Illimitable Until Death - Chapter 17

The sky gradually darkened.

The entire Aragane Station was illuminated by the flickering flames of oil lamps, resembling stars dotted on the earth, filling the air with warmth.

The silver moon began to rise high in the sky.

The cicadas chirped among the trees.

In front of each simple house, people laughed and chatted with each other, turning the warmth in the air into a cozy atmosphere.

Not a single person knew.

On the railway hundreds of meters away from Aragane Station, a train was rapidly approaching in the direction of Aragane Station.

The train was made entirely of steel, resembling a running fortress.

The iron-clad train, adorned with steel armor, traveled into a tunnel, speeding towards Aragane Station.

On top of the steel city wall in Aragane Station, a samurai responsible for guarding the gate used a telescope to gaze in the direction of the tunnel and spotted the swiftly approaching Hayajiro.

Immediately, the warrior spoke up.

“The Fusoujou is here!”

Upon hearing this, the surrounding samurai’s reacted, all looking towards the direction of the tunnel.

“Finally, it has arrived.”

“It’s quite punctual.”

“It must be the scheduled arrival of Fusoujou today.”

“There’s no other possibility.”

The tone of the samurai’s remained relatively relaxed.

After all, the arriving Fusoujou was originally scheduled to arrive today, and its timely arrival shouldn’t pose any problems.

This thought marked the beginning of all tragedy.

“Open the city gates! Lower the drawbridge!”

Amidst the shouting, the gates of Aragane Station, the steel city wall that protected the last sanctuary of humanity, slowly opened, and the drawbridge outside gradually lowered, connecting to the railway leading to Aragane Station.

“Toot, toot, toot, toot!”

The piercing sound of the steam whistle echoed.

The steel train named Fusoujou sped towards Aragane Station, its surface gleaming with a cold hue.

At that moment, none of the stationed samurai’s in Aragane Station saw it.

On this Fusoujou, dark figures clung like spiders.

Upon closer inspection, these black figures had glowing hearts in their chest areas.

The Fusoujou, filled with monsters known as Kabane, charged towards Aragane Station.

…

At the outskirts of Aragane Station, there were several houses used as warehouses.

At this moment, the door of one of the houses was opened.

Fang Li walked out of the door, wearing a cold-resistant cloak, braving the howling wind, and headed towards a high point.

Fang Li stood on this cliff-like high place, gazing in one direction.

That direction was the only gate leading out of Aragane Station.

Looking at the gate, Fang Li checked the items in his bag.

Stamina Recovery potion… unopened and carried with me!

Injury Healing potion… half a bottle left, carried with me!

Energy Compressed biscuits… intact, carried with me!

Water Flask… filled with water, carried with me!

Fang Li then touched the dagger holstered at his back waist and muttered to himself.

“Everything is ready, all that’s left is to wait.”

If he guessed correctly, today was the start of the plot.

And now, the Fusoujou, filled with Kabane, should be rushing towards Aragane Station.

“When that Fusoujou rushes into Aragane Station, the test will begin.”

In the end, would Fang Li die under the siege of the Kabane army?

Or would he successfully meet up with Yomogawa Ayame and board the evacuation Iron Fortress, escaping from Aragane Station?

“It all depends on my luck.”

After saying that, Fang Li leaped forward, slid down the slope, and ran in a certain direction.

…

After spending three days in Aragane Station, Fang Li didn’t come away empty-handed.

During those three days, Fang Li diligently collected information as part of his daily work.

As a result, Fang Li knew exactly where the escape Iron Fortress was located.

Initially, Fang Li had considered finding Yomogawa Ayame and staying close to her for protection until Aragane Station fell, and then they would escape together on the Iron Fortress.

However, Fang Li was just a wanderer. If he stayed by Yomogawa Ayame’s side the whole time, not only would he risk the unpredictable reactions of Konochi Kurusu, but the samurai of the Yomogawa Family would also likely grow suspicious and question his intentions.

Therefore, Fang Li decided to wait until nightfall, carefully calculating the timing, and head directly towards the direction of the escape Iron Fortress.

If the original plot developed smoothly, Yomogawa Ayame would undoubtedly arrive there under the protection of Konochi Kurusu and a group of samurai.

At that time, Fang Li would meet up with Yomogawa Ayame and board the escape Iron Fortress, fleeing from Aragane Station. This would mark the completion of Main Quest 2.

“If only it were that easy.”

Running along the path leading to the bustling streets, Fang Li narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the original story, Yomogawa Ayame managed to escape from Aragane Station unscathed, without falling into the hands of the Kabane.

In other words, if Fang Li simply followed the plot and didn’t intervene, Main Quest 2 would almost resolve itself without him having to take any action.

However, Fang Li didn’t believe that the Main God’s Dimension would assign such an easy task of handing over Exchange Points on a silver platter to the Main God’s envoys.

“If anything unexpected happens…”

Main Quest 2 would fail.

“At least, let’s hope nothing happens before we reunite at the Iron Fortress.”

Just saying those words gave off a sense of luxury.

“I can only leave it to fate.”

Leaving that thought behind, Fang Li adjusted his breathing and quickened his pace.

Just as Fang Li was about to rush into the street, an unexpected event occurred.

“Bang!”

A resounding crash shattered the silence of the tranquil night sky.

Fang Li abruptly turned his head and looked towards the source of the sound.

In the direction of the city gate of Aragane Station, a heavily armored train violently smashed through the gate, swirling in the air like a thrown rag, spinning several times. With its terrifying impact and weight, it raised a cloud of dust and debris, crashing down on the houses not far from the street.

“Clang, clang, clang, clang!”

On the various watchtowers scattered throughout Aragane Station, one after another, golden bells were struck, resounding throughout the entire Aragane Station.

Those were alarm bells.

They were the warning signals to alert residents to seek shelter when the Kabane invaded.

Instantly, a brief moment of deathly silence fell over the entire Aragane Station.

After a pause, terrified screams began to echo in rapid succession.

“K-Kabane!”

“Kabane!”

“The Kabane are here!”

People began to flee in a frenzied scramble.

Aragane Station descended into complete chaos.

The fall had begun.