Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1128 - 1127 - Tram System

Due to the chaos from before, Lind had not really taken in the capital. It was a sprawling metropolis that easily far surpassed anything Lind had found to date. Crescent City, Kun City, and even possibly the entirety of the Frey Clan city he had created could fit inside it with room to spare!

They had stopped just inside the gate but he saw signs of his actions inspiring others as they walked past more stalls and even some alchemy shops where shouting could be heard to keep the fires stable or they would be lucky to have any fingers left if it got out of control.

He smiled but said nothing.

Small children were laughing as they ran errands or played with their parents. Chu and Jur looked on warmly. As they advanced up the streets, he saw they were coming to a rather familiar sight for him.

He almost froze as he saw an arrival and departure board set up outside a large building that he could only think of as a train or subway hub! The 3 story building clearly housed places to eat and for business to be held on the top 2 floors while the lowest one had a terminal!

Arrival lines for pick up and departure lines for boarding! He even saw cargo transport for massive materials to be picked up and stored in rings or treasures for the various production masters.

Currently, they were mostly building supplies and food from the areas of the city not damaged during the recent battle.

Lind had been stopped in place so long that the group was looking at him in concern before he shook his head.

"While I have seen many reactions to our tram system, I have never seen an Immortal with such a strange look on their face. It was not shock or awe. What do you think of it?" Princess Fyre looked amused at him but he smiled and waved it off.

The building was a black wood and stone base. It was not painted so the wood had to be black to start. He examined it with his Law Eyes and was shocked to see both stone and wood had metal Qi in them! Demonic materials!

He placed it at only grade 5 but fine work! It was only then that he realized he had not seen any demons in the kingdom at all. He had heard they did live there but he had yet to meet any!

It was odd but he filed it away as they proceeded into the sunlit entranceway. The shafts of light lit up the pink tile pleasantly and he saw another board with times he could not place. It was not minutes or seconds but some other measure of time.

"The symbols show the day divided up by an incense stick's worth of time. With a few exceptions, everything is done during daylight but a few materials trams still move at night if we see a need. Obviously nothing has stopped so long as it is working." Princess Fyre spoke as the group made their way into a crowded area.

Black columns of smooth stone were interspersed with bright yellow white light arrays. It was like stepping back in time to his old world! It was clearly based on a train station!

Some might argue that similar systems produce similar structures but the style, placement, and color coding of yellow and other lines matched Earth!

He even saw warning signs placed in the same style as Earth! That could not be a coincidence at all!

"Who designed this place?" His question seemed normal as Princess Fyre smiled at it.

"One of the great founders planned out a lot of the city. She was not a royal but she had been with my ancestor when they began their cultivation journey. Legends say she was always superior to any cultivator when it came to practical things like this place." Lind nodded as he saw they were following a special marker on the floor.

The burning crystal in flames made it obvious it was for the royal family. He saw flat platforms full of materials, crates, and other objects being taken in by cultivators to move where they had to go.

He also saw cabins with small windows made of up 3 cars either taking people on or letting others off. He noticed those getting on were usually better dressed than those arriving.

They passed 3 rows over an arching walk bridge of the tram tracks. He was shocked to see it was not driven by Qi but mechanical!

He sensed no Qi involved at all! There had to be crystals or stones powering the trams themselves but the tracks had no such sensation!

"They really are trains." Chu glanced at him but Jur was as struck as the rest of their party.

They finally reached an area with formation wards and Princess Fyre had to issue them crimson tokens but Lind frowned as he looked at them. They seemed to be flickering like her eyes.

How did they work?

An area where the columns were marked by the same crystal in flames on each one at eye level had an ornate cabin set on special tracks. He saw formations flaring at each millimeter he could see.

Protection, attack, and some he was not sure the function of were all at mid grade 7. The cabins had even better protections at peak grade 7. The silver, black, and red blended well. The doors were marked with the same symbol as the kingdom.

They split silently down the middle and a luxurious area was revealed. Plush chairs, couches, and even a bar! The former king moved behind it as the group moved inside.

The floor was carpeted with a beautiful rug that had a design like a mosaic. Lind thought it looked like the volcano before the city was built.

He saw a winged beast being slain by a group of people. It was full of fire and stone but the 6 people were portrayed courageously.

The sound of tea being made was heard as they settled in. The cabin smoothly began to move but only Lind felt it at first. The outside began to pass and Lind took Katerina as the rest were looking out, fascinated by the tram.

Lind's indifference seemed to surprise the prince and princess compared to his initial reaction.

A train was a train, no matter what world he was in.

"It will take some time to get to the palace. The closest we can get is the royal reception area. It is heavily defended in case the trams are compromised." He nodded at the wisdom but then realized something.

He used his Eyes but noticed there was no engineer! The tram was moving on its own! How was that possible when it was mechanical from what he could tell?!

He looked around until he saw a control array lit up beneath them! It was driven by their presence! Some kind of recognition or artifact had to allow the Qi to flow but it needed no engineer!

The 5th Prince noticed his glance but said nothing. The man was clearly intimidated by the truth of his identity.

Piercer of the Veil Immortal, on the other hand, seemed amused.

"Lord Emerald Immortal, may we know your true name?" Her words were not meant to cause an issue but he appreciated her bringing it up now that they were isolated safely rather than before or later.

He shook his head.

"While I have a name I was given, my Dao title is true. It is enough." He was not unusual in that respect since she was like him. The royals nodded and made no further issue of it.

The ride was rather pleasant as tea and treats were served. They made small talk and Lind was able to look out at the city.

He saw the tracks extend in all directions and it made far more sense how people and materials could keep the populace happy. They did not have to struggle up steps or tilted streets everyday and simply used the trams to move between upper and lower areas safely.

It was a metropolis in reality that would have fit in on Earth!

"Tell me about the woman that made these." His request was not unusual so Princess Fyre bowed and smiled.

She spoke of how a small mercenary band rose up in cultivation until they all became Crystal Tiers. They came to the beast ruled floating land at the time. No one had been able to lay claim to any area permanently as the beast tides were brutal on them.

While the party was simply exploring for resources that were exclusive to floating lands, they stumbled on the Fire Law Crystal. Its protector was a dragon-phoenix of legend too. It was said there was an argument between them all at that point.

Half wanted to retreat and get reinforcements for profit but the other half wanted to stay and claim it for themselves. The mercenary band was over a dozen at that point and split.

The half that went for help was never heard from again while the other half took on the guardian.

Lind frowned and wondered if there was a darker story but he did not pry. The result was obvious to see.

"The woman that made much of the city was offered a place as Queen but she refused. It was said that once the city was up and running, she left. I never learned more about her after that time. Her schematics and plans were used to expand the city as the centuries followed until the outer wall was set up. The Striders were her design too." Lind perked up at that.

He had just fixed one but the trams were far simpler compared to them. An artificer of that skill should have been a legend but he had never heard of her at all! They finally reached the peak of the mountain as the story ended.

He had many thoughts about the story but he had more immediate concerns. The Fire Law Crystal was his current concern.