Chapter 74: The Third Day's Ordeal

To anyone who sees this narration.

[A special type Calamity Object have been manifesting within the vicinity of your bastion_]

I hope you all have a good day.

[Attempting to analyze its property and identity_]

This is Narcissus.

And I'm proceeding with the third Ordeal that I shall engulf this part of Carcosa for 24 hours.

With the collapsed Fortcracker Mk II on my back, the Gloamkeeper's Beacon strapped to my hip belt, and a single Stormhook on my hand.

—

[The Eternal Refrain]

[Description: The Eternal Refrain is a time anomaly where reality enters a loop. At random, everything within a specific radius resets to a moment five minutes before the event begins. It is nearly imperceptible to those caught inside, but each loop subtly erases a fragment of memory, leaving only a lingering sense of déjà vu]

[Hint: There is nothing more reassuring than the gentle whisk of time, drawing a child near to their doom]

—

It seemed like today's ordeal will be something different than usual.

Even though I forced myself to finish at least one craft made from the precious Silent Fragments that was acquired from the Silent Bell in just one hour, it seemed like the grand appetizer of the night wouldn't be anything that can be dealt with physically.

Then again, the last two days barely gave us any kind of special Calamity Object that could be dealt with brute force.

[Stormhook (Masterpiece 100%) - 6.5 kg]: The Stormhook is a masterwork billhook crafted not only for deadly close-quarters combat but also engineered to serve as a reusable bolt for the Fortcracker Mk II. The weapon is forged from the organic alloys of various Calamity Objects, with its core infused with Silent Fragments, remnants of the enigmatic Silent Bell.

These fragments lend the Stormhook a unique, soundless lethality.

When in use, whether cutting through enemies or being launched from a ballista, the weapon generates no noise—its every strike and impact eerily devoid of sound.

The hook's crescent blade is sharpened to perfection through arcane means, capable of cleaving through armor and flesh with ease, while the polearm's shaft is reinforced to handle immense force without compromising its integrity. Designed with a specialized aerodynamic structure, the Stormhook can fly true when launched, piercing walls or heavily armored targets with silent precision]

It was inspired by the design of a Billhook, which was originally an agricultural tool.

The English billhook or bill for short, was used as a melee weapon for English soldiers during the late medieval period. The weapon has a traditional head with a blade that curves outward, a vertical spike on top and a shorter horizontal spike on the back of the blade.

It was similar to halberd, but instead of a spear point and an axe blade on one side, a billhook typically has a curved, hook-like blade on one side, designed for cutting and pulling. The blade often has a sharp edge on the inside of the curve and may feature additional spikes or cutting edges.

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As for my design, there were four eight spikes in total, adorning the spear point and the sickle-like blade.

At times like this, I wonder why I was named Narcissus and not Hephaestus instead. These dexterous hands were fitted to perform delicate and complex craftsmanship without any complication, and they were destroying all hurdles so far.

Though this makes me wonder, if Carcosa has its version of Hephaestus that I could meet somewhere in the future.

If that was the case, I wonder if Hephaestus and I could be good friends in blacksmithing.

"You should have rested between that last one hour instead of squeezing yourself to bother us, animaphage," Verina quipped to Kuzunoha.

"Did you forget that Narcissus also gave me some tasks within that timeline? Then again, I supposed I should be amazed that you can even remember anything in the slightest with that hot brain of yours." Kuzunoha playfully smirked.

Verina indifferently scoffed, "You're barely occupied by your task for more than ten minutes, though."

Ever since the hexing incident, Kuzunoha had been walking very funnily. She would often try her best to hide that fact, but it seemed like even Verina noticed it.

It didn't change the fact that it was her consequence for being greedy. This reminded me that Kuzunoha was also technically the first person that Narcissus' gave her innocence to.

I also got a lot of scratching wounds on my back, which prompted quite the aggressive reaction from Verina back then.

Other than that, I tested to see if either Kuzunoha and Verina noticed what kind of special type of Calamity Object that we would be facing today throughout the entire night, before giving them the actual answer.

"There is a great unease within the passing of time," Kuzunoha answered with her usual confidence. "I can see that there will be some section of reality that will have its time distorted from time to time. Don't worry about me, darling, I had already experienced something worse~"

"What is your worst experience so far"

"Being defiled by you~" Kuzunoha said with a cheeky grin.

"You're just playing around."

It might be best to not focus much on Kuzunoha's wellbeing, considering that she might be older than the land itself, despite being a dumbass sometimes.

It reminded me a lot of those ancient figure tropes when it comes to fantasy stories, of an eccentric human-like figure that oozed knowledge but still acting childish despite their insurmountable age and experience.

Then again, most of the old people I met back in the real world can act like an irresponsible child time to time.

"There is a great psionic distress in the air, but I can't really grasp what might be happening," Verina answered my question regarding her understanding of today's special type Calamity Object. "I'm somewhat familiar with this kind of phenomenon, so I could somewhat avoid the time and place where the unruly event happened."

"Hmm, not bad." I couldn't help but smile when I knew that both of my precious allies in this bastion were capable enough to know what was up without my interference. "Throughout the night, there will be a time-related anomaly that will be imperceptible to those who are caught in it. Always be on your guard."

"I think I know the reason why you asked us separately about this." Verina removed more distance between us.

"Hmm? And that is?"