"It should be right," Malin nodded, "Our train arrived in this city, and many people on the train had fevers... Oh damn, there were three children in my compartment." As soon as Malin mentioned this, the three of them hurried onto the train compartment, but found that the three children showed no signs of fever. In the end, Malin controlled them and had several senior Apprentices watch over them.
"Why haven’t they been possessed and infected... I’m thinking maybe it’s still the incubation period. The tomb was dug up a month ago, and the young man said it started four days ago."
Seated at the table, Mentor Meckel wrote on a piece of paper.
Malin sat opposite him, "Not necessarily four days ago, the young man said in the past two days, our two trains were the only ones to stop here, which means, it’s very likely that the insectoid Evil God possesses a capability similar to spatial locking. The time they are in could be different from what we think, and this Evil God chose us because there are many children on the train, suitable as its food."
"If that’s the case, why haven’t the Insectoids attacked us yet?" Mentor Sayer sat by the window, looking at the distant city: "It seems like a city that has fallen asleep."
"...What time is it now?"
Malin suddenly thought of a question, fumbling to find his pocket watch, but realized he had forgotten to wear it. Fortunately, Mentor Meckel took out his watch: "10:12 A.M."
"These bugs didn’t make a move when we arrived at the station gate, not until we woke them up by opening the door. They fear fire, they fear loud sounds, which means... they’re nocturnal! They don’t move during the day! There might still be survivors in the city! We must race against time! Both of you!" After speaking, Malin looked at the two mentors.
"...I know where The Temple district of this city is, I’ll take you there," Mentor Meckel said as he stood up: "Mentor Quinel, Malin’s analysis makes sense, we must act immediately."
"Of course, Mentor Meckel," Mentor Sayer nodded, "Let’s work together and finish everything before it gets dark, because we won’t likely survive to see the Goddess of Dawn tear through the Goddess of Night’s veil with her light." Then the two mentors called over the mentors from their teams, arranged for them to protect the children, and began to arm themselves fully.
As usual, Malin chose to switch the barrel of his Shotgun to a shorter one (more convenient for indoor combat), released Blood Roar and Fio as frontline automatic combat weapons, and transformed another tender branch of the World Tree into a cuirass—it was the most vital area for protection.
He borrowed an Earth Dragon leather jacket from the senior ranks, donned a metal helmet on his head, tied a bullet bag around his waist, stuffed it with twenty-four bullets, hung the Shotgun on his left side, then picked up an all-metal pulley crossbow, and hung a quiver of twelve armor-piercing bolts on the other side.
"I’ve finished the sketch." Old Meckel motioned Malin and another person to come over as he spoke.
Standing before the sketch he’d drawn, Malin noticed it was a route entering from the south gate. Mentor Meckel began to explain, "We enter from the south gate, head north, and if the road is safe, we take the main avenue straight to The Temple district. However, we have to pass through Quining Street, which runs northwest to southeast. We’ll go beneath its elevated layer, Malin, you just said they’re nocturnal creatures, I’m afraid they might have formed a nest below."
"Is there another way?"
"Another way is to take the city wall, but there will be shadowy places there too, and even more locations, so I have another route—if the elevated layer is blocked by the bugs, then we can detour around Quining Street using this alley. The alley isn’t long, just two hundred meters, and if we have the right Spell Formation to go with it, perhaps we can pass safely." Meckel said and then looked at Malin and Sayer: "Before we take action, we’d best confirm the behavior of these infected Insectoids during the daytime."
"They chased us before, but we killed a bunch of them in front of the train and then they fled. I think this shouldn’t be their own volition, there must be higher-tier bugs controlling them," said Mentor Sayer.
"Mentor Meckel, you want to understand their reaction to us entering their territory undisturbed, right?" Malin asked the old man.
Mentor Meckel nodded vigorously, "Yes, if their reaction is lethargic, that would be very advantageous for us. If they attack upon seeing us, then we’ll have much trouble to deal with."
"At least we won’t be facing them head-on under the big sun... let’s go," Mentor Sayer stood up, Mentor Meckel reached out to roll up the hand-drawn map, and Malin followed them to the train door.
"Malin." The voice from behind made Malin halt his steps, he turned and saw Faye, wrapped in a coat, her cheeks red, probably feverish from the infection: "Promise me you’ll come back."
Malin nodded, walked over to her, reached out and kissed her forehead: "Don’t worry, we’ll finish all this before nightfall, I swear I will."
"I believe you, go, we’ll wait for your return." Faye smiled after speaking, releasing the hand she had on Malin’s wrist.
Malin turned around, jumping down next to the train door.
Mentor Meckel stood not far off, smiling at him: "Youth is wonderful, Mr. Malin, your affectionate appearance reminds me of when I was young."
"Everyone had their youth, Mentor Meckel," Malin smiled walking past him, "Maybe one day, I’ll be in the place where you are standing, making the same remarks to some young person."
"Time is a knife that spares no one, my Thainan wife always says so," perhaps feeling Malin wouldn’t understand Thainan language, the old man repeated it in the common tongue.
Malin repeated it in Thainan, then smiling at the somewhat puzzled old man, waved: "Let’s go, Mentor Meckel." After a pause, Malin added in Thainan: "Time is like water, it waits for no one."