Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 493: The Gift in the Dream

"What's the matter?"

Seeing Shard stop in his tracks, with an expression as if he suddenly remembered he left the gas on at home, Dr. Schneider asked with curiosity.

"Doctor!"

Shard could barely control his voice as he looked anxiously at Dr. Schneider in the yellow glow of the street light:

"Are you saying that things can be hidden in dreams?"

"Of course, adept Circle Sorcerers skilled in the mind and dreams can do it, but what's gotten into you?"

Dr. Schneider was very concerned:

"Is Jinwis's dream still affecting you? Do you need me to conduct a simple checkup?"

"No, I'm fine."

Shard was desperate for answers at this point:

"Doctor, I mean to ask, the Poet-Level Relic 'Dream of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy' that I used when I enrolled to confirm the actual existence of the academy, has it been around since the academy was first established?"

Shard asked a seemingly unrelated question, to which the doctor nodded in surprise:

"Of course, it is the dream of Miss Feliana, the alleged Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer and the founder of the academy. It has indeed existed since the academy was established."

An ecstatic expression nearly broke out on Shard's face:

"Then, was the first time I heard of Miss Mary Feliana when you introduced me to that relic?"

The doctor was even more at a loss to understand Shard, but still nodded:

"Although I am not you, I can answer that it is. After all, weren't you new to the field of Mysticism at that time? You could even say you had just begun to possess your memory capabilities."

As he answered, he looked over Shard with great concern, as if truly worried that Shard was still under the influence of the dream.

Shard lifted his head to look at the mist over the skies of Tobesk, and beyond the mist at the triple moons. For a fleeting moment, he saw Miss Feliana and Miss Orland, the Moon Witch:

"I asked the librarian... about the long-existing enrollment rules... I actually overlooked... in my time, the first time I heard her name... I see, it never occurred to me!"

He was speaking intermittently, uttering words the doctor couldn't comprehend, then suddenly grabbed Dr. Schneider's hand and shook it:

"Doctor, I really want to thank you this time, thank you very much!"

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

With sincerity and a smile on his face, Shard expressed his gratitude, and though the doctor didn't know what had happened, he still said:

"Well, I'm glad I could help... if you have any psychological issues recently, feel free to seek me out."

The doctor was truly concerned about Shard's mental state.

"No problem, I'm very healthy."

Shard then made an ostentatious show of pulling out his pocket watch:

"Look, Doctor, it's so late already, I just remembered I have some urgent matters to deal with. So, I'll leave the task of reporting Jinwis to the church to you. I really have to get home! There's an urgent matter; I really can't wait to get back."

"Then you should go back first."

The doctor, somewhat perplexed, nodded, and Shard gave him a big smile, then let go of his hand and ran towards the corner of the street.

The doctor looked at his released hand and stood under the street lamp on Lewis Street, slightly bewildered as he watched Shard's retreating figure:

"Could it be No. 6, Saint Delan Square, that's affecting him? Such a rush to get home?"

The middle-aged psychiatrist murmured to himself. Seeing Shard running off into the distance, he turned his gaze back to Black Horn Alley:

"Or is it the power of a demon influencing him? Had I known earlier that Luther Jinwis was under the influence of demonic power, I shouldn't have brought the detective here. Though it was only a slight power, it still poses a threat to weak Circle Sorcerers."

Looking up at the attic window of the Jinwis house, he slightly squinted his eyes:

"Fortunately, the detective discovered nothing."

He whispered, his tone suddenly becoming stern:

"So, is this why you told me that Luther Jinwis could extract Mind Crystals?"

The doctor's left eye emanated a faint red light as he pretended to listen intently, looking towards the attic with an angry expression:

"I know he's unharmed this time. But I've also said, don't act on your own volition. What if the detective really had been affected?"

Dr. Schneider then looked down at his palm, twitching his fingers slightly, and a black crystal appeared in his hand. The thick pus was imprisoned within the crystal, squirming like a living thing.

He whispered:

"Good thing I extracted the demon's power, or reporting Jinwis to the church would have certainly caused trouble. However, where did this demon come from?"

The doctor popped the crystal into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then swallowed:

"Delicious."

He licked his lips, then frowned and looked up at the dark sky above Tobesk. The mist and clouds obscured the stars and triple moon, allowing only a faint moonlight to filter down. Today's weather was far from pleasant:

"Hmm, is that the stench of Human Pus? Such an ancient demon appearing in Tobesk? That's really not a good sign."

He muttered to himself, twitching his nose:

"The foul smell of a demon... making its way to Tobesk."

Shifting his footing, he moved into the shadows where street lamps could not reach, his crimson eyes still glowing:

"What a nuisance," (in demonic tongue).

(Mia running...)

When Iluna visited Shard early in the morning and sat down at the dining table on the second floor of Saint Delan Square, what she saw was the excited expression on Shard's face:

"Did you accidentally ingest some sort of stimulant for breakfast?"

The girl with brown long hair spoke slowly, beckoning to the cat sitting on the table. The ginger cat lazily glanced at her, then turned around to show her its back.

"Shard, are you so excited because you encountered some good news?"

The seventeen-year-old girl asked with a smile.

"Of course! I borrowed the Poet-Level Relic 'Dream of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy' from Saint Byrons under the pretense of wanting to study the 'Sleeping' Spirit Rune. Relics of such special purposes are generally not lent out by the Academy, so I used my connections with the library staff!"

"You got it?"

Actually, Iluna wasn't very familiar with the Relic Shard was talking about.

"Yes, the Academy charged me five pounds rental fee. The Relic will be delivered this weekend through the manuscript pages I hold. Today's Wednesday, just two more days!"

Shard couldn't hide the joy in his face as he spoke. Although Iluna didn't understand the full story, she still congratulated Shard on his good fortune.

Iluna's visit was to hand over two alchemically created Holy Emblem brooches of the 'Lantern Bearer' that she had made for Shard and Luviya. Such powerful Alchemical Items not only required precious materials to craft but were also quite taxing to make, consuming much of Iluna's mental and spiritual energy.

She could only manage to craft two brooches in the short term, but that would be enough. After leaving Shard's place, she had to visit the Prophet's Society to hand over another brooch to the Female Diviner.

"Just in time for your visit. Later, when you go to see Luviya, give this to her."

Shard rose from the dining table, took out a letter from the study, handed it to Iluna, and indicated that she was free to look inside:

"This letter contains my experiences from last night. I encountered something related to Daknis."

"Why does he always run into you... no, why do you always run into him?"

The seventeen-year-old girl was first surprised, then joked. She unfolded the letter to read as Shard directly stated the conclusion:

"Even though I only encountered a very mild strength, it lets us know that Daknis hasn't gone directly to where the Dark Realm is located. Plus, considering that he took the risk of releasing Human Pus to absorb negative emotions, his injuries from Coldwater Port might not have healed yet. Please ask Luviya for me whether the Human Pus Demon can only corrode a few targets when it releases its pus, or if it can do so on a large scale."

"I know that, I've received plenty of information about the Human Pus Demon from the church recently. Releasing pus in large quantities would weaken the demon itself, as it's composed of that pus. You mentioned that the demon currently looks like a mouth and needs a Relic to speak, which means even though it has assimilated with humans after breaking the seal, it has not returned to its most powerful state. It definitely can't release its pus on a large scale."

Iluna explained. In the two weeks Shard spent fixing up his house and handling commissions, both girls prepared a great deal for confronting Daknis.

"I see... I understand now."

Shard nodded, his expression returning from joy:

"The news of him being in the city, Iluna, discuss with Luviya whether to report it to the church. It would be best if the church could block him in the city. If he still gets into the Dark Realm, then we'll take the risk to act."

"Can't you come with me to find Luviya? From here to the Prophet's Society, if you walk fast, it's just a ten-minute walk."

Iluna asked puzzledly:

"Shard, do you have other matters to attend to?"

"Yes, I need to deal with some Spellcasting Materials. Plus, I just received a message that I have to meet with a Twelve Rings Magician this afternoon to inquire about the 'Glimmer' Spirit Rune. You know, the demons from the Dark Realm need the 'Glimmer' Spirit Rune to be vanquished. Oh, and tonight, I'm going to attend Queen Diana of Yordle Palace's birthday banquet. I need to prepare my outfit in advance."

Shard pointed to the letter from Miss Galina on the dining table, as well as the invitation he received the last time he went home with Tifa.

The girl with brown long hair pursed her lips, her emotions easily readable from her face:

"Oh, the party is bound to be fun. It's a pity I have a mission tonight, otherwise I'd definitely get an invitation from the church."

Her envious expression was completely unguarded, and with Iluna's current status, it wouldn't be hard for her to get an invitation from the Sun Cathedral.

"Then go and have a good time, Shard. Since Daknis has already entered the city, the matter concerning the second Chosen One could end at any moment. Whether it's the church or us, once we confront Daknis directly, it's going to be the final battle. Relax a bit before the battle... I still miss the last time at the banquet where you were knighted, when everyone danced together."

She lowered her head to fold the letter Shard wrote to Luviya while Shard stroked the cat sitting obediently by his side, and the cat nuzzled against his hand.

He thought for a moment then asked:

"If you're not in a hurry to return to Blackstone Security Company... would you like to dance with me here?"

Shard gestured to the open space in the living room:

"In front of the window, under the sunlight. But there are no guests here, no beautiful gowns, and no music."