They reached the train station of the monster train at the foot of the mountain, not far out of the town and close to the shore. They went to the counter to buy train tickets but faced a tiny issue.
"Over the last few months, there had been multiple attacks on the train, and the rail is broken at some places, so we canceled all trains until further notice."
The receptionist said. She looked ashamed, and they could only assume she had a lot of pride in her work.
"So, how are we going to go over the sea?"
Shu asked. In previous timelines, they sneaked on the train. Shu had no issue with doing it again, but if the train was inactive, it would be useless to sneak onto it.
"Alexander, make us a boat."
Mary said confidently.
"Alrigh-Wait, what?! Are you crazy? You know I can't create such a big thing, especially not after creating something else!"
Alexander roared in shock. He couldn't understand what she was expecting. He could create the most complicated and improbable little item, but if whatever he needed to make was too big or needed to manipulate divinity or Tao, it took much more strength from him.
"Right, right. I was too deep at the moment. Shí Hóu, elongate your stave."
Mary ordered her monkey subordinate.
"How fast can you run?"
Shí Hóu asked. He couldn't keep his stave that long and wide for long, and there was no way they could travel fast enough.
"Gods damn it."
Mary cursed. Why is it so complicated to reach the new lands in this timeline?
"There is no way you could carry us all in your dragon form, right?"
Shu quietly asked Lǜ Zūn.
"Sorry, but there is no way I could do that. There are too many of you, and carrying only Shuāng Wěi and you simultaneously is more than hard enough."
Lǜ Zūn answered.
Shu sighed in disappointment. They were all just about ready to give up, but then Shu saw an unexpected future.
"We need to go to the beach."
Shu said out of nowhere.
"Uh? This is no time to have fun at the b-."
Mary started dismissing what Shu said but then noticed his eyes glowing brightly with a yellow light.
Ever since his trip to the land of Long, his eyes were constantly glowing, but at times they shone more. It was during those times that Mary knew Shu was sure of the future he saw and that she could put her complete trust in whatever crazy idea he had.
"Sorry for dismissing your idea. Can you elaborate?"
Mary coughed and then asked with a weirdly polite tone.
Armageddon was watching this scene, and his curiosity about Shu grew.
One day, a few years ago, the girl Armageddon saw as his daughter told him she brought her memories from the future, and after that, every once in a while, she would tell him tales of that future, and in most of them, this Shu appeared.
When they went to the new lands, Shu's willingness to fight Armageddon showed his devotion to his friends, and Armageddon wanted to learn more about this young beastman.
"You remember the captain?"
Shu asked, and nearly everyone except Mary was confused.
Armageddon wasn't confused, just surprised. By what twist of fate did these two meet the captain?
"No way."
Mary was stunned.
"Yes, way. What did you think he was doing before we met him a few years from now?"
Shu said.
Mary had no words to say and decided to follow Shu quietly.
His words were quite out of character for what she knew about his present self, but they weren't ill-fitted for Shu's future self, and the more severe things were, the more serious Shu's words were.
They went to a rocky beach near the town and the train station. To everyone but Shu's dismay, there was a ship in the distance. It was moving in their direction.
"Ahoy!"
Shu smirked as he heard the voice of the old captain.
The ship stopped close to shore, and a crew member stood on the wooden taffrail. She chanted something, and a road of ice stretched from the boat to the coast.
"So that's our ride?"
Shí Hóu asked.
No one answered him, but the others all started walking on the ice path, so the answer to his question was clear.
********
After they went on the ship, they were shown where the rest area was, and the boat changed its direction to go around the continent.
"Why are you not going toward the continent?"
Mary asked the captain curiously.
"An old friend of mine asked me to take Adom's son and his friends to the new lands."
The captain answered with a reminiscent tone.
"Old friend?"
Mary had no clue who he was talking about.
"Little Hella."
The captain answered nonchalantly.
"Oh, okay. Little Hel-Wait, how old are you?"
Mary was stupefied.
"Adom's kid!"
The captain called for Shu.
Shu rushed to the helm.
"What do you need?"
He thought they were under attack or some other serious thing.
"How old is little George?"
The captain asked.
"Well, my dad is..."
Shu started answering, but then the captain's question had settled in his mind.
George Adom is among the oldest mortals Shu had ever met. Calling him little George was bold to say the list.
"Hmm, he should be about two hundred and seventy-one by now."
Shu answered. He felt his brain melting inside his head.
"Ohh, he grew up quite well."
The captain said and then looked at his fingers. The captain was counting the gap between him and George Adom!
They waited and waited, and their levels of confusion grew as they waited.
"Okay! I am two-hundred and eighty-seven years old."
The captain said and nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Are you one of the six monsters?"
Alexander asked. He wanted to see where everyone was and overheard their conversation.
"Six monsters? Oh, right, that's what they called us back then! Muriel! I remember how they called my group back when we participated in the tournament!"
The captain shouted excitedly.
Shortly after he shouted, the girl who created the ice path they used to get on the ship showed up. She had white hair and blue eyes, and a chilly atmosphere surrounded her constantly.
"Isn't this what I told you when we talked about that?"
The girl asked with an indifferent tone.
"Oh, you may be right. I'm sorry for not listening to you back then."
The captain said and then laughed awkwardly.
"I apologize if he said anything too stupid."
Muriel said with the same apathetic tone as before. She bowed, and the captain's eye twitched.
"You know. Sometimes it feels like you say things like that solely to spite me."
The captain retorted confidently.
"Again. I apologize if he says anything too stupid. He is old and senile."
Muriel repeated with a few changes that made it so much crueler.
The captain had no words to say. He, the captain and one of the six mightiest participants in the previous tournament, felt entirely defeated.
It was only at that moment that Muriel cracked a smile.
She held her hand forward for a handshake, but Shu and Mary were too scared to shake it. They didn't remember her from the previous timeline and were terrified to know that such a monster was so close by.
Alexander wasn't as scared as them, something that reminded them of the time he challenged the captain. He had a lot of guts.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Alexander of the dreamer god's realm. These are Shual Adom, heir to the Redfox family and my rival. And Mary Mob, a dangerous beast that I wouldn't advise you to anger."
Alexander introduced the three of them.
~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
More chapters will come out over the summer, so please enjoy them.
On another note: This message will be here and at the end of part two.
I have an idea for part three, but I don't think I'll write it. If you want me to continue, then comment anything you want. (you can curse me too)
If I receive one comment, I'll continue writing, and there will be part three.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy what's coming.
Have a nice day.