Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 181 Going Home
With the plague in the Rune Mine completely eradicated, Li Wei's mission was finally over, and he could return to the Fog City to rest for a while.

Of course, before returning to the Fog City, Li Wei didn't forget to check his mission rewards.

[Mission "Healing and Saving Lives" Completed]

[Time consumed: s]

Survey efficiency: S

[Impact/Effect: S]

Overall Rating: SSS

Yeah, so you see, calling for backup is definitely the right solution.

Looking at the mission evaluation before him, Li Wei nodded in satisfaction. If he hadn't called for reinforcements and had dealt with that strange thing alone, he wouldn't have been able to take it down at all, and even if he had, it would have been a near-death experience. It was so easy now; he could drink tea, sing songs, stand by, give a few orders, and have that thing completely under control.

Of course, this isn't the end of the story. It's time to settle accounts for how the last batch of plague-ridden supplies was delivered to the Rune Mine. This includes investigating who shipped the supplies, which company they came from, and why previous inspections were inadequate… Although Li Wei has ensured the source of the problem has been addressed, the plague has still claimed nearly ten thousand lives in the Rune Mine.

Such a "major safety incident" must be explained to the public.

However, that's not something Li Wei needs to worry about.

Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get back to the rewards.

[Lifespan +300, additional +150]

As expected, judging from the difficulty level, this mission is quite challenging. Fortunately, Li Wei called for reinforcements, making the fight much easier.

[Physique +15]

[Physical fitness level improved to 50 (your body is as healthy as an average person)]

Hmm... how should I put it?

Considering that I'm facing a plague this time, it's not a bad thing for the system to give me some extra physique... Oh well, something is better than nothing.

[Mystic Resistance +10%]

Keep adding, keep adding. We're already halfway there. Now we'll see if there's a chance of magic immunity or magic reflection at 100%. As for Li Wei, he likes both of them quite a bit.

Skill Level +1

Hmm... needless to say, continue adding to the [Puppeteer] skill, upgrading it from LV4 to LV5. However, this time there's no special skill; it only increases the puppet's operational limit. Perhaps the next [Puppeteer] will receive a special skill at LV6.

[Gain special ability — Command Aura]

[Command Aura (LV1): When activated, all allied members within a 50-meter radius of the user gain +10% to their attribute values]

Ah, Li Wei really likes this one.

Clearly, the system has also detected that Li Wei prefers to win through sheer numbers rather than lone-wolf individual heroism. This [Command Aura] is obviously designed to enhance the individual attributes of Li Wei's soldiers. To put it bluntly, a good tank needs to be sturdy.

With this ability, if Li Wei encounters any trouble in the future, he can simply lead a group of fully armed men and charge straight in.

Although the [Command Aura] only enhances physical attributes and not skills, Li Wei felt that it was sufficient. After all, when he was leading people, he would definitely be leading those who were physically strong. With a little more enhancement, even if they didn't reach the level of Superman, they should at least be able to reach the level of Rambo.

Moreover, this [Command Aura] doesn't cost you any health. In fact, after testing it, Li Wei found it worked on himself too. This means he could keep the [Command Aura] active all day long, essentially giving himself a buff. Since it doesn't cost you health, why not keep it active? You agree, right?

In short, Li Wei thought the reward was pretty good, but the lack of direct offensive capabilities was a major drawback. Aside from that, Li Wei was generally satisfied.

After that, Li Wei returned to the Fog City by airship. As for Elizabeth, she remained in the Rune Mine because she was in charge of the recording work. After all, the infected people in the Rune Mine had not been fully cured yet, and she had to stay there to record the holy water with the representatives sent by the royal family to see whose was useful and whose was not.

Those who are useful will definitely see their status rise, as for those who are useless... well, at least Li Wei heard from Elizabeth that the chubby priest is already planning to be transferred back to the Holy Lord Church headquarters in the Fog City and promoted to cardinal.

Well, one person for one job. Now that this person has taken the position, the person who was originally in that position is probably not going to have a good time.

But this has nothing to do with Li Wei, does it?

He has his own things to take care of too!
You see, at the Steam Machinery Exposition in the Steel City, Levi ordered a whole bunch of things, including kitchenware like refrigerators and a radio. When he went to the Rune Mine, Anthony naturally sent all of these directly back to Levi's Clock Tower.

Next, naturally, was the task of Eileen, Levi's maid. Fortunately, this maid was very familiar with mechanics and quickly mastered the skills of using the kitchen utensils, which was... well, one word for Levi.

"Pfft...!"

After gulping down the chilled sparkling water, Li Wei couldn't help but let out a burp.

"Awesome! Ah, this is definitely the only drink that tastes right!"

"Is this really delicious, sir?"

Eileen stood to the side, watching curiously as Li Wei poured himself another glass of sparkling water and then added ice cubes.

"Hmm, strictly speaking, it's still a bit lacking in flavor. It would be even better if it were sweeter, but unfortunately I don't know the recipe... Oh well, the juice will do."

For Li Wei, the most enjoyable thing is naturally drinking cola. But unfortunately, he has no idea what the cola recipe is or how it's made. So right now, all Li Wei can drink is sparkling water mixed with fruit juice, just to satisfy his craving for the taste.

After drinking another glass of sparkling water, Li Wei walked to the radio placed in the corner, which looked about the size of a standing bookcase. He then reached out and turned it on. Soon, there were a few hissing sounds first, followed by a clear sound.

"...Given the recent traffic situation in the foggy city, the council is considering investing in road reconstruction and expansion..."

"Phew, at least it tastes a bit familiar now."

Li Wei plopped back into his chair, closed his eyes, and listened to the radio broadcast. Sipping his sparkling water and listening to the radio, he felt as if he had returned to his original world. It was just a pity that in Li Wei's world, very few people listened to the radio anymore; only drivers would listen to it on the road.

When people are at home, they tend to spend more time on their phones or computers.

"This radio is really interesting; you can hear other people's voices right at home."

Eileen quite liked the radio. After all, for a maid like Eileen, who was usually busy cleaning or cooking, there was no time to read books or newspapers. Listening to the radio was a good way to relax.

"Yes, listening to the news, the radio, and music is all good."

Li Wei nodded. It was a pity that he didn't see television or anything like that at this year's Steam Machinery Exposition. He didn't know if they would appear in a few years. Even if they did, it might take some time before they became commonplace in every household.

That said, the radio station arrived quite quickly; it seems Fog City had already installed it beforehand, only showing it to people from other countries at the Steam Expo. Well, if it weren't for the incident in Steel City at the end, this Steam Expo would actually have been quite a success.

But now... it's hard to say.

Thinking of this, Li Wei picked up the newspaper on his desk and flipped through the news about Steel City. Unlike the Rune Mine, which was completely sealed off and under martial law, the terrorist attack on Steel City was headline news in major newspapers, and the concept of "data security" was finally brought to the forefront for the first time, becoming a topic of serious discussion among experts.

As for how they will handle this problem, that's a matter for these difference engine experts.

In any case, what Li Wei needs to do now is rest. He accompanied Olivia to the Steel City, caused a huge mess, and before he could even catch his breath, the Queen dragged him to the Rune Mine, where it took him ages to sort things out.

Li Wei is now exhausted, both physically and mentally. He has decided that unless Her Majesty the Queen gives the order herself, he will stay in the Fog City and not go anywhere else, just lazing around at home.

"By the way, Eileen."

"Yes, what is it, sir?"

How's that kitchenware set working?

"You mean that fully automatic kitchen appliance set from Ellis? It's really interesting and convenient, saving me a lot of time. Not only that, the set is quite comprehensive; it can not only cook, but also has a special machine for making desserts. It's just that the writing on it is in Ellis, which I don't quite understand..."

"Hmm...it's okay, take your time."

As Li Wei spoke, he turned his chair and looked out the window at the foggy city. It was already autumn, and the once lush green leaves in the park below were beginning to turn yellow. People were wearing thicker clothes, and although it wasn't late autumn yet, the temperature was already starting to drop.

Fortunately, this is actually the last thing the people of the empire need to worry about. After all, a major output of steam machinery is steam, which is full of heat. It can be said that the entire Fog City produces steam 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When it gets hot, each household simply turns off the valve that supplies steam to stop the heating. When it gets cold, they turn it back on, and it immediately becomes a heating system.

I wonder how things are going in the Delicat area.

Li Wei remembered that Olivia went to Steel City to buy mechanical farm tools in preparation for the Delicat harvest season. However, when he met her before, she said everything went smoothly, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?

Thinking of this, Li Wei comfortably shifted his position on the sofa and then closed his eyes.

Now that I'm finally home, I should give myself a good rest.

(End of this chapter)