The armed train entered Old Dunling, moving along the tracks deep into the industrial district. There lay the vast Mechanical Institute, the large elevator leading to the Perpetual Motion Pump, and more secret passages extending along the depths of the underground network, like tree roots rooted in darkness, vertically encircling the Furnace Pillar, and continuously spreading until covering the entire Old Dunling.
The lead gray clouds began to loosen, and the cold drizzle fell soon after, as though welcoming the arriving winter, adding to the coldness of Old Dunling.
Pedestrians on the streets were already accustomed to the erratic weather of Old Dunling. Beneath their unnoticed gloom, the armed train shattered the rain curtain and stopped in the darkness, with some parts entering the Mechanical Institute while others diverged en route, heading to unknown places.
Amidst the rising steam, guests from the Far East disembarked the train.
