Chapter 165: “Lucretia’s Pressure”
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Amidst unsettling sounds, the mechanical doll abruptly stiffened, its movements halting like an aged, rusted machine reaching its limit. Almost simultaneously, Lucretia, in a nearby chamber, sensed something was wrong with her handcrafted invention.
Without warning, the cabin door swung open violently, sending fragments of vibrant paper swirling into the room like a tornado. These paper shards magically assembled into a human form. Emerging from this flurry was Lucretia, the “Sea Witch.” Her gaze immediately locked onto Luni, the mechanical doll, now seated with a slouched posture and bowed head.
Rushing over with concern etched on her face, Lucretia called out, “Luni?” Her eyes quickly caught sight of a wind-up key lying discarded beside Luni. Bending down to retrieve it, she gently tapped on Luni’s casing, asking, “What happened here?”
From within Luni’s intricate interior, a sequence of sporadic, creaking noises emanated. Slowly, some components began to reactivate. A warped, out-of-tune voice emerged from Luni’s core, declaring, “Old Master… he’s in search of you…”
The sudden revelation caused the wind-up key in Lucretia’s hand to slip and fall. Luni, reacting to the fallen key, attempted to pick it up, clearly intending to wind herself up again. However, her actions were abruptly halted by the distressing noise of jamming gears.
The mention of the “old master” visibly shook Lucretia. But Luni’s distress brought her back to the present. Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Lucretia firmly gripped the doll’s shoulders and instructed, “Luni, go into standby mode.”
Acknowledging the command, the mechanical doll responded in a monotone voice, “Understood. Luni is now in standby mode.”
Later, within the Bright Star, Lucretia immersed herself in work inside a luminous chamber.
This room resembled a cutting-edge lab, rivaling those at the esteemed Truth Academy. It was filled with a myriad of sophisticated machinery, pipes, and conduits, powering various apparatuses. Amidst this technical marvel were devices adorned with glowing magical symbols, crystalline containers, and specialized equipment. Several automated dolls diligently maintained these machines, allowing Lucretia to focus entirely on her task.
Spread out on a vast table before the famed “Sea Witch” lay Luni, meticulously taken apart. Her maid-like attire had been carefully removed, revealing her intricate gold skeleton and brass mechanisms. Only Luni’s intact upper body rested at the table’s edge, blinking occasionally with an expressionless gaze, silently observing her disassembled state.
A slightly distorted voice, reminiscent of a broken music box, emanated from Luni’s chest cavity, asking, “Can… you… fix… me?”
Focused on her delicate task, Lucretia replied without looking up, “Rest assured, Luni.” After inspecting a component, she continued, “The sudden jamming of your transmission mechanisms caused your bearings to misalign. It’s intricate work, but the path to repair is clear. Most importantly, your ‘heart’ – the core of your being – remains untouched.”
Drawn by her words, Luni’s mechanical eyes slowly turned to the centerpiece of the worktable: her very “heart.”
The object in question was a beautifully designed brass orb, intricately detailed with metal plates. Suspended magically above a collection of components, the orb’s surface plates occasionally shifted, revealing its complex interior. At certain angles, one could glimpse intricate runes glowing faintly, inscribed deep within the sphere. Central to these luminous inscriptions was an exceptionally delicate object: a doll’s finger segment, so fragile it made even an infant’s fingertip seem robust. This relic, a masterpiece by a skilled doll maker over a century ago, embodied the true essence of Luni.
Catching Luni’s focused stare, Lucretia momentarily paused her work.
After a brief pause, she resumed her intricate task, musing, “Have you ever resented me for transforming you into what you are now?”
“Why would Luni harbor resentment?” The synthetic voice, from the detached doll’s head on the workbench, replied with a hint of emotion, “Mistress… bestowed life upon Luni. For that, Luni… remains eternally grateful…”
Lucretia’s voice softened as she confessed, “All this started because of my capricious desires. I discarded your original form and for the longest time, remained oblivious to the fact that, under certain influences, you evolved and developed true cognitive abilities. I saw you only as machinery, subjecting you to countless ‘innovations’ without considering the potential repercussions.”
Rather than giving a direct answer, Luni, after a brief contemplative silence, noted, “Your demeanor seems burdened. You seem lost in thought. Ordinarily, you wouldn’t delve into such past events without cause.”
There was a prolonged silence before Lucretia posed her question, “Can you recall what you informed me earlier? Right after I entered the dining room and reactivated you?”
Luni responded in a neutral tone, “Memory retrieval unsuccessful. Luni cannot recall.”
“You mentioned that the ‘old master’ is searching for me.”
An unusual sequence of sounds, reminiscent of a computer processing vast data, came from Luni’s chest cavity.
Lucretia looked up with a penetrating gaze, “You genuinely have no recollection?”
Once again, Luni reiterated, “Memory retrieval unsuccessful. Luni cannot recall.”
“…It seems my father is determined to keep me oblivious to his secretive endeavors,” Lucretia mused, a complicated smile playing on her lips as she delicately worked on disassembling a series of misshapen gears. Lost in thought, she continued, “He’s sent a rather unilateral message, suggesting he’s aware of the Bright Star’s location and, more pointedly, my whereabouts.”
“You feel threatened.”
“It’s more than mere apprehension; it borders on terror. Yet, along with the dread, there’s an overwhelming sense of… melancholy.”
“Melancholy? Why would that be?”
Holding Luni’s gaze for a moment, Lucretia took a deep breath, and after a brief silence, softly said, “It’s an emotion with layers of depth that might be too intricate for you to fathom right now.”
Luni’s mechanical voice responded, “Alright, Luni will try to comprehend it in due course.” After a pause, she ventured further, “Could it be that the old master’s message is an implicit warning directed at you?”
“It’s ambiguous, but it undeniably carries the weight of a cautionary tale,” Lucretia whispered with a pensive expression, “It’s almost like a declaration before a chase… Given that he’s emerged from subspace and seems more erratic than during his last visit, it might be prudent to inform my brother, Tyrian…”
“It would be wise to alert Mr. Tyrian. He’s currently in Pland. The Pland Governor reported that the Vanished is approaching their city-state’s vicinity.”
A slight nod from Lucretia acknowledged Luni’s information, and without another word, she resumed her meticulous work.
…
Gently cradling the doll, “Nilu,” Duncan carefully placed it within a beautifully carved antique wooden box. He then stored a feather-shaped hairpin, seemingly significant, in a nearby drawer.
Studying the box housing “Nilu,” Duncan felt a twinge of self-consciousness.
As a mature adult, having such a distinctly young, feminine-designed doll in his bedroom seemed out of place.
However, after much thought, he found no other suitable location for its safekeeping within his dwelling.
Despite preliminary tests on “Nilu” revealing no supernatural attributes or links to any supernatural phenomena, its connection to “Lucretia” made Duncan wary of its unforeseen importance. He felt reluctant to keep it out of his immediate view.
After pondering for a while, with a resigned sigh, Duncan placed “Nilu’s” ornate box by his bedside.
He addressed the intricately decorated container, “If you harbor any hidden attributes or mysteries, it’s about time you revealed them,” shaking his head in slight amusement, “Don’t mimic Alice, procrastinating until the brink of being cast into the sea, only to make a grand, dramatic reveal.”
Naturally, no response came from the lifeless box, but Duncan wasn’t expecting one.
He then wandered over to the window, taking a moment to peer out.
The night had draped the world outside, and the faint, ethereal luminescence of the World’s Creation delicately illuminated the expansive sea below.
As daylight’s robust shield gradually diminished in the physical realm, sinister, deformed, and caustic energies began to surge and envelop the entire world. These dark times pushed most of humanity to seek solace within the sanctuaries of their dreams, shielding their minds from the external onslaught threatening their sanity.
For Duncan, however, the approach of darkness held no fear. The foreboding shadows many feared never haunted him. To him, the night was a sanctuary, a time when his cognitive prowess peaked.
Turning to his workspace, he carefully laid out a pristine sheet of white paper and picked up an elegant fountain pen nearby. These were among the latest acquisitions from his recent visit to Pland.
After a moment of silent reflection, he began inscribing words with deliberate intent:
“In the year 1889, the fragment of the sun made its ominous debut, setting the stage for the devastating Great Fire of Pland;
Hidden beneath the shrouds of the Sixth District factory is a ‘reality’ that the relentless flames consumed and erased;
Within the hallowed confines of the Sixth District’s community church, an anomalous spacetime exists, appearing trapped in an eternal cycle where two diametrically opposed realities interlace;
The source of Dog’s ‘human-like traits’ remains shrouded in mystery. However, it’s evident that its nature hasn’t been molded by the sun fragment’s influence;
The goddess statue enshrined within the Sixth District church seems to bear the scars of subspace rift. The devout nun sheltering in the underground chamber likely met her tragic end while fending off an intrusion from this alternate realm…”
I’m having trouble accessing chapter 165 of deep sea embers, even after refreshing. Can you help me?
Caught up to this chapter in one go, love the series so far!
Thanks for the chapter!