Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 1080: Genesis: Knowledge

Chapter 1080: Chapter 1080: Genesis: Knowledge

"When Sister Delphine and I visited the Lake Goddess, the sister mentioned that the dangers in the Pantanal region are greater than those at Midshire Fort."

Shard supported Luviya and looked at Iluna:

"Even though we know it’s probably too late to stop their plans at the Voodoo Society’s headquarters, you must inform the Church about this matter. At the very least, prepare in advance for the unsealing of the evil object, understand what exactly our opponent is, what its weaknesses are, and how to seal it again. Lakin Prisia chose the Pantanal region for the ritual site for a reason; his ritual is very likely to lead to the evil object’s return to the material world."

Iluna nodded again:

"Be careful, the epic has begun again."

Iluna’s departure was quite swift. The steam airship dispatched by the Church transported her southward silently on Wednesday night. But it wasn’t only Princess Margaret, Old John, and Iluna who left; on Wednesday, Luviya initially wanted to further investigate the movements of the Truth Society. Yet by Thursday, she informed Shard that the Truth Society seems to be preparing to withdraw from the area, and Miss Pavo no longer appears as "Miss Witte."

The city had become lively due to Princess Margaret’s visit, but it seemed to calm down as soon as the princess left. As the year draws to a close, everyone has matters to attend to, and few will realize the disaster looming further south.

By now, most people are probably on the road. After Shard informed Granny Cassandra and Sister Delphine of the news at Midshire Fort, he spent the whole Thursday handling his matters in Tobesk, allowing him to focus entirely on completing the task of The Chosen One.

The first step was naturally to contact Director Anlos and deliver the note containing the bomb intelligence to MI6.

The handwriting on the note completely obscured any connection to Shard, and the paper was torn from a notebook Shard never used, making it impossible to trace back to him. Director Anlos, completely unaware of the note’s ties to Shard, was ecstatic:

"Very good, Shard, you’ve already exceeded expectations for the mission. I heard you’ve also made good progress with Princess Margaret. It’s a pity that if I could transfer you to work in Velindale City, like the missing Miss Brown, then..."

He probably was thinking of Miss Galina and didn’t finish his thought. Shard was impossible to transfer to the capital of Carsonrick, Velindale City; the Duchess, who is "bedridden," would be the first to object.

The second matter at hand was finally receiving the Genesis: Knowledge card from the Prophet’s Society headquarters, which had been sent to Tobesk.

The Prophet’s Society sent someone a letter on Wednesday evening instructing Shard to pick up the card on Thursday. So after a morning visit with Director Anlos, Shard excitedly went to the Prophet’s Society.

President Stan of the local branch and Shard’s friend Vice-President Mark met Shard on the third floor, along with a Priest from the Dawn Church, as superficially it seemed the Dawn Church had facilitated the transaction.

"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton."

After Shard settled onto the sofa in President Stan’s office, neither side wasted much time on pleasantries. Vice-President Mark pushed the redwood box that had long been on the table towards Shard.

The redwood box was particularly exquisite, with an Ouroboros symbol on the lid. The four surrounding sides were engraved with Sun, Moon, and Stars patterns, making it an art piece in itself.

With an excited heart, Shard opened the box and officially saw the Genesis: Knowledge card.

The card’s front featured only white, black, and cool tones near these two colors, with three light orbs of varying sizes located in the center of the card. The largest orb was three times bigger than the smallest, arranged in a triangular formation and interconnected by white traces of light.

The whiteness of the orbs was uneven, the brightest part gradually darkening towards the edges, giving a strong three-dimensional effect. The peculiar shape formed by the three orbs seemed to fit mysterious rules, as if it were a pattern that existed since the world’s inception.

Yet the card’s background was not simply black but dotted with ambiguous white points of light, resembling a silent black starry sky. Just a glance could evoke a sense of solitude within the card’s atmosphere.

Upon closer observation, hidden patterns could be seen in the card’s black background. It was a shadow of a person, only the upper half visible, outlined by white light points on the card. It required a strong spatial sense and imagination to decipher this pattern. And the hands made of light points were holding up the three-light orb pattern. Yet no matter how hard one tried, it was impossible to discern what specific image the concealed silhouette represented.

In the top right corner of the front was the number 1, and in the top left was a small "flower" icon. Between them, in the center of the card front’s upper border, was a black vertical line in a white circle, the emblem of the Genesis series.

At the bottom of the card, there was some sparse space where densely packed words were written:

[If this card is the first to be drawn, it has no effect; if this card is the second drawn, it nullifies any effect of one special card that has already produced an effect for the opponent; if this card is the third drawn, adjustments between numbers 1, 2, and 3 can be made; if this card is the fourth drawn, you may choose to enforce a total points deduction of 3 for the opponent; if this card is the fifth drawn, during blowout conditions, you may redraw one card to replace the first, but special rules cannot be used; if this card is the sixth drawn, victory is achieved regardless of circumstances.]

This was the card with the longest special rules text Shard had seen to date, but the rules themselves were not complicated at all. The card represented a new system of special rules he had seen, where effects are activated depending on the card draw count.

Although the first five effects are not as good as other cards in the Genesis Series, the sixth effect is even more difficult to realize. But this card can almost be activated in any situation, and its impact is quite comprehensive.

In this regard, [Genesis: Knowledge] in the Roder card game, like other [Genesis] series, has a considerably strong effect.

"This card is very interesting; the more cards you draw, the greater its effect when it appears—knowledge accumulation can create wisdom and power."

Shard gave an evaluation of the rule, smiling as he looked at the card in his hand:

"Flower 1, Genesis: Knowledge. Yes, I’m quite satisfied."

President Stan also nodded with a smile:

"Yes, and you need to carefully control the appearance position of ’knowledge.’ You shouldn’t be greedy, this requires your wisdom... The certificate of appraisal is at the bottom of the box, Mr. Hamilton. According to the contract signed earlier, this card belongs to you until you pass away, but you cannot gift, trade, or gamble with it."

He added a reminder just in case. This card has been kept at the headquarters of the Prophet’s Society since its creation in the Roder card game, and Shard wouldn’t have gotten it if it weren’t for the Five Gods Church’s joint request for assistance.

Shard nodded:

"Of course, I understand... Speaking of, aren’t you sending someone to take away that blue crystal stone now?"

He knowingly asked, and President Stan glanced sideways at the old priest of the Five Rings. The latter coughed, prompting President Stan to respond:

"Yes, we will take it now. Do you have it with you?"

"Yes, it’s right here. I knew that once I got the card, you would ask for this gemstone."

Shard took a jewelry box from his coat pocket, opened it, revealing one of the two [Sage’s Glowstone]s he had.

"Then please take it away."

"It’s not us who will take it, please copy this, and sign your name as a delivery record."

President Stan handed Shard a piece of letter paper, roughly stating that Shard Suren Hamilton voluntarily transferred the [Sage’s Glowstone] to Iluna Amelia Beath.

Any Radiant Stone can only be transferred once. It seems the Church, even though it doesn’t know who the Chosen One is now, has still made its plans. And letting Shard give it to the Chosen One is because they fear the Radiant Stone will be taken by others.

"So that’s the name of this stone, how interesting... Speaking of which, Miss Beyas is my friend. What’s her relationship with the Prophet’s Society?"

Shard curiously asked, and President Stan, the best diviner in Tobesk, replied without change in expression:

"The Prophet’s Society commissioned Blackstone Security Company to escort this crystal stone to the headquarters in the Duchy of Lagerson. You should know Miss Beyas is going on a long trip soon."

"Yes, so that’s where she’s going. I hope she returns before the Year-End Festival."

Today is Thursday, the 18th of the Slumber Moon, with only a week and a half left before the official end of the Common Era Calendar year 1857. The Outlander is about to complete their first year in this world.

Obtaining [Genesis: Knowledge] put Shard in a good mood, and correspondingly, on Thursday evening, he finally experienced the clear weather he had been waiting for a whole week.

The "Bard" he encountered when defeating the Desire Multiplying Demon was seeking the Yellow Moon. Shard planned to use the Resonance Ritual with the core Spirit Rune to search for it. Of course, this is quite dangerous, as no one knows what dangerous thing it might resonate with. Therefore, Shard specially invited Luviya to his home to assist in the ceremony.

The ceremony location was in the attic of his home, beside the long table set for the "Sunfire" and "Water of Moonlight" rituals.

As the tricolor moonlight from the clear night sky shone on the wooden-floored ritual circle, Shard, having pre-consumed the magic potion "Inspiration Potion" and a small amount of "Water of Moonlight," sat bare-chested on the floor.