The blast doors of the Hangar groaned open, revealing a cavernous space that smelled of oil, rust, and forgotten dreams.
In the center of the room, resting on heavy-duty tracks, sat a monster.
It was a train. But calling it a train was like calling a T-Rex a lizard. It was a modified NRC (Nigerian Railway Corporation) locomotive, clad in thick, black armor plating. Cowcatchers spiked with rebar jutted from the front like a set of metal teeth. The windows were slits reinforced with steel mesh.
[VEHICLE FOUND: NRC-808 "THE IRON HORSE"]
[CLASS: ARMORED TRANSPORT]
[HP: 50,000/50,000]
[STATUS: HIBERNATING]
[FUEL: 0%]
"It's beautiful," Zayn whispered, adjusting his glasses. "It's a tank with a dining car."
"It's a battering ram," Bhy Khay corrected, walking along the side. He ran his hand over the cold metal. "The Lagos-Ibadan rail line is 157 kilometers of straight track. This thing can hit 150 km/h. We can be in Lagos in an hour."
"If the tracks aren't broken," Elara pointed out. "Or blocked by ogres."
"That's what the cowcatcher is for," Bhy Khay tapped the spiked front. "Physics favors mass times acceleration. An Ogre weighs 2 tons. This train weighs 120. Do the math."
"Splat," Zayn nodded. "The math is 'Splat'."
THE UPGRADE
"We need to prep it," Bhy Khay climbed onto the walkway. "It has modular slots. We fill them with what we have."
He opened the [Vehicle Admin Menu].
[SLOT 1: ENGINE CORE (Empty)]
[SLOT 2: DEFENSE TURRET (Empty)]
[SLOT 3: BUFF SLOT (Empty)]
"Zayn," Bhy Khay pointed to the roof. "Mount the [Windforce Bow] logic to the automated turret mount. If anything flies within 500 meters, I want it shot."
"On it," Zayn scrambled up the ladder. "I'll calibrate it to target 'Ugly' and 'Hostile'. Usually the same thing."
"Tomiwa," Bhy Khay pointed to the side armor. "We need speed. Draw something."
"Flames?" Tomiwa asked, shaking a can of [Mercury Ink].
"Flames are cosmetic," Bhy Khay said. "Draw Runes of Haste. And maybe a 'Baby on Board' sign. It might confuse the AI."
"I'm drawing a shark mouth on the front," Tomiwa decided. "Psychological warfare."
"Elara," Bhy Khay pointed to the engine block. "This thing generates massive heat. I need you to be the radiator. If the temp goes red, cast [Frost Breath] on the manifold."
"I am a Royal Mage," Elara sighed, climbing into the engine room. "And now I'm an AC unit."
THE FUEL
Bhy Khay walked to the Engine Core. It was a gaping hole waiting for a power source. Standard diesel wouldn't work; the System had mutated the engine to run on Mana.
He opened his inventory.
He pulled out the [Heart of the Elder Iroko]—the glowing green orb dropped by the tree boss.
[ITEM: IROKO HEART]
[ENERGY: 5,000 MANA]
[TRAIT: REGENERATIVE POWER]
"Bio-fuel," Bhy Khay muttered. "Sustainable and violent."
He jammed the heart into the core.
THRUMMM.
The train shuddered. Green veins of light spread across the black armor. The engine roared to life—not with the chug of pistons, but with the deep, resonant hum of nature magic.
[SYSTEM ALERT: ENGINE ONLINE.]
[WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVATION DETECTED.]
[HANGAR SECURITY PROTOCOLS ENGAGED.]
Red lights began to flash in the hangar.
"Uh oh," Zayn called from the roof. "Bhy Khay, the walls are opening!"
From the walls of the bunker, panels slid back. [Sentry Turrets] emerged.
"Intruders detected," a robotic voice echoed. "Sanitizing area."
"We triggered the burglar alarm," Bhy Khay jumped into the driver's cabin. "Everyone inside! We're leaving!"
"The hangar door is closed!" Elara shouted from the engine room.
Bhy Khay looked at the massive blast doors blocking the exit tunnel.
[BLAST DOOR HP: 10,000]
He looked at the throttle.
"Zayn! Keep the turrets off us!" Bhy Khay grabbed the lever. "I'm going to make a door."
THE BREAKOUT
RAT-TAT-TAT.
The bunker's security turrets opened fire. Bullets pinged off the train's heavy armor.
"Returning fire!" Zayn yelled. The automated turret on the roof spun. THWACK-THWACK. Two bamboo bolts destroyed a camera lens.
Bhy Khay slammed the throttle forward.
"Hold on to something!"
The Iron Horse lurched. The wheels spun, sparks flying as they gripped the metal rails.
SPEED: 0... 20... 50 km/h...
The train accelerated down the short track inside the hangar, heading straight for the closed blast doors.
"Bhy Khay!" Elara screamed over the comms. "We're going to crash!"
"We're not crashing," Bhy Khay gritted his teeth. "We're knocking."
SPEED: 80 km/h.
The Iroko Heart pulsed wildly. The green runes on the train flared.
CRASH.
The impact was deafening.
The spiked cowcatcher slammed into the steel doors. Metal shrieked. Sparks showered like fireworks.
For a second, the train stopped. The wheels screeched, burning against the rails.
Then, the door buckled.
CRUNCH.
The train tore through the blast doors, twisting the steel like paper. It shot out of the underground tunnel and into the sunlight.
[ZONE ENTERED: MONIYA RAILWAY STATION.]
The Iron Horse flew up the ramp and landed heavily on the main Lagos-Ibadan tracks. The suspension groaned, but held.
"We're out!" Zayn cheered. "And I think I swallowed my tongue!"
Bhy Khay didn't celebrate. He looked at the dashboard.
[DESTINATION: LAGOS (MOBOLAJI JOHNSON STATION)]
[DISTANCE: 157 KM]
[ESTIMATED TIME: 60 MINUTES]
He looked out the reinforced windshield. The tracks stretched out into the horizon, cutting through the forest and the ruins of villages.
"Elara, check the engine temp," Bhy Khay ordered. "Tomiwa, check the hull integrity."
"Engine is green," Elara reported. "The Iroko Heart loves the speed."
"Hull is at 98%," Tomiwa said. "The paint got scratched, though. My shark looks like it has a cavity."
Bhy Khay sat back in the conductor's chair.
"Next stop: Abeokuta," he announced. "Then Lagos."
He pulled the whistle cord.
HOOOOOOOOONK.
The sound echoed across the silent landscape, a challenge to every monster and warlord between here and the coast.
[QUEST UPDATED: THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN.]
[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE JOURNEY.]
Bhy Khay opened the [Global Chat].
[System]: User "Bhy Khay" has entered the Transit Zone.
[User_Godfather]: You found a train? Cute. I have a welcoming committee waiting at Kilometer 50.
Bhy Khay typed a reply.
[User_BhyKhay]: Don't stand on the tracks.
He closed the chat.
"Zayn," Bhy Khay said. "Eyes on the horizon. If the Godfather has a committee, it probably involves explosives."
"Or another gravity wall," Zayn noted. "Should I load the explosive bolts?"
"Load everything," Bhy Khay pushed the throttle to max. "We have a schedule to keep."