Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 803: The Guardian of the Child

Chapter 803 -803: The Guardian of the Child

A gigantic red moon hung in the sky behind Him, the moon was so clear, clear to the point of causing a breakdown.

Above the blood lake, the sinister yet holy figure was so magnificent. The god’s slender eyes gazed at everything by the lake, observing Shard and the girls behind him. As for that enormous undead behemoth in the distant sky, the continuously flashing four-color aura, the burning forested mountains, and the smoking volcanic craters, those were merely decorations at the moment, unable to catch the deity’s attention:

“After two eras, unexpected guest, we meet again.”

“God, why have You descended upon the mortal world?”

Shard wanted to lift his head, but the headache and the groaning of his entire body nearly overwhelmed him. Without divinity, he was just a mortal.

“What I want, aren’t you very aware?”

The deity dressed in blood-red formal attire spoke softly in the ancient language of the Fifth Era:

“When we first met, I already told you—

The blood of the twins, though remarkable, is still not perfect, just a tiny bit away from becoming my collection piece. (Chapter 568)”

A smile appeared on the deity’s face:

“Yes, back then, it was indeed just a tiny bit away… what a pity, isn’t it?”

The two girls behind Shard trembled, clutching his clothes, hiding in his shadow, awaiting their final destiny. Shard could remain conscious, but they no longer could control themselves.

“You, at that time, when You saw them, had this thought already…”

“Yes, I gave you many clues; my blessing upon the twins, and guiding them to seek the Twin Gods. Was it all because of my kindness? Unexpected guest, I am an Evil God, why would I be generous?”

“Waiting for a thousand years, even guiding them to eliminate the subspace evil objects and aiding in sealing the rift, just for… brewing wine?”

Under the blood moon, Shard’s voice by the blood lake trembled. Surrounded by the blood mist, his body almost uncontrollably wanted to fall forward, even though he had long guessed these, it was still hard to accept:

“Not for the immense power of the souls in the rift,

Not for obtaining the authority of death,

Not for the prophesied protagonists of the Sixth Era, those chosen ones,

Even not for contending with other gods—

After doing so much, scheming for such a long period, waiting for two eras, even appearing in the Saint Form at this time and place, just merely… for brewing wine? Just for Helen and Grace? Aren’t You… too bored?”

“No, the things you mentioned are the ones that are too dull. Blood Brew, that is my interest.”

The deity answered softly, He had always been generous to Shard:

“The ten stories I told you about brewing, were the most obvious tips. What is waiting a thousand or ten thousand years for the perfect Blood Brew? Now is the eleventh story, and it’s the eleventh story that you personally experienced and facilitated.”

He looked at Helen and Grace behind Shard with eager eyes:

“The twin blood brew back then, merely mixed with pain, entanglement, love, and reluctance, though remarkable, still had flaws.

But now, when two intertwined souls, loving for millennia but in vain, when the emotions binding them, through cycles and reincarnations, torment and ferment, added with a bit of the Phoenix’s flame temperature… This cup of blood brew, is far better than those made with the skills of an innocent maiden, high-quality Firewood’s flame, and Mithril and Oricalcum crafted apparatus. I will call the blood and souls brewed into wine of these two ‘Red Butterfly Blood Brew’…”

He issued an invitation to Shard:

“Unexpected guest, join me in tasting it, this delicacy is not something that can be crafted in any era.”

“You.”

Shard wanted to roar, to scream, but all he could do was spit out a mouthful of blood, he was really almost at his limit.

The god under the red moon did not mind his attitude:

“You see, I did nothing wrong. They wanted to break the shackles of their family mission, so I gave them five thousand years of mutual attachment time, and even specially arranged for them to help seal the rift again, saving countless mortal lives. Now, the rift problem is about to be resolved, their mission is accomplished. And the small reward I ask for is merely a cup of wine… the deities, are very generous.”

For a moment, Shard even felt what the other party said was particularly reasonable, this reward wasn’t exaggerated. But he still stood in front of Grace and Helen, tremblingly extending his left hand, handing over the bottle of Blood Brew in his hand:

“I, want this, for, them.”

He wanted to fall forward, the two girls behind him caught him, their trembling voices were their last bit of courage:

“Sir, you don’t need to do this, we, this is our fate.”

“This contains a quarter of the soul of the chosen one, it’s also a story of love that cannot be obtained. In here, even contains the most pure power and curse of the Ancient God of Death. I, use this, for Helen and Grace.”

He hoped to end this affair in this manner, with the corpse of Marilyn Handel in death to exchange for a quarter of the soul, just for this moment’s exchange. This wasn’t for Shard himself, Grace and Helen had sealed the rift with their own beings for two eras, whereas Barton hastened the collapse of the rift. This bottle of Blood Brew was what Helen and Grace deserved.

But the deity slightly shook His head:

“This is indeed good, but still not perfect.”

“But this is the soul of the chosen one…”

“I know, but so what? He is not the true chosen one after all, and your brewing technique, too crude. Compared to that bottle of trash in your hand, I prefer the Blood Brew I made myself and patiently waited to ferment, I enjoy not only the result but also the process. Unexpected guest, we had a great time at the dinner back then, so, please step aside, don’t stand there.”

Though the god under the red moon’s tone was so gentle, Shard had already felt the chill.

But he still shook his head, shielding the two girls behind him:

“Just like back then, I will protect them. All souls are free; their souls should not become the food of an Evil God.”

“Mister…”

“That’s truly a pity. I originally planned to seize this opportunity of visiting the material world and have a drink with you.”

Above the Sicarl Mountain shrouded in white mist, amidst the billowing black smoke spewing from the mountain pass, a sudden rift appeared in the pure Star Ocean. As it spread like a spider web, the entire starry sky seemed about to split open.

The god looked up and glanced:

“The Star Ocean Whales are coming. This scene is one of the most beautiful in the material world. You can take a careful look later, as I deliberately chose this time. But now, unexpected guests, do not disturb my brewing, or else…”

He kept his smile without speaking, gently bending his fingers, and the white-skirted Grace and black-skirted Helen behind Shard floated towards the sky on their own.

The two girls scattered into Red Butterfly in mid-air, trying to escape the gravity, but under the light of the Blood Moon, they reverted to their human forms in the next second:

“Duality!”

Hand in hand, amidst the encircling Red Butterfly, their bodies seemed to melt and merge with each other. Helen and Grace disappeared; the girl floating in the air was dressed in a white dress and black skirt, her black hair flowing, with blue eyes so pitiful.

Helen and Grace looked alike to begin with, and the girl before him also resembled them. Shard inexplicably understood that this was the ultimate power of the Red Butterfly Twins: merging into one, becoming one person, just like that past Old God, the Twin Gods, achieving true duality, unleashing the power of the Angel-Level Relic.

But even with this power, it could only resist the mysterious attraction for less than a second, before she floated towards the blood lake again.

Shard’s right hand grabbed the hand of the Red Butterfly girl, trying to pull her back, but he too was lifted off the ground as a result:

“Mister, leave now.”

The Red Butterfly pushed Shard away, causing him to fall to the ground, while Grace Helen floated towards the deity in the sky.

Between them, above the blood lake, a transparent fishing line connected them both. Shard held onto the Soul Fishing Rod, the copper hook deeply embedded in the girl’s palm.

The god had already grabbed her, and the spreading blood-colored light was about to completely engulf her, but at that moment, the god noticed the hook.

He chuckled lightly:

“A very decent idea. But unexpected guest, you wouldn’t think that a mortal’s so-called relic could work on me, would you?”

He glanced at Shard, who could barely stand by the lake, seemingly expecting him to make another unexpected move:

“If you have a way to conceal my perception, or if you were at the same ‘height’ as me at this moment, maybe you could use this to tear power from me to protect your Red Butterfly. But now you are just a mortal, did you think I couldn’t see through this?”

Shard shook his head slightly, gripping the fishing rod and pulling towards himself:

“At this moment, I am just a mortal, but I…”

Bleeding lungs almost made it impossible for him to speak:

“… I ask for no reward, only wish to help them. I am not alone… there are others, willing, like me, to help without compensation…”

Above, the starry sky shattered like glass, revealing a vast blue transparent being with dreamlike Star Ocean colors. The Star Ocean Whales entered the material world through the rupture in space, swimming freely in the Star Ocean, leaving deep hues like oil paintings.

Luviya once said that the best place to observe Star Ocean Whales is probably in the eastern part of the Old Continent, which is the Sicarl Mountain region.

Above him were the Star Ocean and whales, behind him the Undead Behemoth battling the Church amidst firelight, and before him the Blood Moon and deity.

Shard’s Perception of Time seemed to malfunction at this moment, or it could be severe cerebral hemorrhage preventing him from perceiving time correctly.

Yet he still firmly grasped the rod, trying his utmost to reel in, intent on retrieving Grace and Helen.

The god leisurely held the other hand of the Red Butterfly without the hook:

“Mortals believe goodness can be transmitted, but I am curious, who would help you at this moment?”

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“Who would dare appear before me at this moment?”

The god lightly tugged the girl’s hand, instantly tautening the fishing line. Cracks appeared on the rod, and Shard was uncontrollably dragged towards the sky. The rod failed to immediately draw divinity, just as the god said, Shard was only mortal at this moment, while the deity before him wasn’t merely the projection of the original Lord of the Blood Feast god.

However, he didn’t notice, the brass hook deeply embedded in Red Butterfly’s right hand was emitting a faint golden glimmer.

“You selflessly save them, but who will save you? Unexpected guest, do you still believe in a heart of goodness like before? Then tell me, will there be a miracle this moment? Who will save you? Who will guard you?”

The deity laughed loudly, with a gentle pull, the fishing line snapped immediately. But the next moment, the golden glimmer from the brass hook in Red Butterfly’s right hand extended along the broken line, connecting to Shard’s hands.

The power of miracle repaired the fractured rod, and amid the golden light illuminating the blood lake, a young voice rang out:

“If it’s to guard innocent children, then I shall.”

“What?”

A golden figure emerged from behind Shard, illuminating the blood mist, shining upon Shard’s face, and causing the Vampire God in the air to furrow his brow.

The blood lake surged with waves; the golden figure was so illusory, it seemed merely an illusion:

“Just for his own desire, targeting two poor children, conspiring for two eras. Vampire God, you are the same as before, reeking of nauseating blood stench.”

Although the power of miracle was weak, it indeed appeared.

A young man wearing a jester’s hat stood in front of Shard. The familiar figure looked up at the Blood God in the sky, bathed in the light of the Blood Moon, his voice echoing beneath the vast starry sky.