Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 708 -
Chapter 708: 708
The statue of the Old God, known as the “Lord of Slumber,” depicted a faceless, obese man either elevating something or perhaps stretching in a yawning motion. The Holy Emblem next to it had an indescribable pattern, resembling crawling snakes. Shard glanced at it and immediately felt drowsiness surging up, prompting him to yawn uncontrollably.
This caused Mr. Benhart next to him to yawn as well.
Shard held his breath and extended his right hand. As his fingers crossed a certain boundary, the skin on his fingertips peeled away, revealing glimmering golden cracks underneath.
He withdrew his hand, squinting slightly. Noticing that everyone was watching him, he hesitated for a moment before awkwardly positioning his left arm to block their view. However, given that Sister Delphine’s “sight” did not depend on her eyes, it was hard to say whether this effort was of any use.
He reached out with his right hand again, grabbing both the Divine Statue and the Holy Emblem. Immediately, an irresistible drowsiness overwhelmed him, and amid “her” laughter, Shard collapsed onto the table:
“Fitting for the Slumber…”
“Let’s continue, then.”
The mansion’s host shifted his gaze away from Shard.
“What will happen to him?”
Mr. Benhart asked quietly, nodding toward Shard, who was sprawled across the table.
“If he can wake from the slumber, he can naturally leave. But if he continues to sleep, he must remain here.”
“Can we not take him with us?”
Sister Delphine also asked.
The wrinkles on the old man’s face piled up as he grinned, revealing a toothless smile:
“The first card of the second hand, my stake is…”
(Mia running…)
Shard had anticipated what might happen if he touched the Evil God Statue. Since this Old God was called the “Father of Slumber,” falling into a deep sleep upon contacting its power was somewhat expected.
In that endless void, he stepped on solid ground. Centering on the greenery beneath his feet, the wilderness under the night sky spread out in all directions. The Star Ocean hung upside down above him, with the huge Silvermoon illuminating Shard.
He knew this was his own Dream, as it was the most common scene he encountered in dreams since coming to this world. However, this time, the wilderness under the Silvermoon seemed unstable, and Shard felt himself falling deeper into an even more profound dream.
It was a dream of nothingness, devoid of consciousness and any thoughts.
“So, who will you ask for help?”
Shard looked up at the moon while “she” whispered softly in his ear.
“The Desire in the pool? She is eagerly awaiting your call.” “She” asked with a laugh.
Shard shook his head slightly, looking down as the scenery around him collapsed:
“Sister Delphine has already said, when facing danger, one can progress towards the presence of flames (Chapter 637).”
The solid ground of the dream collapsed, turning into light specks drifting toward the starry sky above. The starry canvas gradually closed, yet the silver moon remained as vivid as ever.
“Flames, huh…”
He looked at his hand, holding the red stone once acquired from Mr. Tels at the Sicarl Inn—the stone that reveals a massive flying bird when observed against the sun—now materialized in his hand through his imagination.
“Foreigner, you are about to fall into slumber,” “She” gently reminded.
Shard nodded, looking up at the silver moon:
“I need guidance.” He spoke softly.
The silver moonlight was tranquil and still, and as Shard spoke, an illusory yellow moon appeared behind the Silvermoon. The ground beneath his feet completely collapsed, and Shard closed his eyes as he fell deeper into his dream, with both the silver and yellow moonlights shining on him, and in his hand.
“It’s a pity, you still didn’t seek my help.” In a daze, he seemed to hear the voice of “Desire,” but his thoughts abruptly ended, and he fell into an eternal slumber…
His consciousness plummeted into the darkest void, where a second felt like eternity. And in that profound darkness, the red stone in Shard’s hand unexpectedly flickered with a red glow.
The stone drifted from his hand, floating toward his front.
Accompanied by a crisp chirp, the stone ignited into flames. The fire spread outward, illuminating the darkness. Pale red, deep red, fiery red, orange-red… surreal colors of flame created hazy light and shadow in the void of darkness.
Chaotic yet splendid, an indescribable light illuminated the deepest void of consciousness, and as Shard, whose consciousness had been submerged in silence, was illuminated by this red light, he heard the most authentic voice:
“Shard Suren Hamilton, open your eyes…”
“Again?”
The feeling of exhaustion made Shard, who had regained consciousness, not even want to open his eyes.
What he heard was a hoarse woman’s voice calling him, and he could feel an imposing and beautiful figure emerging within his consciousness.
The body that was originally “lying” in the void of consciousness gradually turned, positioning itself to face the hazy red light and shadows. Amid the repeated calls of “open your eyes, Shard Suren Hamilton…” Shard struggled to overcome the influence of the Power of the Evil God, and “looked” toward the existence calling him from the void of consciousness.
The firelight illuminated his eyes, and what he saw was the blurry figure within the flames. The figure accompanied the fire, and the fire accompanied it. His pupils reflected the beautiful yet insane form, and the brilliant flames at the deepest part of the red light enveloped a beautiful creature surrounded by burning human bones.
“Phoenix…”
“Shard Suren Hamilton.”
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The voice seemed to come from all directions, but it was not loud, rather it carried a gentle tone. Despite the gentleness, there was madness and agitation in it, it may have already been insane, but it still came here in response to the call, awakening Shard from his slumber.
But Shard was not satisfied with this; he needed the aid of this Ancient One. In his consciousness, a moonstone ring appeared, and he lightly kissed the ring:
“May the Yellow Moon guide you—Muddle.”
The twin moons, silver and yellow, appeared amidst the surrounding surreal firelight, their cold light stabilizing Shard’s spirit while softening the agitated flames:
“Outlander beyond Fate, I see new possibilities in you.”
The beautiful figure in the firelight seemed truly awakened, as bits of firelight gradually merged into Shard’s body from the radiant figure at the center. He felt power and a sense of fulfillment, realizing he was devouring the Phoenix’s fire.
The soul rejoiced, but due to greed and Gluttony, it craved more. The sin of “Sloth” truly became his power the moment Shard regained consciousness, and new sins gradually solidified within his soul.
“The issue of the Interstice of Life and Death is imminent, I awoke to your call, but I cannot maintain this for too long.”
This was the language of the ancients, spoken with a gentle tone:
“The Interstice is on the verge of collapse, and death is about to descend upon the city below the mountain. Go, foreign traveler, and remove the four nails that link this Land of Death to the real world, they are four people who were resurrected. This won’t stop the disaster, but at least it will buy more time for you.”
“I understand.”
Shard didn’t open his mouth, but his voice naturally appeared in this void space.
“Traveler of the past and present, Red Butterfly Twins, Ash Nun, Death’s Herald, Prince of the Blood Clan, Witch’s heir, the Chosen One, the material world’s strong congregate here, even the gaze of The Great One is cast here. Go forth, Shard Suren Hamilton, I will give you the power to overcome your current dilemma, use sin to fight against sin. But remember…”
Shard felt himself waking up, as the Ancient One, who had been here since time immemorial, gave his last admonition:
“… only death can fight against death. All mortals eventually die… all things come to an ultimate death.”
Shard was about to awaken, and he asked one final question:
“Please tell me, why did you use your own body to suppress the passage at the peak of Interstice Mountain?”
The Witch Empress probably sealed the passage at the flank of the mountain as an afterthought since they were the true mortal administrators of the material world during the Fifth Era. The True God Church only acted after discovering the problem, as they were already the guardians of transcendent order in the Sixth Era.
Only the Ancient One at the peak, it seemed unrelated to everything, but was sealing the most critical passage. This responsibility, in Shard’s view, was unimaginable.
“Because, I have always been here.”
“What…”
“Mankind worships the mountains, that is me. Mankind worships the flame, that is me, everything about this mountain that mankind worships, that is all me. I have been here since my birth, from the Third Era until now. I am the son of Sicarl Mountain. I exist with the mountains, the Earth, and everything else.”
The firelight engulfed Shard, that endless power, like the mountains, like the Earth. In this firelight, he saw the phantom that represented everything about Sicarl Mountain, saw the stories of people and the mountains.
“[Outlander, you have touched the Phoenix Fire, you have obtained the Sorcery ‘Flame Shaping’.]”
“[Outlander, you have touched the Phoenix Fire, your body has gained a stronger Self-Healing Ability.]”
The Phoenix suppressing Interstice Mountain was Sicarl Mountain’s original Guardian. It was not a deity, but with the mountains, it was the Son of the Mountains.
