Chapter 57: Fantasy

Having already witnessed the prayers of the Church of the God of Truth, the "great musician" Lucian on the altar quickly understood that these beggar-like dwarves were worshipping him as their "God of Steam" and "Lord of Life and Death," their piety rivaling that of fanatical believers. "This is the Dark Night Plateau — once occupied by dwarves, later conquered by vampires." "A branch of the dwarves from the Steam Civilization must have survived destruction, kept by the vampires as 'cattle,' miners, and blacksmiths." "They're probably dwarven escapees who stumbled upon this ancestral relic by chance, mistook the teleportation circle for an altar, and took the incomplete records of dwarves attempting to 'learn' Arcane Magic from the late Steam Civilization era for a 'divine summoning manual.' So I've been teleported here during some kind of divine ritual?" "Those vampires appeared to be here to eliminate them. After I used 'Elemental Order' and 'Mortality's Return' to silence them, the dwarves became even more convinced that I'm the so-called 'God of Steam' and 'Lord of Life and Death.'" His mind racing, Lucian quickly pieced together the approximate cause and sequence of events based on the prayers, the situation on the ground, his earlier encounters, and the murals on the surrounding walls. "Should I use Arcane Magic to erase their memories of this, so the vampires won't learn about this node if they're captured?" Secrecy was Lucian's first instinct. But as his gaze drifted, he noticed the iron furnaces and steam-powered hammers inside the rooms flanking the hall, and a thought suddenly struck him: "They still possess basic knowledge of Steam Civilization? They can still carry out relatively complex smelting?" "Alchemy items need to be simplified and popularized — what's been missing is the skilled 'workers' who can cast gears and such. If a large number of dwarves joined in and mentored each other, the initial problem would be solved." For a long time, alchemy items had been monopolized by mages, and the Council was reluctant to put its painstakingly trained apprentices to manual labor. In countries like Hulm and others, aside from ordinary blacksmiths, there were virtually no common folk who could join alchemy workshops. This problem had long plagued Lucian's desire to popularize alchemy products — not only could it bring him enormous wealth, but it could also shake the very foundations of the Church's faith. Building a reasonably sized "working class" would normally take generations of cultivation and training, but the appearance of these dwarven descendants of Steam Civilization gave Lucian the glimmer of hope that the initial problem could be solved within a single generation. "Almighty God of Steam, may your supreme name spread across the world!" The dwarves' devout prayers drifted into Lucian's ears, and he quickly formulated a plan. "I'll use the god's name to make them serve the Arcane Council. This will best ensure their loyalty — they won't flee to the dwarven kingdoms after being rescued, leaking the core secrets of alchemy items. Moreover, with divine instruction, getting them to sign magical contracts will be far easier." While saving their lives combined with magical contracts would already largely solve the problem — after all, most dwarves, when faced with the choice of becoming vampire food and slaves versus becoming "industrial workers of a new age," would unhesitatingly choose the latter and sign contracts that were strict but at least not utterly hopeless — there was no reason to refuse an additional layer of insurance when a better option presented itself. "I still have a mission to complete, and the teleportation array set up at this spatial node can't transport large numbers of people out. Frequent activation risks detection by the Vampire Prince. Better to let them continue 'hiding' on the Dark Night Plateau and develop more of their kind. The current numbers are still far too few." Lucian decided that after completing his mission, he would apply to the Council for the deployment of an "Extraplanar Gate" and bring out all the dwarves willing to follow in one go, avoiding an open war with the vampire race. If the Arcane Council suddenly entered a large-scale war with the vampires over the Dark Night Plateau, the Southern Church would be laughing all the way to sleep. As for the dwarf casualties that would result, though Lucian felt a twinge of sympathy, he could still make the cold calculus. Liberation never came without a price in blood — this wasn't a dinner party! The Fourth Circle spell "Greater Invisibility" did not dispel upon attack, so the invisible Lucian took from his storage pouch a vial of liquid that shimmered like crystal. He gently pulled the stopper. The ethereal, dreamlike liquid instantly dissolved into a colorless, odorless gas that enveloped the great hall. ………… Euphoria, gratitude, and excitement drove the dwarves to pray ceaselessly, repeating their devotions as though a new and blissful life was truly about to unfold — how wonderful it would be to live without the vampires' cruel enslavement and slaughter! Suddenly, Harold felt the cool breeze brushing past him grow slightly warm, and he opened his eyes to see, in astonishment, that the gray stone bricks of the underground palace had turned into yellow, scorching sand. "Go. Seek my kingdom in the depths of the desert." "Go. There you shall find everything you desire." A grand, ethereal voice, majestic and sacred, drifted down from the distant horizon, prompting Harold and the other dwarves to press their heads low once more, tight against the burning sand: "We revere your holy name and shall carry out your will, O supreme Lord — you who rule over all things in this world." After a long while, no further voice came. The Grand Elder cautiously and humbly raised his head, and saw that the underground palace had transformed into an endless expanse of sandy desert, with the faint silhouette of an oasis visible in the distance. "Is this the power of a god?" The same question arose once more among the dwarves, but this time it was filled with awe and reverence. The scorching wind blew against their faces as the dwarves stood dazed, stunned by a desert landscape they had never witnessed but only heard of, overwhelmed by the rolling golden sands stretching to the horizon. "Is that the sun? Is this... daytime?" Harold gazed up at the blazing white, searing orb in the sky and murmured to himself, waking the Grand Elder and the other dwarves. Yes — this was a place utterly unlike the Dark Night Plateau! After a long while, the young dwarven woman Milna spoke in a confused and bewildered tone: "Grand Elder, where should we go?" "Where should we go?" The Grand Elder paused, then quickly recalled the God of Steam's oracle: "We go into the depths of the desert! To find the Lord's earthly paradise!" Hearing the Grand Elder's passionate and excited words, Harold was nearly wild with joy: "Grand Elder, will we find the complete heritage of Steam Civilization there? I want to build a steam city like the ones you described!" "Yes, Grand Elder — like Harold, I want to see forests of black chimneys piercing the sky, airships that soar freely like birds powered by nothing but steam alone, and terrifying great ships with massive cannons!" Quakins trembled with excitement from head to toe. This was the ultimate dream of all those dwarven rebels who had stumbled upon an incomplete legacy — those colossal steam cities symbolizing glory and splendor! The Grand Elder looked at Milna, her delicate yet sturdy features flushed red, then at the other dwarves with reddened eyes and quivering beards, and raised his arm in a rallying cry: "The great Lord of Life and Death has told us — there, we shall find everything!" "March into the depths of the desert!" "Steam supreme! March into the depths of the desert!" The remaining dwarves answered in unison, their voices strong and valiant. ………… There was no clear road, no precise directions. Yet the dwarves all seemed to sense, dimly, that something was calling to them from far away, and not a single one lost their way as they trudged on through the desert. After walking for an unknown stretch, the scorching, dry sunlight and sand-laden gales began to impress upon the hardy dwarves the true terror of the desert. One by one, their mouths went dry; one by one, dizziness overtook them. "Milna, are you alright?" Harold saw the young dwarven woman beside him swaying and hurriedly steadied her. Milna gritted her teeth and shook her head: "I'm fine. This is the Lord's trial — I will endure it and reach the Lord's earthly paradise!" Her resolute words rallied the other dwarves who had begun to falter, straightening their backs once more. Yes — this was the Lord's trial. If they couldn't even endure this much hardship, what right did they have to earn the God of Steam's favor? Suddenly, the Grand Elder's jubilant voice rang out: "Look — look over there!" The dwarves followed Grand Elder Augustus's pointing finger and gazed into the distance, where a massive city nestled in an oasis had appeared on the horizon. "It's there! The place the oracle spoke of!" At their most desperate, most parched moment, finding the "clear spring," the dwarves unleashed all their remaining energy and rushed toward the hazy, colossal city. As the distance shrank and the city grew clearer, a tremendous roar suddenly thundered across the sky. The dwarves looked up to see a terrifyingly enormous bird approaching from the other horizon, heading straight for the giant city. When the monstrous bird passed overhead, the roar became piercing enough to set their ears buzzing, and they caught a clear glimpse of its true form. It was no bird — it was a mechanical construct sheathed in silvery-white metal! Its size was so immense it seemed capable of swallowing every dwarf present in a single gulp. The "bird" flew lower and slower, gradually disappearing near the city. "Grand Elder, is that — is that an airship?" Harold asked, shaken and bewildered. It didn't match the murals at all! The Grand Elder shook his head in a daze: "It's not an airship — airships aren't that fast. But it was definitely built!" "Then what is it?" All the dwarves seemed to be asking themselves. The Grand Elder gritted his teeth: "We'll know once we reach the city." And so the dwarves pressed on, silence hanging over them, uncertain of what else they might see as they approached. The distance proved far shorter than they had imagined — in just over a dozen minutes, they reached the edge of the oasis and saw the city clearly. A chorus of sharp, awestruck gasps rose from the dwarven ranks. This was a city beyond anything they had imagined! On one side stood the towering chimneys piercing the clouds and the peculiarly shaped factory buildings they were "familiar" with and "yearned" for. On several other sides, even taller buildings rose above the chimneys — buildings so tall that even the most exaggerated legends of Steam Civilization had never mentioned houses of such height! These densely packed skyscrapers were clad in smooth tiles of various colors — black, gray, silvery-white, and brownish-gold — and from top to bottom, row upon row of transparent windows were arranged in perfect order, reflecting the sunlight and lending the scene a dreamlike quality. Between the towers and factories ran wide roads, and even bridges spanned the air like structures crossing a body of water. On these bridges and roads, strange vehicles of polished steel raced past, their lines sleek and aesthetically pleasing. Guarding the city's perimeter, shadowy figures held metal objects resembling steam rifles, but smaller, lighter, and more compact. Harold did not know his eyes could be so sharp — he could clearly see elevators gliding smoothly within the tall buildings, and countless blurred figures holding strange devices through which they conversed with companions in other towers. Milna also noticed the shadowy figures holding flat metal objects; with a gentle press, various images appeared on their surfaces — distant desert vistas, aerial views from high above — as though another world existed within them! Unknowingly, night fell, and across the city, lamp after lamp blazed to life. In moments, the city was radiant with light, and from afar it resembled a "river of stars" fallen to the earth, dazzling and dreamlike. This wondrous, unimaginable cityscape left the dwarves dumbstruck, unable to utter a single word for a long time. Suddenly, the ground at the city's edge split open, and a gigantic "metal arrow" shot skyward trailing plumes of flame, hurtling into the distance. "What is that?" The dwarves' eyes instinctively followed the trail of fire, unsure of what use such a colossal "arrow" might serve. The arrow struck the earth at the horizon, and a deafening explosion erupted. The dwarves felt the ground heave violently beneath them, their ears ringing, as what seemed like a new sun blazed in the distance — searingly bright, radiating an aura of total annihilation. The brilliant sun flashed and vanished in an instant, and a colossal "mushroom" slowly "bloomed" in its place. Hellish flames raged across the ground while a column of dark smoke rose into the sky like an abyss. "T-terrifying," Harold swallowed with difficulty amid the earth-shattering tremors. That "arrow" could probably destroy the entire Dark Night Plateau in a single strike! The Grand Elder and the rest of the dwarves wore expressions of profound dread — they had never witnessed such a terrifying explosion, one that seemed capable of obliterating everything! Utterly shaken, they turned back once more to gaze at the dreamlike city, at the river of stars flowing through its brilliant lights. "Grand Elder, what is this place?" The words tumbled from Harold's lips, equal parts fear and excitement. "It's even more... more unimaginable than the steam city you described!" "Wh-what kind of city is this? It's even more incredible than the Steam Paradise in the legends!" Under the tremendous shock, the other dwarves had already forgotten the very reason they had come here. Milna trembled from head to toe, murmuring: "This is..." The grand, majestic voice spoke once more: "This is Atlantis." "This is my kingdom."