The morning after the assassin's attack, the forge didn't smell like charcoal anymore—it smelled like high-pressure steam and heated iron.
Cheng stood over a massive cylindrical contraption of reinforced steel. His bare chest was streaked with grease and soot, his muscles corded as he tightened the final valve on his prototype Steam-Boiler. Beside him, the System HUD was glowing a brilliant, triumphant gold.
[CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS: "The First Breath" — 95%]
[WARNING: Internal Pressure Rising. Structural Integrity: 88%]
[NEW TASK: Test the prototype and demonstrate 'Modern Power' to the Minister.]
[HIDDEN MISSION: The White Lotus (Lang) has stolen a 'faulty' blueprint. Let him fail.]
The White Lotus's Final Betrayal
A shadow moved at the edge of the courtyard. Lang was there, whispering to the High Priest. They were holding a piece of parchment—the "failed" design Cheng had purposely left on the desk for a thief to find.
"He thinks he's a god," Lang hissed, his eyes full of venom. "But this 'tube' will be his tomb. The Priest says if we block the ventilation, the 'demon' inside will consume him."
Cheng didn't stop them. He watched through the thermal scan as they sabotaged the exterior vents. He let a cold, scholarly smile touch his lips. He knew exactly what he was doing.
The Modern Explosion
"Father! Come see the power of the Second Soul!" Cheng roared, his voice echoing across the estate.
The Minister and the guards gathered as Cheng opened the main valve. The boiler began to scream—a high-pitched, terrifying sound that no one in this century had ever heard. Suddenly, the sabotaged vents hissed, but instead of exploding, the excess pressure was funneled into a massive steel piston that slammed into a block of solid granite, shattering it into a million pieces.
The High Priest fell back in terror. Lang's face went white. He had tried to blow Cheng up, but Cheng's System-Enhanced Logic had already accounted for the sabotage.
The Ultra-Long Spicy Reward
The crowd retreated in awe, but Cheng's eyes were only on Heng, who was watching from the doorway, his body shivering at the raw, loud power of the machine.
Cheng didn't care about the broken stone. He walked over, swept Heng into his arms, and carried him into the private, steam-filled chamber of the inner forge.
[NOTIFICATION: "Modern Power" Demonstrated. Reward: 2,000 Evolution Points.]
[STATUS: Target 'Heng' is overwhelmed by 'Dominance'. System Advice: Claim the reward.]
The chamber was thick with hot, white mist, making everything look like a dream. Cheng pinned Heng against the warm, vibrating brass pipes of the engine. The contrast between the mechanical heat and the soft, cool skin of the Omega was intoxicating.
The thrusts were deep, rhythmic, and incredibly possessive—a detailed account of a man who had conquered physics and was now conquering his mate. Every moan from Heng was muffled by the roar of the steam outside. Cheng marked the Omega's back and thighs, his mouth mapping the "Tragic" soul until it was replaced by a "Royal" one. He wasn't just an Alpha; he was a King of a new era, and he claimed Heng amidst the hiss of the future.
"Do you hear that, Heng?" Cheng groaned against his neck, his hands marking the Omega's hips with the strength of a God. "That is the sound of a world that can never hurt you again. As long as I have the fire and you have the soul, we are untouchable."