Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 1962: "Edwards

And although Priest Augustus opened a rift to absorb souls, faced with such a massive tide of evil spirits, he could barely stand with the doctor at the edge of the island.

"Doctor, stay here to help Shard, I’ll lead these souls away."

The old cleric’s expression was resolute, making a decision without hesitation. Dr. Schneider clenched his teeth, resisting the attack from those blood-red branches surrounding them:

"Can you do it?"

"Don’t underestimate me, and you stay safe too."

Saying this, he combined two six-piece skulls completely and raised them overhead. The charred black wings behind him flashed briefly under the moonlight and then disappeared, but afterward, everyone on the treetop heard a clear bell sound.

It was definitely not a bell marking time; the sound vibrated through souls, making them feel a bone-chilling cold. It felt like jumping into an icy pool in the coldest winter. Those living with bodily protection stiffened for a second due to this bell sound, and those souls controlled by the [Soul Storybook] were directly frozen in place.

The old cleric embraced the skull in his arms and jumped from the edge of the banquet hall ruins down to the tree at the sound of the bell. So, those frozen souls were attracted and detached from the relic’s control, transformed into a tide, and followed the cleric surging to the ground. Even the [Soul Storybook] itself, attracted by the immense force, was carried along with thousands of souls flying towards the tree.

With the evil spirits moving away, the people on the ruins finally canceled their shields and counterspell techniques. Shard, of course, saw the doctor and the cleric who had just appeared, and although he was equally worried about how the cleric would handle so many souls, he still threw the barely movable Soren Green and Helena Green towards the doctor:

"Take them away!"

The doctor wanted to stay and help, but since Shard requested, he wouldn’t refuse. However, as soon as the Green siblings touched the already blurred blood-red light shield, they immediately returned from another side of the ruins’ light shield, unable to leave.

The doctor was startled for a moment, then swung his arm, imbued with demon flames, to punch the red glow. Even the black flame that could burn most substances couldn’t melt the red light before him.

The blood-colored fruit at the treetop continued to grow, the blood light on the island and the red glow flowing through the trees became thinner, the fruit’s maturity was imminent.

Laplace Klein Howard’s echoing voice came from above:

"God Summoner, why don’t we make a simple deal. I promise to spare these twin siblings tonight, and you promise not to summon a deity’s power tonight."

"Do you think I’m stupid? Besides, without them, can your Edwards’ Ascension Technique really be complete?"

Even though he never intended to burn divinity, Shard responded immediately.

"But, does it really need to be complete?"

With a single sentence, it was clear he knew the final United as One didn’t require absorbing all descendants:

"I’ll increase the stakes—I’ll promise that Edwards’ Ascension Technique won’t absorb Soren Green, Helena Green, Megan Edwards, Audrey Edwards, and you promise not to summon a deity’s power tonight. We don’t need any contract, just rely on ourselves for assurance, will you agree?"

"Sha..."

Megan almost shouted Shard’s name, widened her eyes trying to stop him from agreeing, but Shard had already decisively nodded:

"No problem."

In the battle of The Chosen, any promise or duel held significant symbolic meaning. Shard knew the diviner wouldn’t lie, and the diviner also understood Shard wouldn’t easily break his oath. Luviya divined that Edwards’ Ascension Technique could miss up to four descendants, and now it seemed Laplace Klein Howard also knew this.

With two simple sentences, the agreement was made. Shard didn’t even give Megan a chance to object, directly telling the Green siblings:

"You two leave first."

Thus the siblings nodded to Shard, Ms. Helena Green quickly pulling her brother’s hand and passing through the red light shield at the banquet hall ruins’ edge, joining the doctor standing on the treetop branches. The doctor said nothing further, grabbed their hands, and jumped down.

"Giles, Giles, you leave too!"

The little girl urged the man hugging her desperately, but he was covered in injuries, obviously having gone through a savage battle, yet refused to leave.

Megan glared at Shard, but seeing Shard signal her to leave too, the witch shook her head quickly, disbelief still in her eyes at Shard agreeing to such a condition for her. She knew Shard’s strength usually shown wasn’t close to her ancestor’s level at this moment.

She couldn’t think of how Shard would handle the situation tonight if he didn’t use deity summoning powers. She couldn’t understand why he even found it necessary to go to such lengths for her.

But Shard didn’t have the time to explain to her.

The chanting and praying from various parts of the island grew louder, the blood-red giant tree trembled more intensely. The heartbeat sound from the fruit made the Edwards clutch their chest again, as the growing fruit finally showed signs of its flesh bursting through the transparent peel.

The power of Edwards’ Ascension Technique neared its peak at this moment, the swirling blood mist and the powerful heart-throbbing pulse even led some to wonder if Laplace Klein Howard, about to be "born," was an ancient beast hibernating here for years.

But no instant blood-colored fruit explosion, the diviner flew out from it. Blood droplets, countless blood droplets, seeped from the swollen peel, large drops of blood fell towards the banquet hall ruins nearly blending with the treetop.

The Edwards could feel that once they came into contact with this blood, they would "dissolve," so while dodging, they didn’t forget to pull those fallen family members away.

But these drops of blood were not meant to attack them. The blood fell to the ground and then transformed into each Laplace Klein Howard wearing a blood-red robe.

The sound of steam whistles and bells rang out, and one by one, Thirteen-Ring Life Rings appeared behind them. In just a few seconds, twenty-one Thirteen-Ring Sorcerers appeared expressionlessly on the wreckage.

But almost simultaneously, a dense, earthy yellow spiritual energy suddenly appeared above the island. The power of the earth surged, emerging directly above the wreckage of the banquet hall along the thick tree trunk. Dirt, dust, and stones intertwined, and the incarnations of twenty-one Guardians of the Earth, tangled with the Diviners in blood-red robes the next second they appeared.

Forty-two people flew away from the narrow wreckage, engaging in a fierce battle around the giant tree. And those earthy yellow spiritual energies eventually formed the true body of Mr. Lathis, the Chosen of the Earth, beside Shard.

He gently nodded to Shard, then his body dissipated again, turning into a stream of light that flew towards the huge, still-bleeding fruit high above.

The fruit finally exploded at this moment, and as the peel fell to the ground, the seemingly endless bloody "flesh" gathered into the shape of Laplace Howard.

No matter what he was now, he could no longer be called human.

The two didn’t waste words, as streams of blood-red and earthy yellow light entwined, falling to the ground—they hadn’t intended to fight in the air. But Shard frowned slightly, and Iluna spoke the words Shard wanted to say:

"It’s not the Guardian’s true body, there’s trouble with the Earth? Is that why he came so late?"

"It’s not important. The crucial part is that he helps tangle with Laplace Klein Howard. I just don’t understand, with ninety-nine percent of your power engaged with the Chosen of the Earth, have you abandoned your plan?"

The last half-sentence was directed at the layer of "peel" that fell onto the wreckage of the banquet hall. The residue of the fruit squirmed and gathered together, with the red flesh once again piling up to form the shape of a Diviner.

Weak, even weaker than Shard’s current normal state. But the Diviner who emerged from the red mist inexplicably made Shard feel that this was a truly living person. Though weak, he was extraordinarily real; although devoid of power, he seemed more like something truly born from this tree.

"Abandon my past self."

The Diviner said softly, looking around at the complicated expressions on the faces of his descendants:

"The power that represents the part of Laplace Klein Howard must be taken away. By discarding them, I can truly become Edwards, become the embodiment of this island."

He spoke as if reciting poetry:

"My people are the soil of the earth,

My descendants are the roots of the trees.

Oh roots deeply embedded in the soil,

Please draw the nourishment of flesh for me.

Chosen of Balance, I prune the branches,

Chosen of the Earth, clear the surplus flesh for me.

Death Angel guides the souls to death,

I have offered my descendants’ souls to that demon.

Insert the thirteen keys,

The two-hundred-year wish culminates at this moment.

One is all,

All is one.

Descendants, please raise your glasses with me,

Descendants, please become a part of me."

While seemingly devoid of power, when he suddenly reached out to Megan, the Witch instantly felt a deadly threat. Holding Iluna’s hand, Shard almost immediately flickered with her to Megan’s side. The three simultaneously performed defensive and counterattack actions, then together, they were struck out by a massive force.

"Edwards" had no intention to engage them in a fight. With a sudden strike sending them far away, the sharp blood thorns protruding from his back instantly penetrated everyone remaining on the wreckage.

It truly was just an instant, with no one able to resist.

The enormous force had already blasted Shard, Iluna, and Megan out of the wreckage of the banquet hall atop the tree crown. Even though they had long anticipated this scene would occur, when the "Edwards" embodiment of the island itself truly made his move, neither Shard nor Iluna could stop it.