Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 884 - 884 The Role of Affinity

The "resurrected" wolf leads the way ahead, and the knight leads his horse, traveling through the woodland under the sunset.

As the intense sunset gradually fades, Shard ventures deeper into this woodland.

Time and space seem to become chaotic here, and the shimmering light gives everything in the woodland a peculiar glow. In a trance, Shard seems to step into the shadows of an old era, like a true knight, holding his sword and leading his horse, pursuing everything he desires.

He focuses his gaze on the wolf, which eventually vanishes into the deep grass of the thickening woods. Shard instinctively quickens his pace, and when he leads his horse out of the grass, he sees, under the last traces of the sunset, a rippling forest lake, and the island at its center.

The wild wolf stands by the lake and goes no further, and Shard opens his mouth in surprise, hearing the horse behind him snorting impatiently, stomping the ground with its hooves.

He widens his eyes at the scene before him as the last sunset in the distant horizon reddens his face, and Shard cannot believe he has found this mysterious lake in such circumstances:

"But why would the Swamp Witch lead me here?"

He releases the reins, holding his sword, and instinctively walks toward the lakeside. At that moment, the mysterious lake under the sunset shakes like a projected phantom, and the image of the lake gradually fades, revealing the real appearance of the woodland.

The perceptive Shard has already sensed the spatial disturbance, knowing that the lake only appears during the daytime, and night has now fallen.

The wolf, closer to the lake, has already plunged into the water, swimming like a dog towards the island. Although Shard doesn't know what will happen when the lake disappears, he eagerly wants to approach:

"Spatial Stabilization Aura!"

The invisible ripples spread outward, but the arcane technique has no effect on the departing lake.

Shard ultimately was a step too late, watching helplessly as the mysterious and serene lake vanished in front of him, leaving only an empty woodland bathed in moonlight.

There were genuine miracle elements around the mysterious lake, but these elements also disappeared with the lake. Moreover, with the wolf's departure, the surrounding whisper elements vanished completely, leaving only the chestnut-colored horse waiting for Shard.

"Old Mr. Gret from Lower Lutherville's experiences seem like fairy tales; my encounters today also resemble fairy tales."

He took up the reins again, preparing to return to Huntington City. He didn't return empty-handed; at least he confirmed that "Lake Cherub," where the "Lake Goddess" resides, is located in the western part of Huntington City during the Sixth Era, not the Lost Lake visited by the Witch Empress during the Fifth Era.

Leading his horse for two steps, he unwillingly glanced back to the spot where the lake should have existed:

"Is this luck good or bad? I managed to find it, but due to the wrong time, I watched it disappear. Next time, the lake might not appear here again... but if I can find it once, I can surely find it again."

Although he couldn't set foot in the lake, Shard instinctively felt that what he was seeking was on Heart Lake Island. This mysterious lake, although different from the terrifying Lost Lake in 5177 of the Fifth Era, hid the power Shard sought to pursue.

The quest for divinity has become increasingly clear, and Shard knows he is on the right path. The next step is to find the lake again and face the test awaiting him.

After riding back to the city, Shard didn't head directly to White Valley Vineyard but visited the retired folklore professor Kansas Drake, residing in the Huntington City West Old Town.

When Shard rang the bell outside the fence gate, the entire street had lit up with gas lamps. The air pollution in the old town was better than in Huntington's main city, allowing for a view of the splendid starry sky in early winter.

It was still the plump maid who opened the fence gate for Shard and led him to meet the professor in the study. The maid had prepared dinner and was about to wheel the professor to the dining room when Shard entered the study and solemnly stated his intent to discuss the "Lake Goddess" topic again. The professor hesitated but then looked at him with surprise and curiosity for a while before waving his hand, saying:

"Alright, Mrs. Sandy, you may leave. We will call you once we finish talking."

The plump maid closed the door in the hallway, and Shard sat on the chair outside the desk, while the professor laboriously wheeled back behind the desk:

"Mr. Watson, you... found it?"

The warm yellow light from the gas lamp shaped like grapes illuminated Professor Drake's face, displaying various expressions—worry, surprise, fear, and anticipation. The elderly man had hosted countless young seekers of legends but felt an unprecedented sense of anticipation at this moment.

Shard nodded lightly but then shook his head:

"I could say I found it, but I didn't. To be precise, I saw that lake at the last moment before sunset; however, when I approached it, it vanished. I can confirm it wasn't an illusion; that lake truly appeared briefly before me."

He described to the professor the scenery of the lake and the indistinct appearance of Heart Lake Island.

The professor on the wheelchair widened his eyes suddenly, leaning back slightly as he took deep breaths:

"This really is... Mr. Watson, you found it so easily, but it was at the very last moment of the sunset, this luck..."

His face turned red, and abruptly he covered his forehead. Shard immediately stood up, but the professor waived him off from worrying, instead taking a small bottle from his desk drawer, shakily placing a black sesame-sized pill into his mouth:

"These past few years, I've had some high blood pressure, and my heart's had some issues, but a friend prepared some herbal medicine for me. I never thought you'd bring me such meticulous care before I died."

He steadied his emotions, closed his eyes to adjust his breathing, then shook the small bottle at Shard and asked,

"Can you tell me what you've encountered today?"

"Of course, I also have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Shard started from his arrival in Lower Lutherville today, skipping over his horseback ride around Rutherford Lake sightseeing, and went straight to the encounter with a pack of wolves in the evening.

This startled Professor Drake:

"I know there are wolf packs outside the city, but you actually ran into them?"

"Yes, fortunately, I had a gun with me."

Shard said, then mentioned how he was chased into the woods by the wolf pack, and, having no choice, shot one of them in self-defense, after which the remaining wolves scattered. The wolf that should have died, resurrected and led him deeper into the woods until he reached the mysterious lake.

Professor Drake was deeply moved after hearing Shard's "story":

"Every story I've recorded of encounters with the 'Lake Goddess' has been so captivating, Mr. Watson; your story is equally enchanting. Of course, it's also one of the most dangerous ones. Early winter wolf packs are extremely aggressive, if you hadn't brought your gun, I truly have no idea what would have happened."

After obtaining Shard's permission, he decided to add this segment to his records, and the reason Shard specifically came here was to ask another question:

"I've heard that in the past few years, more citizens in the eastern part of Huntington City have encountered the 'Lake Goddess' than in previous years.

Do you have more specific information about them here? I want to visit them. Since I could locate that lake based on the villagers' experiences in Lower Lutherville, I might be able to find the lake again in areas where others have encountered the 'Lake Goddess'."

Professor Drake provided Shard with information that respected the privacy of those who shared their stories, containing only a few old records like Old Greyford, who had lost an eye, which included those people's true identities.

Shard wanted to know from the professor the true identities of citizens who have encountered the "Lake Goddess" in recent years, or even this year, but the professor hesitated:

"Mr. Watson, I know you want to truly reach that Heart Lake Island. But in all the records, no one has ever seen that mysterious lake twice."

"But my experience this time is evidently different; only I have seen the lake but couldn't approach it."

Shard emphasized earnestly:

"So, that lake might give me a second chance. In this way, I might also help you find out what you encountered back then."

The old professor pursed his lips and frowned slightly, as if in thought. Although he longed to know the truth of his past encounter, those who shared their experiences with him did so out of trust. Professor Drake wished to know the truth but did not want to violate his principles.

He wanted to refuse the young man in front of him, but looking at his serious demeanor at the moment, he instinctively believed he would succeed. Neither of them spoke in the brightly lit study room under the gas lamp, and Professor Drake, in a daze, felt that this guest was so amiable and so reliable.

Finally, he sighed:

"Alright, young man, you've convinced me. But I must tell you in advance that I've hired people to investigate all the locations mentioned in the records and found nothing."

Not only the professor, but Shard also believed that the True God Church of this diocese must have sent a Circle Sorcerer team to investigate, but they too found nothing:

"No problem, you just need to give me the names and addresses; I'll handle the rest."

He extended his hand to the professor, who closed his eyes:

"Some people are not so easily willing to share their stories."

Shard smiled:

"No worries, you just need to tell me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Among these people, is there anyone who enjoys playing the Roder Card?"

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