On the distant horizon, the emerald walls and spires of Emerald City gradually became clear as their outlines reflected the sunlight.
Outside the newly built station in Emerald City, staff members who had been waiting for hours had already gathered in anticipation. They stood on their tiptoes to look out, their faces filled with anxiety and hope, and some checked the time on their watches every few seconds.
After traveling for a while longer, the train gradually appeared on the distant horizon beyond the city. Before long, a speeding locomotive materialized in everyone's field of vision.
The crowd instantly burst into cheers of celebration.
What this represented was self-evident to everyone present.
Some excited workers cheered and hugged each other with joy at the success. The train soon began to slow down through careful braking, then pulled into the Emerald City station with a final whistle.
A large group of people immediately swarmed around it to get a closer look.
There were on-site staff, curious commoners, and even nobles and officials from the city who had come to witness history. After all, such a novel creation had never appeared before in their lifetimes.
The success of this railway experiment would bring a tremendous transformation to the entire Moon Elf Territory. Maybe even to the entire world
While the cheering continued at the station, Alto, who was still aboard the airship heading home, had already received the news through magical communication.
Paste's eager voice came through the communicator with barely contained excitement.
After hearing the news of success, Alto couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He felt somewhat impatient to get inside the train himself, the first of its kind in this world.
News of the successful trial run of the Dawn was soon officially released by the Lunaria Machinery Workshop to the public.
"The Magic-Powered Railway from Lunaria to Emerald City is now fully open for passenger and freight service."
As soon as the news came out, it immediately created a sensation throughout the region.
Citizens of Lunaria and Emerald City flocked to the Machinery Workshop and the station with eager questions. They were desperate to inquire about riding the train and wanted to be among the first to experience this revolutionary method of transportation.
Merchants from all over were even more perceptive about the opportunity. They contacted the Machinery Workshop immediately and surrounded the staff to ask about freight prices, capacity limits, and other commercial details.
For a while, the capacity of the Machinery Workshop was nearly worn down by the constant traffic of visitors.
The airship slowly landed at the Lunaria skyport after its journey, and as soon as it touched the ground, someone immediately came to welcome Alto home.
Having not returned for several months, the latest models of magic cars could now often be seen on the streets of Lunaria. Coupled with the growth of the moonstone economy, it seemed that even the overall economy of Lunaria had been revitalized during his absence.
Paste and Antru also rushed over quickly after receiving news of his arrival. The joy on their faces had not yet faded from the morning's triumph.
"Master Alto! You're finally back!" Paste stepped forward quickly, his tone unable to hide his eagerness.
"The Dawn is about to start its first official passenger run. We've specially reserved the best seats and would like to invite you to experience it with us!"
Alto was looking forward to it as well and nodded in agreement, without hesitation.
Speaking of which, he felt a bit embarrassed about his role. Although the three of them were partners in this venture, he had been somewhat irresponsible as a business partner. He left everything to the two of them while he just waited to count the money afterward.
It was another early morning, just as dawn was breaking over the horizon.
At the platform, passengers were already waiting in groups. Some wore simple linen shirts while others dressed in luxurious clothing that displayed their wealth.
There were even noble ladies with refined dresses standing among the crowd.
A young couple was also looking around at this time while waiting with visible anticipation.
"Why isn't it here yet?" The girl's voice was full of curiosity and impatience.
"Soon, it should arrive any moment now. According to the time on our tickets, we're right on schedule."
They were none other than Carter and his girlfriend, Vivian.
His hometown was in the countryside near Emerald City, and Carter hadn't been back to visit his old home for a long time due to the distance. For this first operation of the train, he couldn't wait to try it out since it was a perfect chance to visit his family.
He had even temporarily suspended his participation in the ARK competition, though it would only be a delay of a day or two at most. After applying for leave, he could play from home just the same, using his personal equipment.
In the past, the journey back home was far too long and very inconvenient for someone of his means. The price of taking an airship was too high, and he was somewhat reluctant to spend that much on travel.
Now things were different with Dawn.
This time, the one-way fare for the magic-powered train was only a bit over a hundred Bailey. It was a price so low that it surprised the ordinary residents of Lunaria, who were used to expensive transport.
This was mainly thanks to the greatly increased carrying capacity of the train, which was far beyond what an airship could match in terms of passengers. When spread across so many travelers, the ticket price naturally became lower, and traveling as a whole was more accessible.
The people around were also impatient as they craned their necks to look out for the approaching train.
Some were chatting in groups of twos and threes about their destinations.
Soon, the sound of a whistle blew across the station.
The magic-powered train slowly approached and pulled into the platform with precision. "It's here, it's here!" The crowd instantly became noisy, and some people immediately grabbed their belongings to get ready for boarding.
Carter, wearing a clean cloth shirt, carried a large leather suitcase in one hand while tightly holding Vivian's hand with the other. The two followed the flow of people and slowly boarded the train through the designated entrance.
At the door, a conductor was directing everyone while introducing various safety precautions to the passengers.
"Come on, move forward, please. Mind the Gap."
The two found their assigned seats and sat down together. It was a window seat with an excellent view of the countryside.
Carter placed the suitcase under the seat and conveniently slid open the train window beside them. A cool breeze from the late morning blew into the carriage while carrying the scent of green grass from beside the tracks.
Before long, the train began to move with a gentle lurch.
Carter leaned his head out carefully and watched the platform slowly recede behind them. As the train picked up speed, the station gradually became smaller and smaller in the distance.
The train started slowly at first, then gradually accelerated as the fields, woodlands, and scattered farmhouses outside the window flashed by in succession.
The two of them watched the scenery while chatting quietly about their plans.
Not long after departure, a conductor pushing a trolley appeared in the aisle.
The trolley was filled with various snacks and refreshments for purchase. If one was hungry, there were also various pre-prepared foods available at reasonable prices.
Of course, these were all Alto's ideas. The service could be said to be a complete recreation of what he remembered from his previous life.
At this time, he was also sitting in the VIP carriage specially reserved for him while looking at the scenery outside the window. For a moment, he even had the illusion that he had returned to Earth.
Currently, there was only one operational railway line connecting the cities.
New railways were already being laid down at an accelerated pace across the territory. It was expected that before long, the entire Lunaria railway network would be officially operational. At that time, there would be more than just the line to Emerald City available.
A new line leading to the northern regions was also being constructed urgently.
Now that the first trial run was successful, many merchants were already seeking cooperation agreements with their Baileys in hand and ready to invest.
Alto had also been busy dealing with various business matters these past few days since returning.
The expansion of the chamber of commerce during his trip to Solaria was tremendously successful, and the various Moonstone Workshops were now working around the clock to meet demand.
Hiring more people and raising salaries were both imminent necessities.
The temple elders were even more delighted beyond words. Their smiles were so wide they couldn't close their mouths properly.
So many changes had occurred in Lunaria over the past year or two that it was almost unrecognizable. From the Dreamscape to the real Lunaria, the elders had witnessed all these transformations firsthand.
They were also looking after Alto and his trading company in all aspects of governance and regulation.
In the Dreamscape, the ARK competition had now entered its final stage of survival.
Friction between the four great groups continued without pause.
The players who had survived until now were not to be trifled with anymore. They had basically adapted to the cruel competition and its harsh realities.
Every faction was urgently expanding its strength in preparation for the endgame.