The Mysteries of the Road

"Are you related to those famous hunter brothers?" Alexander smiled, with a hint of irony in his words.

Ethan wasn't a fortune teller, but he was a very astute man, trained to notice the small details, and the man in front of him was quite intriguing.

He couldn't detect any unusual scent on him, nor did he seem like an enemy, so Ethan's curiosity slowly replaced his initial calmness as they discussed highly controversial topics.

"Don't you know that supernatural things still exist in this world?" Ethan didn't take the man's mockery seriously.

"The only supernatural thing in my life is witnessing the increasing push for gender inclusion every day. Why do they want to force us to accept something that's an abomination to human existence?"

'What do you mean?'

"Does it bother you that people want to introduce the idea that something is okay despite some people's discomfort? In thirty years, these issues won't matter; the way things are going, we'll be having sex with aliens, and no one will care."

Alexander was slightly surprised, but then laughed openly. He knew the young man in front of him came from a wealthy family, so he wisely engaged in conversation with him.

As their conversation progressed and they understood each other better, Alexander thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to establish a connection with Ethan, which wasn't unreasonable.

"Going back to your previous response, do you think there are things that exist that we don't see at all? I mean, who would care? If they don't show us, it's because they don't want us to worry. Both you and I know that as knowledge is revealed, one becomes more concerned about their surroundings."

Alexander continued, "Damn, even being one of the thirty richest men in the country, I have no idea what you're talking about."

That was the reality; only certain departments of the country and the president himself knew about the existence of supernatural creatures.

Ethan was in the hunter zone with the great families, but the biggest enemies that could be considered against humanity were demons, evil spirits, and extraterrestrial foes.

The Light Association was the one that governed all other departments, but as Ethan was a hunter, he did not answer directly to that organization.

"Divine justice for the poor, retribution for the rich, and punishment for those who know the truth. If you don't know it, it doesn't exist; if you doubt it, it doesn't exist; that's the best reward." Ethan said it with a strange smile.

"I suppose you're telling the truth. Among all the prominent families, I just remembered one named Winchester, and I must say they have a great influence in the weapons industry."

"That's where the money is."

"It's also very competitive; I wouldn't dare get into that industry. I don't think it's worth it," Alexander said openly. Now that he had recognized his roommate, he was more relaxed.

"Then tell me, Mr. Alexander, what are you doing traveling alone?"

"Can you ask that of someone you just met today?"

"It's nothing wrong, right? And Alexander, this is the first time I've seen you today, but I think we're having a good conversation."

"I suppose that's true. I'm traveling alone because I want to see my parents, and that's the most important thing." Alexander seemed to shift into a more pessimistic mood.

Ethan noticed but didn't take much notice; he wasn't interested in delving into others' problems.

Perhaps in his current situation, he was trying to project an image of kindness towards others, but this wouldn't work with a man like Alexander, who seemed to have a good social status.

But since there was still a significant portion of the journey ahead, Ethan said, "For some, with luck, that's the greatest treasure one should cherish, not wealth, not ambition; one should cherish family."

"Don't you have the same luck?"

"I suppose not, but now I am a man to whom few could cause oppressive emotions." Ethan responded with a serene gaze.

Alexander, not perceiving anything, said, "Since I told you the reason for my trip, why are you traveling to such a remote place?"

"Work. My work involves quieter research, and while doing it, I will be a teacher at Beacon Hills High School."

"Starting immediately?"

"No, not right now. I'll have to wait."

"First year?"

"No, I'll be in charge of all years."

"Don't new teachers usually teach first-year students? You're more impressive than I thought."

"It's just vacation." Ethan said he was more honest than many would dare to be in his case, but he was different from all other fools. He always hoped the enemy would dare to seek him out but to end them quickly and without complications.

In his old memories from his previous life, he was a prison teacher with no prior experience and was killed in an unpleasant manner.

He didn't remember if he had killed anyone during that time, but after that, he remembered nothing more.

"Vacation, you have a rare way of seeking tranquility."

Ethan said nothing, merely playing with a silver coin that had accompanied him in every one of his jobs. It wasn't related to good luck, but he knew that this coin would help him overcome obstacles in his path.

He wasn't an emotionally unstable child; now, at twenty-five years old, he had experienced more than any functional adult in his entire life.

The things he had to face were indescribable; all his wounds, battle scars, and the many things he had to kill were so easy to forget because they were replaced by even crueler ones.

Over time, he had become a bit selfish. He had lost his best friend, so he only cared about eliminating supernatural things. He respected codes, but his life was above all else, and he didn't care about keeping the secret guarded by his ancestors.

This world remains a hierarchical society, and the wealthy are, of course, those who belong to the top of this class society.

Why should Ethan continue to suffer for those dogs who live a life full of happiness?

No, he would not keep living this way.

His hatred towards supernatural creatures was diminishing; the rage he felt from losing his little childhood sweetheart had been controlled, and he thought it was enough.

Crack!

Ethan's calm eyes became more vibrant when he heard a strange sound outside the room.

'What?' Ethan looked out the window and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of anxiety. The atmosphere was odd, as if something was about to happen.

"What's that?" Alexander asked, as if confused by his reaction.

Ethan didn't respond. He closed his eyes and focused his senses on what was outside.

Tap-tap… Tap-tap…

Something was approaching very slowly.

"They're here." That was the moment Alexander was about to speak.

A huge explosion violently shook the entire train.

Boom!

The explosion was so loud that even the train swayed to one side.

Ethan gripped the armrest of his seat tightly to steady himself.

"What's happening? Did the engine explode?" Alexander asked, to which Ethan shook his head, thinking.

'The engine doesn't seem to have exploded because there's no way a single engine's explosion would move the entire train.'

At that moment, as if Ethan's thoughts weren't wrong, a dull noise came from the train's ceiling, and something started scraping the top of a car.

At the same time, outside, some vehicles—off-roaders—were approaching.

After hearing the sound of something breaking and people screaming, Ethan realized exactly what was happening.

"They're attacking the train."

"An attack on this train?"

"That seems to be the case, and from what I heard, they're being very sophisticated." Ethan looked around and discovered they were in a remote area, so the authorities would take an eternity to arrive.

Uncertain about the attackers' objective and not wanting to take risks, he prepared in advance to avoid being an easy target.

Most of the passengers on this expensive train are wealthy. Naturally, there were many who wanted to steal their money and valuables, so it wasn't surprising that thieves would attack the train.

But now that seemed like a very optimistic idea, especially since Ethan was one of the passengers.

It's no surprise that supernatural creatures use mercenaries to attack hunters; this is how many of them have died.

For a robbery, these people were very well-trained, so Ethan dismissed the idea that it was a simple theft.

"That smell…" Ethan frowned as he detected a putrid odor similar to sewers.

It could well be a mutant or a lizardman; they are usually less affected by light and resemble humans the most when transformed.

If there's a supernatural being among the attackers, thieves, or kidnappers, it would make everything they plan easier and allow them to escape easily.

But these mundane targets were not something those beings would waste their time on; something else must be motivating them to attack this train specifically.

"Alexander, I think we should hide for now."

Alexander nodded at Ethan's words and quickly grabbed his luggage.

But when Ethan saw the man tightly clutching his briefcase, which he had left outside the compartments where the luggage was, his eyes widened in surprise.

Why are you trying to grab a suitcase in this situation? It seems like there's something important inside. Indeed, what is a wealthy man doing traveling alone by train to a small town?

"Anything to share?" Ethan asked, seeing the sweaty man.

"No, nothing…"

Ethan smiled. He couldn't be deceived, but he wanted to know if they were looking for him or this man.

That's why, as they had to leave to find a safer place, they exited the room and looked down the hallway. Everything was empty; it seemed that all the passengers in the private rooms had decided to wait, believing it was safer.

'That's the wrong choice.'

The rooms are protected but not bulletproof; they would still be difficult to open, and those trying to enter would find it hard to open each door.

But Ethan knew that staying inside in such a situation was like waiting to be caught.

In this case, the best option was to stay as far away from the explosion as possible.

'The ones who entered through the train's roof haven't reached here yet.' Ethan thought they would come directly here.

"We'll be safe here," Alexander said with a pale smile.

"Yes, it seems so."

Crack! Crack! Crack!

But at that moment, a figure smashed the window at the far end of the car, their appearance completely covered, indicating they were well-prepared.

Seeing that there were two people outside the private rooms, the man stared at them, and what Ethan noticed was the blood in the figure's eyes.

'Did he take some drugs?'

His appearance, filled with hatred and rage, did not look like that of an ordinary person. Maybe he had been driven to desperation while waiting for the train in such cold weather?

"Don't move…"

But before he could voice his doubts, he started shouting at them. At the same time, Ethan, standing in the middle of the hallway, raised his hand, holding one of his special pistols called Ebony, and fired several times without hesitation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets hit the man's head, killing him instantly as the first bullet penetrated his forehead.

The figure trying to enter the car's hallway fell backward.

"Are they coming for you?" Ethan asked with no hint of concern.

"Who are you?" Alexander, who responded, cautiously approached the fallen figure with a wary expression on his face while keeping his wand pointed at him.

"I suppose they are sent here to kill me." Alexander approached to get a closer look at the man.

But Ethan, who was nearby, knew something was wrong and wanted to get Alexander away, but before he could speak, an explosion sent him flying.

Boom!