She is not an investigator.

For the future of humanity.

The weapons in their hands are not just for themselves, but for everyone.

This is why the casualty rate among new recruits is often very high.

They were organized and disciplined, had emergency response plans, knew how to take emergency measures in times of crisis, and were proficient in most combat plans and methods. However, this group of new recruits had the highest mortality rate.

Because they are not afraid of death.

They would choose to use their own bodies to block enemy attacks, and they would also choose to sacrifice their lives to achieve the results of the attack. They were extreme and cruel, both towards the enemy and towards themselves.

Anfer had never met anyone like that before, but he was meeting more and more of them.

More and more people began to turn out this way, so it wasn't until a new recruit stood in front of him and was torn apart by an attack that he would never have been hit, replacing his own death, that Anfer finally understood what was going on.

Human lives should not be measured by equal value.

One life can never be compared to another.

So after that, Anfer's reasons for serving changed.

He no longer cared about money, nor about simply surviving.

He only wanted everyone to live a better life.

They wandered the wilderness, cleared ruins, stationed themselves in the polar regions, and explored the sea.

They symbolize humanity's absolute military power, as well as the hope for survival and the beautiful expectations for the future of humankind.

That's why he finally retired from the front line only after he truly felt that he was getting old.

But he never stopped thinking about continuing on.

Even though he is no longer a soldier, he used to be.

So, this life too.

The Gods' Folly - The Northern Train: Chapter Sixty-One, Like a Dream

"Am I being a bit long-winded?"

Anfer stopped reminiscing and turned to look at Igris in front of him.

"As people get older, they often talk to themselves like this, don't take it too seriously."

"No, I'm glad you told me this."

Igris stood up and stretched.

"I'm going to rest now. We have to travel tomorrow. Be careful tonight."

"of course."

Igris eventually went back to her tent, where she was all alone.

She rested her hands behind her head, gazing absently at the top of the tent.

She has many things to think about and wants to think about, but if she had to say what she thinks is most important right now, it would probably be herself.

Her recent changes seem drastic, almost excessive.

She even began to doubt at times whether she was still the same person she used to be, or perhaps that at some point she had already been replaced by someone else.

She just didn't realize it herself.

Finding herself again seemed urgent for her, yet she seemed unaware of what she had truly lost.

Her condition was stable, and her mental state was relatively normal. It seemed that everything around her had started to gradually improve ever since she got into that car.

Even though she encountered many difficulties and unexpected events, she is indeed getting better.

She rarely experiences hunger due to anemia anymore, and she rarely becomes aggressive due to bipolar disorder. In fact, with everyone's support, her depression is showing signs of gradual improvement.

?

Is that really the case?

Igris didn't know, but she felt something was off.

Perhaps everything was going too smoothly, or perhaps... things were really progressing as she had predicted.

Tomorrow will be the last day of their journey, and they will finally be arriving at their destination.

What will happen next? If something is really eyeing this train, how far will it go?

Igris has many issues to think about and worry about, but it seems that this is all she can do.

That's why, even in the dead of night, she still couldn't sleep peacefully, or even close her eyes in peace.

So she picked up her weapon.

The pistol that has been with me the longest, and the straight sword that I use most often now, which can be extended and folded at will.

This pistol held a much deeper meaning for her than the first weapon itself; in a sense, Igris always regarded it as a symbol of her identity.

When she holds this weapon, she will know better than anyone else who she truly is.

And that sword…

Igris still won't actually use it.

Even though someone had actually taught her how to wield a sword and how to fight, Igris always felt that it was more than that.

Those legacies, those objects, those relics of people from the past.

She didn't know how to master that power itself, and to this day, the only thing that has truly responded to her is that scalpel.

"Ugh…"

Sure enough, she still tends to overthink, and when she's alone, the excessive and chaotic thoughts make her brain particularly prone to fatigue.

She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but she did become a little tired because of it.

Well then... goodnight.

If only I could have a good dream.

…………

Boom—

The sound of the speeding train pulled Igris back to reality.

It was very early, and the group had already set off.

The sun had just risen above the horizon, and even the snowflakes falling from the sky seemed extremely light and scattered.

Everyone else has rested well and is in good condition, enough to handle any unexpected events that may occur today.

If there are any unexpected events.

Igris looked out the window again at the rapidly passing ice field, her gaze slowly becoming unfocused once more.

She hadn't rested well, so this would be a good opportunity to take a nap.

But soon, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

The train was moving very fast, and even she only caught a glimpse of a shadow in the fleeting scenery outside the window.

A white shadow, it looks like a snowman someone built?

Igris didn't see it clearly, so she just felt something was a little strange.

Building a snowman next to the tracks—putting aside who would do such a thing in this wilderness—the fact that the snowman has remained standing in the snow for so long is strange enough.

Of course, this is on the premise that the snowman wasn't built recently.

"Igris".

"Ok?"

Someone called her name. She recognized the voice, but couldn't immediately place it.

She turned her head and looked towards the source of the sound.

But there was nothing there.

The others seemed to have noticed Igris's movements as well, and they all cast curious glances at her.

Perhaps her auditory hallucinations have worsened again; it's nothing to mention.

She turned her head again and looked out the car window.

A pale face appeared by the window, pressed against the glass, staring intently at Igris inside the train.

Igris didn't know where it came from, but it always felt familiar to her.

Perhaps it was that guy Igris just missed, the one she mistook for a snowman?

bang bang.

It started banging on the car window, making large, loud noises.

Even on a high-speed train, it can still stick tightly to the window, which, in a way, Igris thinks is quite impressive.

The sound of knocking on the train window quickly attracted the attention of others. The train conductor came over to Igris' side and looked at the figure leaning against the window.

He raised his gun, but before he could fire, the figure suddenly released his grip and disappeared into the snowfield.

The train conductor reluctantly put down his gun and looked at the quiet Igris.

"What's wrong? You seem a bit off?"

"I?"

Something doesn't seem right.

Igris shook her head and said nothing.

She also felt that something was wrong with her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

may be…

Feeling a little hungry?

When was the last time she ate with someone? Was it last night?

Then why... is her current hunger almost burning her stomach and tearing at her reason?