Chapter 109: The Time Bracelet

The sky was as gloomy and dark as ever.

Snowflakes kept falling, a continuous light snow that persisted every day.

Only when the next wave of cold air from the north swept down would a blizzard arrive.

In the dark alley opposite Deep爵 Castle.

Gunie, wearing a thick hat and with his collar raised to cover his face, trod on the soft snow that was over a meter deep.

In the past, he could walk without leaving a trace.

But today, every step Gunie took left a clear footprint.

The reason was that Gunie was wearing the "Purple Scale Chainmail," which weighed over 150 jin.

Having advanced to the second rank, Gunie's physical body had also been strengthened by the writhing flesh.

Naturally, he could bear the weight of the over-150-jin Purple Scale Chainmail. Although it slightly affected his agility, compared to its powerful defense and cushioning ability, this drawback was negligible.

Passing through the alley, at the exit on the opposite street, Gunie saw George waiting nearby.

George's expression was very calm.

"Follow me."

George's voice was low, but Gunie could hear it.

Casually hailing a carriage, the two climbed in one after another.

"To the steel mill," George said to the coachman.

Clop, clop...

The carriage started quickly with the sound of hooves.

George immediately deployed his nullification interference barrier.

"This is the Time Bracelet."

George turned his hand and handed over a bracelet strung with five glass beads.

Gunie took the Time Bracelet and examined it carefully.

These five glass beads, like the glass ball George had given him before, each contained an hourglass, with the black cord split into two strands passing around the hourglass on both sides.

The hourglasses were empty. Perhaps what flowed within them was time, which he could not see.

"The craftsmanship is quite exquisite," Gunie commented inwardly.

"This Time Bracelet is filled with the power of time. It can let you out of the Hunting Layer, but it cannot let you in."

"Being able to get out is enough," Gunie nodded.

"The five time hourglasses allow you to leave five times."

"At the same time, these time hourglasses can not only let you leave the Hunting Layer but also allow you to break free from other layers and return to reality."

"Even the Shadow World?" Gunie asked.

"That's the easiest layer," George replied affirmatively.

"Then this is indeed a fine treasure," Gunie smiled.

"For a supernatural who can travel through deep layers, it might not be much."

"Of course, the most important point is that this time hourglass can collect the time that has passed through you and slowly replenish itself."

"Oh?" This time, Gunie couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

"Reusable?"

"Yes."

"A very good item. Thank you," Gunie said.

This Time Bracelet, which could collect time on its own and be reused, was indeed a fine treasure.

Then, George asked softly.

"Also... how is your source energy breathing?"

"You should know that in the Shadow Layer, and even in the Hunting Layer, normal air breathing is impossible."

"There is only thin source energy there. You need to master deep-level source energy breathing to move freely and even fight there."

When George said this, Gunie laughed.

"Even before I became a supernatural, I had already trained myself to breathe source energy through my cells."

"As for the lung breathing I now display, you can consider it a decoration."

"Completely free from physical breathing?" George was taken aback.

"Yes," Gunie did not hide anything.

When preparing potions, lung breathing could cause fluctuations in muscle mass, affecting the precise proportions.

Therefore, during potion refinement, Gunie would completely abandon lung breathing and rely solely on source energy breathing, allowing him to achieve ultimate control over the mixing ratios.

The function of lung breathing had long been a decoration for Gunie.

"That's very good," George nodded with narrowed eyes.

Then George lowered his voice and continued.

"I've found out that the second-rank Death Beast will undergo its transformation tonight."

"After lunch, we need to enter the Hunting Layer in advance."

"You've never been to the deep layers."

"So I need to take you there early to adapt, so that during the battle, you can perform at your full strength."

"Otherwise, if you rush into battle, you might not even be able to use ten percent of your power."

The deep layers of the world framework were indeed different from the real world, and Gunie was well aware of this.

"Indeed, I need to enter early to adapt to some extent," Gunie nodded.

"The iron smelting plant has thick supernatural characteristics, which can easily mask abnormal fluctuations. Entering from there won't be detected."

"Mm," Gunie responded with a slight nod.

...

At noon, inside a small restaurant near the steel factory.

Gunie and George had just finished a simple lunch.

A large number of steel factory workers had already gotten off work, and workers from several factories flooded into this area.

These workers, wearing old work clothes, looked a bit dirty, but their mental state was different from the numb stiffness of starving vagrants.

The two walked along the snow on the roadside, and George lowered his voice.

"After the Empire enacted the 'Labor Protection Law,' the working environment and income of laborers have improved."

"Although there are still many problems, it is much better than a dozen years ago."

Gunie nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Having carefully read almost every issue of the Supernatural Daily, Gunie naturally knew that after steam machinery factories were established across the Empire, the Empire had indeed made efforts to protect the interests of the working laborers.

Gunie had even heard that some nobles who did not comply with the labor laws had been punished.

And the effect was obvious.

At least during this heavy snow that sealed the mountains, in the border town of Sugg Ruins, these working laborers had a place to rest and enough to eat and drink.

Even in the chaotic Blacktu District, there weren't many vagrants.

Compared to inland areas, in the coastal regions, the Empire had enacted the 'Navigation Act.' As long as ships paid a small customs duty, they would be protected by the navy's steel giants.

They were eligible to enter the great voyages, following the routes opened by the Empire into the deep sea for long-distance exploration. All gains from exploration belonged to the exploring ships themselves.

This led to an extremely high enthusiasm for the current Age of Sail.

"Woo..."

At this moment, the exhaust sound of the steam furnace at the nearby steel mill rang out.

The roar of the steam boiler, as large as a room, could be clearly heard several kilometers away, and large clouds of steam rose up.

Gunie rubbed his fingers slightly, pondering inwardly.

The Yulan Empire, driving steel machinery powered by steam, was in a period of rising prosperity.

And those heretics wanted to destroy all this and restore the ignorant rule of the church, the divine and supreme imperial rule.

Even from this Death Beast, Gunie could clearly see the true faces of those strange and mysterious powerful beings.

They were utterly cold and indifferent to life. If such people ruled the world, it would be even more bloody and ruthless than the rule of the theocratic church. At that time, the whole world would become their "flesh ranch" to be harvested at will.

"Barbarian Saint, those northern barbarians, and the evil cults that have already stirred up waves in the deep sea—can you withstand the giant steel machinery that carries the new tide of the era and emits a loud roar?" Gunie murmured softly.