Chapter 1 The Clicks

The clicks of the switch echoed in the secret room, the rhythmic hum of the metal reeds as they connected and disconnected, sending invisible signals to the roof, where an antenna disguised as a weather vane transmitted them. News from the Deep Sea Embers fleet was sent back into the secret room, transformed into the clatter of relays and a series of regular holes punched into paper tape.

Nemo sat at the table wearing headphones, tapping his fingers on the surface with a hint of irritation as he listened to the sounds in his ears. A young girl in a waitress uniform stood beside him, picking up the paper tape that had just been spat out of the puncher and deciphering the holes.

After a while, Nemo yanked off the headphones and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling a long breath.

"Captain Tirian has already engaged the strange fleet that appeared in the fog. The situation on the Frost Navy's side is temporarily unclear, but it seems to be not good," the young girl said in a low voice, with a somewhat nervous tone, as she held the paper tape. "But there's not a peep about it in the city..."

"The thick fog has blocked civilian channels of information. Even if residents in the coastal areas hear gunfire, they won't know what's happening. And the city-state authorities must maintain order in the urban area—widespread panic won't help the navy," Nemo said, pinching his brow. "What's the situation like on the streets outside? What about the tavern?"

"The Watch patrols have locked down the entire city. The streets are very quiet now, but I heard what sounded like gunfire from far away just now. Two steam walkers passed by the Oak Street intersection, hurrying north," the young girl replied. "The tavern is still okay for now. We have enough fuel for lighting, but..."

"But?"

"There are a dozen or so customers trapped here by the fog. The streets are already blocked, and the shelters are full. They have nowhere to go. Over time, panic will inevitably build up among them."

"...We can't just throw them out into the street. The tavern is their temporary shelter now, and if we really kick people out, it will definitely attract the Watch and the church," Nemo shook his head. "I'll go upstairs and see how things are."

Just as the Deep Sea Embers contact finished speaking, a muddled murmur suddenly came from the corner of the room. "Charge again, charge again... they're breaking through... the reinforcements are here..."

Nemo frowned and got up, looking towards the source of the sound.

There was a bed in the corner, and a slovenly old man was lying on it in a daze. The old man's back was hunched, and he was clutching a large wrench he had gotten from somewhere. He didn't seem to be resting comfortably.

"Old Ghoul, Old Ghoul," Nemo walked over and patted the old man on the shoulder. "Are you having a nightmare?"

The old man holding the large wrench opened his eyes in a daze, and after a few seconds of delay, he said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Nemo," Nemo Wilkins said with a complex expression. "What did you dream about?"

"Nemo... Oh, oh, Nemo, I remember. You're a newcomer to the Queen's Guard... Hello, I'm the pipeline engineer from the Second Waterway... Dream? I didn't dream. I was just napping, just napping... What time is it? Shouldn't I be inspecting the power pipelines?"

"It's afternoon now," Nemo shook his head. "Don't think about the power pipelines. We've temporarily evacuated from that place. It's not safe anywhere right now. We have to stay here at the base and wait for instructions. That's General Tirian's order."

"General Tirian..." The Old Ghoul's eyes flickered for a moment, and suddenly he seemed to wake up again. He immediately got up from the bed. "Yes! Engineer Wilson receives the order! Stand by at the base!"

Nemo looked complicated, but he slowly straightened his body, returned the old man's salute, then turned around and nodded to the young girl in the tavern uniform. "You stay here and take care of Old Ghoul. I'll go upstairs and check the situation."

After giving the instructions, he left the secret room and returned to the tavern on the surface through a secret passage.

Inside the Golden Flute Tavern, a tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the hall. The customers trapped in the tavern by the thick fog, the staff and waiters on duty, almost everyone was watching the situation outside the display windows—and as far as the eye could see, there was only thick fog and the shadowy streets within it.

The city's gas lamps had all been lit in advance, and the artificial lights barely dispelled the gloom brought by the strange fog. However, they were not enough to make this chaotic world clear again. Those dim yellow lights floated in the fog like duckweed, looking like rows of eyes floating above the streets.

Nemo came out of the kitchen door and went to the counter.

"What's the situation?" he asked the bartender in a low voice.

"Everyone is very nervous. All traffic and communications with the surrounding areas are cut off. No one knows what's happening in other places," the bartender said in a low voice. "But fortunately, no one is running out because of the pressure—no one wants to run into that fog at this time."

Nemo nodded slightly. "If there really are idiots like that, don't stop them, let them go—but once they step out of this door, even if they're only in the fog for a second, you absolutely can't let them back in. From now on, no entry allowed. Anything that comes out of the fog is considered an evil thing."

The young bartender swallowed nervously and nodded vigorously. "Yes, manager."

Just then, a strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the street, interrupting the conversation between Nemo and his subordinate.

It sounded like some kind of equipment starting up, mixed with the sound of heavy machinery moving on the street.

People in the tavern were in a bit of a commotion. Some people nervously came to the window to look at the movement on the street. Some people saw some moving red lights in the fog and whispered in alarm, "Steam walker... More walkers are appearing!"

Nemo also walked towards the window, but halfway there, he heard the strange buzzing suddenly become sharp, and then, a slightly distorted loudspeaker sound rang out from outside the window—it was the broadcasting device carried on the steam walker speaking.

"Buzz... Attention citizens... The Consul and church officials are restoring order to the city-state...

"Frost is being affected by an unknown anomaly. We are... Special reminder, please residents stay at home or in safe shelter facilities, and for safety reasons, stay as far away as possible from anything that can produce a mirror surface, including but not limited to mirrors, water surfaces, and smooth metal...

"Reiterating, please stay away from anything that can produce a mirror surface, everything.

"In addition, if you find that someone around you is acting strangely, please immediately hide in a safe, independent space, and if conditions permit, ask the person in charge of the shelter facility or the nearest guardian or law enforcement officer for help. Do not rashly attack anyone you feel is suspicious. Please prioritize ensuring your own safety and isolation.

"If you feel that your own condition is abnormal, please also immediately hide in a safe, independent space, and avoid talking to others as much as possible...

"The above are reminders from Consul Winston and extraordinary domain expert advisors.

"Attention citizens..."

The broadcast faded away, gradually merging into the thick fog along with the red warning lights of the steam walker.

Nemo looked up and saw a pair of tense eyes all around him.

But he quickly reacted.

"Get the cloth!" he shouted to the staff and waiters. "Cover all the glass counters and mirrors!"

Everyone else reacted as well. Although the tension remained, the residents of the city-state clearly had basic common sense and psychological preparedness for surviving extraordinary disasters. The staff quickly fetched the dust covers used after closing, and the customers who remained in the tavern came forward to help, quickly covering everything within sight that could produce a mirror surface.

And similar scenes were playing out in every corner of the Frost city-state.

The terror of the fog was engulfing this city-state.

In the midst of the fog, Agatha had returned to the cathedral.

She met Bishop Ivan, who had just finished his work, in the lounge next to the Great Cathedral.

The bishop emerged from the "spiritual coffin" where he usually rested, and put on his archbishop's robes over his bandages. In Agatha's memory, it had been many years since she had seen Bishop Ivan dressed like this.

"Even this corpse of mine has to get up and work," Bishop Ivan, wearing his robes, sat in a chair and spread his hands to Agatha, who had just entered the room. "It's been too long since I've been active outside the coffin. I feel like I'm falling apart."

"If you still had a body that could 'fall apart'," Agatha said casually, "how is the situation?"

"Situation, everyone is asking how the situation is—it couldn't be worse," Bishop Ivan's hoarse, low voice came from under the bandages. "The counterfeits are attacking the city, and the monsters that were lurking before are also starting to emerge. Just now, several cemeteries were attacked. Those temporary holding places for the dead seem to have been used by the enemy as 'channels' to enter the real world. News has also come from City Hall that gunfire has been heard in several streets in the lower city, and at sea, our fleet is already fighting with things that have emerged from the sea.

"A full-scale attack has begun, but even worse than the enemy's full-scale attack is that we still don't know the full picture of this disaster or conspiracy. Those heretics hiding in the shadows... how did they do all this, and where are they hiding?"

As Bishop Ivan spoke, he slowly raised his head and looked into Agatha's eyes.

"What did you find underground? From the look in your eyes, I guess you must have seen something."

"I didn't find the heretics' hiding place, but I found... a more disturbing clue."

Agatha took a light breath, paused for a moment, and then slowly said—

"Our Goldboil Mine seems to have been exhausted decades ago, or even longer."