Due to the sheer exhaustion of dealing with Kiora and Celina, Lohran fell asleep at the back of the Neyvaris roller transport before they could even make it out of the borders of the Neyvaris Private Residence.
He only woke up an hour later.
Lohran rubbed his eyes and yawned heartily, looking around the next moment.
His eyes widened in surprise as a vast array of wondrous night lights greeted and jolted him awake, dancing gracefully like fireflies in the darkness.
They were neatly arranged along the sides of the widest asphalt street Lohran had ever seen.
Beyond them stood towering skyscrapers—some even larger than those on Earth—though nearly all had armored plating around their first five floors.
'Hoh, are those protections against Zorphlings?' he wondered.
Lohran took in his surroundings with a subtle smile, his gaze lingering on the restaurants as he wondered what kinds of dishes they served.
Do they have menus that cater to a Dawnchaser's palette?
Looking back, he realized he had never once left the borders of the massive Neyvaris Private Residence, located just outside the city proper but within its jurisdiction and protection.
Who would have thought the cities in this world were even more beautiful than the finest and most advanced ones on Earth?
Unfortunately, his cheerful sightseeing was cut short when the roller transport suddenly turned a corner, coming to a stop moments later in front of what appeared to be a luxurious train station.
"Hm? Julius, why did we stop?" Lohran asked, glancing subconsciously at the time on his digital handscreen.
It was only the eleventh hour…
He shouldn't have even left the manor yet.
"Young Master, this is as far as I was ordered to take you. Your train will arrive in two hours. Would you like to wait inside the roller transport, or should I leave first?" the old chauffeur, Julius, explained and asked.
"What? I thought you would be driving me to the gates of the Northern Dawnchaser Academy?"
"Hahaha," Julius chuckled. "You're quite the jester, Young Master. I'm just a humble chauffeur—how could I possibly protect you from Zorphlings? At most, I can take you to the train station in the next city via the secured highway, but that's about it…"
Lohran blinked. "I have… to go there myself?"
"Well, no, not by yourself, Young Master. Has the lord not informed you?" the chauffeur said cryptically, forgetting to explain further—he hadn't expected Lohran to be unaware.
"Tch, how could he inform me when he's not even around to give me a proper goodbye?" the teenage runt retorted, a hint of resentment in his voice.
"Hahaha, please forgive the lord, Young Master Lohran. I assure you, he was somewhere nearby as you left. He was the same with Young Master Louen—he simply couldn't bear to watch his precious sons leave without shedding a few tears.
Anyway, the Dawnchaser-Rail Transit is well protected—even Threat Level Four Zorphlings pose no danger to it. Young Master Louen also boarded one, though his destination was much closer than yours…"
"Hmph." Lohran merely snorted in response, though he was grinning inwardly.
'Hoh, so that old man of mine is just like my little sister, huh?'
"Fine then, give me my train ticket… or voucher… or whatever proves I have a seat on the train."
"Ah, don't worry, Young Master. Just board and show the train staff your Neyvaris badge—they'll assign you one of the VIP seats," Julius replied.
"Hmm… I see. Fine then. You can leave first—I'll go appreciate that restaurant over there while I wait."
"Understood, Young Master. However, please be aware that your seat reservation is only valid until the thirteenth hour. If you board any later, even the Neyvaris badge will be denied…"
"Got it. Thanks for bringing me here, Julius. Take care on your way back."
Bidding the old chauffeur farewell, Lohran stepped out of the family's roller transport, carrying two large red luggage bags.
Julius readily bid him goodbye and departed the next moment.
Lohran was now alone in a city he had never set foot in before.
However, if there was one thing he had plenty of experience with, it was navigating unfamiliar places.
He had traveled extensively as a world champion, defending his heavyweight title in all sorts of countries.
He knew exactly what to do.
'Hmm… so I have two hours. For starters, let's find a place to leave these…' he mused, glancing at his two massive bags.
His mother had certainly made sure he wouldn't be lacking in food or clothing…
Lohran started walking, scanning the area for an information desk while admiring the lavish train station—its architecture far surpassed anything from his old world.
It didn't take long.
Within minutes, he found an information desk and left his luggage there in exchange for a small numbered card, bringing only his wallet—which held the bank card his father had given him a month ago.
With that taken care of, he made his way toward the restaurant across the wide street, using a safe, guarded underpass to reach the other side.
Lohran stepped into the restaurant that had caught his eye earlier.
To his delight, the menu did include meals featuring Zorphling meat—though only from Threat Level 1 horrors.
He ordered a few seafood dishes cooked with pieces of black meat, along with a couple of spicy drinks laced with a hint of Zorphling blood.
A combination that would leave any ordinary human writhing in agony.
But to Lohran, it was one of the most delicious meals he had tasted in this world.
Yet, for some reason he couldn't quite explain, it still didn't compare to Celina's cooking.
Lohran thoroughly enjoyed his dining experience, especially with what appeared to be a mixed martial arts match between two mundane humans playing on the restaurant's television.
'Hoh… I wonder if there are any such matches between two Dawnchasers?' he mused.
An hour and a half later, he left the restaurant, deciding to board the train early.
There were no hiccups.
Just as Julius had said, he simply showed the train staff his Neyvaris badge—an intricate metal engraving of what resembled a red falcon—and they promptly led him to a private cabin inside the massive armored train, which was three to four times the size of those on Earth.
The room was small but comfortable, furnished with a chair, a slightly inclined bed, and an assortment of snacks and refreshments.
Naturally, Lohran chose to sit by the window, observing the people passing by and the establishments in the city.
He grew bored a dozen minutes later.
'Oh well, the train should be leaving soon… I wonder what time i—'
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he reached into his pocket.
Right... his digital handscreen was inside the locked pockets of one of his luggage bags
And his luggage… wasn't there.
"SHIT!!"
He sprang from his seat, bolting out of his private room and rushing through the train's exit, not stopping for a second until he reached the information desk, huffing and puffing from overexertion.
The colossal transport could leave at any moment!
Sure enough, the next instant, the Dawnchaser-Rail Transit let out a deafening honk, a thick plume of steam billowing from the smokestack at the head.
It was about to depart.
Lohran had never run faster in his life.
He snatched up his bags and bolted toward the closing train entrance, both slung over his slim yet toned shoulders.
His speed far surpassed even the fastest recorded sprinter on Earth.
His speed assimilation rate wasn't just for show—he was as fast as a greyhound at full sprint, possibly even faster.
Unfortunately, he had screwed up. And he had screwed up big time.
The train doors had already sealed shut, and the armored monster was beginning to pick up speed.
'F*ck! F*ck!! F*ck it all!!' Lohran cursed as he sprinted desperately.
He wasn't about to give up, especially not when his wallet was still inside the private room.
His father would kill him!
The runt took advantage of the train's slow acceleration, swiftly overtaking it as he searched for an opening, his white long-sleeve polo and short red hair fluttering in the wind.
At this point, all eyes were naturally on him—both from bystanders outside and passengers inside the train who had a clear view of his desperate sprint.
Some onlookers even pointed at him, murmuring in surprise.
But Lohran didn't care—his eyes were locked on the windows.
'There!'
Spotting an open one, he aligned himself with it and hurled both of his bags inside.
One of them smacked a certain green-haired fatty square in the face.
His luggage had made it.
He, however, had not. And the train was picking up speed.
'As if I'll be left behind!!' he roared inwardly, gritting his teeth as he pushed his sprint to the absolute limit.
His legs burned, his chest ached, but he ignored it all, focusing solely on the open window drawing closer within reach.
With one final burst of power, he leaped, his hands clamping tightly onto the window frame as his body slammed heavily against the transport's metallic armor.
"K-Kuhh…"
Teeth gritted, muscles straining, he pulled himself up.
"F*ck… that was close…"
It wasn't graceful, and it most definitely wasn't easy…
But Lohran had made it.