Chapter 216 Clockwork
Li Wen walked slowly in the grey fog, the soles of her boots crunching on the fine gravel with a slight creak. She remained highly vigilant, her right hand on her dagger, ready to react to any visible danger. The warning of the evening bell still echoed in her ears—do not trust any sound, do not touch any object, and do not respond to any call.
However, unexpectedly, the journey was surprisingly peaceful; the anticipated dangers had not yet materialized.
The grey fog flowed around her like a veil, neither dense nor thin, maintaining a suitable line of sight.
The silence in this area was almost eerie. There were no twisted whispers, no lurking shadows, and even the grey fog itself seemed exceptionally docile, merely coiling silently at the edge of her boots. Li Wen’s footsteps echoed in the emptiness, each step feeling like a tread on the edge of the world.
After walking for an unknown duration, the grey fog suddenly dispersed without warning, like a curtain pulled aside by an invisible hand. At the end of the road, a low-lying building abruptly appeared. A wooden signboard swayed slightly in the windless air, painted with a faded gold image of a pocket watch.
A clock shop.
Li Wen squinted. This building was out of place amidst the surrounding dilapidated ruins, and even more so, it did not fit the era. Intricate gear patterns were carved into the oak door frame, and the brass doorknob was polished to a shine, as if frequently used. More bizarrely, she could hear a “tick-tock” sound from inside, not the regular rhythm of mechanical clocks, but like countless small creatures tapping their carapaces simultaneously.
This suddenly appearing clock shop was too abrupt, almost like a trap set specifically for her.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Wen pushed the door open.
A clear bell rang, and a stale scent mixed with pine and oil wafted towards her. The interior was much more spacious than the exterior. The four walls were hung with various clocks: the pendulum of a gilded grandfather clock was frozen at a ninety-degree angle, the numbers on the dials of bronze pocket watches were all misaligned, and there was even a doll clutching a broken hourglass, huddled in a corner. The hands of all the clocks were stopped at different times, like fragments of frozen time.
Of course, there were more than just clocks in this shop. The proprietor seemed to have a penchant for collecting oddities; those old and seemingly useless objects were boldly displayed on the shelves: a strangely shaped lantern with a lampshade made of some translucent bone, inside which a cold blue flame flickered; a black chessboard with twelve pawns arranged on it, each pawn’s head empty; a heavy book with a metal cover, emanating a dangerous aura that made it difficult to approach…
Li Wen looked at these items, somewhat stunned. She felt as if she had seen these objects somewhere before, but upon closer thought, she had no memory of them.
After a long period of contemplation, Li Wen reached for the metal book, intending to use the game panel to directly identify what it was…
“Do you need a watch repaired, customer?”
A young, childish voice suddenly came from behind the counter. Li Wen withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened and looked down to see a girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, standing on tiptoe, leaning on the glass counter. She wore an oversized, faded blue dress, and rusty wind-up keys were tucked behind her chestnut curly ears. The right side of her face was covered by a half-silver mask, revealing a left eye that was impossibly clear.
“Who are you?” Li Wen asked, wary. She was certain that the counter had been empty just moments before.
The outer districts of Amber City were settlements for exiles. Those who could appear here were long-lived individuals, followers of witches, and nobles of Amber City who had committed grave sins during the Golden Age.
“Heli.” The girl tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny. “And you?”
“Mephistopheles.” she replied curtly, her gaze sweeping around. “Is this your shop?”
Heli shook her head, the silver mask gleaming coldly in the dim light. “It’s Daddy’s. He went to collect new exhibits.”
She hopped over to an empty display cabinet, large enough to fit a person, “Look, the display cabinets are ready, I made them myself.”
This display cabinet was slightly larger than all the others. What would it be used to hold?
Li Wen didn’t ponder it further. A thought struck her, and she asked, “Who is your father?”
Heli blinked her exceptionally clear eyes, and the corner of her mouth under the silver mask turned up slightly. “Daddy is Daddy.”
Saying that, she stood on tiptoe and took out a brass pocket watch from behind the counter. The case was engraved with intricate gear patterns. “He always says time is the most precious gift, so we must cherish every minute and second.”
Li Wen’s gaze fell on the pocket watch. Its hands were turning slowly counter-clockwise. She subtly took half a step back, her right hand quietly gripping her dagger. “How long have you been here?”
“How long?” The girl tilted her head in thought, her curly hair swaying freely with the movement. “From the first tick of the clock to the last tick…”
She suddenly leaned closer to Li Wen, her clear pupils almost touching the latter’s cheek. “You have a familiar scent.”
Li Wen suppressed the urge to retreat, the power of twilight flowing in her veins, ready to enter Witch Form at any moment. “What scent?”
“Like the oil in Daddy’s ‘workshop’. The ashes produced after it burns have this scent.” Heli took a deep breath, a look of intoxication on her face. “How strange. Did you secretly enter there at some point? That’s a very dangerous place.”
The temperature in the shop suddenly dropped. The clocks on the wall emitted a harsh scraping sound simultaneously, their hands spinning wildly. The frozen fragments of time seemed to have suddenly come alive. Li Wen’s dagger was already drawn, its cold glint tracing an arc in the dim shop.
“Don’t be nervous.” Heli took a few steps back, holding up her hands in a gesture of harmlessness. “I just smelled the ashes on your cloak. That’s a specialty of the outer districts; everyone who returns from the grey fog gets a little on them.” She pointed to the hem of Li Wen’s Emerald Star Cloak, where some grey powder had indeed attached itself at some point.
“Is your father ‘Short Needle’?” Li Wen frowned.
“Mm…” Heli put on a pained, thoughtful expression, then, as if recalling something, said happily, “Some people have called him that, but more people call him ‘The Clockmaker’!”
Indeed, Li Wen hadn’t expected her trip to be so smooth. Without encountering any danger, she had directly found the most crucial person in this perilous outer district.
“You said your father went out, so when will he be back?” Li Wen continued to press. “I have something very important to find him for.”
Heli didn’t answer immediately. She climbed onto the counter with effort, teasing a metal cage meant for a pet. Inside the cage was an unusually plump guinea pig, wearing a strange red kerchief around its neck. It looked extremely foolish, squeaking as the little girl teased it with small snacks.
“When the hands point to the correct position, Daddy will naturally return.” Heli merely gave a mysterious smile.
