Chapter 149: Fortune and Misfortune The Power of an SSS-Rank Talent
Menloa nervously looked around the dark carriage.
Beside him, Bill continued hopping forward on his remaining leg.
His gaze was fixed on Malin.
The corners of his mouth slowly lifted.
"Hey."
His remaining leg suddenly twisted.
His body tilted sideways as if he had lost his balance.
He was about to fall directly onto Malin.
But at that exact moment—
Malin’s face suddenly flushed.
She clutched her stomach.
"Why does my stomach hurt?"
"I can’t hold it."
"I can’t hold it!"
"Where’s the toilet?"
"Where’s the toilet?!"
Pat!
Pat!
Pat!
She immediately hurried toward the connection between the carriages.
On a high-speed train, the public toilet was normally located near the connecting section.
Malin rushed toward the door.
Thud!
The connecting door opened.
She disappeared inside without saying another word.
The door closed behind her.
Boom!
Malin never noticed that Bill had fallen heavily onto the floor behind her.
"F*ck!"
Bill rubbed his bruised chin.
His face turned purple with anger.
He had thought Malin would help him.
Instead, she had completely ignored him.
But as the darkness surrounded him, the wound on his chin quickly healed.
His anger slowly turned into excitement.
"That’s good."
"If that’s the case..."
"You two can just stay here with this carriage."
Bill climbed back to his feet.
He continued limping toward the connection between the carriages.
Then—
Crack!
Just as Bill jumped in front of the public toilet door—
The door suddenly opened.
Malin pushed it outward.
Bang!
The door slammed directly into Bill’s face.
"Ah!"
Bill staggered backward.
A sharp pain shot through his face.
He fell to the ground again.
Malin hurried out of the toilet.
"Oh no!"
"Why is there a toilet here?"
"I wanted to use the squad’s toilet."
"This toilet isn’t good."
Before Bill could say anything, Malin hurried toward the next carriage.
Her footsteps quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Bill clutched his bleeding nose.
His face twisted with fury.
"F*ck!"
"F*ck!"
"What is wrong with this woman?!"
"Damn it!"
He took a deep breath.
"Forget it."
"It’s all in the dark now."
"First... I’ll take out one."
Bill’s body suddenly twisted.
Underneath his clothes, countless cracks began appearing across his skin.
They looked like red worms trapped beneath his flesh.
The cracks split wider.
They pulsed.
They writhed.
They spread across his body.
"Hehehe."
Bill’s expression slowly became distorted.
Then he lowered himself and began scratching at the connection between the two carriages.
His fingernails scraped across the metal.
The shallow white scratch that had previously appeared began expanding.
Deeper.
Longer.
Wider.
The injury seemed to grow together with the wounds spreading across Bill’s body.
Finally—
What had begun as a tiny scratch became a gigantic rupture.
Clang!
The coupling connecting the two carriages suddenly broke apart.
Clang! Clang!
The Twilight Express continued moving forward.
But the final carriage began slowing down.
It gradually fell behind.
And disappeared into the pitch-black tunnel.
Bill stared at the rear carriage.
A faint look of relief appeared on his face.
"No matter what..."
"First, I’ll kill you."
Sizzle.
Sizzle.
As the final carriage completely separated from the train, piercing tearing sounds erupted inside.
Menloa widened his eyes.
The previously normal carriage was slowly transforming.
The walls twisted.
The floor warped.
The surrounding scenery froze.
In the blink of an eye—
The entire carriage became a grotesque chamber of flesh.
But unlike the previous carriage, which had been soft and covered in layers of fat, this one was different.
The flesh surrounding them was dry.
Shriveled.
Cracked.
And all across the walls—
Wounds began appearing.
Small wounds.
Large wounds.
Deep wounds.
They looked alive.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The wounds continuously writhed.
They stretched.
They tore themselves wider.
Pieces of the carriage actually began breaking away.
Clang!
A chunk of flesh was ripped from the ceiling and flew away.
Cold wind suddenly rushed inside.
Menloa felt a chill crawl across the back of his neck.
Then—
Thud.
Something touched his skin.
He reached toward his neck.
His expression changed.
He didn’t know when they had appeared.
Clusters of flesh-colored worms were growing from his neck.
They crawled downward.
Across his chest.
Toward his face.
Wherever the worms touched—
A knife-like pain spread through his body.
Menloa’s expression twisted.
More frighteningly—
He had the strange sensation that his neck was slowly splitting apart.
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is going on?"
"Why did the carriage suddenly break apart?"
He tried to speak.
"Huff..."
"Huff..."
But a gap had already appeared in his neck.
Air was rushing through it.
His breathing gradually became numb.
"No."
"I can’t stay here."
"I need to reach the front carriage!"
Menloa covered his neck with one hand and desperately ran toward the visible front section of the train.
At the rear of the train—
Bill slowly stood up.
The worms covering his body began splitting.
His body seemed to be coming apart piece by piece.
Yet somehow, everything remained connected.
His flesh twisted unnaturally.
He looked almost like a creature held together by invisible threads.
Bill stared toward the separated carriage.
A sinister smile appeared.
"Hehehe."
"It’s over."
"First him."
"Then that woman."
"And finally..."
"Shen Yu."
Meanwhile, Malin had returned from the front carriage.
She had no idea what had happened.
From her perspective, she had simply experienced darkness.
Nothing had happened.
She had completely avoided the accident involving the separated carriage.
She walked toward the rear with a cheerful expression.
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
"I’ll just wait for Shen Yu to come back."
"He’ll definitely be surprised when he sees what happened."
Malin continued walking.
She had no idea that danger was waiting for her.
Bill lowered himself to the ground.
His body became motionless.
Like a snake waiting to strike.
His sinister eyes followed Malin.
She was getting closer.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Only three steps remained.
Malin reached the rear door.
She was about to pull it open.
Then she caught her reflection in the window.
Her cheerful expression slowly disappeared.
Her brows furrowed.
"Something isn’t right."
"Shen Yu said he was going to look for clues."
"He wouldn’t have gone to find that foreigner, right?"
Malin’s expression changed.
"That foreigner is so flashy."
"He wouldn’t have already..."
She suddenly stopped.
Then turned around.
She was about to return the way she had come.
Bill’s body tensed.
"F*cking squid!"
"Woman!"
"Are you coming back or not?"
Bill could barely hold himself back.
He was ready to stand and force open the door before pouncing on Malin.
But then—
Malin hesitated.
She looked toward the front.
What if I go looking for them?
Wouldn’t Shen Yu think I’m useless?
No.
What if I make Shen Yu come back himself?
Then I can look down on that foreign devil.
"Maybe I’ll wait a little longer."
Step.
Step.
Step.
Malin slowly walked back toward the rear door.
Bill crouched lower.
His muscles tightened.
Like a snake preparing to strike.
No.
I can’t let her benefit from this.
I need to interrupt whatever they’re doing.
The best time is at the critical moment.
I’ll make that foreign devil furious.
But then—
Malin’s footsteps began moving away again.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Bill’s expression twisted.
"Damn it."
"I can’t take it anymore!"
He suddenly stood.
Bang!
The rear door was violently pushed open.
Bill lunged toward Malin.
"Ha!"
But just as Malin turned around in shock—
A golden light suddenly enveloped Bill.
Golden Hero!
His body disappeared in the golden radiance.
Inside the Golden Hero space—
Menloa immediately rushed toward Bill.
"Brother!"
"Brother!"
"Thank you!"
"If you hadn’t been waiting at the carriage door, I would have been taken away by the derailed carriage!"
"You’re a good person!"
Menloa grabbed Bill and pulled him into a huge bear hug.
Bill froze.
His face darkened.
Fck!*
I could have killed at least one person!
Instead, I accidentally saved Menloa again!
Now, if I want to kill Malin, I have to deal with him too!
What kind of luck is this?!
But because of the characteristics of Golden Hero, their physical bodies were forcibly balanced.
The countless wounds covering Menloa’s body began healing.
His breathing gradually returned to normal.
Menloa didn’t understand Bill’s complicated expression.
He only knew one thing.
If Bill hadn’t been waiting near the carriage door—
He would have died.
Menloa continued lifting Bill excitedly.
"Good brother!"
"I declare it!"
"Besides Shen Yu, you’re my second-best friend!"
"When you come to my house, you can ride my big bear!"
Bill was speechless.
What could he even say?
He couldn’t fight Menloa under the equalized physical conditions.
That would be nothing more than destroying himself.
"Damn it."
It’s all that woman’s fault.
All of this is because of her.
Why?
Why?!
His mind was practically collapsing.
But Bill still forced a smile.
"Uh..."
"It’s okay."
"It’s okay."
"I figured you wouldn’t come out."
"So I specifically waited for you."
"We’re a team, after all."
Menloa’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Good!"
"Good!"
"I told you you’re a decent guy!"
The golden light began fading.
Vroom...
The two reappeared in the rear carriage.
Thud!
The rear door opened again.
Bill and Menloa stepped inside.
Malin looked at them in surprise.
"You two?"
"Weren’t you arguing before?"
"How did your relationship suddenly become so good?"
Bill forced a smile.
"Hey."
"Let’s be cool, man."
"Hehe."
Shoulder to shoulder, the two men walked toward the front of the carriage.
Malin narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Then she looked toward the broken coupling.
Her expression became serious.
Without saying anything, she followed them toward the front.
The darkness around them grew heavier.
And somewhere behind them—
The severed carriage continued disappearing into the tunnel.