Mr. Death in the Steam World

When I came out of the library, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Moen rubbed his slightly sore eyes and stretched on the steps.

After seeing Martha off last night, he originally planned to go directly to the amusement park to investigate, but the keyword "Alice" kept swirling in his mind.

So, almost as if possessed, he went to the library again and spent half the night browsing through the literature section.

And he actually found it—Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

He was so engrossed in reading the book that when he came to his senses, it was already broad daylight outside the window.

The content was almost identical to the version he had read in his previous life, except that the author was unknown.

He fell down a rabbit hole, drank a potion that made him grow bigger and smaller, and had tea with the Mad Hatter...

This is so strange.

He had read the book before he traveled through time because it was part of his childhood memories.

But why are people in this world also able to write the same stories?

Could it be the work of some time-traveling predecessor?

He thought about it for a long time but couldn't find any reasonable explanation, so he could only treat it as a coincidence for the time being.

At least for now, it seems there is no direct connection between this book and Lily's disappearance.

It was already daylight. Regardless, let's go check out the amusement park first.

Wonderland Park is located in the eastern suburbs of Kansas City. It covers a large area and the spire of the Queen of Hearts Castle can be seen from afar.

When Moen arrived, it was morning, and the park had just opened, but there were already quite a few tourists coming and going.

Most of the people there were families with children, and occasionally you could see young couples walking hand in hand, with the sweet smell of cotton candy filling the air.

The entrance to the park is a huge tree-hole archway with a wooden sign hanging above it that reads "Welcome to Wonderland".

Moen bought a ticket and followed the crowd inside.

He walked along, taking in his surroundings.

The park is entirely built with "Alice in Wonderland" as its theme.

To the left is the Mad Hatter's tea party area, with dozens of round tables scattered on the lawn, each table set with a teapot and teacups decorated with pocket watch designs.

A staff member dressed in an extravagant suit and top hat is interacting with the children, occasionally pulling a flower out of the hat.

To the right is the Cheshire Cat tree, a huge oak tree with the Cheshire Cat's iconic smiley face painted on its trunk.

A group of children were taking pictures under the tree, their laughter echoing around them.

Moen did not stay in these places for long.

His goal was the park's core attraction—the mirror maze.

According to Martha, that's where Lily went missing.

The Mirror Maze is located at the deepest part of the park. It is a huge circular building with black exterior walls painted with white and red playing card patterns.

There was a long queue at the entrance, mostly parents with children.

Moen waited patiently in line.

When it was his turn, the staff glanced at him, probably thinking it was a bit strange for an adult man to enter the maze alone, but still made way for him.

"It's a bit dark in the maze, please watch your step."

Moen nodded, lifted the black curtain at the entrance, and went inside.

The maze was much larger than he had imagined.

Countless mirrors extend from the floor to the ceiling, forming a complex network of passageways.

The mirror reflects countless images of myself, each walking in a different direction, making it impossible to distinguish between the road and the wall.

The lighting was dim, with only a few dim yellow chandeliers on the ceiling providing illumination.

Light reflects back and forth between the mirrors, cutting the entire space into countless fragments of light and shadow.

Moen slowed his pace, his fingers gently touching the mirror beside him, activating "Mouse's Clever Hands" at full power.

The sensation from your fingertips is more real than what you see with your eyes.

He could sense the subtle textures on the mirror's surface, temperature changes, and even faint vibrations deep within the glass.

An ordinary mirror, an ordinary mirror, and just another ordinary mirror.

He walked and touched things as he went, wandering around the maze for a while, gradually going deeper inside.

Fewer and fewer tourists are visiting, and the surroundings are becoming increasingly quiet.

Finally, at a corner deep within the maze, his finger stopped.

This mirror feels different to the touch.

Its surface is smoother and its temperature is lower than that of a regular mirror.

More importantly, Moen could sense a faint power flowing behind the mirror.

It seems... Moen wasn't sure if this analogy was accurate, but he always felt that the mirror was breathing.

The Death Note opened automatically in my mind.

[Containment object traces detected, Level: 5]

It really is here.

Moen withdrew his hand and carefully examined the mirror.

From the outside, it looks no different from any other mirror.

But when he stares at the mirror, he occasionally notices that the reflection in the mirror will be distorted for a moment.

Like a pebble thrown into water, creating tiny ripples that quickly return to calm.

Moen didn't rush into action; he took a step back, intending to observe the situation first.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from behind.

"Stop! Don't move!"

Moen turned his head and saw a girl in a dark red uniform jacket walking quickly toward him.

Her long, silvery-white hair was tied into a high ponytail with a red ribbon, making her stand out in the dim light.

Her eyes were a clear, deep blue, and she was staring at him warily.

A cluster of flames flickered in her hand.

Moen was somewhat taken aback when he saw the flame in the other person's hand. This was the first time he had encountered a human other than himself who could use supernatural abilities.

The girl stopped three steps away from Moen, trying to keep a straight face and appear more serious.

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

Moen sized up the girl. Judging from her posture, she was clearly the type who had never been in actual combat and should be easy to deal with.

Having made up his mind, he spoke freely:

"Miss, it's not ladylike to yell at someone you've just met."

"Before I answer your question—who are you?"

The girl paused for a moment, then subconsciously reached out and tugged at her hair ribbon.

"I...I am...this is none of your business!"

Her voice rose slightly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"In short, it's dangerous here, please leave immediately."

"Oh?" Moen leaned against the mirror beside him, arms crossed. "If that's the case, what are you doing here?"

"I--"

Before the girl could finish speaking, ripples suddenly appeared on the mirror behind them.

This time it was even more obvious than before; the mirror surface rippled like water, spreading outwards in concentric circles.

At the center of the ripples, something can be vaguely seen emerging behind the mirror.

The girl's expression changed, and she immediately rushed towards the mirror.

But Mohn reacted faster.

"Meow Swiftness" activated instantly, and his body sprang up like a spring, instantly blocking the girl and the mirror.

"Get out of the way!" the girl cried out urgently. "These are the containment items I'm handing over!"

"Containment objects?" Moen pretended not to understand the girl's question. "What are containment objects?"

Containment objects are not a term that everyone knows, and he became increasingly interested in the girl's identity.

The girl realized she had let something slip, so she pursed her lips and forced a calm demeanor.

"This, this is none of your business... Please leave!"

Before the words were even finished, the ripples on the mirror had already disappeared.

The mirror returned to its calm state, as if nothing had happened.