Roland nodded, his expression grave as he turned back to command the Royal Guards to head toward the front of the train, attempting to regain control. Though Buck claimed he could still hold off the undead Montette once more, even he was uncertain.

  After all, he had already revealed all his trump cards. The next time Montette attacked, he would undoubtedly be wary of his three arms' abilities. Now, his only true advantage lay in his unfathomable life energy.

  With over 310,000 life energy points, a qualitative transformation had occurred, granting him an incredibly resilient and hardened body—ordinary attacks could hardly leave a scratch. Moreover, as long as he wasn't gravely injured, he could regenerate at nearly 1% of his total health per minute, recovering thousands of points in mere moments.

  It wouldn't take long before he was back to peak condition. However, the black formal attire he wore, now soaked in blood, was beyond repair.

  "Listen, Buck." The prince looked at him with a solemn expression and warned, "If possible, do not kill Montette outright. The only way to subdue him is to cripple his limbs and prevent him from committing suicide. Otherwise, he will resurrect each time in his peak condition."

  "Your Highness, I can't do that." Buck shook his head helplessly, openly admitting his lack of means. That hunter possessed an unyielding will—Heretic's Arm could only restrain him for a fleeting moment, just enough to throw him out of the carriage.

  Hearing this, Roland fell silent for a few moments. Eventually, as if reaching a difficult decision, he let out a slow sigh.

  Just then, a royal guard rushed over with urgency.

  "Your Highness, our train has somehow entered a dense fog, and the front car is no longer visible," the soldier reported, his face stricken with fear. "Moreover, we seem to be trapped—the train keeps traveling along the same stretch of track in an endless loop."

  ...

  The fog had entirely engulfed the train and the tracks. Standing by the window, Buck noticed a recurring landmark appearing at intervals along the railway.

  Just as the guard had said, they were stuck in a loop—no matter how the train advanced, it remained within this confined stretch of track. Clearly, the enemy had employed some kind of mysterious force.

  Without a word, Roland sat back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose, a hint of exhaustion in his demeanor. "Stay vigilant," he ordered, dismissing the others in the carriage, leaving only Buck behind.

  "You are the only one on this train capable of holding back a Fifth-Tier Hunter." Roland's deep blue eyes met his. Though weary, he remained composed.

  "Your Highness, I’m not as powerful as you think," Buck said bluntly, hoping to temper his expectations.

  "I know." The prince smiled faintly. "Perhaps you are not invincible, but in the eyes of our enemy, you are far from weak."

  Buck remained silent, unsure how to respond.

  "This is a battle of caged beasts," Roland continued, casually unfastening the collar of his shirt. "And you must become a true threat to our enemy."

  As he spoke, a mysterious glow caught Buck’s eye, causing his pupils to dilate slightly.

  Around the prince’s neck hung a gemstone necklace, its brilliance emanating from an enormous gem, nearly half the size of a palm. It radiated alternating hues of red and blue, as if a vast ocean surged within its depths. The sheer life force contained within it was so immense that even Buck—a being brimming with monstrous vitality—felt insignificant in its presence.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  It was the aura of something beyond mortal comprehension...

  "This is a Forbidden Relic—Goliath’s Star, also known as the ‘Dual Celestial Star,’" Roland murmured, cradling the gemstone in his palm.

  "A Forbidden Relic?" Buck was taken aback.

  "Indeed. It can unleash an almost infinite surge of life energy in an instant to ensure my survival."

  So that was why the prince was so bold. A Forbidden Relic capable of preserving his life—Buck nodded silently, reassessing the situation.

  "But, as with all Forbidden Relics, it comes with severe drawbacks," Roland added indifferently. "Not that it matters to me anymore."

  Buck had heard much about these relics—artifacts of immense power, often bearing great risks, thus earning the title of 'Forbidden.' Despite their dangers, they granted abilities beyond imagination, making them highly sought-after by noble families in the royal capital, who secretly coveted and collected them.

  Roland sighed, then lifted his gaze, his eyes firm as he said, “I will use it to buy you a single opportunity. Remember, you only have one chance.”

  This made Buck hesitate. It seemed the prince intended to gamble with his own life. Instead of responding directly, Buck asked another question: “Your Highness, is there any way to dispel the fog? Perhaps we can escape this predicament.”

  “That ritual covers an extensive area. Since we are trapped within it, we cannot break it. The core of the ritual is most likely the undead Montette.” Roland shook his head slightly, a trace of helplessness in his eyes. “There are people in the royal capital who don’t want me to return. It’s undoubtedly my brothers. They know me too well. To trap me, they may have set this up beyond my sphere of control as early as a year ago. The only thing I didn’t expect was that they would go so far as to release a fallen one from Death Prison. They really chose a troublesome opponent.”

  Buck looked at the prince, who wore a self-mocking smile, somewhat puzzled.

  “Buck, do you know?” Roland continued. “Those who have truly set foot on the path of transcendence care little for power and wealth. Worldly interests cannot drive them. The only thing they seek—” he paused, his gaze deep and unwavering, “—is strength. Just like you.”

  Buck immediately understood what Roland was implying and pressed further, “Then how did they make the undead obey?”

  “It’s simple. They only had to tell him that I have something he wants—the Goliath’s Star.” Roland shrugged. “Montette has long since fallen into the ranks of the Goddess of Death’s followers. He desperately seeks to advance further, to complete his ascension to the Sixth Tier. This gemstone is one of the ritual components required for that. It is also something the Goddess of Death covets.”

  “So Montette’s true goal isn’t to kill you, but to seize the gemstone?”

  “You could say that. But I’m certain that if nothing stands in his way, he would be more than happy to kill me while he’s at it.” The prince calmly grasped the Goliath’s Star, a resolute gleam in his eyes.

  Buck pondered this, glancing at Roland, only to find that the prince’s deep blue eyes were slowly shifting, lost in thought.

  Suddenly, without warning, the rear door of the carriage was violently pulled open. The towering figure of the undead Montette once again loomed into view. Beneath his filthy, tattered hunter’s hat, his face was deeply creased with scars, and his uneven, jagged teeth twisted his grin into something grotesque.

  He was here again!

  Buck’s heart tensed as he flickered forward, positioning himself between Montette and the prince. In the blink of an eye, Montette had already lunged, raising a short-barreled firearm and aiming it directly at Buck’s forehead. Buck quickly noticed that he had switched weapons—this one had a larger bore, resembling a sawed-off shotgun. At close range, its impact would be even more devastating!

  Demon Creature’s Claw shot out like lightning, pressing firmly against the barrel.

  A deafening blast erupted.

  A crimson explosion of blood and force sent Buck hurtling backward. With nothing left in his way, Montette brought his serrated blade down in a deadly arc toward the prince’s neck.

  Suddenly, a radiant burst of blinding light erupted from Roland’s body.

  The instant the blade touched his throat, an immense surge of energy gushed forth from the Goliath’s Star, violently repelling the hunter’s weapon. The blade had already cut into the prince’s vulnerable neck, its serrated edge drawing a thin line of blood—but within that protective shield of energy, the wound healed instantly!

  “Goliath’s Star! I found it!”

  Montette’s eyes were engulfed in the overwhelming glow, yet his pupils seemed magnetically drawn to the gemstone on the prince’s chest, unable to look away. At last, he had found the object of his deepest obsession...

  “Now!”

  Roland’s sudden shout rang out like a command. The surging life energy formed a localized force field, ensnaring half of Montette’s body, locking him in place.

  This was the opportunity Roland had spoken of.

  Launched backward, Buck rebounded like a streak of black lightning. The Demon Creature’s Arm slashed through the air, leaving afterimages in its wake.

  Startled, Montette quickly turned and aimed his unfettered hand to fire—but before he could pull the trigger, his wrist was severed.

  Demon Creature’s Claw, like an unrivaled blade, had sliced through his arm in a single, decisive strike!