Black Sail
Chapter 183: CLXXXIII. Isolated and Helpless

Chapter 183: CLXXXIII. Isolated and Helpless

The following day, at noon.

A leisurely lunchtime.

The Pioneer had been traveling for a day and a night, reaching the midpoint of the journey, a continuous area of gently sloped hills.

Due to the special soil here, the vegetation was replaced by dense, wildly growing white, brilliant reeds.

Today, the sky was somewhat overcast, draped with a heavy gray lead haze. The brisk wind swept through the reed grass like clouds, resembling a fierce tide surging in the sea of the sky.

"It looks like it’s going to rain. Such a gloomy sight," Alanee said, her beautiful eyes slightly tired. She yawned gracefully, her gaze fixated on the window, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Grim dared not leave Alanee’s side. He had a bad feeling but didn’t dare to voice it, not wanting to dampen Alanee’s spirits.

Some nobles were dining in their private compartments, while a few were in the dining car with their attendants, making it convenient to interact with other friends.

Mu Ran had handed over full control of the train’s operation to William and was now networking with the nobles on board. If this operation concluded successfully, his status would naturally rise significantly.

In the newly planned industrial city outside the Imperial City, he would obtain immense power, a sky-high rise beyond comparison.

A noble began talking about tax issues but dared not mention Aran, only speaking of the Beima Duchy. There, the lords imposed exorbitant taxes, squeezing the blood out of the people; the strong era of a literacy rate below sixty percent had passed.

Mu Ran could tell what the red-haired noble was thinking. Even if he wasn’t an anti-imperialist, he harbored dissatisfaction with the "Lord’s Bill." Mu Ran whispered,

"Different social systems naturally require different economic structures.

The current situation of Beima Duchy doesn’t require an educated populace; it needs oxen.

It’s a decision.

The wise naturally rule over the foolish, just like the sun rises every morning. Only natural... cowards would think this is cruel.

Bloodlines, intelligence genes, my friend."

Mu Ran was adept at telling people what they wanted to hear, and the nobles loved these words, much like fanatics love climbing the sacred mountain of martyrdom to kiss...

the toes of God.

The red-haired noble was somewhat taken aback, raising his glass with a smile, "Impressive indeed."

The train raced on the tracks at ninety miles per hour.

About forty miles away from the train and less than half an hour away from reaching here.

The sky was gloomy, the wind fierce, and the sea of clouds turbulent.

About fifty fine horses stood on a gently sloping ridge, their manes fluttering.

Bizarre tattoos, frightening scars.

A deadly intention pervaded, crossing the vast ocean only for this rich prize.

Mission accomplished.

It’s possible that the news was blocked.

Or...

to become world-renowned.

There had never been such a crazy, almost absurd idea before. It couldn’t be said that there would be no one after them, but certainly there was no one before.

Every pirate wore a brightly patterned mask and carried a scimitar, holding firearms in their hands.

Too violent a suppression, all waiting for a death-bound tremble to release everything.

Liszt’s eyes were cold-blooded to the extreme. He wore a dark red bandana, holding the reins; these pirates’ minds might be blank at the moment, given the ruthless nature of this task.

He glanced back, noticing the small movements of Gawain at the back of the group, which he had expected.

"Gawain!"

Liszt shouted out.

Gawain pulled on the reins immediately.

Liszt approached him on horseback, whispering,

"Your brother, from the same father and mother, studies at the university in the Southeast Province. I’ve already had him brought onto the ship. The ship is docked on the Bay Shore of the Great Wetland. He is safe for now,"

Liszt stated flatly.

Gawain’s fists clenched tightly, his eyes visibly bloodshot.

Liszt didn’t consider his reaction; he simply returned to the front of the group, waiting for an unknown slaughter.

Different from Londen City.

There was no need for detailed strategies. There was only one goal—to completely crush these nobles’ fragile psychological defenses, to terrify them to the core, making them fear even in their dreams.

Time slowly passed, the brutal anxiety was about to transform already desperate people into greedy monsters.

It had already been twenty minutes.

Inside the train head of "Pioneer," there were only three people.

One was William.

One was William’s deputy.

And there was another.

He was the train captain assigned by the Royal Court, who, from beginning to end, sat silently in a corner with a briefcase, eyes closed, conserving his energy.

The sky had turned even darker, and the wind grew stronger.

Ahead lay a three-mile-long tunnel. Everything appeared fine; the tunnel was illuminated by fluorite, and it all shone bright outside.

The train captain suddenly opened his eyes.

"Stop the train,"

he said coldly.

This was an extremely intimidating old man, back straight as a sword, wearing ordinary black sergeant’s attire from the court, with every collar button fastened. Calling him old was not quite appropriate as he was not yet in his twilight years, though at the end of his prime, his short beard and hair already speckled with gray.

When he opened his eyes, perhaps due to his frightening aura, the lights on the control panel momentarily flickered in dysfunction, but they quickly recovered.

William was startled by the voice.

"Why?"

William couldn’t bear the responsibility alone, he at least had to ask Mu Ran.

"You have three seconds."

The train captain estimated that they would enter the tunnel in one minute.

"At least let me ask—"

William hadn’t finished speaking.

Click!

A hand chop, sharper than a knife, his fingers harder than machinery, plunged into William’s thigh, splattering plasma.

The train captain had no time for idle talk.

When had William ever experienced such pain?

In extreme pain, people often gasp rather than scream.

William had no doubt that this man would kill him the next second.

He immediately pushed the lever, shut down the boiler, and pulled another lever on the panel, leaning back as the wheel set axle slowly began to lock.

However, due to inertia, the entire "Pioneer" still glided smoothly for a moment, albeit briefly.

Although slight, there was a bit of stumbling in all the carriages.

In the beverage car, the wine in Mu Ran’s cup almost spilled, but fortunately, it wasn’t an emergency brake; it was merely reducing speed gradually.

What on earth happened?

It was virtually impossible to stop en route, especially in such a desolate area.

Mu Ran quickly comforted the nobles in the carriage, demonstrating strong adaptability. He also summoned all the attendants, instructing them to inform the passengers that they only needed to refuel, and it was not a serious problem.

Meanwhile, his brow was furrowed deeply; this was not a good sign. Three rides had never encountered the slightest hiccup, so he hurried through one carriage after another until he reached the train head.

Inside were only the train captain wiping the fresh blood from his hand and William, who had just gotten over the intense pain and finally remembered to cry out. His expression was somewhat distorted, the pain causing his tear ducts to secrete.

"What’s going on?"

Mu Ran could barely contain his fury. It was clear the command had been issued by the train captain appointed by the Royal Court. Did he realize how important this was to him?

"Midway through the tunnel ahead, there has been a collapse, filled with rubble, impossible to pass through,"

the train captain said slowly after cleaning the blood.

Mu Ran forcefully suppressed his anger, looking at the tunnel ahead, still illuminated by fluorite. How could he possibly know what was inside?

Was it some political enemy of the magician, trying to sabotage his plans?

"A collapse, eh... There are Magic Puppets on board which can clear it up quickly, but it would still be best if we go and take a look inside first,"

Mu Ran suggested.

"We might not even need the Magic Puppets."

The train captain also didn’t believe that any lawless fanatics dared to cause trouble in Aran. It was just some stones, and it could be sorted out quickly.

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