Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 245 The Unbelievable…

Alice is an ordinary girl.

However, one day, she accidentally wandered into this dreamlike country.

Where is this place?
Alice didn't know.

So she ran around and around, trying to find a way out.

Then, Alice met a rabbit.

"I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late."

Mr. Rabbit, holding his pocket watch, ran off to somewhere. Alice tried to call out to him, but Mr. Rabbit ignored her.

Alice was furious. She chased after the rabbit, pulled a small knife from her bosom, and slit its throat. The rabbit convulsed and fell, but Alice didn't care. She continued to stab it again and again until its white fur was covered in blood.

That's it.

Alice was very satisfied with everything she had done. No one could ignore Alice, and those who did would be punished.

But what's in front of you is a rabbit, not a person?
Maybe so.

Alice looked around, still unsure where to go. She had asked the rabbit so many times, but all it did was scream. Alice had said that if it didn't answer, it would be pricked, but the rabbit just kept screaming.

It's a pity that it's just a rabbit and probably can't understand what people are saying.

So Alice continued on her way.

(This part is crossed out)
"I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late."

A white rabbit ran up from behind, holding a pocket watch and looking anxious.

"Oh, Mr. Rabbit, wait for me."

Alice called out to Mr. Rabbit, but he seemed to ignore her calls and continued running. Alice followed behind him, but she couldn't run anymore and could only watch Mr. Rabbit walk further and further away, panting. Alice watched Mr. Rabbit's figure disappear into the bushes, looking completely bewildered.

Just then, a small stone came flying and landed at Alice's feet, startling her.

Looking up, she saw a pigeon poking its head out of its nest in the tree, spreading its wings and shooing her away.

"Go away, little snake! Don't you dare eat my eggs!"

"I am not a snake."

Alice looked at the pigeons and began to defend herself.

"I am Alice!"

"I don't know anything about Alice, I only know snakes, and snakes eat eggs. Do you eat eggs?"

"I eat."

Alice replied that she was a good girl and therefore wouldn't lie.

"Then you are the snake! Get away! I still need to incubate my eggs, don't come near me!"

Alice was angry; she felt the pigeon hadn't treated her that way, so she turned and left. But just then, a snake slithered out of the grass and looked at Alice.

"Hello, Alice, I am a snake."

"Hello, snake, I am Alice."

Alice introduced herself to the snake, very pleased that it was willing to greet her.

"You got scolded by that pigeon too, didn't you? It's so pitiful. You didn't do anything, but you still got scolded. I really couldn't stand it, so I wanted to help you out."

"help me?"

“That’s right. You go and distract that pigeon. I’ll climb the tree when it’s not looking and then secretly eat its eggs. Let’s see if that guy will still be so smug then.”

"Um...but..."

Alice hesitated.

"Pigeons will always lay eggs, so there's no need to worry so much."

"makes sense."

Alice made up her mind. She went back again, looked at the pigeons, and shouted.

"You stupid pigeon! How much are your eggs for?!"

"What did you say??"

Hearing Alice's cry, the pigeons poked their heads out of their nests and stared at her.

"Is your egg delicious?"

"Are you asking for a beating? I'll fly over and peck your head right through! I'll make your head rot like an apple!"

Hearing the pigeon's loud cry, Alice trembled and shrank back. Seeing that its intimidation had worked, the pigeon also smugly withdrew its head.

But at that moment, the snake had already quietly climbed up the tree trunk, and then it opened its mouth—and bit the unsuspecting pigeon.

The pigeon struggled a few times, then fell silent. The snake then coiled around it and swallowed the pigeon whole, piece by piece.

"call……………"

After finishing the pigeon, the snake lay contentedly in its nest to rest, and then it saw Alice climb up.

He was also holding a small knife in his hand.

"Oh? What do you want to do?" "I'm also very hungry."

"Really? Then you can have all the eggs here."

"But eating only eggs isn't enough."

As Alice spoke, she raised her knife and then chopped off the head of the snake, which was unable to move because it had eaten the pigeon.

"That's fine. With meat and eggs, it's nutritious."

So Alice ate the snake and the pigeon's carcasses along with the eggs in the nest (cross this out).

Alice was frightened by the pigeons and ran further and further away.

Then she saw a duck sitting there with its back to her, crying.

Why are you crying, duck?

"Because everyone thinks I'm ugly, they won't play with me, boohoo..."

The duck cried very sadly, and Alice comforted it.

"It's okay, as long as no one can see your face, no one will think you're ugly. Put on the iron mask. That way, no one will ever know what you look like."

"Why are you saying this? Did I do something wrong? Waaaaah..."

Upon hearing this, the duck burst into louder sobs. Alice found it annoying and tried to leave. But the duck grabbed Alice and wouldn't let her go.

"In that case, you and I will switch places. From now on, you will be the ugly duck, and I will be you."

"I do not want it."

Alice refused the duck's request; she didn't want to become an ugly duck. She was Alice.

"This is not up to you to decide!"

The duck squealed and opened its beak, trying to bite Alice, but Alice was faster. She chopped off the duck's head with one stroke, and then chopped at its head several more times.

"This is so annoying, I already said I don't want it."

Looking at the dead duck, Alice grumbled, then continued walking, leaving the blood-soaked corpse behind. (This part is crossed out.)

Alice was terrified when she saw the duck was about to bite her, so she turned and ran away. She heard quacking sounds coming from behind her and found it very frightening.

Alice kept running, and then, without realizing it, she arrived at a palace.

Looking at the beautiful palace before her, Alice curiously approached, when suddenly two playing card guards sprang out from the bushes on either side, holding spears and pointing them at Alice.

"Intruders! Intruders!"

"Intruders! Report to the Queen!"

The playing card guards brandished their spears, forcefully pressing Alice against them, gesturing for her to follow them. Alice, under the guard of the playing card guards, had no choice but to cautiously move forward.

Then she entered the palace, and then… Alice looked up and gazed at the throne before her.

At that moment, Alice's eyes widened in surprise.

"Good heavens..."

Seeing this scene before him, Li Wei couldn't help but gasp and sigh.

"This thing is really... I don't know how to describe it..."

After that, Li Wei and the others encountered several more strange monsters. Finally, they fought their way out and followed the trail to the silver church.

Just as the old man had said, compared to the previously excavated mine shafts, this church at the end of the mine appeared to be a completely man-made structure. It had symmetrical, towering columns on both sides, a pulpit and a sanctuary in front, and the overall size of the church seemed almost identical to the St. Bishop's Cathedral in the Fog City. And the image of the All-Seeing Eye carved at the back…

No problem...

Li Wei had initially wondered if they might be followers of the God of Disaster, but now it seems... the situation has become somewhat troublesome.

Speaking of the All-Seeing Eye, how many gods does it represent? At least as far as Li Wei knows, the Goddess of Night is definitely one, and this thing in this place... probably counts as one too!
But then again, is it really okay for everyone to share the same divine emblem? Generally speaking, deities would add specific symbols to their emblems to distinguish themselves, right? Why is it that the same emblem represents different deities...?

However, what Li Wei was concerned about at the moment was not the ownership of the All-Seeing Eye, but the location of this symbol—it was engraved in the center of a huge silver statue!
As the old man said, the statue is taller than the smelter's factory buildings, but what is even more bizarre than its size is its shape.

Its body is similar to that of a human, but its head is shaped like a starfish, with an octagonal shape. Eight tentacles spread out from the top, bottom, left, and right, firmly enveloping the entire church. In the center, the emblem of the all-knowing eye is carved, which at first glance looks as if the emblem is the eye of this "starfish".

"———————!"

Just as Li Wei was pondering what to do next, suddenly, a beam of light appeared out of thin air, and then everyone saw a petite figure emerge from the beam of light.

That's a girl.

She had long golden hair, wore a white bow, a blue dress, and red leather shoes.

At first glance, everyone was certain that this girl was the one they were looking for, Alice.

And at that moment...

Suddenly, Alice's figure flashed, and she was quickly sucked into the divine emblem.

At the same time, the surrounding ground began to tremble, and the enormous statue, which had seemed to be embedded in the stone wall, began to slowly move its tentacles. Gradually, it raised its head and stared at the crowd.

Then, a voice rang out.

"The audience has entered! The curtain has been raised! The performance is about to begin!"

(End of this chapter)