Chapter 853: Adaptability - Fading

The direction changed, and the train hurtled at tremendous speed toward the direction indicated by the Key.

The stagnant water screen, upon contact with the train, seemed to trigger some kind of switch and began churning violently.

The humanoid half-figure that had risen from the lone eye of the massive strange fish watched this scene but did not pursue.

"Residue? The last power, Master, we have found it."

It retracted back into that lone eye, sank to the bottom of the sea, and together with the corpses of those Divine Monsters, returned to silence.

The world remained that black-and-white old photograph appearance. Meaning, existence, color, everything, all things had already reached the End, never to return.

The pure white train pierced through the tsunami.

Another inverted mountain peak came into view.

Within the final time limit of Boosted Derailment, the train crossed the broken valley and returned to the true ground.

The sea filled with the corpses of Divine Monsters was left behind, and that lone-eyed giant fish did not pursue.

They were safe, for now.

"Who would have thought there would be so many Divine Monster corpses, and that giant fish too. If this Station World had a level, I'm afraid it wouldn't be lower than level 11, right?"

The train gradually slowed down.

It completed its disguise beside a small hill.

Ye Qiyan's gaze fell upon the Key in his hand, which had faded by half.

"Looking at this, there are only the final two guidances left."

To reach the treasury, they would at least need to cross a place called Broken Sword Cliff, which was the [Falling Cliff] shown in the Crossroads of Fate.

This sea was already this thrilling; the next place would probably be just as dangerous.

Lisette walked closer and handed him a cup of coffee. "Master, should we store away the train?"

Ye Qiyan took the coffee and downed it in one gulp. The water used to brew this coffee was the concentrated essence of the Spirit Potion he had crafted, and its recovery effect was quite impressive. "Mm, after all, we've already been discovered. Even if they haven't chased after us now, we can't place our hopes on the enemy."

He changed into a set of black clothes and walked toward the train door.

For the road ahead, he planned to go alone. A single person's target was, after all, much smaller than an entire train.

As for the power in the space that would devour existence and color, as long as he maintained the Wandering Star Holy Sigil, coupled with the Hunt's protective barrier, and kept his Spirit values up, he wouldn't be affected by that power either.

"Master, I... I want to go too."

Lisette followed him, and her attire instantly changed to the black-and-white colors suited to the outside world.

"No. The Wandering Star Holy Sigil plus the Hunt's barrier can protect just me alone. You should stay inside the train and the Matrix space. Afterwards, I'll..."

"It's alright."

Lisette's gaze was more resolute than ever before.

"I am your Perfected World, my Master. I can feel that I won't be affected by that kind of power. If you don't believe me, look."

She grabbed Ye Qiyan's hand and pressed it against her chest.

Beneath her milky-white skin, a dark-gold radiance like that of Train Coins was faintly shimmering.

[Absolute Supreme - Perfected World - Lisette]

[Standard Module:......]

[Special Module: Adaptability - Fading]

[Can move freely within the End - Fading. This module can be shared with the Lord of Absolute Supremacy, Ye Qiyan.]

"......"

Lisette tilted her head. "Master? What's wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm just curious when you got another module like this..."

The beautiful maid smiled sweetly and gently brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead.

"I am your maid. A maid must always follow behind her master, so..."

"So you learned it?"

"Mm!"

Ye Qiyan withdrew his hand and lightly flicked Lisette's forehead.

"Ugh..."

"Alright then, you can come with me."

Lisette was Ye Qiyan's first and, to this day, only true [Absolute Supreme] series machine.

At this moment, there was only one thought in her heart.

["I will never let you down. Never......"]

The train sank into the Matrix space. Under Eve's highly unwilling gaze, Lisette waved her hand as she pressed herself closer to her proud master.

She completed the sharing of the Adaptability module.

Crossing over the crazed mountains, flying over the blood-soaked lawns...

In this black-and-white world, there were also brighter blacks and purer whites.

Finally, when the Forever Accurate Pocket Watch passed the tenth time it struck one o'clock, Ye Qiyan spotted a cliff.

A cliff wrapped by countless Eye of God monsters, where only a vague hint of a sword's shape could be seen.

This place was different from that sea of tomb bones.

There were no remains of those Divine Monsters here.

Aside from those Eye of God monsters, nothing strange was visible for now.

It looked like merely a gathering place for a group of monsters.

The Key to the Golden Tribe's Treasury once again provided him guidance.

Advancing along the direction indicated, he even discovered a path where no gazes fell upon him.

It seemed that as long as he walked along this path, he could safely reach the Golden Tribe's treasury.

But...

Why would a safe path exist here?

If the very beginning at that bookstore, where a maiden of the Golden Tribe used the power of time and her artifacts to leave behind her final trace, was the choice he had made at the Crossroads of Fate,

And the second time, on the sea surface, that road within the dangerous still tsunami was the additional help the Key to the Golden Tribe's Treasury provided him,

Then what about the third time?

Once can be chance, twice can be coincidence, but three times is a pattern.

Those Eye of God monsters, and that being on the strange fish, had clearly already noticed, clearly already knew that an Outsider had invaded this world.

Yet, they did nothing at all.

As if Ye Qiyan didn't even exist.

This was strange, wasn't it?

Ye Qiyan looked at the Key in his hand, which had only a quarter of its color remaining, and his gaze turned slightly sharp.

Was he being deceived? Or... had this Key been affected? Or was he simply overthinking things?

No.

For a Train Conductor, once a thought appeared in his mind, he must never casually deny it.

Was this the only path?

It seemed so.

After all, the places where those Eye of God monsters gathered were clearly impossible to pass through safely.

Ye Qiyan suddenly looked up at the sky, at those Eyes of God that had never descended.

"This thing... could it also be considered a type of machine?"

He raised his hand, aiming at the nearest Eye of God satellite.

The artifact known as [Overdrive Command] on the index finger of his right hand took effect at this moment.

"Come here."

[Mechanical Control]

Flesh machines were still machines.

"Close your eyes. Come to me."

The Eye of God's will was shattered by the Overdrive Command, disconnected from its other kind, and it slowly descended to land before Ye Qiyan.

Ye Qiyan carved open a hollow space in its body, using the Wandering Star Holy Sigil to isolate a space large enough for two people.

He and Lisette climbed inside.

The Artifice Command projected a control Light Screen. The image, like a crudely made flight game, was just exactly what Ye Qiyan wanted.

After a brief moment of adaptation, they took off immediately.

With the [Arrogance] state activated, even as he piloted this monster into the range of other Eyes of God, he was not detected as abnormal.

It seemed he had found a much simpler path.