Chapter 4 Charon Train (2) Don't cry, Xia Ying. ...

In the tense standoff, Fenrir's gaze locked onto the human girl in Cerberus's arms.

"Let her go."

Cerberus gave a defiant laugh: "Try it, you wild dog!"

Frostwolf gazed at them intently, and ice crystals began to appear and condense around him, quickly forming a transparent ice wall.

During this time, Cerberus whispered quickly in Xia Ying's ear, "Get ready."

Before he could finish speaking, Cerberus had already grabbed her by the back of her collar and swung her around, tossing her high into the air like a shot put to the other end of the carriage.

At the same instant, Fenrir's fingers touched the ice wall in front of him, and the ice wall shattered suddenly, turning into a blizzard that swept across the entire train.

Thrown into the air, Xia Ying watched as the snowflakes flew by like butterflies, leaving behind a chilling and freezing scene. She could already feel the piercing cold rushing towards her nose. Just then, roaring flames cleared a path through the snow and wind, and a jet-black canine-like beast tore through the cold with its claws and caught her falling body with its back.

Xia Ying fell into the fluffy fur and instinctively bent down to hug the dog's head.

"Why are we running away?" Xia Ying shouted in the cold wind. "Are you afraid we can't beat them?!"

Cerberus barked angrily, "It's all because of you, you useless human! If we had started fighting carelessly, you would have been the first one to die!"

Just as Xia Ying was about to ask the question, she noticed a white shadow suddenly flash across the ground, which had frozen into an ice mirror.

"Ker! He's caught up!"

The next second, the snow-white, blue-eyed beast burst out of the ice beneath the two of them. Cerberus quickly spun around to shield Xia Ying from the flying sharp shards.

"Damn it, I forgot that guy can teleport inside the ice!" Cerberus roared. "Hold on tight!"

Black flames ignited beneath the demon hound's paws, propelling it to its maximum speed. Xia Ying clung tightly to Ke'er's neck, feeling as if she were a kite adrift in a raging storm.

It's unclear how long this lightning-fast run lasted, but the two stopped temporarily in a carriage untouched by the ice and snow. Xia Ying slid off his back as peacefully as a piece of paper and was unceremoniously lifted into a seat by Cerberus, who had regained his human form.

“Fenrir is not easy to deal with, and our abilities conflict with each other, which could easily cause a magic surge. If you’re not careful, you could be caught in the crossfire and die,” Kerr told her. “You stay here.”

"Oh," Xia Ying asked, "So, between you and him, who is stronger?"

Hearing this question, Cerberus, who had already turned his back, turned around and grinned at her: "What a stupid question. Of course it's me."

"..." Xia Ying reached out and squeezed his little finger tightly, then gently released it. "Be careful, Ke'er."

Cerberus said, "Very well, I'll be back."

Xia Ying sat in her passenger seat and obediently responded, so Cerberus left the carriage with satisfaction.

Xia Ying stared at the closed carriage door.

One second.

Two seconds.

“Ker isn’t confident he can beat Fenrir,” Xia Ying said, jumping off her seat with absolute certainty.

For a competitive dog like Cerberus to admit he wasn't sure of himself was worse than killing him, but as he said, it was true that if he insisted on staying by Cerberus's side, he would only get in the way.

However, doing nothing will also cause opportunities to slip away.

As Xia Ying pondered this, she paced back and forth in the carriage.

Is there anything that can be used?

The Persephone Spring increases base strength and speed, making it an essential and convenient piece of equipment.

[Student Handbook] Currently, the only unlocked features seem to be posting information prompts and tasks, which are not being considered for the time being.

That leaves only the [Abyssal Dangerous Creatures Encyclopedia]...

As Xia Ying pondered, she summoned the Great Book, but just as she opened it, the train suddenly shook.

At the same moment, the [Abyss Dangerous Creatures Compendium] emitted a light.

[Encyclopedia Growth Features Unlocked: Synchronize Skill Bar]

The term "Infernal Hound" (synchronization rate 99%) meets the selection criteria.

The term "Frost Giant Wolf" (synchronization rate 43%) meets the selection criteria.

Currently, I have accumulated 154 synchronization points and unlocked 1 skill slot (46 points are needed to unlock a new skill slot).

Does the host want to equip skills in the skill slots? (Cannot be changed within 30 days)

→Yes →No】

The two arrow cursors on the page blinked slightly, and Xia Ying clicked "Yes" without hesitation.

[Host begins skill assembly]

Optional Skill 1: Infernal Hound - Infernal Fire Scythe

Optional Skill 2: Infernal Hound - Shadow Manipulation

Optional Skill 3: Frost Giant Wolf - Ice Shaping

Optional Skill 4: ...

Xia Ying read the skill descriptions quickly and attentively, her gaze finally settling on the last option.

In addition to the existing options, should we adjust the skills of the "Infernal Hound" and "Frost Giant Wolf" entries?

→Yes →No】

Xia Ying hesitated slightly before choosing "yes." The skill panel began to change, and a new skill entry gradually appeared. The moment she saw the skill details, Xia Ying knew she had found the key to changing the situation.

She made her choice immediately. As the words "Skill Equipment Completed" appeared, Xia Ying put on "Persephone Spring" and ran towards the carriage where the encounter had taken place.

On the other side, Fenrir and Cerberus, locked in a fierce battle, each harbored the idea of ​​a swift victory, leaving no room for retreat from the very beginning of the fight.

The carriage was almost completely destroyed. The sea of ​​fire and the ice tide were locked in a tug-of-war, forming a clear boundary at the point where the two men clashed.

Fenrir coldly surveyed his opponent, a new rain of ice gathering before him: "You've weakened, Cerberus."

“You haven’t changed much, brother.” Cerberus pulled the ice spike from his shoulder and casually wiped away the splattered blood. “Didn’t the Nibelungs teach you anything?”

“You are no match for me now.” Fenrir’s expression remained unmoved, but the deadly downpour was already bearing down on Cerberus. “Where is she?”

Cerberus's giant scythe cut off the cold rain, but the trend of the ice tide engulfing the sea of ​​fire could not be reversed. Just as Cerberus began to think about how to move the battlefield away from Xia Ying, someone suddenly pushed open the carriage door.

The human girl stood in the doorway, gripping the doorknob and shouting loudly, "I'm here!!!"

After shouting those words, she immediately turned and ran away without looking back, riding on her Persephone Spring.

Before he could finish speaking, Fenrir had already swept past him. Cerberus swung his giant scythe to stop him, but Fenrir, as if anticipating this, exploded out frost dust from his side, and countless tiny ice crystals formed a cage, temporarily restricting Cerberus's movements.

In another carriage, Xia Ying ran forward with all her might, but the surging cold wave was faster than her. A mirror of ice quickly solidified in front of her, blocking her way.

Xia Ying stopped and looked at the silver-haired man's face that was gradually appearing in the ice mirror.

"If the medium is ice, it will be really hard to escape from your grasp."

She stared at the beautiful yet dangerous abyssal creature that manipulated ice and snow, running her hand across the cold mirror.

"But if it's fire, then Cer is even faster."

[Harmony Skill: Magic Element Conversion] Activated!

The transformation of magical energy began to spread from Xia Ying's fingertips, reversing the ice in the carriage into flames. In this crucial moment, the black demonic hound emerged from the flames and tore open the frost wolf's chest with its giant scythe.

Fenrir's body began to crack like an ice mirror. On the verge of death, he gazed at Xia Ying with a calm, almost tender look in his eyes.

"what your name?"

"Xia Ying." This time, the human girl responded to his question, just as she was facing his death. "My name is Xia Ying."

Fenrir closed his eyes, his lips curving into an almost imperceptible smile, before he gradually turned into dust.

He died.

The Charon was still moving forward, and there were still two people alive on board.

Xia Ying and Cerberus stood amidst the chaos, the air so still it seemed to stand still.

After a long silence, a slight sound broke the silence; it was Xia Ying taking Cerberus's hand.

The human girl pulled him along the corridor slowly: "Cer, how did you catch up with my train?"

"I boarded the Charon from the Underworld, and the guys there told me that the fewer living things on board, the faster the train would go," the wolf said calmly, gazing out the window at the boundless River Styx. "So I quickly wiped them all out."

Xia Ying turned her face and stared at him quietly for a while.

"What happens to the dead creatures of the abyss?" she asked earnestly. "Do their souls go to heaven or purgatory?"

“Their souls will flow down the River Styx, wandering through the dark plains until they turn to dust,” Cerberus said. “But in the territory of the Lord of Demons, all death will belong to its master… and so on.”

He suddenly stopped, and Xia Ying turned to look at him.

"You've noticed it too, haven't you? If the entrance exam doesn't end according to the rules, the Charon will drift on the River Styx forever, never reaching its destination."

Cerberus paused, then grinned at her, revealing his sharp canines.

"Don't cry, Xia Ying."

He pushed Xia Ying away, and in the next instant, a shadow rose from the ground and pierced Cerberus's heart.

The suicide victim's blood splattered on Xia Ying's body. The demon hound swayed restrainedly for a moment, but eventually lost its strength and fell forward.

Xia Ying wanted to hug him, but in the end, all she could find in her arms were scattered black ashes.

"Beep! The [Entrance Exam] has ended. Freshman Xia Ying is the sole survivor of the [Charon - Netherworld Court & Nibelungen]."

A note from the author:

----------------------

Cerberus cursed Fenrir because deep down he was quite proud of having a master; he was a very arrogant dog.