Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 325 Will You Become Like Him?
Professor David's wild laughter echoed in the valley. He was just like a madman. He didn't laugh like a human, but like a hysterical monster. If it wasn't in a game, he would have laughed to tears. Alice, who was about to give him the final blow, saw his crazy posture and couldn't help but frowned: "What's so funny? He's still laughing when he's about to die. Are you bosses all a little crazy?"

Others also looked at this guy with disgust or fear, but the professor himself didn't care. He just laughed to himself. After the laughter gradually subsided, he slowly fixed his eyes on Linger, and the smile on his face looked very strange: "Nothing, everyone, I just suddenly remembered an interesting thing. Mr. Linger, I just said that I have never regretted my failure or felt any other emotions. I just hate too many coincidences that made me be teased by fate. Whether it was the ancestor who deliberately concealed key information, or you who suddenly appeared in this place, or Rochelle who always claimed to be a true believer... They were all the objects of my hatred. What I want to tell you is that my thoughts have not changed at all until now, but I need to correct one thing: now, I only hate two people, not Rochelle."

His words made the young man's heart jump, and he asked, "What happened to Rochelle?"

"Don't you know?"

Professor David's eyes were filled with scrutiny. "It seems that he doesn't tell you everything. After all, although you are a true believer that he recognizes, you are not a believer in animism. How can you gain his trust and tell him all his great deeds?"

"Wei Ye?" Ling Ge also frowned: "It seems you know."

"Of course, of course I know, because I contributed to this matter. Without my help, do you think that Rochelle alone and the Fertile Soil Sect, a declining religion that has lost its holy land, can hold a ceremony to invite the gods in Nimsher, a city with unprecedentedly strict security, during the 11th World Expo, and successfully let the imagined gods descend here? What wishful thinking!"

He sneered disdainfully when he said this, and Linger caught a few key words: "Ceremony of summoning gods? Conceiving gods? What is that?"

"Nothing, just a simple little ceremony. A group of stupid and paranoid fanatics are calling out to a non-existent god and trying to control him with their own wishes, without thinking that they are actually being controlled. It's just a joke. The strange thing is that such jokes have been common since the 13th century AD. Maybe it's because the power of the machine god Alexander has become so terrifying that it makes people yearn for it? A stagnant universe, a blocked civilization, the master of machines, the eternal kingdom of God... Who wouldn't want that kind of power? Even the Steam Cult and the combined Cult can hardly match that power..."

At this point he suddenly stopped talking and stopped talking. Alice, who was listening with great interest, suddenly became anxious: "What's next? Keep talking! What is the conceptual machine god Alexander? What does he have to do with the ritual you mentioned? What does he have to do with what that person named Rochelle is doing? Because you are the boss, I allow you to reveal more information before you die!"

[Your companion Xie Mi's level is increased to LV24]

[Your companion Linger's level is increased to LV30]

The light swallowed him with a roar, taking away the last bit of blood above his head, and shattered it into powder along with the holy relic [Breath of the Void God], which was buried deep in the torrent of light.

After a moment of silence, Lingge nodded slightly.

At the same time, a cold system voice narration sounded:

[You gained 35000 experience points, and your level increased to LV36]

"So," he said with a weird smile on his face, "you will be too."

[You have conquered the dungeon: Wild Storm Abyss Avion Windmill Valley]

Because you are all true believers.

You win

Alice couldn't bear it anymore, so she raised her sword and asked Ling'er with her eyes: Should I kill him? Should I kill him?

"You are such a stubborn guy!"

So, Ellie used the Courage Slash without hesitation. When the huge sacred silver blade of light swept across the valley and the overflowing light gradually engulfed Professor David's figure, Lingge suddenly saw him speak and said something silently. The sarcastic tone was so clear that it seemed to ring in his ears: "Rochelle is a lunatic."

It seemed natural for her to say this, after all, the boss revealing information to the protagonists before dying is the most classic plot in various games, and she was just reproducing it. But it was obvious that Professor David was not so kind, and only responded with a contemptuous look, that expression seemed to say: Even if I know, why should I tell you?

[Your companion Metien's level is increased to LV30]

[You defeated the enemy, the descendant of sinners - Hansen David (LV45)]

[Your companion Saint Shallia's level has reached the upper limit and cannot be further upgraded]

[Your companion Olvera's level has reached the upper limit and cannot be further upgraded]

...A series of system prompts flashed across the screen before his eyes, and the game field turned into countless 0s and 1s and dissipated. The valley returned to its original appearance, with primroses in full bloom and a peaceful and harmonious rural atmosphere. However, the land that Hanson David had bombed with the magic [Saturation Shooting] was still charred and exuded a burning breath.

The successful victory over the enemy did not make Ling Ge happy. Instead, he felt a little heavy because of what he said before his death. He subconsciously looked at the place where Professor David died, but did not see any trace of his existence, as if the existence of that person was just air, and would dissipate like air.

No matter how many times he watched it, he still felt it was incredible. In the game, he clearly could not feel any pain, nor would he be hurt. But as long as the number representing HP dropped to 0, he would die lightly. All the pain given to prove that he was once alive did not exist. In this case, can we conclude that death does not exist? If neither life nor death existed, then we can also draw a conclusion that is taken for granted: this person has never existed. No such person is alive, and no such person is dead.

From Miss Fialli in Linville City to Professor Hansen David in Nimsher City...the weight of life seems very illusory in the game.

Alice had never thought so philosophically. She said smugly, "It's easy to win because I'm the genius player Alice!"

Xie Mi poured cold water on her sourly: "It was only thanks to Miss Yieta that we were able to turn the tables. If we really had to rely on you, everyone would have died long ago!"

After following the golden-haired maid for so long, she also learned some strange game terms.

"Yes, Ieta."

Alice didn't bother to argue with the tactless goblin, and cast her eyes towards the white windmill tower. She thought that after such a dangerous battle, the two sides standing on the same front should have forged a deep comradeship. In an ordinary RPG game, the next step would definitely be the joining of the team. However, she was disappointed to see that the simple broken wooden door was still closed, with no intention of opening the door to welcome guests or opening her heart.

"Why is this happening?" She muttered, "My favorability didn't increase at all. This doesn't make sense..."

At this time, Saint Charia stepped forward, looked at the silent windmill tower room with bright eyes, and said softly: "Can you please listen to me for a few words, Yieta?"

She wanted to tell the angel who locked herself in the windmill about the story of the goddess creating the world and the fourteen girls' royal power; she also wanted to tell the girl who had been betrayed and hurt by humans that she was not alone, and there were many sisters in the world who accompanied her. Although so much time had passed and everyone might not recognize each other, that kind of family affection would not disappear; she also wanted to tell her that although she was not a qualified sister and only found Olvera after searching for so long, and she found her with the help of Lingge, if you are willing to leave this place that once made you sad with us, then I will definitely fulfill my responsibilities as a sister and take care of, care about and tolerate you, just like my mother did for us...

However, she didn't have time to say all these words.

"I'm sorry," Yieta's voice was tired and heavy. "I don't know what you want to say, but I will not leave this windmill. This is my only shelter now..."

The voice gradually became lower, but the people outside the windmill could still hear it clearly. They could feel the deep loneliness and heaviness in this sentence, which was no less than the emotion Ovilla felt when she saw her teacher sacrifice in front of her, so they all fell silent at the same time.

Half a while later, just as Saint Xia Liya opened her mouth and wanted to say something, there was suddenly a violent movement from above the valley, like an earthquake, tearing hideous cracks on the cliffs on both sides, and rocks and soil fell with a rumbling sound, crushing a large area of ​​shrubs and primroses on the ground.

The peaceful and harmonious atmosphere was disturbed, and Alice couldn't help but complain: "Here we go again, what the hell is going on outside?"

The ritual of summoning gods, the conception of gods... these words flashed through Ling'er's mind like lightning, and he suddenly had a bad premonition. He hurriedly turned and walked towards the exit of the valley, saying, "I'll go upstairs to check the situation. You stay here and don't run around—"

He paused for a moment, and then added, "Alice, come with me."

"Eh, me?"

Alice was stunned for a moment, but she was overjoyed when she realized what was happening. "Lingge, you finally realized that you can't do without me? Oh, actually I'm not as good as you said. Ahem, what I mean is, just leave it to me. In front of the genius player Alice, all difficulties are... Hey, don't walk so fast! Wait for me! That's it. Anyway, Medien Ovila, Saint Xia Liya, and Shemi (the lamb cried at this time, but Alice pretended not to hear it and ignored it), I will accompany Lingge to the top to check the situation first, don't run around, okay? Bye!"

She hurriedly chased after him, and the two figures soon disappeared into the depths of the forest.

"So impatient." Xie Mi puffed up his cheeks in dissatisfaction: "I really don't know why Ling Ge chose her. He might as well have chosen me!"

"I hope nothing happens."

Metien clasped his hands together and silently offered a pious prayer to the goddess.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)