Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 925 - 925: The Barefoot Nun

The cat led the way ahead, and Shard and Sister Delphine walked side by side leading their horses, arriving at the lake surface of Lake Kalek.

As they began walking on the lake, the scenery was clear, and Shard could clearly see the three rings on Mia's tail not far ahead. On the lake surface, one could only smell the damp water; but after walking a dozen steps, mist rose from nowhere, and the fog that covered the surroundings suddenly obscured the lakeside scenery, leaving only Mia's flexible tail visible in the thick fog.

In the thick mist, the [Transmutation Ring], [Fish Training Ring], and [Vampire Ring] seemed to be glowing, dispersing some of the fog, making that tail unusually clear.

"Where did such a thick fog come from?"

Shard thought to himself, but like the nun, he didn't speak. They silently led their horses deeper into the lake. Unconsciously, Mia became clearer ahead, and the surrounding thick fog gradually dissipated.

However, the surroundings of the lake were no longer the rural scenery of Huntington City's western countryside, but a winter forest surrounding the lake. It seemed that as they walked on the lake, they passed into a different dimension, arriving at the mysterious Lake Cherub.

"Look, Heart Lake Island."

Shard whispered to Sister Delphine, then sighed:

"Finding this place every time is so interesting, if one could come dozens of times consecutively, it would be enough to publish a fairy tale book."

At this time, Mia had successfully landed on the island and was excitedly surveying the surroundings. Before Shard and Sister Delphine caught up, a "dangerous" big creature appeared at the edge of Heart Lake Island.

It was the wild wolf that Shard first saw at Lake Cherub but failed to approach, resurrected by the power of the relic [Swamp Sorceress].

He saw it last time he landed on the island, but didn't expect it to still be here.

The wild wolf had been a strong fighter in its pack while alive; otherwise, it wouldn't have survived Shard's pursuit until the end, and its size could definitely be considered a "giant" to Mia.

The wolf appeared in front of Mia, and the city cat, having never seen such a creature, curiously stared at it. The wild wolf was eager to pounce on the "weak" cat, so the orange cat "howled" a threat at the wolf:

"Meow~"

The "resurrected" wild wolf immediately tucked its tail and ran away. By the time Shard released the reins and quickly reached Mia's side, the wolf had already disappeared into the low shrubbery on the island.

"Oh, my Mia, why are you so bold? If the wolf wasn't scared off by me, you'd be in danger today!"

Shard hurriedly picked up the cat, which looked at him curiously, then nestled in Shard's arms. But behind Shard, Sister Delphine, who had led the two horses ashore, clearly felt that it was the strange cat itself that scared off the strange wolf.

In any case, compared to the previous two visits to the Lake Goddess, this visit was surprisingly smooth.

After leaving the two horses on the shore to graze, Shard and Sister Delphine arrived at the water in the center of Heart Lake Island.

A slender jagged giant rock stood in the center of the lake, and the white-robed lady holding a staff awaited their arrival beneath the rock.

"Sister, the lake water here prohibits abilities like Water Walking."

Shard quietly reminded her.

Sister Delphine nodded, then respectfully saluted the white-robed lady in the center of the lake, finally lowering her head to "gaze" at the absolutely still water of the Island Heart Lake Center Lake.

After hesitating for a moment, she bent slightly, reaching for the hem of her robe, and took off her brown lace-up ankle boots, placing them on the shore.

With her hands clasped together at her abdomen, Sister Delphine stepped barefoot onto the water, as if on a pilgrimage, and to Shard's astonishment, stood on the water just like the "Lake Goddess."

Sister Delphine walked towards the center of the lake, with the trailing hem of her nun's robe leaving arc-shaped ripples on the calm water, but the robe itself remained dry.

Shard avoided looking at Sister Delphine's feet; in this era, directly peeping at a lady's feet was considered quite impolite:

"But can you stand on the water just by taking off your shoes?"

He wondered curiously, though he knew it wouldn't be that simple.

So he looked up at Sister Delphine's back; she had already reached the center of the lake. After saluting the white-robed lady with the staff, she turned to "look" at Shard:

"Shard, empty your mind, merge yourself with this world, imagine yourself as the boundless water itself."

The nun seemed to give a straightforward answer, but it was like Shard telling Angelina the conclusion of his thesis and letting Angelina prove it. Sometimes the important thing isn't the answer, but the process, and Shard felt he couldn't yet reach the level of this Fire-Bearing Nun.

So, he still relied on the [Power of the Red Dragon] and [Frog's Leap], jumping from the shore to the center of the lake.

"Lady Cherub."

After steadying himself, Shard nodded slightly in greeting, and when the white-robed lady looked at him, he cleared his throat and declared:

"I believe I've completed your first trial, proving my strength, wisdom, and charm at the grand wedding banquet in Tobesk."

"Do you have proof?"

The gentle voice asked.

"Yes."

Shard had thought of this long ago and reached into his arms:

"Behold, this pink silk scarf was thrown to me when the Eleven Rings Grand Witch acknowledged my strength. This handkerchief was won from a genuine princess when she acknowledged my wisdom. And this scarf, yes, it was originally tied around a seventeen-year-old girl's neck, and she gave it to me as a gift when she acknowledged my charm."

It wasn't much carrying them around, but taking them out in front of Sister Delphine suddenly felt a bit embarrassing.

Fortunately, Sister Delphine usually kept a stoic expression, so Shard didn't have to guess her thoughts.

The white-robed "Lady Cherub" nodded slightly:

"Yes, Shard Hamilton, you successfully passed the first of the four trials."

Shard smiled:

"Then what is the second trial? I'm already a bit eager."

"Show me your wisdom to explore the secrets of the past—

Why did Professor Kansas Drake, a retired folklore professor living in the Western Old Town of Carsonric Huntington City during the Sixth Era, come to me? What cost did he pay, and what wish did he make?"

As she spoke, the calm water beneath the three of them began to ripple. As the clear scenery at the lake bottom blurred, an image of Professor Drake sitting on a sofa appeared on the water's surface, drinking tea and reading a newspaper at home.

Completely unaware of the three "people" watching him, he maintained a contented expression.

"Do I need to answer these three questions?"

"Yes, but what you need to explore is actually just one thing."

The lady in white said, and the image on the water's surface disappeared.

Shard nodded:

"Yes, I understand, I'll complete this task as soon as possible."

"When you finish the second trial, come find me again. Please prepare a longsword."

She reminded him again. Shard nodded once more, touching the cat in his arms, knowing that the next time he sought out this lake, there would be new surprises.

At that moment, Mia was curiously observing the scene. Though she disliked unfamiliar environments, as long as Shard was present, she wouldn't be afraid. Her big eyes ultimately fell on the white-robed lady, "Lady Cherub," who saw her too.

The "Lake Goddess" nodded slightly, while the cat's gaze wandered elsewhere. After all, there were plenty of interesting things here.

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