Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 263 Advancement to Second Ring (Qixi Festival Bonus Chapter)

His eyes fixed forward, Shard, who was running, suddenly vanished and reappeared 30 feet away. Due to another use of Lalleg's Leap, more cracks appeared around him; even the canopy overhead stood still, as if it too feared those cracks.

His figure vanished once again, and after three consecutive leaps, the number of cracks surrounding Shard had become utterly uncountable.

But this was enough; he had finally arrived at the platform holding the Divine Statue and the Holy Emblem. The glow from his fingertips illuminated more details in front of him, and he also saw the text on the metallic cubic box:

"This is a gift left for the children."

The Divine Statue was holding this box, and it seemed that the Blood of Mercury had tried many times but failed to snatch this Sage-Level Relic from the hands of the statue.

Yet Shard was quite familiar with that Old God wearing a jester's hat. Understanding the text on the Relic, he realized amid the current panic what kind of ceremony would allow him to take the box from the hands of the Divine Statue:

"Only children can take the God's Gift Box from the hands of the Divine."

So he cradled the box in his hands and gently lifted it; the box immediately came up into his arms:

"Ha, as expected."

And just as Shard paused to lift the box, the cracks behind him had already closed in. They seemed to dread the Divine Statue, not daring to approach the platform, but after a few seconds' pause, they continued moving towards him.

The phantom woman who had passed the candle to Shard reappeared, standing behind him to temporarily block those terrifying fissures.

Shard didn't waste any time, holding the Sage-Level Relic, the God's Gift Box, and turning to face the pitch-black cracks in the space behind him.

"Hmm?"

He saw the woman who helped him temporarily block the cracks, but he couldn't afford to say much, as black mists surged out from the nearly triple-digit number of cracks, and their growls and roars gave Shard such a headache that he could hardly hold the box. Strange star-like glimmers appeared from the depths of darkness, something truly was about to emerge.

His right hand held the box while his left hand pressed down on the lid, giving it a gentle push. The sliding cover moved, creating a slit between the lid and the box. At the edge of the giant tree canopy, backed by the Old God Statue, in the heart-stopping second that followed, golden light spilled out from the slit.

His eyes widened in awe at the scene before him.

Radiant light, sacred light, light of order; it was not domineering, yet exceedingly dignified, not blinding, but unexpectedly tender.

At that moment, Shard could faintly hear the singing of children, and as the lid was fully opened, golden light also illuminated his face and the transparent woman beside him.

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The light brightened everything before him, illuminating all the increasing number of pitch-black cracks in space. In the overwhelming sacred golden light, the expansion of the cracks halted.

In the light, Shard saw the phantom of a huge eye dart past behind one of the cracks. They then slowly retracted until they completely disappeared from sight.

"Ha~"

Shard closed the lid of the box, collapsing to the ground and leaning against the base of the Divine Statue. Only then did he feel that his back was drenched with sweat, soaking through his front robes. The transparent woman wearing a robe stood quietly to one side, looking reverently at the powerless Old God Statue.

The dizziness came belatedly, and even with his eyes closed, Shard still felt the world spinning.

"This gift is indeed... truly, I thank Him, I thank..."

Murmuring to himself, he listened to the comforting voice of the woman in his heart, and it took quite a while for him to catch his breath and open his eyes.

If what was in the box also proved useless, he really would have to use that drop of Divinity within his soul.

Once again opening the lid of the box in his hand, amidst the splendid golden glow erupting above him, he reached into the box. Inside was a single item, which he grasped and pulled out.

The lid of the God's Gift Box then closed automatically.

"What will the gift be, I wonder?"

She too was expectant.

After the item left the box, the radiance gradually weakened to no more than the brightness of a gas lamp. Shard spread the palm of his hand and saw a puppet—a puppet glowing with life, an image spitting the likeness of Shard Suren Hamilton.

Inside the chest of the puppet, a golden gleam shone faintly; all the light had originated from here.

"This is..."

"...a drop of Divinity sealed away in the material world."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Struggling to his feet, only after the danger had passed did he feel feeble, his legs even trembling from the excessive use of Arcane Technique.

The sound of conversation came from beneath a distant tree, it seemed the two ladies had managed to control the Silver-Eyed One.

He looked towards the transparent woman praying with her head bowed beside the statue, and only now at close distance did he realize she was a spirit from the past. Then, looking back at the statue, he thanked it softly and slowly brought the puppet that mirrored his own image close to his heart.

His skin felt the pulsation within the puppet, which gradually synchronized with the rhythm of his heart. Shortly after, the puppet turned into golden specks of light, dissipating in his hands, while those specs of gold swirled around Shard.

His Ring of Fate automatically materialized behind him, and as specks of light entered his body and soul from different angles, the feeling of burgeoning strength made him sigh involuntarily.

"Why didn't you show up? Am I not absorbing Divinity right now?"

"This is a gift for you, it bears no danger, and I don't need to appear."

Her whisper carried a hint of laughter, as if she were quite pleased with the gift.

Shard nodded slightly, stretching out his hand and watching as specks of light continuously flowed into his body. Then, looking up at the divine statue once more, it seemed for a moment that the originally faceless statue had developed a face and smiled at him.

But with a blink, the statue was just a powerless icon.

Without speaking again, he looked up at the towering tree that dared not stir, the pale blue light illuminating his face as he heard a voice beside his ear:

"In the town where hope disappeared, He is researching the most authentic method of toy making. In the very end, He will meet you again."

"Relic - God's Gift Box bestows upon you new strength."

"Did touching this relic give me an Arcane Technique? Or Sorcery?"

The points of light gradually disappeared, and Shard took a deep breath as the last golden specks were all absorbed into his body. The Brass Life Ring on his back was almost dyed gold. The Spiritual Light of Black Iron was gathering, a power derived from the Whisper of the relic.

"Outlander, you have inscribed the Black Iron Whisper Spirit Rune - Toy Maker."

"Outlander, you have acquired the Arcane Technique - Toy Making. With any fabric as your Spellcasting Materials, you can turn objects into toys."

Above the Ring of Fate, a new black Spirit Rune emerged. But that wasn't all; the second drop of Divinity Overflow caused the First Ring's four Spirit Runes to resonate, their Four-Color Aura intertwining—

A wind stirred in the sealed underground space, and as Shard closed his eyes, his feet lifted off the ground, and his body floated in the air.

The two ladies who came over leaning on each other happened to witness this scene. In both of their eyes, the scene was reflected—the unnatural scene:

Miracle - Echo, the golden Spirit Rune left the High Ring and appeared to the left of Shard, the ancient tree's ghostly image seemingly overlapping with his body.

"The arrival of the Outlander causes the steady flow of time to echo into the past."

Desecration - Gluttony, the silver Spirit Rune left the High Ring and appeared to the right of Shard, the ghostly image of a man in red attire overlapping with his body;

"Not just anyone can devour the power of the banquet's host."

Enlightenment - The Little Match Girl, the brass Spirit Rune left the High Ring and appeared in front of Shard, the ghostly image of a barefoot little girl carrying a basket overlapping with his body;

"A kind heart is not strength, but helping others is also helping oneself."

Whisper - Toy Maker, the Black Iron Spirit Rune left the High Ring and appeared behind Shard, the ghostly image of a young man wearing a jester's hat overlapping with his body.

"This is the gift given to you."

The overflowing Divine Power caused the four Spirit Runes to resonate, making the Ring of Fate behind him spin more swiftly. In the eyes of Miss Annette and Miss Beyas, the Four-Color Spirit Runes surrounded Shard in a quadrilateral formation and gradually began to contract inward. Four peculiar illusions overlapped with his body, heralding a true Sublimation.

Steam Mist drifted in from an unknown place, completely enshrouding Shard. Bells tolled, steam billowed, sirens wailed, hymns sounded.

A massive hammer fell from the sky, poised to strike the fast-spinning blank wheel behind Shard.

"Guide a drop of Divinity to soak into the Spirit Rune prepared for your 'Sublimation Incantation.'"

She reminded him softly.

Within the spinning Ring of Fate, the Divine Light of gold dispersed once more, and then all its dazzling brilliance concentrated on the leftward "Echo". The giant hammer fell, and the irregular advancement made the ground itself seem to shake.

The tree canopy rustled above; it was afraid. The two ladies were completely at a loss as to what was happening.

Two drops of Divinity merged back into one, and as the surrounding mist dispersed, Shard's body slowly descended. Opening his eyes, he looked behind him to see the Brass Life Ring of a Second Ring Sorcerer slowly spinning at his back. Among the First Ring's four Spirit Runes, the "Echo" that he washed with a drop of Divinity was now shining bright gold, illuminating the surroundings.

When he possessed twelve Divine Spirit Runes, he would complete the final Sublimation. For now, he was at the starting point.

The mere overflow of Divine Power had pushed him towards the Second Ring without any rituals or materials to assist him. The light started to recede, and all the phenomena vanished. His feet touched the ground again, and the sensation of surging power within him made Shard feel like he could punch through the earth with one fist.

"Detective, have you ascended to the Second Ring?"

Miss Beyas's voice came with surprise, but more so with confusion:

"Even the advancement from the Inner Ring to the High Ring doesn't have such phenomena... Diviner."

"Hmm? I'm here."

Annette, who had yet to recover from shock, looked towards her:

"What's the matter?"

The young Female Sorcerer looked at her expectantly:

"He's really impressive. So later, when I have my ritual to become The Chosen One, can I also have such an... um... such an impressive scene?"

This question stumped the purple-eyed Diviner. She looked Shard up and down–he was smiling happily–and then at the woman soul praying to the Divine Statue, hesitantly speaking:

"I'm not sure."