Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"How could it be such a coincidence that it collapsed just as I was thinking of leaving?"

Shard, coughing and steadying himself against the door to stand up, checked to confirm that the path he had come by had indeed collapsed, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

But thinking about it, it seemed there had been other coincidences tonight that led him straight from Sophia's Mansion to this underground iron door. For instance, in the tavern, he heard the professors' conversation after using Arcane Technique three times, and thus directly learned even more secrets. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

That could be chalked up to luck, or to coincidence. And if it was the former, Shard somewhat understood what had happened:

"Could it be the Puppeteer's Notes that brought me here? But last time it was a whole night of good fortune; this time, it seemed to merely provide the convenience of getting here."

However, he had no other options. Although he could stay put and wait for the witch's rescue — after all, the witch couldn't possibly not want her ring back — the current problem was that the passageway still had a very high possibility of collapsing, and Shard couldn't just wait around to be buried alive.

"I can only open the door now, I still have a drop of Divinity on me... I shouldn't be that unlucky."

Resigned, he got back on his feet, dusting himself off. Peering through the gap in the iron door, the inside was pitch black; even the Silver Light from his fingertip couldn't illuminate the thick darkness within.

Shard placed his hand on the door, and as the ring lit up, his palm turned slightly until the Sorcery couldn't be used anymore, and the door was opened.

He stepped back twice; nothing rushed out from behind. So, Shard pushed the door and it made an unusually loud "creak~" that made his hair stand on end and, with this light push, the door swung wide open.

He used his clothes to turn the large book in his hands into a toy and strapped it onto his body. Then, with the Light Blade in his left hand illuminating the way forward and the Moonlight Greatsword conjured from thin air in his right hand, Shard stepped into the darkness behind the door.

Although the space inside the door couldn't be lit from outside, once he entered, the silver glimmer at his fingertips could illuminate the entire area.

Behind the door was not a narrow passageway, but a small square dark chamber. In the middle of the chamber was a pool occupying three-quarters of the space, and on the other side of the pool, there was another iron door, identical to the one Shard had opened.

Shard stood at the entrance, not daring to move forward. He had just entered, and the sounds in his ears reminded him that a rich Whisper Element was gathering in this dark chamber.

There was a faint light inside the chamber, emanating from the bubbling pool, as if there wasn't just a Spring Eye underneath but also a luminous source.

Shard stood motionless, acutely aware that something in the dark chamber had set its sights on him.

He couldn't describe the feeling more accurately, but his fear now far surpassed the recent sensation of a spider climbing up his neck.

With goosebumps rising, the feeling of panic nearly drove him to turn and flee. But the path behind him was only a few meters long and dead-ended, making escaping meaningless.

And just then, from the pool with blue-white strange light, accompanied by the sound of splashing water, an enchanting limb emerged. The skin was so delicate, the palm and arm so beguiling. Even an Outlander, who prided himself on always being able to control his desires, nearly couldn't resist the impulse to step forward for a closer look.

"Oh!"

A short Light Blade appeared at his fingertips, and Shard sliced at the arm. The pain immediately suppressed the strange impulse; it hurt, but it was worth it.

The collapse outside continued; he could no longer retreat. The arm that had emerged from the pool danced lightly above the surface, its hand moving bonelessly in strange gestures and poses, yet never allowing Shard by the door to see the shoulder or body.

The arm glided over the water, and in the quiet chamber, the sound was unusually clear, and at the same time, a strange scent gradually spread. If this scene weren't happening in an underground chamber sealed off from the world, it might have inspired many romantic fantasies in Shard.

But at the moment, all he wanted was to leave this place, stay away from that beautiful hand, stay away from this pool. Whatever Relic this was, it surely wasn't anything good.

"Hehe~"

The laughter came from the pool, a woman's laugh, tinkling like a silver bell and refreshing like a cold drink on a scorching day, enough to lift one's spirits.

The laughter was intermittent, growing gradually more seductive. Although Shard had never encountered such a sound before, it was undeniably a voice that stirred primitive desires within humans.

However, compared to the arm that could gracefully dance on the water's surface, this voice had no pull on Shard.

After all, having become accustomed to the sound of women's laughter at his side, all other laughter seemed too ordinary for Shard.

[Should I thank you for the compliment, perhaps?]

"Rather than mocking me, you might as well help me think of what to do now."

Shard's hand was tightly gripping the door frame, his veins bulging with the effort. It wasn't out of nervousness, but a struggle to contain the urge to step forward.

[It's simple, don't you have the Cult's ancient books?]

Realization dawned on Shard, and he hastily restored the book, then started to search through it for information about this thing. Curse those wretched cultists for not including an index in their religious tome, forcing Shard to flip through each page, reluctantly absorbing the vile and terrible knowledge.

The book had over two hundred pages.

With a splash that startled Shard, a woman's leg emerged from below the water's surface, having replaced the dancing hand. Only the leg could be seen; the rest of the body remained hidden. Toenails painted with red polish were slightly curled, and the fair skin shone with a milky luster.

Shard had to admit, he was indeed tempted in that moment.

"Testing me, an outlander, with such a thing."

Though tempted, he still clung tightly to the door frame. If Shard had to admit to a strength, it would be his strong self-control.

"Can't these damned mermen just write a summary at the beginning of each chapter, and a conclusion at the end?"

He inwardly cursed the mermen, lacking any shred of academic spirit, trying his best not to look up.

Yet, the sound of the woman's leg playing with the water made it impossible for him not to conjure up many images. And even if he were to stuff his ears with cloth, those sounds still penetrated unhindered.

The woman's giggle, the sound of splashing water, continually teased Shard's nerves, making him want to look up or walk forward.

"This is..."

Fortunately, the contents that appeared in the book presently held Shard's full attention. He didn't find information about the creature in the pool but stumbled upon a passage about the "golden pearl."

The narrative was paired with the Crimson Cult's ritual worship of the Evil God, depicting in a religious myth how the Deity descended to the material world in the ancient era.

The Merman Race built a colossal temple in the Merman City, deep within the ocean abyss, for their Deity. The Saint occupied the body of a giant mermaid, spreading terrible knowledge among the believers in the temple and accepting bloody sacrifices.

Before the Deity departed, to reward the believers' devotion, It slaughtered half of the mermal population. From their tears—joy, ecstasy, fear, and agony—It created a golden pearl, intended to hold the power It bestowed upon the Merman Race.