Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1174

"The snow is landing on the train's roof, not passing through... It's solid."

Jenkins made his assessment from the window, gazing at the ghostly green steam locomotive for a long moment before drawing the window and curtains shut. He then delved into his memories, searching for any relevant clues.

Back in Nolan City, in the Fidektri Kingdom, sailors' legends were full of tales like the "ghost ship." The original Jenkins had even heard similar stories from his father, Robert, as a child. But Jenkins never expected to encounter a "ghost train." Then again, upon reflection, a Series B Transcendent Object matching this description did, in fact, exist.

"B-11-03-7391, the Dawn Express Steam Train!"

This was a Transcendent Object only officially confirmed and cataloged ten years ago. As railway tracks spread across the continent, its appearances had grown increasingly frequent. The most update n0vels are published on novel·fire.net

According to the records, this train only ever appeared alongside existing tracks, running parallel to a real train. The tracks it ran on were illusory, the same ghostly green as its chassis. No obstacle—not tunnel walls, not lampposts, not even station buildings—could impede the Dawn Express's advance.

The name "Dawn Express" was inscribed on the ghostly green front of the engine, which is how it got its designation. The script was the common tongue of the material world, but the specific lettering and style offered no clue as to its origin.

B-11-03-7391 had three distinct characteristics. First, it only appeared at night and would vanish the instant dawn broke. While present, its existence could not be proven by any means other than human perception; neither steam-powered technology nor an Enchanter's spells could capture its image.

Second, while the Dawn Express was present, only the passengers on the parallel train could board it by jumping across. For anyone else—creatures outside, or even the crew of the real train—touching the Dawn Express was like touching a phantom. There was no interaction, no effect in either direction.

The purpose of this was unknown, but failure had dire consequences. When the Dawn Express vanished, one-third of the passengers on the parallel train would die from causes like heart attacks, asthma, or acute organ failure. This figure was terrifyingly precise: if the one-third calculation resulted in a decimal, the number of deaths would be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Furthermore, if the real train attempted to stop or otherwise avoid running alongside the Dawn Express, the moment it decelerated to one-third of its original speed, the entire train would vanish along with its spectral twin. Should any individual try to jump off, they too would disappear before ever touching the ground.

The Dawn Express had been documented appearing 49 times in the last decade, and its characteristics had proven unerringly consistent.

Though it all sounded bizarre, the Dawn Express Steam Train only had a danger rating of 3. Once its rules were understood, even a well-prepared ordinary person could potentially stop its deadly effect.

So, from Jenkins's perspective, encountering the Dawn Express wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, due to a principle of mutual exclusion, special Transcendent phenomena rarely manifested in the same place at the same time. With the Dawn Express here, once he dealt with this trouble, he could probably look forward to a period of peace.

After calming the somewhat agitated maids, Jenkins gave a few instructions to the butler and prepared to climb onto the roof.

"How could we possibly let you handle this yourself? The princess assigned us to..."

"I'll handle it," Jenkins cut him off. "Remember, Dolores sent you here to serve me, not to protect me. That's a key distinction."

With that, he paid the butler no more mind and went straight to his bedroom to change out of his sleepwear. He had intended to leave his cat behind, but the feline protested, so Jenkins had no choice but to bring it along.

For the man Jenkins was now, climbing onto the train's roof wasn't a difficult task. It was a simple, three-step process: first, find a window large enough to climb through and open it. Second, stand on the sill and reach up for a sturdy handhold. Finally, leap up and vault onto the roof.

Before starting, he had to check his pockets for any loose items. One careless move and they would be lost forever to the roaring wind.

The moonlight was faint tonight, hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. The train was moving at high speed, and the top of the carriage was buffeted by fierce wind and snow, so Jenkins had no interest in admiring the scenery.

Once he found his balance, he scanned the roof of the Dawn Express, looking for a handhold. After judging the distance, he braced himself against the wind, stood up, took a two-step running start, and leaped into the air.

His body soared across the gap, his shadow flitting over the ground rushing by below. With a solid thud, Jenkins landed squarely on the other train's roof. There was no time to take in his surroundings; his hand swept forward and to the left, fingers closing around a protruding metal ring.

The ring on the roof of the Dawn Express wasn't merely decorative; it was the handle for a trapdoor. Jenkins had no idea why anyone would install a trapdoor here, but he could only surmise it was for maintenance access.

He glanced back at his own train, gave a nod to the worried face of the butler peering from the window, then pulled the trapdoor open and jumped down, his cat in tow.

Just as the records had described, the carriage interior was bathed in the same ghostly green light as the exterior, making Jenkins look as though he'd been doused in fluorescent paint.

He scanned his surroundings. It was an ordinary compartment car, much like the one the Church had booked for him. Yet the decorative patterns and the style of the gas lamps were entirely unfamiliar. Still, thanks to his basic knowledge of heraldry, Jenkins could discern a faint similarity to the decorative styles of the three great kingdoms, particularly those of the Fidektri and Hamparvo Kingdoms.

He looked down the corridor in both directions. His initial plan was to head for the rear of the train, which seemed closer, and begin his search for the conductor there. It was only one in the morning, after all. According to his travel guide, sunrise in the Hamparvo Kingdom wouldn't be until around seven o'clock this time of year, so there was no need to rush.

His eyes perceived a uniform spiritual aura all around, telling him there were no shortcuts to be had. He decided to stick to the plan. But just as he was about to turn, he was struck by a sudden curiosity. What were the compartments themselves like? The records had never mentioned it. He reached out, turned the handle of the nearest door, and pulled it open.