Mr. Death in the Steam World

Having absorbed the unprecedented purple essence, Moen stretched and yawned in the morning breeze.

He glanced at the pocket watch in the sky; the hands had moved a considerable distance, and they only had eight hours left.

In less than half a day, this journey to the fairyland will come to a final conclusion.

He slowly exhaled. Perhaps it was the benefit of the purple essence, but after killing all night, Moen felt not tired at all, but rather full of energy.

He walked toward the white rabbit with a smile on his face. The white rabbit shuddered and unconsciously took a half step back.

It's important to know that the Cheshire Cat was able to clear the nightmare cards from the entire Wonderland through his powers.

And this kid in front of me actually wiped out all the Nightmare Cards in the vicinity with just a revolver.

"Kid, you're a monster," it said sincerely.

The two returned to the cave, where the Cheshire Cat had already woken up, while Phils remained in her rather unladylike sleeping posture.

Although Moen wanted Phils to rest a little longer, daylight had arrived, and every second they stayed there increased the chance of being discovered.

Having no other choice, he gently shook Phils.

"Waaah... Sister, I want to sleep a little longer, just a little longer... zZZ"

Phils rolled over, still a little dazed.

Seeing that gently shaking him wouldn't wake him, he had a sudden idea and picked up the Cheshire Cat next to him and threw it at Phils.

"Meow!?" "Huh!?"

After a chaotic scene, it was ten minutes later before Phils could fully grasp the situation.

"Mr. Marcus is really something!" she said angrily.

However, for some reason, she felt full of energy and not at all as tired as she had expected.

Moen smiled without saying a word, silently withdrawing the "Vibrant Fragrance" effect.

"Alright, it's time to discuss the battle plan."

The white rabbit clapped its hands, and everyone's expressions immediately turned serious.

"This is a map I drew last night. The Red Heart Castle is only about two hours away from us."

He pointed to a red circle on the map that surrounded the castle.

"No matter which direction we advance from, we will pass through the defensive perimeter of the Poker Legion."

"A battle is inevitable. The only thing we can do is end it as quickly as possible before that traitor arrives."

Fils raised her hand: "I know a little bit of invisibility; maybe I can sneak past those legions when they're not looking!"

The white rabbit shook its head: "The queen's power is called 'rule.' As long as we get close enough to the castle, she will definitely find us."

The Cheshire Cat paced back and forth, then its eyes lit up:

"Oh yeah, Rabbit, don't you know illusion magic?"

"If you create illusions of the two of them and stay near us, and then the little girl uses invisibility, they might actually be able to slip past!"

Moen stroked his chin, feeling that things had great potential, but he still had one problem:

"Wouldn't that mean you'd be holding back the Legion and the Mad Hatter who's coming to join the attack while you're still surrounded?"

He didn't say it explicitly, but his implication was clear—

Without the power of the fairy realm, can the two of you really hold on?

The white rabbit curled its lip: "Kid, do you think we only know how to fight using our powers?"

Cheshire Cat chimed in, "If we weren't capable, how could the three of us have dared to come and face a Level 3 containment object?"

"You know, the three of us were all top-tier fourth-order magicians back then!"

"Fourth, fourth order!"

Surprised, Phils accidentally bit her tongue.

Seeing Phils's strong reaction, and the smug looks on the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat's faces, Moen couldn't help but be curious.

As a complete self-taught individual, he had absolutely no understanding of the magician system, let alone a superficial one.

Now that he has the opportunity, he is happy to expand his extraordinary knowledge base.

"Ahem, time is limited, so I'll get to the point."

Fils straightened up, adopting the demeanor of a seasoned professor.

"A magician is a superhuman who studies, manipulates, and utilizes magic."

"Based on the degree of control over magic, it is divided into ten levels, of which the first nine levels are further divided into upper, middle and lower levels."

Moen raised his hand: "If that's the case, then what about a tenth-tier magician?"

Phils shook her head: "There is no specific title for magicians who can reach the tenth level, and they are extremely rare in history."

"In fact, it is unknown whether there are still any tenth-level magicians alive today."

"In the current world of magic, a ninth-level magician is undoubtedly at the top."

"And what about you?"

Upon hearing this, Fils, who had been brimming with confidence, immediately blushed.

"I... I may only be a first-tier magician, but with my talent, reaching the upper third tier is only a matter of time..."

White Rabbit waved her hand, interrupting Phils:

"In short, kid, all you need to know is that we're awesome."

"The difference between the upper, middle, and lower levels is not just a little bit."

Time was of the essence, so the group decided not to waste any more time in this extraordinary knowledge mini-class that could start at any time, and set off immediately.

When the pocket watch in the air reached 12 o'clock, they saw the legion's encirclement.

Looking out, the hillsides were covered with playing card soldiers lined up in square formations, their armor gleaming, their halberds like a forest, and their flags fluttering in the wind.

Moen roughly estimated that there were at least two thousand.

"Judging from this, these soldiers are much stronger than those nightmare cards from last night."

"Those things are just the Queen's nightmares, illusory remnants, but these guys are real life, guards born from the fairyland."

Phils took out a pre-prepared headband from her pocket and tied it around Moen's wrist.

"The invisibility spell only lasts for fifteen minutes; we must get through the encirclement within that time."

Moen looked into the distance, and the spire of the Heart Castle was already close at hand. As long as the plan went smoothly, fifteen minutes would be more than enough.

"Then, let's go."

As soon as she finished speaking, Phils activated the runes on her headband, and the two of them disappeared from sight, stealthily heading towards the Red Heart Castle.

Seeing that the two were acting according to plan, the White Rabbit focused her mind and quickly created an illusion that was exactly the same as Moen and Phils.

"Rabbit, fifty years have passed, but your illusion skills haven't diminished at all... The usual?"

Cheshire Cat walked to the White Rabbit's side, and the two former fourth-tier magicians exchanged a glance and smiled brightly.

Despite their changed appearance and the fifty years they spent in this paradise, their tacit understanding remained.

"Let's begin."

The Cheshire Cat took a deep breath and let out a low purr.

The next second, thick white mist gushed out from its body, spreading in all directions like a flood bursting its banks.