Pushing open the door of the Bay Hotel in Hastings Port, the rush of dry, warm air mixed with the scent of tobacco and stew instantly dissipated the lingering, cold smell of the sea on Elias.
"Buzz—"
The moment he stepped into the lobby, his brain felt as if it had finally connected to a signal server.
The memory gap resurfaced like reefs appearing after a low tide.
So that was it.
He remembered now.
The point of memory stopped at dusk, just as he had stepped off that schooner and set foot on the solid ground of Hastings Port.
At that time, Captain Crowley had called out to him just as he was preparing to turn and leave.
"Kid, didn't you ask me what I needed help with?"
The old man puffed a cloud of thick smoke from his pipe.
"Yeah, weren't you the one being particular with me?"
"Insisting on some specific order for our transaction."
At the time, Elias had replied irritably.
Crowley didn't respond to Elias's nonsense. His shrewd, triangular eyes gleamed with a calculating light in the twilight as he continued:
"It's actually very simple. When you go home this time, stop by the Golden Rose and bring something back for me."
"It's a pendulum."
Standing in the hotel lobby, Elias suddenly froze, allowing the rainwater to drip from his clothes onto the carpet.
Elias realized that Captain Crowley's request was actually the same as that ghost, John!
John wanted him to go to Hope County to get something.
Crowley wanted him to go to the Golden Rose in Hope County to get a pendulum.
Of course, he hoped it was just a coincidence.
"What? Hope County actually has something that interests you?"
The Elias in his memory asked in confusion.
"It takes over five hours to get there by train..."
As he said this, Elias paused.
At that moment, he felt a strange sense of cognitive dissonance.
He suddenly realized that a five-hour journey didn't seem particularly far.
But for a local like Elias Rockland, in an era where transportation relied on steam locomotives and carriages, five hours was already a long-distance trip across a significant portion of the kingdom—a journey far from home.
From this, it was clear that the merging of souls wasn't just about reading memories; even common sense perceptions were subtly influencing his judgment.
He thought back to his previous life, where with that level of technology, just taking a regular green-skin train from South China to Central China would take at least a dozen hours.
If it were during the Spring Festival rush, one would have to stand on one leg for most of the night.
Yet in Velen, taking a puffing steam train from the westernmost coastline to the heart of the country took only five hours.
This was practically a stone's throw away.
"It might be far, but don't underestimate Captain Crowley's information network!"
Crowley threw an arm around his shoulder, his calloused hand slapping Elias's shoulder until it hurt, as he spoke boastfully.
"The problem is, if you only say the Golden Rose, how am I supposed to find it?"
Elias recalled his reaction at the time.
He bluntly pointed out the practical difficulties.
"The Golden Rose is a big place, isn't it? I have no idea how many guest rooms there are."
"I can't just go upstairs and knock on every door, asking who has your confounded pendulum."
"I'll be arrested by the police before I even find the thing!"
His brother, Arthur Rockland, was a policeman; wasn't this just inciting brotherly conflict?
Elias broke free from Captain Crowley's arm and spoke with a frown.
"Wouldn't that be great?"
Captain Crowley chuckled, the wrinkles on his face bunching together as he lit his pipe.
"Maybe when that door opens, you'll see something nice in the confusion?"
"Like a noble lady with no clothes on or something."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Elias said impatiently.
He didn't even forget to mock Old Edmond in his mind:
"I've finally met an old man more lecherous than you."
After the jab, Elias cut the connection, ignoring Old Edmond's indignant shouting.
That was right—he cut the connection.
Since advancing to Scale One on the island, he discovered that not only had his spirituality surged, but he had also gained control over his conscious domain.
He could now actively cut the mental channel between himself and Old Edmond.
This was much more convenient.
At least he didn't have to listen to Old Edmond's endless bragging and sarcasm in his head every day.
The memory continued to play out.
"Fine!"
Captain Crowley took a puff of smoke, dropping his playful demeanor.
"I'm done teasing you."
"You have no sense of humor, kid."
Elias grumbled inwardly; your jokes just aren't sophisticated!
On the other side, Captain Crowley continued.
"The man's name is Martin Miller. He's staying at the Golden Rose these few days."
"You can go find him and talk to him."
"Just mention my name, and he won't kill you."
"Are you sure?"
"Do you really have that much influence?"
Elias was still a bit uncertain.
Didn't this old man know that when someone hears such a guarantee, instead of feeling safe, they feel like the danger level has skyrocketed?!
If Captain Crowley was a high-Scale transcendent powerhouse, then the person who possessed what he needed definitely wouldn't be weak.
Even if they weren't a transcendent, they were at least a ruthless character.
And he was merely a small Scale One.
If things really came to blows, he'd be served up on a platter.
"I'm sure."
Crowley exhaled a smoke ring.
"Besides, how could there be no danger in asking for a favor?"
"Otherwise, how would our deal be valid?"
"High risk, high reward—that's the merchant's principle."
"?"
Elias was left speechless by the old man's logic.
Wasn't just running the errand already a risk?
You undignified old man, what on earth are you talking about!
"Fine, I'll make this trip for you."
At the time, Elias could only compromise, but he left himself a way out.
"But I don't guarantee I'll bring the thing back."
"If the other party is a cheapskate or pulls a knife, my life comes first."
"Then I simply won't give you the method to break the dream demon curse."
Crowley's face was smiling, but his answer was resolute.
Elias inwardly cursed the old man's mercenary nature.
However, at that moment, he also had a plan.
He could play both sides between the wandering soul John and this white-bearded captain.
If one side turned their back on him, he could still get the method to remove the dream demon curse from the other.
At the very least, he had options.
He could observe and see which job was less dangerous.
What if both of these guys wanted the same thing?
Wouldn't that be even better?
It would go to the highest bidder; whoever could give him the way to break the curse would get the item.
Betting on both sides—a guaranteed win!
"Don't worry, as long as you bring it back, the benefits won't be small."
Crowley saw his hesitation and began making empty promises.
"It's just a dream demon curse; breaking it isn't hard..."
Hearing this, Elias in the hotel lobby couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Because at that time, his reaction had been the same.
Looking at Captain Crowley's nonchalant attitude, Elias got annoyed and snapped back:
"If it's not hard, break it for me right now!"
"I can't break it, but I have connections."
Crowley gave a mysterious smile, his gaze sweeping over Elias from head to toe.
"Hey, aren't you following the Three-Phase Moon faith path?"
The old captain had a sharp eye, seeing through Elias's spiritual nature at a glance.
"What? Were you planning to wait until Scale Five to break the curse?"
"Otherwise?"
Elias wanted to hear what this guy had to say.
After hearing this, a strange expression appeared on Crowley's face.
It was the kind of pity one shows a fool.
"Who told you that breaking a curse requires Scale Five?"
Rate on N.U.
