Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1357 Do you remember the stories from before?

In the end, Tentis was still unable to persuade Perec to change her mind.

Ultimately, it's meaningless.

Persuasion is meaningless, prevention is meaningless, and even the inherent danger of the matter itself is meaningless. Until the final destination is reached, everything in this world is meaningless and not worth worrying about. Only when the destination is reached, those who yearn to realize their ideals can give meaning to these meaningless things and value to worthless sacrifices.

Tientis hopes that the person is herself, while Carabosse and Perec also firmly believe that the person will be her. Thus, in order to help the Witch of Reality pave the way for the former, she is willing to give up everything and calmly and firmly face death, while the latter is also heading towards the same ending.

If we don't want their efforts to go to waste, then the person who suffers the most, bears the heaviest burden, and should give their all is precisely Tentis.

Only by understanding this point can one truly understand the essence of "reality".

Moonlight pierced through the thin clouds, fragile yet stubbornly reflecting on the dark sea below, allowing Perec to see Tentis's expression—a deep, complex one, difficult to decipher. Perhaps it was from being in the wind for too long, or perhaps it was the moonlight, but his silent, solemn face was devoid of color, pale as a sacrifice, as if waiting to offer something to fate in exchange for the right to realize his ideals.

Such a sacrifice must have been incredibly expensive, right? An emotion that only arises once in a lifetime? A smile that only appears once in a memory? Or true joy that she never felt in her countless lives across two worlds? If she lost all of these, what would life leave behind?

As the wind swept across the sea, Pereira's heart trembled. Perhaps it was the sight that stirred her emotions; without any prior warning, she suddenly remembered something from long ago, a time when she didn't have her current name, or rather, when she didn't even have a name.

……

After the cataclysmic event that tore apart the sky, destroyed the earth, and overturned the oceans, the world as we know it underwent a dramatic transformation. The Pangaea continent split into the East Tivant and the Sigria continent; the Eshorte Islands and the Sunia Islands rose from the sea; between the End Sea and the Storm Ocean, which separated the two plates, lurked a treacherous and chaotic sea; and due to the effects of plate tectonics, the Sosen Mountains rose three thousand meters, separating the ancient White Griffin Empire and the Warrumf Dynasty…

However, these are only the changes visible to the naked eye. In places unseen by mortals, the laws of the universe have shattered. The young queens, symbols of the power of these laws, lost their memories and were reincarnated into this broken yet new world. Affected by the decline of their soul power, their queenly powers fell into slumber, but the inherent nature of their laws remained unchanged. Furthermore, due to their reincarnation into mortal bodies, their power became uncontrollable, constantly dissipating outwards, distorting the surrounding environment, and forming various anomalies. Sometimes these were sacred and magnificent, which people called miracles; sometimes they were terrifying and oppressive, which people called natural disasters.

During that period, the girls of order brought peace, tranquility, justice, and other things that mortals yearned for, while the girls of chaos brought disaster, disorder, war, and other things that mortals feared. The former were therefore called saints and received the respect and following of ordinary people and righteous religious sects; the latter were regarded as the successors of the terrifying witches of the era of heavenly change, incurring the same fear and hatred, and also attracting the covetousness of many evil religious sects, but their purpose was only to use them to spread fear or as sacrifices for evil rituals.

Although few people have paid attention, this was not their intention.

The plague-stricken girl, Wang Quan, awoke during that period. When she opened her eyes, she appeared to be just an ordinary girl, but as the years passed, she gradually became aware of her special nature. She was like the Death Star Nirn, from ancient legends, legends even older than the distant past, descending upon the world, bringing all kinds of corruption and catastrophe: vegetation withered, water sources became plagued, the earth lost its vitality, and all things were afflicted by disease, dying in endless pain and torment.

In that era of scarce medical resources and limited knowledge, plagues were like unstoppable natural disasters, sweeping across the land and claiming the lives of millions. Thus, people fearfully called her the "Plague Girl," dreading, shunning, cursing, and even attacking her. Ten thousand people wished her dead, while one hundred thousand searched for her across the continent, not to protect her, but to exploit her power for what they desired.

The girl's emotions cycled endlessly through fear, pleas for help, confusion, and dread, never finding release, thus escalating intensifying. This repressed emotion, in turn, caused her own regal power to spiral out of control. If she could, she would want to spend her entire life hidden away in some unknown place, quietly passing the rest of her days, harming no one and being harmed by no one. But those who wanted to kill her and those who wanted to use her relentlessly pursued her, like hounds, forcing her to flee in terror. And the farther she fled, the faster corruption and plague spread, and the more people died. The world wouldn't condemn the greedy; it would only curse her: Why did she resist? Why didn't she surrender? She caused so many deaths for nothing!

When the number of people who died from the plague far exceeded the number of people chasing after her, when the scorn and insults from the crowd far exceeded the limits of what the girl could bear, when she realized that her continued existence would cause far more harm to the world than the world would cause her... the girl, who had been plagued by the plague since birth, finally despaired completely, numbly walked out of her hiding place, and faced her final fate.

A thousand people stood before her, wanting to kill her; another thousand stood behind her, wanting to exploit her. The girl had initially believed that whether she was ultimately killed or became a sacrifice in a cult ritual, it was her fate, and the revenge of the souls she had harmed. But when she closed her eyes, waiting for the moment of judgment to arrive, and then hesitantly opened them again, everything had changed, like a wheel quietly turning onto a different path.

Everyone died.

In an instant, they were mercilessly killed, their bodies severed from their heads, and blood flowed like rivers. The cruel and terrifying scene was like the scythe of death slashing down, causing the withered grass in the wind to bend down in unison. The efficiency of reaping lives was even greater than the decay and disease it brought with it.

The girl was so surprised or terrified that she couldn't utter a single word. She trembled amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, gazing at the only standing figure.

A tall, thin young man in a grey robe stood there, his face expressionless and his eyes cold. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, revealing a stern and callous demeanor, devoid of any human warmth. Even amidst the carnage and the slaughter he had orchestrated, his coldness was chilling, as if those who had died were not his own kind, but mere dust and weeds. He held a rough, crooked black wooden staff in his hand, and a half-broken mask hung around his neck. Although outwardly handsome, he was unlike a normal human, for a normal person would not have brown skin resembling tree bark, nor would half-withered branches and leaves grow from his neck, shoulders, or even between his fingers.

Even the primitive races that gradually evolved from beasts into humans, such as werewolves and harpies, do not have such strange physical characteristics. If one had to describe them, they might be more like the spirits and monsters that live deep in the mountains and valleys.

But this young man is definitely not a spirit or monster.

The girl vaguely sensed a kindred spirit emanating from him.

Although she didn't know what "kindred spirits" meant, she believed that kindred spirits cherish each other, and perhaps... he had come to save her?

Like a hero in a story. However, the young man didn't care what she thought. Stepping over the pool of blood and bones, he slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the girl. When he spoke, his tone was almost flat: "From now on, you will leave with me."

"Huh!?" The girl was startled. "W-why? What do you want me to do!?"

It's strange. Before, when facing those who were hunting her, the girl was numb and had completely given up resisting; but when facing someone who could kill everyone in an instant, she had the courage to ask why. Perhaps it wasn't the familiar aura of one of their own that made her feel close, but rather, it was because of even greater fear, a fear so intense that she didn't even dare to give up, that she chose to resist.

The young man gave her a deep look and said coldly, "Study."

"what?"

This answer left the girl bewildered. This person had saved her and wanted her to leave with him, but his only request was that she... study?
The young man gently tapped the ground, softened by blood, with his staff. The next moment, countless books floated from mid-air and fell like rain, the rustling of pages turning like the cacophony of a sudden downpour. Accompanied by his calm voice, he said, "Learning is a process, not an end. You must learn to meet my standards, become my assistant, and then help me unravel a question—a question about the mysteries of the universe, about all the enigmas between life and death."

"But..." The girl shrank back a step, timid and confused, "Why me? I... I can't do it, I can't do it..."

"It's not about why it's you, but because it has to be you." The young man's gaze was condescending, scrutinizing indifferently: "You possess a magical power, yet you don't know how to use it, much less understand its essence. This is undoubtedly a huge waste."

So, it turns out, they came for their own power too...

The girl was somewhat disappointed, but she tried her best not to show it, and cautiously asked, "The essence?"

"That's right. What do you think is the nature of this force?"

"Is it... a disease?" An incurable disease that spread like flies, taking countless lives, which is why people called her the Plague Girl.

“Wrong answer.” The young man’s gaze chilled the girl to the bone, not because of disappointment, but because there wasn’t even disappointment in his eyes, as if he had never held any hope for her from the beginning: “People are often mediocre, taking appearances for reality. Plants become diseased as they grow, mortals contract diseases as they age, and even seemingly immortal stars outside the universe will suddenly decay and perish at some point. However, if I ask you, since matter has already been born, since it is destined to perish, since the process from birth to destruction is already so complete, why add an extra step, making them suffer the torment of corruption, disease, and decay from body to soul? Without this step, matter would eventually go from birth to extinction anyway, so is it superfluous? I don’t think so. This world is so intricate, and all the laws of the Creator have a purpose. If we set aside human emotions and think from the perspective of a pure researcher, perhaps we can tentatively find an answer: all corruption, disease, and plague are essentially for elimination.”

"Tao...Tao?" The girl's eyes widened, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"That's right. The world is always changing, and all the factors of corruption, disease, and plague are the most drastic components of change. They are a mechanism left by the Creator to test the adaptability of mortal matter to the new world. Survival of the fittest and elimination of the unfit are the natural laws. If we can analyze this law, we can understand its essence and then use it to change the world."

"Most people in this world are mediocre and inactive, always regarding power as their sole pursuit. Aside from flaunting their insignificant achievements, they possess no other skills. They lack both the unwavering belief to explore the root causes and the resolute courage to delve into the fog. They focus on the mundane changes of regimes or historical shifts, not even knowing why they were born or why they will die." The young man looked at the girl and said, "Only those who constantly evolve can adapt to this ever-canceling world. But the growth of power is not evolution. Those who possess only brute force cannot understand my pursuit. And you, what is your choice? Will you follow me onto this path, or will you live a muddled life, only to be eliminated one day by the power you possess, dying without ever understanding why?"

The young man extended his hand to her: "Choose, will you follow my will, or..."

"I'm willing!" Before he could finish speaking, the girl answered eagerly. Her eyes, filled with anticipation for the unknown, looked at the young man. No matter how dangerous the road ahead, it couldn't be worse than it was now. When someone falls to the bottom, even a slight rise makes them yearn to see the sunlight outside the valley even more: "Although I don't quite understand what you mean yet, if my power can truly serve a purpose, instead of existing only to kill others, then please, please let me follow you and learn from you, teacher..."

"Not yet." The young man interrupted her calmly. "I'm not your teacher yet. Prove yourself first, and then you'll be qualified to be my student."

"How...how should I prove myself..."

"As I just said, learn, grow, and then understand the truth of this world. It lies in the countless books around you, and in practice time and time again. Most people are ignorant and cannot understand how great our cause is. Therefore, in addition to knowledge, what you still need is an unwavering heart. Even if you are despised by the world and driven out by your own people, never give up."

He paused slightly, then looked deeply at the girl: "My name is... Metanzo, the great shaman of the Moria."

“Yes, yes, I understand, Lord Metatron! By the way, my name is…”

"Plke".

"Eh?"

"Your old name is no longer needed. From now on, your name is: Pereira."

Give me some cats