Mr. Death in the Steam World

Brad, the third-ranked mine owner in the Ironcrown City Mining Guild, is also a sworn enemy of the Sidwin family.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brad," Moen said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone. "You said you have a business deal to discuss?"

Brad nodded, took a document from the butler, and handed it to Moen.

"This is the deployment map and shift change schedule of the mercenary group under Sidwin Ashton."

Moen took the document, opened it, and glanced at it.

The map was densely marked with the location of each sentry post, shift change time, patrol route, and even the code name and preferred fighting style of each mercenary.

He looked at Brad in surprise, and Brad nodded in satisfaction.

"You should be well aware of the value of this intelligence."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"This afternoon, I'll make some noise and try to move those teams away as much as possible."

If what Brad said is true, a huge gap will appear in the mine's defenses tonight.

But with such favorable conditions, what is the price to pay?

"What kind of reward do you want?" Moen asked calmly.

Brad shook his head.

"I don't need any reward. The things Sidwin has done to me over the years are enough for me to remember for a lifetime. I've taken him down, what reason do I need?"

He paused, then added.

"Of course, if you really feel bad about it, just say a few good words for me to the church after it's all done."

Moen looked into his eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then reached out his hand.

"make a deal."

Brad took his hand, shook it hard, and then turned and walked toward the mill entrance.

Arthur stood in the shadows, gazing thoughtfully in the direction Brad had gone.

Do you think he's trustworthy?

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that applies to Ironcrown City as well."

The two returned the way they came and walked along the path towards the Swallow Inn.

Back at the hotel, Moen silently saw another letter lying in front of the door.

"Oh, are all these people just going to deliver letters to me? This era is really too much."

This is the fourth letter Moen has received in this period of time.

Helpless as he was, he still had to look at it. He tore open the seal and pulled out the letter.

The handwriting on the letter was neat and steady, each stroke conveying a sense of restraint born of experience.

Mr. Marcus:

I am fully aware of what my son has done.

The fire in the shantytown was neither the Ashton family's intention nor my wish, but since things have come to this, there's no point in saying more.

I have ordered all Ashton family private soldiers to withdraw to the outskirts of the mine, leaving only Sidwin's own men to guard the mine.

I will neither help you nor stop you. The Ashton family will not be buried with the madness of outsiders.

—Jack Ashton

Moen handed the letter to Arthur, who read it, shook his head, and chuckled softly.

"I think old Sidwin means he wants to kick me out of the family and sever all ties."

"Sidwin is quite a character to have become so isolated and alienated from everyone."

“No.” Moen shook his head. “He’s leaving the Ashton family an escape route.”

"If Sidwin is defeated and the church comes down on him, at least he can keep his family business."

"In this way, regardless of Ashton's private army, even if Sidwin's mercenary group hasn't been transferred, we still have their deployment map."

"Now our only obstacle is Sidwin himself and the Truth Society members."

The seemingly complicated situation gradually became clear through several letters.

Despite the seemingly favorable situation, Moen remained somewhat uneasy.

Will things really go that smoothly?

He bid farewell to Arthur and returned to his room, where he picked up "The Principles and Applications of Transmutation" from his desk.

During his time in Ironcrown City, he studied the theories in the book.

On the one hand, it was to solve the problem of the white rabbit; on the other hand, the transformation technique was indeed a practical magic trick.

The essence of transmutation is to use magic to change the shape of objects.

His magical attribute is to accelerate time.

If we use methods that accelerate time to achieve change—

He closed his eyes and focused his magic on the tip of his right index finger.

"Local deformation" – accelerating the "time" of a certain part of the body to the point of assimilation with the object it comes into contact with.

The theories in the book were racing through his mind.

If a piece of ore gradually forms over a long geological period, then its "shape" is the result of the accumulation of time.

He can accelerate the "time" of his fingers to the same level as that of the ore, allowing his fingers to "experience" all the changes the ore has undergone in a short period of time, thereby achieving material assimilation.

Although it doesn't make sense physically, it's theoretically possible with magic.

The theory is sound; let's begin!

Moen opened his eyes and pulled out a piece of ore he had picked up at the edge of the mining area during the day from under the bed. Magic surged within it.

Fine lines began to appear on the surface of his fingers, the color gradually changed from normal skin tone to grayish-black, and the texture changed from soft skin to hard and rough.

He only held on for one minute before his fingers returned to normal.

"It's too taxing," Moen frowned.

Upon internal examination, he found that even with his magic reserves, nearly a third of it had been consumed.

No wonder transformation magic is a toy for mid-level magicians; for a first-level magician like him, it's still too dependent on numerical values.

However, the effect is undeniable, especially if this technique can be used in combat—

Moen gripped the ore tightly again, channeling magic into his fingertips once more, and continued practicing.

Once his magic power was nearly depleted, he immersed his consciousness into the celestial mirror.

"Your Highness the Queen."

"Hmm? You finally remembered me? Master—"

The Queen of Hearts' voice clearly carried a hint of sarcasm, which made Moen somewhat embarrassed.

He hadn't used the Mirror of Immortality even once during this period, only coming to her when he needed something, which was indeed a bit unreasonable.

Fortunately, he was thick-skinned and quickly explained the current situation to the Queen of Hearts, then said seriously:

"Your Majesty, if a war really breaks out tomorrow, I will most likely need your help."

The Queen of Hearts remained silent for a few seconds, then let out a soft laugh.

"It's possible. Given your current level, we can temporarily possess your body."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious.

"But each time we possess someone, it consumes a lot of the magic power of the Mirror and yourself, and I can't say what the cost will be."

Moen remained silent for a moment.

"I understand, thank you, Your Majesty."

"Hmph." The Queen of Hearts snorted. "Don't thank me. Thank Lily. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't bother with you."

"You're only at level one now, so I won't mind letting you out since you don't have any magic power. But once you advance, remember to let me out to see Lily, or don't blame me for turning on you!"

Moen's lips curled up slightly.

The white rabbit's voice suddenly broke in.

"Kid, if you really get to the point of possession tomorrow, remember to call me. I may not be good at direct combat, but I can definitely speed things up for you."

"And me, I can..." Cheshire Cat's voice rang out, and Moen responded to each one.

With several hours to go before the appointed time, and a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

Beside his bed, the protective sachet Clara had given him glowed faintly.