Chapter 94: Probably Luck
The convoy thundered across the barren landscape, its armored wheels crushing loose gravel beneath their weight as Kingsville disappeared beyond the horizon.
GRRRRRRMMMM...
The engines growled continuously, filling the silence that had settled inside the transport.
Outside the reinforced windows, the scenery drifted by in an endless blur.
Dry plains, scattered dead trees, and abandoned farms reclaimed by nature.
The golden light of the setting sun painted everything in shades of amber, but even its warmth couldn't hide the feeling that the land itself had grown tired.
* * *
Inside the vehicle, no one spoke for several minutes.
The battle with Cassian Vanderbi still lingered in everyone's mind.
Each of them had survived...But only just.
Eventually, Mardale shifted in his seat, resting one arm against the window before glancing toward Daito.
"So..."
His voice broke the silence.
"After fighting someone like Cassian Vanderbi..."
His eyes narrowed with genuine curiosity.
"What level would you say you've reached now?"
The question lingered in the air.
Wei-Wan looked up from where he sat.
Champagne chuckled.
"Hah... straight to the point."
Mardale shrugged.
"I'm serious."
Champagne leaned back comfortably and folded his arms behind his head.
"If we're being honest..."
He glanced toward Daito.
"After surviving that monster..."
"I'd say he's somewhere around Numerator level."
Silence.
For the first time since joining them, Mardale's relaxed expression disappeared completely.
"...Numerator?"
He stared at Champagne.
"You're joking."
Brandon laughed loudly.
"I wish we were."
Fah-jin nodded calmly.
"We barely made it out alive."
She looked toward Daito.
"And somehow..."
"He still managed to keep fighting."
Aerin smiled proudly.
"He never stopped moving."
Mardale slowly returned his attention to Daito.
This time...There was no amusement in his expression.
Only curiosity.
"What exactly is your Savage Power?"
The question echoed through the transport.
A heartbeat passed and no one answered.
Then...Champagne suddenly burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Oh no..."
"This is going to be good."
Zachia covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
"Go on."
"Tell him."
Even Aerin struggled to keep a straight face.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Mardale frowned.
"What?"
Brandon rubbed the back of his neck.
"If we had to describe his Savage Power..."
He paused dramatically.
"It's probably..."
"...Luck."
The entire transport erupted into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"You serious?"
"That's terrible!"
Even Fah-jin couldn't suppress a quiet smile.
Mardale looked from one face to another, completely bewildered.
"...You're all joking."
Daito sighed quietly.
"They're not."
The laughter slowly faded.
The silence that followed felt even heavier than before.
Mardale blinked.
"...What?"
Daito remained perfectly calm as he looked out the window.
"I don't have a Savage Power."
No one laughed anymore.
The only sound inside the vehicle came from the steady roar of the engine.
Vrrrrrrmmmm...
Mardale stared at him in disbelief.
"That's impossible."
"You fought Cassian."
"You kept up with him."
His voice grew sharper with every sentence.
"And you're telling me..."
"...You're powerless?"
Before Daito could answer, Aerin leaned forward with an excited grin.
"Oh..."
"He's definitely not powerless."
She folded her arms proudly.
"He's something even stranger."
Mardale looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
She pointed directly at Daito.
"Daito..."
"...is an Immune."
The words struck like thunder.
Mardale froze.
"...An Immune?"
Wei-Wan nodded.
"That's right."
"No Savage Power."
"No borrowed abilities."
"No mutations."
Fah-jin continued calmly.
"Everything he's achieved..."
She looked toward Daito with quiet admiration.
"...He earned with his own strength."
Mardale leaned back slowly into his seat.
His mind struggled to process what he'd just heard.
"...That's..."
He searched for the right word.
"...Extremely rare."
Aerin couldn't hide the pride in her voice.
"You don't even know the half of it."
She smiled.
"This guy defeated the King of my valley."
Silence.
The engine seemed quieter than before.
"...Without a Savage Power?" Mardale asked.
Daito didn't answer, he didn't need to.
His silence was answer enough.
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
Finally...Mardale laughed softly.
"Heh..."
He shook his head in disbelief.
"So that's what you are."
His eyes met Daito's once more.
"A walking anomaly."
Champagne smirked.
"Told you."
Brandon laughed.
"So yeah..."
"Probably luck."
Everyone rolled their eyes.
Aerin nudged Brandon's shoulder.
"Oh, shut up."
"It's not luck."
She looked toward Daito.
"It's something else."
Daito remained silent.
But somewhere deep inside...He knew she was right.
What he possessed...What he was becoming... Couldn't be explained by chance.
There was something hidden within him. Something even he didn't fully understand.
* * *
VRRROOOMM!
The convoy continued deeper into unfamiliar territory.
The warm colors of sunset slowly disappeared behind thick clouds.
The land began to change. The grass turned black. The trees became twisted silhouettes.
Ash drifted lazily through the air like gray snow. Smoke lingered above the ground despite there being no visible fire.
The atmosphere itself felt... Wrong.
Mardale slowly sat upright.
His relaxed demeanor vanished completely.
His eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"We're close."
Everyone instinctively looked through the front windshield.
Far ahead... A town slowly emerged from the haze.
Broken rooftops leaned against one another. Collapsed buildings lined empty streets. Charred walls stood like monuments to forgotten tragedy.
Dark smoke curled into the sky from ruins that should have stopped burning years ago.
No lights, no movement, no voices.
Only silence.
An unnatural silence.
Daito narrowed his eyes.
"...Ash-En Town."
Nobody spoke.
Every instinct screamed the same warning. Something was waiting for them.
Patiently.
And whatever called this ruined place home... It wasn't going to let them leave without a fight.
The convoy rolled silently toward the dead town.
Its shadow stretched across the road like the open jaws of a beast waiting to swallow them whole.
Far beyond those ruined streets... Beyond the drifting ash... Beyond the Hollow Gate...
The final Rebel was waiting.
And with her...The next chapter of Daito's journey was about to begin.
To Be Continued.....