Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Mr. Felzahar's Journey

After Youtarui's lavish banquet, it took quite some time before people realized that news about Mr. Felzahar had vanished from newspapers!

No longer attending auctions, nor participating in grand monster banquets, Mr. Felzahar's name ceased to appear in any news articles.

Despite the emergence of new sensational topics during this period, they either disappeared quickly or were already familiar faces. A young figure like Mr. Felzahar, who immediately made headlines and continuously created new sensations, had seemingly vanished.

Numerous journalists camped daily outside Koroda City and the entrances of Mr. Felzahar's various businesses, attempting to extract any clues from his employees. However, Mr. Felzahar's staff proved to be incredibly loyal. No matter how much pressure or temptation the paparazzi applied, not one person revealed any secrets!

A resourceful journalist eventually came up with a new headline: "Monsters' Loyalty - A Discussion on Mr. Felzahar's Art of Employing Monsters."

Although it wasn't breaking news, the mention of Mr. Felzahar's name ensured that the newspaper's sales were preserved.

Truly,

Being a monster in these times wasn't easy!

Ahem, but heaven only knew that the monsters' secrecy about their boss's whereabouts wasn't due to loyalty; they simply had no idea where their boss had gone!

Secrets, once spoken, cease to be secrets; no one can keep them absolutely confidential. Hence, if there's something one truly wishes to conceal, it should be shared with none — by Zen Murphy Felzahar.

After leaving Youtarui, Mr. Felzahar departed alone on a tram, without even carrying any luggage.

This mode of transport resembled the trains in the human world. For simplicity's sake, let's call it a train.

In this world, there were all sorts of vehicles, as many monsters' travel speeds were swift. However, given the vastness of the land and the fact that not all creatures preferred exhausting themselves running, artisans had invented a variety of conveyances.

The one Mr. Felzahar was currently aboard was the slowest among these. Despite its lack of speed, the slow pace allowed passengers to enjoy the scenery, and its affordable fare made it popular among young and financially-strapped monsters, as well as elderly ones. Lower-ranking creatures favored it too, while high-ranking ones seldom opted for it.

At this moment, Mr. Felzahar—no, he should be called Ajin now—had shed his expensive, sophisticated black suit, leaving him in just a white shirt with the collar open and the top two buttons undone. He appeared as an ordinary young monster.

He was Ajin, who had once lived with Ji Huan in Ye Falar's house.

Having secured a window seat, he gazed at the landscape outside with his chin in his hand.

The sunlight outside was scorching, and the ground was mostly barren sand with scarce vegetation. As the train progressed, plants started to appear, and Ajin glanced at the map in his hand: they were likely about to leave the Youtarui region.

As he quietly observed the scenery by the window, snippets of conversation from neighboring monsters occasionally drifted into his ears.

"Two centuries ago, there were no vehicles here at all. Only high-ranking monsters and those with exceptional talents could traverse this desert to reach the Central City. Do you know why it's called the Winter City?" The old monster sitting beside him was accompanied by two young ones, who were listening to his tales with great interest.

"Why, why?" urged one of the female monsters.

With pink hair and pointy ears, she was a cute-looking female monster, not tall in stature and not large in build, appearing quite harmless.

Enjoying the young ones' eager questioning, the old monster chuckled, stroking his grayish-white beard. He finally divulged the answer:

"Because back then, if one set out from the desert's edge in Youtarui during spring, they would arrive at the Central City in winter, almost without exception."

"I wonder how fast the high-ranking monsters travel. For mid-ranking monsters who could make the journey solely on their abilities, it would take them through six seasons, or even more if they were slower. What a long and arduous journey that must have been..."

"The Winter City, did you visit it when you were young?" The young male monster next to him asked. His hair was also pink, but a deeper shade, verging on red.

"Of course not. I'm not a high-ranking monster, nor do I possess thick skin to resist intense radiation. I lacked the perseverance too, so naturally, I couldn't make it." The old monster shook his head candidly. "It was my first time visiting the Winter City after the trains started operating. For monsters of that era, going there once and seeing what it looked like was a dream for many. After train tickets became cheaper, I decided to visit once a year." As he spoke, the old monster gazed out the window, sighing wistfully. "The Monster Realm truly is different now than it used to be."

Indeed, the Monster Realm was different now - Ajin thought to himself as the old monster sighed.

Back then, low-ranking monsters spent almost their entire lives in their birthplaces. From birth to death, unless they were sold, they rarely had the chance to leave. Mid-ranking monsters had a slightly larger range of movement, but it was still limited.

In the Realm of Demons, only high-ranking demons had the freedom to roam anywhere they pleased, as this aged demon beside him had mentioned. A low-ranking demon like this one would never reach the City of Winter in its lifetime.

Let alone engage in such animated conversation with two high-ranking demons.

Though his gaze didn't linger on the two young demons beside him, Ajin immediately identified their status through their auras alone. They were trying their best to suppress their presence, an act that deceived the aged demon but not Ajin.

High-ranking demons were proud creatures. Those beneath their rank were seen as unequal life forms. Witnessing three demons of vastly different ranks conversing merrily, Ajin felt a peculiar sensation stir within him.

Hmm...

It was probably akin to someone befriending their food, right?

As his gaze shifted from the window back into the carriage, Ajin's eyes met those of the old demon.

"Oh... I apologize, was my voice too loud? Did it disturb your appreciation of the scenery?" The aged demon's heart trembled upon locking eyes with Ajin's unwavering stare. He hastily popped a pill into his mouth, chewing as he apologized.

"Not really, I was just casually looking around." Ajin's lips curved into a gentle smile as he replied.

He turned his face, allowing the three creatures beside him to finally see his profile.

Mr. Felzahar was indeed an attractive figure, but most monsters possessed appealing appearances, making his looks rather common. However, his demeanor and grace were exceptional, and soon enough, he engaged in lively conversation with the other three monsters with ease.

"Ahh! Suddenly, Mr. Ajin seems so charming!" The female monsters were generally quite straightforward, and before long, the young female monster confided this sentiment to her brother.

"He is indeed an interesting person, but don't develop feelings for him. He's only at a low rank, isn't he? Just reaching the intermediate level. You two wouldn't be compatible," the male monster warned her.

The female monster spoke openly in front of Ajin and the elder monster, unafraid that their conversation would be overheard by the other two. High-ranking monsters had their own range of sound waves that only they could perceive.

"It's just a casual remark~" Pouting slightly, the young female monster ceased her whispered exchange with her brother.

Unbeknownst to the two young monsters, every word of their conversation had been heard by the black-haired man across from them. Ajin, having witnessed such situations numerous times before, didn't give it much thought. He preferred conversing with the elder monster rather than engaging with the slightly immature young ones.

Despite his ability to engage anyone in delightful conversation, he had never been fond of the young. Youth often equated to immaturity and ignorance in his mind.

That was his belief until he met Ji Huan.

It was only after getting to know Ji Huan that he discovered another dimension to youth: fearlessness.

Ignorance was being unafraid due to knowing nothing. But to be unafraid even with knowledge - that was genuine courage born from strength and bravery.

Because of Ji Huan, he now found it within himself to tolerate the ignorance of the young, albeit with a limited capacity.

Ajin listened with a gentle smile as the aged monster recounted tales from its youth. Humans and monsters alike seemed to reflect on their past when nearing the end of their days.

When he was on the verge of death from weakness in the mortal realm, his own memories of times gone by would frequently resurface.

"I was going to ask earlier," Ajin mused, lost in thought about the past when the old monster suddenly pointed at the keychain on the table.

"This keychain, if I'm not mistaken, should be the entry permit issued two hundred years ago for those entering Winter City, right?"

"At that time, not many outsiders could reach Winter City. Every entrant would receive an entry permit to allow them to move around within the city. Your keychain... is that what it is?"

Not surprised by the discovery, Ajin nodded.

Before leaving Ye Falar, he had placed the key in the kitchen and given the only one he had to the young man, believing he wouldn't return. It was only fitting that the keys were left for the future owner of the house.

Unexpectedly, he found the key again in his suitcase after checking into a hotel. No longer just a plain key, it now had a keychain attached. This was the very permit he had obtained in Winter City years ago, which he had long forgotten about and couldn't recall where he had lost it. Yet, here it was, rediscovered after so many years, transformed into a skillfully crafted keychain with the emblem of Winter City exposed, resembling a charming ornament.

Keys weren't something to be discarded casually, so he decided to carry it with him from then on.

"Yes," Ajin confirmed to the old monster.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! May I touch it? This is a legendary emblem! I've only heard about it but have never seen it before!" The old monster's reaction was ecstatic; he seemed incredibly excited!

"Oh?" This response was beyond Ajin's expectations.

"You didn't know? This city entry registration is now legendary! Only powerful monsters or those with special abilities can obtain this badge; ordinary monsters can't get it at all! It's a symbol of power!"

After receiving Ajin's permission, the old monster gently touched the badge, reluctantly returning it to Ajin after a moment.

"Ajin, you have this badge in your possession... did you acquire it yourself back then?" He hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking.

"Mm-hmm." Ajin nodded, not finding anything inappropriate about the question.

"You don't seem like a high-ranking monster. So, do you possess some special ability? I've heard that ordinary monsters who could reach Winter City back then had thick skin. Ajin, perhaps your original form had particularly thick skin?"

Thick-skinned monster? The two young monsters nearby immediately fixed their eyes on Ajin. The monster before them appeared refined and slender; how could they... see any thickness in his skin?

Under the watchful gaze of the three-headed monster, Ajin shrugged and shook his head after a moment.

"My skin isn't thick. I... can't recall how many times I shed my skin to reach my destination." He had forgotten exactly how many times he had molted and how long the journey had taken, but the pain remained etched in his memory.

Back then, he was just an ordinary low-ranking monster, devoid of any special abilities. All he had was the conviction to reach Winter City.

Skin tore away in patches, only to regenerate and tear once more, an endless cycle of agony.

It was painful, but not the most excruciating pain he had endured; it didn't even compare to the torment he experienced absorbing energy just a few days ago.

If not for the old monster's mention, he would have long forgotten this aspect of his past.

When he looked at the old monster again, admiration now filled the creature's eyes.

"You possess incredible tenacity. This badge symbolizes your resilience."

"You must be quite a formidable individual," the old monster praised, then refrained from asking any further questions about Ajin's past.

"However—" An idea struck the old monster, and its gaze shifted again, carrying a different meaning. "To have earned this badge, you must be quite advanced in age, no?"

"I noticed earlier: You're so young, yet you seem so mature! Why do you feel like you're around my age? If you personally obtained this badge, then... aren't we actually close in age?!"

People of similar ages often develop a unique way of recognizing one another. With just a few exchanges, they can sense that they were born roughly in the same era.

"Ha ha, perhaps we are indeed close in age. Although I appear youthful, I am not as young as I seem." Ajin nodded with a cheerful smile.

"No wonder! I sensed from the start that your choice of words was entirely different from today's young people. At first, I thought it was because you spoke in a more refined manner, but now I realize that many of your linguistic habits are unique to our era!" The old monster immediately became enthusiastic.

For the rest of their time together, the old monster treated Ajin as an equal, sharing information about the latest hair dye and health supplements for seniors, even recommending a special ointment for elderly monsters' bone pain!

Ajin responded with a jovial laugh, "Indeed, very useful information, hehehehe."

Watching the instant deepening bond between the two "elders," the two younger monsters were left in awe.

Eventually, the two "seniors" remembered the presence of the younger ones, and they all engaged in further conversation. During this, Ajin politely bid farewell to his companions, holding the new hair dye the old monster had given him. It wasn't until Ajin had left that the three monsters realized they didn't know his name or where he came from – they knew nothing about him at all.