As Zorn rose to his feet.

The conference hall swiftly fell silent.

All eyes in the room turned to Zorn.

Mr. Zorn Corick, the famous [Fighting Master] of Ogrande City, had recently become one of the city’s most prominent Transcendent celebrities.

The Transcendent [Fighting Master] who had single-handedly slain the [Rat King Knight] in the sewers.

A newly-minted Baron of the nobility.

The capitalist in control of the Steam Potion Factory.

A Pioneer of the Ancient Ruins.

And what’s more, he was one of Madam Mable’s most favored subordinates.

For an ordinary person to enter the Ancient Ruins, they would have to undergo repeated screenings and follow a squad of Transcendent, lest they cause trouble or steal resources from within.

Yet Zorn Corick, it was said, treated the Ancient Ruins as his own private garden, coming and going as he pleased without any issue.

But then, Mr. Zorn Corick, the [Fighting Master], truly possessed formidable skill and power.

The fact that he was already Level 4 at such a young age was perfect proof of this.

"Ogrande City is currently riding the wave of the steam age. Numerous factions have carved their own Holy Mark Chapter into the city, and the [Torlask Steam Train] is headed straight for us."

"Stopping it will be extremely difficult!"

"However, there are other ways to mitigate the contamination and disaster the [Torlask Steam Train] will bring."

"Underground!"

Zorn stated simply.

"We can divert the [Torlask Steam Train] underground."

"Since the [Torlask Steam Train] is following the railway tracks."

"We can reroute the existing tracks to lead underground on short notice."

"And build a temporary station down there."

"Once we confirm the [Torlask Steam Train] has reached the underground station, we blow the entrance."

"The [Torlask Steam Train]’s destination is Ogrande City anyway. Once it arrives, it will have reached its ’station.’ It most likely won’t move again after that."

Madam Mable frowned, mulling over Zorn’s words.

Rerouting the [Torlask Steam Train] underground... the idea was certainly a bold one.

But upon careful consideration, it seemed feasible.

As a former Player, Zorn knew this was one of the most perfect ways to deal with the [Torlask Steam Train]. At the same time, it was also the most advantageous method for an Evil Spirit Wizard.

"Then..."

Madam Mable raised her head to look at Zorn.

"And the price for doing this?"

Zorn thought for a moment before replying.

"If the [Torlask Steam Train] comes to a complete halt in the underground station, the contamination will spread throughout the sewer system."

"For the average person, the sewers would become a terrifying place of Death and Calamity."

"Of course, ordinary people don’t typically venture into the sewers anyway."

"But trapping the [Torlask Steam Train] underground is bound to cause various catastrophic events."

"When that happens, it will be up to Ogrande City’s Transcendent to deal with them."

"But that’s still better than it destroying Ogrande City’s markets and Steam Factories, or spreading directly through the city and causing mass Death."

"Of course, this all hinges on our ability to trap the [Torlask Steam Train]. If we can’t... things will get much more complicated."

Though he said that, Zorn knew that with the right execution, they could definitely trap the [Torlask Steam Train].

After listening to Zorn’s explanation, Madam Mable gave a slight nod.

"Zorn, your proposal is excellent. I will make sure to report it to my superiors with emphasis."

"Also, if any of the rest of you have good ideas, please present them quickly. Once a strategy is decided, the plan will be set in motion tonight."

"We in Ogrande City are running out of time."

The meeting finally concluded around noon.

Zorn was about to head back, but Madam Mable stopped him.

"Come with me. You’ll sit in on this afternoon’s meeting. Also, prepare a detailed version of your plan. You’ll need to be ready to answer questions about it if necessary."

"Mm!"

Zorn nodded slightly.

’A chance to attend a high-level meeting at Ogrande City Hall is a rare opportunity, even if I’m just observing.’

...

It wasn’t until after four in the afternoon, when the afternoon service had ended.

The high-level meeting at Ogrande City, which had lasted for nearly three hours, finally came to a close.

As a mere observer, Zorn Corick got to see several of Ogrande City’s top powerhouses at the meeting.

’Back when I was a Player, I took plenty of quests from these Ogrande City higher-ups. When my Level got high enough and I was preparing to end my playthrough, I even came back and farmed every single one of these so-called masters. I knew them very well.’

At the meeting, Zorn presented a detailed explanation of his plan.

The plan was highly feasible and didn’t come at too great a cost, so it was naturally approved by the decision of Ogrande City Hall’s leadership.

At the same time, several other non-conflicting proposals were also greenlit.

For example, one involved deploying a ritual barrier in Steam River Rock City, south of Ogrande City, to impede the [Torlask Steam Train]’s advance.

Although the [Torlask Steam Train] was an intangible entity, the power of a ritual could still oppose it to some degree.

Moreover, they would also station a large number of Transcendent at the train station in Steam River Rock City.