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墨書 Inktalez
In the 2030s, the Mutated Skeleton was a disaster caused by a certain type of alien toxic bacteria that attacked humanity, originating from a Subterranean Spaceship, compounded by the collaboration between Professor R and a mysterious organization. Complications arose as they used the Mutated Skeleton to research elements of immortality, leading to a large-scale collapse in Area A5.
During the 2030s, Matt was a trusted aide to Professor R. By the 2038s, had Matt already developed significant differences with Professor R?
Xiao Qiang remained silent, his mind inexplicably drifting to these chaotic thoughts. His hand instinctively reached into his backpack, pulling out a Glow Stick and igniting it, tossing it away. The faint green light of the Glow Stick appeared so small against the surrounding darkness; aside from the rustling sound beneath their feet, everything else was enveloped in an eerie silence.
The lord of the city walked in the center, feeling uneasy. In such situations, the more tense one felt, the more they wanted to talk to distract themselves. He had many things he wanted to say but couldn't find anyone to confide in. Behind him, Chixia maintained a cold demeanor; although she didn’t initiate conversation, she also didn’t express any sense of estrangement.
The Eagle City Lord was indeed a leader with great composure. He wanted to build a good relationship with Xiao Qiang, but every time he thought about saying something, he would see Xiao Qiang frowning in contemplation and would hold back his words, swallowing them instead.
Chixia carried equipment that exceeded her own weight; the M73 portable Rocket Launcher had an ammunition weight of 3.6 kilograms and an initial velocity of 200 meters per second. There were also three Rocket Launcher rounds in her backpack; according to Xiao Qiang’s calculations, those rounds should only be used in emergencies.
The Eagle City Lord slung a firearm over one shoulder, which was also quite heavy.
The three had been walking through the cave for a long time and had no idea if it was already dawn outside. Occasionally resting, Xiao Qiang still had little to say. He always found many reasons to keep his distance from Chixia, cautiously glancing around as he walked.
Chixia often spent time with the city lord, and they had thus developed a silent understanding. They helped each other carry necessary items together. Despite this cooperation, they hadn’t exchanged a single word; it was as if an invisible barrier separated them, preventing any verbal communication.
Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Qiang had become the leader among the three, taking on responsibilities for patrolling, checking their surroundings, scouting ahead, and providing protection.
After nearly two hours of walking, they finally took another break.
Xiao Qiang went off to patrol.
The city lord took the initiative to hand a bottle of water to Chixia. She paused slightly in surprise and hesitated before retrieving her own bottle from her backpack. The city lord gazed at her as if he saw her smile at him—subtle yet fleeting—filled with an intriguing melancholy.
The city lord told Xiao Qiang that Chixia could smile.
“Hmph, you must be seeing things.”
“Really! I saw it with my own eyes; she looks beautiful when she smiles.”
Xiao Qiang didn’t believe it and turned to look at Chixia again; her face remained cold and expressionless. He shook his head and said, “Let’s go! It seems we need to hurry up and get out of here. I originally wanted to find something flammable in this cave. But as it turns out, the walls are completely bare—there isn’t even a single hair.”
“What does that mean?” The city lord asked curiously.
“It means these caves are vampire territory. They often crawl around here; how could there be any living creatures? But it’s strange—why did we only see two inside? Where did the others go?”
“Is there a Fallen One escaping from the Shipyard?”
“Didn’t you notice? What’s wrong?”
“If there’s a Fallen One escaping, wouldn’t he take those vampires to do evil deeds?”
This remark jolted Xiao Qiang awake. He slapped his forehead and said, “That’s a possibility.” Turning to Chixia, he shouted, “Quick, let’s run!”
A series of hissing sounds from Glow Sticks and the chaotic sound of footsteps shattered the tranquility of the cave. A rumbling noise came from above them. At first, Xiao Qiang thought it was just an echo from their running, but after stopping to listen carefully, he realized the rumbling persisted.
Hearing that rumbling sound only indicated one thing: they were not far from the Ground. That rumbling might be a waterfall or perhaps the vibrations caused by wheels rolling over the road.
With this speculation, he felt a sense of relief. Especially the city lord, who was as happy as a child, his excited tone betraying him.
The distant Ground was finally within reach; fresh air rushed into their lungs like a new source of life. When Xiao Qiang and the city lord crawled out of what should now be called a cave, they were stunned.
They were at the top of a mountain, and the howling, rumbling noise came from the front of a Muffled Train. Peering into the distance, Xiao Qiang saw smoke billowing from the Muffled Train's engine, with screaming steam escaping from its exhaust.
What did this mean? A Muffled Train? The city lord was equally dumbfounded. Such a Muffled Train belonged to history in this era; it shouldn’t even exist!
Looking back at the two dark tracks extending into the forest, the city lord's face was filled with astonishment.
Xiao Qiang had never seen such a Muffled Train before; he hadn’t even encountered it in books. “What is that thing? A train?”
“It’s a Locomotive, but…” The city lord hesitated to explain what that thing was. However, he sensed something was off; the Muffled Train passed through the vampires' cave and emerged from that mysterious forest—where could it be going?
“But what?” It wasn’t just the city lord who felt something was wrong; Xiao Qiang found it hard to believe as well.
“This kind of vehicle has long been obsolete; how could it possibly appear?”
“Where is that vehicle headed?”
“To a small town.”
“What’s its name?”
“Huainan Town.”
“What was Huainan Town like in the past?”
“It was an ancient city with a long history, but it has been almost completely destroyed.”
Xiao Qiang racked his brain, suddenly recalling that Matt had mentioned the ancient city as the place where they grew up. Could it be…? He dared not continue that line of thought and could only speculate about what lay within the Muffled Train. Who would be driving the Muffled Train? What were they trying to do?
“Quick, let’s chase the Muffled Train.”
“…” The town lord was left dumbfounded, thinking to himself: How on earth can we chase it? It’s rolling on wheels while I’ve just crawled out of a hole, exhausted like a dog, and now I’m supposed to chase after the Muffled Train?
As he spoke, Xiao Qiang suddenly noticed that Chixia had not yet emerged. He hurriedly turned back to look for her, only to see her struggling to move forward with great difficulty… It was as if an invisible force from the hole had suddenly yanked her back in.
Everything happened so mysteriously; under Xiao Qiang’s gaze, Chixia vanished into thin air. More accurately, something in the hole had pulled her inside.
Xiao Qiang shouted and sprinted after her.
The town lord stood there in shock, at a loss for what to do, barely able to blink as he watched Xiao Qiang instantly dive back into the very hole he had just emerged from.
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