Chapter 34: Falling into the Sea
The morning sun dawned over the vast ocean. The journey continued smoothly as the ocean waves swayed around the speeding train due to the shifting air pressure. Birds flew high in the clear blue sky, diving occasionally toward the water. Inside the train carriages, students could be heard waking up from their dreamy sleep, stretching and getting ready for the day.
Everyone stirred except for one boy, who sat gently near the open outer door, sleeping peacefully. His face was directed toward the sea, remaining in the exact same position he had fallen asleep in. A soft blue sheet covered his body, preventing him from getting cold under the chill of the night sky.
A few moments passed in silence before he finally stirred. His eyelids fluttered slightly, adjusting slowly to the bright morning light as he looked around the train corridor.
’Mhmm... It seems I fell asleep while just sitting here... I cannot blame myself. I was too tired from the past week’s training. I was bound to need a good sleep.’
He looked out toward the endless sea.
Far in the distance, a giant island came into view. The island wasn’t just visible because of its sheer size; there was a massive wall covering most of its perimeter. It seemed to separate the living people’s domain from the rest of the dangerous wilderness. The wall was so large that even the Arcane Academy would look like a small house compared to its towering height. Even from this vast distance, it was clearly visible to the naked eye.
As Alden was busy looking out at the island, he felt a lingering warmth on his body. He looked down at the soft blue sheet covering his shoulders, which confused him.
’Who dropped this over me? Was it that annoying guy, Edwin? Seriously, I really want to beat that guy up. Does he think I would feel cold? Forget it...’
Alden pushed himself up and walked toward the nearby washroom to wash his face. After freshening up, he stood near the open doorway, stretching his stiff body.
’Sigh... It is my first time traveling across the sea in both of my lives... It feels good.’
He stood on the edge of the doorway, looking out at the vast sea with a calm expression. He did not notice a sinister presence creeping up behind him.
He just happened to notice that his shoelace had come untied. He bent down to tie it.
At that exact second, a guy who had already launched himself forward to push Alden out of the moving train suddenly missed his target. He pushed only empty air. Losing his balance, he fell forward, tumbling right over Alden’s bent back and out the open door.
*SPLAAASH!*
Alden, who had just finished tying his shoelace, looked at the boy falling into the ocean right in front of him.
"Hey, save me! Save me! Save me! I don’t know how to swim!"
Alden looked down at the boy with brownish hair and brownish eyes thrashing in the water. It didn’t take long for Alden to understand exactly who he was.
’Sion. One of Kaelian’s lackeys, who seems to hate me to the core.’
"Hey, don’t just stare at me... Haah... Save me... I can’t swim... haah..."
Alden couldn’t stifle his laughter as he looked at the pathetic sight.
"Hahahaha... Were you trying to push me? Serves you right... hehe... You deserve it."
The guy drowning in the sea started to cry in panic. He held tightly onto the lower metal handle of the train door, preventing himself from sinking down. But the continuous, waves of the sea, along with the train’s fast moving speed, wouldn’t allow him to climb back up.
"Sob... Sniff... Haah... please save me! I am sorry, I am so sorry, please..."
Alden looked at him with a wide smile. He sat on the edge of the floor, calmly tapping his chin with a thoughtful gaze.
"Hehe... But I have no benefit in saving you. Give me a good reason why I should save your life."
"Haah... Haah... I won’t do that again! I will stay far away from you, I promise!"
Alden tilted his head as he looked down at him.
"I am not interested in that offer. First, because I don’t believe you won’t come after me again. Besides, I am not afraid of you trying to use dirty tricks on me. Give me something that will actually benefit me."
"Haah... haah... You—!"
Sion flicked his hand, and from his storage ring, he brought out a small stack of silver coins and offered them up.
"Here... Take this! Now save me!"
Alden took the coins and stored them in his system inventory as he replied nonchalantly.
"Hmph... Not enough. You have to give me more. Silver coins are not valuable enough for your life. I am also a former noble, don’t you dare underestimate me and think I know nothing."
"Haah... You bastard..."
Sion gritted his teeth as he summoned a different, heavier pouch of gold coins and threw it up at him.
"Here, take this and now save me!"
Alden caught the pouch. He looked at the stack of shining gold filled inside it. There were five hundred, or maybe even a thousand gold coins. It was more than enough to buy a decent weapon. He felt satisfied after gaining such a good benefit.
He quickly calmed down and put the gold in his inventory. He looked down at the desperate boy.
"Fine, fine... Here, take my hand."
He reached his hand down to help him. Sion instantly grabbed his hand and started to climb up with his support. Alden pulled him up while taking support from the door frame.
He looked at the wet boy who collapsed on the train floor, gasping for air. Alden took the blue sheet and covered Sion’s shivering body in order to help him relax. Sion glared at him but didn’t push the sheet away.
Alden stood up and turned his back, looking out toward the sea again. He trusted that the boy would not try to do that stupid thing a second time.
But he was mistaken. A person who betrays you once will betray you a thousand times. There is no need to drink the whole sea to realize that it is salty.
Sion lunged forward and pushed him hard from behind. This time, Alden was unable to save himself, even with his luck. He lost his footing and fell straight down into the cold sea.
*SPLASH!*
"Hehehe... Now just drown here, you f*cking bastard! You deserve to die anyway. There are no rules outside the academy to protect you now. No one can do anything to me!"
Sion laughed maliciously from the train door.
Alden glared up at him. Alden did not know how to swim himself. He tried to maintain his balance on the surface of the churning water and reached out to grab the passing handle, but Sion viciously kicked his hand away with his boot.
The train passed by at a rapid speed, leaving him behind in the wake.
Alden stayed there, struggling and drowning in the turbulent sea. Cold seawater filled his lungs and weighed down his body. His frantic movements slowed down, and his eyes started to fill with redness as the oxygen left his system. Finally, his energy faded, and he stopped trying to fight the current.
As his body started to sink beneath the surface, the train disappeared into the distance, leaving only the faint sound of its engine behind. No one was left to save the drowning boy. As his body fell deep inside the dark sea, no one knew if he was even going to survive or not.
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