Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"According to Miss Eles, the Divine War at the beginning of the Fifth Era was a battle between the deities of the ocean and the Dragon Devourer. Whether anything was left behind by either side, it should have something to do with dragons and the ocean.

Walking towards the busy pier, I stood at its farthest point, gazing at the sea:

"As for dragons, I only have the Power of the Red Dragon and the gloves; as for the ocean... the Divinity of the Guardian of the Mermen - Lord of the Crimson Spiral, the Divinity of the Manipulator of the Ocean Storms - Fury Storm, the Divinity of the First Drowned One - Lord of the Deep Sea Drowned, I have devoured them all."

Shard prefers to call them the Coldwater Port Three Evil Gods, and the orders of these three Evil Gods seem to have appeared in the Moon Bay region, though they are not very common.

Holding the gloves and using the Power of the Red Dragon, then closing his eyes and listening, as expected he heard nothing. He then emptied his spirit to feel the ocean before him.

Although Shard had never mastered any power related to the ’ocean’ except for Water Walking and Underwater Breathing, perhaps he truly had this gift, or maybe the ocean itself did not reject him. Initially, he could only hear the rising and falling tides, which then transformed into melodious music. All senses besides hearing seemed to lose function, and as Shard’s soul gradually forgot the sounds at his ears, his spirit touched the tides before him, and the waters accepted Shard’s soul.

The Divinity of the Ocean Gods had successively entered the Outlander’s soul, and a soul stained with the scent of the sea was regarded as a companion by the ocean. For the ocean, infinitely vast compared to the human body, did not merge the ’tiny’ soul with it but instead gently caressed him, joyfully encircling him, and finally, almost before the closed-eyed Shard, revealed a vague human-like shape.

Shard could not describe his feelings at this moment, and he couldn’t discern what the vague figure truly was. The sounds of the tide and wind brushed gently by his ears, the near-whispering sounds ultimately forming an understandable sentence:

"Please save Moon Bay."

"What?"

He wanted to listen more clearly, but the current surrounding him and the feeling of almost merging with the ocean disappeared like the ebbing tide.

Opening his eyes with unusual disappointment, he immediately squinted from the dazzling sunset before him. The sun was setting on the horizon, and the sunlight reflected off the sea was still splendid. He seemed to have stood there for a long time, realizing this, as the noisy sounds of the dock reemerged as if the theater curtains had been lifted.

"Outlander, you have touched ’Miracle’ and ’Enlightenment,’ and you have gained insight into the ’Ocean’.

After a slight pause, the gentle voice continued:

"Outlander, you have gained the temporary status ’Favor of the Ocean.’ Within two months, while acting in ocean and coastal regions, your stamina and spirit recovery speed increase, and your luck improves."

"The ocean is very gentle, isn’t it?"

Before Shard could ponder these rewards, another slightly familiar voice sounded in his ear, and he realized that while he was ’daydreaming’ on the pier, someone had come to his side.

Turning to look, the black-haired, blue-eyed Miss Eles, or ’Miss Radiance,’ was smiling at him.

The sunset dyed her beautiful black hair in an orange-yellow glow. She tilted her head slightly and blinked at Shard:

"Did you know that when you smile at the girls, you’re actually casting an Enchantment Spell on them?"

But she, at this moment, was clearly showcasing her own charm.

"Good evening, Miss Eles, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon."

Although Shard was momentarily stunned, he quickly responded with a smile. But realizing she seemingly didn’t want him to smile, he suppressed it again.

The blue-eyed girl’s smile grew even more pronounced:

"I’m not deliberately avoiding you, so why are you so surprised to meet me again?"

With her hands behind her back, she turned away from Shard and looked at the evening sea where seagulls circled:

"In many regions, people believe life is birthed from water and should return to it. The concept of death has always been inseparable from water. Moreover, people living by lakes, seas, or rivers have inherited, more or less, some traditions regarding water burials. And the ocean, it truly is beautiful."

With her hands behind her back, the girl faced the sunset, her black hair swaying gently in the wind. Her long dress fluttered in the dock’s breeze, accentuating a figure that Angelina could scarcely imagine.

"The ocean is indeed lovely but also dangerous for ordinary people, particularly during shipwrecks and storms."

Shard intentionally said, but Miss Eles merely smiled without continuing the conversation:

"Did you complete the last task smoothly?"

"Yes, the lonely child desires a mother’s love. But what she desires is actually not much; a bedtime story told by the mother before sleep would suffice to satisfy her. Children are never greedy, and those small wishes are not complicated."

Shard took out the silver anchor ornament, and Miss Eles nodded:

"Very good, very well, then as promised, let me tell you more about Moon Bay."

She gazed at the sea:

"Not only are you searching for something, but the followers of The Great One are also seeking traces of the divine war in Moon Bay City for their upcoming plan. Don’t ask me what the cultists are planning; I’m not all-knowing."

Shard pondered:

"The Great One was a witness to the divine war in the early Fifth Era; they should know what the gods left behind. Why would the cultists still search for it?"

Gods don’t suffer from "amnesia" and such.

"Because the one who sealed those traces isn’t the deity that devours dragons."

The blue-eyed girl replied, and seeing Shard wanted to ask more, she smiled and shook her head:

"I’m not a witness to that divine war either; I can only tell you that such a significant event must have left something behind, but I don’t know how to access those traces."

She continued gazing at the vast ocean:

"Such a charming ocean. Just wondering, whether it can retain this appearance after the impending disaster in Moon Bay City is calmed."

"What kind of disaster is facing Moon Bay?"

"Remember, each time I can only tell you one piece of information, and don’t think of me as omnipotent. I am not."

Speaking, she suddenly laughed again:

"However, if you want, next time we meet, I can give you something besides information – perhaps some interesting arcane techniques. Are you interested in the transformation spell? I can tell you how to turn into a fish."

Shard hurriedly shook his head. Keeping a pet cat at home, he absolutely couldn’t learn how to turn into a fish. Knowing his lazy, food-loving, and sometimes cunning but not-too-smart cat well, if Mia got the impression "Ah, he’s smaller than me," the orange and white kitten would truly consider herself the real owner of the house.

"Thank you for your goodwill, but I’m not interested in becoming a fish. Let’s stick to information next time."

"You haven’t seen the advantages of being a fish. Fish don’t have to worry about sinking before they die... This time, go ask him about the mission; it concerns his child."

The blue-eyed girl turned and pointed to a man carrying two heavy burlap sacks, unloading from the ship. The man was not far from where they stood at the pier’s end, seemingly oblivious to their presence due to his busy work.

"I understand, but I also want to ask about the Radiant Messenger."

Shard sensed her intent to say goodbye:

"I have some very important matters, and I must know the truth about the Radiant Messenger to complete them."

He looked at the nearby girl; blue eyes weren’t foreign to Shard. Dr. Schneider, Helen, and Grace all had blue eyes, but only when gazing into Miss Eles’s eyes did Shard feel like he was staring at a calm but turbulent sea.

The sunset left traces on her profile as she seemed to ponder:

"You can rely on your own power to accomplish your tasks, so why seek help from me?"

"But I truly don’t know why the Radiant Messenger sank."

Miss Eles covered her mouth and laughed:

"We who live in the Sixth Era can’t possibly know the reasons behind the sinking of the ’Unsinkable Ship’ from the Fifth Era. If you wish to know, you should inquire people who witnessed these events."

Then she playfully shook her head:

"I nearly forgot, such people can’t be found anymore."

"Really can’t be found?"

"Do not easily doubt a lady’s thoughts; it’s quite impolite. Blessed by the sea, the ocean will aid you. Don’t seek answers from me; answers lie in another direction."

With a pleasant wave, she bade farewell to Shard, heading down the pier towards the dock. She seemed to be from noble origins, given her attire clashing with the pier setting, yet surprisingly, no one noticed her. Once the porters carrying sacks obstructed Shard’s view of her, she vanished from sight.

"Seeking answers from the Fifth Era... then the Time Key meant to be used this morning shall be opened tomorrow morning."

The man chosen by Miss Eles as the mission target was still unloading grain from a cargo ship at the pier’s side. Shard pondered how to approach him, feeling it abrupt to inquire about someone’s child even as a "travel writer." Fortunately, things went smoother than Shard expected; as he stood thinking after bidding farewell to Miss Eles, a boy clutching a metal lunchbox and wearing a patched gray cap sprinted over.