Chapter 5: The Beast Gentleman
A heavy object crashed onto the roof of the carriage, leaving a dent in the thick metal plating.
Inside the carriage, Su Xiao hesitated on whether to act. If this steam train were destroyed, he would have to travel to Angor City on foot.
Several constables were already terrified; the sum of all the incidents they had faced in their lives couldn't match even one percent of today's excitement.
Nancy Erna raised her steam sniper rifle, its barrel nearly five centimeters thick aimed upward. Though slender, her index finger, calloused from use, rested on the trigger as wisps of steam drifted from the cooling vents. The steam sniper rifle was undeniably powerful, but inside the train carriage, she only had one shot. Firing would fill most of the carriage with steam, obscuring her vision.
Two sharp claws pierced through the steel ceiling. With a screech, a hole was torn open in the roof, and a massive head thrust into the carriage.
Bang!
Steam erupted, mingling with sparks to fill most of the carriage. A dull thud came from above.
The wind pressure from the train's high speed quickly dispersed most of the steam. Through the hole in the roof, Nancy Erna saw a Hyena-Wolf tribesman—his upper body covered in gray-black fur, resembling a werewolf, while his lower half was human.
Though strong, this Hyena-Wolf had a well-proportioned build. The bullet's kinetic energy had shredded his upper garments, leaving him in only a tight pair of shorts as he crouched on the carriage roof.
The Hyena-Wolf chewed something, wisps of steam drifting from his mouth.
"Pfft."
He spat out the object in his mouth. It streaked through the air like a blur and embedded itself with a clang into the iron plate at Nancy Erna's feet. It was a deformed bullet, looking much like chewed gum.
Seeing that bullet, Nancy Erna knew she was no match for this Hyena-Wolf. If she remembered correctly, he was the Beast Gentleman, Tuayak—a Hyena-Wolf, a wanted fugitive pursued by the Four Kingdoms and the Council Chamber.
"Steam gun. A soldier of the Lehman Kingdom."
The Beast Gentleman, Tuayak, spoke from his crouch on the carriage roof. His gaze shifted to Su Xiao. That was his target. Aside from this target, everyone else was to be silenced.
Just as Tuayak was about to leap into the carriage, a sudden sense of danger made him pause. For a moment, he felt as if he had perceived a Blood Beast sneering at him, waiting for him to jump inside.
In that brief hesitation, the roar of a steam engine reached his ears.
Three steam cars sped down from the hillsides on either side, each bearing the emblem of a dawn bird spreading its wings to fly—the mark of the Kidorman Company. Though they didn't hold the rights to the steam train or its tracks, as the manufacturer of steam trains, the Kidorman Company wielded considerable power.
The Kidorman Company was shrewd. Answering to the Four Kingdoms and the Council Chamber, its wealth was enviable. Many had tried to take a bite out of this lucrative pie, but under the protection of the Four Kingdoms and the Council Chamber, none had succeeded so far.
The three steam cars drove parallel to the train. Their design was unique, with exposed "piston compressors" powered by steam, their levers operating at high speed, giving off a distinctive beauty of steam and steel combined.
On the three steam cars sat ten men and women. They all recognized the Beast Gentleman, Tuayak, but showed no fear. Before joining the Kidorman Company, these individuals were notorious thugs themselves. The company had spent a fortune to clear their names.
In truth, the order of this world wasn't as stable as it seemed. In terms of technology, aside from Transcendent Steamology, it was close to the pre-World War II era, lacking advanced tech.
The mainstream of this world was steam technology combined with mysticism, with the tech tree rooted in Transcendent Steamology.
With the Kidorman Company's people arriving, their response to the train attack was the fastest.
The Beast Gentleman, Tuayak, stared at the ten on the steam cars, his expression turning cold. Given how things had developed, success was clearly unlikely. But he had essentially completed what he needed to do; he hadn't expected it to go smoothly anyway.
With a bang, Tuayak left two footprints on the train roof before leaping off the high-speed train, quickly disappearing into the wilderness.
Watching Tuayak retreat, the ten from the Kidorman Company retracted their grappling hooks, and the steam cars began to slow. Their orders were to avoid fighting if possible. This matter was very troublesome, likely a game among the big shots. If they didn't want to end up dead in a back-alley ditch one day, it was best to stay out of it.
The carriage fell silent as the steam dissipated in the air.
"Mr. White Night, I helped our allies drive back the enemy."
Nancy Erna bared her neat, white teeth and smiled. This girl seemed a bit simple, but she wasn't stupid. The Beast Gentleman hadn't been driven off by her, of course, but with this incident, she had a way to report back.
Su Xiao looked at the pocket watch in his hand—a trophy from killing the Hyena-Wolf earlier. Though it couldn't be taken out of this world, it was quite useful.
The Beast Gentleman had been forced to retreat, and Su Xiao felt a pang of regret. That one was different from the fodder Hyena-Wolves; he was a real tough character.
Su Xiao had been ready to let the Beast Gentleman abduct him, then strike in a secluded spot, followed by the Endless Darkness Necklace Scout.
Unfortunately, the Kidorman Company had arrived. Though a tier below the Kingdoms and the Council Chamber, they weren't to be trifled with. They were loyal to a councilor known for being fiercely protective of his people. Plus, the company was down-to-earth and popular among the public. While not every Kidorman product was a masterpiece, they were durable and reasonably priced.
Nancy Erna packed her steam sniper rifle into its case and slumped onto her seat with a look of utter defeat, like a salted fish. Her escort mission was half-ruined.
"Damn it, why is he smiling so smugly? Still think he's the bad guy."
Su Xiao ignored Nancy Erna. According to his identity disguise intel, he had boarded the steam train in the Lehman Kingdom, where the escort was a symbolic secret affair.
Su Xiao dismissed the interpersonal relationships tied to this identity. The reason was that this identity had stayed in all Four Kingdoms but had chosen not to join any faction.
He suspected this was one of the reasons he was targeted—an Alchemy Master unaffiliated with any faction was rare.
No more attackers appeared. After over forty minutes, the steam train whistled and began to slow.
Through the window, Su Xiao saw a bustling but not overly advanced train station. Near stacked cargo crates, laborers were hauling goods.
Su Xiao stepped off the train with Bubu Wang. Baha hadn't come to join them yet; he was circling overhead, scouting for any suspicious individuals.
As soon as he left the train, Su Xiao noticed a group of people. They were likely from the Kidorman Company. Given the incident along the way, the company would definitely seek him out first.
Now wasn't the time to contact the Kidorman Company. Su Xiao blended into the crowd and headed out of the station.
Dong, dong, dong～
The clock tower's hands pointed exactly to twelve. Spires of varying heights stood tall. The streets buzzed with noise, with the occasional steam car slowly passing by, but horse-drawn carriages were more common.
Angor City had arrived—the most prosperous city on the continent, a trade hub, and the center of power.
Su Xiao was now on the easternmost side of Angor City. The Council Chamber was to the south. The Four Kingdoms could be ignored for now. His only task was to head to the Council Chamber and find the mastermind behind the train hijacking.
This world had Alchemy. If he was lucky, he might find a high-grade recovery potion formula here. If he could secure an Alchemy Laboratory, he could also develop Apollo on the side.
Of course, these tasks would have to wait until he had free time. Completing the main mission was the top priority, as it involved a 150-point Attribute Breakthrough Barrier. Su Xiao believed the reward for 150 True Attributes would be astonishing; otherwise, the gap in strength between Sixth and Seventh Rank Contractors wouldn't be so vast.