Chapter 774

Chapter 774: Traveling Underground

The subway was packed with cargo boxes, the overhead lights flickered a few times, and a bell rang out “ding ding” from somewhere unknown.

The dwarf porters all stepped away from the tracks, and Supervisor Elbig backed up two steps, saying, “I wish you a pleasant journey to Ironforge, Jesse Seso.”

Jesse nodded, but the platform under his feet suddenly shook as if it had unhooked from something. With a series of odd “ding dong” sounds echoing from above, a red warning light turned white.

Elbig glanced down, then looked up again and waved goodbye. Jesse barely caught a glimpse of him before the platform seemed to be yanked away… or flung forward with a whoosh!

Jesse felt darkness close in as if his soul had been left behind, unable to catch up, and he lost all consciousness. Dizzily, he clung to the subway railing… shifting from one hand to two, then hugging it tight.

Wind rushed against the back of his head, scraping his ears. He only had one thought: why didn’t those gnomes put in a damn windshield up front, or just block it off with a metal plate?

This thing didn’t need a driver!

The deafening roar of the mining subway grinding against the rails filled the air. Though it was hard to open his eyes and see, Jesse knew they were moving at a crazy speed. Luckily, his luggage was strapped to his waist and tough to lose, but the bags, sword, and dagger still jolted wildly in the wind, as if trying to pull his pants down.

The intense vibrations quickly numbed Jesse’s legs, making him unsteady. Then a strong hand grabbed him from behind and dragged him behind some boxes—a dwarf had saved him.

That dwarf and two other gnomes tied him securely beside a pile of goods with ropes. They were likely cargo guards, all wearing goggles and heavy jackets, dressed like pilots.

But given how terrifyingly fast the subway raced, their gear made sense.

Without the blessing of the Red Dragon essence, Jesse would have been blown away somewhere. Was that why the subway wasn’t open to regular travelers yet?

He didn’t have the energy to think now. A gnome beside him handed Jesse goggles to put on. No one spoke; whatever they said would be drowned out by the grinding roar.

Time passed unnoticed. After several jolts, the subway shifted from its steep descent to a steadier rumble, and the fierce wind eased up.

If this kept up all the way to Ironforge… Jesse wasn’t sure he could last, especially after that stretch where breathing was so hard.

He checked his bags to make sure nothing was lost in the chaos, then settled safely between the cargo boxes.

With goggles on, he could see around him now, though there wasn’t much to see—just flashing white lights, endless dark tunnels, and shadowy walls all rushing backward… no underwater world like an aquarium.

As the noise and shaking numbed the other passengers, the boring view made him drowsy, but Jesse fought to stay awake.

He had never been to Ironforge, and he didn’t know if the dwarves there had special ways to spot demons. So he hadn’t brought any imp, and no succubus was with him, just to avoid trouble.

Others were in the car, and he had too many precious treasures on him to risk sleeping. The subway ran into the next night, and he forced himself to stay awake.

He had kept himself alert before, but staying awake on this dull, scary ride was way harder than in the thrilling Grim Batol.

Just as Jesse felt his mind about to snap, the speed seemed to slow.

The lights had turned yellow and flickered, and the cargo guards stood up to pack their things.

Were they finally reaching Ironforge? What a torturous journey…

The subway entered another hall and screeched to a stop with a sharp grinding sound, frozen as if jammed into the ground.

Jesse shuddered, and the world went eerily quiet. Footsteps on the metal floor and voices of dwarves and gnomes sounded faint and muffled.

He swore to himself he would never ride this thing again.

At the subway doors, Jesse peered out into the corridor and saw Bronzebeard Dwarves approaching. They looked no different from those in the Dwarven District of Stormwind.

But outside, it was Ironforge.

For most early Alliance players, Ironforge was the real “main city,” more familiar than Stormwind.

Due to its location and the first auction house setup, Alliance players gathered in Ironforge back then, treating it as the heart of the Alliance.

So, as a former double agent, Jesse had a special tie to the place.

He followed the dwarves hauling cargo out of the subway and into an underground hall. It reminded him of the dragon egg chamber in Grim Batol—no eggs here, but the walls, wide central hall, and side buildings were similar.

In the game, the area outside Ironforge’s subway entrance was a gnome craftsman zone, full of gears, metal walls, and huge machines, nothing like this scene.

Though many gnomes were here, most seemed to be subway workers, not residents.

Jesse remembered that after Troggs destroyed Gnomeregan, the gnomes fled to Ironforge and turned this into a gnome district, like the Dwarven District in Stormwind.

Following the crowd into a narrow passage, the rusty smell faded while the scent of charcoal grew stronger. If he smelled this in Stormwind, Jesse would think something was on fire, but this was Ironforge!