Chapter 12: Bad Guys
The news of the Eastern Marsh Kingdom's annihilation spread through Angor City like a plague. This news was impossible to suppress. This world had newspapers and telegraphs, and countless cries for help came from the Eastern Marsh side, nearly paralyzing Angor City's intelligence channels.
The fall of Eastern Marsh was just the beginning. An hour later, the second heavy news arrived: the Moon Creek Kingdom was attacked by an unknown force. Some civilians in major cities suddenly transformed into monsters, beginning to slaughter all living things. Humans, livestock, wild animals—if it was alive, even insects were trampled to death.
Twenty-seven minutes later, Moon Creek Kingdom sent its final telegram: Moon Creek Kingdom would fall today. They hoped the Council would alter the records, documenting that Moon Creek Kingdom fell after twenty-seven days of resistance, giving their kingdom's demise some dignity.
Two of the four great kingdoms had fallen. The Storm Kingdom had already begun its retreat. All steam trains of the Chidorman Company were mobilized, cargo was thrown off, and as many people as could be squeezed into the carriages were packed in.
A total of 372 steam trains carried only soldiers of the Storm Kingdom. Storm King Totohora did not board a train. He decided to perish alongside the Storm Kingdom. The Storm Kingdom would have a king who died in battle, not a coward who abandoned his people to escape alone.
Not only the Storm Kingdom, but the Lehman Kingdom also mobilized its steam trains. The first batch transported not just soldiers, but many steam weapons. This was very Lehman-like—even facing disaster, they ensured weapons arrived first.
Four hours later, news came from the Lehman Kingdom: they had engaged the monsters. Like the Eastern Marsh and Moon Creek Kingdoms, the monsters originated from civilians and secret technique masters. Strangely, soldiers had a very low chance of transforming.
These monsters were humanoid, their bodies withered, eyes gray, and their clothing severely decayed, hanging on them like tattered rags.
Among the monsters, three types were the hardest to deal with: those with large bodies, those with cracks on their skin, and those with deep red pupils.
It had to be said, the Lehman Kingdom's combat strength was formidable. Although they were prepared, being able to fight the monsters and hold a battle line spoke volumes. After all, this was a kingdom that had once tried to fully secede.
Compared to the Lehman Kingdom, the Storm Kingdom was in dire straits. After sending off the first batch, monsters appeared in cities of all sizes across the country.
After transporting three batches of civilians and soldiers, the capital of the Storm Kingdom was breached. The fate of the Storm King was unknown.
At six o'clock that evening, as the setting sun scattered its light, a steam train departed from the White Oak Station of the Lehman Kingdom.
"Hurry! Those monsters are about to arrive. Where is the king?"
A military officer in Lehman Kingdom uniform, with a distinctive hooked nose, roared.
"He's been knocked unconscious, on the frontmost train."
"Well done, Private. Board the train."
The hooked-nose officer's expression twisted. Knocking out the king was something he never dared to imagine before.
"Sorry, sir. I lost an arm, and my internal organs are severely damaged."
"Nonsense."
Bang!
Steam burst forth, and shattered skull fragments and blood splattered. This private had taken his own life. He was severely injured, knowing he wouldn't live long. His family was all dead, and he had no will to live left. What kept him going until now was that he was a soldier of the Lehman Kingdom, a soldier who had sworn under the kingdom's flag.
The hooked-nose officer wiped the blood from his face, looking at the corpse lying at his feet.
"What was his name?"
"Report, sir. His name was Diwei Se, Private."
"Where is his family?"
"Report. According to frontline intelligence, Wapei City has completely fallen. Private Diwei Se's family members have all perished."
"Understood."
The hooked-nose officer's jaw muscles bulged. He took off his coat and covered the body of Private Diwei Se.
A few minutes later, the last steam train at White Oak Station started. Steam surged from the locomotive, and the steam core gradually preheated.
Woo~
The steam train slowly moved forward. At that moment, a black shadow leaped from afar.
Boom!!
Splintered wood and concrete flew everywhere. White Oak Station collapsed by nearly half. A monster over ten meters tall stood up from the rubble. It was covered in gray-black bark, branches hanging down, with a hole blasted through its chest, sparks flickering around the breach.
"129 meters behind, giant monster incoming! Height over 16 meters! Drag out the steam cannon!"
The shout had barely faded when a petite figure leaped out from a carriage window. She grabbed the upper edge of the carriage with one hand, flipped her body, and landed on top of the carriage, crouching down.
This young girl had her blue-purple hair tied in a ponytail. As she crouched, she had already set up a two-meter-long steam sniper rifle. She pulled the bolt, and the small steam core on the rifle turned red-hot.
Bang.
The first bullet left the chamber, rippling through the air, hitting the tree monster's right leg behind. The bullet pierced through the calf but didn't stop the tree monster from running.
The train's movement dispersed the steam quickly, giving the girl a chance to fire continuously. She pulled the trigger again.
The bullet left the chamber, hitting the tree monster's right calf again. With a crack, dry wood fragments scattered. A broken leg spun away, and the tree monster crashed to the ground with a thud.
This girl was named Nancy Elna. She had once escorted Su Xiao but accidentally killed someone from the Chidorman Company. When she returned to the Lehman Empire and was about to be confined, this incident occurred in the Lehman Kingdom.
The steam train's speed increased, but it would take 2-3 minutes to reach full speed.
Hasty running sounds came from both sides of the train. Nancy Elna leaned out to look and broke out in a cold sweat. Dozens of humanoid monsters were on each side of the train, running fast, chasing the steam train. Their eyes glowed red, as if under command, and they were about to dive under the wheels.
Bang! Nancy Elna blasted a humanoid monster to pieces, but there were too many.
One by one, the humanoid monsters dove under the train wheels. Their tough bodies were hard to crush. The rear carriages jumped dozens of centimeters high, and the wheels crashed back onto the rails with a clang. Some wheels locked up due to broken transmission gears, dragging sparks across the rails, the screeching sound especially piercing.
"You... bad guys."
Nancy Elna hugged her steam sniper rifle, sprinting across the carriage tops. After leaping to the front carriage, she fired once, blowing off the coupling of the rear carriage.
With a rumble, the rear carriage tipped over, bouncing several times on the rails before gradually slowing down. The explosives inside detonated with a bang.
The blast wind blew Nancy Elna's long hair back. She held her steam sniper rifle, looking at the city in the distance where black smoke rose. That was her hometown. Her hometown was gone.
"Bad guys! Bad guys! I'll kill you all!"
Nancy Elna's shout carried far. No one would have imagined that the once prosperous four empires would all fall in just one day. And this was only the beginning.