Chapter 47: Tunnel Railways
“Forget about that, Mister 123, take a look at this wall. Do you feel any wind coming through from inside?”
The Dragon Slayer knocked on the hard rock, seeking Tyr’s opinion. The somewhat embarrassed man pressed his cheek against the wall, closed his eyes, and as he calmed down, he indeed felt a slight cool breeze brushing against his face.
“There is indeed wind. So what do we do next?”
“What else can we do…?” The Dragon Slayer made a show of clenching his fist and blowing on it, then without further ado, he struck the wall with a powerful punch.
Boom!!
The wall, without even a proper crack, was instantly punched through, revealing a massive hole in front of the two.
“Of course, it’s direct destruction.”
Dragon Slayer clapped his hands quite satisfied, which made Tyr unable to help but feel speechless. He hoped the other party would at least finish speaking before taking action, so he could have some psychological preparation.
Dragon Slayer couldn’t know Tyr’s embarrassment. He leaned his head out of the hole, frowning involuntarily.
“Mr. 123, come and take a look.”
“What’s wrong?” Tyr walked over to Dragon Slayer’s side and looked out of the hole.
At a glance, his face couldn’t help but change color.
“What is this?!”
Inside was a huge tunnel, with a width of about a hundred meters or so. As for the length, it couldn’t be seen. Compared to the dim fluorescence on the side of the altar, the tunnel was fitted with perpetual stones that could illuminate the entire city. What was interesting was the endless steel bars laid on the ground, and upon careful observation, one could see that there were small stones inside the tunnel.
Mr. 123, I heard that the Sigril Empire invented a large passenger-carrying apparatus called a train. The description in the books matches the rails meant for carrying trains.”
“Trains, I see.” Tyr had heard of them in reports about the Shadowstone, but even the Sigril Empire didn’t have many railway tracks, as they were too costly in terms of labor and resources.
“So, does that mean we can follow the rails to get out?”
“In theory, that’s how it should be. So, what do you say? Shall we push on and try our luck? Who knows, a train might pass by halfway.”
Dragon Slayer’s suggestion left Tyr silent.
“Are you worried about the four outside…?”
“No, I’ve told them that if things don’t look right, they can choose to retreat. With their abilities, leaving shouldn’t be a problem.” Tyr wasn’t worried about that aspect; it’s just that he felt something was off about this tunnel.
Roars echoed throughout the underground. Tyr and Dragon Slayer’s pupils contracted as they looked at each other and immediately jumped down.
“That ogre seems to have climbed out. There’s only one path in this underground, and it will soon find its way here. We need to leave quickly, left or right.”
Dragon Slayer stretched out both hands, pointing to the paths on both sides that seemed endless.
“Why do you always leave the choice to me? It’s clearly you who analyzes every time.”
Tyr couldn’t help but mutter to himself, then turned towards the front and said,
“Right, let’s go!”
“Okay.”
The two moved at a speed that could not be considered slow. Tyr, who was originally somewhat exhausted, had now recovered half of his strength, so maintaining his agility while moving was no problem at all.
Endless tunnels, even though they had been sprinting for ten minutes, it still felt like they were going nowhere.
“This is really boring.”
“There’s no helping it. Given the current situation, you wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with that big guy, would you?” Dragon Slayer waved his hand, speaking the truth. Tyr never wanted to encounter that tough-skinned, fast-healing, and gigantic creature ever again.
“Huh? There’s a building ahead.”
“Where?”
“Up ahead!”
“It’s too small, I can’t see.”
“Mr. 123, your IQ isn’t enough, and your gaze isn’t good either,” Dragon Slayer sneered, and Tyr suddenly felt a burning sensation on his face.
As they approached, what appeared before their eyes was a building resembling a fortress, embedded in the rock wall and looking magnificent.
“It seems like there should be people here.”
“I wonder if walking in this tunnel like this will make us look like intruders or suspicious characters.” Tyr expressed his concern, but Dragon Slayer shrugged dismissively in response.
“As long as we explain the situation clearly, we should be able to pass through. After all, the military rarely troubles mercenaries.”
“Let’s hope so.”
As they approached the fortress, surprisingly, no one came out to stop them.
“Let’s go in.”
After exchanging a glance and reaching a consensus, the two walked in cautiously.
Inside the fortress was a place resembling a military base, with not only a huge training ground but also small buildings for soldiers to live in. However, strangely, there was not a soul in sight.
The vast fortress seemed as if everyone had vanished into thin air, the silence making it unbearable.
“We can’t even encounter anyone like this?” Dragon Slayer said with some frustration, hands on her hips.
“How can a fortress like this be devoid of people? The books say that there should be a guard fortress every hundred kilometers in the tunnels.”
“So you knew, then? You lied to me just now.”
“Oh, well, it’s just what I read in books. I’m not sure either,” Dragon Slayer scratched his head, seeming a bit annoyed by the sudden appearance of the empty fortress.
