Free Web NovelChapter 2026: Chapter 2026: Fishing and the World’s Tombstone
Shard’s luck at Coldwater Port wasn’t too bad; among the antiques brought out by the old lighthouse keeper Mr. Edmund, he finally found an item that met the requirements.
It was a black withered apple core, something that might have been ignored even by children scavenging for litter if left by the roadside. Yet it was indeed an antique passed down from the Fifth Era, related to the love story "Green Apple Romance." It’s said that this apple core symbolized the final state of the once bountiful fruit representing the protagonists’ failed love.
"Another story with a tragic ending; I don’t like that."
As he spoke, Shard was accompanying Mr. Edmund fishing beneath the sea cliff. Though he couldn’t fish, it was easy to learn how to bait a hook and cast a line.
"But tragedy has its own charm, just constantly chasing comedy is not necessarily a good thing."
The old folklore scholar said, sitting with Shard on a small stool, gazing at the vast sea in the distance. At the end of Spring and the start of Summer, Coldwater Port’s ocean view was particularly alluring. Listening to the sound of the waves, taking a moment in such a mostly deserted place was a good way to relax.
"Have you heard about the Green Lake Battle?"
Shard asked, and the elderly man, who had guessed Shard’s connection to the "Callers" during the Coldwater Port incident, slowly nodded:
"Yes, Natalie has already passed the message to the Hermit Society. What we’re more concerned about isn’t who the Chosen of Space is; what we care about is the terrifying Maze Lock that Natalie nearly saw the Caller use."
He held the fishing rod, watching the float:
"The generally accepted view now is that the Caller’s strongest powers are the moon and fairy tale enchantments. I won’t even mention his use of moonlight; people have long suspected he’s a priest of some Ancient Moon Goddess. His utilization of enchantments might well make him one of the strongest individuals in our era. But that half-revealed enchantment, which even he couldn’t seem to fully control, seemed unrelated to fairy tales."
"Yes, it’s related to the apocalypse. Those Circle Sorcerers on the island at the time, anyone who encountered the overwhelming yellow sand and saw the city buried under it should have felt that power representing termination."
Even for Shard himself, it was still a bit scary to think about it now. If he hadn’t had extraordinary perseverance to "forcefully suppress" the Maze Lock, he likely wouldn’t have the time to be leisurely fishing here now.
The cat was peacefully curled up on Shard’s lap at this time, and Shard was quite curious about how it would react if he really caught a fish.
"Apocalypse.... though we’ve been preparing for so long, when it truly arrives, we’ll still feel bewildered and anxious."
The elderly man stared at the water’s surface:
"The appearance of the Caller’s Maze Lock indicates that he or she clearly knows much better than anyone else about the arrival of the apocalypse. Perhaps they’ve seen the future or have foreseen the events in another way. But, since the apocalypse can now be peered into by people in the Material World, it means it really isn’t far off."
The float swayed, and the elderly man immediately lifted the fishing rod, while Shard let the cat lie on the stool, picked up the net to help him transfer the fish to the bucket:
"What does the Prophet’s Society say? The Prophets can’t be completely unaware."
"They’ve long been preparing for this, but exactly what they’ve prepared, nobody knows. Don’t bother speculating about the Prophets’ affairs; perhaps in the most dangerous future moments, they’ll suddenly unveil some formidable measure, then tell everyone: Look, we’ve actually been preparing all along."
Shard laughed:
"That’s very much in line with my understanding of those Diviners. What about the Church, they had so many people on the island then, they should have understood the meaning of the Caller’s Maze Lock, right?"
"Yes, with the apocalypse imminent, the Church of the Five Gods bears the greatest pressure. They lead the balance between the mundane world and the Transcendent, and with the enjoyment of power comes the responsibility. It’s said that those clergy members have begun to pray to the Deity for guidance on what to do, likely waiting for the oracle before proceeding."
After all, this is a world with a real Deity; seeking help from God in such troubles is only natural. However, since it’s already confirmed that the world’s demise isn’t man-made but simply because there is a start and there is an end, even True Gods probably can’t do much.
Shard nodded, looking at his inert float:
"What is the Guiding Light Hermitage planning to do?"
"As before, continuing to collect civilization creations, books of knowledge, and other items representing our civilization. Preparing shelters, assembling food, fuel, and large quantities of daily essentials, ready to survive in the most challenging conditions. We’re planning to place these in Tobesk; you saw at the time, where the city that has almost become a ruin actually is."
"Yes, Tobesk."
The old man nodded, casting the fishing rod again, and with Shard, watched the fishing line throw far away, only to land back in the same spot. Ripples spread out but quickly disappeared:
"In the worst-case scenario, even if everyone dies, when the end comes, it comes, and a new beginning begins. People of the next world... or other strange things, if they’re lucky, might also see the civilizational glimmer we left from the old world. If everything in the world reaches an endpoint, those things still exist. There is an end in every beginning, and with every end, there exists a next beginning."
"All mortals face death, and all things must meet ultimate death; in the darkness that follows, will a new glimmer of light be born again?"
Shard asked the old man, and Mr. Edmund smiled and said:
"That’s roughly how it is, but I haven’t witnessed an apocalypse. Even if a new glimmer does emerge, what can we who have left with the old world know about it? It’s too distant, far too distant; we can only do what needs to be done in this era. Don’t wish for us to really witness a brand-new glimmer, for it means nothing."
"Yet, what the Guiding Light Hermitage has done is truly remarkable. At least they’ve left a tombstone for this world."
"Someone has to do something in this era. The intelligence Natalie sent includes the deeds of that traitor from the Prophet’s Society. From the intelligence exchanged between the God Summoner and the Church, he is indeed a remarkable person as well. Since the world is heading towards an endpoint, to leave here before the apocalypse... he’s doing what he can do, but it proves that his path is a dead end."
Shard nodded, stroking the cat that was sleeping soundly.
He believed that Mr. Edmund and Miss Danester had both more or less guessed that he was the God Summoner... Miss Danester should have fully confirmed it. After all, whenever a Chosen of Space appeared in a region, Shard would visit Mr. Edmund to inquire about folklore before the incident blew up.
Perhaps he previously thought of Shard as a student of the God Summoner, but he should have dismissed that notion in his way by now.
However, much like Miss Danester, Mr. Edmund never asked Shard about his exact relationship with the "God Summoner." Miss Danester probably didn’t want to ruin the simple teacher-student rapport, valued due to her missing teacher; Mr. Edmund, on the other hand, likely figured that knowing Shard was the God Summoner had no real meaning.
The Guiding Light Hermitage and the God Summoner were not adversaries and had little interest exchange; maintaining the status quo was good enough.
Shard spent an entire afternoon chatting with Mr. Edmund, learning that news of the apocalypse was still fermenting. Not everyone was convinced, and it certainly wasn’t something to be announced casually.
Fortunately, the world’s various calamities have only just begun, and the order of civilization remains quite stable. They still have time, though it may not be much, but they indeed have time.
As for fishing, Shard didn’t catch any fish until they were ready to head back to the old lighthouse on the sea cliff, bucket in hand.
He wasn’t particularly bothered by it, but the cat, once awake, had to saunter over to the bucket and take a glance, then look up at Shard.
At that moment, though Mia showed no sign of emotion, the Outlander distinctly felt he was being mocked.
[It’s your illusion.]
Feeling his pride pricked, Shard raised his hand, launching a Thunder Spear towards the distant sea surface, successfully flipping over a few fish in the shallows.
"Oh, you’ve scared off the fish now; it’s going to be even harder for me to fish later on! It’s normal not to catch fish; young people, don’t be so temperamental."
The old folklore scholar complained to Shard, then helped him pick up those fish.
Regarding the matter of the Hope Diamond, Shard also entrusted Mr. Edmund to help look for it. Whether it would be found was another matter, as even with the intelligence already in their possession, none of the numerous prophets in the Prophet’s Society have so far been able to gather further news on the Fate’s Pedestal.
From Coldwater Port, they obtained the "Withered Apple Core" from the romantic story "Green Apple Romance," from Huntington City, they procured the "King’s Pawn" from the horror story "Hart Lane Revenge," from Randall Valley, they acquired a white mask from the romantic story "Masked Baroness," and from Green Lake, they obtained a Bloodstained Dagger from the fairy tale "The Jester and the Swan."
In the Tobesk Region, they still couldn’t find a fitting antique, but searching in Midshire Fort proved much more promising.
Because, come Friday, Granny Cassandra and her group had already returned there.
Shard didn’t seek Granny Cassandra’s help actively; on Friday morning, even before he was fully awake, the cat’s "meow~" woke him up.
Even though he couldn’t understand Mia’s feline language, he could fully perceive the cat’s emotion from its voice. As expected, when he opened his eyes, he found Mia crouched by his pillow, looking up in annoyance towards the ceiling in the dim bedroom.
Shard followed her gaze upwards and saw two Red Butterflies flying, intertwining, and dancing unceasingly.
