467: Chapter 467 There's also someone hitching a ride.

Chen You pushed open the metal door at the connector, and a gust of wind mixed with ice shards instantly poured in, stinging his face.

Outside the train, seven or eight frost wolves, each the size of a calf, were using their sharp claws to tear at the chassis armor, sending sparks flying everywhere.

"Is that it?"

Chen You couldn't even be bothered to draw his sword.

He raised his right hand, and a flash of deep purple electricity sparked at his fingertips.

"Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder Orthodox Method."

No charging required.

A purple thunderbolt as thick as a wrist erupted from his fingertips, like a violent thunder snake, instantly darting out of the carriage.

Zzzzt—

The lightning exploded in the wind and snow, precisely splitting into eight small arcs that struck each of the eight frost wolves.

There were no howls.

Not even a struggle.

The moment they were touched by the lightning, this group of at least level 40 elite monsters instantly turned into charred husks, shattering into a sky full of black ash in the gale, scattering and blending into the snowy ground.

[Killed Frost Wolf (Lv.42), EXP +1200]

[Killed Frost Wolf (Lv.42)...]

The system notification sounds chimed in succession, but Chen You didn't even glance at them.

He was just about to close the door and return to his seat when he caught a glimpse of something dark wriggling on the edge of the carriage roof out of the corner of his eye.

"Still a straggler?"

Chen You raised an eyebrow and backhanded the hilt of his yuhuang sword.

He was about to unleash a sword beam when the dark shadow suddenly let out an extremely shrill scream:

"Don't kill me! I'm not a monster!"

The voice was torn to shreds in the wind and snow, but Chen You still heard it clearly.

He sheathed his sword, grabbed the edge of the carriage, and leaned out.

He saw a young man wearing a tattered leather coat with a huge travel bag on his back, clutching the exhaust pipe on the roof of the carriage for dear life.

His eyebrows and hair were covered in frost, and he was shivering uncontrollably, looking at Chen You with a terrified and desperate gaze.

"What are you doing hanging on here?" Chen You was stunned for a moment.

"Help… help me…" The young man's teeth were chattering, and he couldn't even say a complete sentence.

Chen You sighed, reached out to grab his collar, and dragged him off the roof like a chick, throwing him into the train car connector.

Thud.

The young man hit the metal floor, sprawling out.

Chen You closed the door, shutting out the wind and snow outside.

The heating in the carriage gradually helped the young man recover.

He shivered as he climbed up, rubbed his frozen red cheeks, and gave Chen You a smile that was uglier than crying.

"Thank you for your generous help, mighty mage."

The young man took off his ice-crusted leather hat and bowed deeply, "My name is Ize, a traveler determined to walk every corner of the Source Realm."

"A traveler?" Chen You looked him up and down.

This NPC was only level 15, and his health bar was down to a sliver.

"Yes." A flash of fanaticism crossed Ize's eyes, "I heard that the Star-Rail Train of Aurora City is the transportation closest to the starry sky in the entire Source Realm."

"When it passes through the Peak of Winter, it feels as if you can reach out and touch the stars…"

He spread his arms in a gesture of embracing the sky, his tone full of poetry:

"To pursue this ultimate romance, to witness the brilliance of the galaxy, I embarked on this journey without hesitation."

Chen You looked at him expressionlessly.

"So, you didn't buy a ticket?"

Ize's movements stiffened.

He coughed awkwardly twice, his eyes shifting, "Well… art and romance cannot be measured by money."

"Speak plainly."

"I have no money." Ize lowered his head, his voice as thin as a mosquito's.

Chen You rolled his eyes.

Got it.

A budget traveler, huh?

No money for a ticket, but wants to see the scenery, so he just hops a train, putting it so refreshingly and elegantly.

"Do you know how dangerous that was just now?" Chen You pointed outside the window, "If I hadn't cleared those frost wolves along the way, you would have been chewed up as takeout by them by now."

"I know." Ize sighed, patting his chest with lingering fear, "But I had no choice."

"Aurora City has been closed for three months, and this is the last train that might be able to enter."

Hearing the word "closed," Chen You's attention was instantly pulled back.

"Why is Aurora City closed?" He walked over to a nearby chair, sat down, and stared at Ize.

Ize was stunned for a moment, "You don't know? Aren't you going to Aurora City?"

"I'm just going to meet an online friend." Chen You made up an excuse casually.

Although Ize didn't understand what "online friend" meant, he still lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard that a terrible curse has appeared in Aurora City."

"Everyone infected turns into a mindless ice sculpture."

"Ice sculptures?"

"Yes." Ize swallowed, "The City Lord ordered all entry and exit passages to be closed, and even the Star-Rail stations have stopped operating."

"If you hadn't chartered this special train, I might never have been able to see the starry sky of the Winter Canyon in my life."

Chen You rubbed his chin.

That's not right, the ticket seller didn't mention any of this.

Could it be because they saw the pass given by the City Lord?

It seems this main quest, "Frozen Past," is more troublesome than imagined.

"But it doesn't matter!" Ize suddenly cheered up and pulled a tattered notebook from that huge travel bag.

"As long as I can see that starry sky with my own eyes and record it, I will die without regrets!"

Chen You looked at his death-defying appearance and couldn't help but retort, "This isn't called pursuing romance; this is called increasing the trauma of the train conductor."

"If you freeze to death on the roof, they'll have to go through the trouble of scraping you off."

Ize was choked up, his face turning bright red.

"I… I brought cold-resistance potions!" he defended himself.

"Oh? Then why were you frozen like a dog just now?"

"The potions… the potions expired."

Chen You was completely speechless.

He fished a bottle of peiyuan pill from his backpack, poured one out, and threw it to Ize.

"Eat it."

Ize caught the pill in a panic, his eyes instantly lighting up.

"This… is this a high-level alchemy product?!"

He swallowed it without hesitation.

Visibly, Ize's pale complexion quickly became rosy, and even a wisp of white steam rose from the top of his head.

"Thank you, my lord!" Ize bowed again, excited, "Your kindness, I, Ize, will keep in my heart!"

"Alright, enough with the formalities." Chen You waved his hand, "Since you travel around a lot, let me ask you something."

"Go ahead! As long as I know it, I will tell you everything!"

"What kind of person is the City Lord of Aurora City?"

When Ize heard this question, his expression changed slightly.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice extremely low, "That City Lord… is very mysterious."

"Some say he is a monster that has lived for thousands of years, and others say he is a banished god."

"But one thing is universally acknowledged." Ize's tone became serious, "He is extremely xenophobic."

"Anyone who steps into the territory of Aurora City without permission will be frozen into an ice sculpture by his own hands and displayed on the city walls."

Chen You touched the crystal token in his pocket.

The quest description said the City Lord really wanted to meet him.

Now it seems that this way of "meeting" probably won't be very friendly.