Tivian North Suburbs, Royal Crown University, King’s Campus.
The afternoon sun shines over King’s Campus. After days of gloomy and cold weather, this sunlight feels particularly precious. Students are sprawled across the green lawns, basking in the rare warmth, and the entire campus is enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere.
On a stone-paved path within the campus, Dorothy, who has just left the library, is walking briskly forward. The students lounging on the lawns occasionally glance at the beautiful, white-haired girl, but Dorothy pays no attention to their gazes. Her expression is serious as she walks, her mind racing with thoughts.
“The internal combustion engine design I drew... not only might attract the attention of a god, but it also carries cognitive poison... This is absolutely absurd. How can something like an internal combustion engine carry cognitive poison…”
Dorothy thinks to herself. The series of events that just unfolded have completely overturned her understanding of this world. In her eyes, something she considered scientific actually carries cognitive poison, which, in her original understanding, was only associated with mystical knowledge.
“This incident suggests that the boundary between the mundane and the secret, between the mystical and the scientific, might not be as clear as I once thought. The line between them might be much blurrier…”
“The distinction between the mystical and the scientific was based on my previous life’s experience, but in this world, it might be completely different. What separates the secret from the mundane in this world is simply whether the knowledge carries cognitive poison. Imagine if some mystical knowledge didn’t carry cognitive poison and could be widely disseminated—what would society look like then?”
“Let’s hypothesize: if a series of Chalice knowledge didn’t carry cognitive poison, then practices like Body Tempering or Blood Feast Method could be learned without restrictions or barriers. Would that lead to a society where everyone practices Chalice cultivation, completely different from what we have now?”
“In such a Chalice-dominated society, everyone would have superhuman physical abilities. People wouldn’t need machines to help them carry things; they could do it themselves. There would be no trains; people could run dozens of kilometers in no time. There would be no government; society would operate on the law of the jungle, with people forming small groups to hunt and devour each other. Everyone would be enslaved by primal desires, and civilization would regress significantly.”
“In such a society, the superhuman physical abilities of Chalice would no longer be considered extraordinary or mystical, because everyone would possess them. They would become mundane and commonplace. If, at that point, knowledge about manufacturing firearms carried cognitive poison, then firearms, which are common in our current society, might become mystical artifacts. They might even turn into some kind of mystical items…” “Now, think about it... What if other mystical knowledge didn’t carry cognitive poison? What if Silence-related mystical knowledge didn’t carry cognitive poison? Would we see a society of spiritual cultivators? A society where everyone communicates with spirits, where life is just one stage of existence, and where people continue to exist as spirits after death? Or perhaps even a world where everyone is a spirit, and the entire world is a realm of the dead…”
Dorothy’s mind races with these hypothetical scenarios. In her view, what separates the mystic from the mundane in this world is whether the knowledge carries cognitive poison. In other words, it is cognitive poison that shapes the appearance of mundane society. The scope of cognitive poison determines which knowledge can be widely disseminated and applied. These widely applicable forms of knowledge shape society and even the entire civilization, while knowledge that carries cognitive poison and cannot be widely used becomes hidden.
From this perspective, the fact that this world is stuck in the first industrial revolution might not be because no one has initiated the second industrial revolution, but because the key knowledge required for the second industrial revolution carries cognitive poison.
“In this world, it has been over fifty years since the first industrial revolution began. The technological accumulation is quite mature, and oil has already been discovered. Both the technological foundation and the resources are in place to initiate the second industrial revolution, but no one has stepped forward to invent those key technologies. I initially thought I had stumbled upon a great opportunity, but now it seems things aren’t so simple.”
“This world is not lacking in skilled craftsmen. For those Stone-path Beyonders, inventing something like an internal combustion engine shouldn’t be difficult... Yet, no one has done it. That’s the problem.”
Dorothy ponders this. She has seen Beverly’s automaton technology. With her level of skill, creating an internal combustion engine should be a piece of cake. There are so many Stone-path Beyonders in this world, yet inventions like the internal combustion engine haven’t appeared. That’s suspicious.
As she thinks, Dorothy gradually approaches the eastern gate of the campus and walks out.
After crossing the street and walking for a while, Dorothy returns to Green Shade Town. However, this time, she doesn’t head straight home. Instead, she goes directly to No. 37.
In the bright and comfortable surroundings of Green Shade Town, Dorothy walks quickly. Before long, she arrives at Beverly’s house. Standing in front of the old house, Dorothy rings the doorbell. After a moment, she hears footsteps from inside, and the door opens to reveal Beverly, wearing an apron, goggles, and a Swiss Army knife-like left hand equipped with various tools.
“Oh, our esteemed guest has arrived. Come in, come in~”
Seeing Dorothy, Beverly pushes her goggles up and immediately invites her inside. Once inside, Dorothy heads straight to the living room sofa and sits down, while Beverly closes the door and joins her at the coffee table. On the table are various test tubes, beakers, and glass bottles. Dorothy looks at them curiously and asks.
“Are you... conducting a chemistry experiment?”
“No, no, I’m just practicing making coffee. Since I don’t have proper tools, I’m making do with these.”
Beverly says casually, then picks up some coffee beans from a box on the table and places them in a round metal container. Hearing this, Dorothy is surprised.
“An automaton can drink coffee?”
“I don’t drink it. I’m just practicing for fun. My recent research has hit a snag, and I’m feeling a bit down, so I’m just messing around with this... Last time you were here, you complained that all I had was motor oil and nothing for you to drink, so I thought I’d try making some coffee. That way, if any other humans come over, I’ll have something to offer them.”
Beverly explains, then places the coffee beans into a metal container. Her Swiss Army knife-like left hand transforms into a grinder, which she uses to grind the beans.
“An automaton learning to make coffee... You really do have a lot of free time...”
Dorothy says as she watches Beverly grind the coffee beans. Soon, Beverly finishes grinding and pours the grounds into a cup. Her multifunctional left hand then transforms into a nozzle, emitting a small flame to heat a beaker of water. Once the water boils, she uses a pair of tongs to pour it into the cup with the coffee grounds.
After some effort, Beverly finally presents Dorothy with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and says directly.
“Here, try it and tell me how it tastes.”
Hearing this, Dorothy looks at the steaming cup of coffee in front of her. Although it looks fine, the thought of Beverly’s experimental brewing process makes her hesitate.
“An automaton without a sense of taste trying to make coffee... Is this really okay…”
Dorothy thinks with some concern, but considering that Beverly went through the trouble of learning to make coffee because she had nothing to offer her guests, it would be rude to refuse.
After some hesitation, Dorothy picks up the coffee, blows on it to cool it slightly, and takes a couple of sips. Seeing this, Beverly raises an eyebrow and asks.
“So? How does it taste?”
“Hmm... It’s not bad, but it could use a bit more sugar.”
Dorothy comments after tasting the coffee. The flavor is decent, at least without the motor oil taste she had feared.
“Not enough sugar? Hmm... It seems the standard parameters I got from the coffee shop aren’t entirely accurate. I’ll adjust it next time and add more sugar...”
Beverly mutters to herself, then adds more sugar cubes to Dorothy’s cup.
“Now, try it again. Is the sugar level better?”
“Not yet...”
“How about now?”
“Still not enough.”
“And now?”
“Hmm... That’s better. It’s pretty good now.”
After several rounds of adding sugar, Dorothy finally nods in satisfaction as she sips the coffee. Seeing this, Beverly nods thoughtfully.
“It seems I need to add a lot more sugar than I initially thought... It’s almost like sugar water with a hint of coffee... Is this the right way to make coffee?”
Beverly muses, then pulls out a small notebook and adjusts the sugar parameters in her coffee recipe.
“Hmm... Humans really like sweet things, don’t they? If I ever give myself a sense of taste, I’ll have to try sweetness for myself...” Beverly says as she tweaks her coffee recipe.
Dorothy enjoys the coffee Beverly made, the first cup of coffee ever brewed by an automaton. Meanwhile, Beverly removes her multifunctional left hand and replaces it with a normal, human-like arm.
“By the way, you haven’t been here in a while. Did you come to discuss some business this time?”
Beverly takes off her apron and sits on the sofa, asking Dorothy. Dorothy finishes the coffee and replies.
“I’m not here for business this time. I came to ask you some questions. Of course, if you charge for answering questions... then it’s still business.”
“Questions? Are you asking about branch path information again?”
Beverly continues, but Dorothy shakes her head.
“No, this time I want to ask... about gods. Beverly, do you know of any gods in the Stone domain related to machinery?”
Dorothy asks seriously. Hearing this, Beverly pauses for a moment, her expression turning curious. Then she says to Dorothy.
“Gods in the Stone domain... related to machinery? Why do you ask?”
“Oh, nothing much. I’ve just been reading some Stone-related mystical texts recently, and they mention some things, but not in detail. So I thought I’d ask.”
Dorothy smiles as she explains. The reason she’s asking is that she wants to know which god might be watching her after she invents the internal combustion engine.
Hearing Dorothy’s explanation, Beverly nods with interest and continues.
“Hmm... In that case, you’ve come to the right person. I do know a bit about the gods in the Stone domain. As for gods related to machinery, there is one. He is known as... the Core of Order.”
“Core of Order? What a strange name for a god...”
Dorothy murmurs in response. Compared to other gods like Gluttonous Wolf, Abyssal Serpent, Holy Mother, or Holy Son, this name does sound unusual. It feels more like something out of a science fiction novel than a deity worshipped by secret societies or religions.
“Haha... You think it’s strange too, huh? It is. Generally, this being is more widely known as the God of Craftsmen, the God of Clockwork, the God of Steam, the God of Machinery, the Pioneer of Innovation, the Stone Breaker, the Steel Forger, the Trailblazer... My way of referring to Them are quite rare. Only those who have deeply studied this god would use such a title. I’m one of them.”
Beverly chuckles and shrugs as she explains. Hearing the other titles, Dorothy feels that these sound more like proper god names.
“This god has so many titles... God of Craftsmen, God of Machinery—those make sense... But what about Pioneer of Innovation, Stone Breaker, and Trailblazer? Can you tell me more about this Core of Order?” Dorothy continues, and Beverly responds cheerfully.
“Since you helped me taste-test the coffee, sure~” Beverly says, then clears her throat and continues.
“Let me give you a brief overview. This God of Craftsmen and Machinery is one of the most prominent and influential gods in the Stone domain.”
“In ancient myths and secret histories, They are the God of Craftsmen, symbolizing the pinnacle of almost all craftsmanship. They once forged divine weapons for heroes and gods in myths and legends. During the Dawn War that drove back the darkness, They personally crafted the most powerful weapon for Radiance.”
“They are the Pioneer of Innovation, the Trailblazer of Eras. It is said that They shattered ignorance and inspired humans to invent and improve the steam engine, sparking the industrial revolution and shaping human civilization as we know it today. Hence, They are also known as the God of Machinery and the God of Steam.”
Beverly explains. Hearing this, Dorothy frowns and says seriously.
“What... Are you saying that this god was the one who pushed for the steam revolution?”
“Yes. Over fifty years ago, a series of key inventions suddenly appeared in the world. The inventors were almost all Stone-path Beyonders, and many of them claimed to have received divine inspiration. That’s why many believe this god was the driving force behind the steam revolution.”
After saying this, Beverly pauses and glances out the window before continuing.
“Based on this, some believe that the Core of Order is not satisfied with the current state of human society. When the time is right, They will once again guide a revolution like the steam revolution, pushing our civilization to greater heights.”