Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 110 Dungeon (5k8)

In the afternoon, the sun lazily shines on the clean cobblestone pavement of Oak Street in Baker City.

The shop on the street corner, called Mrs. Polly's Little Trinkets, is bathed in this gentle light.

The shop window was polished to a shine, and the displays were meticulously arranged.

Several carefully pressed bunches of lavender and rosemary lay quietly on the wooden display shelf, creating a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere. The shop door was ajar, and occasionally customers wearing aprons would push it open to enter or exit, accompanied by a series of crisp bell sounds.

Mrs. Polly, with her slightly hunched back, moved with a composure that came with the passage of time.

A regular customer pushed open the door and came in to inquire whether a certain dried flower sachet had arrived.

The old lady immediately put down her work, a warm smile spreading across her face as she sincerely apologized: "Oh, dear Mrs. Anna, I'm so sorry, the rosemary we ordered last week hasn't fully dried yet. It will have to wait a couple more days for the scent to become more mellow. How about you take a look at this newly arrived batch of violets? The fragrance is quite unique..."

The streets gradually came alive. Workers walked by in small groups as they finished their shifts, and children chased and played at the alley entrances. Newspaper boys stuffed the newly published evening papers into a few fixed mailboxes, and the clanging of trams grew louder and then faded away.

Lu Ran crouched in the shadow of a protruding stone sculpture diagonally opposite the shop entrance, silently gazing at the quiet little shop.

He had been watching this place for two days, but hadn't found anything special. However, based on his previous experience tracking these kinds of people, even if he slipped up, it would be at night. So, Lu Ran's attention was a little less focused when he was tracking them during the day.

However, it's not that we haven't found anything at all. If we had to pinpoint a problem, it might be that after two days, we haven't seen any customers buy or even inquire about the so-called starlight seed.

So much so that Lu Ran wasn't even sure if the so-called starlight grass seed was still in the container, or what it looked like.

Let's consider this a point of doubt...

As the sunlight shifted and sank behind the low-rise buildings in the west, the sky was painted with brilliant golden-red and orange hues, gradually transitioning to a deep blue-purple.

The gaslights on Oak Street were lit, their soft glow spreading in the twilight.

Mrs. Polly began tidying up the shop before closing. She slowly and carefully moved some valuable bouquets and small bottles from outside the window back inside, making sure everything was spotless.

Lu Ran remained motionless like a stone statue, breathing very softly.

Shops closed one after another, pedestrians became scarce, and the glow cast by the gas streetlights appeared particularly lonely on the empty streets.

Finally, the warm yellow light emanating from Mrs. Polly's little trinkets went out. The door was pushed open, and Mrs. Polly's hunched figure appeared in the doorway.

With difficulty, she bent down, pulled down the heavy door panel, and carefully hung up a heavy brass lock. Then she turned around, carrying a seemingly ordinary wicker basket, and trudged onto the opposite sidewalk in the direction of her home.

Lu Ran calmly followed after using his shadow magic. His gray fur seemed to blend into the deep shadows of the stone wall, blurring his body outline.

If they don't get any results after a few days, he'll go to an abandoned factory to look for clues, where other scout mice will be assigned to follow him.

To make the mission easier, he specifically brought all the rats from Territory Number One who had learned the Shadow Technique. Picking two to take turns tracking them would be enough.

Mrs. Polly didn't seem very alert; she didn't even look back and walked slowly.

Suddenly, Lu Ran felt that the direction they were heading seemed a bit off; it was different from the route they had followed home yesterday.

As night deepened, the massive and dilapidated outline of the abandoned factory gradually emerged under the sparse moonlight, like the remains of a giant beast lurking in the darkness.

Lu Ran then realized what was happening and asked in surprise, "How did we get here?"

The old woman walked through the factory's main gate with practiced ease, and shuffled toward the rear auxiliary warehouse, the same warehouse where Lu Ran had previously visited and discovered the magic circle.

That faint, familiar feeling once again stirred a sense of resonance in Lu Ran's mind.

Mrs. Polly walked to the center of the area, carefully placed the wicker basket aside, and then raised her cloudy eyes to warily scan her surroundings.

Lu Ran quickly curled up, pressing himself tightly against the base of the shadow of a pile of tall, rotten, musty wooden crates, almost becoming part of the shadow himself.

After confirming that no one was watching, she slowly reached into her clothes and pulled out something. The light was dim, and Mrs. Polly was turned to the side with her sleeve covering it, so Lu Ran couldn't see clearly, but it seemed to be a small object that looked like a piece of copper.

Lu Ran subconsciously took out the copper piece from his bag and compared it. Upon closer inspection, he found that not only were they similar in appearance, but their auras also resonated slightly, indicating that they were indeed from the same lineage.

Then, the old woman took a deep breath, as if she had become a different person. Her relaxed face suddenly tightened, and her cloudy eyes shone with a light that was a mixture of fanaticism and piety. Her withered lips began to move, and she spoke in a voice that was completely out of character for the kind old shopkeeper she usually was.

An ancient, hoarse voice, filled with difficult and obscure sounds... began to murmur urgently.

As the strange murmurs continued, the air suddenly became thick and heavy, and even the copper plate that Lu Ran was holding in his arms began to glow faintly.

"Wait, something's not right." Lu Ran's expression changed as he was about to put the copper piece away.

Following closely behind were the surrounding magic arrays, with countless runes lighting up one after another.

Everything happened so fast!

Buzz! ...

A flash of light, and the abandoned factory returned to calm.

Mrs. Polly and Lu Ran have both disappeared...

……

silence.

Absolute silence descended, broken only by the monotonous, seemingly eternal whimper of the wind rustling through the enormous leaves.

Suddenly—the light faded, and the dizziness receded like the tide.

"Pfft!"

A round, fluffy ball suddenly appeared out of thin air, then fell to the ground with a thud, immediately bounced up from the ground, and cautiously observed its surroundings.

When Lu Ran saw what was in front of him clearly, he was stunned.

The scene before my eyes was utterly unfamiliar. The sky was a solidified, lifeless, leaden-gray dome, devoid of sun, stars, or even the slightest trace of cloud movement, like a faded curtain hanging overhead.

The air was thick and cold, filled with the stench of decaying leaves and rotten soil.

This is a primeval forest. Huge ferns stand like prehistoric behemoths, their leaves so large they can cover an entire house.

The gnarled vines, thick as giant pythons, coiled and clung to the even thicker trunks of the ancient, towering trees, which were covered with a thick layer of dark green moss.

Suddenly, Lu Ran's gaze sharpened.

In the distance, at the horizon where leaden gray and dark green intertwine, above a thin veil of gray-white miasma, a colossal white tower abruptly pierces the frozen sky.

The tower is not made of brick or steel, as is common in Baker, but of a smooth, pure white material that resembles ivory or some kind of special jade.

It was much taller than any building he had ever seen, its spire pointing straight at the frozen sky.

Lu Ran subconsciously looked down. Fortunately, the ancient bronze piece was not far from where it had just fallen. The moment he saw the bronze piece, a few pieces of information suddenly appeared in Lu Ran's mind...

Dungeon... Pass...

A look of surprise flashed across Lu Ran's eyes, then he quickly used his paw to pull it over and pick it up.

According to the information transmitted by the copper plate, it seems that as long as I trigger the copper plate with my consciousness again, I can return to the original abandoned factory.

Lu Ran couldn't help but murmur, "A dungeon, is it the kind I imagined? But how can such a thing as a dungeon exist in this world..."

The surrounding area was full of primitive plants, and he couldn't see anything. The only clue he could be sure of was the twisted white tower in the distance.

Lu Ran took a deep breath. He suddenly remembered Bobo's half-true, half-false divination, and stuffed the bronze piece back into his satchel with his little paws. "Perilous situation... I hope it really is."

Since he was already here, there was no reason to just turn back. He quickly scanned his surroundings. The huge plants provided excellent cover, but they could also be hiding unknown predators.

He bent his hind legs slightly, transforming into a gray shadow that flashed into the deep shadows of the fern roots, which resembled a dark green barrier.

……

The air was so damp and cold that even breathing produced white vapor, and amidst the rich, primal scent, there was always a faint, indescribable fishy smell.

Clusters of umbrella-shaped mushrooms, emitting a faint, eerie blue fluorescence, parasitized the fallen logs. Twisted and twisted vines, covered with nodular protrusions, entwined the trunks, resembling some kind of dormant giant snake.

Further away, deep within the mist of the forest, there always seemed to be faint friction sounds and barely audible hissing, proving that this seemingly lifeless forest was not truly devoid of life.

"Looking at the mountain makes the horse run itself to death; how much further do we have to run?"

While inwardly grumbling, Lu Ran cautiously made his way towards the distant, spiraling white tower.

The main problem is that in this unfamiliar place, it's easy to get lost, and without the tower as a landmark, he wouldn't know where to go.

"If only I could find a local rat to ask for directions, instead of wandering around like a headless fly... And who would have rats in this godforsaken place? Squeak, squeak!" Just as he glided past a rock covered with thick, slippery moss, his peripheral vision caught a violent tremor in the low bushes to his right!

"Chirp! Squeak chirp—!"

Accompanied by a series of rapid, sharp, and terrified screams, a lightning-fast silver-gray figure suddenly darted out of the bushes!
It was a strangely shaped rodent: slightly smaller than the gray rats commonly found in Lu Ran's territory, but with extremely long limbs and silver, unconventional hook-like claws that allowed it to run as if on flat ground across the complex layer of decaying leaves.

"There really is?!" Lu Ran was dumbfounded.

The silver-clawed rat, for reasons unknown, burst forth with astonishing speed from its small body, rushing past the rock where Lu Ran was hiding in the blink of an eye and disappearing into another, denser patch of giant ferns.

Almost the instant it disappeared, a shout full of youthful passion, even a bit reckless, pierced through the damp air.

"Hey! Liuguang! Slow down! Wait for me! Waaaaah—!"

The sound grew louder as it approached! Following the direction from which the silver-clawed rat had darted out, a nimble figure charged wildly out of the forest like a newborn calf!

He was a boy who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. He was tall and wiry, with his upper body bare except for a short skirt made of unknown animal hide wrapped around his waist. His wrists and ankles were tightly wrapped with rough and tough plant fibers.

His skin was a healthy bronze. Most striking were his short, fiery red hair, which stood out even in the dim light and swayed wildly behind his head as he ran at high speed.

The boy's speed was astonishing, far exceeding the level of ordinary humans!

"By Mother Goddess! Have you discovered something that made you wait for me?" The boy seemed not to be looking where he was going at all, and almost tripped, only managing to stay upright thanks to his core strength.

Just as the boy was about to relentlessly pursue the giant green curtain formed by the ferns, the shadow of the huge fallen tree covered with slippery moss above the rock where Lu Ran was hiding suddenly twitched violently!
Silent and still! As if the shadow itself had come to life!
A long vine, as thick as an arm and covered with light-absorbing scales, shot out of the shadows as fast as a venomous snake!

Its front end had no branches, leaves, or flowers, only a terrifying structure that suddenly opened up, covered with fine, sharp serrations, resembling the mouthparts of some kind of worm, carrying a nauseating stench, and precisely coiled towards the back of the boy's neck!

Just as the terrifying mandibles of the dark Shadow Vine, covered with fine, sharp teeth, were about to touch the back of the boy's neck, the little mouse, which the boy called Flowing Light, suddenly counterattacked with a cunning move that turned back at almost a right angle!

Its silvery claws traced several streaks of light in the dim light, not attacking the vine itself, but precisely scratching at the root where the vine connected to the shadow of the fallen tree!
"grumble--!"

The next moment, the violently launching Shadow Vine suddenly paused, the stench from its mouthparts almost spraying onto the hairs on the boy's neck, and its attack slowed down.

Following closely behind the boy's forward momentum, he suddenly twisted his waist and turned to the side, grabbing the bone knife at his waist and slashing fiercely at the Shadow-Eating Vine.

Woo——!
The sound of something cutting through the air carried a muffled whistling tone.

Rotten fluid gushed out like a burst abscess, drenching the boy. The terrifying mouthparts emitted a piercing, distorted hiss, twisted wildly a few times, and finally slumped down, silent.

"Well done, Liuguang... but could you please not be so dangerous next time!" The boy was complaining, but he was still smiling, as if he was used to it.

As Lu Ran was observing curiously, the silver-clawed mouse named Liuguang suddenly darted to Lu Ran's side, squeaking excitedly.

"Huh? We've found another little guy we haven't seen before?"

The red-haired boy who had been chasing after them stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised, and his gaze fell on Lu Ran.

Beneath the rock, at the soft, damp edge of the thick layer of humus, a small, gray, furry creature was huddled. Was it a gray rat?
It was slightly larger than Liuguang, and its fur was a common grayish-brown color, making it look like an ordinary, low-level resident of this primeval forest.

But this gray squirrel looked unusually clean, without the usual parasites or dirt spots, and its pair of round, black, beady eyes were staring unblinkingly at him and the shimmering light on his shoulder.

Having spent years with exotic beasts, he had a natural affinity for animals. He wore a hearty smile, revealing a set of white teeth, and his body was still stained with the filthy sap from killing the vines, mixed with the smell of his sweat.

"Hey little guy, were you scared by the noise just now?"

……

Correspondingly, Lu Ran was also observing the other party's attitude.

He had deliberately revealed his whereabouts to the other party, and now it seemed that he was being friendly. In order to gain the upper hand, Lu Ran jumped up by stepping on the boy's outstretched hand, climbed up his shoulder, and finally lay on the boy's shoulder.

This position allows for immediate assessment of the boy's neck.

Despite the creature approaching him, the boy remained nonchalant and even chuckled as he rubbed Lu Ran's back.

The silver-clawed rat then jumped onto the boy's other shoulder, and continued excitedly chirping at Lu Ran, "Squeak, squeak..."

It seemed to have a slight accent, and Lu Ran could barely make out that the little guy was trying to greet him, so he replied perfunctorily, "Squeak..." (Hello).

"Then let's go back early today." The boy grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that didn't match his past experiences, and turned his head to look at Lu Ran.

"Come with us, it's more dangerous than you staying here alone. We'll take you to a safer place in a bit."

Lu Ran tilted his head, blinking his beady eyes with an innocent expression.

The boy determined his direction and pointed to the giant tower deep within the gray forest ahead. "Let's go, we need to get back to the Sanctuary before the evening fog rises."

Having said that, he once again took brisk steps, weaving through the slippery humus and the enormous root system.

Lu Ran squatted steadily, gripping the boy's smooth, slightly warm skin, while silently observing her surroundings.

The people here look much older, some even still wearing animal skins. Although their civilization is backward, their physical attributes are significantly stronger than those of the people in Baker City.

Unsurprisingly, the surrounding area should be filled with these strange plants and animals.

Is it an underground city left over from an old era?
Lu Ran pondered for a moment, and then the view suddenly opened up before him. The trees abruptly thinned out, revealing a vast clearing covered with low-lying areas and strange moss-like plants. At the far end of the clearing was the base of the tower.

Upon closer inspection, the visual impact of this spiraling, twisting tower is even more unparalleled.

It pierces the leaden, solidified sky, its height far surpassing that of the tallest building in Baker. The pure white material that makes up the tower is as smooth as a mirror, without a single gap, seemingly formed by nature, yet clearly man-made.

To Lu Ran's surprise, the tower did not stand alone. Around the massive base at the tower's base, a chaotic and rudimentary settlement was distributed in a ring. Numerous low, dilapidated shacks were crudely constructed using giant fallen leaves, thick vines, animal hides, and stones from the primeval forest.

It's like a huge slum surrounding the white tower in the middle.

Countless figures moved about in this slum, their shadows swarming like ants in the narrow, muddy passages between the shacks.

They mostly wore simple leather skirts or plant fiber belts similar to those worn by the young Hongyan. They were physically strong, with skin that was mostly bronze or darker tan, and their faces and bodies often had scars or simple totems tattooed on them.

The boy deliberately rushed towards a group of people who seemed to be discussing something, their voices filled with suppressed anxiety.

"Praise be to the Mother of Life! The ascension in three days is a divinely revealed moment! We must seize this unique opportunity!"

A tall, thin man with white mud streaks on his face spoke in a trembling voice, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "This is my last chance! If I fail to be selected as a slave this time… no, absolutely not!"

"The duty of raising livestock is an unparalleled honor! But my heart belongs to hunting slaves!"

Beside him stood a short, stocky man, his eyes burning with a burning desire. He excitedly pounded his thick chest, making dull thuds, mimicking the posture of a wild beast. "If I could use the power of the sacred medicine to complete my beast transformation, and hunt even more powerful sacrifices for the Mother Goddess… then this life would not have been in vain!!"

"Hush! Silence! Hunting slaves is not so easy. The uncontrolled roar during the Holy Blood Baptism must be fought with one's soul! Only one in ten thousand can survive and complete the construction!"

An older woman with a hoarse voice immediately lowered her voice and rebuked, but her eyes were equally fervent. She bowed slightly in reverence towards the white tower. "The Mother of Life's gaze is upon all candidates! She will favor the most devoted and steadfast servants!"

"Praise be to Mother of Life!" A low growl came from further away, drawing a subdued, somber response from those around him.

As soon as the boy arrived, someone recognized him, and several figures around him waved happily.

"Red Flame, how's the training going lately? Are you confident you can win this promotion ceremony?"

"For Red Flame, promotion is no easy feat. The next time we meet, it will probably be as Lord Slave Hunter."

"Oh, did Red Flame bring back another pet? What an adorable little guy."

……

Lu Ran, who was perched on the shoulder of the red-flame boy, was still thinking about what had just happened.

It seems... the ascension ceremony here sounds a lot like taking a magic potion.

The difference from the outside world seems to be... the potions here are extraordinary, as if that's common knowledge.

It was no longer a taboo hidden in the shadows, but a public promotion ceremony, which even formed a strict hierarchy...

And then there's this group of guys around me chanting "Mother of Life"...

Could this underground city be a unique underground city belonging solely to Bounty?
So, where did Mrs. Polly go?

Lu Ran suddenly looked up at the top of the tower in front of him. At this moment, the white tower under the gray sky was exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression, and he couldn't help but swallow.

"Probably...not..."

……

(End of this chapter)