Steam Age: I Fight Against Divine Authority with Otherworldly Tales

Chapter 57 The Mysterious Old Man

Based on their current location, Suren replanned a route.

He made his way steadily through the dense forest, his mind still replaying the perilous battle he had just witnessed. In truth, it wasn't really a battle; it was entirely Suren's one-sided escape.

Fortunately, the salamander didn't seem to have any special abilities; it was mostly just powerful physical enhancements, which allowed Suren to escape safely.

Although it lacks the bizarre abilities of the previous red wolf, its physical strength is far superior.

As for its abilities, combined with the ribbon of light between it and that Level I "evil spirit," Suren had a guess in his mind—an oath.

Whether it's the "Oath Bloodstone" or the "Eternal Oath Knights," both revolve around the concept of oath. Suren speculates that they most likely gain powerful abilities by establishing an oath. It's just unknown whether there are other forms of enhancement besides physical strength.

Judging from this, the extraordinary individuals with the "Oath" are quite powerful in the early stages; in terms of combat strength alone, they are much stronger than my "Secret Knowledge".

Suren gave a wry smile, but everyone has their own expertise, and the growth potential and secrecy of "Secret Knowledge" are irreplaceable by other abilities.

Moreover, there are many secrets hidden behind Suren's "Book of Secrets," and it's hard to say who will become stronger as they continue to grow.

For the rest of the journey, Suren proceeded cautiously, stopping occasionally to rest and conserve his energy.

As she reached the safe path, Suren even took a moment to eat a sausage roll, still warm. This is a characteristic of the "Mandala Ring"—the inside of the ring is like a frozen space, locking the state of the items inside at the moment they are placed inside.

Finally, after a long journey, Suren arrived near the spider's territory.

According to two sources, this spider usually rests on its huge web, which it has woven, and spends the rest of its time roaming the forest hunting for prey.

Its eyesight is even worse than the salamander from before, only able to see objects within 30 meters. However, it can sense its surroundings through the web it has woven around it, so it would be very unwise to actively enter its core area.

It was precisely because of this that Suren chose a more prudent plan—to wait for the spider to hunt before using the "Existence Erasure Potion" to kill it.

Based on the professor's notes, Suren found a location on the edge of the spider's territory. The trees were not so dense, and the area was covered with half-meter-high weeds. Mammals such as deer and rabbits were very active here, making it the spider's favorite hunting ground. The spider would come here to forage at least twice every afternoon.

The professor's ecological record of this spider is very detailed, spanning five days, and is highly credible.

Suren put his notebook away, and a flash of white light appeared on his ring. A circle of silk thread had already wrapped around his right hand, the thread so thin it was almost transparent.

This is what Su Lun bought at the fishing tackle shop yesterday. To ensure its strength, Su Lun had already soaked it in grease and tested it beforehand, so it's strong enough to support Su Lun's next move.

He looked around, walked back the way he came, found a sturdy bush, tied one end of the thread to its root, then stood up and backed away while letting out the thread.

After stretching it to about two meters, Suren took out a copper bell. He gently touched the bell's clapper, but the bell did not ring. Then he threaded the silk through the hole at the top of the bell, allowing the silk thread to slide down and become taut.

The bell rested in the center of the thread. Suren tied the other end securely. A gentle breeze blew, causing the bell to sway very slightly, but it made no sound. However, if a larger object touched the thread, it would produce a melodious sound.

Suren followed suit and placed about five such warning devices around the area. This was not to guard against the spider, but to guard against possible attackers. After all, Suren had not yet found the source of the previous spying sensation, and being prepared was always Suren's principle.

Suren wasn't worried that the potential follower would discover his movements, because the bushes here were so dense that only his upper body could be seen, and his hand movements couldn't be clearly observed.

After doing all this, Suren still had some silk threads left in his palm. He tied a piece of iron to the end of these threads to facilitate the use of "Ellie's Tears".

After testing, it was found that the contact range of "Ellie's Tears" is very wide, and its ability can even be activated through threads. Of course, if the distance is too long, the activation speed will be much slower.

Suren put "Ellie's Tears" around her neck, then found a relatively sturdy tree and sat down in a relatively flat spot.

He hid himself in the shadow of the tree trunk, cautiously looking around, waiting for the spider to arrive.

The forest was unusually quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects coming from the bushes in the distance. The sunlight spilled through the trees, but it did not bring any warmth.

Suren leaned against the tree root, occasionally turning his head to observe his surroundings.

After an unknown amount of time, about fifty paces from the direction from which Suren had come, the bushes rustled slightly, and an indistinct shadowy figure slowly approached. The person seemed to have no intention of hiding and was moving quite quickly.

Suren made no outward movement, but a silver gun suddenly appeared in his right hand, its muzzle pointed directly at the approaching person. Once the person entered the firing range, he would let them taste the "explosive" bullet.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened. His left hand suddenly became incredibly cold. This feeling was very familiar to Suren; it was a phenomenon that only occurred when the "Evil Spirit in the Mirror" awakened.

But this time, the feeling was different from usual. There was no chilling sensation; instead, it was a more intense emotion—excitement. Yes, the "Evil in the Mirror" was extremely excited. This emotion was even indirectly affecting Suren; he felt that excitement rushing straight to his brain.

"What's going on!" This was the first time Suren had encountered such a situation. He could only suppress his emotions and force himself to focus his attention on the phantom.

The phantom stopped about 50 meters away, and Suren was able to see its appearance clearly.

The man appeared to be in his sixties, with deep wrinkles on his face. His pupils and hair were an unusual emerald green, and his hair looked somewhat dry. He wore a green robe with mysterious runes engraved on both sides.

Suren's pupils contracted slightly, because he had seen both symbols before.

The symbol on the left is a crescent moon supporting a four-leaf clover, which is the symbol from Viscount Howard's book.

The symbol on the right is a ring of leaves encircling a large tree, which is the emblem of the god of life.

What shocked Suren the most, however, was the old man's ears—longer than human ears, with a more refined shape and a gentle pointed tip at the top.

That's the symbol of elves that only appears in legends and stories.