Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1707 - 1706: Snow Mountain Dragon

Shard inquisitively looked at the figure, even somewhat hoping the other could say something he didn’t know.

But unfortunately, the figure said nothing and turned to leave as Shard attempted to get up with Mia in his arms.

As it was merely an illusion, Shard did not attack, watching the figure retreat into the woodland. Subsequently, in Shard’s view, all the malicious red eyes disappeared from the misty forest encircling the small campsite.

Looking at his companions, they all looked in different directions with various expressions, clearly still trapped in illusions. Shard felt a bit bored and then sensed the gaze of a Deity upon him.

He looked toward that gaze, seeing the dust-laden traveler’s eyes still carrying a kind smile. One had to admit, though the Evil Gods of this world had their sinister and terrifying aspects, the Old Gods, who departed in the Fifth Era, were indeed easy to get along with:

"Traveler under the Moon, are you somewhat disappointed?"

"Yes, while exploring the starting point of this new journey of life, I encountered some questions. Although travelers should focus more on the now and the future, if one can’t figure out their starting point, the path could be wrong from the beginning."

Then the Deity, back against the campfire, asked:

"But even if this path was wrong from the start, you cannot go back and choose again."

Shard nodded:

"Yes, but some things need clarity. Traveling with a burden becomes more tiring."

Hence the Deity questioned:

"Do you hope to find answers from me?"

"Yes, although I know you cannot tell me everything."

"Then, let’s see during the story’s leisurely moments. Traveler under the Moon, who among your three companions will first break free from the illusion?"

Without thinking, Shard pointed at the Bard:

"Him."

"Why?"

"Because he has the fewest ties."

As his words fell, the melancholic Bard indeed woke up. Seeing Shard looking at him, he appeared bewildered.

The Deity, back against the campfire, then nodded:

"Your starting point is in a yet-to-happen future, so I do not know the answer you seek."

This was definitely not the truth.

"However, I can give you some advice— the starting point of a journey is genuinely not important. But if you wish to explore, perhaps ask those more seasoned travelers. They may not have seen you, but they might know where you set off."

The Bard looked bewildered, not knowing what this conversation was. Yet Shard fully understood. He could search for the long-haired Luviya in dreams, asking about the ancient tower of Karas Mountain in that Bygone Era: Sixth Era, and what exactly happened there.

Though even long-haired Luviya might not know, and she temporarily cannot disclose information about the Bygone Era, this indeed seemed the most likely shortcut for Shard to find out the answer currently. Miss Danester’s exploration, while effective, showed no signs of success thus far.

"Additionally, I can give you a small piece of advice."

The Deity smiled as he spoke, this time unrelated to Shard’s true identity:

"If sometimes traveling alone feels tiring, perhaps try traveling with more people. Relying on the strength of companions isn’t a bad choice."

"Rely on the strength of companions?"

He felt the Deity was hinting at something, so he nodded:

"I understand, thank you for your help."

The Witch and Maid soon awoke as well. However, compared to Shard’s ease and the Bard’s melancholy, the two ladies were evidently in a very bad mood. Still, no one shared what they saw, as these were their personal secrets. Thus, the fifth day of the seven-day journey passed.

"The blizzard continued raging. The travelers embarked again at dawn on the sixth day, following the map’s guidance."

This time the maid Clara drew the card. The lady’s luck was fairly good; the card depicted a mountain cave:

"The loyal hound detected a scent, leading the travelers to a safe mountain cave for a break. Here you discovered traces of a campfire, indicating other travelers had been here recently. The stories etched on the cave walls about winter and ice captivated you, and the brief rest invigorated you. The snow mountain seemed not very dangerous to you."

Though it was said so, it was still very cold. Shard had already taken out coats for his companions, but evidently, this cold didn’t genuinely come from outside, so thicker clothes made no difference.

In the afternoon of the sixth day, it was Shard’s turn to draw a card again. Considering the seven-day journey was nearing its end, this time Shard didn’t use Mia’s little paw but turned the card himself.

The card revealed two paths diverging.

"Although you can find the endpoint by the map, the complex terrain of the snow mountain means there are surely crossroads and shortcuts. Blessed by a Deity of winter, the Traveler under the Moon found two paths, one left and one right, amid the snowstorm. You can confirm that both paths will lead you to the marked rest point on the map by evening. So, which one do you take?"

"Can you tell the difference between the two paths?"

Shard asked, and the Deity shook his head slightly:

"The storm is enough to cover any traces, you won’t be able to discern the significant details."

Shard then looked at the Witch, who picked up the "Impermanence: Space" card and placed it once more before her eyes:

"The Unicorn attempts to glimpse the truth of space, seeking unknown guidance."

Her eyes glowed faintly behind the card, but this time it had no effect:

"I can’t see anything, it’s just two ordinary paths. You choose one."

She told Shard, who thought for a moment;

"The one on the left then."

"The Traveler under the Moon led the travelers to choose the right path and continued the climb. Though in good spirits, the cold and hunger still tormented them. The parrot and the loyal hound gradually struggled to keep up with the climbing group due to stamina issues, but the caring travelers were willing to lend a hand. After losing the old horse, they cherished every companion even more."

"Sounding this way, this event seems positive too."

Shard thought, stroking Mia.

"But before reaching the camping site at night, you encountered trouble. You heard a roaring sound. A massive shadow swept through the air, and the freezing breath caused the temperature in the mountains to drop once more. The travelers looked up into the snow, seeing a gigantic creature resting atop a higher peak."

Roar~

The soul-stirring roar emerged from the distant Fog Forest, accompanied by the smell of bad breath. In the black night sky, something indeed colossal was approaching the ground camp, sweeping over everyone’s heads.

The ground trembled as something heavy landed. Then, amidst the astonished expressions of all, a Dragon, a silver-white Great Dragon, protruded its head from the wind and snow, scrutinizing the group in the snow.

Somehow, everything around Shard, who held the cat, had turned back into a Snow Mountain scene, surrounded by a Unicorn, a loyal hound, and a parrot. Although the old horse was gone, he seemed even more like the circus leader.

The silver-white Dragon’s body was hidden in the blizzard high up, and Shard could see every detail of the scales and icicles on the gigantic dragon head hanging down. Within those beast-like amber vertical pupils, not only was there a look of wisdom, but also the reflection of the group’s figures.

This was a true dragon, its hideous appearance and terrifying aura testified to this.

It scrutinized them, and Shard scrutinized it. After encounters with demons, angels, witches, and the Messenger of Death, in this night’s travel story, the dragon finally appeared.

"Foreigner."

A voice came through, sounding like a male dragon. Its eyes blazed as it looked at this peculiar group, naturally assuming the lone human among them was the leader:

"What are you here for?"

"I want to reach the higher mountain."

Shard said loudly yet politely:

"If we’ve trespassed into your territory, please allow me to extend my apologies. We can avoid this path and not disturb you."

Although Shard had interacted with the Half-Blood Dragon Witch before, it was his first time facing a Pureblood Great Dragon. As written in books, dragons possess a racial trait that exerts mental intimidation on all nearby living beings. Such powerful life forms are nearly unseen in the Sixth Era.

"This is the only path up the mountain, you can’t bypass it. Also, you don’t need to speak so loudly, my hearing is excellent."

The Dragon said.

"How can we get up there?"

The Unicorn behind Shard asked, causing the Dragon to look at her in surprise, unsure whether to understand this as a Transformation Spell or genuinely speaking human tongue:

"Not long ago, someone else attempted to ascend the peak from here. She paid a large sum of gold to pass through my territory. So, what are you prepared to offer?"

It asked Shard, whose displeasure at the bad breath was shared by the cat.

"How about... leaving this beautiful Unicorn behind?"

The Dragon suggested.

Shard thought that if the Witch were in her normal state now, she’d probably be flushed with anger.

"Woof woof~"

The black hound had already started barking frantically at the Dragon, standing in front of the Unicorn, trying hard to assert its presence, but the Dragon paid no attention to the voice of such a weak creature. On the enormous dragon head, its eyes showed a mischievous and human-like expression:

"Aside from the Unicorn, if you’re willing to leave that colorful parrot, I can give you some pretty gemstones, five — no, I’m saying three. I like the color of its feathers; they would decorate my lair nicely."