Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 979: Section 638: Dream Light Year (Part 3)_2

Chapter 979: Section 638: Dream Light Year (Part 3)_2

Turning around, Malin looked at the woman with the yin-yang haircut halfway through drawing her gun. Her hand, as if rusted, struggled desperately to pull the weapon out, but Malin’s spiritual energy stopped her from taking her own path to destruction.

Malin smirked and swung the iron pipe in his hand. The hollow metal tube whistled through the air, striking the fool’s hand and breaking it, daring as she was to draw a firearm.

At that moment, Malin’s toy car finally stopped on the roadside nearby. Malin walked over to the vehicle, receiving the identification documents from the car’s robotic arm, before turning to glance at the Carterburg SWAT team’s counterterrorism assault vehicle parked not far away.

Several officers jumped out of the vehicle. Maybe they had recognized Malin, as one female officer quickly approached: "Peru squad leader, thank you for your hard work."

"It’s nothing, just loosening up my joints a bit," Malin said casually.

"It seems you’ve gotten over your heartbreak, Captain. Congratulations," the human woman said with a smile.

Malin rolled his eyes—Young lady, bringing up what shouldn’t be mentioned, one day you’ll end up digging yourself into your own grave.

The woman who had her bag snatched woke up after being treated and injected with medications. After confirming her belongings were unharmed, she gratefully shook hands with both Malin and the human officer.

"Thank you both. You are the most professional officers I’ve encountered in Westland."

"It’s our duty as officers," Malin replied officially.

"Indeed, ma’am, our captain is absolutely right. We are the Carterburg SWAT team, the most professional officers you’ll find in Westland," the young human woman said cheerfully in agreement.

After seeing the lady off, Malin turned away as an officer checking the injured raised his head and looked in their direction.

"Captain Anna, Captain Peru, one criminal dead, four injured, one is on the verge of death."

The one near death was the yellow-haired man who had physically castrated himself earlier. He didn’t even have the strength to scream anymore; after all, with the caliber of the gun, 10mm was quite large.

Malin was about to say, "What are you waiting for, save him!" when Anna coldly delivered her verdict: "What’s the point of keeping him alive? Put him out of his misery. In times like these, new immigrants who want to experience the flashy world but refuse to work, harming innocent citizens in Carterburg, no longer deserve to take up space and resources. They’re just raising the price of grain."

The officer rose, grabbed the yellow-haired man’s gun, and granted him a quick death. Then, he removed the magazine, separating the weapon and its magazine before tossing them to a colleague, who caught them and placed them in the evidence box.

"Take the other three to the medical center. Once they’re treated, throw them in prison. Our brothers in the prison will arrange proper work assignments for these idiots." After saying this, Anna turned to Malin: "Captain Peru, how do you think I did?"

"Quite well, to be honest. It’s very much to my liking." Malin raised his eyebrows. Honestly, for such a gang boldly snatching an elderly lady’s handbag in daylight, with a companion even daring to draw a gun on the spot, leaving them with a mouth to eat prison food was already the height of societal mercy.

At first, Malin felt curious. Later, upon reflection, he realized this approach was most suited to the world two thousand years in the future.

After all, even in Malin’s era, the gallows were the most gentle treatment officers could afford criminals.

Of course, back then in Carterburg, there was another option—throwing criminals into prison. Numerous mines needed young men unafraid of hardship or death, much like now.

Though, mines today are probably gentler, he thought.

"Captain, you’re on vacation, so I’ll leave you be," Anna said as she led her team away. Later, officers in ground vehicles arrived to take over the scene, beginning to clean up traces of the altercation, including two bloody chunks of unidentified flesh on the ground and white unidentified liquid splattered on the walls. Malin casually greeted the officer in charge of the scene.

For some reason, Malin called out his name: "Walsh, I’m leaving this to you."

"No problem, boss lady," replied the young giant officer, without hesitation, sounding as devout as a Church worshipper.

"I’m heading off now," Malin said, jumping into his AI toy car.

"Where are we headed, Master?" the AI asked.

"Anywhere fun?" Malin asked.

"Is there anywhere in this city you haven’t already explored?" The AI answered smoothly.

Malin thought for a moment and decided to head to the highest, most open area—he wanted to see the full view of the city.

"Head to the Old Tree District. It’s the only spot where you can see almost the entire city. Surprisingly, you’ve never been there before. Funny, I just couldn’t recall it earlier," the chatterbox AI said as it started the car.

This time, Malin didn’t bother with the steering wheel. He sank into the driver’s seat, leaning back against the cushion.

Funny, Malin thought. Two thousand years ago or now, the world seemed to have changed little. Even without Chaos, the darker aspects of collective human consciousness still poisoned this planet.

Driving down the avenue, Malin watched as the colossal buildings gradually disappeared. Eventually, as the car turned at the intersection, looming skyscrapers no longer blocked his view—a giant ancient tree came into sight.

The World Tree!

Malin stood up.

But the World Tree showed no response to Malin. Standing inside the car, Malin simply watched as the massive ancient tree drew closer and closer.

After traveling further, he exited the urban area and saw endless fields flanking the road. Malin couldn’t help but exclaim.

Though its appearance had changed, this was probably the farmland of the past. The giant ancient tree had inexplicably moved several kilometers north over time, ultimately rooting itself atop the hill near the old ruins.

Malin observed the robotic farmers in the fields and chuckled—See, this must be the agricultural machinery crafted tirelessly by the Goddess of Harvest Church’s artisans.

They succeeded, regardless of how long it took. Watching them tend to off-season wheat within glass-covered greenhouses made Malin feel the power of technology altering fate.

Surely, famine was a problem long gone.

Getting closer to the World Tree, Malin saw a small town beneath the tree—although not as bustling as Carterburg, the town built on the hill still exuded a nostalgic charm. Dwarven and domestic fairy-style houses dotted the high slopes, with human architecture on the gentler flatlands below.

The car stopped in a parking lot a distance from the town.

"You’ll need to make your way on foot now, Master. This is sacred territory. We must respect tradition," the AI said. Malin jumped out, letting it find its own parking spot, and began walking toward the town.

The massive tree still showed no reaction, and the townspeople seemed oblivious to the presence of the uninvited guest. Even the large dogs by the roadside only sniffed at Malin curiously before trotting off.

Truly a future devoid of visible deities.

Malin walked all the way to the base of the World Tree, placing his hand on its trunk.

Finally, he sat on the exposed roots.

From here, gazing back toward Carterburg, the sprawling metropolis stretched endlessly southward along the coast, an infinite expanse visible from the vantage point.

Malin laughed, letting the spring breeze from the south lift his long hair and sweep away the sorrow within him.

Two thousand years? So what? Even after all these changes, as long as humanity remained the masters of this world, all was well.

All the sacrifices made by their generation, every ounce of blood and tears shed, had finally received their best reward.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.