章節 18: CHAPTER 18 – IF ONLY IT WERE THAT EASY
The day gradually began to darken.
The entire Aragane Station lit up with the flickering flames of oil lamps, resembling stars scattered across the land, bringing a touch of warmth to the air.
The silver moon started to rise high in the sky.
Cicadas chirped among the trees.
In front of each humble house, people laughed and chatted with one another, turning the warmth in the air into a cozy atmosphere.
No one knew that on the railway, several hundred meters away from Aragane Station, a train was approaching at an extremely fast speed towards the Aragane Station.
The train was entirely made of steel, resembling a running fortress made of metal.
The Iron Fortress, covered in steel, raced into a tunnel, heading towards Aragane Station.
On top of the steel walls of Aragane Station, a samurai responsible for guarding the gate peered through a telescope in the direction of the tunnel and spotted the Hayajiro approaching at an extremely fast speed.
Immediately, the samurai spoke up.
"Fusoujou is coming!"
Hearing this, the surrounding samurai each reacted and turned their gaze toward the tunnel.
"Has it finally arrived?"
"Quite punctual."
"It must be the Fusoujou scheduled to arrive today, right?"
"There's no other possibility."
The samurai's tone remained relaxed.
After all, the arriving Fusoujou was the Hayajiro that had been scheduled to arrive today from the beginning. It should not pose any problems by arriving on time.
(From Translator- The Fusoujou is an extraordinary Hayajiro that traces its origins back to Hayatani Station. Following its departure from the now-defunct Hayatani Station, an unexpected turn of events led to its unfortunate hijacking by the Kabane, resulting in the breach of Aragane Station.
The Hayajiro, an ingenious invention designed for the transportation of people and goods between stations, serves a dual purpose as a mobile shield against the Kabane menace. Powered by the remarkable McRucky Engine, an engineering marvel hailing from the United Kingdom, these locomotives utilize a cutting-edge vapor compression system within their steam engines. This innovative mechanism ensures the generation of substantial power output, enabling the efficient movement of the Hayajiro units.)
This thought marked the beginning of a tragic turn of events.
"Open the city gate! Lower the drawbridge!"
Amidst the shouting, the gate of Aragane Station's steel wall, which protected the last paradise for humans, slowly opened, and the drawbridge outside the gate was gradually lowered, connecting the railway leading to Aragane Station.
"Dū dū dū dū dū—!"
The ear-piercing sound of a whistle resounded in the area.
The steel train named Fusoujou, moved at an extremely fast speed as it approached Aragane Station, shining with a cold gleam.
At that moment, not a single one of the stationed samurai at Aragane Station noticed anything wrong with it.
On this Fusoujou, dark figures clung to it like spiders.
Upon closer inspection, each of these dark figures had a glowing heart at their core.
The Fusoujou, carrying the monsters called Kabane, rushed toward Aragane Station.
…
At the outskirts of Aragane Station, there were warehouses standing in a row.
At this moment, the door of one of the houses was opened.
Fang Li walked out of the door, wearing a cold-resistant cloak and bracing against the howling wind as he made his way to a high point.
Fang Li stood there, at the cliff-like height, looking in one direction.
That direction precisely led to the only door that led to the outside of the Aragane Station.
Gazing at the door, Fang Li first checked the items in his leg bag.
Stamina Recovery Potion… Unopened, Check!
Injury Recovery Potion… half a bottle remaining, Check!
Energy Compression Cookies… Intact, Check!
Water bottle… filled with water, Check!
Fang Li touched his dagger, which was sheathed at his back waist.
"Everything is ready, all that's left is to wait."
If he guessed correctly, today was the start of the plot. And now, the Fusoujou filled with Kabane should be rushing towards Aragane Station.
"When that Fusoujou charges into Aragane Station, the test will begin."
In the end, will Fang Li successfully die under the siege of the Kabane army?
Or will he successfully meet with Yomokawa Ayame, board the train for escape, and flee Aragane Station?
"It all depends on my luck."
After saying that, Fang Li leaped down, slid down the slope, and ran in a certain direction.
…
Having spent three days in Aragane Station, Fang Li hadn't come away empty-handed.
During those three days, Fang Li had been diligently gathering information in his daily work.
So, Fang Li knew exactly where the escape train was located.
Originally, Fang Li planned to find Yomokawa Ayame and protect her nearby until Aragane Station fell, and then escape with Yomokawa Ayame on the Iron Fortress Train.
However, Fang Li was just a Wanderer. If he stayed by Yomokawa Ayame's side all the time, aside from considering Konochi Kurusu's reaction, the Samurai of the Yomokawa family would definitely not stand idly by and might even suspect him of having ulterior motives.
Therefore, Fang Li decided to wait until night, calculate the timing, and head directly toward the direction of the escaping Iron Fortress Train.
If the original plot developed smoothly, Yomokawa Ayame would undoubtedly arrive there under the protection of Konochi Kurusu and a group of Samurai.
By then, Fang Li would meet up with Yomokawa Ayame at the Iron Fortress and escape from Aragane Station, thus completing Main Quest Two.
"If only it were that easy." Running along the crowded streets, Fang Li squinted his eyes as he thought of this.
In the original story, Yomokawa Ayame successfully escaped from Aragane Station and did not die at the hands of the Kabane.
In other words, as long as he didn't interfere and followed the plot, Fang Li could almost solve Main Quest Two without making a move.
However, Fang Li didn't believe that the God Dimension Space would issue a Quest that was equivalent to handing Exchange Points to the main Divine Envoy.
"If something unexpected happens…"
Main Quest Two would fail.
"At least, I hope nothing unexpected happens before we meet at the Iron Fortress."
Just saying those words felt like a luxury.
"Only fate will decide." Leaving those words behind, Fang Li adjusted his breathing and picked up his pace.
Just as Fang Li was about to rush into the street, something unexpected happened.
"Bang!"
A loud impact reverberated through the quiet night sky.
Fang Li abruptly turned his head and looked toward the source of the sound.
In the direction of Aragane Station's city gate, a heavily armored train crashed through the gate, swirling in the air like a flung cloth before landing on a nearby house with tremendous impact and weight, stirring up dust and rubble.
"Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding!"
One by one, the golden bells on the watchtowers spread throughout Aragane Station were struck, resonating throughout the entire station.
That was the alarm.
The alarm that notified the residents to seek refuge when the Kabane invaded the base.
Suddenly, a moment of silence fell over the entire Aragane Station and after a brief pause, terrified screams began to echo one after another.
"Ka… Kabane!"
"Kabane!"
"The Kabane are here!"
People started running frantically, one after another.
Aragane Station descended into complete chaos.
The fall had begun.
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