Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"We must find a way to introduce external intervention."

Captain of the Church of Creation, with a large beard, reminded behind Iluna, as Old Mr. Modro, the Eleven-Ring Sorcerer from the Peace Church, took a deep breath as if to make a decision. But at that moment, Iluna threw the dice again.

Clatter~

The dice fell, and the Keeper of Secrets followed with his words, but this time, the content was somewhat different:

"In that tense battle, the cat residing at No. 6, Saint Delan Square abruptly joined the battlefield, and jumped onto the shoulder of Shard Hamilton, 'Mortal Luck.' Consider 'Pet Cat' Mia and 'Mortal Luck' Shard Hamilton as partners. Due to the significant difference in power between the two, Thief Jack's points take the value of the latter's points. Proceed to the additional determination for 'Pet Cat' Mia. As it joined midway in the battle, the final points will be reduced by 10 points..."

Iluna widened her eyes, reopening the parchment, indeed seeing new information appear, which was the profile of Mia. Although the description of that cat was pitifully weak and couldn't be compared to Shard, if the final points were positive, it would mean a true victory in the story.

"'Pet Cat' Mia joins the battle, since the battle location is at No. 6, Saint Delan Square, the trait 'Home Sweet Home' triggers, granting 5 points to any determination."

Iluna anxiously looked at the parchment in her hand; she understood why the effect of Shard and Mia's trait 'Home Sweet Home' differed, as she searched for this line:

"'Pet Cat' Mia, automatically considered as the aider to 'Mortal Luck' Shard Hamilton, can provide numerical bonuses for combat, reconnaissance, and other actions. This numerical bonus does not count towards the character's own points."

Iluna smiled, which meant Thief Jack wouldn't gain additional strength because of Mia's existence. The people around her watched nervously, knowing that even with an extra chance, a cat's combat strength might not necessarily be positive.

Iluna continued to read:

"The throw for 'Pet Cat' Mia uses a six-sided die, and since it belongs to an 'ultra-small' creature, any roll points in combat are subject to a 0.5 coefficient reduction, and the total combat value suffers a penalty of 20 points."

Clatter~

A new six-sided die dropped from the Keeper's sleeve, and under everyone's gaze, Iluna threw the dice:

"Point 6, maximum value! 6×0.5=3!"

The spectators felt they couldn't breathe while watching this scene.

"Basic ability 'Claw Strike' 1 point, trait 'Cat's Elegance' plus 3 points, trait 'Beloved Cat' plus 6, trait 'Guardian' plus 5, and since Shard Hamilton is present, trait 'Loyal Pet Cat' plus 5."

The total points at this moment were -10+5-20+3+1+3+6+5+5=-2. If Shard wanted to win, Mia needed to provide at least 3 points of bonus. Unlike Shard's voluminous profile, ordinary pet cat Mia's list was quite simple, and Iluna was close to the end. She was nervous too, but believed in that cat, which always seemed magical; its combat power had to be positive:

"Trait 'Nocturnal Creature,' adding 1 point to any determination in the dark!"

Iluna's voice trembled, and the total points were now -1. Just two more points were needed for Shard to win:

"Trait 'Charming Cat,' roll an additional die at the battle location for a 'Charm' points determination, which can add to combat points."

Iluna took a deep breath and tossed the six-sided die one last time.

Clatter~

The audience's attention was on the bouncing die, which finally landed with the largest number 6 facing up:

"6×0.5=3, 'Pet Cat' Mia's total combat points are 2. Now, the total boxing points for both Thief Jack and Mortal Luck are the same, but due to the cooperation status with 'Pet Cat,' Mia provides an additional 2 points of combat power, making the result..."

"Meow~"

The cat thrown by Lecia had seen the danger Shard was in long ago. Normally scared of strangers, the cat suddenly displayed great ferocity, especially in this familiar environment, and jumped directly onto Shard's shoulder. As Shard swung his fist, the cat extended its body, its paw quickly reaching for the enemy with a face like darkness.

Although Shard's punch hit the target, it, as before, caused no harm to the opponent. However, as soon as Mia's paw touched the thief, the thief seemed to be struck by a great force, rotating twice in mid-air before thudding onto the ground.

"Success!"

"Shard!"

"Act quickly!"

"Don't let it escape!"

"Meow~"

Dr. Schneider, Priest Augustus, Lecia, and Luviya surrounded, while Shard, amidst them, took the 'Night Watchman, sword tip pointing at the 'boxing' defeated thief on the ground:

"You are caught by me!"

"On a winter night, November 27th, 1853 Common Era, with a loyal servant's help, 'Mortal Luck' Shard Hamilton successfully captured 'Thief Jack.' This is a story of a detective and a thief, the story of a vile one and the Dice Story Collection. Although this story might remain unknown in the long night, it is indeed interesting. The Dice Story Collection only cherishes true sages."

A hoarse voice fell in the darkness as the bricks on the table melted like a phantom. Iluna watched the parchment roll in her hands transform into spots of white light, looked at the Keeper standing at the table, cloaked in black garments, and after a moment of silence, the latter gently asked:

"The story ends; you have achieved the ultimate victory. You may make a wish to me."

This was the first time the Dice Story Collection had spoken since it started.

Under the watchful eyes of Miss Green, Old Mr. Modro, the three princesses, and the Church of Creation's Circle Sorcerers, Iluna stood up:

"I don't need anything."

With a bang, the white celestial light vanished, plunging the surroundings into total darkness. But in the next moment, the gentle light of the gas lamp once again flickered on. In the study salon's room, guests still lay sprawled on sofas and carpets, while the unconscious professors of the Truth Society and the cultists lay face up in the room's center. Sir Plisha, pretending to be unconscious, breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that though he was caught in the event, he wasn't harmed.

"Where's the relic itself? Where's that die?"

Members of the Church of Creation immediately began their search, but the Angel-Level relic was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it had never been in anyone's possession from the start, voluntarily appearing only at the right place.

The set of table and chairs beside Iluna had disappeared. She frowned as she retracted the dark gold glowing balance above her head, then opened her right hand, which she didn't know when she had clenched. An exquisite blue teardrop-shaped crystal stone lay steadily in her palm, and in the gas light, the crystal shimmered with a dazzling luster.

"This is..."

Miss Green sighed in awe, though she didn't forget to keep her eyes on the three princesses, preventing them from leaving just yet. Iluna's lips curled into a smile, but Old Mr. Modro immediately asked suspiciously:

"If this Sage's Glowstone is the reward for the Dice Story Collection's test, then where is the Radiant Stone for capturing Thief Jack and completing the Vynars Trial?"

"Let's head to No. 6, Saint Delan Square, to check on the unconscious Hamilton."

Iluna suggested, and Miss Green nodded, gazing off in the direction of Saint Delan Square:

"Yes, we must go to Saint Delan Square, where two mysterious entities attracted by misfortune still need dealing with. May the sun bless, and hopefully, the death toll in the Saint Delan Square District doesn't exceed 50 people."

But in fact, any death among the Saint Delan Square District's residents would be a significant matter.

Considering the need to leave time for Shard to disguise himself, Iluna, in a good mood, proposed:

"Let's wait for reinforcements to arrive before going. I don't want to face two non-human entities alone."

She didn't believe anything would happen in Saint Delan Square, feeling especially at peace each time she visited that district.

(Mia running...)

"You caught me."

As Shard aimed his sword at the thief lying on his home's floor, it raised its hands and softly spoke.

The Whisper Element belonging to the Angel-Level relic vanished from Shard, marking the game's end. However, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, his expression changed, and he backed away.

Dr. Schneider and the other three also retreated in surprise. Though the Whisper Element disappeared from Shard, it grew increasingly stronger on Thief Jack. With the surrounding light intensifying, eerie whispers of hatred and malice cursed into the ears of the five onlookers.

The thief clad in black outerwear rose from the ground, lowered its hands, and blended almost seamlessly with the shadows. From its surroundings, fine tendrils reached out, struggling in the shadow seemed to be countless identical black figures.

"It's on the verge of losing control!"

The doctor immediately said, his expression tense. Human-shaped relics losing control were the hardest problems to solve. This time, the relic's losing control wasn't merely bad luck; capturing Thief Jack had involved borrowing the power of another stronger relic, leading to the weaker one's inevitable loss of control.

"Once Thief Jack loses control, it'll ruthlessly kill the robbed during thefts, and should it ever truly kill its victims, it will become completely unmanageable! Shard, you must directly defeat it to restore it to its original state."

Luviya softly warned, and Shard nodded, removing Mia from his left hand and tossing her to Lecia before retreating further, eventually reaching the wall where the fireplace was situated. Pushing open a door that was almost seamlessly integrated into the wall, he entered the empty parlor of the second floor's room two.

Almost engulfed by darkness, Thief Jack seemed to float as it followed him inside. As the doctor and the other three entered room two, all light sources abruptly disappeared. In the dense darkness, only Shard's body emitted a silver glow. This was his inherent ability to shine in darkness, though seemingly useless, it prevented him from dissolving into the dark:

"Do you know how I initially planned to deal with Thief Jack?"

He asked softly. Lecia wanted to speak but found that opening her mouth and vibrating her throat produced no sound.

"Thief Jack grows stronger when faced with strength, so what if certain Arcane Technique effects also strengthen in response to power?"

The black-clad man shrouded in thick darkness revealed himself within Shard's surrounding light. As light and shadow collided, the knight sword enveloped in darkness, held by a scorched black hand, drove the dark blade towards Shard's chest.

"Heaton Seal!"

The Night Watcher struck the ground with his left-hand gesturing the seal. In the blink of an eye, a golden shield erupted in darkness, forcing Dr. Schneider, who was nearest to Shard, to squint.

The surface of the radiant golden shield shattered upon contact with the dark knight sword, and the golden radiance intermingled with the silver glow, illuminating the room like midsummer fireflies, akin to sparks scattering from a smith's hammer striking heated iron.

With a soft "pop" like a bubble bursting, the starlight outside the window and the light through the walls and doors dispelled the bizarre darkness.

The darkness receded, the Whisper Element normalized, and fragments of the broken antique knight sword scattered, embedding into the room's walls. The neatly polished wooden floor of the parlor was nearly one-fourth blown away, leaving the entire room in shambles.

"Meow~"

Mia stared at the wall.

The trait of the Arcane Technique Heaton Seal is to unleash its spell upon contact, and the exploding shield can injure the attacker. It's a clever countermeasure, and the shield's explosive strength depends on the force of the encountered attack. The shield must withstand the attack, and luckily, Thief Jack's assault was absorbed by consuming four-fifths of Shard's Spirit, warded off successfully.