NOVEL NEXT WORLD chapter 31
31 – The Three Ducks (5)
The plan of the secret faction on the Beehive Bulletin Board, known as the “Bees,” was to blow up the entire cabin where Vina and Christina were.
It was a calculated plan to eliminate the two pureblooded wizards without confronting them directly.
My role is to lure at least one of the two people to the restaurant compartment where the bomb is installed by the designated time.
However, the restaurant compartment is in the middle of the train, and it was clear that many people would be affected if an explosion occurred there.
“Let’s change the location to the cargo compartment. Since all the explosives are there, we don’t need to move them to the restaurant compartment, right?”
“Tsk, how naive. It would be great if we could do that, but what nobleman would come all the way to the cargo compartment?”
“You’re not trying to pass it on to someone else now, are you?”
“Of course, I can do it. If you want, should I call someone here right now?”
Everyone was surprised when I took out the location note.
When I checked the gallery for sure, my complicated feelings subsided a bit.
I never thought there would be someone impersonating me, not just any random person.
“This definitely doesn’t feel good.”
It was relatively easy to impersonate me since I didn’t use my administrator account very often.
If someone I had never seen before pretended to be me, users wouldn’t know if it was a fake with a sycophantic tendency or one of the sub-accounts, including MK.114.
But simply wearing a mask in the gallery and gathering ignorant people for trolling, and creating a terrorist organization using my name were different matters.
After the strategy meeting, as I was checking the post of the leader of the bees, ‘MeteorWaterMagic’, I suddenly realized that one side of my body felt heavy.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Ah! Are you calm now?”
Sien, who was half clinging to me, turned pale and quickly backed away.
The feeling of the pelvis that I had been unconsciously holding onto a moment ago remained in the palm of my hand.
She apologized to me several times because she didn’t understand English, and then she reproached me for interfering with the operation with a sudden stern expression.
“We had a plan to capture everyone. We’ve already passed information to the target through the deputy, so what if you suddenly interfere?”
The original plan of the Information Department was to briefly stop the train on the 33rd floor and annihilate the guys we saw in the room a little while ago.
To that end, agents were stationed in the dining car, and stand-ins were also prepared to replace Nina and Christina.
But because I suddenly switched positions to the cargo car, the plan was disrupted.
From her perspective, it must have been frustrating, but I didn’t want this express train to stop.
If the train stops, it means the bees’ plan has failed, and then they will either hide or run away.
“The Information Department doesn’t get involved in disputes between families.”
“Huh?”
“So all they care about is avoiding innocent casualties, right? Isn’t that true?”
Unfortunately, their communication through the bulletin board would be the worst choice.
I started modifying the titles and contents of all the deleted posts on the bee bulletin board through the location notes.
*
—–
Marine583
[Squeezed in with the lower ranks in the third-class seats, bumping shoulders with the smelly ones next to you]
(photo)
Renting an entire train car and comfortably getting on
This is life~ Let’s have a drink~
—–
Late at night, a post appeared on the peaceful gallery.
It was a post that included a photo of someone riding the express train currently crossing the 30th floor of Matap.
Originally, the boastful post about certifying a trip to hell or serving as the background for a collaboration was just an ordinary content that would soon be buried.
However, it didn’t take long for discussions about the authenticity of the post to increase within the gallery.
—–
[Yeah, it’s a fabrication~]
Why would someone make up something like that out of the blue?
It’s not even a VIP room, does it make sense to have such a space on a high-speed train?
And the vehicle number on the door isn’t 314, it’s 314.5. What’s that about?
Are you stuck in a wall? LOL
— It seems like a fabrication. I’m in car 315 right now, and there’s no such room.
— But the illusion magic reflected in the window, it seems like it was released this time, right?
— Isn’t it part of the first-class lounge?
ㄴWhat’s with the fake comments again?
ㄴIt’s probably not true. If you look at the design of the car body and the furniture used, it looks like at most business class.
—–
—–
[I climb Mt. Matap every year to catch the high-speed train, can someone fact-check this?]
This room wasn’t officially produced by the research department, but the vehicle is of the same type as the one currently in operation.
Especially, the distorted part on the right side of the landscape reflected on the window is a distortion phenomenon that occurs when the unique train control sound of the 146 model spreads throughout the train body.
It seems that someone magically created a separate space between the rooms, but if caught, it would be a penalty of at least 10 years in graduate school.
Looking at the location conveniently written down like a fool, it seems like it can be found easily. I’ll go right now.
– Was it really true?
– Who made it?
– Between rooms 314 and 315? Right next door.
– What’s with this hunk of metal risking our lives to climb the tower? lol
– Climbing every year just to catch the express train lol, are you in your right mind?
– It’s extreme sports itself with a zero injury rate lol
—–
When the rumor spread that there was a hidden room, curious wizards flocked to the room.
The three people in rooms 26, 41, and 78, who were at risk of being discovered, gathered in the cargo hold.
Since the bees were participating in this operation in exchange for access to the battlefield, they did not have tickets or assigned seats.
Although they had just separated a little while ago and met again, there was a cautious gaze in their eyes as they looked at each other.
“You… You didn’t betray us, did you?”
“Why would I stab myself in the back?”
“You never know. If you’re number 78, you belong to the Elemental School, so you might have some resentment towards number 13.”
“What nonsense! Why would I feel inferior to a little elemental mage from Selucia!?”
“Wait. But why are you guys here?”
Number 26, sensing something strange, asked them.
They were clearly supposed to lure the pure-blooded wizard number 13 here and blow up the entire place.
It was still far from the start of the operation, and they had no reason to enter the cargo hold.
The two of them also seemed puzzled as they spoke.
“Of course, it was you who sent the message, number 41. There seems to be an issue with the detonator, so I told you to check it…”
“Me? I never sent it. In fact, I told you to come quickly because your bomb location was compromised!”
“Both of you didn’t receive a message from the leader?”
“What?”
“It was you two.”
“W-Who are you?!”
In the midst of the confusion,
within the dark cargo hold,
the three individuals suspected each other,
when a transparent voice could be heard in their ears.
They turned their heads to find a woman in a black dress holding a location note.
With each burst of anger that escaped her restrained voice, the sound of the ship creaking filled the air.
In the pitch-black darkness, her extreme presence shone brightly.
Even those who did not know her true identity in the mast would not be exaggerating to say that they did not deserve the title of magician.
“V-Vina Nethania…!”
“I finally caught you. The faction that always slandered me in the gallery.”
“What? We never did that!”
“It’s useless to make excuses. The evidence is all here.”
Upon hearing Vina’s words, the three checked the location note and began to doubt their own eyes.
The name of the Honeybee Bulletin Board and their own usernames had all been changed to something unfamiliar.
List of written posts:
[103 Reasons Why Meteor is Not Ice Magic]
[Honestly, This Extreme Magic Class Isn’t That Great, Right?]
[I’m a Bad Guy~ I’m Gonna Spam~ I’m a Bad Guy~ I’m Gonna Spam~ I’m a Bad Guy~ I’m Gonna Spam~]
[Certification of Emptying All Ice Water from the Epsilon Vending Machine]
[Yeah, yeah, Glaesia has never won a magic competition]
—–
—–
[Shall we have a gathering in our cargo hold?]
I want to meet with those who are currently on the express train and discuss the inferiority of the Glaesia School of Magic~
Gathering Schedule
12:30 – Self-introduction
1:00 – Chemical Warfare Training
2:00 – Gossiping about ‘That Gonic’ who spams in the gallery
3:00 – Lowering the rating for the Extreme Magic Class
4:00 – Filling in 200 reasons why Meteor is not ice magic
Hoping for many participants~
— Let’s communicate~
— I’m on my way~
—–
“Oh, don’t! If you set that off, we’ll all die here!”
“Go ahead.”
“What?”
“I’ll make you realize why Meteor is the ice spell.”
Under the unbelievable situation that even witnessing it couldn’t be believed, the ground beneath their feet slowly began to freeze.
The creaking of the vehicle grew worse, and now the vibration felt as if meteors were falling.
The walls, the ceiling, even the magical power of the three people who were desperately resisting, all turned pure white in an instant.
Just before the 78 frozen fingers pressed the ignition switch of the detonator.
All the whiteness boiled up in an instant, and then began to descend with a tremendous impact.
Kwaang—!!
“At 31 floors, it might be a little short, but if it falls from this height, it’s no less than a Meteor.”
Having seen the last car of the frozen train fall outside the mausoleum, Vina turned around without hesitation and headed back to the compartment.
Afterwards, the opposition board of the Glesian Academy’s new board of directors returned to the Beehive board as if to say, “When did it become the Glesian Academy board?”
*
“What’s going on? Wasn’t the train shaking just now?”
“There was an accident in the cargo car.”
“What should we do? What about my luggage?”
“I heard that the Glesian Academy will compensate for everything. Let’s ask the station attendant first when we arrive.”
Having heard the news, Toby was hiding in the aisle of the first-class car where he had met No. 13, holding onto his location note.
The hiding place, the car where the explosives were, had all been blown away, but the remaining passengers seemed strangely calm.
“The weather is so nice today~”
It’s a perfect day to observe bees~
– That’s right, that’s right~
– Would you like to see my profile? It’s a honeybee with pollen on its butt!
ㄴ Wow, I came here by chance, can I settle here? The more I see, the more, ugh, ughhh…!
ㄴ ?
ㄴ Get out of here.
“Are you out of your mind!? Why the hell don’t these bastards respond to my messages!”
I’ve sent them messages several times, but I haven’t received any replies.
It was as if they had become ghosts, only repeating posts with no substance, and now even fear crept into me.
At times like this, the only person I could trust was the leader.
Calling himself the administrator of the gallery, he showed me a route to evade the guards so that I could ride the train without a ticket.
He had also prepared a hiding place inside the train.
He asked me to do him a favor by causing a terrorist incident due to his bad blood with the Grecian faction, but I was willing to take that risk to reach the common goal.
Toby, who was about to send a message with his last hope, was startled by a sudden voice and dropped his location note.
“It’s useless. I’ve already suspended that account.”
“W-what!?”
“Making the posts on the bulletin board appear differently to everyone is not an easy task for me either. It was just more convenient to block both of them.”
“Wh-Who are you! Ugh, what is this… Oh!?”
Toby, who was trying to pick up his notebook, noticed a strange mist forming beneath his feet.
When he looked up, he saw a figure approaching from the end of the open passage.
As their eyes met, Toby’s legs gave way in an unprecedented terror.
A man with a grotesque face, combining all kinds of animals imaginable by humans – deer, wolf, owl… – was slowly approaching.
“I… I should explain about the three people later. I never expected the train to be blown up like this.”
“Are you the leader, by any chance? The one who hit the gallery’s jackpot? I’ve been looking for you!”
“The leader?”
Crash!!
As he lifted his head from the location note, a window was terrifyingly thrust between Toby’s legs.
In his eyes, there was restrained madness and incomprehensible hatred flickering.
“No, I’m not your leader or anything like that.”
“Hee hee!”
“You know what? There are no rules in the gallery. Since scum like you can’t just defile the space where our three memories are stored, there’s no need for rules.”
As he slowly approached, he pulled out the window and spoke to Toby, who was on the verge of fainting.
“There’s one thing I want to ask, even if I have to come out like this.”
“Sh-Sht…!”
“What do you know about this author called the leader?”