Chapter 11

The tunnel was darker than Eli expected, the air thick with the scent of earth, steel, and faint traces of mana residue. The low hum of electricity buzzed through the walls, resonating through the rails beneath their feet.

As they stepped deeper into the underground passage, soft blue mana lanterns flickered to life along the curved stone walls, illuminating the path in a cold, artificial glow.

Zethis, the man Varek had barked orders to, was waiting for them near a heavy steel door at the tunnel’s end.

He was a wiry man, his hands stained with oil and mana residue, dressed in a long coat that looked patched together from old engineer uniforms. His expression was hard to read—somewhere between annoyed and resigned.

“Didn’t expect passengers today,” he muttered, looking them over. His gaze lingered on Alira for a fraction of a second longer before he exhaled. “Whatever. Varek said get you out, so that’s what I’m doing. Don’t touch anything.”

He turned and placed his palm against the steel door.

A soft pulse of blue light flickered beneath his fingers, and with a mechanical clunk, the reinforced door slid open, revealing the underground platform beyond.

Eli’s expectations for the train were low. In his mind, if it was some secret, barely-known operation, it was going to be some rickety old minecart with questionable tracks. Maybe something run by sheer force of will and duct tape magic.

Instead…

The underground station stretched wide, smooth metal platforms lined the edge of three separate tracks, and resting in the nearest lane was a massive, mana-powered locomotive that looked more like a futuristic bullet train than anything medieval.

The front engine car was sleek, reinforced with obsidian-tinted metal that pulsed faintly with light blue runic engravings, guiding the flow of Electric mana through the structure. Attached to it were dozens of different cars, some designed for cargo, others for passenger transport, each connected by thick magnetic couplings.

Eli whistled. “Okay, I was expecting something closer to a steampunk disaster, not a luxury bullet train with glowing runes. What the hell?”

Alira gave him a sidelong look. “What exactly do you think you were about to get into?”

“I don’t know,” Eli admitted, still staring. “I keep expecting something medieval with magic slapped on top, and then I get… this.” He gestured toward the train. “I mean, this thing wouldn’t be out of place in a sci-fi movie.”

Zethis squinted at Eli. “I don’t know what ‘sci-fi’ means, but if you’re saying this is impressive, then yeah. It is.”. As Zethis climbed onto the engine car, tapping a rune on the side. A hiss of an electric current and a faint smell vented from the train as the entrance door slid open.

“Get in. The sooner we move, the better.”

Alira stepped inside first, Eli following as the doors sealed behind them.

The interior was just as sleek as the outside—narrow, but efficiently designed, with walls lined with mana conduits that pulsed in sync with the engine’s core.

The cockpit was at the far end, where Zethis disappeared behind a reinforced door, while the rear of the car had a seating area with a few worn but comfortable-looking benches.

Eli dropped onto one of them with a sigh, placing his clothes next to him.

Alira spoke quickly, “Put your clothes into your inventory.”

Eli picked them up and accessed his inventory through his HUD, it opened up with “Copper Level Inventory” at the top. He stuck them into a slot and his HUD pulsed:

Would you like to make this a complete outfit to change into all at once? [ Yes/No ]

Eli selected “Yes” and they instantly went into their own section with them lined up boots, pants, shirt. On the side it showed his current clothes and it all was worn and had very little durability left. “Should I change now?” Eli asked glancing at Alira. “No, lets wait until we are on our own.”

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“So, how exactly does this thing work?”

Eli touched the wall and his HUD flashed:

☰ Item: Mana-Rail Engine Car – Custom Build

☰ Crafted by: Zethis, Railmaster of Hollow Run

☰ Material: Reinforced Steel Alloy, Conductive Mana Veins

☰ Durability: Unstable (Manual Repairs Required)

☰ Enchantment: Closed-Circuit Mana Conduction (Minimizes energy loss, allowing extended operation without external mana infusion)

☰ Power Source: Integrated Electric Mana Core – Requires periodic recharging by a high-tier Electric user

☰ Additional Notes: Magnetic Couplings detected. Cargo and passenger cars connected via mana-locked stabilizers.

Alira sat across from him, resting her satchel beside her. “The train runs on a closed mana circuit, meaning it doesn’t require constant recharging while on the move. The rails themselves are embedded with Electric and Earth mana, keeping the train stable and its energy flow consistent.”

Eli looked at Alira with a knowing smile. “So, a self-sustaining system?” He pointed at his head. Alira grimaced.

“For the most part.” Alira leaned back. “But it still needs maintenance. The mana circuits need periodic recharging from high-tier Electric users, and the infrastructure requires Earth users to keep the tunnels from collapsing over time.”

Eli exhaled. “You know, for a world that’s so magic-based, this is starting to feel more and more like an advanced civilization.”

Alira smirked slightly. “You keep saying ‘magic.’ Magic is a form of Mana studies, this world runs on Mana and Mana isn’t a crutch. It’s a tool.”

Eli considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Got ya. Mana infused world, not magic infused.”

The train lurched forward, the smooth hum of its engine building up as the mana conduits along the walls brightened, synchronizing with the movement. There was no heavy shaking, no rattle of wheels on tracks—just a seamless, fluid acceleration.

Alira closed her eyes, settling into her seat. “We have just over an hour before we reach the Midland Hub. Use the time wisely.”

Eli blinked. “Uh… meaning?”

She exhaled. “Meaning, meditate.”

He groaned. “Seriously? On a train?”

“Yes.” Her voice was firm, but not unkind. “Your mana integration is never complete. The sooner you learn to focus and control it, the better.”

Eli grumbled under his breath but shifted into a more comfortable position, trying to at least look like he was meditating.

It took a while, but eventually, the gentle hum of the train, the rhythmic pulse of mana around him, and the dim glow of the cabin lights began to fade into the background.

His breathing slowed.

His mind drifted inward.

And just like his meditation at the Heart Spring, he saw it.

This time, the mana didn’t just pulse through him—it responded to him. Like an unseen force was reaching back, pulling toward him just as much as he reached for it.

It swirled through his body like rivers of light, coiling through his limbs, his chest, his very breath. He could feel the subtle pulses of his affinities—the weight of Physical mana, the tethers of something greater, still dormant.

The world around him disappeared.

And for a time, there was only the rhythm of mana… and himself.

The train hissed as it pulled to a stop, the mana conduits dimming slightly as the flow of energy stabilized.

Eli blinked his eyes open, feeling an odd sense of clarity, like his mind was fully charged and in sync with his body and soul.

Alira was already standing, stretching slightly. “Come on. Time to move.”

Eli stood, rolling his shoulders. He felt… lighter. More aware. He wasn’t sure what exactly had changed, but he knew something had.

Zethis stepped out from the cockpit, looking at them with thinly veiled impatience. “End of the line.”

He pressed his palm against the exit door, and with a soft click, it slid open, revealing rows of reinforced cargo containers lined the station walls, some humming with faint traces of mana-powered refrigeration. Conveyor belts stretched overhead, waiting to ferry goods to back to the little village.

The space was cramped and industrial, crates stacked along reinforced walls, conveyor systems long dormant but ready to be used when needed. This was no ordinary station—this was a hidden supply hub, tucked away beneath the greater Midland warehouse district.

Zethis gestured toward a smaller side door, leading out of the terminal. “That’ll take you out the back. Security doesn’t pay attention to the back.”

Alira nodded. “Appreciate it.”

Zethis gave Eli a look. “Try not to get yourselves killed.”

Eli smirked. “Not on my to-do list.”

With that, they stepped through the exit and into the night sky.

Eli kept expecting dirt roads and medieval markets.

Instead, he walked into a sprawling industrial sector, massive warehouses stretching into the skyline, glowing mana lamps illuminating the walkways, and distant hovering platforms transporting cargo across the yard.

The air hummed with energy, Electric mana conduits running along the edges of the buildings, powering the entire sector like a living organism.

Eli stared, he had spent his whole life seeing "fantasy worlds" in books, games, and movies. They always had cobblestone streets, wooden carts, and candlelit taverns. This? This was a whole different level.

“Holy shit.”

Alira smirked. “Finally catching up?”

“This is so far from medieval,” Eli muttered. “Not even close.”

Alira started walking. “Welcome to Caelum, wait until you see Caelshold.”

Eli exhaled, shaking his head as he followed.

He was definitely not in North Carolina anymore.