Half-step Purgatory

For a long time, Malin always felt that Fate had been quite generous to him. Although he had to face that life-threatening job every day, as long as he had the lovely Leopard Girl cooking delicious food for him daily, and as long as there was meat to eat and cats to stroke, life wasn't too unbearable. Working a bit harder and facing some difficulties on the job weren't really an issue for a man.
Moreover, being able to live two lives meant one shouldn't have too high demands, right, Mr. Different-Kind?
Having said that, and without waiting for an answer, the young man snapped his fingers, and the white flame on his fingertip lit the tobacco in his other hand, then he flicked it towards the non-human entity on the stake.
Welcome to Abield, to witness the last splendor of the steampunk era.
And the madness.

Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

"What's going on, how did these guys get here?" Looking through the lifted curtain at the street, Casaman's colleagues were full of confusion.


They didn't understand why the Farol Principality's Public Safety Action Department would suddenly act and surround their block as night fell, then begin inspections.


"Have we been exposed?" asked a Dwarf from the Northern District, puzzled, "That shouldn't be the case, we've kept a low profile the past few days for the operation's success."


"No, it doesn't look like we've been exposed; if we had been, they wouldn't be searching for us like this, but would have directly stormed us with troops..." A human member who had always lived locally countered the Dwarf's worry, "It seems like a temporary patrol, targeting all the rental properties. I saw that young man, he's inspecting the houses rented to outsiders."


"Patrol?" the Dwarf put down the curtain, turned to the human, and asked, "What do you mean?"


Section 471: New Future (Part 2)