Alice in the Land of Steam

The world is always changing silently and being completely overturned in an instant.

Initially, it might have been just a slight delay that a bird might not notice when flapping its wings, a fleeting shadow that a fish might see when diving to the bottom of the water, or a commotion caused by an inadvertent disturbance during the migration of a herd of animals... Fate and accidents always follow each other closely, until they brew into a huge disaster that no one can ignore.

Since the hero slaying the dragon, the dragon's blood seeping into the earth, and the calamities brought about by a tyrannical ruler, the people of Atoliga have lamented the decline of their homeland and the demise of their civilization, believing it to be perhaps the most unsuitable land in the world for life to thrive. However, this is merely the perspective of mortals. In the eyes of the truly great Creator, everything on earth is so prosperous and beautiful; even the most barren land, the driest soil, and the most depleted water sources contain the hope of new life.

He endowed living beings with the resilience to adapt to the world, an indomitable will, and the strongest desire for a better future, so that even in the harshest environments, living beings can find a way out. The abyss, which the world says is barren, once had two hundred tribes thriving there, and the six-thousand-meter-deep mines used by the Empire to exile slaves and criminals became a breeding ground for countless lives. The land of Atoliga, which is least suitable for mortals to live on, has contained the weight of twenty million people. Who can say that it is not a great land?
But the mortal world cannot be merely one of prosperity and beauty. If living beings act without restraint, even the gods would tremble at their greedy desires and astonishing destructive power. Therefore, despite their deep love for humanity, the creator gods still need to impose restrictions on them, using a specific standard to stipulate that some souls can complete this solitary journey through the mortal world, while others will return prematurely to the distant, lightless sea to experience eternal tranquility and peace.

The hunger of not being able to find food, the fighting for survival, and even wars between mortals based purely on desire and violence... these are all acquired factors, limitations that naturally arise after the goddess created life. The chasm of hunger will eventually be filled, the desire to fight is destined to subside with time, and the wars started by mortals will ultimately be quelled by mortals themselves.

The true limitations established by the gods have existed since the beginning of the universe, and will never cease until the moment when all things perish. Living things, inanimate things, mortals, gods, land, sea, void, stars... all must be subject to these limitations in order to be incorporated into the laws of this universe.

In the past, it was once missing, resulting in the chaotic expansion of matter. Countries that should have fallen disappeared into the unknown depths of the sea, lives that should have died lingered on to escape death, and souls that should have been extinguished wandered about with shameful faith...

Now, it has finally returned, not to establish a new order, but destined to bring death, destruction, and endless annihilation, thus re-measuring all unbalanced lines.

If one were to look down from the sky at this moment, one would surely see an aura emanating from the Fesser Mine, a force that suffocates living beings and makes creatures tremble, spreading at an alarming speed. It may sweep across the entire continent of East Empire, and even across the five seas and four oceans, isolated islands and stars, countless kingdoms and billions of stars, shrouding the entire ancient universe in a primordial gloom.

Just as solidified soil decays and molds, and a thriving oasis withers and dies, the visible vegetation on the ground once withered into nothingness, while the veins of minerals beneath the earth, unseen by the eye, instantly decayed into dust. This is an irresistible force since the birth of the universe, such as life and death. Birth is beyond our control, and death is inescapable. Between birth and death, all things are enduring suffering or trials, which are called disasters, plagues, and by the great shaman of Moriah: evolution and elimination.

……

In the deep, boundless abyss, only a day and a night had passed since the cataclysmic light caused by the dragon's emergence subsided. But for Momogu, the elder of the Mushroom Force tribe, it felt like an entire era. The aged Gray Mushroom Elder sat on a rock in the village square, watching his tribesmen gather together, enthusiastically discussing the earth-shattering anomaly and the countless ferocious beasts that had perished in the light. An ominous premonition lingered in his heart.

He still remembered the uninvited earthlings who had come, bringing news of dragons and ancient secrets. He also vaguely recalled a young girl among them who had vowed that if she obtained the power of the Holy Grail, she would help the Mushroom Tribe break the curse, and that the unfortunate name of the Gray Mushroom People would never exist again. He remembered their promise deeply and held onto that hope, but he wondered if the earthlings had already forgotten.

He suddenly felt a sense of relief. It was better to forget. After all, for thousands of years, the Gray Fungus people had long been accustomed to this curse and to living with the sins of their ancestors. Even if the curse couldn't be lifted, things would just remain the same, but at least they wouldn't get any worse, right?

It's hard to say whether such negative thoughts stem from a restless, unsettling premonition, but older people tend to trust their intuition more than their experience, and Elder Momogu was no exception. Sometimes he even wondered: was this fate's deliberate arrangement, a preordained emergence of a new race? Just like ten thousand years ago, before the mushroom people even existed, those ancient fungi huddled among rocks and caves, when they first received magical nourishment, probably thought it was some kind of poison or curse? But only by crossing that threshold did the mushroom people become a true race. Who can say that everything the Mushroom Power Tribe is experiencing isn't a replication of the past? The Gray Mushroom People will one day become a reality, not merely a symbol of a curse…

"Elder!?" A panicked voice interrupted Elder Momogu's reverie. He looked up and saw chaos in the square. The village's youngest child lay in his parents' arms, an ominous grayish-white tinge almost completely covering his body and limbs. His parents held their child tightly, looking helplessly at the elder, hoping to glean some enlightenment, even just comfort, from the tribe's wisest elder. But the elder only saw grayish-white mycelium spreading like a curse on their faces, reminding him of what he had heard from his father's father many years ago: the gray of the Gray Fungus People was the gray of sin and cruelty.

Now, it's back.

A demon known as cyanosis.

He trembled all over, as if waking from a nightmare, and the screams of his people echoed in his ears, proclaiming that the plague had never ended.

……

High atop a secluded mountain, a majestic, platinum-gold dragon, as always, silently gazed upon the myriad wonders and towering structures at its foot. The dragon's city, magnificent, grand, and possessing an incredible, miraculous quality, was beyond mortal comprehension, repeatedly mentioned in the poems of countless wandering poets—yet all were mere conjecture, far less than a fraction of what one had witnessed firsthand.

In Bahamut's eyes, this was nothing more than a familiar landscape, not only boring but also extremely tedious. Despite possessing the title of "the most powerful dragon king in the history of the dragon race," he could only cower in this small mountain, accomplishing nothing. The unchanging days were like an endless punishment, exhausting the ambition he had when he first ascended the throne, and making Bahamut constantly reminisce about his youth.

The ideals of youth, the unwavering beliefs, the indomitable struggle, the perilous battles, and that opponent who once stirred my blood—to this day, the wounds he left behind still ache faintly on my body. Unfortunately, no other dragon can awaken them.

Driven astray by the pursuit of power, they ultimately meet a tragic end at the hands of heroes—this is the fate of the wicked. Yet, Bahamut unexpectedly understands his old adversary. He once imagined that if the outcomes had been reversed, and he were the one who wandered far from home, perhaps he would have followed the same path.

This has nothing to do with good or evil; it's simply that both sides have reasons not to admit defeat, all for the sake of the next duel that is destined to happen...

"Your Majesty!"

A voice interrupted Bahamut's reverie, causing him to frown in displeasure. Looking down, he saw his personal guard, whose usually composed expression was strange—not exactly panicked, but unsettling nonetheless. "What is it?" Bahamut asked succinctly. Perhaps influenced by his old rival, he was undoubtedly the most taciturn dragon king in dragon history, disliking lengthy discourses and repetitive rhetoric.

The guard hesitated for a moment before whispering, "It's hard to believe, but it's true. Your Majesty, just now, one of our clansmen showed symptoms of stone scale disease..."

Bahamut's gaze suddenly sharpened.

He knew why his guards described it as "unbelievable," because the strange disease called Stone Scale Syndrome had been overcome by the dragons ten thousand years ago. It would gradually cause a dragon's scales to lose their luster, becoming as heavy as stone, ultimately stripping them of their ability to fly—essentially stripping them of the dragon race's most glorious symbol. Even more terrifying was its high mortality rate; even the mighty dragons could not resist the disease…

"What's the situation?" Bahamut asked in a deep voice. "Was it an isolated incident, or..."

"By the time I came to report to you, half of the tribe in the lower city had been infected with the disease. The rate of infection far exceeds the normal rate in history, so we believe that this may not be a simple disease..."

If it's not a disease, could it be a curse? Who has the power and the audacity to provoke the mighty dragon race...?

As Bahamut was pondering, he suddenly felt an indescribable palpitation surge into his soul. He subconsciously stood up, and his massive body caused the ground and space to groan.

This aura… last appeared when the god who ruled over darkness returned to his throne. It is said that when that god awoke, countless extraordinary beings, magicians, heretics, and magical beasts who walked the path of darkness perished. And when He fell, even true gods were affected, and countless divine kingdoms were overthrown. The god who awakens today, though not as powerful as that one, is even more chilling, even terrifying.

Because what He symbolizes is a law powerful enough to shake the very foundations of all things, existence, and struggle.

The outside world is becoming increasingly turbulent. One by one, the ancient gods are returning. What path will they ultimately lead this world down? Bahamut sighed softly and said to his guards who were still awaiting instructions, "Go and find the research data on stone scale disease in the Great Archives, gather manpower, and try to treat it. However, don't put too much pressure on yourself; just do your best."

Even he himself couldn't say for sure that he would survive this plague.

Regardless of strength, status, or wealth, all these are external things in its presence.

It is the most egalitarian thing, just like death.

……

The same situation occurred not only on the continent of Dongdi Fant, but also on Mirror Star. When the plague spread, the entire universe could hardly remain unaffected.

In the chaotic seas, within the oldest city-state of the Mirror Elves, a terrible disease known as "Glassy Disease" has returned. Behind this beautiful name lies the death of tens of millions of Mirror Elves. Their Origin Stones have been eroded, faded, and ultimately become as transparent and fragile as glass, shattering at the slightest touch. For the Mirror Elves, there is no more cruel disease. Since the era of celestial upheaval, they thought they had escaped this terrifying threat, yet today they are shrouded in its shadow once more, filled with fear and without solace. The newly enthroned monarch of Mirror City is overwhelmed by this sudden disaster, desperately trying to protect every member of his people from the threat of the disease, unaware that the Origin Stone between his brows is quietly dimming…

In the prosperous yet chaotic city-states of Methosh, the vampires, who once lived in seclusion, avoiding the Night's Watch and the Silver Hounds, have brazenly reappeared on the streets, attacking any living creature they see with frenzied rage, devouring their blood to satisfy their insatiable desires. Ten thousand years ago, their vampire ancestors, with astonishing willpower, overcame this disease known as "blood thirst," but they could not have foreseen that their people would once again become its slaves. Perhaps this is the trial that must be endured in the name of blood…

Even in the distant, unseen universe, a hundred million light-years away, stars are gradually perishing, reduced to lifeless wastelands amidst ominous halos and bleak turmoil. The extraterrestrial monsters, who normally feed on stars and inhale magical energy, keep their distance from these decaying, withering stars, knowing they themselves are unlikely to resist such erosion and will ultimately be caught in an endless struggle against the plague. But no one knows where they can escape to, how long they can escape, or even, if they cannot escape this universe, they cannot escape its shadow.

Because it is not a pure disease.

Rather, it is evolution and elimination.

The power of evolution.

The criteria for elimination.

Who will be allowed to pass the trial, and who is destined to become mere dust in the face of life?

An unpredictable future, from which there is no escape. (End of Chapter)