Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 870 - 870: Moon, Lock, and Snake

Due to the Pantanal Voodoo Society poisoning the Earl a few days prior, there were sorcerers from the church present at this banquet. Thus, even though Shard had heard news of the Truth Society and cultists a few hours earlier, he wasn't particularly worried.

He timed it perfectly, planning to head to the manor's courtyard around nine o'clock to return the pair of earrings to Princess Margaret. Coincidentally, Mr. Benhart, having nothing else to do, decided to accompany Shard, as leaving the banquet hall alone would be somewhat conspicuous.

Although the banquet tonight was held indoors due to the weather, some people still gathered in small groups in the courtyard with glasses in hand, "admiring the moon." Of course, whether they were discussing matters in secret or engaging in deeper interactions among the young remained uncertain.

Talking and laughing, Shard and Mr. Benhart walked into the courtyard and almost simultaneously looked up at the moon overhead, both revealing a smile. Shard felt invigorated bathing in the moonlight, and the vampire kind felt the fatigue from the noisy banquet being swept away.

With faint music behind them, they felt as if they had entered another world upon stepping into the quiet courtyard. Since the princess's maid had not yet arrived, Shard invited Mr. Benhart to take a walk. Mr. Benhart eagerly agreed, appreciating a moment of tranquility.

In this early winter season, most plants in the courtyard had withered except for a few evergreens, but the royal family's outstanding florists and gardeners made the serene moonlit courtyard still beautiful. Looking at the manor's courtyard, Shard couldn't help but recall the first large banquet he attended after arriving in this world, the Lakeside Manor banquet.

He heard many things and met many people at that banquet, until the very end when he landed that kick under the moonlight. Even now, thinking back, that experience still seemed unbelievably incredible.

"Tonight's moon is truly splendid."

Mr. Benhart remarked, standing next to Shard by the knight's fountain. The flowing water added a touch of solitude to the quiet night.

"Yes, the moon is indeed splendid."

Both men had arcane techniques related to the moon, so once the topic was opened, they had much to discuss.

For instance, Shard's "Moonlight Slash" was a relatively basic arcane technique from the Moonlight Series. It could be used under the Silvermoon, Yellow Moon, and Red Moon. However, corresponding to the three moons, the Silvermoon's Moonlight Slash was inclined towards combating evil, possessing a "holy" attribute; the Red Moon's Moonlight Slash leaned towards flesh destruction, being highly effective at damaging physical bodies; and the Yellow Moon's Moonlight Slash had no prominent attribute characteristics, making its pure spirit and energy destruction effects even more pronounced.

Mr. Benhart, a Seven-Ring Sorcerer, possessed experience that greatly inspired Shard. And Shard, having mastered both Silvermoon and Yellow Moon, provided valuable insights to the vampire kind.

While sharing experiences with the Moonlight Slash, Shard naturally mentioned the three forms he developed for this arcane technique: the basic slash, a powerful but slow slash leaving cross light arcs in the air, and a quick slash formed by clapping both hands together then drawing out a light arc.

"You truly have a remarkable talent for the moon,"

Mr. Benhart sincerely commented:

"Now with the powers of the Yellow Moon and Silvermoon, if you acquire the Red Moon as well, all your moon arcane techniques might undergo a qualitative transformation."

In fact, Shard's Four-Ring already had the "Red Moon" spirit rune, which was a power of desecration. But to save the Twin Red Butterflies, the Red Moon was currently sealed, and he hadn't found a suitable way to restore this spirit rune's power yet.

"Regarding 'Moonlight Slash,' I don't have your talent to develop so many forms."

Mr. Benhart said softly, looking around to ensure no young lovers were in the nearby bushes:

"My family, oh, I mean my vampire clan, has more techniques for utilizing this ability."

Sorcerers have never been a reclusive profession; long ago, Priest Augustus mentioned that sorcerers were more like scholars, and sometimes others' notes could be more useful than a month of focused research:

"Moonlight Slash can be cast not only with hands but theoretically with any part of the body."

Upon saying this, Mr. Benhart extended a foot forward, and Shard saw a crimson light blade sweep along the ground, dissipating upon hitting the fountain base due to controlled power.

"I've tried that too,"

Shard nodded, having used his foot for a Moonlight Slash under the moon:

"But besides hands and feet, it's difficult to cast with other parts. Currently, I can only manage this..."

He opened his mouth and flicked his tongue, releasing a small silver light trace. Shard had never shown this technique to anyone due to its low power and embarrassment.

Mr. Benhart, purely academic, didn't find it odd:

"Yes, it's very challenging. Our race can transform into bats, using wings to cast in bat form. Some have tried using the tongue, but it's weak as tongues aren't attacking organs."

He laughed suddenly:

"Since we have time tonight, I'll show you a special 'Moonlight Slash' technique developed from our vampire talents."

They walked from the central path towards a secluded garden path. Ensuring they were far enough from the manor—

"Ha!"

Mr. Benhart clenched his fists, raising them diagonally upwards:

"Hah!"

He crossed his arms at his chest:

"Moonlight Slash!"

With a hiss, the middle-aged vampire transformed into a bright red arc, dashing forward but thankfully not hitting anything before reverting, panting.

He explained to Shard:

"Our clan's arcane technique involving the blood spirit rune allows 'Blood Blade Form,' using one's blood to slash enemies. This Moonlight Slash form uses a similar principle, transforming oneself into moonlight to attack, but has clear weaknesses."

Benhart looked significantly fatigued:

"You see this state as its cost. Also, if interrupted during the attack, it'll cause great harm. This form is merely an arcane application, with no specific learning method, relying on personal feeling. It demands high affinity with the moon and light. Few below the High Rings can master it directly."

Feeling a bit proud, he received heartfelt praise from Shard:

"Indeed impressive, exhausting the ultimate transformation of the Moonlight Slash arcane technique."

Though low-ring learnable, Shard realized its form change limit after three forms. He planned one final form at the Low Fourth Ring before pursuing other moonlight attacks upon advancing to the Inner Ring.

They didn't wander far, conversing within view of the manor. But before Princess Margaret appeared, a sudden flash from the garden behind the manor caught their attention. Shard and Mr. Benhart noticed it instantly, as would anyone looking out from the manor windows.

"Light Spell?"

Mr. Benhart hesitated:

"Using Light Spell here, aren't they afraid of attracting the church's sorcerers?"

"Perhaps that's the intention, diverting some sorcerers." With experience, Shard whispered, both watching the manor's back, but nothing further happened. Shard turned to the manor's entrance:

"Why isn't Princess Margaret's maid here yet?"

"Something feels wrong,"

Mr. Benhart worriedly suggested:

"Let's check inside. Whoever caused that disrupted the sorcerers, maybe even acting out the Truth Society's madness."

Shard agreed, and they hurried to the manor's entrance. However, Shard couldn't open the door:

"Hmm?"

He felt as though he was trying to push a mountain.

Mr. Benhart came over to help but also couldn't push the door open. Upon listening closely to the sounds inside, the music sounded normal, and the sounds of conversation and laughter didn't seem fabricated, for they could clearly hear two people at the door intensely debating about maritime topics:

"Is someone locking the door?"

Mr. Benhart asked in confusion, as Shard tried to use the Key of the Door to unlock it. This arcane technique indeed worked, but the process felt like arm-wrestling a dragon; he could open the door, but he needed to use all his focus to fully concentrate on the magic:

"Mr. Benhart, wait a moment, I'm unlocking it."

"The banquet is still proceeding normally; this 'lock' is clearly the work of a Circle Sorcerer. The one who set this lock just didn't want people to enter quickly and didn't want to draw more attention. The Church of the Five Gods directly protects the Royal Family, the Truth Society shouldn't be targeting Princess Margaret directly, what exactly are they doing?"

Mr. Benhart analyzed. After nearly five minutes, Shard finally unlocked it. Pushing open the golden door, the two quickly slipped inside. The ball was still going on as usual, with finely dressed gentlemen and beautiful ladies dancing and enjoying themselves. The melodious music was so relaxing, and the two gentlemen at the door debating maritime topics just glanced at them, seemingly unaware of anything unusual happening.

But Princess Margaret had already disappeared from the corner of the hall where she had been sitting on a sofa. Upon inquiring, they learned she had been called away not long ago, but when asked who called her away, the ordinary people couldn't provide a clear answer.

"Sure enough, something's wrong."

Shard whispered nervously to Mr. Benhart:

"I'll go find that witch; as long as she's here, there won't be any problems."

Mr. Benhart nodded but didn't want to follow Shard:

"I'll go find my clan and ask about what happened just now. After a while, you and that lady come directly to me; maybe we'll already know where the princess is by then."

So they split up. Shard, preparing the spellcasting materials, left the hall and walked down the left corridor to find Miss Sylvia. But after turning the corner in the corridor, he saw a tall man standing in the middle of the empty corridor, seemingly waiting just for him.

Shard hadn't seen him at the ball earlier. This man's cheeks had dark green vertical stripes running down them, his skin was somewhat dark, and his eyes were deeply sunken into their sockets, clearly waiting for Shard:

"You opened the 'lock' from the outside?"

The stranger spoke with a heavy Casenric accent, his gray eyes sizing up Shard:

"Sir, no matter who you are, tonight's events have nothing to do with you. If you pretend not to know about this, I am willing to offer you 100 krone."

Shard also sized him up. The other was a Low Ring Sorcerer, probably Three Rings, so the "lock" couldn't have been set by him:

"Pantanal Voodoo Society?"

He hesitantly asked, surprised when the man actually nodded:

"Yes, Mr. Draleon. But this has nothing to do with the Voodoo Society; we are merely hired to do something."

"Who hired you?"

Shard asked again, but the man just shook his head:

"Do you think I would tell you?"

"I just don't understand, the Truth Society has always looked down on hillbillies like you, why would they hire you?"

Shard was only testing, but the burly man's face changed:

"So, you are indeed here to protect Margaret Anjou. Rest assured, neither we nor the Truth Society would dare to harm a member of the Royal Family; we are just here to find an item."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"If I can't stop you, at least I have to ensure that this operation won't make the Inquisition of the Church of the Five Gods intervene."

He reached into his pocket, giving Shard a deep look, as if he was making some decision:

"I pursue the Wildness Path, and I am very sensitive to power. I can feel how terrifying you are; even if not a High Ring, you are at least equal to a High Ring Sorcerer. I can't stop you, but don't think you can pass easily. Those so-called civilized professors gave us valuable knowledge, and we will do our best to help them."

With that, he took out something from his pocket that looked like snakeskin. Dense Whisper elements instantly spilled out in all directions, and Shard could hear the "hiss hiss hiss" sound in his ears.

"A relic?"

Shard was startled, swiping out a Moonlight slash. The Three Ring Sorcerer didn't dodge, and as the moonlight almost precisely cut him in half at the waist, he swallowed the snakeskin:

"This is a Scribe Level Relic, the Immortal Snake Shedding. Praise Pantanal! Praise the Immortal Snake! So, die!"

The last few words turned completely into a foreign serpentine language, but Shard still understood them.

The man's waist spurted blood, and he collapsed to the ground, trembling, seemingly on the brink of death.

But Shard's face suddenly changed, continuously retreating. As the man swallowed the snakeskin, the gas lamps in the entire corridor dimmed rapidly. The Whisper elements became more apparent and clear, and on top of the man's "corpse," a crack appeared. In Shard's shocked eyes, a black snake as thick as the man's waist, with crimson eyes and covered in mucus, emerged from the body.

"Hiss hiss~"

The crimson forked tongue flicked out of the snake's mouth, mucus dripped down its body, revealing patterns like those of a tapeworm.

Its body was larger and longer than the man's corpse, turned around, and swallowed the corpse, then slithered towards Shard, leaving wet marks on the carpet. Even though Shard had seen many snakes in the Sicarl Mountains in autumn, this one still sent a cold shiver through him.

"Did he swallow a relic? Did the relic go out of control?"

This reminded Shard of the Circle Sorcerer who turned into a merman because of out-of-control Merman Scales.

[It's not out of control, swallowing that snakeskin should be the way to trigger the relic properties.]

"Disgusting."

With his right hand, he drew the Moonlight Greatsword from the air and charged at the snake. The massive and sluggish serpent lunged at Shard, coiling its body to build up strength like an arrow, shooting towards Shard in the increasingly dim corridor.

Its speed was incredible, but it did not hit Shard; instead, it passed through a swarm of red butterflies.

As the giant serpent landed, the butterflies gathered again. Shard, holding the Moonlight Greatsword, turned to perform a Cavalier Slash, the sword slashing at the snake's head, but the Holy Silver glowing greatsword passed through the snake's body and struck the floor.

"An illusion?"

It wasn't an illusion; the serpent swung its tail, its huge force hitting Shard's waist. Shard had believed that this slash would heavily injure the opponent and didn't expect his attack to miss, so he was sent flying like a ball hit by a bat, crashing into the wall.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

The corridor's light continued to dim, darkness falling. The pitch-black serpent turned, supported its body with its tail, opened its mouth revealing fangs, and its crimson eyes stared at Shard, who was just getting up, clearly intending to bite Shard's head off.

The descending darkness made the serpent stronger, and the darkness, like a thick liquid, made Shard feel his movements becoming slow. But the snake's lunge missed, hitting the wall, crashing through it into the empty room on the other side.

Using Lagre's Leap, Shard appeared far down the dark corridor.

The giant snake slithered out of the hole in the wall, flicking its tongue and observing Shard, clearly planning a lethal strike. Despite the loud noise earlier, no one seemed aware, indicating this operation was indeed designed to avoid attention.

Using Dark Vision in the almost pitch-dark environment, Shard observed the serpent, which blended almost perfectly with the darkness, asking in his mind:

"Why can't I attack it, but it can attack me?"

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