Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 779 - : Luviya’s Preparation

Chapter 779 -779: Luviya’s Preparation

Iluna briefly introduced the situation inside the church, and Shard detailed his experiences along the way, as well as his observations in the interstice and the real world:

“Although this time there are no hostile organizations like the ‘Blood of Mercury’ or ‘Blood Spirit School’, the interstice itself is more terrifying than both combined. We must be cautious next, one slip, and Midshire Fort might truly become history.” freewebnoveℓ.com

“The church was fully prepared this time, just like Mrs. Shelly Winst, who is from the Church of Nature…”

Iluna did not say the term “Thorn Nun,” but Shard understood her meaning:

“She herself is from the Nine Rings. Although her combat power is not strong, the Divine Arts and ritual effects belonging to the God of Nature in her region are enhanced. If it really comes to the last moment, Mrs. Winst will return to reality…”

“So, the final battle is in half an hour. After a busy autumn, it’s finally coming to an end,” Shard nodded as Iluna whispered softly:

“It’s finally ending.”

“No, this is not the end. I don’t mean what comes later, but rather, perhaps Joey Barton isn’t the most terrifying tonight…”

Shard held the Red Butterfly Pendant in his hand, which contained the power of the twins, yet he seldom used it along the way.

Gazing at the bonfire, the Chosen One was indeed tough to deal with, but compared to facing Daknis, this time the difference wasn’t totally insurmountable. He was worried about something else, another presence:

“I hope, my guess is wrong.”

Shard was making final adjustments and preparations in the interstice’s church, and both the real world and Sicarl Mountain in the interstice were not without their troubles.

The thick fog enveloped Midshire Fort and quickly spread toward the plains to the north of the city and the mountainous areas to the southern foothills of Sicarl Mountain. In the city shrouded in fog, ordinary police no longer appeared, only squads of Circle Sorcerers from the church were still active. Meanwhile, the numerous eerie figures gradually moved from the interstice into reality, advancing toward the gatherings of the living.

If one observed from high above with Sicarl Mountain at the center, the churning dark clouds nearly formed a continuous coverage that obscured one-sixth of the Old Continent. While in Tobesk in the northwest of the Old Continent, the city was also cloudy due to air pollution, but it was merely ordinary smog.

Luviya Annette stood somewhat restlessly at the window of the grand divination room on the second floor, looking at the mist and worrying about the distant Shard. The sky was gradually darkening, and the streetlamps on Silver Cross Avenue below lit up, making the night of the Northern Pearl so beautifully illuminated.

Behind her, the local noble girls’ divination club was engaged in amusing activities. Leading them was Princess Angelina, who, despite repeated warnings from Lecia, still enjoyed participating in these games.

The association was here to ensure the princess’s safety, especially since there had been an incident not long ago.

“Annette, is something troubling you?”

President Stan approached from behind, and Luviya turned to look at the noble girls, who were laughing as they took turns blindfolding themselves with a black cloth, selecting their own cards from the divination cards scattered on the table.

“Good evening, President Stan. I was thinking about the situation at Sicarl Mountain. I saw some reports about the Sicarl Mountain area recently, so I was reminded of the incidents that occurred in Tobesk this summer.”

“Such concerns are normal. The headquarters of the association has already sent someone there, and judging from the timing, the sealing ceremony should be about to start.”

The excellent diviner of Tobesk took out his pocket watch for a look:

“Forty minutes left, I hope everything goes smoothly there. If not… it’s likely that we’ll have an earthquake here, and Midshire Fort City…”

He did not continue, instead shifting the topic:

“The Keeper of Secrets Level Relic ‘Grolinston Marriage Contract’ that you applied to borrow from the Sun Church a few days ago has been delivered to the association. Also, the church has secured a Scribe Level Relic, the ‘Soul Coin of the Zealot’ for you. Are you considering the Four-Ring Spirit Rune? Is it related to the undead? Perhaps there’s no rush, isn’t Saint Byrons’s training program suggesting Low Ring Sorcerers to ascend one ring every one to two years?”

Mr. Stan asked. As the head of the local Prophet’s Society, he naturally knew about Luviya Annette’s status as a correspondence Circle Mage under joint training.

“It’s just that so many things have happened recently, so I’m always a bit worried…”

Seeing the noble girls still drawing cards, not needing her to lead the divination, Luviya asked softly, a bit embarrassed:

“President Stan, could you please help me with a divination?”

“Of course, what do you want to divine? Is it related to our Big City Player 1853 Champion?”

Mr. Stan joked, not expecting Luviya to actually nod her head:

“I’d like you to help me divine Shard’s safety. He’s been undertaking a very dangerous commission recently, and I am very worried about him.”

“I think it should be fine, but since he is not here in person, the accuracy of the divination won’t be high. You should know this as well,” Luviya nodded, feeling an increasingly ominous premonition. President Stan took out the Divination Cards, allowing Luviya to randomly select three.

These Divination Cards were Poet-Level Relics belonging to the Witch of the Fifth Era. Like the “Diviner’s Silver Coin,” they help in divinations. These were a gift from the main society when President Stan took the charge of the Tobesk Region.

Luviya directly picked the first three cards. After examining the cards, President Stan slightly furrowed his brows:

“Mr. Hamilton will face a deadly danger soon. Oh, don’t worry, because with a friend’s help, he will be able to avoid the peril. However, what’s next… huh?”

He showed Luviya the three cards. The first depicted a blood-dripping dagger held in the dark, a quite dangerous omen. The second showed a circle of people holding hands and dancing around a campfire, usually signifying the arrival of a rescuer or receiving rare aid.

The third card was the “Red Butterfly” that Dorothy had drawn two months earlier.

“President Stan, what does this mean?”

The middle-aged man was also somewhat puzzled:

“It’s hard to interpret. Fate hasn’t informed me what this card predicts for the future, but it’s not a good sign…”

He put the cards away:

“Annette, fate is for humans to interpret, so even as diviners, we must not blindly believe the interpreted fates. Perhaps Mr. Hamilton will indeed face a danger soon, but since we did not turn up death, he must be safe. I always thought that Mr. Hamilton is a remarkable man; his story with the Roder Card surely won’t end here.”

President Stan’s words of comfort worked, and Luviya also smiled:

“Yes, Shard’s journey of collecting Roder Cards has just begun.”

“You go rest, I’ll keep watch here,” said President Stan, leaning against the window sill to look out at the Silver Cross Avenue.

“Send my regards to Hamilton Detective. I hope he has a good night… and don’t forget to pick up the ‘Grolinston Marriage Contract’ and that coin. The fees will be deducted from your monthly salary; the relic is in underground containment chamber two, guarded by Granny Laya today. That contract, we borrowed it from the Sun Church for a week. That’s enough time for you to study it…

Also, do not attempt to write both the living and the dead’s names together, as it would break the barrier between life and death (Note).”

After saying goodbye, Luviya left, leaving Princess Angelina somewhat disappointed as she had heard of her from Lecia and wanted to talk to her. The Divination Card in the princess’s hand was a shining crown.

President Stan looked up at the twilight sky still lingering with the evening sun, reminiscing about the recent months:

“Midshire Fort… I really hope everything can be resolved smoothly.”

Thousands of miles away in Tobesk, they had not yet received the latest news from Milestone, but Priest Augustus on the summit of Interstice Mountain knew very well how terrible the current situation was.

He and other old priests, together in a safe house pre-arranged on the summit of Interstice Mountain, prayed in front of a divine statue. Augustus’s keen awareness allowed him to sense what happened outside without looking.

Undead hordes assaulting the mountaintop, undead knights descending from the sky, gigantic worms emerging from the soil to attack, and not to mention, an eerie being from the deep fog millennia ago striking toward the summit. Soon after, a thirteen-ring sorcerer from the Dawn Church, known as the “Bringer of Light”, using the ritual and the Sublimation Incantation, forcefully pushed it back.

The divine arts’ glow and the monsters’ roars seemed like a battle from a legendary era was taking place outside the safe house. Bursts of spiritual light occasionally shone through the cracks in the door. The trembling of the ground never stopped since the start. However, these old priests, as the most devout believers of the True God in the material world, were undisturbed by these events in their dedicated prayers, even if the undead truly appeared in the room.

Priest Augustus had heard from Shard about the tale of the Twin Red Butterflies and hence speculated that the terrifying undead at the end might be the remnant soul of an Evil Object from the Subspace defeated by the Twin Gods during the Godfall.

Since the most problematic channel in Interstice was at the summit, it faced the most attacks. Augustus was prepared to expose his identity and use the Angel’s Power to stop everything if the situation turned bad, which is why his prayers were somber and heavy.

“If sacrificing myself can save everything, I am willing to be that sacrifice. I just hope that this time Shard won’t come to save me again,” he thought.

While he pondered, new information was brought from the outside. A powerful Circle Sorcerer wielding a sword appeared in the Interstice’s Church of Nature and brought fresh intel about Joey Barton. After verification by the church, the intel was confirmed accurate. Hence, they planned to prepare the ritual before the final undead uproar.

“A powerful Circle Sorcerer wielding a sword…”

Due to his excellent hearing in Interstice, Augustus accidentally heard this intel, and immediately, the image of that young detective popped into his mind. Without any reason, he almost confirmed that the one who appeared in the Interstice’s Church of Nature was none other than Shard Hamilton.

“What exactly is Shard planning to do? Could it be, this time, I need to save him?”