Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 764 - : Searching in a Dream

Chapter 764 -764: Searching in a Dream

Shard and the witches were now located in Rolandta Manor to the north of the city. The dining room was adorned with antique oil paintings and metal armor, with red and blue tapestries alternately appearing on the walls between the slender floor-to-ceiling windows, while old gas lamps quietly illuminated the restaurant under the foggy afternoon.

Shard’s right index finger touched the area in front of his earlobe as he cocked his head and looked unconsciously at the gold and silverware on the table:

“It sounds like an urban legend, but since even ordinary people can now feel the Interstice, we probably can’t delay the ‘Holy Tree Scar’ ceremony.”

“Tomorrow or the day after, either Monday or Tuesday.”

Granny Cassandra gave the specific dates:

“Sicarl Mountain is now completely sealed off, with local military and police ensuring no one gets through on the outskirts.

Clergy members from the Old Continent, gathered by the Church of the Five Gods, have been entering the mountains in batches since this morning. According to the Speaker’s estimates, the best time for such a ceremony is at dusk. That is when the sun is about to set but has not yet set, and the moon is about to rise but has not yet risen. In mysticism, dusk holds significant meaning as the transition between the sun and the moon also represents the cycle of life and death.”

“Will the ceremony take place tomorrow evening or the day after in the evening?”

Shard concluded, slowly nodding his head.

“If you saw this morning’s newspaper from Midshire Fort, you would have seen the news of another earthquake happening in the city in the last two days. City Hall is calming the public, telling them there’s no need to leave the city, just to take precautions at home. Additionally, City Hall is planning to issue a citywide martial law, but the details are still being negotiated.”

Granny Cassandra continued.

The balance of life and death also relies on the civilization of Midshire Fort. Therefore, even knowing what would happen if the ceremony failed, the church could not evacuate everyone from the city ahead of time, otherwise, the Interstice would collapse immediately without waiting for the ‘Holy Tree Scar’ to take place.

“The worst-case scenario is a volcanic eruption.”

Miss Aphrola said softly:

“Accumulated deaths erupting from the summit of Sicarl Mountain, countless evil spirits returning to the real world. Hopefully, that won’t happen.”

Someone knocked on the door, and then the dining room door was opened; Miss Rita Swift, the apprentice of the Old Witch, entered with the maids pushing a dining cart with the main course after the pre-meal dessert. Miss Swift was not one of the Old Witch’s maids, but apprentices had obligations to perform tasks for their mentors, including but not limited to mandatory labor and accompaniment, and even in the Middle Ages, it included warming beds, which is why Miss Swift led the maids inside.

“Shard, try the specialty of Milestone; this Sicarl bison meat is quite good.”

The Old Witch cheerfully said, and in front of Shard was a plate decorated with broccoli and tomatoes.

Shard was considering asking whether he could see Grace and Helen when Miss Aphrola spoke at that moment:

“Shard, there is a dangerous task we would like to entrust to you.”

Her voice was very soft, and when Shard looked at her, the witch with brown wavy long hair actually shook her head slightly.

“What is it?”

“Excessive longing can allow the living to meet the dead in dreams. Based on this, the Grand Witches of the Council developed a ritual that can target and search in the Interstice.”

Granny Cassandra said, and Shard raised an eyebrow:

“So, you are not going to…”

“Yes, the Council hopes to use this method to find Joey Barton before the church does. Of course, this method would definitely not work for the Chosen One, but we can locate that jester.”

Miss Aphrola said hesitantly, giving Shard ample time to think:

“The ritual can only send a Circle Sorcerer from the Inner Ring or Low Ring into the Interstice, and the Interstice is more dangerous now than ever. You are known to us as the sorcerer with the strongest resistance to the powers of death in the Interstice and the Whisper Element. So we hope you can enter the Interstice and confirm Joey Barton’s movements.”

They weren’t thinking Shard could kill Joey Barton, though Shard had shown remarkable abilities; he was, after all, only in the Three Rings, while the other was a Chosen who deeply understood the meaning of death.

“Of course, you can refuse.”

Miss Aphrola added again, emphasizing the statement.

Shard thought for a moment:

“Should I refuse?”

This was the question in his mind.

[What reason do you have to refuse?]

“She” asked with a light laugh.

“Yeah.”

Shard sighed, unable to suppress a smile on his face; he had been worried just this morning about not being able to find Joey Barton:

“When do we leave? Can I carry a Relic if I enter the Interstice in a dream? Also, can the ritual provide any assistance while I am in the Interstice?”

Miss Aphrola sighed, while Granny Cassandra seemed to have anticipated Shard’s agreement, and the Old Witch kindly said:

“We need to prepare some Ritual Materials, so from midnight tonight until just before sunrise tomorrow, we can leave.

Since it involves entering dreams, you cannot carry anything, neither Spellcasting Materials nor Relics, but the ritual ensures that you can cast spells without materials in your dream. You possess the powers of a witch, so the ritual will enhance your stamina and Spirit recovery speed. Besides, Aphrola and I will support you from the real world.”

“That sounds quite good.”

Shard nodded, calculating the time:

“I need to go home and prepare this afternoon, and arrive by three in the morning…”

“At the Cassandra Auction House, where the ceremony will be held. Once you encounter problems in the Interstice that even we can’t solve, the teachers can at least ensure your safe return,”

Granny Cassandra added.

“Okay, then see you at three in the morning on Tuesday.”

Shard looked at the steak in front of him and realized that this might be his last chance to see Joey Barton before the church ceremony.”

Entering the Interstice through dreaming meant that one could not carry any Spellcasting Materials, Alchemical Items, or Relics, so in reality, Shard didn’t need to go back to Tobesk to prepare anything.

However, since it was a dangerous adventure, he went to the Prophet’s Society in the afternoon to inform Luviya about the adventure happening in a few hours.

Luviya was very worried, even though Shard had entered the Interstice many times before, she was still anxious:

“The affair of the Chosen by Death is nearing its end, and I too want to persuade Joey Barton not to do anything irrational, but it has already happened. Shard, I don’t think seeing him again will make him give up his ideas.”

“What if I can kill him in the Interstice?”

Shard asked, holding a cat:

“Sister Delphine already knows the contents of the Chosen One Ceremony. Although I admire Joey Barton, if he truly remains deluded, I will send him away.”

He gently stroked the cat’s back, and Mia’s body was very soft:

“The journey to find the thirteen Chosen Ones has already gone one-quarter of the way; I have done things more dangerous than this before.”

The girl with purple eyes hesitated for a moment and sighed softly:

“In the end, you’re taking on the biggest risks. I can only wait for news in Tobesk.”

“We perform different roles; that’s normal. And haven’t you been busy observing the Star Ocean Whales recently? Those big fellas should appear this week or next, right?”

“The Diviner’s Silver Coin helped me divine the exact times, it should be Wednesday night or Thursday night.”

Luviya nodded her head:

“It’s a pity this isn’t the best observation spot. The position where the Star Ocean Whales penetrate the material world’s spatial barrier should be in the eastern part of the Old Continent.”

Shard stood up:

“Then I wish you smooth observations. If you can get a good place in the activities of the Astronomy College, your scores should be high in this year’s winter evaluations. I will take my leave now, and I want to see Dr. Schneider who might give me some advice on dreaming. Wait for my good news, Luviya.”

He said, holding Mia in his left hand and lifting the reluctant cat’s paw with his right hand, waving to Luviya:

“If things go well, you’ll see me tomorrow afternoon.”

He stepped out of the room, leaving only Luviya, who propped her face with her right hand, looking at the glass on the other side of the room:

“Although our roles are different, every time you say goodbye to me and go on an adventure alone…”

At a certain moment, the anxious purple-eyed girl saw her own reflection in the window glass, though the light inside and outside the room should not have been enough to form a reflection.

“Who?”

She immediately stood up and rummaged through her pocket for dust that could trace Evil Spirits. Carefully, she approached the window and threw it onto the glass, but nothing happened.

Luviya was certain that what she saw was not an illusion. She frowned and looked around the room, intending to go directly to the president of the society, Mr. Stan, the High Ring Prophet, to ask him to check the room.

Suddenly, the sound of a sigh came through her ears, and Luviya relaxed slightly; she had heard this voice many times before.

“Do you desire power?”

The whisper in her ear arose, always sounding so sorrowful.

“Of course I desire it, but what just happened? You must have seen it too, that wasn’t my illusion… Wait, this feeling is…”

Luviya frowned slightly, finally grasping the strange feeling from a moment ago:

“Did I capture a fragment of fate? Because I divined the third Chosen One’s required ceremony, has my divination ability improved? But, I don’t understand what that meant just now.”

The voice beside her ear spoke again, and Luviya listened carefully:

“Look carefully.”

So she continued to stare at the glass, and then saw a blood-stained parchment:

“Is this a Relic?”

She pursed her lips, watching the phantom of the blood-stained parchment slowly disappear on the glass. And where the parchment had originally been, Shard’s figure appeared.

The young detective, carrying an orange cat on his shoulder, left the Prophet’s Society. Luviya even noticed him pausing to gaze in the direction of Yordle Palace before merging into the crowd on Silver Cross Avenue, turning towards Saint Delan Square:

“The Relic just now, it seemed like the one Shard mentioned… kept at the Sun Church… why would this appear…”

The purple-eyed girl furrowed her brows deeply.