Sword Master In The Strange World

Chapter 11: Avalanche

Jonas pondered for a while, and in the end, he agreed to Daisy’s proposal, even though it didn’t make any difference to him.

“Okay.”

“Well, that’s great! I’ll let them prepare a new room for you,” Daisy replied happily.

“By the way, I still don’t know your name,” Mr. Armstrong spoke up.

“You can call me Jonas.”

“Jonas, that’s a nice name.”

That very evening, the Armstrong family quickly arranged a first-class cabin for Jonas. It was next to Daisy’s room, either by chance or perhaps because they were still concerned about their daughter. In any case, having Jonas close to Daisy was a good thing, and they would feel much more at ease. So, three rooms – Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, Daisy, and Jonas – became three adjoining rooms.

The journey continued as planned, and Jonas estimated the train would arrive in Crepuscolo in less than twenty-four hours. Outside, the snow was falling steadily. Blankets of white covered the ground, and the trees on either side of the tracks had shed their leaves, resembling bare logs waiting to be chopped. Despite wearing many layers, the passengers on the train still felt extremely cold. Each gust of wind sent shivers down their spines. Their lips cracked from the cold, and their skin turned red. The temperature had dropped to a record low, and for the past few years, the weather had inexplicably grown colder.

Jonas sat in the first-class cabin, where a heater had been set up, making the cold seem distant. He extended his hand toward the heater, feeling the warm smoke emanating from it, which was incredibly comforting. Jonas took a fragrant piece of bread from the table and tore it into small pieces before putting it into his mouth. While its flavor couldn’t compare to the bread Selena used to make in such harsh weather, it was still a decent choice.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, and the wind grew stronger. Jonas approached the window, standing alone and gazing outside. For some reason, he felt an unsettling premonition. In such adverse weather, terrible things were more likely to happen.

The wind outside grew increasingly fierce, as if it had transformed into a giant, battering the train’s body. The train showed signs of shaking, and people panicked.

“The wind is too strong; what should we do?”

“It seems like the wind is much stronger today than yesterday.”

“Don’t worry; it’s just the wind, and it won’t affect us much. What we need to do now is find warm blankets, as I’m afraid the temperature will drop even more shortly,” the ship’s captain spoke up.

Indeed, it was just the wind, so it wasn’t a significant issue. Hearing this, people felt more at ease and returned to their seats, trying to huddle together to minimize the impact of the cold.

The train continued to move forward. Thirty minutes later, a powerful gust of wind woke everyone up.

“Oh my, the wind is much stronger now! It’s much worse than before.”

“Don’t worry; we’ll be fine,” a middle-aged man reassured.

But as soon as these words were spoken, a veritable disaster struck. It wasn’t the wind; it was a snowstorm. Yes, those gusts of wind were the signs of an approaching snowstorm. Snowstorms often had their warning signs.

“Look, it’s a snowstorm! What do we do? What do we do?”

“We’re done for! Help me, save me!”

The train shook violently, and the massive snowstorm obscured all vision. The conductor couldn’t see anything in front of him. Inside the train, people kept swaying as they piled up on top of each other, desperately clinging to anything they could. Some were even ready to trample over others for a safe spot. Faced with life and death, human nature revealed itself.

Just a moment later, the captain lost control of the train. It derailed from the tracks and crashed into a tree alongside the road, flipping over. The fate of the passengers remained unclear.

A few minutes later, several people, their bodies covered in blood, crawled out of the wreckage. Jonas, Daisy, and the Armstrong family emerged as well. Most of the survivors were from the first-class cabin. Their injuries were relatively minor.

Behind them, a few more people crawled out, their condition heartbreaking.

The snow was stained with blood everywhere. The snow seemed to make the blood appear even redder, a terrifying crimson. The train lay overturned, its front end buried in the ground, and its wheels still spinning. On the ground, lifeless bodies were scattered, and you’d find a few corpses with every step. The smell of gasoline, blood, oil, and the human body combined to create an intensely horrifying atmosphere. The cries of the wounded added to the misery. It all became a chaotic mess, with human blood, flesh, and limbs entangled on the snowy ground, looking extremely terrifying. No words could fully describe the gruesome and grotesque scene before them.

Daisy was so frightened that she clutched her stomach and almost vomited. At that moment, a hand reached out, grabbed her foot, and pulled her up. She was so startled that she jumped, unable to utter a word, possibly because of overwhelming fear, and she fainted on the spot.

Everything was in utter chaos. At this time, a young woman in doctor’s attire walked forward without hesitation. She still looked quite young, perhaps not even twenty years old. She approached each survivor without hesitation, examining their wounds.

What caught Jonas’ attention here was that the girl emerged from the area where Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were standing. If he guessed correctly, she was positioned between Mr. Armstrong and Mrs. Armstrong. He also faintly heard the term “daughter” from the noble family. This left Jonas deeply puzzled as he had initially believed Daisy to be their only daughter. However, it seemed that this girl in front of him might be Daisy’s older or younger sister.

“Everyone, we need to help them,” the girl in the blouse spoke up.

Not only was she the first one to assess the situation, but she was also the first to speak up in this dire situation.

Faced with the girl in front of him, Jonas couldn’t help but be amazed. Her appearance seemed fragile, yet she possessed remarkable inner strength. She didn’t possess the beauty of Daisy, but she exuded a sense of protectiveness. Her green eyes and chestnut hair cascading down to her waist contrasted with the fierce scene before them.

“At a time like this, you still want to help? Are you out of your mind?” a bearded man raised his voice. He too was covered in injuries, with blood continuously flowing from his arm.

Others also joined the chorus of objections. At this moment, they were barely holding on to themselves. How could they help others? Furthermore, in the face of life and death, people became selfish.

“If you want to help, go ahead, but we won’t,” a woman beside him added.

“Yes, even though the snowstorm has stopped, the snow is still flopping. It’s so cold out here. What if we freeze to death with them?”

“You all, I understand your fear. But as fellow human beings in a foreign land, can you really watch others die without helping? Are you not afraid of nightmares when you go to sleep tonight?”

Faced with the earlier words, the Armstrong girl couldn’t help but feel cold inside. She hadn’t expected such a vehement response from them. They were ready to watch those people on the ground turn into corpses. If they didn’t act quickly, they might not be themselves tomorrow, but mere lifeless bodies.

“Help? How are we supposed to help? We have no medical equipment here, no supplies. If we stay here any longer, we’ll end up as casualties ourselves,” the bearded man retorted.

“Moreover, even if we help them now, there’s no guarantee they can survive. They might die anyway. Get a grip, young lady,” he continued.

At this point, there was a commotion below. They were divided into two camps: one that followed the girl’s lead and another that closed their eyes and walked away. Indeed, the girl’s words had shaken them to some extent. But the man’s argument also had its merit.

Amidst the chaos, Jonas stepped forward. He moved through the crowd, sitting down beside a woman lying motionless on the ground, beginning to attend to her and provide first aid. A few others saw his actions and came forward to help. They started pulling those trapped inside the train out. The young girl from the Armstrong family didn’t argue with the others, either. She slipped inside the train, using her petite frame to quickly reach the deepest part of the train. Amid the wreckage, she retrieved a bloodied bag and crawled back outside.

“Everyone, I have medical supplies in this bag. Please use them,” she said, raising the bag she had retrieved earlier.

People retrieved the items from the bag. More and more people joined the effort. In the end, the group will help overcame those who were not.

The snow continued to fall as if nothing had happened, and a thin layer of white covered the ground.

In the dim yellow light, a young girl with chestnut hair provided care to each person, tending to their injuries.