Zongwang: Unspeakable fear!

Chapter 960 The Traveler Who Boarded Midway (3K views, please vote)
The serpent of wind swept across the forgotten land, its alchemical engine, a fusion of steel and flesh, emitting a long and violent howl. The metal body rumbled, its wheels crushing mud and torrential rain, and the afterimages of the dancing lightning snakes flashed by on the metal trailer at the rear.

Wherever he went, farmers stopped and travelers paused.

In the warm and quiet carriage, Gao Yang sat cross-legged in his seat, with You Miao and Phil sitting opposite him, listening attentively. Nearby, Milofina lay leisurely in her cat bed.

This is their sixth day aboard the Gale Serpent. In these six days, the Gale Serpent has traversed the Earth Domain and is currently traveling through the Storm Domain, heading southeast.

The Storm Domain and the Doom Domain are closely connected, and the route they are currently taking is the shortest route to reach the Doom Domain.

The conductor of the Gale Serpent had assured Gao Yang that they would arrive at the Doomed Domain within ten days.

Boom!

The dazzling lightning tore through the rain curtain, and for a moment, it also ripped apart the darkness that shrouded the world.

Gao Yang's gaze pierced through the rain and looked into the distance.

There, the tops of the four watchtowers shone brightly, and even tonight's torrential rain could not completely extinguish them.

The moment Gao Yang saw the watchtower, he knew they had arrived at another checkpoint in the Storm Domain.

The metal train began to slow down, causing rainwater to slide down the glass surfaces outside the windows, blurring the view for passengers inside.

After a moment, the train came to a complete stop.

Scandium chirp~
Milky white, high-temperature steam billowed from the bottom of the alchemical car, finally giving this enormous alchemical creation a brief respite.

The train conductor stepped off the train with a smile and readily cooperated with the guards at the watchtower for inspection.

Such inspections are commonplace for the Chamber of Commerce; as long as one has a pass, it's just a routine check.

Of course, if contraband is found on the vehicle, then the trouble will be much greater.

However, the Gale Merchant Guild has always only dealt in express and expedited services. Although the business of contraband is highly profitable, they never touch it, so they have no such concerns.

As he expected, after a brief inspection, the watchtower guard chief came up to him and said expressionlessly, "Train conductor Gale, the inspection is almost complete."

Upon hearing this, the train conductor laughed heartily and smoothly took out a wine bottle from his ring. The wine inside emitted a faint golden starlight, which was still clearly visible even in the darkness.

When the watchtower guard saw the train conductor hand him a bottle of wine, unlike in the past when he would simply accept it, he raised his hand to stop the other man's attempt to build camaraderie.

Under the train conductor's slightly puzzled gaze, the head guard said in a deep voice, "There's something I need your help with."

As he spoke, he glanced at the train that was still under inspection.

The train conductor immediately understood the guard's meaning: if he didn't help with this, then the inspection would absolutely not pass.

He smiled and handed the wine bottle to the other man, saying, "Sir, what are you saying? Just give the order."

The guard captain calmly put away the wine, then said in a deep voice, "There is a guest who wants to travel with you to the Doomed Domain."

You need not worry. Your journey will not be subject to any checks afterward. Once you reach the Realm of Misfortune, the guest will leave on his own, and will not be detected by the people of the Realm of Misfortune.

Upon hearing this, the train conductor's smile froze. He stared intently at the guard captain in front of him, trying to discern something from his round face.

But the guard captain's expression remained completely unchanged in the face of his gaze.

The train conductor's heart leaped into his throat, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

This is illegal immigration!

Getting caught will get you killed!
Not only him, but the Gale Merchant Guild behind him will also be punished by the Doom Domain, and everything will be destroyed as a result.

A bitter expression crossed his face. He swallowed hard, forcing back the foam in his mouth, and struggled to say, "Bishop Luo Lian of the Storm Church is our president's brother, sir, you see..."

"He's just a guest, don't overthink it." The guard captain didn't respond, but emphasized again.

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the watchtower, leaving only a low murmur that pierced the rain and struck the train conductor's heart: "If you don't do it, then just wait."

Knock knock! Knock!

Two light taps and one heavy tap sounded, attracting the attention of Gao Yang and the others in the carriage.

"My lords, I apologize for disturbing you, but there is something I need to discuss with you. May I come in?" The train conductor's voice rang out from outside the door.

You Miao looked at Gao Yang, and Gao Yang nodded.

So You Miao got up and opened the car door.

Outside the door, the train conductor, Kuangfeng, wore a forced smile, with water droplets still dripping from his hair, whether from rain or sweat, it was hard to tell.

He stood at the door, bowed apologetically, and said, "The guard captain of this watchtower has a friend who wants to travel to the Doomed Domain by carriage temporarily, but there is no space left in the other carriages."

Therefore, I would like to ask you two gentlemen, would you be willing to allow this gentleman to spend the next few days of your trip with you?

Gao Yang looked at the train conductor. Although the other party was discussing the matter, the meaning behind his words was already clear.

If they don't want to, there might only be that adult in the carriage.

Gao Yang nodded, which relieved the train conductor.

If he agrees, great; if he doesn't, he'll have no choice but to ask these two generous gentlemen to get off the bus.

"I apologize for disturbing you two."

After the train conductor finished speaking, he bowed again and then closed the train door.

A few minutes later, there was another knock on the car door. You Miao went to open it and saw a man of medium build and average appearance, around thirty years old, standing outside. "Greetings, both of you."

The man stood at the door, pointed to the carriage behind You Miao, and said, "May I come in?"

You Miao subconsciously stepped aside to let the man standing in front of the door in.

The man brushed past You Miao, nodding in thanks: "Thank you."

He then entered the carriage, sat down at an empty table, and introduced himself:
“We’ll be spending the next few days together. My name is Fred, and it’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

After Fred sat down in the carriage, Gao Yang turned to look at him. Although he did not sense any fluctuation of aura from Fred, his instincts told him that the man in front of him was not simple.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before he spoke: "Klein, his name is Leonard."

You Miao's eyes were strange, but she managed to control herself before Fred turned to look at her, and nodded calmly.

As for Milofina and Phil, they can simply pretend to be non-verbal superhuman cats.

"I heard that Mr. Klein and Mr. Leonard want to go to the Doom Domain to see the Undying Turtles?" Fred nodded to the two men and then started the conversation with a smile.

"We are interested in this."

Gao Yang did not deny it. After answering, he asked in return, "Mr. Fred, you must be in a hurry to get on the train in this rainy night, right?"

“Who can argue with that? In fact, if my business in the Doomsday Cult hadn’t been disrupted, I wouldn’t have dared to bother you two in this weather.”

A hint of annoyance flashed across Fred's face as he spoke.

Gao Yang nodded in agreement and said, "The business world is like a battlefield; indeed, not a moment can be wasted."

Mr. Fred's ability to expand his business to the realm of doom is truly admirable.

"It's still not easy," Fred said, shaking his head with a smile.

Gao Yang stared at the other person for a few seconds before looking away.

Since we don't know the other party's true intentions, we can only try to minimize contact.

As the train set off again, the carriage fell silent.

Neither You Miao, Phil, nor Milofina exchanged any words.

Fred didn't try to find any more topics to talk about. He just sat quietly in his chosen seat, eating and reading as usual, without a trace of anxiety on his face.

Three days passed quietly, and the Gale Serpent arrived at a border point between the Storm Domain and the Doom Domain while speeding along.

The closer they got to the border, the faster the train conductor's heart pounded. Looking at the checkpoints set up at the border ahead, he felt his mouth go dry.

He grabbed a bottle of liquor from the ice bucket beside him, took a big gulp, and let the icy sensation travel up his chest and down to his stomach.

A strong chill swept over him, causing his heart rate to slow slightly.

A moment later, the whirlwind train slowly came to a stop in front of the checkpoint.

The guards at the checkpoint, spears in hand, pointed at the train conductor, Gale Train, who had just stepped off the train, and roared with stern faces, "Everyone off the train for inspection!"

Before the train conductor could say anything more, a fierce-looking guard blocked his way, his blade already drawn and carrying a light breeze, silencing him completely. He could only watch helplessly as everyone was called off the train.

Gao Yang and You Miao stood by the carriage, watching the guards of the Storm Church inspect each passenger with a mirror as tall as a person.

Whenever a passenger stands in front of the mirror, the mirror surface bursts with holy light.

Gao Yang doesn't understand this mechanism, but so far there have been no abnormalities.

"Next!"

Gao Yang raised an eyebrow. All the passengers in front of him had finished their checks, so he stepped forward to the mirror.

The guard beside the mirror glanced at him, and holy light shone from the mirror onto Gao Yang.

One second, two seconds.
Gao Yang in the mirror did not react at all, nor did the holy light.

"Pass!"

Gao Yang strode forward, and You Miao followed two seconds later.

The train conductor, whose heart was pounding in his chest, looked at Fred standing in front of the mirror and prayed incessantly.

When the holy light emanating from the mirror turned into pure black, his eyes were filled with utter despair.

The darkness, so profound that not even a ray of light could escape, completely swallowed up any remaining hope in his heart.

Fred stood in front of the mirror, a look of helplessness on his face. He looked up at Gao Yang and You Miao, who were walking ahead, and said apologetically, "Klein, Leonard, I'm sorry to have dragged you into this."

As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly transformed into a blur, rushing towards the border checkpoint in front of him.

The guards here reacted immediately. From the watchtower not far away, several powerful auras soared into the sky, and the howling wind transformed into azure dragons, heading straight for Fred.

At the same time, a furious shout exploded in the sky: "Heretics!"

Gao Yang frowned, looked at the guards who had surrounded him, and sighed softly.

In the end, he was dragged into the mess and became someone who drew the enemy's fire.

(End of this chapter)