In my previous endeavors to woo women, simply revealing this identity was enough to make even the most aloof girls look at me with newfound interest.
But these students!
It was truly vexing!
Liu He let out a cold snort.
He secretly vowed to make these brats pay when they reached the ruins, especially that insufferable brat!
The journey was uneventful.
Wheels spun, and the train sped onward.
After half an hour, the train entered a thousand-meter-long all-steel bridge.
Beneath the bridge lay a deep rift valley, a thousand meters deep.
The magnificent vista held all the passengers breathless.
"So spectacular!"
Zhang Wan's eyes widened as she gazed out the window, her face filled with awe.
The expressions of the others were not much different.
Due to the rampant spread of contracted beasts, people in this era rarely ventured far from cities into the wilderness.
Opportunities to witness such scenery were thus scarce.
Even the few girls present, who were Beast Tamers themselves, were no exception.
After all, the further one ventured into the wilderness away from cities, the greater the danger.
As they were still students, they rarely undertook solo expeditions, hence their limited exposure to such sights.
Lu Fei, on the other hand, frequently ventured into the wilderness and had seen similar scenery numerous times, so he remained unfazed.
After crossing the bridge, the rest of the journey consisted of monotonous wasteland.
The crowd quickly lost interest and began to close their eyes, resting.
Lu Fei also closed his eyes, conserving his energy.
After an unknown period, he was suddenly jolted awake by a violent jolt, hearing gasps of alarm from all around.
Looking out the window, he saw that the surroundings had changed dramatically without his realizing it.
Just moments ago, it had been an boundless wasteland under a vast, desolate sky.
Now, it had transformed into a realm of darkness.
Great swathes of dark clouds, like monstrous figures with bared teeth and claws, swooped down from the sky.
Streaks of lightning, like grasping talons, struck the vicinity of the train repeatedly, causing massive electrical arcs to erupt in mid-air.
Crack!
Crack-crack!
The windows rattled violently.
Even the train swayed slightly, resembling a tiny boat struggling amidst tempestuous waves.
"W-what's happening?"
"What is that?"
"So much lightning!"
"What on earth is going on?!"
Panic and fear quickly spread among the crowd.
Many people screamed in terror.
Soon, a sweet voice emanated from the broadcast system in the corner of the carriage:
"Esteemed passengers, please note that we have entered a thunderstorm zone. We are expected to exit the zone in ten minutes. Please do not panic, remain in your seats, and do not move around to avoid injury."
The wilderness was prone to unpredictable weather, often forming peculiar microclimates, and thunderstorm zones were one such phenomenon.
However, despite the ferocity of thunderstorm zones, the train was equipped with lightning arrestors, and lightning generally did not pose a threat to the train.
As long as they exited the thunderstorm zone, calm weather and clear skies would return.
Upon hearing the broadcast's explanation, the passengers gradually calmed down and returned to their seats.
Lu Fei, however, turned his head to look out the window, a slight frown creasing his brow.
For some reason, he had a faint premonition that something was amiss.
"Something feels off!"
A clear, crisp voice suddenly rang out. It was Bai Qianqian speaking.
Everyone turned their heads towards her, their gazes fixed on the thunderclouds outside the window, their expressions solemn.
Zhang Wan asked, "What feels off?"
Liu Manman also turned to look at Bai Qianqian.
The two were close to Bai Qianqian; as fellow prodigies from Cang Town Beast Taming Academy, they were rivals yet also friends. They knew that Bai Qianqian was usually reserved and aloof, but also the most level-headed, and it was uncharacteristic for her to lose composure like this under normal circumstances.
"I've watched videos of thunderstorm zones and experienced one myself before, but the situation now is somewhat different,"
Bai Qianqian explained with a furrowed brow.
"The thunderstorm zone before us... it's too ferocious!"
Liu Man and the others looked at each other in surprise.
Lu Fei leaned forward, pressing himself against the carriage window to peer outside.
In just this short time, the once vast expanse of wilderness had transformed into a dark, primeval land.
The thunderclouds churned in the sky, releasing vast quantities of bubbles, as if boiling.
It seemed as though something was brewing and condensing in the darkness, preparing to emerge.
"What is that?"
Lu Fei vaguely saw some black shapes, like grasping claws and sharp teeth, whistling out from the dark clouds and rushing rapidly towards the train.
"Are those... contracted beasts?"
Lu Fei suddenly recalled the hurried, solemn-faced dozen or so soldiers he had seen in the aisle earlier, and a sense of realization dawned on him.
As if to confirm his suspicion, the next moment, a deafening roar of gunfire and artillery erupted outside the window.
Rat-tat!
Rat-tat-tat!
The dense gunfire and artillery intertwined with the thunder, creating a continuous wave of sound.
Interspersed within were faint roars.
By this point, the passengers on the train could no longer fail to understand what was happening.
Many of them wore expressions of panic and distress.
"It's contracted beasts!"
"A large-scale contracted beast is attacking the train!"
"How could this happen? How dare a large-scale contracted beast attack a train? Aren't they afraid of being captured by powerful Beast Tamers!"
The emotions of panic and fear spread once more.
Lin Wan and Zhang Manman, among others, widened their eyes in shock.
Since the establishment of the train routes, under the persistent and regular sweeping operations of the World Government's army, contracted beasts had rarely been seen in areas surrounding the railway tracks.
Consequently, incidents of contracted beasts attacking trains were extremely rare.
Even when they did occur, they were merely a few low-level contracted beasts straying in out of confusion.
There was no need for Beast Tamers to intervene; they were directly dealt with by the heavy weaponry carried by the train.
However, judging by the scene outside the window, this contracted beast, hidden within the clouds, could even alter the sky. Just how powerful must it be!
As time passed, the gunfire and artillery outside did not show any signs of weakening; instead, they became denser and more ferocious.
At the same time.
Several flying contracted beasts flew out from the direction of the train. It was evident that the military Beast Tamers stationed on the train for escort had taken action!
"That's [Larios]! A near S-class contracted beast!"
"And [Hurricane Blue Phoenix]! If I recall correctly, [Hurricane Blue Phoenix] is a genuine S-class contracted beast!"