Alice in the Land of Steam

If he could, Lin Ge would also like to wake up from his dream and return to reality.

But he couldn't wake up.

The final scene of the memory lingers on the touch of Princess Beman's kiss on the lips. The subsequent experiences are like a dream, making one both want to immerse oneself and feel fear, as if there are plots in the world that are more unpredictable than fate and more subversive than fairy tales.

It was a storm, a blazing fire, and the gentlest ocean. The young man, like a lone boat, sailed aimlessly across this sea, sometimes nearly capsized by it, sometimes warmly comforted. He remembered the waves silently engulfing his limbs, carrying the wish to return to the bottom of the sea with his beloved; he also heard the dreamlike, melodious cries of siren under the moonlight, calling to sailors long away from home to return. All of this filled him with nostalgia, yet he could not suppress the hidden sorrow in his heart. He was allowed to stay, but until the end of the dream, he remained keenly aware that he had never been the master of this world.

Distant ideals are sometimes extinguished by the wind, sincere emotions are quietly extinguished in the fire, and even the gentlest ocean can be suddenly defeated by reality at some point, and then fall into the dust.

Good and evil are defined, and there must be a balance between gain and loss. A small wish is fulfilled, and a lonely soul is about to return to the mortal world, but by a twist of fate, it is trapped in the gap between reality and illusion, unable to leave.

He witnessed firsthand the destruction of an ancient civilization. A nation born of light could crumble in an instant, like a child gently popping a bubble of innocence. The bricks and tiles of magnificent palaces collapsed like building blocks, and the brightly lit streets vanished like fireworks. The square where ten thousand people once gathered to sing and dance was forced down by the invisible pressure of time, sinking three thousand meters into the earth, forever lost to the unknown depths beneath.

Light, power, fireworks, laughter, blessings, and all the dust that is everywhere will eventually be devoured by a beast lurking in the darkness. But perhaps this is just repeating the same mistake it made nine hundred years ago, or simply reenacting a famous scene from the story.

All that remained after the catastrophe was a lake and the enormous trees along its shores. Light was confined to the area below the tree canopy, a visible distance away from the abyss of shattered dreams, untouched, like a solitary island in a dark sea. The ripples on the lake of the heart still told the story of two young people who had pledged their lives to each other here, but one had vanished like a bubble, and the other was now utterly alone, seeing only this unfamiliar world.

So why didn't I wake up?

In the now-broken Tianhai Garden, young people are reflecting on this issue once again.

According to what Ovira said in the dream, only by making her feel the illusion of this dream can she recognize reality and then liberate all the souls trapped in the dream, such as Linger, and... Gloria who accidentally stumbled in.

Although her suggestions to verify this claim were bordering on "threats," Ling didn't think she would deceive herself.

Because, after all, she is Ovira.

The girl named Ovira may have her own selfish motives, and she may be stubborn at times, but Lin Ge is certain that she will never deceive himself.

So, has something changed?

Lin Ge guessed that the change was likely related to Gloria, since she had never been part of Ovira's plan and was an unexpected intruder. Although he didn't know exactly how she had entered their dream, dreams were always fragile, and any slight disturbance could cause them to veer off course unexpectedly.

Lin Ge had a lot of experience with this, since he had a companion who was good at infiltrating other people's dreams.
All of Ling's knowledge about dreams comes from Bai Ye. Strangely, Gloria has a closer relationship with Bai Ye. Why would the latter allow her to enter an unknown dream while remaining indifferent? Or was it that she was the one who orchestrated everything?
The young man had this thought for a moment, but quickly shook his head and dismissed it. On the one hand, he couldn't think of any reason why Bai Ye would do this, and on the other hand, he was certain that the girl would never do anything to put her companions—especially Gloria, as a half-body—in danger.

Bai Ye's concern for Gloria was beyond words. Ling Ge even felt that she would do anything for Gloria and bear any cost, even her own disappearance.

Although she was a secondary personality, she never considered vying for control of the body. She seemed uninterested in replacing Gloria, the primary personality, or even striving for independent existence. Before heading to the Heavenly Sanctuary, Saint Sharia had wondered if, upon meeting the Goddess, she could make any other requests besides asking Her to stop the witches' perverse actions.

For example, moving the Heavenly Heart Church to the Heavenly Sanctuary so that Ling and Medion can always be with everyone; sending Alice back to her original world so that she can once again live a life of playing games as she pleases; and of course, this also includes separating the two personalities in one body so that Bai Ye and Gloria can both have independent existences.

Strangely, neither Bai Ye nor Gloria seemed particularly enthusiastic about this matter. If Gloria was reluctant to let Bai Ye leave her, then why was Bai Ye so indifferent? Didn't she yearn for a life of her own? Or was it that she depended on Gloria far more than Gloria depended on her? No one knew, because no one could truly see through that mysterious girl.

Lin Ge had once gotten close to her heart, witnessing her vulnerability for the first time, only to be pushed back by an even stronger force. Looking back now, if he had been more assertive, perhaps he could have stripped away her facade and seen her true self. Unfortunately, Lin Ge had never been a assertive person, and besides, at that time he had no reason to do something so offensive.

There's no point in thinking about this now; let's focus on how to get out of here.

The young man looked around. Tianhai Garden remained as dreamlike and enchanting as ever: the luminous silver grass, the halos rippling like waves, the brilliance of crystals and stars, the fragrance mingled with night dew and floral scents, and the magical plants blooming defied the seasons—all conveying a beautiful atmosphere. His gaze drifted further, and the garden's edge was being silently devoured by darkness, like a faded ancient painting, its vibrant colors peeling away in the void. Where once stood majestic city walls and towers, now only broken silhouettes remained, floating among the remnants of a dream.

In the center of this crumbling illusion, only the tranquil lake of the heart remains intact. Its waters are as clear as a frozen tear, reflecting the shadows of a past that no longer exists. When the ripples tremble gently, one can almost hear the whispers once made here. Huge trees stand silently by the lake, their branches spreading like protective wings. Each leaf emits a soft glow, gently enveloping the small patch of land surrounding the lake and trees.

Light and darkness are clearly separated here; one step outward leads to an abyss of chaos, while inward remains a peaceful and clear fragment of an old dream. Never before has there been such a strange sight, just as never before has there been such a beautiful dreamscape on earth.

Yet the silence was unsettling.

The sounds of wind, water, and whispering leaves vanished, as if the remaining fragments of the entire Sky Sea Garden, along with the Heart Lake and the luminous giant tree, had frozen in the crevice between the end and the beginning of time. Ling could even hear the sound of his own blood flowing, the sound of his breath fading, and the extremely faint pulse of light, deep and powerful, like… someone's heartbeat. "…Are you searching for an exit?"

In the endless expanse of time and space, above, below, left, right, and all directions, a distant voice suddenly arose. The tone was both unfamiliar and familiar, as gentle as the night breeze brushing against the leaves, yet carrying a tranquility that had settled over a long period of time: "Son of man who has been invited."

Lin Ge suddenly looked up and saw a warm light slowly rising from the center of the lake before him, as if it possessed mass, stirring up the cascading water with a splashing sound. It wasn't dazzling; like the first rays of dawn, it curled up into a hazy handful, gently swaying and constantly changing shape, drawing closer to him. The surface of the lake rippled with pale golden waves as the light passed, as if each step was awakening memories slumbering beneath the water.

The young man wasn't panicked, just somewhat surprised, because he saw familiar figures in the ever-changing light—sometimes beasts, sometimes giants, and sometimes even corresponding to the glowing tree by the lake. It's said that what one sees in dreams is an echo of reality. Could it be that others, like him, are trapped in this dream, unable to escape? Unable to suppress his curiosity, he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Have I seen you somewhere before?"

The voice in the light chuckled softly upon hearing this: "That is truly a wondrous fate, young son of man, that you still remember my appearance, even though I myself have somewhat forgotten it."

As the words fell, the light receded like the tide, and the silver-white giant wolf crossed the azure tide, slowly pacing and stopping in front of the young man. With its eyes, sharp as a wild beast yet wise as an elder, it calmly met his gaze.

"So it was you." The moment he saw it, Ling recalled the giant wolf's origins. It had been a guardian of the Dark Castle, an obstacle blocking Princess Beman's path, but it had also offered her a blessing upon her new life. In essence, it was not a real living being, nor was it anyone's shadow, but rather a memory.

“Ovira’s memories.” The young man, undeterred by appearances, instantly guessed the truth: “Are you the ones preventing me from waking up?”

“In a sense, that is true.” The giant wolf nodded slightly, its tone calm. “But please don’t misunderstand, we have no intention of harming you. On the contrary, this is based on her will.”

“Her? You mean Ovira?” Linger frowned. “But the dream was clearly shattered by her…”

If she doesn't want me to leave, why break this dream? The young man paused, lost in thought, realizing a detail he had overlooked.

"Just as you thought, son of man." The giant wolf's majestic voice was gradually replaced by a gentle female figure amidst the shifting light. It was also a phantom that had once appeared in the castle, a memory of Ovira's mother: "The Ovira in the dream has indeed accepted reality and chosen to let go; but in reality, she seems to still have a reason not to wake you up."

Sure enough.

Both the Ovira in the dream and the Ovira in reality are stubbornly troublesome; once you solve one, you have to solve the other. When exactly did the once quiet, elegant, optimistic, and cheerful Princess Beman transform into such a troublesome character?

Seemingly anticipating the young man's thoughts, the woman's phantom smiled slightly: "Although she is a very stubborn child, I still need to ask you to take good care of her, Mr. Lin Ge."

She didn't use the term "son of man," seemingly speaking from a mother's perspective.

Since she'd already said that, what could the young man do? He nodded silently, acknowledging her agreement, and then continued, "Can you tell me why the real-life Ovira doesn't want me to wake up?"

Although both the Ovira in the dream and the Ovira in reality share the same goal—the power of his faith—reality and dreams cannot be entirely identical. The more stubborn she is in reality, the more frank she is in the dream. Perhaps this subtle difference in emotion is the essential distinction between reality and dreams?
"Human emotions are complex, even I find them difficult to understand." The gentle, elegant female voice was replaced by a composed and domineering warrior, arms crossed, standing proudly beneath the giant tree. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of overwhelming power, almost making one mistakenly believe he was even more imposing than the tree behind him. This was none other than Karna, the most powerful guardian of the Dark Castle, forged from the memories of all the light elves, a war god tempered through countless trials.

“However, you son of man who can remain rational even in a dreamlike state, let me tell you, Her Highness the princess hid you here simply to protect you.”

"Protect?"

“That’s right.” War God Emperor Karna gave the young man a deep look. In his eyes, which had witnessed the changing of the sun and moon, the most intense fighting spirit and the highest belief had been deeply buried, leaving only the vicissitudes of life honed by countless trials: “There will be dramatic changes in reality. For the long term, Her Highness the Princess has hidden you here in the hope that you can turn the tide when things change and become the key to the outcome of this battle.”

"Dramatic changes in reality?" Lin Ge's eyes were calm, without surprise or doubt. "Could you elaborate?"

"No need to explain."

The Martial God Emperor slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the dark ruins of the dream, and said in a low voice, "It has begun."

Its name is——

The Birth of the Witch. (End of Chapter)