Humans are social creatures.
Thus, when humans are alone, there generally exists a sense of "peculiarity" in their psychology, the extent of which depends on individual differences.
If one moved from a populated urban area to a desolate suburb, they would inevitably feel endangered.
A decrease in the number of people often signifies an increase in danger.
This is the alarm mechanism ingrained in human instincts from the times when our ancestors hunted in groups.
The situation Ronald was facing
Previously, although the time loops had caused tension, there were at least other people around.
On the empty platform, not a single humanoid creature was in sight; even the girl who had been traveling with him was nowhere to be seen.
The "familiarity" brought about by numerous experiences contrasted starkly with the "unfamiliarity" of the present scene, creating an extremely intense, impactful contrast.
Without a word, Ronald instantly ran toward the end of the platform.
He wasn’t trying to escape this eerie area, but rather, he hoped to check the steam train’s engine.
In the part where the train driver needed to be in control at all times.
Ronald’s thick soles slammed hard onto the platform brick, and he stopped in his tracks.
There was no one in the engine!
But the Dongfeng number was still accelerating normally and then began to leave the station.
God knows how the train got started!
His expression grew even more somber and tense, his grip on the Magic Book unconsciously tightening.
"What the hell is..."
Before he could finish muttering to himself, the scene before Ronald changed again.
But this time, he did not return to the platform.
Just a moment ago his feet had been on the bricks, and now they abruptly shifted onto a horizontal piece of wood.
And in front of him was the Dongfeng number, speeding along the tracks!
He didn’t even need to think.
Ronald forcefully leapt to the side off the tracks, and then rolled onto the ground.
A little more than a meter away.
The Dongfeng number passed by steadily.
If Ronald hadn’t dodged just now, he would be swept forward along with the engine...
Fortunately, the area affected by the time distortion was just these.
According to the operating laws, the Dongfeng number had yet to accelerate to a speed that left no time for reaction.
In silence, Ronald turned his head to look around.
By the time he stood up, the tail of the train was already leaving, its trailing air hitting his face.
His rising vigilance was becoming more urgent.
He was suddenly thrown in front of the train this time; would the next time be under its iron-cast wheels?
The transition came without warning!
The scenery before Ronald Twisted again!
Next second, the azure sky greeted his sight, all the buildings in view belonging to around the station.
And this time, there was nothing beneath his feet.
Before he had time to ponder, the omnipresent gravity firmly grasped Ronald’s ankles, pulling him downward with a jerk.
Caught mid-air with no support, utterly unable to adjust his posture, he heavily fell onto the structure just a little over a meter below.
This was the roof of the Berenwich train station.
Beside him was the curved dome, and Ronald had fallen right onto the platform at the edge of the dome.
Within his field of vision, there was another entrance to the top of the office building on the opposite side.
Whether he moved left or right, just two meters upward, Ronald would fall directly from the towering top of the station building to the ground.
The result was obvious—
Staggering up from the ground, Ronald now had no intention of moving. Given his current situation, even if he started running, he wouldn’t know where he might end up a second later.
The priority was still to be on guard and find a way to stop his problem of appearing all over the place.
So, this phenomenon began...
Thinking this far, Ronald instantly realized the crux of the problem.
It was all his own fault!
However, at the same time, the scene in front of him once again began to distort!
The "Rain Mist Divine Hammer" vanished into his palm, and Ronald was standing on the ground again...
Around him were neatly arranged train seats in two rows, and through the train window, he could see the familiar platform.
This time he had arrived inside the Dongfeng train!
As Ronald realized his location, the familiar sound of the train starting came from outside the carriage.
In the empty carriage, he ran to the nearest window, opened it, and, ignoring the pain in his body, jumped down from the train.
Climbing onto the platform using the wall, the train behind him sped away.
Once again, the Dongfeng disappeared from view.
Dragging his pained body, Ronald sat down on the platform bench, casually grabbing a water bottle hanging from a small snack cart along the way.
While cleaning the scrapes on his body, he occasionally looked around.
After about fifteen minutes,
Ronald had quickly tended to the scrapes on his body.
As he had thought, this time he wasn’t suddenly teleported away like before.
The "Rain Mist Divine Hammer" was gone, and he was temporarily out of danger.
He emptied the remaining clear water in the bottle in one gulp and sat back on the bench, gazing vaguely at the station ceiling above.
"I was too confident."
"This is all my fault."
His tone was clearly full of regret as Ronald engaged in self-reflection.
Since his journey began, he had encountered some troubles and crises, but essentially, he had smooth sailing up to now.
He was able to leverage the power of the original text, easily mastering the Magic Book, which the locals treasured as a sacred relic, and he had the upper hand in dealing with enemies twice, easily solving everyday problems.
All these experiences had built up, and his subconscious confidence was slightly off.
This was what caused his current predicament.
To stop the rampage of the original text, logically, one should first isolate that power, then figure out how to tame the Magic Book.
Based on his last experience in the Black Mountain basement, where the "Rain Mist Divine Hammer" broke through the "Divine Comedy’s" passive defense, he thoughtlessly wanted to do it again.
This was the power after the original text went berserk, not the passive protection of the Magic Book!
His previous actions were like pouring cold water into a boiling oil pan, practically suicidal, no wonder he was suddenly being moved from place to place.
This was the original text repelling the "Rain Mist Divine Hammer."
Sorting out his thoughts, Ronald heaved a sigh of relief and stood up from the bench.
Patricia had said before that she couldn’t solve the rampaging Magic Book.
Now it seemed, in this empty world,
only he could solve the problem by himself.