreading to other carriages, the train staff erected armored blast doors in carriage 14.

Ji Xun didn't see the latter half of the battle.

After a loud explosion from inside the carriage, there was no more movement.

But he did see the aftermath.

Once the armored blast doors were removed, the train staff entered to clear the area.

Before long, the severely injured "Iron Fist" Roc was carried out on a stretcher to the medical bay, likely needing a survivor to provide an explanation for the incident.

Carriages 15 and 16 were a mess, with bodies littering the floor.

With no one to help, the Blackwater Mercenary Group, numbering only a little over a dozen people, was reduced to just this one survivor after being brutally beaten by the Black Ape.

Ji Xun squeezed through the crowd, carefully confirming the bodies on the ground.

The assassin had been torn in half, the brown-haired woman from the Mental Type had her head crushed by the Black Ape's punch, and the guy who was suspected of having a scent-tracking talent had his chest caved in by the black ape.

These were all trackers he had seen before.

Seeing this, Ji Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

From the current situation, most of the Blackwater Mercenary Group members on the train were dead.

Even if "Iron Fist" Roc was still alive, it wouldn't have a significant impact.

The few sensory-type trackers Ji Xun was worried about were dead, and the crisis had been resolved.

Seeing this, he calmly continued to watch the spectacle.

Where the iron door had been at the rear of the carriage was now a gaping, torn hole, and the Black Ape was nowhere to be seen.

The train administrator was using iron plates to repair the breach.

"Boss, what about these bodies?"

"Throw them off the train. Leave a few for the Blackwater Mercenary Group to collect themselves. Remember to treat them with alchemical agents to prevent reanimation."

"Yes."

A few train staff collected the bodies of the Spell Card Masters, while the rest of the mercenary corpses were thrown overboard.

These few bodies would serve as "evidence" and were left in the carriage.

Before long, the carriage was mostly cleaned up. The passengers from carriages 15 and 16, who had been moved to other carriages, were now returning to their own.

Even though the seats were gone, the hunters didn't mind. They sat on the floor, playing cards or chatting as usual, still lively.

However, a pair of eyes fell upon the iron box containing the bodies in the corner of the carriage.

Bodies...

These were good things.

Ji Xun watched as the box, emanating uncontrolled Curse Power, caught his eye. He observed his surroundings and then walked over.

With the crowd providing cover, and the light in that corner having been broken and not yet repaired, he pretended to rest, sitting in the shadows, and activated the [Feast] skill.

As he used it, Extraordinary Traits were continuously absorbed into his body.

"You used Feast to devour, Constitution +0.003"

"You used Feast to devour, Strength +0.005"

"You used Feast to devour, Toughness +0.0009"

"You used Feast to devour, Water Element Affinity +0.04"

"."

Even though these Spell Card Master corpses had been treated, the dispersed Curse Power was much less than when they were freshly dead.

However, compared to the Card Master Apprentices he had encountered in the Alternate Dimension, they were still far superior.

The drive would take several more hours, so Ji Xun sat beside the box, quietly devouring.

While Ji Xun was devouring the residual Extraordinary Traits of the corpse, in Carriage 1 of the train, the accompanying stewards from the Hunter's Guild gathered to discuss the recent incident.

"There's clearly residual Cataclysmic energy in Carriage 16. It seems 'Lone Wolf' Baron really brought out that relic found at the Silver Moon Altar."

"If it wasn't contained, that ancient relic's Cataclysmic level might be very high."

"It's a shame the bestialized Adamantine Black Ape was too alert. As soon as we got close, it jumped off the train and escaped."

"I didn't expect people from the Blackwater Mercenary Group to find Baron first. That's strange, were they also after that relic?"

"Maybe it wasn't the Blackwater Group's intention."

"You mean the Governor's Cao Family?"

"Yes. The Blackwater Group people came to me before, wanting to postpone the departure, but they were secretive about the reason. I didn't know why at the time. Just now, news came from the camp that the 407 Alternate Dimension was cleared with an S rating. Perhaps it's related to this too."

"407? I heard that space yielded quite a few rare materials and Cards, but the difficulty was extremely high. Someone actually cleared it?"

"Yes. The specifics are still unknown. The Demon Cross hasn't sent more detailed information either. But the Blackwater people are indeed searching everywhere in the camp for something. Now it seems Baron is also connected to 407."

"No matter who it is, fighting on the train breaks the rules. Notify the Guild headquarters."

.