Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Josh the High Priest was really dumb. If no one helped him, he would die.

The writer sister was very weak. If no one helped her, she would be in great pain.

Following her fellow vagrants, she felt very lonely. If no one helped them, they would have no home.

Gwen walked forward alone. One after another, translucent figures gradually emerged around her. They surrounded her, and the little girl slowly revealed a smile.

She had been a withdrawn child since young. She always longed for friends, but could never make any.

Being kind to others out of one-sided desire couldn’t bring about friendship. It only made everything worse.

She had known this since she was small.

So, she learned to keep her distance from those she liked.

The farther she stayed, the better the relationship became. Without contact, there would be no hatred.

Besides, she still had many friends that only she could see to keep her company.

Strange, she clearly attracted cats, dogs, and other small animals quite easily.

〖Why think about all this? What do their opinions of you matter? You consider them friends—but what do they have to do with you?〗

The little Gwen leaned on her longsword, expression cold.

〖Exactly, exactly. You only need to protect them in secret. Isn’t that super cool? A lone figure walking in the darkness.〗

〖Uh, why does that sound a little embarrassing?〗

Her friends started chattering again. Gwen tightened the tattered cloak around her and skillfully avoided the patrols of the Mystics, slipping out quietly.

The order in Blood Harbor had been restored quite a bit. In the lower city, it meant more people hurrying along the streets. The gangs and cultists had greatly diminished.

That prince hadn’t dealt much with the cultists, but had come down hard on the underground gangs.

Now that many could find work to survive, and the suffering were aided by the Life Mother Church, the city had gradually begun to calm down.

—No, not really calm.

Gwen suddenly stopped and looked toward an alley in the distance.

She thought she saw a figure flash by.

Gwen recognized her. She was an Extraordinary from Castel, the one who stayed with the writer sister, known as Granny.

When the Life Mother Church launched their rebellion, Granny had come alone to find Josh. If Gwen hadn’t seen her before at the writer’s place, she would have attacked immediately.

Fortunately, her friends had stopped her and told her to observe first.

Castel’s writer sister was from Castel, after all.

Gwen had heard that name many times. It seemed to be a lonely island far across the sea.

She didn’t care about some lonely island. She only cared about her friends. Watching Granny’s figure vanish into the distance, Gwen moved through the shadows and quickly arrived at the manor in the upper city.

Many of the houses here had been damaged. Some nearby noble homes had been burned to ruins during the rebellion, but the fire had courteously stopped before reaching the Castel people’s estate. Not even the flowers in the courtyard were touched.

Avoiding the Holy Guard’s open and hidden posts, Gwen lightly landed on the roof, then flipped down onto the balcony, crouching by the window and peering inside.

The writer sister was upstairs, lying over her desk writing something.

Gwen stood on the balcony, hesitating for a moment.

“You guys say, how should I help her?” she murmured, as if talking to herself.

〖Don’t worry about her. Let her hit a few walls—she’ll grow on her own. You can’t protect her forever.〗

Little Gwen still looked cold, but her gaze toward Zoe wasn’t.

〖How about helping her become a little stronger? If she also becomes an Extraordinary, she’ll be able to go into the lower city alone, right?〗

Gwen shook her head. “No, becoming an Extraordinary isn’t a good thing. I don’t know why, but everyone says so. Scepter wouldn’t lie to me.”

〖What’s bad about it? We can talk to you now!〗

〖Exactly! Gwen, you were always alone before. It made my heart ache to see.〗

Little Gwen didn’t speak. She only quietly met Gwen’s gaze. The girl’s already-grown-up figure was her answer.

If she had never come into contact with the supernatural, how could she appear in front of “herself”?

Gwen flusteredly tried to comfort her friends. “Alright, alright, I know you’re all great… but I still think this isn’t right.”

She pressed herself against the window, watching the girl bent over her desk writing feverishly.

She was her friend, while Gwen to her was just a stranger—friends were supposed to be like that. Yet today, something extra stirred unexpectedly in her heart.

〖If you don’t want to go against a friend’s will, then just change the approach.〗

A snow-white unicorn lightly shook its fur. It quietly looked at Gwen.

Gwen blinked, then showed a suddenly enlightened expression. “Didn’t she want to understand the Life Mother Church? I could go check it out for her. If they’re good, then we can be friends. If they’re not…”

Her gaze turned resolute. “Then I’ll eliminate them. As long as I take care of all the enemies, none of my friends will get hurt!”

Gwen smiled again. She gave Zoe one last look, then slipped down from the windowsill, chatting with her friends as she walked out of the upper city.

Zoe suddenly raised her head with a strange feeling, looking around in confusion and scratching her head.

“Strange, why do I feel like someone’s watching me? That’s impossible, Granny’s here...”

She felt like she had gotten too sensitive. Ever since the Link, she had become more and more paranoid—this couldn’t be good. Could that Link have side effects?

The Holy Guard remained still. Granny, sitting inside the room, quietly sipped her tea.

On the other side, Gwen quickly passed through the boundary between upper and lower city, heading toward the northern part of Blood Harbor.

Along the way, the buildings grew increasingly dilapidated, the roads rougher, turning from urban streets into the slums.

But the people here looked more energetic than before.

Their faces were rosy. Occasionally a few would chat, and sometimes someone would suddenly drop to their knees, murmuring to themselves, not caring if their clothes got muddy, devoutly bowing.

Gwen furrowed her brows.

She vaguely felt something was wrong. Though these people’s energy had improved, something… seemed missing.

Was this the “soul” that Scepter mentioned?

Gwen seemed to be able to see souls, just like how she saw her friends. Her friends also quieted down, watching the surroundings with guarded eyes.

Suddenly, Gwen stopped walking. A robed figure had appeared before her, blocking her path.

Gwen looked up. The person pulled down her hood—a thin woman, still quite young. Gwen remembered her.

High Priestess of the Life Mother Church—Mira.