Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 705 -

After thinking for a moment, Shard reached into his pocket, pulled out a wine bottle pendant, and restored it to reveal the fruit wine made by the Sorcery of Blood Wine Brewing inside.

“Would wine work?”

He shook the container in his hand, the ferocious human face opened its mouth, but instead of revealing the stairs to the basement, there was only unfathomable darkness.

As someone proficient in Spatial Power, Shard could feel that this led to a different space.

Therefore, he threw the wine bottle into it, and the crack also closed up. The ugly, twisted face on the door let out a long sigh:

“Ah, this is really nice, a fruit wine of great taste,”

Sounds of springs, pistons, and gears came from behind the door. As steam sprayed from the door seam and the door opened, Shard could see that the door was about as thick as three red bricks stacked together.

“Go ahead,”

The face on the door snorted, the ferocious features relaxed, and even appeared somewhat cute:

“However, there are guests of the owner in the wine cellar now, you’d better be careful,”

“Thank you,”

Shard whispered and stepped into the basement.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

The entire Sinners’ Mansion now had steam and gas systems, so although the lighting was not very strong, there indeed were gas lamps on the walls of the underground wine cellar.

The wine cellar here was similar to the one under Aphrola Mansion, except that it was divided into upper and lower levels. The upper level used barrels to store wine, each barrel equipped with a faucet to check the fermentation status of the red wine anytime. The lower level had rows of shelves displaying what evidently were expensive bottles of wine.

Both levels were roughly rectangular, with a patio in the center of the upper level, allowing one to lean over the railing and see the lower level. The two levels were connected by copper-colored elevators at their four corners. The elevators here were very unscientific regarding steam technology, as even without seeing a miniaturized steam engine, it was still possible to operate the elevators by stepping on the central button.

The smell of wine was intoxicating, and taking a breath of it almost made one feel tipsy, further stimulating the desire for Gluttony. A growl came from his stomach, but Shard remembered he had eaten a full meal in the morning:

“Later on, I could invite Sister Delphine to discuss matters and treat her to a meal… Manton Gus Restaurant, where the Priest last treated us, was pretty good. I wonder if she would enjoy the fruit wine I ‘brewed’.”

Thinking about various things, Shard walked down the staircase from the entrance to officially enter the wine cellar.

But the first thing he noticed wasn’t the wine barrels, but instead, the blue halos constantly shifting on the ceiling above the patio.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, he heard bubbling sounds coming from below the patio in the lower level of the wine cellar, and realized that the halos on the ceiling were reflections of the water in the lower level pool.

However, judging by the size of those halos, the pool below was as big as the entire patio. Plus, for such halos to form, there had to be a light source under the water.

“Sinners’ Mansion has a swimming pool in the wine cellar? Could it be filled with red wine? What sin is that…wasting food?”

Although curious, Shard did not approach the upper railing to peer into what was in the pool below, fearing he might see something he shouldn’t.

Turning his head to find the elevator in the southeast, the trader had only given a rough location of the secret passage; it was up to Shard to find the exact way.

“Outlander, you are sensing the ‘Whisper.’

“I know, I am inside the Relic now, and there are elements of Whisper everywhere,”

Shard thought in response, illuminated his fingertips with Moonlight to light up the surroundings, and curiously wondered what the iron tags placed next to the wine barrels were for.

Then, he heard “her” gentle laughter:

[No, this means you sensed a more powerful Whisper Element.]

“More powerful than the Sin Mansion itself?”

He frowned slightly, looking around.

[Yes, and this characteristic of the Whisper Element, you’ve encountered it before. It can be considered an old acquaintance.]

The word “old acquaintance” immediately made Shard think of Luviya’s divination before departing.

[Yes, her prediction was very accurate.]

“Wait, I originally thought the so-called ‘old acquaintance’ referred to Grace and Helen. Could I have been wrong, and the old acquaintance is actually…”

There was a sound of splashing water from below, as if someone was swimming in a pool.

Shard slightly opened his mouth, his movements unnaturally slow as he turned towards the direction of the courtyard.

His pupils contracted, seeing the halo reflected on the ceiling above the courtyard growing increasingly chaotic.

In the blue shimmer, a shadow gradually enlarged, becoming clearer. As that beguiling laugh echoed from below, Shard felt as if his blood were ignited.

That shadow was not human-shaped. Amidst the chaotic and disordered light, a mermaid with a human torso and a fish tail was distinctly visible.

He heard the laughter, but it was not the familiar laughter beside his ear; rather, it was the laughter coming from the pool below. The laughter sounded like the clear chimes of a wind bell, refreshing to the soul, akin to drinking something cold during the sweltering heat that perks one up. Even the severe headaches that the Sin Mansion caused Shard were significantly relieved by it.

But this did not please Shard; instead, it caused goosebumps to immediately rise on his arms. The amplified Gluttony due to the smell of alcohol was indeed suppressed, but another kind of extreme emotion surged forth.

He realized who the so-called “old acquaintance” was—this laugh was one he would never forget.

A hoarse voice came from below the courtyard, and although “it” and Shard did not make direct eye contact, Shard felt that the other party was looking at him from beneath the layer of ground:

“See, I told you we would meet again.”

He involuntarily retreated, but also realized that retreat was not an option. He breathed deeply, suppressing his intense heartbeat and calming his agitated body. Then, he slowly walked to the edge of the courtyard, peering into the square pool below from the fence.

Those beautiful, enticing purple eyes, like Luviya’s, met Shard’s gaze.

The bubbling of the water seemed to indicate a lively spring, but the unknown light made the underwater part completely invisible. All Shard could see was a woman’s head looking up from the pool. It was difficult to describe the woman’s appearance in words, because even the most beautiful witches Shard had seen paled in comparison to this face.

“Indescribable” usually refers to bizarre sights that transcend human ability to depict, and this face, due to its excessive beauty, had reached that “indescribable” level. He was absolutely convinced that regardless of the diverse aesthetic views in the world, no creature could resist being mesmerized upon seeing this face at first glance.

It lifted its head in the pool, its face captivating enough to enthrall even the most devout ascetics, looked up at Shard above, its pale arms extending out of the water, inviting him:

“Interesting soul, please come closer.

“[Desire]…”

In the pool was the Level 0 Relic [Desire] Shard had encountered beneath Aphrola Mansion in Coldwater Port. Two months later, without any preparation, Shard met it again:

“Could Midshire Fort be any more absurd…”

He stood above looking at that face, listening to the hoarse voice issuing the invitation. Even after so many experiences, the primitive desire that rose in Shard upon seeing her again was nearly uncontrollable. Compared to [Desire], the negative emotion triggered by Sin Mansion was trivial.

Just below in the basement, Shard knew escape was futile. Moreover, he did not doubt that the other party possessed the power to obliterate the entire Sin Mansion in an instant. Consider, the entirety of the Interstice of Life and Death including the three passageways of death could barely be completely rated as Level 0.

Amid the sound of splashing water, she was singing, in the language of the Fifth Era, with her hoarse voice, chanting a love story between an expeditionary soldier and a waiting girl:

“Oh, my beloved,

As I stand at the crossroads fragrant with rosemary,

Please do not forget me…”

This was calling Shard to come down.

Taking a deep breath to regulate his rapid breathing, Shard used the wall-mounted elevator to move from the upper layer of the wine cellar to the lower one, passing through the densely packed wine racks to the central clearing. Above the clearing was the courtyard, and in the center was that square pool.

In the pool was a woman’s head of surpassing human imagination in beauty, chanting the last verse of that brief poem, “swimming” to the edge of the pool. Just like last time, her head emerged from the water, but her sleek shoulders were not visible. Then, from the right side, a pale arm extended, its milk-like skin and delicate texture even making Shard feel an urge to rush up and take a bite.

“Are you really that afraid of me?”

She asked with a smile to Shard standing ten meters from the edge of the pool, the outsider shook his head:

“It’s just that your charm is too great.”

The beautiful face broke into a smile, the voice so appealing:

“Look, when a little boy becomes a true man, even his speech becomes appealing. I wonder which lucky girl…”