novelraw Chapter 29 – Steam and machinery, magic and mystery
Chapter 29 – Steam and machinery, magic and mystery
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[You experienced a painless transmigration.]
[When you opened your eyes, you found yourself in a world of steam and magic, and your body had transformed into that of a 15-year-old, weak and ordinary.]
[You have no identification, no money, not even a bowl to start with.]
[As a transmigrator, you weren't too panicked. You calmly began to explore your surroundings, preparing to start from scratch in this world.]
[Although your 15-year-old body hasn't fully developed, it already has the ability to be self-reliant. This is your greatest asset and confidence. You cheered yourself on in your heart, struggling to climb out of the sewage.]
Roaring steam.
Grinding gears.
Efficient magic.
At night, steel and steam, magic and mystery together form the central hub of the massive city.
What woke Xu Xi was an incredibly sharp, long whistle.
"Toot——!!!"
He opened his eyes.
On both sides, towering red walls blocked the view, leaving only the middle exposed, revealing the dim sky and the faint yellow glow of street lamps.
Suddenly, scorching white steam erupted from an unknown source.
It shot high into the sky.
Colliding with the cold night wind.
Forming countless droplets that filled his vision, then dissipating back into mist, slowly and evenly spreading to every corner of the city.
This mist greatly obscured vision, and from time to time, curses could be heard from various parts of the city.
And so.
Xu Xi saw it.
Figures in robes, holding wands, floated in the air, casually waving, and a massive firestorm appeared in the air, devouring the mist completely.
The city returned to silence once more.
Praise the almighty magic and the noble Fire God.
People prayed like this.
This era is truly magical, with the faith of the gods spread across the land, raising the might of magic high, yet also embracing the convenience of steam. But in the great corners, there are also some dark places overlooked by people.
"How should I put it, couldn't the simulator give me a better start when transmigrating?"
Xu Xi struggled.
Laboriously climbing out of the alley.
This alley was filled with black, filthy water, foul-smelling and inexplicably corrosive. Compared to the starving start of the last simulation, the misery was about the same.
Xu Xi suspected that this simulator was deliberately messing with him.
"In any case, I should first find a way to solve the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, and then consider delving into magic."
After standing up.
Xu Xi staggered out of the alley.
In this brand new simulated world, he had not a shred of transcendent power, nor did he have the Eternal Tear, unable to rely on his sister's support.
Fortunately, with three entry talents, self-reliance was still possible.
[You took a difficult first step.]
[Through inquiries, you learned that you are in Allenson City, located on the northern side of the world, a large city equipped with efficiently operating steam machinery, primarily worshiping the Fire God, God of Blacksmiths, and Goddess of Harvest.]
[As a newcomer, you chose to earn your first pot of gold through manual labor.]
[You succeeded. Although you were exhausted, you earned your first meal and a small amount of money, a total of three copper coins, with your sweat.]
[You counted them for ten minutes.]
[You were immensely gratified, as everything was developing according to your plan.]
[You chose to temporarily settle in the slums, where food is cheap and good, and housing doesn't require rent. A few pieces of iron sheet on a muddy ground became your new home.]
...
[A year has passed. In this year, you have successfully mastered the basic information of the world, knowing what to do next.]
[This is an era ruled by gods.]
[Countless people gain the ability to wield magic through faith in the gods. The deeper the faith, the stronger the magic level. Some are even chosen as the gods' agents, known as demigods.]
[There are also those who choose to practice magic independently, without relying on faith in the gods, known as elemental mages.]
[By perceiving all things and establishing connections with elements, they release magic.]
[This is an extremely difficult path. Faith in the gods only requires enough devotion, offering one's heart and soul, to achieve strength in a short time. But elemental mages can only progress step by step, a path few choose.]
[You smiled, as you happen to have an excellent talent for elemental perception.]
[At the same time, you have no interest in faith in the gods.]
[You spent all your hard-earned savings of the year to go to a store in the city center and bought a bottle of the lowest-grade slime mucus, known as the most inferior magical transcendent material, and the only item you could afford.]
A year later.
In the slums.
Ignoring the pervasive stench around him, Xu Xi sat expressionlessly in his 'home.'
If that assemblage of iron sheets on a muddy road could be considered a home.
"A year... tsk."
"Although in the simulated world, the senses aren't as sharp as in the real world, I've had enough of this slum life for a year."
Xu Xi sighed, shaking the transparent, colorless slime mucus in his hand.
The mucus was contained in a transparent bottle, well-sealed, slowly sloshing back and forth with Xu Xi's movements.
Practicing with slime mucus.
This was an impossible task.
But Xu Xi was different.
Long before, when Xu Xi chose the Magic Faction as the new simulated world, he had prepared for a long time, readying the meditation method for practicing magic and studying various training matters.
And in this simulation, he possessed the special entry of elemental perception.
Thus.
An impossible miracle was born in the slums.
...
[You became a magic apprentice.]
[Through meditation, you successfully perceived the life element in the slime mucus, and your mind was extraordinarily calm, reaching the limit of what a mortal could possess, engraving this elemental fluctuation in your mental sea.]
[You thus learned Level 0 Magic: Life Mucus Generation.]
[You left the slums and went to the Mage Association in the center of Allenson City, registering and enrolling as a magic apprentice, receiving a monthly stipend of 10 silver coins.]
[Your life improved, truly starting to get better.]
[You crossed social classes, from a mud-legged slum dweller to a noble magic apprentice, shocking everyone, who believed you to be a devout follower of the Goddess of Life.]
[Because in this world, elemental mages are extremely rare. Even those who want to learn find it difficult to perceive elements, considered to exist only in stories.]
[You smiled, neither confirming nor denying.]
[In an era where everyone believes in gods, atheists are seen as heretics. The misunderstanding others have about you allows you to live more safely.]
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