Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 769 - : Ferryman

Chapter 769 -769: Ferryman

“Five!”

A thunderous blast echoed from the sky, the clarity of which was the first Shard heard in the Interstice. Then, dozens of pitch-black light beams, like light rain, fell straight down from the dense fog above.

Shard did not bother with his injuries and immediately dodged, but the black light rain also began to move with him.

“Four!”

His nose twitched as Shard smelled the floral scent from the bedroom, he was about to leave. The dark scythe swept in from the front again, and with the light rain trailing behind, Shard couldn’t evade at all. If he stopped to defend, he would probably be continuously attacked by the light rain until he was powerless.

“There’s no other way.”

The last power of the Red Butterfly was completely absorbed into his body, Shard’s pace stalled for a moment, and then he exploded into a swarm of Red Butterflies soaring into the sky.

“Three!”

But the butterflies did not fly far, the master of the Maze Lock suppressed high-altitude flight and forcefully pressed Shard back to the ground, restoring his human form. Shard was actually grateful that Barton did this, for a moment, he almost thought he was the collective consciousness of the Red Butterfly Swarm.

“Indeed, one shouldn’t rely too much on the power of a Relic…”

The black light rain followed closely, as Joey Barton slowly drifted over. He was holding a black sphere in his hand, which was expanding. Shard had a premonition that once that black sphere exploded, even the shield of the Soul Ring and the state of False Immortality combined would probably not save him from his injuries.

“Two!”

Someone was shaking Shard’s shoulders, and in his half-asleep state, Shard’s consciousness seemed to split into two.

“Mr. Watson, this is the power I’ve grasped in the Interstice. To delve so deep into death, to touch death so closely, I understood what Termination truly means.”

Barton’s voice seemed to come from afar, yet he was so close. The unique growth environment gave him more Talent than Iluna and Daknis, plus the power of the Interstice, this battle was as dangerous as the decisive fight with Daknis:

“Must each encounter with The Chosen One be tougher than the last?”

Running, Shard clasped his hands together, then pulled them apart fiercely, slashing the Silvermoon Arc towards the man flying low.

“I bestow upon you—”

The black sphere shattered, and time seemed to stop at that moment, darkness descended, and everything around seemed pushed to its end, signifying the point of termination:

“—the Death of Destiny!”

“Wake up!”

The sensation of cold water being poured over him snapped Shard awake from his frozen consciousness and out of his dream:

“Oh!”

Gasping for air, he opened his eyes, breathing heavily, relishing the joy of vibrant life. Then he coughed violently, hacking up blood from his lungs.

Cold water slid down his cheeks, indeed someone had poured water on Shard’s face.

He was back in the basement of the Cassandra Auction House, propped up with one hand, sitting on a soft four-poster bed. The surrounding black curtains had been drawn back. Miss Aphrola sat beside the bed holding Shard’s left hand, and Granny Cassandra, looking anxious, clutched a Red Butterfly Pendant, apparently planning to seek help from Grace and Helen.

As for the apprentice of the Old Witch, Miss Rita Swift, she stood at the head of the bed with an empty bowl, smiling at Shard with a somewhat embarrassed look.

The water was splashed by her.

With the fireplace relit, the shadow of the old witch projected onto the bed. The sound of maids moving about breathed life into the world, reacquainting Shard’s cold soul with the warmth of reality.

Taking deep breaths, Shard could still feel the sensation of ultimate death that had enveloped everything at the last moment in the dream. He believed Joey Barton couldn’t have used that move without a price, but even he did not wish to confront such a scene ever again.

Looking down at his right hand, the doctor’s Black Crystal Amulet had shattered. All three Relic Rings in his left hand were intact, but the chaotic whisper elements signaled that they were on the verge of losing control.

Shard quickly took off the rings, and the waiting female sorcerers took them and urgently transported them to the containment room on the other side of the basement.

“Shard, how are you feeling now?”

Miss Aphrola asked with concern. Shard shook his head:

“The situation is bad, very bad. Without a targeted plan, I’m afraid the church won’t have much advantage.”

He briefly mentioned the events that transpired in the Interstice dream, emphasizing Joey Barton’s gradual integration of the Unclassified Level Relic “Interstice of Life and Death” by relying on the Chosen One’s talent and the knowledge acquired from the Truth Society:

“He even managed to unlock the Maze Lock ‘Interstice of Life and Death’ within the Interstice. With the two combined, it’s hard to imagine how to defeat him. And that last move, the Death of Destiny… an indiscriminate widespread attack that engulfs the area within it, anyone with the ability to dodge Instant Death will still be pushed to the end… It’s terrifying, I cannot fathom how a mere mortal can achieve this extent.”

Miss Rita Swift handed Shard a towel, and he wiped the water from his face. Miss Aphrola’s hands were passing warmth to Shard, and he felt a bit better:

“However, it is certain that Barton is indeed trying to enter true death through one of the three pathways and then find the Lost Soul he’s searching for within death.”

“The mid-mountain passage is guarded by us and Sister Delphine, and the mountaintop has the church and the Phoenix. Does he intend to pass through the door at the mountain base?”

Miss Aphrola guessed:

“After all, you encountered him near the Nature Chapel in the Interstice.”

“That may only be to distract the church’s attention. He just used the Maze Lock, and the spirits guarded in the chapel noticed as well, not to mention, the church that you mentioned entering the Interstice to find him. I think we’ll soon receive news from the Church of the Five Gods. So, there’s a possibility he might use any of the three pathways…”

After hesitating for a moment, he added:

“The Chosen of Balance stays at the chapel down the mountain. Moreover, the local church has three Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers, and the Three Great Magics Academies have one, so even if spread out, there is a Thirteen-Ring sorcerer at one passage.”

“No, the church’s three Thirteen-Ring sorcerers should all be on the mountain; the ritual needs them,” said Granny Cassandra, and even the usually cheerful old witch now wore a look of worry:

“Regardless, the final moment seems to be coming. It would appear that the ritual, rather than being today on Tuesday, will be tomorrow, Wednesday evening… Shard, what are you planning to do tomorrow?”

Shard blinked:

“Since Midshire Fort is so dangerous tomorrow, I plan to stay in Tobesk and wait for your good news.”

“That lie is quite clumsy.”

Miss Aphrola chuckled:

“Anyway, whatever you decide to do, be careful.”

She could never have guessed what Shard’s real aim was.

An hour of Shard’s dreaming equated to the passing of most of the day in the real world.

It was Tuesday noon when the witches invited Shard to join them for lunch, but having other matters to attend to, Shard declined the invitation. Before he left Cassandra Auction House, Granny Cassandra handed him a somewhat rusty Red Butterfly Pendant, which was complete, and had the Whisper Element attached:

“The teachers are still in their rooms, and they probably won’t be able to move around freely until tomorrow or the day after. Now that the Interstice is on the verge of collapsing, they dare not go out and risk catalyzing a disaster. Shard, this is an item crafted by the teachers; it allows you to temporarily harness some of the Red Butterfly’s power. But unless absolutely necessary, do not use it lightly, for the power attached to it is too formidable.”

“Grace and Helen… ”

Granny Cassandra couldn’t possibly know what Shard intended to do, but the twin girls probably guessed that Shard would re-enter the Interstice tomorrow.

After bidding farewell to the two witches, Shard once again went to the Sun Cathedral in the Midshire Fort Parish, and after much effort, he finally met Iluna.

He informed the seventeen-year-old girl of the situation in his dreams, emphasizing the Maze Lock and the Death of Destiny, and reminded her to be cautious. At the same time, Shard learned that today the Church of Nature would send a squad into the Interstice, with an average Level of 8.

Neither Shard nor Iluna were optimistic about their chances.

After writing a letter to Sister Delphine at the House of the Blind, he returned to Tobesk. By the time he got home, it was already evening, and Shard, holding someone else’s cat, waited on the first floor of the Prophet’s Society for Luviya to finish work, and then the two went to a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for dinner together.

Luviya quietly listened as Shard recounted the day’s events, and only after he finished did she ask softly,

“So after returning home, you’ll prepare your travel gear, then go to Midshire Fort, and wait for the church ceremony to begin tomorrow?”

“Yes, when the church ceremony starts, it’s the moment when the guardianship power of the three passages is most dispersed. Joey Barton will most likely make his move then. I will delve into the Interstice with this body instead of entering through dreams. In the Interstice, I will witness Joey Barton’s end.”

Shard sliced at the steak on his plate:

“Since he neither wants to turn back nor is willing to, I can only regard him as an enemy. Fortunately, with the Night Watchman in hand, facing the Maze Lock again, I am confident. Together with Iluna, there shouldn’t be much of a problem this time.”

Despite his relaxed tone, Luviya understood how perilous this was.

The girl with purple eyes had put on light makeup especially to dine out with Shard; now she pursed her lips and said: frёewebηovel.cѳm

“You chose the church at the foot of the mountain instead of the one at the summit? Why?”

With the fork in his hand, Shard lined up three pieces of steak parallel in the plate, while Mia Cat looked on expectantly:

“Priest Augustus is now at the summit, Sister Delphine follows the witches to the middle of the mountain, isn’t the remaining answer quite obvious? Moreover, Iluna is at the foot of the mountain, and even if it were just to ensure her safety, I couldn’t go elsewhere.”

“Does she need your protection?”

In a soft voice, Luviya spoke, swaying her glass of red wine under the gas lamp, the burgundy liquid casting a mesmerizing hue:

“I really hate this feeling of waiting, waiting for you to return from your adventure.”

“Since this evening’s Starry Sky Whale hasn’t appeared, it will definitely appear tomorrow night. While waiting for me to return, you can complete the big event of the Astronomy College for this autumn, so the process isn’t boring.”

Shard sighed:

“Actually, I also really want to see such legendary creatures, but unfortunately, tomorrow night, I will most likely be in the Interstice.”

“You know, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Luviya shook her head, looked down and sifted through her handbag to find the Divination Cards, then pushed them towards Shard signaling him to draw one:

“Same old rules, let me divinate for you before you set off, my knight.”

Shard nodded, first swatting away Mia’s reaching paw, then he drew one from the middle:

“Ferryman.”

The card displayed an endless river with only half of a massive moon floating above the water’s surface. A robed ferryman paddled toward the moon.

He placed the card face up on top of the deck before returning the cards to Luviya:

“Then, what does this card mean?”

“You will become an important Pathfinder, guiding someone significant and receiving a reward for it—this is the most basic interpretation of the card.”

“And the other meanings?”

Luviya shook her head, saying nothing. Shard could see her mood was poor, but he also understood her thoughts at that moment. The three had agreed to witness everything together, yet once again, it was Shard and Iluna who faced the situation, while Luviya could only wait in silence.

“Iluna told me today she will be back in Tobesk by the weekend and she has invited us for dinner and an opera. Are we still going to the Draleon Royal Opera House? Perhaps we could change the venue this time.”

He laughed, changing the subject, as a waiter pushed a cart towards them, serving clam chowder. Shard loosened the button on his dress shirt sleeve and gestured for Luviya to look:

“Look.”

Sticking his finger into the cuff, he then “twisted” out of his sleeve a somewhat withered red rose:

“For you, Luviya.”

The young waiter beside them thought it was a magic trick, while the girl with purple eyes noticed it was the effect of the Arcane Technique “Toy Creation.”

She took the flower, managing a slight smile. Shard leaned back, resting slightly against the chair, his gaze moving from the beautiful girl at his table to the crystal chandelier hanging above the upscale restaurant.

The light was beautiful, and so very pretty.

[How many flowers did you buy from that flower girl?]

A murmur reached his ears.

“Seven.”

Shard remembered clearly.

[How many have you given away now?]

“Iluna, Queen Diana, Miss Galina, Tifa, Luviya—I’ve given away five.”

[Who do you plan to give the remaining ones to?]

The light made Shard’s eyes shine brightly, and many ladies in the vicinity were sneaking glances at him. Luviya also looked across the table with the flower in hand at the young man smiling back at her.

Sometimes, the girl with purple eyes could hardly believe her luck to have met this young detective who loved cats.

“Not all of those flowers were roses. As for who I plan to give them to…”

His right hand instinctively reached toward his chest, touching it lightly before pulling out a handkerchief. The gesture was so natural no one could notice anything amiss.

Only “she” was smiling softly, “she” always did.