This F-Rank Bubble Mage Is Too OP!-Chapter 96: BatFang (Part-1)

The train began its gradual ascent from the ocean's surface, the magnetic rails carrying them up and over a massive bridge that arched gracefully from the water to solid ground. As they climbed higher, the endless expanse of dark water gave way to something far more welcoming—the approach to Cairn City, nestled in a landscape that seemed almost impossibly lush compared to Voulton's harsh, ocean-drained surroundings.

Rivers meandered through the terrain like silver ribbons in the pre-dawn darkness, their surfaces reflecting the moon's fading light as forests of old-growth trees stretched between them. Unlike Voulton City, which sat isolated on its artificial plateau of dry, cracked earth where the ocean had been mysteriously pulled back, Cairn appeared to be a city that had grown organically with its environment. Verdant hills rolled gently toward the urban center, and even from this distance, River could see how the city's architects had worked with the natural waterways rather than against them.

The contrast was striking. Where Voulton was a testament to humanity's determination to impose order on a transformed world, Cairn seemed to have found harmony with the new reality. Parks and green spaces were visible even in the dim light, threading between districts like emerald veins, while the rivers that fed the city created natural boundaries that the urban planners had embraced rather than conquered.

It was still deep night, though River could sense the subtle shift in the air that suggested dawn was perhaps an hour or two away. The eastern horizon held the faintest promise of lightening, a barely perceptible change that spoke of the approaching sunrise.

Beside him, Freya slept with her head resting against his shoulder, her breathing deep and even. The earlier fire and intensity that had driven them back and forth to the bathroom multiple times throughout their journey had finally burned itself out, leaving her exhausted but seemingly content. Their encounters had been passionate, almost desperate in their intensity—as if both of them were trying to lose themselves in physical sensation rather than confront the complexities of their situation.

Now, seeing the infamous White Knight in such a vulnerable state, River couldn't help but feel a complex mixture of emotions. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he studied her sleeping face. This was the woman who, in his original timeline, would become one of the most feared figures in the post-apocalyptic world. The same person whose Snow Sword would carve through mountains and souls with equal ease, whose single slash could sever not just flesh and bone, but the very connection between spirit and body—imprisoning souls in eternal silence with no hope of resurrection or reincarnation.

Yet as he watched her sleep, River found that he didn't particularly care about her future transformation into such a formidable force. If anything, the Government and the Hunter Association deserved every ounce of her future wrath. They had created the system that would push her to embrace that terrible power, had fostered the corruption and betrayal that would forge her into something beautiful and devastating in its absolute finality. Her white blade would bring them the cold judgment they had earned, and River felt no sympathy for what was to come.

The fact that they were now intimate partners added another layer of surreal complexity to the situation. In his future memories, they had been enemies, adversaries locked in a deadly game of strategy and violence, her Snow Sword a constant threat that could end not just his life but his very existence. Now... now he wasn't entirely sure what they were to each other, but he found himself surprisingly at peace with whatever she might become.

River turned his attention back to the window, watching as the landscape continued to transform beneath them. The ocean was now completely behind them, replaced by the lush terrain that surrounded Cairn City. But even in this more natural setting, the scars of the old world were visible to those who knew how to look for them. Broken skyscrapers jutted up from the forest canopy like the ribs of some ancient beast, their twisted metal and shattered concrete slowly being reclaimed by vines and moss. These were the bones of the world that had existed before the portals, before the mana transformation, before everything changed.

As he studied these remnants, River's mind inevitably drifted to memories of the far future—his original timeline, where the sky had turned an ominous shade of red and two moons hung in the heavens like the eyes of some ancient, watchful being. He remembered the oppressive atmosphere of that dying world, where the very air had seemed heavy with despair and the remnants of humanity struggled desperately against forces beyond their comprehension.

The 4th-Dimensional Beings had already begun their harvest by then, draining the planet's mana reserves and leaving behind a hollow shell of what Earth had once been. The red sky had been their calling card, a visible sign that the planet was being consumed from within. And those two moons... River shuddered slightly at the memory. They hadn't been moons at all, but something far more sinister—observation posts, perhaps, or staging areas for the entities that sought to strip their dimension of everything that made it viable.

His fist clenched unconsciously as the memories threatened to overwhelm him. The weight of knowledge, of responsibility, of the impossible task that lay ahead of him—it was almost too much to bear. But then he forced his fingers to relax, consciously releasing the tension that had built up in his shoulders and jaw.

Not yet. That future didn't have to come to pass. The Chosen One had sent him back precisely because there was still hope, still a chance to change the course of events that would lead to that red-sky apocalypse. Every choice he made, every person he influenced, every small change he introduced to the timeline—it all mattered.

The train continued its smooth journey toward Cairn City, carrying them closer to the C-Rank dungeon that awaited their exploration. But River's thoughts remained focused on the larger picture, on the cosmic chess game he was now playing against opponents who existed in dimensions beyond human comprehension.

Beside him, Freya stirred slightly in her sleep, murmuring something indistinct before settling more deeply against his shoulder. For now, at least, she was at peace. How long that would last, and whether he could find a way to prevent her from becoming the monster she was destined to be, remained to be seen. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The harsh blare of the emergency alarm cut through the gentle hum of the train's systems like a knife, jolting Freya from her peaceful sleep. Her eyes snapped open instantly, the trained reflexes of a seasoned Hunter bringing her to full alertness within seconds. She lifted her head from River's shoulder, blinking away the last traces of drowsiness as the automated announcement began to echo through the passenger cars.

"Attention all passengers. A D-Rank threat has been detected in the immediate vicinity. Please remain calm and stay in your seats while our security systems engage defensive protocols. The creature has been identified as a BatFang—a hybrid aerial predator. All Hunters aboard are requested to remain seated unless specifically called upon by train security."

River felt Freya's body tense beside him as she processed the information. Through the windows, other passengers were beginning to stir, some pressing their faces against the glass to catch a glimpse of the threat, others checking their weapons with the casual efficiency of those accustomed to danger.

"A BatFang," Freya murmured, stretching languidly despite the alarm. "Haven't seen one of those in months. Nasty little things."

The creature in question was indeed a formidable opponent for most D-Rank Hunters—a grotesque fusion of bat and serpent that had emerged from the chaotic early days of the portal wars. BatFangs possessed the flight capabilities of their chiropteran heritage combined with the venomous bite and crushing coils of massive snakes. Their wingspan could reach up to four meters, and their serpentine bodies were capable of constricting prey while maintaining flight, making them particularly dangerous aerial predators.

But what made this situation uniquely frustrating was the creature's origin. Unlike the monsters that spawned from active dungeons, this BatFang was what Hunters called a "world-born"—a remnant from the First and Second Portal Wars, when creatures had escaped from closing dungeons and adapted to life in the natural world. These monsters had become part of Earth's new ecosystem, no longer connected to the System that governed dungeon-born creatures.

Which meant killing them provided no experience points, no level advancement, and no valuable drops.

River could hear the murmur of conversation from other passenger cars as Hunters discussed the situation among themselves. The consensus was clear: why risk injury or waste resources on a creature that offered no tangible rewards? The train's defensive systems would handle the threat, or the creature would eventually lose interest and move on. Standard protocol for encounters with world-born monsters.

"No one's going to engage, are they?" River asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Would you?" came a voice from across the aisle. A burly C-Rank Hunter with scars crisscrossing his arms shrugged apologetically. "I've got a family to feed and guild quotas to meet. Can't afford to waste time on glorified pest control when there's real money to be made in the dungeons."

Similar sentiments echoed throughout the car. Hunters nodded in understanding, checking their gear to ensure it was secure but making no move to actually engage the threat. It was a purely pragmatic decision—in a world where advancement and survival depended on accumulating experience and resources, fighting creatures that offered neither was simply poor resource management.

River sighed in disappointment, the sound carrying more weight than such a simple gesture should have. He had hoped that some vestige of heroism, some drive to protect innocent civilians, might motivate at least one of his fellow Hunters to action. Instead, he was reminded once again of how the System had fundamentally altered human nature, reducing heroic impulses to economic calculations.

"I can't just sit here," he said, rising from his seat with fluid grace.

Freya watched him with undisguised interest, her lips curving into a knowing smile. There was no worry in her expression, no concern for his safety—only anticipation, like someone settling in to watch a particularly engaging performance. She knew, perhaps better than anyone else aboard, that a D-Rank creature was little more than a warm-up exercise for someone of River's capabilities.

"Try not to make too much of a spectacle," she said softly, though her tone suggested she rather hoped he would do exactly the opposite.

River moved toward the emergency access panel near the car's center, his hands working with practiced efficiency to override the safety locks. Other passengers watched with mild curiosity as he opened the maintenance hatch that led to the train's exterior. A few of the Hunters raised eyebrows at his actions, but none moved to stop him or offer assistance.

The wind hit him immediately as he climbed through the hatch, the rush of air at their current speed threatening to tear him from the train's surface. But River's enhanced agility and years of experience in far more dangerous situations allowed him to find his footing on the train's roof with ease.

Above him, silhouetted against the fading stars, the BatFang circled with predatory patience, its serpentine body undulating through the air like a nightmare made flesh. Its eyes gleamed with an intelligence that spoke of its adaptation to the world's new reality—this was no mindless dungeon spawn, but a creature that had learned to hunt and survive in the transformed Earth.

River straightened slowly, his formal suit rippling in the wind as he prepared to face the aerial predator. The moon hung low on the horizon, casting his shadow long across the train's surface as he stood alone against the creature that had brought their journey to a halt.

It was time to remind both the monster and his fellow passengers what a true Hunter was capable of, experience points or no experience points.