Chapter 1 : Chapter 1
Chapter 1 : First Class
“Salvatore Argento, heading to Quest Academy, correct?”
“Yes.”
“You may enter.”
Salvatore smiled at the uniformed attendant who lifted the velvet rope.
“Sal! Hurry up!”
Salvatore Argento, Sal, stopped in front of the door of the luxurious carriage following his parents.
Whir-
Sal shifted his gaze to the turrets mounted on top of the carriage.
Each turret was ready for operation, rotating at regular intervals to maintain an omnidirectional defensive posture.
Turning his head forward, he met his father’s eyes.
He was looking at Sal with a meaningful expression.
“Don’t worry. This train is the safest mode of transport heading to the Academy.”
“I know.”
Sal turned to the left to see the barrier.
The red-light barrier that prevented the intrusion of monsters.
The train was scheduled to increase its speed and offensive power to pierce through that barrier and break through to the next safe zone.
Before the monsters could react, that is.
Once all passengers had boarded, the train doors closed.
Shortly after, to prepare for departure, reflective shutters slid down along the train’s outer walls.
As the surroundings darkened, Sal hurriedly blocked his vision.
‘…Ugh!’
He hurriedly turned his head before his own reflection could be cast, but the headache had already begun.
Whenever he saw people suddenly or if there were too many of them, he suffered from headaches.
‘This curse-like….’
His ability was special, but because it sometimes activated regardless of his will, it felt like a curse more often than not.
Standing far ahead, his father looked back at Sal and smiled encouragingly.
“Avoiding it isn’t the answer. It might be good training.”
He pointed to his own eyes.
His silver irises were shining brilliantly with mana.
Sal’s eyes were the same silver as his father’s, but the resemblance was only in appearance.
His father’s ability was an excellent one that maintained the current Argento Auction House, but it was vastly different from Sal’s ability.
“Passengers, this is an announcement.”
“The train will depart shortly. For your safety, please sit down and fasten your seatbelts.”
“The Red Zone section we will soon enter is expected to take less than 5 minutes, and during that time, you must not move from your designated areas.”
“This train is bound for Quest Academy.”
Sal looked up immediately when his station was mentioned.
His parents looked at Sal simultaneously, but their expressions were completely different.
Pride filled the face of his father, Pietro.
On the other hand, his mother, Sofia, was struggling to suppress her worry.
Sofia finally stepped forward holding Pietro’s small bag, and the long sigh of relief she exhaled brought Sal’s mind back.
The luxurious private cabin was splendid enough to compensate for the long wait.
It was equipped with plush interior decor and even a private bar.
Pietro walked inside, shouting his order to the waiting bartender without hesitation.
He began flipping through television channels himself via a nearby control panel.
His eyes were busy searching for the channel he wanted.
“Got it- Hunter Network!”
Before Sofia or Sal could even sit down, breaking news resonated through the cabin.
Sal sighed inwardly.
These days, everything was ‘breaking news,’ and his father’s generation, which had suffered the most damage from monsters, was addicted to listening to such news.
“Initial rift occurred on 5th Avenue.”
“Grade 2 monster Vampires and Prowlers have been sighted.”
“The recovery guild ‘Paradox’ has dispatched a response team, and residents are asked to stay in their homes until the evacuation team arrives.”
“According to our analysis team, if this rift spreads and 5th Avenue is lost, the territorial loss rate for this quarter is predicted to increase by 4% compared to previous records.”
“Meanwhile, a class discrimination bullying incident that occurred within the refugee cruise ‘Darwin’ is causing controversy, leading to demands for system reform.”
“More than 60% of refugees who responded to the survey stated they would rather risk danger on the mainland than live painfully in the protected floating fortress. The stance of government officials on this matter has not yet been announced.”
“…This coming week, Quest Academy welcomes a new batch of trainees.”
“Thousands of students will flock from nearby districts to compete for official admission qualifications.”
“The introduction of a formal education system for heroes is a matter that the United Guild Alliance has long demanded, aiming to discover new talent and shorten the training period.”
Pietro silently spun his chair around, pointed a finger at Sal, and smiled brightly.
Then he leaned his head close to the television, straining his ears as if trying to hear better.
“To think my son is entering the Academy soon!”
“I am an adult now.”
An unexpected reaction returned to his playful joke.
Along with a small gasp, a voice was heard from the other side of the cabin.
“Academy?”
“Isn’t he bluffing?”
“Who would dare bluff about the Academy….”
The three members of the Argento family simultaneously looked at the girl who was serving drinks.
She was staring at Sal with her eyes wide open, as if seeing him for the first time.
About 0.5 seconds later, she beamed at him and focused on preparing the drinks again.
Sal burst into laughter at that sight and slightly raised an eyebrow at his father.
“If it weren’t for mandatory registration, I would have thought you were trying to send me far away.”
Pietro waved his hand with a smile still on his face, insinuating that there was a grain of truth in those words.
Even so, his eyes rarely left the screen where the news continued to flow.
The recent artifact exploration operation has been a huge success!
This is the eighth consecutive achievement, as the specialist guild ‘Delvers’ defeated a demon realm portal and returned after recovering high-grade weapons and equipment.
Shade, the Guildmaster of the Delvers Guild, released the following statement.
“I am confident that this is the best achievement in our history.”
While many people are awaiting the appraisal results, the Argento Auction House is not disclosing specific details about the secured artifacts.
In addition, they refused to answer questions regarding casualties that occurred during the operation.
Meanwhile, public opinion regarding the Delvers Guild is worsening.
Along with criticism that they are recklessly driving heroes into danger, their lack of cooperation with recovery guilds in pushing back the front lines is being pointed out as a problem.
Pietro stopped smiling, stood up with a frown, and took the small bag from Sofia.
“Even the news is rushing us. Can’t we rest even for a day, on the day Sal enters the Academy?”
He looked at Sofia, and she nodded as if she found it ridiculous.
Just as Pietro was about to open the bag, he glanced at the attendant who was slowly making drinks and smiling at Sal.
“‘Best achievement in history,’ what nonsense.”
Pietro muttered as if spitting it out, clicked the bag open a few times, and lifted the lid so Sal and Sofia could see.
“Could you take a look, son?”
He turned the bag to show Sal.
Sal unconsciously activated his ability. As his silver irises began to shine, his Appraisal ability activated, and all the details of the item unfolded before his eyes.
Name: [Unidentified] Gloves
Origin: Portal Artifact
Age: [Unknown]
Grade: Uncommon (High)
Size: 8.5 inches in circumference
Material: Prowler Leather | [Unidentified] | Terrible Cloth
Attribute: [Unknown]
Ability: Phase Shift | Steal
Power Source: External Essence
Evolution Potential: None
Quality: Worst
Durability: 8%
Estimated Value: $14,000.00 - $35,000.00
“Let’s see… It’s part of a torn cloth armor? It’s on the verge of breaking. I see rune patterns, they look quite powerful, but they aren’t complete due to the damage. Originally, it might have been Rare or Epic grade, but now it seems to be barely Uncommon grade. Mother, can you restore it?”
Sal asked, looking at his mother.
Sofia looked at the item carefully, but before she could speak, Pietro closed the bag.
“Good analysis, but we can’t waste your mother’s essence on this. She might collapse trying to restore it. A higher version of the Restoration skill is needed for a complete restoration. Shade only requested an appraisal, and we only need to do that much.”
He pushed the bag aside, took the drink handed by the attendant, and smiled brightly.
“Passengers, this is an announcement.”
“The train is currently entering the Red Zone. Please strictly follow all safety regulations until the next announcement.”
“Passengers violating safety regulations may face severe measures, and anti-social behavior will absolutely not be tolerated on this train.”
“Your safety is always our top priority.”
Sal sensed the urgency in the announcement.
‘What exactly does ‘anti-social behavior’ mean?’
At that moment, the entire carriage lurched roughly to one side.
Thud! Thud!
Kieeeek-
Sal gripped the armrest of the chair tightly and looked at his father without a word.
As dull mechanical impact sounds rang out at regular intervals, the two looked up at the carriage ceiling simultaneously.
“Are the turrets firing?”
Pietro nodded and gestured for Sal to fasten his seatbelt.
He and Sofia also fastened their seatbelts immediately, and the attendant also sat in a bar seat to secure herself.
“Kiaaaak!!”
“Keuhik…!”
Despite the numerous defensive barriers and soundproofing, Sal could clearly hear the inhuman screams coming from outside.
Soon, a mechanical whirring sound from above resonated down into the cabin, and Sal felt the vibration transmitted to his seat.
Through the sound of the subsequent rapid fire, he could sense that the firing direction had shifted to the other side of the train.
The shelling continued for several minutes, and finally, the turrets went silent.
Sal hoped it was because all the monsters had been killed.
He couldn’t be sure whether the turrets were merely a deterrent or actual lethal weapons.
‘Isn’t the speed of technological advancement slower than the speed of monster evolution? Is this kind of thing a normal daily occurrence for people who use the train frequently?’
While he was thinking that, applause and cheers erupted from the surrounding carriages.
Everyone was rejoicing at having survived, and Sal realized he was standing in a reality completely different from the safe world he had lived in.
Pietro unbuckled his seatbelt before the indicator light even turned off, earning a stinging glare from Sofia.
“Passengers, this is an announcement.”
“We have safely passed through the Red Zone. Thank you for waiting.”
Sal held his breath and stood still.
The defensive shutters were slowly lifting from the windows, revealing the scenery outside again.
Before he knew it, they had entered a safe zone protected by a powerful barrier.
Sal shot up from his seat and pressed his face close to the window.
He looked back at the Red Zone, hoping to see something impressive.
That expectation soon became reality.
The carriages trailing behind were covered in green blood.
The barrier blocking the Red Zone rippled here and there, showing that monsters were continuously attempting to break through.
Pietro came to Sal’s side and tapped on the glass window.
He also followed Sal’s gaze to the barrier and let out a long sigh.
“Paying taxes is worth it, I guess. Though the amount is still unacceptable.”
He smiled at Sal and lightly grasped his son’s shoulder.
“Were you nervous?”
Sal withdrew his gaze from the carriage and looked at his father.
“A little. It feels like… I’m running away from reality.”
He looked out the window again.
The receding barrier was getting smaller and smaller.
Pietro sighed and pressed Sal’s shoulder a bit harder.
“It’ll be over in a few months. Just go in, live quietly, and if you fail, you can just come home. You can live while working with us.”
Sofia also approached from the other side and joined this conversation they had been sharing for years.
“Even in the worst case, you’ll come to hate your ability less. If you pass the first semester, you’ll take cool classes and maybe even make some friends, right?”
“My ability?”
Sal wanted to shake his head and laugh, but his father’s touch felt different this time.
Pietro looked at his son with a serious expression and spoke quietly, as if reasoning with him.
“Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet. Just go and experience it yourself. Just remember that no matter what happens, we are always on your side.”
Sofia also nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence, Pietro beamed at his son again and said.
“Of course, if you manage to graduate… the whole family could receive Hero tax exemption benefits.”
At those words, Pietro laughed heartily and plopped down onto the lounge chair.
As Sofia rolled her eyes and sat next to him, Sal was left standing alone by the window.
Even knowing the headache would come, Sal once again looked at his reflection in the window.
‘My ability….’
At that moment, the reflection faded, and he began to see threads of power wrapping around his entire body like circuits.
Sal used his ability to weave those threads into various shapes.
He knew that if the correct combination was completed, he would awaken a completely new ability.
Sal knew that this ability held infinite possibilities, but also that his body wouldn't be able to endure it if he copied an ability he couldn't control.
Copying his parents' abilities to help with the Auction House work was thanks to their careful teaching and efficient output.
‘If I go to the Academy… will I be able to learn how to control my ability?’
Sal expected that if that could happen, his life would change completely.
The next station is Quest Academy!
Sal deactivated his ability and turned around.
His parents were already standing in the middle of the room, and all his luggage was packed.
Sofia smiled and shook her head.
“You should have woken me up.”
“Whenever you use your ability, you look so peaceful and free of worry unlike usual, so how could we? We didn't want to disturb you for no reason!”
She lightly lifted both hands, as if to preemptively block Sal’s complaints.
Pietro put his empty glass down on the bar and pointed to the hallway they had entered through.
He seemed about to leave, but as if remembering something, he put his hand into his coat's inner pocket.
He took out an envelope and slid it toward the bartender.
“Thanks to you, we had a comfortable trip.”
The attendant opened her eyes wide and made a surprised expression.
She seemed unaccustomed to receiving tips, but Pietro headed to the hallway carrying a piece of luggage without even thinking of waiting for her thanks.
Just as Sal was about to follow his parents out, the attendant spoke to him in a warm yet excited voice.
“I’ll be cheering for you! I’m your first official fan. Good luck at the Academy!”
Sal left the cabin with a smile, but one question lingered in his mind.
‘Why is a hero pretending to be a train attendant?’