Wu Liang gripped the control lever and gave it a sudden, forceful shove forward!
Clang!
The massive wheels collided with the iron rails, letting out a thunderous boom.
Then, under the horrified gazes of everyone present, this steel behemoth weighing dozens of tons began to move slowly.
No magic, no magical beasts—it moved solely on its own power!
Steam hissed from both sides of the pistons, and the massive connecting rods drove the wheels to start accelerating.
Faster and faster!
The locomotive roared past the crowd, charging into the distance with the rumble of the rails.
Though in the eyes of Wu Liang from his past life, the top speed of this prototype was barely forty kilometers per hour—pitifully slow.
But at this moment, to the people of this world, it was nothing short of a miracle!
That raw impact composed of steel and power, that indomitable and violent momentum, left everyone dumbstruck.
"What is that..."
"It's running on its own! It's eating fire! It's a living monster!"
"Those Black Rock Tribe guys... they... they actually managed to create such a devilish thing!"
The captives were completely stunned; they knelt on the ground, watching the receding locomotive with eyes full of fear and awe.
And Lina, standing behind Wu Liang, was more shocked than anyone else.
At this moment, her worldview was smashed to pieces by this roaring steel monster.
Inside the cab of the speeding locomotive, it was a different scene entirely.
The cramped space was filled with the smell of burning coal and scorching steam.
The chassis jolted violently, letting out a deafening roar.
Suina's face was flushed with excitement. Watching the scenery outside the window recede rapidly, she shouted to Wu Liang.
"We did it! Wu Liang! We did it!"
"Yes, we did it."
Wu Liang smiled, pulled her over, and took her into his arms.
"What are you doing!"
Suina was startled; the space was so small, and they were traveling at high speed.
"Rewarding the greatest contributor."
Wu Liang leaned his lips toward her ear and spoke in a low voice.
His hands began to wander improperly over Suina's fiery, exquisite body.
"Don't... not here..."
Suina's breathing grew ragged, and her body began to go soft.
The violent vibrations of the cab, the roar of steel, and the man's domineering, aggressive aura gave her an unprecedented feeling—one that was both dangerous and thrilling.
The tight leather outfit she wore for work now became the most fatal catalyst, outlining her powerful, mature figure to the fullest.
Wu Liang pressed her against the cold iron wall, looked at her beautiful face stained with coal dust, and leaned down to kiss her.
"Mmm..."
...In the distance, on the plains.
Taiwen Merlin stared blankly as that steel monster turned around on the distant horizon and roared back, finally stopping before everyone in a screech of brakes and a massive cloud of steam.
He saw Wu Liang walk out of the monster's belly with a winner's smile, holding the disheveled, flushed Suina.
At that moment, the last flicker of revenge in Taiwen's heart was completely extinguished.
He understood.
The times had truly changed.
The glory of magic and knights was powerless before this man's steel creations.
He and the old nobility he represented were merely dust to be crushed ruthlessly by the wheels of the era.
The test run was an unprecedented success.
Wu Liang gave orders on the spot:
"Expand the steel plant and the forging workshops! I want you to build ten more locomotives like this and a hundred carriages within three months!"
"Put all the captives to work on laying the tracks, three shifts, day and night! Before the Elven army arrives, I want the black rock to be able to carry soldiers and cannons directly to the gates of the Mist Forest!"
"Yes!"
Everyone from the Black Rock Tribe roared in unison, the sound shaking the fields.
The way they looked at Wu Liang was filled with fanatical worship.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, a soldier from the Scout Battalion came galloping in on a fast horse.
"Liang! Urgent military intelligence!"
Sa Lan took the report, her expression changing as she walked quickly to Wu Liang's side.
"Large-scale magical anomalies have appeared deep within the Mist Forest; their range and intensity are increasing rapidly."
"According to our judgment, the army of the Elven Kingdom may have finished assembling and is heading our way!"
Hearing this news, the excitement and joy on everyone's faces vanished, replaced by solemn expressions.
Only Wu Liang's smile remained unchanged.
He looked up toward the Mist Forest, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold arc.
"Coming at just the right time."
"I was just worried about not having an audience to appreciate my new toy."
Moon Language Kingdom, the holy land of the Elves.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled spots of light.
The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and a rich aura of life, while gurgling streams wove through the forest, making pleasant sounds.
Treehouses formed from living giant trees dotted the forest, merging perfectly with nature in a dreamlike fashion.
This was a secluded utopia, the heaven in every Elf's heart.
However, today, this tranquility was shattered by a disheveled figure.
An Elven guard, with shattered armor and wounds all over his body, came crawling and stumbling into the Moon God Temple.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
Seated upon the throne of the Moon God Temple was an exquisitely beautiful woman.
She had long golden hair, purer than moonlight, draped casually behind her.
Her features were as delicate as a god's most perfect masterpiece, and her pale gold eyes were noble and cold, as if devoid of any mortal concerns, looking down upon all things.
She wore a magnificent silver-white robe and held a Nature Scepter made from a branch of the World Tree, with visible life energy swirling around her.
She was the ruler of the Moon Language Kingdom, the faith of all Elves, a being hailed as a demigod.
The Elf Queen, Sylvia Moonshadow.
"Why such panic?"
Sylvia spoke slowly, her voice as clear and cold as an icy spring, yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Lina... legion commander Lina..."
The messenger knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"The Starseeker Legion she led... outside Tiee Fortress... was completely wiped out! Lady Lina... she has been captured by the humans!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell into a dead silence.
The Elven elders standing on both sides all showed expressions of disbelief.
"What did you say?"
"That's impossible! How could mere humans defeat the Starseeker Legion?"
"Lina is the finest warrior of our race!"
Sylvia's brow furrowed slightly. She extended a slender finger, and a soft green light flew out, landing on the messenger.
The messenger's wounds healed at a visible rate. He caught his breath and tremblingly pulled a letter and a drawing from his robes.
"This is... what that human leader told me to bring back."
An elder took the letter and drawing and presented them.
Sylvia's gaze first fell upon the drawing.
The brushstrokes were rough, but exceptionally vivid.
In the drawing, her most prized subordinate, legion commander Lina of the Starseeker Legion, was having her chin tilted up by a tall human man, her face full of humiliation and resentment.
The man's face even wore a hint of a frivolous smile.
A surge of rage instantly rose from the depths of Sylvia's heart.
She unfolded the letter. The handwriting was even more arrogant and overbearing, filled with provocation and extortion.
"Greetings, respected Elf Queen. Your subordinate is currently in my hands."
"If you want her to live, bring enough sincerity and come to Tiee Fortress in person to ransom her. I hope you'll satisfy me."
"By the way, your Elven legion commander has quite a nice figure."
Signed: Leader of the Black Rock Tribe, Wu Liang.
"Damned wretch!"
A massive surge of magic power erupted from Sylvia's body. The armrest of her throne, made from a thousand-year-old tree, was instantly shattered into dust!
The air in the entire hall seemed to freeze. All the Elves felt the Queen's volcano-like wrath, and one by one, they fell silent as cicadas in winter.
"Human, I will kill you!"