Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 259 Vampire

The dust from the explosion settled as the vines retracted, pulling the Silver-Eyed One back until he hit the massive trunk of the Corpse Tree hard. Then, he slumped there motionlessly, silently watching as the dust cleared.

The massive canopy above swayed uneasily, and the loud echo of the explosion reverberated in this place. The Mercury Humanoid walked out from the dust cloud as if completely unaffected by the Steam Bomb's explosion.

In the glowing silver mist summoned by the Illusion Technique, sounds of bells and steam whistles could be heard. Brilliant moonlight burst forth from the silver mist, and the Mercury Humanoid raised its arm—

Dong!

With a grating sound, the Mercury Humanoid's right arm was sliced in half, but as the Silvermoon vanished, it swiftly regenerated.

It stood in place and opened its mouth. As the wind picked up, the silver mist summoned by the Illusion Technique was quickly inhaled into its mouth.

Seeing the Illusion Technique about to fail, Shard waved his hand and another silver light appeared, then he took a step back and relit the candle in his hand. But the Mercury Humanoid, as if it could see Shard just fine, charged straight at him.

It didn't seem to have any Incantation capabilities and instead raised its right arm, which writhed with mercury, transforming into a longsword aiming for Shard.

Without hesitation, Shard's fingertip shimmered with a silver glimmer turning into a blade. With a swift motion of his hand, he parried, sending the broken mercury sword spinning away, while Shard looked at his hand surprised by the unexpected power of the yet incomplete Arcane Technique.

Under the control of the Silver-Eyed One, mercury flowed through the body of the Mercury Humanoid, as its right arm slowly regenerated. Shard immediately thrust his right hand toward its skull:

"Blade of Chaotic Time!"

The radiant mercury left arm blocked Shard's strike but was likewise severed by the sharp moonlight.

Immediately afterward, Shard raised his hand again to thrust forward, his fingertip's moonlight short blade aiming for the Mercury Humanoid's chest, only to be blocked once more by the slowly regenerating right arm.

But this was within Shard's expectations, for abruptly appearing blades of moonlight in the air pierced the Mercury Humanoid's head. The Silver-Eyed One slumped at the base of the tree, spit out a mouthful of blood, and the Mercury Humanoid in front of Shard dispersed into mercury, spattering across the ground.

"Was that an Arcane Technique of time?"

Breathing heavily, the Silver-Eyed One called out under the faintly glowing blue light of the vines without receiving an answer from Shard. Shard, still catching his breath, scrutinized him, realizing that the Silver-Eyed One now possessed power that seemed inferior even to that of a Three-Ring Sorcerer.

"Save me, you saved me, I'll reward you. Whatever you want, I can give it to you! The God's Gift Box, and other things. Save me, you won't suffer any losses." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

Shard initially did not want to bother with him, but seeing the other party pleading, he immediately understood, he was indeed finished. Drawing his revolver, he fired a few shots. Then, without caring if he missed or if the bullets were ineffective, Shard, while recovering, called out to the man below the tree:

"I don't mean to insult you, I just want to say, I had thought that the life of a High Ring Sorcerer would be filled with grandeur and encompass many stories, surely you'd have the resolve and courage to face death, perhaps even willing to fight to the end. But your behavior now is truly disappointing."

"Courage in the face of death? No, young man, you wouldn't understand. Death is the most terrifying thing in this world. If you were in my position, you'd react the same."

Shard looked at the Silver-Eyed One, who returned the gaze with a look of desperation:

"Save me, I'll give you a reward."

Shard narrowed his eyes:

"The most terrifying thing is death? No, some things are greater than life itself."

The Outlander had seen selfless individuals in his homeland, and had witnessed the resolve of the Church's Circle Sorcerers in this world.

"No, death is the most terrifying, to stay alive I would sacrifice anything! I have the resolve to give everything."

The Silver-Eyed One spoke weakly, devoid of his earlier dominance when he had sought to kill Shard. But the tree seemed to understand his intent, the vines behind him moving even faster, and with a piteous cry, the Silver-Eyed One shrank at the base of the tree, motionless.

These words made Shard realize the other man was completely different from him. This cowardice and begging were solely for the sake of living. This was probably a traditional "villain," one who wielded power with abandon when in favor, and would do anything to survive when out of favor.

Miss Beyas had been in a vendetta with the Silver-Eyed One, from a chance encounter while on a First Ring mission, to the subsequent relentless search. The hatred had entangled for many years until it reached its conclusion today. Choosing this man as the "fated enemy," if he were to have an opportunity to escape, would surely lead to serious trouble later on.

But the Silver-Eyed One was destined to die today. Lately, Shard liked to regard a person's life story as a narrative. As a High Ring Sorcerer not from the Church or Academy, the tumultuous life of the Silver-Eyed One came to an end, slain by The Chosen One in a ritual. Such a life story was indeed perfectly concluded.

The Silver-Eyed One, crouching beneath the tree, wanted to speak, but the sound of the stone door being pushed open caused both men to look toward the entrance.

The Silver-Eyed One fell silent as the vines around him dimmed, hiding him in the darkness under the tree trunk. Shard, on the other hand, looked at the candle in his hand, which ignited with a flame, and his figure also vanished from the room.

Then, Miss Annette and a stranger dressed in black, exuding a dark and soft demeanor, burst through the stone door, followed closely by Miss Beyas, who was pale with blood still on her lips.

In her hand, Miss Annette held the golden dagger which had almost stabbed Shard at the Sunday banquet, while the man gripped a blood-colored longsword.

The two slashed and hacked their way into the fray, with the clanging of steel echoing like the ringing of a forge, yet neither could land a true blow on the other. The dagger and the bloody longsword clashed in the air, leaving trails of afterimages in the dim light.

Hiding on the side, Shard watched in amazement as the purple-eyed Diviner dueled with the enemy, realizing for the first time that she was so adept at close-quarter combat with bladed weapons.

Eventually, the man wielding the bloody longsword took the first step back, and Miss Annette didn't pursue, also stepping back before being supported by Miss Beyas.

Both ladies seemed wounded as the three stood in a standoff.

A pale blue light illuminated them, and Shard saw that the man was holding a long candle—it must be the Maze Candle.

The man showed no surprise at the sight of the giant tree, while Miss Annette and Miss Beyas looked on in astonishment at everything in the grand room.

"You didn't really need to fight me. This tree has gone out of control, see that Silver-Eyed One over there? It needs the flesh of a Circle Sorcerer to quiet down again, and since you have two people, and I've already sacrificed one, why not you offer up one more..."

The voice of the man holding the bloody longsword was unusually elegant and calm, which was truly infuriating amidst such perilous circumstances. His right-hand sword emitted a bloody fluorescence. But it must be some sort of Arcane Technique, not a Relic, because Shard didn't feel the element of Whisper.

"Damn vampire."

Miss Annette cursed unladylike.

"Oh, lady, that sounds a bit like racial discrimination."

The man in the crisp black suit said, shaking his head. He gestured with his sword, pacing two steps in place, his dress shoes clacking against the ground:

"I am a Five-Ring Sorcerer, and together you two make up only Five Rings. I'll admit, your Sunlight Gun did injure me just now, but that doesn't mean you can defeat me. I don't want to kill you—it's just that the tree still requires a sacrifice."

"You're injured, so you can't suppress me, do you think I can't see that? You might be a Five-Ring Sorcerer, but how much of a High Ring's power can you still wield?"

Miss Beyas, supporting Miss Annette, also spoke sarcastically, the young lady's strength unwavering even when hurt:

"I can feel your Whisper Element from two rooms away."

"You could tell that as well?"

The man asked, incredulously, before inquiring in a very elegant and magnetic voice:

"Are you a Circle Sorcerer of the Sun Church? Oh, ladies, are you familiar with the Blood Spirit School? Such a talented person as yourself would do well to join us. The evolution of blood will help us transcend the shells of mortals. On the day of The End that will surely come, only we will survive. The school holds the secrets of the gods; we know the ancient happenings, the true reason behind the fall of the Old Gods. We've even discovered the wealth left by the Ancient God. Join us, sacrifice your companion, and I can promise you access to the Creation Chamber, granting you even greater power."

"There's no need to enchant us with the vile Talent of a vampire."

Miss Beyas said, frowning.

Shard on the side was even more astonished; it seemed the man really was a "vampire"—not just a metaphorical reference. If this was true, then this was the first time Shard had encountered an other-species race in this world. He knew that in the history of this world, there had been various humanoid intelligent species that were quite rare in this era.

"Tsk tsk, such species discrimination again. I actually prefer being called 'Vampire Kind'. You are unaware of the power that the Blood Spirit School holds."

"45."

Miss Annette, gasping for breath, suddenly said.

"What?"

The man asked, puzzled.

"46."

Miss Beyas followed suit, counting along.

"What are you calculating? Or are you trying to scare me?"

He looked around warily, but beside the giant tree, there was nothing. He watched the languishing Silver-Eyed One beneath the tree, thinking it was about to do something, but by the time Miss Annette had counted to the final number, signifying the limit of the Bodor Candle's invisibility:

"47."

The dreamlike radiance appeared almost touching the feminine man's face, and Shard's figure emerged with the arc of the Light Blade in his hand, which had struck the enemy's face the moment he appeared.

The brilliant light reflected in the man's yellow vertical pupils, and even as the pain exploded, he was momentarily captivated by the color of Silvermoon. Silvermoon seemed to imprint deeply into his pupils, their shape slightly shifting, his Racial Talent allowing him to sense an unusual power in this Moonlight.