Chapter Fifty-Two: Faerun's Moving Castle

Although he had mentally prepared himself, Feiren was still a little surprised when he saw the “reward” before him. He had to admit, the Blackstone Group was indeed worthy of ruling the Ninth District and being its most powerful overlord. Its strength was undeniable, and the car now in front of Feiren showcased a uniqueness that set it apart from anything else. The streamlined front and futuristic body looked, from every angle...

“Did you guys just cut the front half off a bullet train or something?”

Indeed, simply put, the thing before Feiren looked for all the world like the nose of a bullet train with half a carriage dangling behind it.

“What does it matter? It looks cool, doesn’t it?”

So, they weren't even denying that they just sawed it in half...

Feiren didn’t find this particularly strange. After the Cataclysm, industrial production had become an almost insurmountable challenge. Nowadays, most places relied on salvaging and patching up old scraps. Of course, as the most powerful rulers of the Ninth District, the Blackstone Group’s “patching up” was on an entirely different level—at least, from the outside, it was indistinguishable from something fresh off the production line.

But the half-bullet train before him wasn’t just an impressive shell; its interior was packed with high-tech systems. It didn’t need tires—instead, it was equipped with a superconducting maglev system for propulsion. Of course, this wasn’t the same kind used in maglev trains. According to Uncle Mario the plumber, the system was salvaged from a pre-Cataclysm automobile manufacturer’s warehouse. It had originally powered a new kind of concept car, designed with the future in mind and built to look as futuristic as possible. Like all eye-catching concept cars, its greatest weakness was a lack of power and short running time. Its main advantage was that it didn’t require specialized roads, able to travel anywhere at will.

But that problem was only relevant before the Cataclysm. In the post-apocalyptic wasteland, as long as you stayed within the energy grid, power was as abundant as air itself. As long as you could keep your machines running, you could probably launch your own rocket if you wanted. So, this “problem” simply no longer existed.

As the “Emperor’s” personal vehicle, the bullet train was as extraordinary inside as it was imposing outside. According to Uncle Mario, the car was equipped with an optical camouflage system and an electromagnetic shield. The camouflage could hide the vehicle from both eyesight and radar, while the shield was for defense against possible attacks. The wasteland was crawling with RPGs and similar weapons; it was common to be fired upon just for being spotted in the wild. And then there were the mutant monsters—another constant headache. Without some means of self-defense, this thing wouldn’t last long outside the Ninth District before being reduced to a pile of scrap.

Beyond its formidable defenses, the bullet train’s offensive capabilities were equally insane. Three rotary laser guns provided nearly 360-degree coverage against any threat, and a main electromagnetic cannon was mounted at the front for primary firepower. Before the Cataclysm, these weapons alone would have required a small nuclear reactor for power. Now, though, such concerns were a thing of the past.

Of course, that was just the exterior. The interior was no afterthought, either—after all, this was the “Emperor’s” ride, not a frontline armored vehicle. Comfort was the top priority. Aside from the driver’s compartment up front, the car was divided into three sections: first, a lounge; then a corridor; with double-decker berths on either side for rest, much like a train. At the rear was a master bedroom with its own bathroom and shower. The vehicle came with its own water filtration system, capable of purifying rainwater or river water for drinking and washing. As for the bed, big enough to fit three or four people—its purpose hardly needed stating.

“Never thought the old man had such a taste for luxury.”

After touring the bullet train inside and out with Mario, Feiren couldn’t help but marvel. He hadn’t spent much time in the Ninth District and had only ever heard about the “Emperor’s” ride in passing, during barroom chats with a few of the Seven Giants. Since the “Emperor” rarely left his home, Feiren had never actually seen the car before. Now, seeing it for himself, he found it every bit as extravagant as the rumors claimed. Ordinary factions could never have built something like this.

“The old man’s just afraid of dying, that’s all,” Mario snorted dismissively upon hearing Feiren’s comment.

“It’s a common disease in the wasteland—everyone wants to take a walking fortress with them whenever they go out… But the way he is now, I doubt he’ll ever need this thing again. Giving it to you is a good choice. I hear you’re always running around out there. Having something like this will be handy, and it’s better than letting my hard work sit here gathering dust. I’d rather see it torn apart by a Deathclaw than have it rot away in here.”

Not that there was much difference between the two.

“All right, I’ve already reset and reinitialized the whole system. I’m sure you can handle the rest,” Mario said, his enthusiasm fading after showing Feiren around. He reached out to clap Feiren on the shoulder, pulled a cigar from his pocket, and stuck it between his teeth.

“If you want any modifications, you can come find me anytime—unless I’m dead, I’m not leaving this hellhole. Of course, by then, you’ll have to pay. For now, though, you’ve got just one problem left to solve.”

“What problem?” Feiren raised an eyebrow, curious.

Mario grinned, winking at Feiren. “Can you drive?”

Of course, Feiren couldn’t drive, and this vehicle certainly didn’t have any artificial intelligence or autopilot systems. Maybe those existed in some big pre-Cataclysm labs, but they’d never become common in everyday life. So, finding a driver was now top priority.

But for Feiren, this was hardly a problem—he’d already found the perfect candidate.