Leonardo managed to pull both Elara and Anna down just before the explosion debris could hit them.
The once serene hill had transformed into a hellish landscape, with the sun rising and its light reflecting off the train's yellow color.
Chaos reigned as most people failed to enter the train in time, while those who did were not necessarily safe.
"What's happening?!" Anna screamed, her voice barely cutting through the cacophony. Elara stayed frozen in shock, managing only to mutter, "The people..." The flames had already scorched their clothes.
Elara's floral dress was now just a charred rag, and Leonardo's own attire, though imbued with some healing properties, couldn't withstand the intensity of the flames.
Elara's thoughts spiraled.
What was she even doing here? Her quest hadn't even begun, and already they were beset with problems: the detour, and now the unexpected explosion of [Right Star]. She screamed alongside everyone else as chaos erupted around them.
Screams filled the air, the train's 76 cabs a scene of devastation. Hundreds had entered; few survived. Leonardo's mind raced with possibilities.
Hearing cries from inside the train, he dashed forward without a second thought, flames licking at his body.
[Adaptive Evolution taking effect]
His skin adapted as he spent more time in the inferno, forming new layers. He reached the source of the screams, only to find the charred corpses of two school students. His body stiffened, his brown skin reddened by the flames.
[Flame Resistance minimal]
The agony was immense, not just from the burning but from the sight of the lifeless bodies. Tears welled in his eyes but evaporated in the heat. Suddenly, a voice pierced through the chaos.
"Get down, everyone!!" a male voice screamed.
From the untouched lake near the explosion site, a semi-huge wave rose and crashed over the burning wreckage, quenching the flames. Leonardo stood there, stunned, the water evaporating off his seared skin.
"Death," he said mildly; this wasn't how he had imagined his journey. He was supposed to be on an incredible adventure, but everything was going haywire.
The person who had doused the fire was Marquis de Lorraine. Like Elara and Anna, he hailed from the tower and had been given the quest of exploration.
[Story Skills: Jack of trades, Stage 4]
[Attachment Skill: Elemental Manipulation]
[Unwritten Skill: Priest]
[Title Skill: N/A]
[Rasvian Control: Rank: Adept]
Marquis moved swiftly to aid those in need, his blue hair shimmering as he directed the remaining water to extinguish the last of the flames. His presence was commanding, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.
His outfit consisted of a dark gray hoodie with a front zipper, unzipped, featuring bold lettering across the chest, a black t-shirt underneath, and a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants in a similar dark shade.
"It's similar to Elara and Anna's dressing," Leonardo muttered, noticing the practical yet stylish attire. Marquis's green eyes shone with determination as he tended to the survivors with precision and calmness.
Despite the devastation, there was a glimmer of resilience in the air.
Marquis's manipulation of the water had turned the tide, and his composed demeanor reassured the panicked survivors.
Leonardo walked out of the formerly magnificent train, seeing how this boy, seemingly of his own age, had come out of nowhere and resolved everything while he stood motionless amidst the destruction.
Marquis's voice echoed, "Does anyone have an attachment skill similar to healing?!"
Then suddenly, someone raised their hand. "I—I know minor healing spells. I'll need a few medicinal bottles though."
[Story Skill: Doctor, Stage 2]
[Attachment Skill: Medicine]
As Leonardo looked closer, he saw it was a woman. She moved around, healing people with her attachment skill with the help of potions, which only healed slight wounds but was still better than nothing.
Leonardo then paused, pondering if everyone had skills. What were Elara and Anna's skills? He put his palm on his face, feeling a wave of realization.
How dumb could he have been? If only they could've gone to the tower instead of the mansion, everything would have been better planned.
He began walking towards the place where he had left Elara and Anna, seeing them in the distance, apparently having fainted.
He took a step, then another, the world becoming dizzy. His mind began to spin, and Marquis noticed Leonardo's aimless walk as he almost fell.
"Hey? Are you alright?" Marquis screamed.
"Yeah, I'm—" Leonardo tried to reply but fell to the ground, the flames having taken their toll on his body.
The searing pain, the exhaustion, and the emotional strain overwhelmed him. Marquis rushed over, his blue hair shimmering under the morning sun as he knelt beside Leonardo.
"Stay with me," Marquis said, his voice firm yet gentle.
He placed his hands over Leonardo's burns, channeling a soothing energy through his elemental manipulation. The coolness of the water mixed with a healing aura, providing some relief.
Leonardo's vision blurred, a darkness creeping in from the edges of his sight.
Through the haze, he could still make out the determined look in Marquis's brown eyes, a steady gaze that contrasted sharply with the chaos surrounding them.
The scene was far from the grand adventure Leonardo had envisioned. Instead of sweeping landscapes and heroic quests, he was faced with the harsh reality of destruction and peril.
Yet, amid the devastation, a strange sense of camaraderie and purpose began to form in his mind.
As his consciousness faded, he clung to the thought of Marquis—a figure of resolve and leadership, someone he might follow through this tumultuous journey.
The world faded to black. The sounds of the crumbling train and panicked cries receded, replaced by the muffled tones of a conversation.
"Oh damn, he's down," Marquis Alderidge muttered, his voice a mix of frustration and resignation.
He turned to the doctor, who was working diligently to tend to the injured. "Miss, could you come here for a bit?" he called out, gesturing towards Leonardo's prone form.
The doctor, a middle-aged woman with an air of practiced calm, approached Leonardo's body.
Her healing potions, had managed to stabilize many, but Leonardo's condition was far more severe. Marquis glanced briefly at Elara and Anna, who lay unconscious, their dresses scorched and torn. He looked at Leonardo with a detached expression.
"Is this who you picked as your guide?" he asked, his tone flat and dismissive. "They'll be dead before they see the first wonder," he added with a sigh.
"Seems the 'de Meaux' won't last long," Marquis continued, his voice tinged with disdain. With a final, scornful look at the fallen trio, he began walking towards the distant Mortimers mansion.
The sun was rising, casting a soft glow on the horizon, contrasting starkly with the previous night's devastation.
He gestured in the air, and a mysterious figure materialized before him. The cloaked figure, draped in dark green robes, seemed almost to merge with the shadows. This figure, a guide of the 17 wonders, was a mysterious presence in the unfolding drama.
"The quest given by the sage is an elimination quest," Marquis said, his voice carrying a note of grim determination.
"Most families will be eliminated swiftly. In the honor of the House of Lorraine, I will lead ahead of this."
The cloaked figure nodded in acknowledgment but then abruptly halted. "Take the Meaux daughters and their guide," Marquis ordered.
"Yes, Seigneur," the cloaked figure replied, the title dripping with formal respect.
Marquis's face hardened at the address. "Don't call me that," he said flatly, his irritation clear. He watched as the cloaked figure moved toward Elara and Anna. With a roughness that suggested little regard for their well-being, the figure lifted them up, carrying them with an almost mechanical precision.
Leonardo, whose body was still convulsing slightly from the residual effects of the flames, was more difficult to handle.
The doctor had managed to stabilize him somewhat, but his condition remained precarious.
The cloaked figure approached Leonardo, lifting him with effort. The sight of his still-trembling body contrasted sharply with the figure's calm demeanor.
Marquis had his hand in his hoodie, a subtle gesture of discomfort or contemplation as he observed the scene.
"What's wrong with that one?" Marquis inquired, gesturing toward Leonardo with a flick of his hand. His curiosity was tinged with a hint of annoyance.
"I have no clue, Seigneur," the cloaked figure responded dryly, his tone reflecting a lack of empathy.
Marquis sighed deeply. "Ah, let's just go to Uncle Richard," he said with a tone of finality.
Outside the Mortimers mansion, Uncle Richard had been a silent observer of the unfolding chaos.
His eyes followed the scene with a mix of resignation and concern. As Marquis and the cloaked figure approached, the elderly man's face displayed an expression of embarrassed discomfort.
"Ah, Marquis," Richard said, his voice carrying a tone of strained familiarity.
"Uncle," Marquis responded, his tone flat and devoid of warmth.
Richard's attempt to address him further was cut off abruptly. "You're a sorry old man," Marquis said, his voice cold as he stared him down. Marquis, standing at 5'11", was slightly taller than Elara, who was a bit shorter. His imposing presence seemed to dwarf Richard's frail figure.
"Get inside," Marquis continued, his command sharp and unyielding. There was no room for argument in his tone, and Richard, though clearly uncomfortable, nodded and turned towards the mansion. Marquis and his entourage followed, the injured trio carried along as they made their way inside.
Inside the mansion, the contrast between the opulent surroundings and the grim reality outside was stark.
The house, once a symbol of the Mortimers' grandeur, now felt like a mausoleum, reflecting the weight of their troubles. Marquis, with his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets, watched as the cloaked figure carried Elara, Anna, and Leonardo inside.
The sense of urgency and foreboding that accompanied them seemed to hang in the air, as if the mansion itself were holding its breath.