Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1709 - 1708: Avalanche

"Although he encountered a strange and powerful traveler, the Traveler under the Moon relied on his cat-like voice to finally let the other party recognize that he was an old friend. ’Oh, isn’t this Miss Marques?’ the traveler said. ’Oh, it’s you, long time no see!’ the witch said. They hugged tightly, pouring out their mutual longing and affection. Not even blizzards and severe cold could hinder their passion at this moment."

It was clearly just an ordinary hug, yet described by the deity as if something extraordinary had happened. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Shard, Shard Hamilton!"

The regret of not stating his name last time was immediately filled by Shard, and the witch let go of him, yet still held his hand.

She looked up into Shard’s eyes:

"Shard, where are you now? Why do I feel that you and your cat are not really here?"

Chloe’s right hand intertwined with Shard’s fingers, her left hand caressing his face. Clearly, he was right in front of her, the touch felt incredibly real, yet Chloe distinctly felt as if he was thousands of miles away:

"Even though you’re right before me, this distant feeling... where are you?"

She was a Demigod Witch, the most powerful mortal in the Material World, even if she couldn’t entirely perceive the "Story of the God of the Journey," she could at least sense something amiss.

Thereupon, the traveler, with his back to the campfire, continued to tell his story with a smile:

"The witch asked her old friend why he appeared so suddenly. And the Traveler under the Moon pondered whether to tell the girl in front of him about the group’s collective journey. If he told her, then the witch - Chloe Marcus Marquez would also join the story, becoming one of the travelers; if he didn’t, they would pass each other by."

The deity reminded him, though the real Chloe in the snow mountain obviously couldn’t hear His voice.

Shard had already made his decision. He gazed at the girl before him, their breaths mixing entirely as their noses and mouths exhaled warm air. His gaze was so earnest, it even made Chloe blush when they locked eyes:

"I’m involved in dangerous activities and I’m nearing the end. If I told you, you would be drawn into it."

"Are you climbing to greater heights?"

Chloe, suppressing her shyness, asked while looking into his eyes. The "Witch’s Scent" perfume on her was a cold, elegant fragrance.

"Yes."

Chloe tiptoed again, this time kissing Shard directly. It was a deep kiss, and even a Demigod Witch blushed furiously after it ended:

"That is my answer. Please, tell me where you truly are. I also intended to climb higher, let me journey with you once more, just like when we first met. This time, allow me to help you, and if necessary, you may even drink my blood."

She masked her inner joy, while the seated brown-haired witch, Miss Aleira Andriana, pursed her lips and darted her eyes around, not expecting such an interesting story on this trip.

"Alright, follow me."

So Shard took her hand, stepping back a pace, fully entering the campfire’s glow within the Lostwoods:

"I am undertaking a seven-day trip with my companions, and now, it is the sixth night’s evening. Chloe, would you like to join our travel group?"

He had confidence that this time the Time Key posed no danger, daring then to involve Chloe. As Shard’s words fell, the deity’s voice continued:

"The Traveler under the Moon extended an invitation to his old friend, to which the new traveler gladly agreed. She invited you into her camp; the night was long, through your narration, she understood your story."

Chloe felt a moment of daze, then suddenly looked around, seeing the foggy forest scenery surrounding her. The snow mountain scene blurred like a wet oil painting, with the foggy forest forming amidst those strange colors.

This peculiar environment made her feel as if she’d returned again to the Land of Trials in the Silver Mountains, and the warmth in her palm proved the man’s true arrival at her side. This was the real warmth, a warmth capable of warming the soul in a icy world, absolutely beyond imitation by other means.

Before Shard could explain the past and present events, Chloe already grasped the gist of this place. Hence, the top card of the deck flew to her, representing Miss Chloe Marcus Marquez’s traveler identity, surprisingly the silver cat she transformed into when she jumped into Shard’s embrace in the Silver Mountains to keep warm.

Although Shard’s and Chloe’s transformed cats both had silver fur, it was easy to distinguish the different gendered cats by their size; Shard’s cat was larger. Also, representing Chloe, the cat’s fur color resembled snow lit by the sun, while Shard’s transformed cat embodied more the hue of Silvermoon.

"Deity."

The Demigod Witch noticed the truth about the dusty traveler sitting with his back to the campfire, so she respectfully greeted the deity.

Following this, the witch Aleira Andriana and the maid Clara, both from Zaras Academy, greeted the Demigod Witch of the Academy. The maid maintained her elegance, having undergone professional training, but Miss Andriana had not, so she tried hard to control her expression.

The scene of a Demigod Witch tightly embracing and even kissing a man was something unseen elsewhere.

Shard resettled on his cushion and took out a new one for Chloe to sit beside him. She placed the cushion closer to Shard, then leaned against him, holding his hand and resting her head on his shoulder. The unexpected reunion had made her care little about her original intentions.

She knew Shard couldn’t possibly stay forever this time either. The sense of detachment from Space-Time around him was almost identical to the last time. For twenty years, she had tried countless times and delved into the man’s origins. As long as she confirmed he could still appear, there would be another chance for reunion. For now, all she needed was to enjoy the momentary warmth and indulge in the joy of their encounter.

The bard continued to record with pen and paper, while the witch and the maid, though curious about the relationship between Shard and the Demigod Witch Emperor, didn’t dare to inquire directly. Because of this unexpected event, both their moods improved considerably.

The sixth day of the journey officially ended, resuming the team of five travelers and welcoming the dawn of the final day.

"The addition of the new traveler ’Silver Cat’ with a common destination brought joy to everyone. This is an experienced traveler with some spellcasting ability, adept at navigating complex and harsh environments, who will provide you with unexpected help. As the journey enters the last day, you continue towards higher ground on the snow mountain following the map. In the afternoon, you will reach the map’s end point, and what awaits you at this end point?"

"Chloe, it’s your turn."

Shard said, and the petite silver-haired girl reached out to draw the top card from the deck. On the card’s face was a depiction of an avalanche.

Knowing they were about to enter the snow mountain scene, everyone around the campfire had already guessed that an avalanche would eventually occur. Therefore, at the moment the card was revealed, everyone stood up and gathered around Shard.

The moving figures transformed into animals—parrots, hounds, unicorns, silver cats—while the campfire, tents, and deity vanished once again. The ground turned to snow, and the surrounding light became startlingly bright, accompanied by a rumbling sound descending from the heights.

This was no ordinary avalanche, for it wasn’t just sound and ground that shook—spirits and elements also descended into chaos.

"Heaton Seal!"

Shard gripped his Moonlight Greatsword with both hands and plunged it into the snow, with a shield glowing with golden glimmer protecting everyone.

Ah~

Accompanied by the unicorn’s gentle whinny, the expansive, energy-formed white wings encompassed all the animals, while pure white light fused into the yellow shield, greatly enhancing its strength.

"Ice Decree!"

From the silver-white cat’s mouth came Chloe’s voice, and snowflakes rose in the ice-blue stream, merging with Shard’s "Heaton Seal." The mix of pure white, gold, and ice blue caused the runes on the spherical shield to become denser, almost transforming the shield into a real crystalline structure.

"Meow~"

Mia, unconcerned with the severity of the crisis, bumped Chloe, who was trying to snuggle into Shard’s embrace. The silver-white cat, undeterred, swiftly leaped onto Shard’s shoulder. Soon after, an oceanic wave of snow crashed downhill with the violent ground vibration. They had no time for mutual encouragement or exchange; the falling snow had already reached their sides.

[This isn’t enough.]

"She" suddenly reminded Shard in his ear, prompting him to use the arcane technique he recently acquired at the final moment before Darkness Descends:

"Summon Big Snowball—Passionate Ice!"

Boom!

It was difficult to tell whether the explosion or the avalanche’s rumble reached them first. Despite being fully prepared, as the impact and pressure arrived, Shard, with his hands tightly gripping the sword hilt and driving the Great Sword into the ground, fell backward.

Not just him, the parrot, hound, unicorn, and both cats on him, all rolled backward under the force, along with the materialized golden spherical shield, and were completely buried under the overwhelming snow.

In the daze, Shard heard Mia’s cries and regretted not having put the cat away earlier. But fortunately, when he came to from the haze, he found himself back at the campsite in the Lostwoods.

Not just him, everyone had returned. Like Shard, they were somewhat fearful as they looked around, dreading to hear the sound of an avalanche again. Yet, they endured the terrifying scene that was worse than a natural disaster. Shard petted Mia in his arms, concerned that the recent events had frightened her, but the cat was not only unfazed but appeared rather eager, ready to find the other cat for a scuffle.

But Chloe had already reverted back to her original form.

"What was that just now?"

Also having changed back from a unicorn, Miss Andriana clutched her chest as she spoke, while the bard trembled, hugging his instrument. Shard shook his head, and Chloe softly said:

"It’s a natural phenomenon of this snow mountain, related to some terrible past event here. Don’t overthink it; we are simply travelers, not investigators."

As she spoke, she once again grasped Shard’s hand and gave him a smile.

She seemed well-adapted to the traveler role.