Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 782 - : Entering Death Again

Chapter 782 -782: Entering Death Again

The church itself was a complex building inside, but thanks to most of the intersections being tightly blocked by tables, chairs, benches, or other clutter, and since Shard was almost certain of Joey Barton and Iluna’s whereabouts, he proceeded forward with a clear objective, even though he hadn’t seen them.

The traces of rituals inside the church were even more pronounced than during his last visit, casting the corridors in a golden hue even without a light source. Most people were now fending off the undead, so Shard didn’t encounter other Circle Sorcerers, yet the resonant hymns echoed incessantly in his ears.

The hymns of the Church of Nature leaned towards a folk nature; in the chorales, one could almost close their eyes and envision the vast meadows under the sunlight and the lush forests of summer.

Shard did not know what the hymns meant at that moment, but from the inside, it was clear that the sealing ritual was about to be completed.

The deeper he walked inside, the more the corridors seemed skewed, as the concept of death distorted the space, causing bending in all four directions. As the traces of the ritual densified, Shard finally saw silver metallic threads that crisscrossed the corridor and had snapped from impact, confirming he was on the right path.

Suddenly hearing a sound behind him, he turned to see a middle-aged man with square-framed glasses, holding a sword, gliding as if flying close to the ground. He appeared older than Dr. Schneider, teetering on the edge of middle age and old age, his whole body radiating golden Spiritual Light, indicative of the numerous Divine Rituals he had undergone.

Shard recognized him; he was Mr. Lacan Matthis, a Twelve-Ring Sorcerer from the Sun Church locally. Apart from the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer of the Church of Nature originally stationed in this district, he was the strongest sorcerer in the district.

“No need for explanations, I know they came here, let’s move quickly,” the man said.

The man was not one for many words, but he acted swiftly, so the two of them continued forward together. They passed through the dense silver threads, pushed aside the metal talismans that tinkled like windchimes overhead, the already thin mist inside the church faded even more, but the air grew colder. All items from the real world, even the golden Miracle Aura, slowly faded away.

When they turned into the final corridor, the floor candles radiated a deep blue-black light, and the walls looked as though they had endured centuries of aging. This was, at least, an improvement from their last visit, as the carvings of the Divine Rituals on the walls stubbornly flickered with light.

The mist completely receded here, and with every breath, Shard and Mr. Lacan Matthis exhaled white mists. Neither spoke as they reached the end of the corridor.

There was a square entrance leading to the underground. From this entrance, a black wind was gradually blowing.

A white-robed elderly man, who had fallen unconscious, lay by the entrance; this should be the High Ring Sorcerer from the “Apna Library” of the Circle Sorcerer Organization mentioned by Iluna to help. Mr. Matthis checked and upon confirming that he was only unconscious, drew a circle around the old man with his sword.

A golden Light Trace appeared in the circle’s mark, blocking the black wind blowing from the side; this was a unique Divine Art of the Sun Church.

“This path leads to the most True Death. I need to confirm what happened; are you coming with me?” Mr. Matthis asked Shard after finishing, and Shard naturally nodded. However, once they entered the passageway below, his “Divine Afterglow” status would manifest…

Looking at the kerosene lantern hanging at his waist, Shard had an idea. He gestured for himself to lead, lifting the old-fashioned metal lantern and carefully descended the thirteen steps.

The howling black wind continuously blew from the front end of the underground passage, and numerous whispers resonated around, those being the murmurs and reluctance of the deceased at the end of their lives.

The chilling wind blew against Shard; the Ancient Witch’s Golden Necklace hanging on his chest lit up first. Then, the flame of the “Primal Fire” in the raised kerosene lamp suddenly surged, vigorously burning within the lampshade, illuminating the surroundings and protecting Shard.

The “Divine Afterglow” state did not occur, as the Primal Fire and the witch’s necklace were sufficient to protect Shard.

“Indeed, it is possible.”

“What is this flame?”

Even the Twelve-Ring Sorcerer following behind Shard was protected by the flames, but seeing that Shard was unwilling to answer, Mr. Matthis did not press further.

Shard walked ahead, and the Sun Church’s Mr. Lacan Matthis followed behind. The afterglow of the Primal Fire, dragged from the surface of the lantern that Shard held high, repelled death even more effectively than the Divine Arts of the True God Church.

The nun said that the Fire of the Primordial was only an Angel-Level Relic, and what Shard held was merely a tiny flame. This revelation deeply impressed upon him the immense power that this flame, said to originate from before the First Era, possessed.

Step by step, Shard, who was directly holding the lantern and also protected by the Witch’s Necklace, felt stiffness in his body and a slight heaviness in his soul; nonetheless, he could barely manage to endure it.

However, Mr. Lacan Matthis could not bear it, and so, when the two emerged from the passage into the huge square underground space where the Gate of Death stood erect, the gentleman had already manifested his Ring of Fate behind him.

Even so, he could only stop at the end of the passage, not daring to enter the square space ahead.

But from this position, one could already see that Gate of Death. In the faint light of the Primal Fire, the ancient, huge stone doors were closed with stories related to death carved upon them, describing the fundamental meaning of death in this world.

The black wind blowing through the crack of the door was still eerie and utterly silent, as if everything in this world ended here.

But unlike the last time, this time a huge Holy Emblem phantom hovered before the door—a pair of overlapping leaves, one yellowish-brown, the other green. The Holy Emblem was becoming visible at a speed perceptible to the naked eye, and thus the black wind was gradually weakening.

“Didn’t see them… Joey Barton and Iluna Beath entering through that door afterward?”

Shard somewhat disbelieved this outcome, but Lacan Matthis immediately shook his head, straining to speak:

“The ritual is near five-fourths complete, although not entirely. This door at the foot of the mountain definitely cannot be opened from the inside or the outside.”

“But Joey Barton is the Chosen One of death; he can touch death itself.”

Shard said, his eyes looking towards the door, which also bore traces of battle and some footprints:

“They might have really gone in.”

Shard repeated, and the Twelve-Ring Sorcerer of the Sun Church paused:

“This is the best outcome.”

“What?”

Shard looked at him incredulously, and Mr. Matthis immediately explained:

“The ritual has progressed to this point; we just need to drive the undead that have infiltrated reality back before the three passageways are overrun by the external undead army, and the Holy Tree Scar will be completed. Although I am not sure by what means Joey Barton managed to open the Gate of Death from the outside, at least I can assure that, even if he is the undead Chosen One, he cannot open the door from the inside at this phase of the ritual… This much is certain; the Holy Tree Scar ritual is not being used for the first time, and Joey Barton is certainly not the first Circle Sorcerer to breach the Gate of Death.”

“Allowing him to enter here was not only our oversight but also because we knew, once he went in, he would not be able to come out.”

“Then what about your Chosen One?”

“The fact that Iluna Beath followed into death was indeed an unexpected accident, but Beath’s fate will not end here; that is a prophecy,”

“Please explain in more detail.”

“The five Great Ones may not descend at will, but getting her out will be no problem, so do not worry about her.”

Mr. Matisse looked towards the Gate of Death, then was forced to close his eyes and look away:

“Unless Joey Barton can hold a ritual to become the Chosen One behind the door, he should already be considered dead.

Let us go; we are still needed outside. The prophets of the Prophet’s Society have performed divinations; at the end, an Undead Aggregation formed of thousands of spirits will emerge in the Interstice. It will be the toughest battle. Driving it into the Interstice, the Holy Tree Scar will be complete. I think the fight will continue until midnight; it will be a very tough battle.”

“No.”

Shard shook his head slightly:

“I also want to go in.”

He pointed at the ancient stone door:

“Yes, step into death.”

“You…”

Mr. Matisse looked towards the firelight, at the stranger wearing a mask:

“I must remind you, that door has already been sealed shut. Even if you are of the Thirteen Rings, it’s impossible for you to enter.”

“I have other means.”

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment:

“Opening the door from the outside is easier than from the inside. Even if you can enter like Joey Barton did, you, like him, absolutely cannot come out before the Holy Tree Scar ceases to be effective.”

“I will find my own way. Entering the Gate of Death is akin to committing suicide, and now, both Joey Barton and Iluna Beath have committed suicide… I must ensure that the first to come out is not Joey Barton.”

Mr. Matisse hesitated for a moment, slightly frowning:

“You really do know… You are not really a Demon Hunter, are you? You seem strong, but you have never used any Arcane Technique or Sorcery beyond swordsmanship and Sunlight Power, not even showing the Ring of Fate; you are not an Inner Ring Sorcerer at all.”

“Yes, I am not an Inner Ring Sorcerer.”

Shard was a Low Ring Sorcerer.

“Are you a God Summoner?”

“Why would you think that?”

“It seems that you really are… The outcome of the Midshire Fort incident is really the best we could have hoped for. Not only can Joey Barton be deemed as dead, but we even came into close contact with you and allowed Iluna Beath to determine your allegiance.”

Shard shook his head:

“You are still needed outside, while my path lies ahead. Sir, it was a pleasure to cooperate with the Church this time, and I hope you remain safe in the upcoming battle.”

Mr. Matisse nodded, as if relieved:

“What drives your pursuit of Joey Barton and the other Chosen ones?”

“Do you think I would answer?”

Shard asked, and the latter was silent for a moment, pulling a roll of parchment from his pocket:

“The Sun Church’s unique Arcane Technique, the ‘Heaton Seal’ learning method. Although this is very precious, it might not mean much for someone of the Thirteen Rings. Consider this a reward for helping us protect the church, and we welcome further cooperation.”

Shard smiled momentarily:

“Then I shall accept it.”

Under Mr. Matisse’s watchful eye, he made his way to the [Gate of Death]. This time, he did not leave behind his Relic and Spellcasting Materials. His previous experience had taught him that the residue on his person was enough to protect his personal items.

Not even attempting to push the door, which was now unlikely to budge, Shard gripped [Night Watchman] with both hands, and as his Witch’s Necklace suddenly flashed on his chest, he gathered his strength and swung his sword forward—

“Gate of Death!”

The longsword cleaved through the black wind towards the void, sparks scattering in the air. A dark fissure appeared, accompanied by a slight sound of shattering glass, and rapidly expanded to a size sufficient for Shard to pass through.