Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 761 - : Bloodsucking and Slumber
Chapter 761 -761: Bloodsucking and Slumber
After dinner, Shard finally raised the matter of Sun Power artifacts.
Miss Galina had also collected two pieces; her opinion, much like Tower Keeper Mr. Edmund, was that since it was uncertain which item met the requirements, it was better to find several. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The Witch gave Shard a pebble that could heat up and the blade of a broken sword. The former was exceptionally smooth on the surface, and its temperature would continue to rise when held in the palm of a hand until it nearly reached 50 degrees before stopping. Despite showing no signs of rust, the latter seemed unremarkable. Miss Galina believed that the sword piece could be a fragment of the Sun Knight’s weapon from the Fourth Era.
Shard did not return home that night but was invited to stay over at the manor to discuss the current situation in Midshire Fort City. During this time, he also learned another piece of information: after the “Sin Mansion” incident concluded, the Vampire Mr. Armand Bernhardt requested Sister Delphine to introduce him to the Grand Witch of the Witch Council (Chapter 711). Later, Mr. Bernhardt met Granny Cassandra and, through her connections, purchased a Relic at a high price from Miss Galina.
This Relic was even related to Shard; it was the Scribe Level Relic “Vampire Fang,” which Shard obtained in the Tobesk Underground Ruins at the end of his adventure, after defeating the Vampire Kind sent by the “Blood of Mercury” to assist the “Blood Spirit School.” That Relic is one of the tokens of inheritance for the Vampire Race, which requires implantation in the mouth to utilize its Trait (Chapter 280).
Originally, Shard sold this Relic along with the Vampire’s corpse to Miss Galina for 1200 Gold Pounds. However, the somewhat impatient Mr. Benhart spent a total of 3000 Gold Pounds to purchase that tooth from Miss Galina.
“So, you don’t need to pay me Gold Pounds for those two Sun artifacts; the ‘Vampire Fang’ has already made me a tidy profit.”
The red-haired Duchess spoke quite generously, which only intensified Shard’s confusion:
“The ‘Crown of Blood,’ ‘Blood Thorn Scepter,’ ‘Vampire Ring,’ ‘Holy Grail of Blood,’ ‘Vampire Fang’—there are already five Relics… What exactly do Vampires in the Milestone Area want to do?”
“Whatever they intend to do, it definitely has nothing to do with the Interstice or The Chosen One.”
Miss Galina didn’t make such a judgment lightly:
“I heard from the Speaker a few days ago that the Carsonrick mountainous area at the southern foot of Sicarl Mountain now sees a large gathering of Vampires from various parts of the Old Continent, including even five High Ring Sorcerers. However, aside from Mr. Armand Bernhardt whom you mentioned, none has entered Milestone City.
This strange phenomenon has aroused high alert from the True God Church. The Vampires did not avoid the Church; after simple communication in the United Kingdom of Carsonrick at the southern foot of Sicarl Mountain, the Church concluded that the Vampires’ actions are unrelated to The Chosen One’s affairs and are not conspiring to destroy the city.”
“Does the True God Church really believe that?”
Shard asked dubiously.
“Yes, the Church must have its reasons. So, while we should keep an eye on the Vampires’ activities, there’s no need to focus on it. Next week, on Tuesday or Wednesday, the Church’s sealing ceremony ‘Holy Tree Scar’ will begin, and unexpected problems are certain to arise… that much is nearly certain. Shard, I have a feeling you will, for some strange reason, find yourself inexplicably in places you shouldn’t be.”
The Witch teased, but she didn’t say anything like advising Shard not to go:
“Anyway, just keep safe. With Hevy and Granny Cassandra in Milestone now, you should be relatively out of harm’s way as long as you stick with them. Midshire Fort is simply too far from Tobesk for me to be of any help if you needed it.”
“There shouldn’t be any dangers. After all, the True God Church has seen to almost everything this time.”
Shard said.
A mocking smile appeared on the witch’s face:
“In this world, nothing is ever completely foolproof. Where The Chosen One is, trouble is sure to follow. My dear student, Iluna Beath, has arrived in Milestone, and then there’s Barton, who wishes to revive the dead. The story is getting more interesting, and the best part is, this time, it’s all happening very far away from us.”
(Mia running…)
On Saturday, Shard still hadn’t left Tobesk City—not because the ‘Sloth’ Spirit Talisman affected him, but because he was genuinely tired from all the high-intensity adventuring that week. Even Shard needed time to rest.
Saturday afternoons, as usual, were for group study sessions. Compared to the ever-traveling Shard, Dr. Schneider’s life seemed very peaceful. Before the meeting started, he tirelessly reiterated to everyone, especially Shard, the importance of the winter examination week and urged Shard to make a quick decision on whether to apply for a grade skip or not.
Shard was currently a nominal second-year, but he was on the verge of reaching Four Rings as a Circle Sorcerer. If Shard really wanted to jump grades, then he would have quite a lot to get done in the remaining two months of the year.
Shard had several matters to address during the study session. The first concerned his own ‘Sublimation Incantation’, where he needed to ascertain whether ‘Sleeping Princess’ or ‘Sleeping Beauty’ could replace the Spirit Rune of ‘Slumber’. Next was the Time Key he had acquired from the seal on the flanks of Interstice Mountain; he didn’t want to confirm which historical moment the Time Key corresponded to—such things were meaningless to Shard, given his unique experiences which history would have never recorded. He just wanted the Academy to inspect and register the key so that its exploration could bring about new practical credits.
Whether Shard would progress normally into the third year by the end of the year or skip ahead to the fourth year, practical credits were what he lacked the most.
The ‘Sleeping Princess’ Spirit Rune directly corresponded to the actual fairy tale itself—an extremely rare occurrence, and so few individuals in history had ever obtained it. Yet, Saint Byrons Library had records of one such person.
Shard’s query eventually reached Miss Danester, the librarian. Consequently, on the very same evening, while Lecia was teaching Shard, a poem page brought messages from Miss Danester.
In response, Shard hastily organized a ritual and once again used projection to reach Saint Byrons.
The Saint Byrons Library at night remained as bright and quiet as ever, with the light from candles and gas lamps illuminating every corner of the ancient library.
Although it was already eight in the evening, by peering through the gaps between the bookshelves, one could still see numerous young magicians in long robes sifting through books.
“Is the study atmosphere in Saint Byrons always this intense?”
Shard asked curiously.
“The School of Mathematics will have their midterm assessment next week. If they don’t pass, they won’t be able to take the year-end promotion exam, and their annual evaluation will drop by one level. Otherwise, it’s rare to see so many young students around here at this time.”
Miss Danester said with a smile.
The Thirteen-Ring Sorceress from Saint Byrons, who always sat on the long couch in the middle of the library to greet Shard, sometimes led him to wonder if she ever stood up at all.
Unaware of Shard’s messy thoughts, Miss Danester held a black hardcover book titled “Sublimation Codex” in her hands. Noticing Shard’s glance, she waved her hand to let the book float in front of her, automatically flipping to the corresponding page:
“Your question is interesting. Indeed, there has been a phenomenon in the construction of Sublimation Incantation where the concept of a fairy tale replaced the ‘Slumber’ Spirit Rune. It happened during the Fifth Era, with one of the Academy’s founders.”
Shard’s eyes widened slightly;
“May I ask who it was?”
He thought it was very likely Miss Orland, whom he had heard the story from.
“It was the Academy’s second principal. There are more records about her than the legendary Miss Mana Feliana.”
“The second principal of the Academy is…”
“Miss Fiona Drago.”
The librarian revealed a name beyond expectation, and Shard tried to control his expression, not to look astonished. If his memory served him correctly, when he told the Deity a story from his homeland, that witch with red hair and a long tail had been in a state of sleep within an ice coffin; she shouldn’t have heard the story.
“Because of the ritual’s restriction, you cannot leave your seat to accompany me to the deepest part of Saint Byrons Grand Library. What is stored there is not secretive taboo knowledge, but the history of the Academy. Due to recent events concerning Miss Feliana in Tobesk City, the Academy organized a re-examination and search of this ancient library, and we indeed found some secret chambers that had not been noticed before.”
Miss Danester gently stroked her smooth chin with the pad of her thumb:
“Some lost documents have been rediscovered and categorized, along with some records on the history of Fifth Era’s schools. That Principal Fiona Drago once used the ‘Sleeping Princess’ Spirit Rune to replace the ‘Sleeping’ Spirit Rune. Of course, her Sublimation Incantation wasn’t ‘The echo of space-time vibrates the sleeping power,’ but ‘When the sleeping Red Dragon awakens, all things move toward ultimate death.’
“It’s a truly destructive Sublimation Incantation; once activated, most witches of the Thirteen Rings would be unable to oppose her. After all, the principal had the bloodline of the Red Dragon Nobility…”
“Red Dragon?”
Shard appropriately expressed his confusion, prompting Miss Danester to explain a bit about the mixed races of the Fifth Era before getting back to the main point:
“Anyway, using ‘Sleeping Princess’ to replace ‘Sleeping’ is a feasible approach, so you need not worry about that. What I am curious about is how you came across such a rune that matches the ancient fairy tale?”
Shard had his answer ready:
“I actually haven’t got one, I just felt there was a possibility. The original manuscript of ‘Sleeping Princess’ is in Zaras Literary Academy. I recently met a friend from Zaras who has a manual copy of the original. After reading it, I felt a great resonance. That feeling is hard to describe; it’s like…”
“I understand; it means you resonate well with this fairy tale. Unfortunately, with your talent and the Spirit Runes, you specialize in Moon Sorcery and Space-Time Power. Enlightenment in fairy tales can only supplement your Circle Sorcerer System, and those related to the moon would suit you better… However, I remember one of the female sorcerers from your group is very proficient in enlightening the power of fairy tales; I believe her name is… Dorothy Louisa? You could learn from her.”
Miss Danester paused for a moment before asking:
“By the way, how many Three Ring Spirit Runes are you short of now?”
Shard summoned the Ring of Fate behind him, and the librarian frowned briefly as she glanced at it:
“Just short of Enlightenment? Your progression is indeed fast; over the last few thousand years, you could be counted as one of the most talented students of Saint Byrons… But this is good; ‘Guiding Moon’ from Xerxes Higher Medical Academy will likely reach Saint Byrons by the end of this month or early next month. The higher your level, the greater the chances of a successful operation. The other party has evolved from Four Rings to Five Rings and is being focused on by Xerxes as well.”
“This matter won’t go awry. However, Miss Danester, I’d like to know how the Academy’s investigation on Miss Feliana is going?”
“Not very promising; the Academy has been busy with the Midshire Fort incident recently.”
Seeing Shard’s puzzled look, she did not explain:
“To find answers to that, we still need to locate the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer, the ‘God Summoner.’ Our principal is preparing to head to Milestone, equipped with a Level 0 Relic. Hopefully, he will encounter the ‘God Summoner’ and be able to have a discussion.”
“The principal is seeking the God Summoner?”
Shard was very surprised and then cautioned himself that he must not draw too much attention if not necessary during this Milestone incident.
