Chapter 813: Station Fifty-One - RUN Company Headquarters

RUN Company.

This was a very peculiar organization.

It was not a guild founded by Train Conductors from the city, nor was it a place of formidable combat power built by some powerful entity.

Yet this company possessed something that left even many top-tier guilds astonished.

[Substitute Rights]

[By investing this Rights Cube into a low-level world, beings within that world can consume Train Coins to obtain support from RUN Company.]

Ye Qiyan had originally assumed this right belonged to that former RUN boss who had granted him a Disaster Card and a fragment of the Blasphemy Card all those years ago.

But through occasional conversations with the current boss, that native youth Russell who had been used by multiple parties, he later learned

that this right had actually been transferred directly onto him through a high-grade artifact.

That explained it.

Because that former boss's Train Level hadn't really been that high either, and his strength... well, it was mediocre at best.

Even though he possessed a Card Sequence, that was about it.

With his horizons broadening over time, Ye Qiyan believed that the original RUN Company boss probably couldn't have handled even a single top-tier Train Conductor.

Moreover, as time passed, Ye Qiyan could also see that the guy, much like Russell now, seemed to be a puppet deliberately placed in the boss position by someone.

The difference was this.

Russell didn't know his own situation.

Since taking over RUN Company, this native youth had been wholeheartedly striving for the benefit of the native humans across various low-level station worlds.

As for why it was only low-level station worlds.

The reason was simple.

He couldn't get in.

RUN Company had also sent a team of Couriers capable of entering level-8 stations to jointly enter a relatively small level-8 station world.

Although they had managed to clear it at first, the [Substitute Rights] couldn't maintain itself for long before collapsing on its own.

This incident hit Russell hard, but afterward, he quickly shifted the company's direction, abandoning advanced stations to fully support the Couriers in low-level station worlds.

Up to now, RUN Company had influenced over a hundred thousand low-level stations.

It sounded like a lot.

But that was merely RUN Company's limit.

Not the Wasteland's.

Just how many worlds were there in the Wasteland?

Whether low-level stations or advanced stations.

No matter how powerful an existence, it was impossible to calculate even a conceptual number.

A million? Ten million? A hundred million? More?

That number was like a train traveling through the Wasteland.

There existed an endless string of zeros.

Out of a hundred thousand low-level stations, only a very small number of low-level Train Conductors could encounter them.

What Russell truly wanted to help.

Were the native humans in these stations.

But if a conflict truly arose between native humans and Train Conductors.

What choice would Russell make?

————

["Hehe~ I didn't expect Bro Ye to come to my idol meet-and-greet too. Hee hee, so which identity are you going to use? Ye Qiyan~ or Altos?"]

In the private chat interface, Ye Qiyan was communicating with Stacia, the holder of the [Element Cards].

["Senior is joking. If something goes wrong later, I'll still need Senior to step in."]

["(ˉ▽￣～) Pfft~ of course that's a given. Fine, if you don't want to say, whatever. I know you're not here for my concert anyway. Speaking of which, I was originally planning to rest in the city for a few days. But then that big star named Alice suddenly said she was going to RUN Company's headquarters, so I tagged along. Hmm~ do you know anything?"]

["Not sure. What if I really did just come for your meet-and-greet?"]

["Like I'd believe that. Nobody in the organization is into idol chasing. Only little Zhao Lin is cute enough to always support me, but now that she can enter advanced station worlds, she's been coming less and less. Sigh. But..."]

Stacia shifted her tone.

["As a senior, let me give you a small piece of advice to be careful. Even if you possess the Blasphemy Card, that thing is extremely effective against False Gods, but if you're facing someone who isn't a False God but rather a Train Conductor... No, actually, I shouldn't worry about you. Four Disaster Cards plus how many Demon Cards was it? I really envy you when it comes to Card Sequence~ Sigh... Anyway, just be cautious. I'm still thinking of taking a photo with you, who's now as popular a big star as Alice, and posting it on my blog afterward."]

She seemed to be implying something, yet she didn't want to say more.

Ye Qiyan propped his chin on one hand, thoughtfully staring at the words on the Light Screen.

Train Conductors, huh?

Indeed.

Thinking about it carefully, compared to those False Gods or other monsters.

Train Conductors actually gave him greater pressure.

Just like Alfred back then.

Even Red Tears wielding the Tear-Engraving Sword was no match for him.

It was only because Ye Qiyan directly used Red Tears' power combined with the sword arts of the Realm of No Self, along with the backlash from the Blood God's poisoned heart, that he managed to defeat him in a short time.

So what kind of Train Conductors would be at RUN Company?

Wait...

Alice?

That woman who became a big star in the Wasteland wasn't just that single identity.

She was also a betrayer of Abukado.

"Why does it feel like Abukado people are everywhere? Eh, well, Emperor's Order people seem to be everywhere too. How troublesome. Should I just go somewhere else?"

Ye Qiyan looked at the invitation in his hand, hesitated slightly, then shook his head.

"Forget it. No point scaring myself. What if there's nothing there and I'm just wasting effort. Besides, I'm actually quite curious about RUN Company's headquarters."

Having made his decision.

He no longer hesitated.

He opened the Light Screen.

On it, the button to enter the next station world was gleaming brightly.

He tore open the invitation, and a train wheel-shaped mark landed on the button.

The System's voice also echoed from the broadcast.

[Ding-dong!]

[Train Conductor Ye Qiyan, you are about to enter your fifty-first station world]

[Ahead: Level-10 mission station world - RUN Company Headquarters]

Wait?

Level 10?

Ye Qiyan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the level displayed on the Light Screen.

"Is this world level correct?"

[No error detected]

[Exclusive Module - Crossroads of Fate, triggered]

[As the next station's world has been selected, please choose one of the following three stop locations within this world as your starting point for clearing this station]

[Option One: RUN Company - Public Capsule Tunnel]

[Option Two: Abandoned Headquarters Building - Rock-Silk Machine Puppet]

[Option Three: Substitute Furnace Workshop]

[Please, make your choice]

The tracks extended, and the void manifested.

The Crossroads of Fate presented itself before Ye Qiyan at this moment.

"Interesting. I originally thought this was just an ordinary trip."

"I choose the second option, the Abandoned Headquarters Building."

One was too ordinary, three was too unknown.

Option two, for him right now.

Was just right.

[Ding-dong, stop location confirmed. Please sit tight and hold on. The Train is about to arrive at your fifty-first station, RUN Company Headquarters.]

[This station: Danger]

[Wishing you, a pleasant journey]