Mr. Death in the Steam World

The bespectacled man's voice echoed softly in the empty cave, clear and cold.

The woman in the black robe emerged from the shadows, her lips pressed tightly together, and she remained silent.

"I gave you a chance, Vera."

"You tried to release that junior candidate time and time again, but I pretended not to see it because of your contributions to the organization."

"But this time, you've crossed the line. Tell me—why?"

Vera slowly raised her head, and the hood slipped off her forehead, revealing a pale face.

Her features were exquisite, but there was a lingering weariness in her eyes, as if she hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

"Because I'm tired," she said.

The bespectacled man narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Tired?"

"From the day I joined the Truth Society, I have been doing things I didn't want to do."

"I hate everything you did: helping you control Sidwin, helping you set up the ceremony, helping you kidnap that little girl."

"But you still chose to do it."

"Because I'm afraid," Vera said frankly.

"I'm afraid of what will happen if I refuse, afraid of being abandoned by you, afraid of dying in some unknown corner."

She paused, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips.

"But now, I'm even more afraid of continuing to live like this."

The bespectacled man was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly.

"You know, Vera," he said, his voice tinged with genuine regret.

"You are one of the most talented deacons in the Truth Society. I always thought you would go much further."

"Far away, where?" Vera retorted, "Like you, turning into a heartless monster?"

The man with glasses did not answer.

He simply turned around and faced the shattered crystal in the center of the altar once more.

"You can go now," he said.

Vera paused for a moment.

"Before I change my mind."

Vera watched his retreating figure, her lips trembling slightly, but in the end she said nothing, turned and disappeared into the darkness of the mine tunnel.

The bespectacled man stood alone in front of the altar, his hands behind his back, motionless.

After a long silence, he whispered something that no one could hear.

"A monster? Maybe."

......

On the other side, the mine tunnel.

Moen and Emily hurried back the way they came and rejoined Arthur and the others.

"The barrier has been dismantled?" Arthur asked.

"Take it apart." Moen nodded. "The information on the note is true; that person didn't lie to us."

"So who exactly is the other party?"

"I still don't know," Moen shook his head, "but at least for now, TA is on our side."

The group continued deeper into the mine tunnel.

"Sister Phils," Melina said in a low voice, "I can feel it."

"What is it?"

"The altar." Melina's voice trembled slightly. "It's calling to me, just like the giant in my dream."

Phils gripped her hand tightly.

"Don't be afraid, we're here for you."

The mine tunnel ahead became wider and wider, and traces of human excavation began to appear on the rock walls on both sides.

Moen stopped and raised his hand to signal the people behind him to stop.

"The cave is just ahead."

He listened intently, and a faint, low humming sound came from deep within the mine shaft, as if something was slowly pulsating underground.

"Where are the guards?" Emily asked in a low voice.

Moen took out the defense map provided by Brad from his pocket and quickly glanced at it in comparison with the terrain in front of him.

"According to the markings on the defense map, there should be four guards at the entrance of the cave, working in two shifts, changing every four hours."

"But now we can't see a single one."

Arthur frowned: "They were transferred?"

"Not sure." Moen put the defense map back into his pocket. "But in any case, this is our chance."

He turned around and glanced at the crowd.

"Arthur, you go first, Miss Ignis and Melina in the middle, and Miss Manro behind me."

"If anyone blocks our path, don't linger in battle, just break through. Our target is the altar, not those minions."

Everyone nodded.

The entrance to the cave is just ahead.

It was a naturally formed crack, with densely packed runes carved on the rock walls on both sides.

A dark red light emanated from the depths of the crack, staining the entire mine tunnel an ominous color.

Moen took a deep breath and channeled his magic into the revolver in his hand.

Arthur squeezed into the crevice, his longsword held horizontally in front of him, holy light condensing into a dazzling white point at the tip of the sword.

He passed through the crack, and the interior of the cave suddenly unfolded before his eyes.

The dome hangs high, and dark red crystals are embedded in the rock walls, like slowly beating hearts.

In the very center of the cave, a circular altar made of obsidian stands silently.

Around the altar, twelve stone pillars are arranged in a ring, each topped with a cluster of flames that never go out.

And directly in front of the altar—

Sidwin Ashton was standing there.

He wasn't wearing his usual fancy tuxedo at the club today; instead, he was wearing a well-tailored magician's robe.

His hands were behind his back, his chin was slightly raised, and a haughty smile played on his lips.

"You've finally arrived, everyone. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

His gaze shifted from Arthur, swept over Moen, then over Emily, and finally landed on Phils and Melina.

When he saw Melina, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Oh? I didn't expect the little mouse to dare come back." His smile deepened.

"It seems we don't need to wait any longer; the ceremony can proceed smoothly tonight."

Without a word, Arthur raised his longsword, and a sharp sword aura condensed on the blade with silvery-white holy light.

"Sidwin Ashton," his voice was deep and steady, "in the name of the Holy Church, I command you—"

"Order me?" Sidwin interrupted him, as if he had heard a funny joke.

"A third-tier priest, ordering me around?"

He raised his right hand, and a dark red flame silently lit up at his fingertips.

The flame wasn't large, but its heat was incredibly intense.

Moen could feel the moisture in the air evaporating rapidly, and even breathing became scorching.

"You probably don't know," Sidwin said casually.

"We're both at the third tier, but how big is the gap between us?"

He flicked his finger lightly.

The dark red flame flew from his fingertips, drawing an arc in the air before shooting straight at Arthur's face.

Arthur dodged to the side, the holy light on the sword creating a silvery-white barrier in front of him.

The flames struck the barrier with a dull thud.

The silvery-white light and the dark red flames rubbed violently together in the air, sending up a shower of sparks.

Arthur took a half step back, leaving two deep marks on the stone pavement beneath his feet.

He steadied himself and looked up at Sidwin.

Sidwin remained standing in the same spot, his hands behind his back, his smile unwavering.

"Not bad," he said. "You've got some skill to withstand a casual blow from me."

"But can you stop what comes next?"