Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 47: Deceleration

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Deceleration

Clang clang—

In the cold night wind, the Dongfeng train was still galloping on the railway track.

The previously frail clerk crouched on the ground, surrounded by people, unable to move under the gun.

Any movement from him would not be overlooked by the tense soldiers surrounding him.

At this moment, looking at the situation inside the dining car, Ariadne suddenly raised an eyebrow and then stood up from her chair.

Leaning close to Ronald’s ear, she whispered:

"Ronald, something is wrong with the speed..."

The speed?

Was it the train’s speed?

Hearing Ariadne’s reminder, Ronald immediately turned and looked outside the car.

In the darkness, there was almost no nearby reference point visible, and the distant objects were now useless.

Feeling the train still moving forward under his feet, Ronald shook his head.

"Be more specific."

Ariadne explained succinctly:

"The train is slowing down."

"..."

If there was no misunderstanding in her words, did Ariadne mean the train was decelerating?

But the Dongfeng had only started over an hour ago!

There was no reason for the Dongfeng to slow down since the news of the criminal jumping off had not yet been released.

Something very unusual must be happening at the front of the train!

Silently, Ronald moved close to the window, his index finger touching his lips after moistening it with saliva.

The sensation from the wind became clearer—

The pitch-dark night remained dark, and the cold wind blowing through the window gradually carried a stronger scent of the city.

But the intensity of the speed was indeed slowing down.

Ariadne was right!

"Damn, it’s derailed."

Just as Ronald confirmed this, just as he felt it.

Near the front of the train, some people’s shouts came through fuzzily.

"Who will... help, this damn... thing broke!"

"This can’t be, how can this... be possible?"

"We’re quickly..."

There was no reason to hesitate now.

Without a moment’s delay, Ronald immediately walked toward the front of the carriage.

But after only two steps, he stopped.

"Ariadne, why aren’t you following...?"

Originally, upon hearing the man’s voice, Ronald had been ready to head toward the front of the carriage, at least to resolve the trouble-causing issue.

Instead, he found that the person beside him was not quite the same as the past week.

Today, Ariadne didn’t follow.

Her steel-blue eyes looked at him, carrying a hint of unnoticeable regret.

"..."

The rest of the sentence was stuck in his throat, then Ronald forcefully swallowed it.

Turning around, his slender silhouette continued forward.

It was just like Ariadne...

His companion at this moment was very aware of what her role entailed.

Ariadne could be a singer, a star, even a delicate beauty.

But she could never be a warrior!

So now, Ariadne couldn’t hold a dagger engraved with the Parasite like Nade from Black Mountain and face dangerous challenges alongside Ronald.

"Ah—"

He sighed almost imperceptibly.

Before anyone else could react, Ronald went alone toward the front of the train. Perhaps it was because of the strange encounters of the evening, or perhaps it was because the clerk lying on the ground attracted everyone’s attention.

No one stopped Ronald from leaving the dining car.

Within two or three breaths, his figure vanished from there.

The entire process—

Only Alida’s steel-blue eyes, from behind Ronald, revealed a glint of hope.

At least she still understood everything.

————

In fact,

at this moment, it wasn’t just Ronald and Alida who could sense that the train was slowing down.

Near the engine, in the closest carriage, many people could see what was happening ahead. However, due to the soldiers’ search activity in the evening, people obviously did not want to leave the carriage to investigate the changes outside.

They were merely seeking that pitiful sense of safety in the moment.

They didn’t intend to do anything else, at most casting fearful glances.

The ultimate result

was that in the empty carriage aisle, only Ronald moved against the flow.

Like a firefighting hero rushing to a blaze.

The absence of people made it easier to move along.

Soon, Ronald reached the location.

Just as he had heard the sound before, the couplings between the carriages had completely separated. The steam engine up front, along with a few poor carriages, was utterly unable to catch up.

There were a few train guards stationed at the head of the carriage.

Sadly, they had no means to prevent this situation and could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded.

"I’m really fed up..."

Witnessing the distant engine fading into the night, Ronald had no intention to disturb those guards.

If it was just the engine detaching, the situation wouldn’t have been too bad.

The only regret was that even if tonight’s issue was resolved smoothly, Ronald wouldn’t be able to enjoy the convenience of the train for the rest of his journey to Berenwich.

"Next, it’s your turn."

Turning around, Ronald looked back at the carriages behind him with a complex expression.

Within these carriages that were slowing down and soon to stop on the rails, the culprit who had disconnected the train was hiding.

Also, they were probably accomplices of those two, the stout and the thin clerks.

After all, these culprits’ goal was nothing less than to keep the carriages delayed outside Berenwich as long as possible.

In this way, no matter what the situation was with the military officers fighting behind,

they could use the hundreds of passengers on the "Eastern Wind" to create as much chaos as possible and achieve other hidden agendas.

Since this location was still in the wilderness but not too far from Berenwich,

people who didn’t want to waste time would definitely get off and walk.

By then, the flow of people would serve as natural cover.

"Tsk..."

With dissatisfaction on his face, Ronald waved his hand as he walked towards the rear carriages.

Simultaneously, the black mist hidden in his clothes surged out instantly.

Although the black mist that emerged wasn’t voluminous, it transformed into the shape of a glove and wrapped around Ronald’s hands.

To the casual observer,

one might assume these were just a pair of black gloves.

"Come on, let’s see where you’re hiding..."

"Hmm?"

Ronald quickly made an interesting discovery.

As mentioned before, most passengers in the carriages were hiding in their compartments, utterly afraid to show themselves.

The passengers up front, due to their location, could sense the train slowing down and were all either complaining or anxious, with some becoming panicky.

But Ronald hadn’t checked many train compartments before he spotted something unusual in the third compartment of this carriage.

Under the reflection of the corridor light—

Unlike other passengers on the train, only in this third compartment

several men’s figures were firmly guarding the door!

"Heh heh..."

This place strongly suggests something hidden.

Ronald snorted coldly, as anyone but a blind man could understand what the scene before him meant.

He then took a step forward.

His movement clearly reaching out.