Chapter 19: Chapter 19. Steamed Knowledge

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They say that at the moment of death, your life flashes before your eyes. All things, bad, good, your regrets, your hopes, everything.

Well, what I saw was something like that, with the world.

From the bookstore, I was in a forest, then I appeared in a tundra, a desert, then I was underwater, I think, until the spinning stopped, and I was in the middle of a street.

[Dimensional drift complete]

[User compatibility with world: 56%]

[Time till return: 90 minutes]

[Warning]

[All status-related skills and abilities are unusable in this world]

[All possessed objects are set as body parts]

"UUUUUUGGGhhhhhh!"

After vomiting out my lunch, I looked around.

"What. The. Fuck."

First of all, it was night, the moon shining brightly over my head.

The buildings surrounding me looked quite modern compared to where I was before, reminding me of the architecture they used in the 18th century. Even the lamps were made from what I could tell from iron and were probably illuminated with gas.

In the distance,  I could hear various noises and people walking.

"Okay, new world. Let's see what you have to offer. But first."

I concentrated, but I felt nothing.

"Wait, the voice said that my status-based powers don't work. That means that the pendant is also out of order. I am back into permanent invisibility and silence. At least I can talk now… This is actually good for me. I can be an observer. This world must have knowledge that I can use back there. Medical and otherwise."

In case they could still see my clothes, I put on the special thing I ordered.

It was a mask, made from an old bag, with a smiling face sewed onto it with two crosses for eyes.

I guessed that if I had to hide my face, then at least I should make it creepy. It even had a little tie that looked like a hanged man's cord.

One's on, I looked fabulous.

Let's see what this city holds for me.

As I walked to what I saw as the main road, I saw something incredible.

People, dressed in old-timey clothes, walking around on the sidewalk as horse-drawn carriages passed by them.

What caught my eyes was the metallic robots.

Colossus of golden metal, carrying crates, metallic horses blowing steam as they pulled heavy carriages.

In the night sky, literal zeppelins flew silently, shining reflectors down on us.

"This is amazing."

It seemed like; I was completely invisible since even after waving my hand before people's faces, they didn't seem to react.

"Good. This means that I can do this easier."

First, I need to see what is normal here. For that, I need to observe one's household.  So, excuse me.

I passed through the brick walls and found myself in a depressing-looking apartment.

It was dirty, barely illuminated by a small candle, barely burning. The ground was filled with different bottles of what I could guess to have contained alcoholic beverages. The smell of alcohol and urine lingered, with a mass of fat body, laying on the floor.

"Yeah, it's my luck that I entered the first house which was like this. Let's go with the next one."

I passed to the next, which was much cleaner.

"I was seriously thinking that this world had some hidden secret-Oh God."

Oh, God indeed.

The apartment was cleaner and way more well-lit, but it was filled with different religious symbols, crosses with various gears in their center.

At the back of the room, was an improvised altar with a photo of a man in the middle of it.

"What the hell. Is this a cult?"

I inspected the photo closer. It was that of a bearded man with his eyes closed while holding a hammer to his heart.

"Isekai Jesus? Steampunk Christ? What the hell should I call you? Is there a Bible here?"

There was.

It was a thick, hand-sized book, with a leather cover, its title printed on it with golden letters.

"La Calces? What the hell those that even mean?"

I flipped the book open and started to read.

"This book is the chronicle of the great son of God, who bought salvation upon our world and the knowledge of a brighter future."

Going through a few pages, which contained the life story of this certain Marcus Calces with some schematics of machines, I finally understood what was happening.

"This guy was reincarnated. He probably worked as an engineer or a mechanic in his previous life, and when he arrived here, he used his knowledge to become someone powerful. For what reason he stopped at steam energy I can't tell. Maybe he had some steampunk fetish or something. Still, I will take this with me, maybe there is some info which can be useful. Maybe I can use the schematics to make something which can help me."

I put the book in my pockets and continued looking through the house.

From what I could tell, this world was way more developed in every aspect than the one I lived in. There was paper currency, more printed books, and even a gramophone with several disks.

"Oh, I wonder if it works."

Fueled by curiosity, I put the first disk I saw, put the needle, and cracked the lever next to it.

After some mechanical noise, an orchestra could be heard followed by a woman singing.

"

Cara bella, cara mia bella! (Beautiful dear, my darling beauty!)

Mia bambina, oh ciel! (My little girl, oh heaven!)

Che la stima! Che la stima! (How I adore you! How I adore you!)

O cara mia, addio! (Oh, my dear, farewell!)

La mia bambina cara, (My dear little girl,)

Perche non passi lontana? (Why not go a long way away?)

Si, lontana da Scienza! (Yes, far from Science!)

Cara, cara mia bambina, (Dear, my beloved little girl,)

Ah, mia bella! (Ah, my beautiful one!)

Ah, mia cara! Ah, mia cara! (Ah, my dear! Ah, my dear!)

Ah, mia bambina! (Ah, my little girl!)

Oh cara, cara mia! (Oh dear, my dear!)

-

( Cara Mia Addio; Portals 2)

"

"Ahhhhhh, even if it's not my favorite genre, hearing music after so long! Music can really heal the soul. If only I could understand it."

Nodding my head to the beat, I looted the rest of the room, having a great haul of loot, collected in an improvised bag, laying next to my leg.

"Now let's go look around the other a-

[Times up]

[Exiting dimensional dive]

"…Fuck."

The world turned with me again, the previous scenarios flashing before my eyes, then I was back in the bookstore, in the same position as I left it.

[Return complete.]

[Bond been created with Drifter Item[Book of Calces]]

[Once physical contact is made after the set time is passed, a new dive can be initiated]

[Time before next dive: 12 hours]

[Alert]

[Unknown item been bought back while diving]

[Analyzing]

[Item been identified as a copy of the Book of Calces]

[Calculating…]

[Downloading data from Book of Calces]

[… Download complete]

You are reading story A Fungal Dream at novel35.com

[Data been rewritten as new skill]

[New skill received: [Steam Engineering]]

"I think I'm going to puke."

I quickly left the shop and vomited on the street.

What was that? An Illusion? Dementia? A temporary madness?

Now noticing the book which I was still holding in my hand, the things I saw.

"A whole other world. Filled with possibilities. A technology, far more advanced than the one here. All of this is in my hands. To think what I could do with this sort of power. I-I need to try this out. Steam Engineering!"

As I used the skill, several brown-colored windows appeared before my eyes, schematics for different mechanics for steam-powered machines.

"Wait a second. I have a similar skill, don't I? What was it called again, Formula Creation?"

The brown screen turned green, changing their writing into complicated scientific formulas.

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. I need to get to work."

*****

5 days later; ??? POV:

The King stormed through the corridor, furry painted all over its usually calm face.

The King just got out of a very long military meeting with its generals. The neighboring kingdoms are becoming more aggressive, preparing for an eventual war between them.

The King's army had the advantage in raw power, with its army mostly composed of evolved monsters, but the kingdoms had more forces with them.

In this world, a single man can tuple a country, but if there are several such people, numbers count.

"Where is he?"

The guard posted before the door of the doctor saluted.

"Yes, my king. He hasn't left the room all day."

"Alright."

It pushed the door open, entering the lab.

"What the hell?"

The interior of the lab was completely different from the one I gave him.

In the short while he worked here, several plant vases lined up next to the walls, each growing different types of plants.

On the table, there was a corpse of a goblin who passed away yesterday, its chest open, with its organs floating in jars, lined up next to him.

On the furthest corner of the room, my doctor was working on something, humming something.

"

-

I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus.

This is it, the apocalypse!

Whoa!

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones!

Enough to make my systems blow!

Welcome to the new age, to the new age!

Welcome to the new age, to the new age!

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive!

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive!

All systems go, the sun hasn't died.

Deep in my bones, straight from inside.

I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones.

-

(Imagine Dragons: Radioactive)

"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Shit!"

In his surprise, he turned around, brandishing a knife.

Not even flinching, the King grabbed the weapon between its thumb and index finger.

"I said, what are you doing?"

"Oh, my King, you startled me!"

The doctor let go of his knife and made an awkward bow, before stepping aside, letting the king see what he was doing.

At the first glance, it looked like a heart, floating in a greenish liquid, branched to a machine that seemed to be made from scrap.

"This is my newest experiment. I extracted the 'mana heart' of the dead goblin, and I am trying to restart it. I soaked the organ in a healing potion while applying mana-rich water into it. When it's full, I will apply gentle electrical shocks to it, hopefully restarting it."

"Don't these things usually turn mana stones?"

"They do. But this little guy had so little natural mana that it didn't turn to stone yet! Really lucky for me."

"Why do you even do this? Is there a point in restarting this organ?"

"My King, you are not seeing the potential of this discovery. If I can restart this heart and implant it into another being, then I may be able to do the same for other species. Imagine, taking the strengths of war, prisoners adding them to your strengths. Imagine it, a small goblin with the power of a God! Then, when I figure out how to transplant body parts, I can make incredible things!"

The King couldn't see his eyes due to his sunglasses, but he exuded the same air that a craftsman would have when he's excited. In an insane researcher way.

"So, does your majesty wish to see me perform the experiment, or is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes, there is."

The king held him the piece of paper.

" We are threatened by numerous kingdoms who are aiming at our territory. I want you to make several Strength potions and if you have something which can make somebody stronger physically.

He stared at the paper then smiled with an evil grin.

"I have a few ideas. I will need a few research subjects but, given time, I can make it happen."

"Alright, I will send a few war slaves to work on. And there is another thing."

The King took the paper and set it on fire with a spark of fire.

"If you have some toxin or virus which can kill hundreds of people in an instant, please inform me about it."

"… As you wish, your Majesty. "

Feeling satisfied, the King walked out from the lab, seeing the letters forming in its head.

[Congratulation]

[You completed class up quest: have 3 Pioneers consider you as their master]

[You completed all class up quests]

[You are now able to become an [Emperor]]

Pioneer? Him?

Having an appraisal skill, the King saw the doctor's states but didn't remember for the doctor to have such a title.

Looking back, he saw the doctor press a blue crystal to the glass, making electricity run through it, smiling like a maniac.

[

Name: Phil Smith 'Plague Father'

Race: [Molded High Elf] Lv: 1/100 (0/100)

Main Class: [Life Scholar]

Sub Class: [Runner]

HP(Health Points): 240/240

SP(Stamina Points): 260

MP(Magic Points): 160/160

TMN (Tamed Monster Numbers): [231.810]

Blessings: [Blessing of Nergal]

Active Skills: [Basic Steady Hand] [Formula Creation]] [Hive control] [Hive Absorption] [Hive Repulsion] [Mold Field] [Basic Spirit Voice] [Aether Vision] [Steam Engineering]

Passive Skills: [Basic Body Knowledge] [Basic Plant Knowledge] [Basic Medicine Knowledge] [Basic Stamina Enhancement] [Basic Movement Enhancement] [Basic Reflex Enhancement.] [Basic Sponge Mind] [Perfect Stomach] [Hive Mind]

Affinities: [Basic Farming Affinity] [Basic War Affinity] [Basic Pestilence Affinity][ Basic Fire Affinity.] [Basic Life Affinity] [Basic Death Affinity]

Titles: [The One Who Saw A Thousand Worlds] [Knowledge Driven] [Chosen by Flies] [Medicine Pioneer] [Hive Master]

]

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