“Don’t move”
Gu Qing Shan hugged Su Xue Er closely and slowly walked from the side of the rail towards the middle part.
He sighed in relief and let Su Xue Er down gently.
——-the area on both sides of the rail were occupied with patches of bottomless darkness, he couldn’t infer the distance, nor could he deduce the depth of this darkness.
As for the area above the rail, he could see that the secret passage that guided them to this place gradually extending upwards and leading them further away.
The secret passage and the railway led to completely different locations.
Gu Qing Shan was a bit surprised to see this.
Who could’ve thought that there was a turning point in the secret passage?
This way no one would be able to reach this place during the same method I did.
But the good news was that the further we got away from the secret passage, the further we would also get from the owner of that giant skeletal hand.
The group above were still rowdy, seemingly thinking of a way to go down.
Taking this chance, Gu Qing Shan asked Su Xue Er:
“Your star chart activated? What is it displaying?”
“It’s displaying the name of this train, called The Explorer. There’s also a line of description here, it says…. ‘The train has entered hibernation, manual activation is hidden at the side of the 11th window on the 3rd compartment, a block-shaped button’”
Gu Qing Shan continued observing the metal train just in front of them and muttered: “Seems like this was a leftover relic of the Starlight Empire”
The entire train was divided into a total of 4 compartments, each one just a bit longer than 20 meters, silently docking on the rail.
At this point, Hazeden came down with his men.
“So it was a Technological artifact” Hazeden was surprised.
Guyan also went down.
“Didn’t you say it was an insect?” he glared at his subordinate.
The subordinate tried pleading: “My Lord, it really did look a lot like an insect”
No one tried to support his claim.
An insect almost 100-meter long… that literally scared everyone stiff.
Guyan apologetically said: “Sorry about that, our world is a Magic-type one, this guy hasn’t read too many outside books so he didn’t recognize Technological artifacts”
『 Who cares what it is, first we need to probe it 』Sha Qiang declared.
He made the gesture.
Two Purgatory Hounds clad in faint flames ran forward and arrived in front of the train.
They cautiously stared at the metal train and bared their fangs.
Everyone looked at them from behind.
All of a sudden, the two Purgatory Hounds began to bark:
“Woof woof woof woof woof!”
“GRrrrrr woof!”
The train remained still.
Sha Qiang rubbed his chin and pondered in a low voice: 『 Strange, it’s so big, maybe it’s the same as the skeletal hand up top and doesn’t care about the dogs? 』
Gu Qing Shan: “…”
Guyan: “…”
Hazeden: “…”
Su Xue Er tried explaining to him in a low voice: “——-This is a kind of transportation vehicle. Until it’s activated, it won’t react to anything”
『 Ahahaha, how could there be such a dumb thing! 』Sha Qiang mockingly laughed at it.
Everyone refrained from explaining anything at all.
Hazeden cleared his throat and stated: “Let us move forward and take a closer look”
“Indeed”
Everyone agreed.
The group walked up to the train and carefully observed it.
Most likely because it had been here for too long, the inside of the train was covered in a thick layer of dust that flew everywhere with the slightest touch.
Hazeden covered his mouth and nose, scowled, then ordered: “Clean it!”
“Understood, your majesty”
His subordinates leapt into action.
[Surging Wind] and a Water-type spell was used to wash both the inside and outside of the train, revealing its original appearance.
Guyan manifested a fire in the palm of his hand and illuminated the train.
He mused: “I don’t know what you think, but I can’t help but… sense a bad feeling from that”
There were dried-up bones of various creatures all around the rail track that crumbled at the slightest touch; quite obviously, they had been dead here for a considerable number of years.
As for the train——- the outside of the train was full of dents, slash marks, claw marks, and even scratch marks, as well as botches of graffiti-like blood that plastered all over the sides.
Evidently, an extremely harsh battle had occurred in this place.
A skeleton hung from a window of the train, maintaining a thrashing motion even though it had died.
It was stuck that way.
“Seems like we won’t be able to enter the train” Gu Qing Shan commented.
Hazeden spoke resolutely: “We don’t need to board this train”
“Why not?” Gu Qing Shan was surprised.
“If memory serves, these technological trains are usually very fast—– compared to ordinary humans”
“In the case that there is an issue up ahead if the train is moving too quickly, we wouldn’t be able to do anything beside crashing head on”
Guyan agreed: “Our bodies are currently mortal bodies, both crashing and jumping from the train into the darkness would definitely spell our deaths”
Saying so, he casually picked up a pebble from the track and threw it into the darkness on the side.
Everyone listened.
But there was no sound of impact.
There was no way to tell how deep it was.
Gu Qing Shan continued: “What you said is true, but we should still take a careful look at this thing first…”
He pulled Su Xue Er to check the train out.
Sha Qiang looked down and told the two Purgatory Hounds:
『 If we’re going on foot, go ahead and scout the road 』
The two Purgatory Hounds moved along the railway, quickly making their way forward.
While the others studied the marks on the outside of the train.
Someone drew their weapon and slashed the train.
Sparks flew.
But the metallic surface of the train was intact.
It was then that they understood how strong its defenses were.
Gu Qing Shan walked with Su Xue Er to circle around the train once.
The doors of the train compartments were shut close, refusing to be opened from the outside.
“Are there any schematics of the train’s structure on the star chart?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
“None” Su Xue Er shook her head.
All of a sudden, an electronic voice spoke up: [I have all the records of the Starlight Empire, currently extracting data related to The Explorer train]
Su Xue Er also heard that and was stunned.
“This is the Super Dimensional equipment, created and sent by Impartial Goddess” Gu Qing Shan explained.
While he was explaining that to her, somehow, the entire schematics of The Explorer train was displayed in his mind.
Gu Qing Shan seriously checked the various functions of the metal train before exhaling.
“Very impressive”
He couldn’t help but sigh.
“More impressive than our science and technology?” Su Xue Er asked.
“A lot more” Gu Qing Shan sincerely commented from the bottom of his heart.
“Compared to the Seraph——”
Su Xue Er was about to ask again, but was cut off by the electronic voice:
[Your Excellency Gu Qing Shan, would you like to know any other information?]
Su Xue Er begrudgingly went silent.
“Was it brainwave transmission that you used just now?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
[Indeed] the electronic voice asked.
“What kind of function did you keep exactly? Was it the brainwave transmission?” Gu Qing Shan asked again.
[Data transfer is a natural-born characteristic of all Technological lifeforms. The function that this Super Dimensional equipment retained is one used for war] the electronic voice replied.
Gu Qing Shan shrugged: “Then, what about weapons? I actually need a Technological weapon at the moment”
The electronic voice replied: [There is a great difference between a cosmetic tool and a weapon of war, this will require a certain amount of time]
“Alright, we’re in no rush, at least we have something to use now”
Gu Qing Shan reached his hand out and heavily pressed a block-shaped button on the outside of a train compartment.
——–this was exactly on the side of the 11th window on the 3rd compartment.
As soon as Gu Qing Shan pressed it, an unassuming grey doorknob appeared.
All of a sudden, Sha Qiang called out from the other side of the train: 『 Oh no! Both of my hounds just lost their lives! 』
Hazeden asked: “What’s the situation?”
『 A monster 』Sha Qiang shouted: 『 The track up ahead was already broken, a large monster is climbing up from below the track—— it’s heading towards us! 』
Everyone turned tense.
“Gather by my side, ready your formation!” Hazeden loudly ordered.
“Prepare for battle!” Guyan also declared.
Sha Qiang was clearly not enthusiastic: 『 Not good, that thing is too terrifying, with how we currently are— 』
Hazeden angrily refuted him: “If you want to sit there and get eaten, go ahead, we’re going to fight!”
Hearing that, Sha Qiang reluctantly got his act together and ordered the other evil creatures:
『 Everyone, get ready to risk your lives! 』
On the other side of the train.
Su Xue Er grabbed Gu Qing Shan’s hand and looked at him.
Gu Qing Shan gave her a confident look.
“It’ll be fine, just like you said before, knowledge can change one’s future”
He grabbed the grey doorknob and pulled.
Cra-rak!
Ooooo uuuu——-
The metal train started trembling.
A flash of light appeared from the train to scan everyone.
A second later, a cold and metallic voice resounded from inside the train:
[Performing self-check]
[Self-check completed, current state: 87% undamaged]
[Detected individual with the Starlight bloodline]
[Detected a great threat approaching the train]
[Imminent collision in one minute]
[Entering War Mode]
[Awaiting order]
As the voice stopped, a group of binary and data quickly scrolled across the black chassis of the train.
One minute left.
The clock was quickly ticking down.
Gu Qing Shan squeezed Su Xue Er’s hands that were holding his and said: “Xue Er, it’s your turn”
“Huh? Yes, I have the Starlight bloodline, but what should I do now?” Su Xue Er asked.
Gu Qing Shan recalled the various functions of the train and replied: “You need to grant me the authority to use this train”
Su Xue Er quickly understood and asked: “You’re going to use it to fight?”
The ground began to shake.
If one took the time to listen, there would be a loud and heavy sound of an entity running in their direction.
“The only people who understand technology here are you and I. Just now, I received the entire schematics of the train so I know how to use it——- not to mention I’m a lot more used to battling” Gu Qing Shan replied.
Su Xue Er worriedly said: “Then I want to join you as well”
“Of course, there’s a co-pilot seat” Gu Qing Shan told her.
The train began to speak again:
[Collision against the enemy quickly approaching]
[Beginning countdown: 20]
[19]
[18]
[17]
Su Xue Er loudly declared: “I authorize control to this man beside me and let him bring me into battle by his side, hurry!”
[Orders received]
The metallic voice calmed down as a flash of light shined across Gu Qing Shan and Su Xue Er.
The two of them disappeared instantly.
The train began to rise up on top of the track.
It reached out with two large metallic hands to grab the sides of the track to prevent itself from falling.
Right after that, countless metallic parts moved and shifted, quickly rearranging itself into a perfect humanoid form.
The metal giant stood straight up from a crouched position.
[Starlight Assault Mech Armor has been prepared, please select your weapon]
[—–selection complete]
[Sun Paralyzer Sword activated]
The metal giant drew a short metal club from its thigh.
Oong——-
A long and straight luminous shaft appeared from the metal club that ripped the void of space around it apart.
The metal giant lowered its body, wielded the sword, and retreated.
It had abruptly vanished from their sights!
『 Don’t pay any attention to that Technological artifact, look ahead! 』Sha Qiang loudly shouted.
Everyone quickly suppressed the various emotions in their hearts and readied themselves to face the track ahead.
The trembling was gradually growing heavier.
“Receive the enemy——”
Hazeden shouted.
A second later.
A humongous figure suddenly appeared from the darkness in front of them.
It had a body engulfed in black flames and a mouth full of teeth.
The monster was easily several dozen meters tall, the rails on the track that it stepped on were constantly being melted and collapsed.
Everything behind it had already been destroyed, leaving nothing but empty darkness!
It seemed almost like some sort of mythical monster!
The monster observed the group and declared with a booming voice: 「 Fresh meat, all of you are my food——- 」
Before it could finish, the metal giant appeared from its side.
The sword of light in its hand abruptly pierced through the monster’s chest!
