Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Because there had been a precedent where the "Creator of Innocence" stored Divinity in special items for dissemination, Shard knew that acquiring Divinity did not necessitate confronting a Deity directly.

After learning some information about the Sea Return ritual, he suspected that "the power of the Evil God" in the deep sea referred to Divinity. Although the probability was small, compared to directly confronting the Evil God to snatch its power, facing the tsunami of the submerged city to explore the secrets of the Progeny of the Evil God was nothing.

Seeking Miss Galina to inquire about the secrets of the Sea Return was for this information. Besides the Witch, Shard believed that the Guiding Light Hermitage also had data.

"You..."

Mr. Edmund looked at Shard in surprise, not expecting him to ask such a question:

"I thought you were here to protect friends... what exactly do you want to do?"

"To protect this city."

Shard replied without thinking, and of course, both people in the lighthouse knew it was a lie.

"Oh, I really shouldn't have let you come in. Young man, mortals should not covet..."

The old man regretted somewhat.

"So you are unwilling to answer?"

Shard asked.

"Of course... I am willing."

Mr. Edmund in his pajamas changed his tune and became serious. He squinted at Shard, and the frowning action made the wrinkles on his face even more evident:

"Whether you're mad or not has nothing to do with me. What destiny you face due to your own greed is not my concern. I won't take your Gold Pound, but I want you to promise me one thing."

"You also want to see what it is exactly?"

"Certainly not, I'm not the madman that you are."

Mr. Edmund shook his head, speaking very cautiously:

"I have been researching the three beliefs that have been spreading in this land since ancient times—the Merman's Guardian, the God of Thunderstorm, the Deity of the Deep Sea Drowned. Over the years, I've had many interesting thoughts and even tried to find traces of those mystical sects. But these ideas have been hard to realize, and now, with you here, I have a chance."

Even though there were only two of them in the lighthouse at that moment, Mr. Edmund still lowered his voice, which made it unusually hoarse:

"If, I say if, you are lucky enough to gain the so-called 'power of the Lord of the Crimson Spiral' left in the material world, I want you to..."

Suddenly, a thunderclap exploded outside, and the waves fiercely slapped the cliff by the sea, making Shard even feel the chair shaking.

"Draw this symbol on that item."

He picked up a book from the corner of the desk, opened the page marked with a metal copper bookmark. Shard saw a symbol that in Mysticism represented thunder, but unlike common symbols, its lines were not straight, and the circular frame was filled with a dense array of Runes.

Shard tried to decipher it, immediately felt dizzy, and his body hair stood on end due to his bold move.

"What is this?"

"Coldwater Port's native belief, the Holy Emblem of the Evil God— 'Fury Storm'."

The old man explained in a low voice.

"You want me to draw a Holy Emblem of an Evil God on another Deity's power left in the material world?"

Shard asked in surprise:

"Oh, sir, which of us is truly the madman? No, I am bold, but I am not foolish. Moreover, even a fool would not dare desecrate a deity so openly. If you wish to study the hostility of the deities and the conflict of faiths, why don't you do it yourself?"

"Because I am afraid,"

the Old Tower Keeper said naturally.

"I am afraid too,"

Shard followed quickly, making Mr. Edmund furrow his brows in thought:

"Indeed, the likelihood of your return would be even smaller… Let me change my request… The information I provided is my investment in you. If you gain something tangible, it belongs to you, but any knowledge gained must be shared with me. My own book 'Coldwater Port Tri-Mystic Examination' needs more content."

Only then did Shard realize again that this elderly man living alone in the old lighthouse outside the city claimed to be a folklore scholar.

He nodded:

"That is certainly no problem."

"Good, but you must pledge something as collateral here. If you die, your belongings will belong to me. If you survive, these items will ensure you do not simply leave Coldwater Port."

Shard thought about it; all relics on him were directly tied to his identity, the only unrelated item being the Ever-Youth Leaf, essential for saving his life, which he could not afford to leave behind amidst such dangerous endeavors.

He then reached into his pocket, pulling out stacks of money, eventually producing a thousand Gold Pounds. He wasn't worried about Mr. Edmund running off with the money, having seen his collection of ancient books and relics when he last visited with Lecia. His counterpart had no reason to abandon his long-time home for 1000 Gold Pounds.

"Are you really so wealthy? Your clothing doesn't seem like it can fit so much money,"

the old man asked suspiciously.

Shard had transformed the money into toys stored in the inner pocket of his coat; he had merely restored them.

"This is all I have. I will leave this money with you, and I will come back to retrieve it. Now please tell me, what exactly did the 'Sea Return' ceremony associated with the nursery rhyme awaken from the depths of the sea?"

Shard spoke his lie seriously, while he actually had 2300 Gold Pounds in his account.

Mr. Edmund gathered the banknotes and nodded:

"Throughout the development of history, myths and legends often deviate from their original meanings. For instance, the tale that eating mermaid flesh grants immortality is a prime example. We need to dialectically and critically extract..."

"Can you just get to the point, please? I don't have much time. Soon, I must return to the city; my friend needs me."

Shard coughed slightly, rudely interrupting.

Mr. Edmund smiled awkwardly:

"Right, the point, let me recall... Ah, yes. When the Crimson Sea arrives, the undersea city of the ancient merpeople, the abode of the Evil God—Lord of the Crimson Spiral's arrival, the gigantic mermaid corpse used by The Great One will be awakened and come ashore. It will bring tsunamis and storms, condemning Coldwater Port to eternal submersion beneath the sea."

"The giant merman corpse from the Undersea City," is indeed part of the curse in the Sage-Level Relic 'Song of the Mermaid' that appears in the dreams of the Cursed One.

"The power left by the deities, does it pertain to that corpse?"

Shard speculated, but the old man shook his head in denial:

"No, the power left by the deities refers to a pearl within the Undersea City of the ancient merpeople. Legend has it that it is a bubble exhaled by the Evil God, Lord of the Crimson Spiral, as he arrived in the material world. The 'Sea Return' ceremony is an offering to that pearl, allowing its power to activate the giant corpse from the depths."