Alice in the Land of Steam

Is Chapter 1416 only here to confirm the prophecy?
Having collected the thirteen treasures mentioned in the ancient rules, the group hurried back to the Gray Fungus tribe deep within the Fungal Forest, seeking the possibility of re-establishing contact. Unexpectedly, the scene they encountered upon arriving at the Gray Fungus tribe was astonishing—the atmosphere in the clearing was completely different from when they left. The Gray Fungus were busily moving between their mushroom houses and caves, bundling glowing crystals, dried fungi, and polished stone tools. Some of the younger Gray Fungus children were gathered in the center of the clearing, guarded by several adult fungus. The entire tribe appeared to be on the verge of a mass migration.

The gray mushroom man who had previously bumped into Ling and his group and then rushed back to report the news was struggling to lift a large pile of glowing ores, trying to stuff them into a small wooden box. When he looked up, he saw Ling and the others returning, which startled him so much that he dropped the ores on the ground and let out a short scream.

The bustling scene froze instantly. All the gray fungus stopped what they were doing, their wary gazes fixed on them, and an even more awkward atmosphere filled the air. These gray fungus people clearly hadn't expected the ground people to reappear, especially at the moment they least wanted to be disturbed.

However, Ling and the others were equally astonished, even somewhat amused and bewildered. While they knew the Gray Fungus were a cautious and xenophobic race, constantly avoiding interaction with surface dwellers and other subterranean races, they hadn't expected them to be this cautious. Judging by the situation, if they had arrived any later, they would probably have been faced with an empty village.
However, this is also a form of survival wisdom. For the Grey Fungus, a race that is peaceful by nature, dislikes fighting, and cannot master powerful magic, running away may be weak, but it is not shameful. In addition, the Grey Fungus's unique reproductive mechanism of cultivating mycelium to produce the next generation ensures that no matter what kind of trap they encounter, as long as one member of their race escapes, the tribe can continue to exist.

The elder emerged from a group of gray fungus people who were packing their belongings. He gripped his bone staff more tightly than before, and the grooves on the fungus cap appeared particularly deep under the glowing crystal. His gaze swept over Ling and his group, who had returned. His aged face remained expressionless, but at least it did not show the obvious wariness and rejection it had before.

Ling and the others looked at Ovira. Princess Beman took a deep breath and, without waiting for a signal to expel her, stepped forward and gently placed the lantern on the ground. With composed movements, she took out the thirteen items from her baggage and, under the astonished and uncertain gazes of the many gray fungus people, arranged them one by one in the center of the open space.

The warm stone emitted a steady, gentle heat; the soothing mushroom calmed the surrounding noise; the clear water stone gleamed with a clear, cool light… These treasures, unique in the underground world, seemed to possess a unique power at this moment, drawing one's gaze involuntarily to them, making it difficult to look away.

“We have come following ancient rules, seeking an opportunity to communicate peacefully with you all. But perhaps there are subtle misunderstandings between us, or perhaps differences in race and environment prevent us from trusting each other. This is certainly not the situation we wish to see. Therefore, we offer you these thirteen ordained treasures as a sign of friendship and respect.” Ovira’s voice was clear and steady, echoing in the silent open space: “May we all overcome barriers of race, identity, or language, and regard each other as close as our own kind, as friendly as enemies who have laid down their weapons.”

Before the elder of the Grey Fungus could even respond, a noticeable commotion arose among his people. These Grey Fungus might not understand the common language of the Eastern Continent of Ovira, but they knew the meanings symbolized by the thirteen treasures on the ground, and they directly sensed the friendliness, closeness, and expectation that these surface dwellers were trying to convey. But was it genuine, or just a string of lies? In this dark and gloomy underworld, deception and betrayal were rampant. If they hadn't learned their lesson, why would the Grey Fungus use such a unique and complex ritual to define trust among themselves?
The Gray Fungus can suspect every race and even every creature in the underworld, but they cannot suspect their own kind. Otherwise, this weak race will not be able to survive. This is the underlying logic of the ancient ritual. However, it has never mentioned what to do if the person performing the ritual to pray for peace is not of the same kind, but a different kind or even a person from the surface.
It now seems that whatever decision is made will break the mold and become an exception.

A disagreement quickly spread in the silence. Some of the Grey Mushrooms anxiously pointed to the unpacked luggage, then to Ling and his group, urging them to leave immediately and avoid further complications. Others looked at the treasures on the ground, then at the elders, their eyes filled with hesitation.

Ling observed everything quietly without saying a word. Neville stood beside him, her aura concealed, but her eyes remained sharp. Leticia pursed her lips and muttered, "These mushroom people are even more troublesome than those aliens from the Void Root Swamp."

Selena gently tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to be quiet.

The elder silently gazed at the thirteen treasures on the ground, his stubby fingers tracing patterns on his bone staff. He looked up at the village, soon to be emptied, then at the group of people who had returned, adhering to the ancient rules. A complex light flickered in his beady eyes—was it weighing options, or perhaps struggling…?

Time seemed to stand still, with only the glowing spores floating silently in the air.

Just as the Gray Fungus were arguing amongst themselves and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, the elder slowly raised his bone staff.

All sounds stopped suddenly.

He stepped forward, bent down, and touched each of the thirteen treasures with his short, stubby fingers. His expression was serious, and his movements were meticulous. One couldn't help but think of the most discerning art dealer in Fontainebleau, the capital of White City, who could identify the authenticity and origin of a commodity with just a glance. Any attempt to deceive was meaningless and would only make him a laughing stock.

Fortunately, Ling and his group came with sincerity and would not engage in any pretense during such a solemn ceremony. After repeated inspections, the Gray Mushroom Elder found that all thirteen treasures were genuine and even outstanding among their kind, demonstrating that these earthlings had indeed taken the matter seriously.

Finally, he withdrew his hand, slamming his bone staff heavily on the ground with a deep, resonant sound. Then he turned to face his people, uttering a series of deep, rhythmic sounds. He pointed to the treasure on the ground, then to the village, and finally to Ling and the others, his voice gradually becoming firm, carrying an unquestionable authority. Despite his advanced age, the elder's authority in the tribe remained unquestionable, stemming not only from the experience that grew with age but also from the prestige he had accumulated through years of diligent governance of the tribe.

The restless crowd gradually calmed down. Although some of the Gray Mushroom People still looked uneasy, most chose to remain silent, put down their luggage, and silently watched their elders.

The elder turned to Linger again, giving Ovira a deep look before slowly nodding. He waved his bone staff, signaling the tribesmen to temporarily halt their migration, and pointed to the largest dwelling, transformed from a fluorescent mushroom, extending an invitation to the guests who had traveled from afar—"Now that the oath has been sworn," his voice, hoarse like water smoothing away rock, said, "why not have a chat? Please follow me."

"So you can speak Common Tongue?" the crowd couldn't help but think to themselves. Moreover, the Gray Fungus Elder not only spoke Common Tongue, but spoke it with remarkable fluency, without any apparent difficulty or hesitation, which piqued their curiosity about his background. How could he have honed such fluency in Common Tongue without having lived in civilized society? But the Fungus race was known for its timidity and fear of trouble; why would they willingly integrate with civilization on Earth?

Behind every life in this world lies a fascinating story, and this elder must be no exception.

Following behind the elder, the group entered the central house of the village, facing the hesitant, speculative, friendly, and wary gazes of the Gray Fungus people. This appeared to be the elder's residence, but it wasn't much more luxurious than the other Gray Fungus people's houses, merely larger. As soon as they stepped inside, a unique scent, a mixture of damp earth, dried mycelium, and mineral dust, wafted towards them.

The interior space is more spacious than it appears from the outside, but almost every inch is fully utilized. The walls are not smooth rock surfaces, but are interwoven with natural grayish-white mycelium. These mycelium seem to be alive, pulsating slightly and emitting a soft fluorescence, forming the main light source in the room.

Along the walls were numerous storage shelves made from huge, hollow mushroom stems, on which various items were neatly arranged: mineral specimens of different colors and shapes; medicinal mushrooms tied with silk rope after drying; polished bone and stone tools; and even some murky liquids in large stone bowls, the purpose of which was unknown, whether they were drinking water, food, or something else.

In the corner were piles of gathering and digging tools, most of them with heads made of hard bone or stone and handles bound with tough mushroom stems. The most eye-catching thing was a table in the center of the room, which was actually an extremely thick, ancient mushroom stem that had been cut in half, with the cut surface polished to an unusually smooth finish. Several low mushroom stumps were casually placed around it to serve as seats.

The elder of the Gray Mushroom People walked to the table, gesturing for the guests to find seats wherever they pleased. He himself slowly sat down on a mushroom-shaped stool at the head of the table, leaning his bone staff against his side. His beady black eyes swept over the crowd, finally settling on Ovira. He spoke in his hoarse yet fluent Common Tongue: "Guests on the ground, please greet me. I am Momogu Mushroom, an elder of the Mushroom Force Tribe. You have come from afar; may I ask what brings you here?"

Mushroom Power Tribe? Leticia and Serena almost laughed when they heard the name, but after being secretly glared at by the Countess, they instantly became obedient and dared not act rashly. Actually, Ovira also wanted to laugh a little, but she was more surprised. She subconsciously shook her head: "Are you talking to me, Elder Momogu? No, Ling is our leader..."

She pointed to the young man sitting to the side, indicating that he was the one responsible for the negotiations. But Elder Momogu's gaze did not waver in the slightest, and she said calmly, "I know, but you were the one who was in charge of holding the ceremony just now, you were the one who represented the people of the earth in establishing a friendly alliance with our Mushroom Power Tribe, and I think you were also the one who first thought of using this ancient rule to communicate with us, right? In that case, you must uphold this responsibility and not shake the foundation of the alliance and the rules."

Princess Bemang's eyes widened in surprise: "How did you know!?"

Elder Momogu looked at her gently, his eyes revealing a profound depth: “Old people can see things that others cannot. Besides, I have lived in the vast darkness underground for three hundred and twelve years. The eyes of my soul have long since replaced the eyes of my body, observing this world for me.”

"I see."

Ovira pondered. The age the elder had given was an incredible number for most people on Earth, but for Princess Bemang, it seemed to be only a third of hers. So she was thinking about why, despite having lived for so many years, she couldn't use her inner eye instead of her physical eye like Elder Momogu. In terms of experience surviving in the dark, she felt she was second to none.

It wasn't until Linger coughed twice that she came to her senses and realized that this wasn't the most important issue at the moment.

Her Highness immediately became serious and returned to the main topic: "Elder Momogu, as the founder of the alliance of friendship and the one who forged a friendship with the Mushroom Power Tribe, I am unwilling to deceive my friends with grandiose names. Therefore, I should speak frankly and with sincerity and reverence about my purpose. We are on a sacred mission to find the ancient ark that crashed into the earth long ago. It is a warship called Nibelungen, whose power once challenged the stars, but ended up being shattered to pieces. Time on the earth chases the passing of the sun and moon, but the world underground remains unchanged. We believe that the ark still slumbers somewhere underground, and therefore we wish to use the elder's words to explore the cause and trace its origin."

As she spoke, she carefully observed the elder's reaction. Unexpectedly, the gray mushroom elder showed no surprise or doubt; instead, his black bean-like eyes beneath the deep furrows of his cap revealed a complex expression of "I knew it." He remained silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh, like wind blowing through the cracks of a cave.

“My ancestors foretold this day three thousand days ago when it fell into darkness, causing the creatures of the earth to tremble in awe and flee in terror. And now,” his gaze swept across the faces of these visitors on earth, “you have only appeared here to confirm the prophecy.”

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