r18novel Chapter 357 A Wasteland
Chapter 357 A Wasteland
Chapter 357 A Wasteland
woo-woo-woo
The eerie sound of the steam horn seemed to be a ghostly lament from another world.
It carries an indescribable sense of vicissitude and sorrow, slowly echoing in this desolate world.
At first, the sound was very faint, like a sigh drifting from a very far place. It passed through the ruins of dilapidated high-rise buildings, swept over the crumbling walls that had once been magnificent but were now just ruins, and echoed hollowly in the ruins.
Then, the sound gradually became clearer, but it sounded even more eerie.
The sharp tone stirred the smoke-filled air, making everything around tremble.
Tang Zijun suddenly shuddered, feeling her fleeting thoughts re-entering her body.
He subconsciously reached out to rub his temples, but the moment he made the movement, he suddenly realized something was wrong with his surroundings, and he stopped.
The scene before me had changed without me even realizing it; the familiar golden train interior had vanished, and all around me were metal walls gleaming with a ghostly light.
Strange blue patterns shimmered on the wall, like some kind of mysterious symbol, yet also like flowing electricity, feeling as if they were some kind of embedded electrical conductor conduit.
His gaze swept across the room again, and he found himself sitting in a row of soft, unfamiliar seats.
The seat was made of a very cold material with a peculiar feel, unlike any material he knew of; in any case, there was definitely nothing like this on Katie's train.
Slightly straightening her body, Tang Zijun tentatively began to speak.
"Katie?"
The abrupt sound echoed in the carriage, but received no response.
"Curled ears?" Tang Zijun stood up slightly and spoke again. "Please be sure to tell me you're not joking with me, otherwise..."
Looking around, more details of the eerie train came into Tang Zijun's view. The surroundings were full of technological products, with various complex instruments and displays flashing different colored lights.
Strangely, the entire train was empty.
There was no noise from passengers, nor the busy figures of flight attendants, only the cold machinery running incessantly.
Tang Zijun cautiously walked towards the train window, but when his gaze fell upon the scenery outside, his face suddenly froze, and the rest of his sentence was slowly uttered.
"...Otherwise, it means I'm in trouble again."
Outside the window lay a desolate world, the earth cracked and riddled with bottomless ravines.
Beyond the horizon, several dilapidated buildings stood crookedly, like old men overwhelmed by disaster. A thick layer of gray dust filled the sky, obscuring the light and shrouding the whole world in a gloomy atmosphere.
Occasionally, a few faint rays of light would pierce through the dust, but they brought no warmth; instead, they added to the desolation.
Far to the right of the train, an enormous aircraft crashed to the ground. Calling it an aircraft was not accurate; it was more like a spaceship, a hundred meters in size, with rusty cannon barrels clearly visible on it.
Tang Zijun unconsciously gripped the edge of the window, and an unsettling thought popped into his mind.
The train is traveling over a wasteland.
Just as Tang Zijun was at a loss, a faint voice entered his ears. Although the voice was very faint, it was very clear to Tang Zijun.
Tang Zijun was certain that it was not the sound of machinery in operation, because when he caught the sound and listened carefully, he soon heard a tense gasp.
It can breathe!?
Tang Zijun turned her head sharply in the direction from which the sound came, her eyes narrowing slightly. It must be coming from the next carriage.
With a flash of silver light, the Wolf Rider Belt appeared at Tang Zijun's waist.
Although we don't know exactly what happened, in this strange environment, the sudden appearance of life forms may not necessarily bring salvation, but rather pose a greater threat.
Without any intention of concealing herself, Tang Zijun strode directly towards the next carriage. After the automatic sensor door slowly opened, a woman holding a curved knife and looking nervous appeared in front of Tang Zijun.
"Lord Wolf Rider!?"
A familiar voice rang in my ears.
Tang Zijun was also stunned on the spot.
"Grélando?"
Blinking, Tang Zijun suddenly frowned.
"What are you doing here?"
"I...I don't know." Gloria looked very tense, gripping her scimitar tightly. Her gaze lingered on Tang Zijun for a moment before she took a small step back. "Wait, are you Lord Wolf Rider?"
Tang Zijun paused slightly as he was about to step forward. He admired the other party's cautious mercenary spirit, but he was also somewhat speechless.
"Of course I'm a wolf rider, who else could I be?"
"Prove your identity." Glulandor raised the hand holding the knife slightly. "What did you secretly tell me in the tent last time, when Lady Hyacinth wasn't there?"
"Huh?" Tang Zijun was taken aback.
"Answer my question!" Grílando retorted without backing down.
Seeing her insistence and hostility, Tang Zijun couldn't help but twitch her lips.
After a pause, Tang Zijun slowly spoke. "I don't think I've ever spoken to you alone before."
Upon hearing this, Grilando's eyes shifted constantly. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly lowered the scimitar in her hand.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed again. "I apologize, sir. Please forgive my rudeness. I was only doing this for your safety."
"I understand, I understand..." Tang Zijun waved her hand.
He now realized that Grilando's question was a trap for him. If someone didn't know the truth, they might actually be exposed. However, what she didn't know was that she had already revealed the answer when she asked the question.
It's important to understand that the languages of the real world and the dream world are different. Without Hyacinth acting as a translator, Tang Zijun wouldn't understand the other person's language at all, let alone have a private conversation.
Wait a minute!
Tang Zijun's expression suddenly changed slightly. He subconsciously touched his pocket, and when he found that his pocket was empty, and remembered that Hyacinth had returned to the New Crown Royal City, his face instantly darkened.
If Hyacinth isn't here, how am I supposed to understand Grilando's language?
"My lady? What's wrong? You look... a little pale." Gloria looked at Tang Zijun with a puzzled expression and asked hesitantly.
"I'm fine." Tang Zijun didn't dwell on the question, but immediately looked up at Gloriand. "You haven't answered my question yet, how did you get here?"
"I... I don't know either." Gloriand sheathed her scimitar, then recalled for a moment. "I only remember that I was handling important matters in Black City at the time, preparing to head to the river front after dawn. Didn't you tell me to keep an eye on that dealer?"
"And then?" Tang Zijun asked again.
"Then... I don't remember the specifics very well, but I think I was calculating the distribution of food. No one else in the mercenary group could do this, so I always did it myself. Then I got a little tired, and in the blink of an eye, I woke up here."
As she spoke, Grilando looked up and observed the surrounding scenery.
"My lord, this must also be a creation called a 'train,' right? It looks so exquisite, even more beautiful than Lady Kitty's... Ah, please forgive me, I didn't mean to belittle Lady Kitty, I just..."
"No need to apologize, you're absolutely right, this thing..." Tang Zijun said softly, staring at the visible electrical current pulsating on the ceiling. "This thing is indeed much more advanced than Katie's steam train."
Strange codes and images, along with odd symbols everywhere, seem like some kind of mysterious incantation, all highlighting the unique nature of this train.
The most bizarre thing was the environment outside the window. If Tang Zijun hadn't been used to watching all kinds of sci-fi blockbusters, she probably wouldn't have been able to accept all of this in a short time.
However, Grelando on the other side had a rather unusual ability to accept things. Perhaps she had developed a habit from Tang Zijun's repeated frights, because she actually began to look at the scenery outside the window with great interest.
"My lord, this must be the world you live in."
"What?"
"This is it." Gloria curiously stroked the metal frame of the window, then pointed outside. "I never imagined there was such a vast world, and the buildings in the distance look so magnificent."
At this point, Gloriam sighed again. "It's a pity that even this place was affected by the War of the Gods. If it hadn't been destroyed, the scenery here would surely be beautiful..."
"No, you might have misunderstood." Tang Zijun couldn't help but interrupt, seeing the somewhat lost look on Gloriand's face. "This isn't my hometown. My hometown is fine; it wasn't destroyed."
Upon hearing this, Gloriand was first taken aback, then looked at Tang Zijun in disbelief. "This...this isn't your hometown?"
"That's not true, and my hometown..." Tang Zijun turned to look at the distant spaceship wreckage. "...is really not as technologically advanced as this place."
"What does 'technological level' mean?" Grelando asked, somewhat confused.
"Just think of it as a professional term. Just like the extraordinary abilities that magicians and knights cultivate, technology is also a way to bring about extraordinary abilities," Tang Zijun explained casually.
"Oh..." Gloria nodded thoughtfully, then couldn't help but look up and ask, "But... if this isn't your hometown, does that mean it wasn't you who teleported me here?"
"But if you didn't summon me, then who summoned us?"
As they were talking, the train suddenly came to a slow stop.
Perhaps the train's shock absorption was really good, because the two of them didn't feel the train slowing down at all while they were chatting. They only noticed it after the doors slowly opened.
Looking at the desolate world outside the door, Tang Zijun turned to look at Grelando.
"There's probably only one way to find the answer to this question..."