Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 488: Adventure with the Doctor

Since it was an open government sector, Shard wasn’t stopped when he walked into the courtyard.

When he looked up, he immediately saw a blue-gray shorthair kitten basking in the sun on top of the stacked discarded metal shelves on the eastern side of the yard.

"Is my luck so good today?"

The weather was still gloomy, and even though it was almost eleven in the morning, there wasn’t much sunlight. The cat, squinting its eyes, lay on the metal sheet propped up by the shelves and only opened its eyes to look at Shard when he approached.

"Mia, absolutely do not make a sound."

Shard warned Mia, who was clearly intent on emitting malice from his shoulder, and then lightly clapped his hands to signal the cat perched high to jump down. With Mia not causing trouble, Shard’s affinity for cats was quite evident; even though it was the first time the cat had seen Shard, it energetically stood up when he clapped.

After glancing down at Shard from its high position with wide eyes, it swayed its tail and jumped down the stacked metal sheets and shelves. Trotting over to Shard’s feet, it stretched its neck with squinting eyes and rubbed against his pant leg.

Shard carefully crouched down and picked up the cat. Mia immediately began to purr from his shoulder, a sign that she was trying to intimidate but couldn’t make any sound.

"It will be gone in a while, and we’ll go have something delicious for lunch."

Shard, of course, didn’t forget to take care of his own cat and reached out with his free left hand to awkwardly pat Mia’s small head on his right shoulder. It then calmed down, but still glared at the newly found blue-gray shorthair cat, which was a size larger and also showed fear toward Mia as if Mia was some unimaginable monster.

In any case, the assignment he thought would be troublesome was resolved in just one morning. When Shard returned the well-behaved blue-gray shorthair kitten to Old Lady Midra, the old woman was nearly in tears.

Since Shard completed the assignment quickly and effectively, the old lady even gave an extra half a pound as a thank you when she made the payment. Declining Old Lady Midra’s invitation for lunch and a discussion on cat-rearing techniques, Shard, with a seemingly angered cat, went for a lavish meal in a nearby district.

Indeed, once the cat close to Shard was returned to its owner and had also eaten a satisfying meal, Mia returned to normal. Perhaps for this cat, the "memory slots" needed to remember delicious food completely covered over the "memory slots" used for remembering troublesome things—its life was truly carefree.

Avoiding the usual lunch hours between twelve and one-thirty, Shard visited Dr. Schneider’s psychological clinic located in Tobesk Eastern District at two o’clock.

He originally just wanted to ask if the doctor would be appearing at Yordle Palace the following night, but upon meeting, the doctor immediately shared some surprising news:

"Shard, you would never guess what happened! I’ve come across a newly Awakening Gifted One!"

Because of his extreme surprise, Shard even stood beside the couch, forgetting to sit down, the words slipped from his mouth:

"Oh, Doctor, haven’t you used a Relic that can overdraw on luck?"

Only after he spoke did he realize how the others in his group must have felt when they first met the doctor.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

"No, no, I would never use such a Relic, Shard, please sit down."

Dr. Schneider was obviously in good spirits, warmly inviting Shard:

"This matter is actually related to you. A week ago, you commissioned me to find a target to create a ’Mind Crystal’, and the new Gifted One was discovered while I was searching for the target!"

"The person’s dreams can create Mind Crystals?"

"Of course, a Gifted One within 72 hours of Awakening, who is mentally strong yet unstable, is the perfect target!"

The doctor said with a laugh:

"If you’re free this evening, you can join me in exploring the world of his dreams. He has about 28 hours left until his Awakening ends, so we can’t miss tonight."

"So, Doctor, are you going to invite this person to join our group?"

This was actually what Shard was more concerned about.

The doctor, smiling, shook his head:

"Certainly not, our group has already satisfied the minimum number of members and we aren’t lacking experts skilled in certain techniques. After we create the Alchemical Materials you need tonight, we’ll inform the church about his information through the black market and let the church handle it."

Sitting behind his desk, the doctor arranged the follow-ups neatly. But after thinking, he added:

"Besides, even if you had not appeared, I would not have invited this Gifted One to join us.

"This case is different from yours. When I first met you, you had just awakened from Blind Foolishness due to your First Ring Sorcerer talent, your eyes filled with panic yet hope, and further investigation into your background was very clean. But this Gifted One is different; he..."

The doctor sighed:

"Well, he has some serious psychological issues. He lives at No. 2 Black Horn Alley, and was involved in a fire at his workplace three years ago that left over sixty percent of his body burned. Even the cause of the fire seems related to him, although no evidence was found at Riddlevitch Field. Considering all these points, I think it’s better for our group not to get involved with him."

"Black Horn Alley? A burned person?"

Shard inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, thought for a moment, and then tentatively asked:

"Doctor, the Black Horn Alley you mentioned, is it the alley next to Lewis Street?"

"Oh? Have you been there?"

asked the doctor curiously.

Shard had indeed been there, as part of a mission to accumulate credits to advance from the first year to the second, he obtained three assignments related to mysterious incidents from Iluna. The second mission was to help Mrs. Swan investigate a mysterious person who peeped at her every day at noon.

And that mysterious person was a man living inside the second door in Black Horn Alley, with burn marks on his face and hands.

"I met him a month ago, back then I had no idea he would turn out to be a Gifted One."

Shard shared that experience, and Dr. Schneider, furrowing his brow, pondered:

"That 28-year-old man is called Luther Kinwis. Three years ago, a fire destroyed his workplace and killed ten people, only he survived and received a large compensation. Although peeping at beautiful girls isn’t a crime, adding up these two things, I always feel like he’s not a good person."

"Doctor, how did you find him?"

Shard asked with great interest, but did not expect Dr. Schneider to laugh awkwardly and cautiously provide:

"Luck, yes, purely luck."

Even without the power to discern lies, Shard could tell the doctor wasn’t telling the whole truth. But since everyone has their secrets, he didn’t care much about the truth behind it.

As for whether Luther Kinwis is a good person, Shard wasn’t particularly concerned. But if it were possible to uncover something during a Dream entry, Shard believed neither he nor the doctor would mind adding his criminal record when reporting a new Gifted One to the church.

After confirming the plan for the night’s venture, Shard heard another piece of good news. Dr. Schneider had no plans to attend tomorrow night’s dinner at Yordle Palace because no one had sent him an invitation. Knowing this, Shard confidently set up a meeting time with the doctor for that evening.

Since Luther Kinwis was already a Gifted One, even though he had not yet officially become a First Ring Sorcerer, the "Other Me’s" reconnaissance ability was already effective. Thus, Shard and Dr. Schneider met at the corner of Lewis Street at eleven-thirty that evening.

At this time, Mr. Kinwis was likely already asleep, and the inactive "Other Me" would not easily wake him up in his unawakened state.

The two walked close to the curb wall, trying to stay away from the gas lamps along the street. Although it was not raining, the city was still enveloped in clouds, with the moon and stars almost totally obscured by the thin fog.

To enter the Gifted One’s dreams, the doctor needed direct contact with the person’s head, so they had to break into the house at number two, Black Horn Alley.

First checking the alley entrance to ensure no passersby were around, the doctor stood under the steps in the alley continuing to survey the surroundings, while Shard stood in front of the door, pressing lightly on the lock, gently turning it and unlocking the door:

"Why do I always end up doing these break-ins with Dr. Schneider?"

he thought to himself quietly.

With the door cracked open slightly, Shard sidled into the dark interior. Seconds later, his hand emerged from the crack, signaling a gesture that meant it was safe, and then the doctor stepped backward up the steps and also sidled through the door crack into the house.

The door closed silently as if nothing had happened. Although Luther Kinwis was merely a common person, the two were still cautious.

Compared to No. 6, Saint Delan Square, the house in Black Horn Alley was not large. The entrance hall was very narrow and cluttered with a shoe rack, cardboard boxes, and several other miscellaneous items.

In the dark, the Glimmer from Shard’s fingertips illuminated the way. Dr. Schneider handed Shard some shoe covers and gloves, but Shard shook his head, pulling out his own prepared gloves and shoe covers from his pocket.

Dr. Schneider showed a pleased expression. Since meeting Shard two and a half months ago, the young detective had indeed grown significantly.

Luther Kinwis lived alone, and his bedroom was on the second floor on the left side.

They tread softly up the stairs, and when they tried to turn the bedroom door handle, they found it unmovable.

"Who locks their bedroom door while they are sleeping?"

Shard wondered, then again used Sorcery to unlock the door.

However, the two did not enter directly. The doctor carefully took a copper box out of his pocket, opened it, and inside was a thick cigar already burned down by one fifth.

After lighting it and taking a puff, the doctor placed the cigar back in the box. He then leaned towards the door crack and exhaled the smoke into it.

He had only taken a single puff, but the plume of smoke he exhaled stretched out like a dragon for about ten seconds. During this time, Shard grew somewhat worried Dr. Schneider might be running out of oxygen.

After exhaling, Dr. Schneider carefully closed the door. The two waited in the hall for half a minute before finally pushing the door open and walking into the room.