Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"Sir... I actually know a pretty good psychologist, should I introduce you to him?"

Despite his shock, Shard asked politely. The man opposite him in the wine-red formal wear might very well be the Circle Sorcerer of "[[Blood of Mercury]]" that Miss Annette had just mentioned. He had just heard the news, and before he could turn around, he was caught; it seemed his luck had indeed run out.

But there was no panic, Shard knew what he had to do.

"No, I'm here for you; this book told me so."

The man shook the small book in his hand at Shard. It was palm-sized, a size more commonly used for casual reading by travelers.

The cover of the book appeared to be made of wrinkled leather material, with nothing but a title and a single sentence. Shard had never seen the language used for the title and the sentence, but he still deciphered them:

[[The Puppeteer's Script]]

[[Perhaps people think that they can control fate, yet they do not realize that all is already within the grasp of fate.]]

"Do you need me to introduce it?"

The middle-aged man rocked the book in his hand; he still sat by the stone table, at least ten steps from Shard at the edge of the grape arbor, but Shard dared not flee:

"Our partners, the 'Blood Spirit School,' haven't sent anyone over yet, they have only sent the Angel-Level Relic '[The Puppeteer's Script]' they found in the 'birthing room.' Of course, this isn't the complete script, just part of it that can be used ten times after being divided; I think it's of Keeper of Secrets Level.

It's said to have been written by a mad puppeteer during the chaotic times of the Fourth Era, but the parts people get are blank. Under very stringent conditions, one can use their own blood to write on the pages and affect reality by paying a price."

He was talking non-stop, eyeing Shard, who looked at his charred left arm.

The detective wanted to back away, but the tingling numbness on his scalp made him too scared to move.

"You don't believe me? Even though the 'Blood Spirit School' people haven't arrived yet, this is enough. It's fate favoring the 'Blood of Mercury,' our goal will definitely be achieved. You might think the composition of the Blood of Mercury is insane, but with this, it's not an illusion; it's very convenient for finding things."

This matched Old John's intelligence report, the information from the stingy shopkeeper was surprisingly correct.

The man gestured for Shard to sit opposite him, but Shard didn't move:

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

He could feel his mind working furiously, contemplating a way to escape.

The man kept on talking incessantly, as if he had been preparing these words for a long time:

"Not long ago, the statue of the Old God 'Vampire Duke Lowell,' necessary for the synthesis of 'Blood of Mercury,' was stolen. We tried to retrieve the statue through the pages of the script but didn't expect that the holder of the statue was too strong, completely unaffected by the incomplete script, and Dwarf Rat Peter died while searching for it.

So we thought of stepping back and finding and punishing the guy who discovered the statue. But in a very rare case, when I was writing your death ending, the writing unexpectedly failed."

Shard heard the woman inside his heart laugh.

The man in the wine-red suit waved his charred left arm at Shard:

"Just as I was about to finish that sentence, a drop of blood from a wound on my finger accidentally fell during the writing, altering the text. The 'Relic' does not accept corrections, so it automatically modified the smear, resulting in a cost being paid by me, to have you favored by the Old God of Fate by midnight tonight."

Among the five True Gods, none had "fate" as their main clerical duty. Therefore, the "God of Fate" that Circle Sorcerers often refer to is an Old God that has already fallen.

His smile twisted, a hate that formed from long animosity towards an enemy. Although, just a few minutes prior, Shard didn't even know of this man's existence, their struggle had already gone through several rounds:

"How lucky you are, young man. Can you tell me, how exactly did you cause that drop of blood to fall? The Silver-Eyed One tasked me with finding the lost statue; do you know how much I paid because of you?"

The man's voice grew increasingly somber and oppressive, but Shard remained silent, genuinely surprised that someone could harbor such deep hatred for him.

"I've been looking for you all night, using the eighth opportunity this book provides to increase the chances of our encounter. But you're just too lucky tonight, and I'm curious, why did you keep running around when you came to attend the banquet?"

Despite the twisted expression on the man's face in his wine-red suit, his tone of confusion did not seem feigned:

"I set up multiple locations for you and went to search for you, but you kept moving, even near the stables, which almost led me into a fight with others. Did you really come to attend the banquet, or were you here for a race?"

Shard opened his mouth but didn't know how to respond; this was something he couldn't explain.

"It should have been your opportunity when I was here playing Roder Card, right?"

There was panic in his heart, but he maintained a calm tone. Escape seemed impossible, but perhaps he could use Sorcery "False Immortality" to feign death and bluff his way through.

"But there were just too many people around, and for the ritual for the 'Lord of the Blood Feast' to descend, I couldn't disturb the True God Church before the ceremony began... Your luck even extended to frequent encounters with the True God Church's Circle Sorcerer squad just as I was about to catch you. Young sir, do you know how much I've paid for your good fortune tonight?"

His tone suddenly turned cold, shaking his sleeves to cover his charred left arm, and his snake-like yellow eyes fixed on Shard:

"Look, you've finally come to see me. Luck is only luck, but what I possess is power! Damn it, in a moment, I must see what your heart looks like! Do you know how much I've paid for you?"

This way of speaking made Shard's scalp tingle.

The man placed the small book on the stone table, then gestured for Shard to sit opposite him.

Shard certainly didn't want to do so, but as the man's increasingly terrifying aura emerged, blood-red chains seemed to dance behind him. The chains writhed like snakes, and the stinging sensation in his heart forced Shard to walk towards another stone stool by the table.

The man in the wine-red suit seemed less human and more like a wild animal, exuding a sense of ferocity and danger. The current situation could almost be considered a dead end.

"Still too weak..."

The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe, but his heart held no despair; until the very last moment, he would never lose confidence in survival.

"Alright, sir, take out all the 'Relics' you have on you. Take it slow, no sudden movements."

After confirming Shard was seated, the man said, and then pulled out the fountain pen from his chest:

"The 'Puppeteer's Script' has two opportunities left, and for you, I'm willing to waste one. But I won't pay the price; instead of letting you die directly, I want you to feel greater pain!"

He uncapped the pen and began writing in the 'Puppeteer's Script,' reciting the content as though reading a poem:

"Oh you, the one across,
Read exclusive content at empire

Please disarm.

Lay down your weapons,

Cast aside your power,

You,

Will have nothing left."