Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 916 - 916: The Reappearing Cultist

By the lake edge, a floating book seemed to be turning to its final pages. The mist drifting from Heart Lake Island couldn't hide its brilliance; the magnificent silver-white light was dazzling, growing stronger during the brief conversation of the three people.

Silver-white light dots leaped around the book, the dense information light flow circulated between different pages. Just from its appearance, this relic was prettier than most relics Shard had seen. Judging by the Whisper Element fluctuations, Shard even thought this relic might be Angel-Level (Level 1).

"You can trust my words because what I know, the Apna Library knows too. They're friendly with the True God Church, and even though this time they traded information with us for personal gain, they will surely inform the church of these matters afterward."

Miss Pavo continued, eyeing Shard knowing this man was the leader.

"We're not from the Church of the Five Gods."

"Then which side do you belong to?"

As she spoke, she glanced at her book, which finally turned to the last page and slowly descended. Miss Pavo took the silver-covered great book and smiled:

"Alright, although I haven't calculated the final result, my work is done. Well then, gentlemen, until next time. I must hurry to Heart Lake Island."

"Do you think you can leave?"

Shard asked, and Miss Pavo shook her head, holding up three fingers:

"3."

Sounds emerged from the grass behind.

"2."

Shard's ear could discern someone briskly approaching.

"1."

A man in a brown robe, gaunt with no eyebrows, stepped out from the bushes, holding a brass box covered in water plants. A Low Ring Sorcerer. Whisper Elements spread from the brass box, dispersing the mist in the area by the shore.

This looked eerie, like a semi-spherical bowl placed around him. The box itself wasn't "quiet," with several black arcs bouncing across its surface; faintly, Shard heard roaring sounds.

He subtly blocked Tifa and his cat, raising an eyebrow and trying to control his expression. The man holding the box was none other than the Cultist of the Fury Storm, Carl Leipzig, whom Shard encountered in Huntington City. The relic in his hand was Shard's coveted "Wrath Divine Punishment."

"If I don't obtain divinity tonight, remind me to practice Arcane Technique an hour later each night for the next month."

"Alright."

"You see, I'm here for this high-risk task. How could I not have companions? Although our professors have already landed and intercepted the church's squad, I have this one beside me. Certainly, if I'd anticipated being blocked by you, I'd have brought more people. These small probability events are really annoying."

Miss Pavo said to the silent man:

"I'll leave first, Mr. Leipzig; you take care of these two. Don't engage too long; sorcerers appearing in places they shouldn't usually have something strange about them. The church's High Ring Sorcerers should arrive in five minutes. If you can't guarantee a one-hit kill, don't linger here."

"Yes, ma'am."

The cultist said softly and moved towards Shard.

Tifa stepped out from behind Shard, handing the cat she was holding back to Shard before speaking:

"Ma'am, do you really think you can leave?"

Steam Mist appeared behind Tifa, quickly followed by the high-temperature rotating Ring of Fate of a Six Rings Sorcerer. Seeing Tifa was an Inner Ring Sorcerer, the cultist holding a holy relic immediately sidestepped her:

"Miss Pavo, although I'm hired by you, according to the agreement, I'm not responsible for fighting such opponents."

Miss Pavo halted her steps to enter the lake, turned with the book towards Tifa:

"Six Rings?"

She said, flipping her great book to glance at:

"My probability of victory is only fifty-nine percent?"

"I think your probability of victory is one percent."

Tifa said solemnly, whether to help Shard or Miss Galina, she mustn't let this woman leave.

"Numbers don't lie. If you want to challenge the odds, madam, then follow me!"

Miss Pawo leapt backward abruptly, disappearing into the thick mist over the lake. Tifa was in no hurry, her high heels tapping on the water's surface as the Ring of Fate glowed behind her, and she too entered the watery area.

The two ladies quickly vanished from Shard and Cultist Mr. Leipzig's view. In fact, Tifa was at a slight disadvantage. Miss Pawo had come to Lakeside Manor fully prepared, but Tifa, when invited by Shard to the garden, had no idea that such a battle would ensue.

But Shard had great confidence in the black-haired Maid, especially since at the moment, he couldn't afford to be distracted, with the cultist staring at him watchfully.

Shard shook his head slightly:

"You don't have to be too nervous; I'm just a Low Ring Sorcerer, evidently not as strong as the two ladies."

Saying this, he stepped through the thin mist, appearing beside the cultist holding the Brass Box. His [Moonlight Greatsword] swung down, only to clang off the raised box.

The particles of Silvermoon's light and dark electricity scattered, and the Brass Box seemed to flicker with light the instant it made contact with the [Moonlight Greatsword], the Desecration Element representing the power of the Evil God surged towards Shard, but he felt indifferent to it.

Although his current state lacked Divinity, after being cleansed by three drops of Divinity and possessing the Fire of the Primordial, Shard felt nothing from the mental impact caused by the leakage of divine power. In fact, the slight power leaking from the Divinity made him more excited.

The [Moonlight Greatsword] slicing through the night hadn't managed to wound the enemy, but the strength from Shard's formidable physique nearly made the eyebrow-less Carl Leipzig loosen his grip on the box.

After fending off Shard's surprise attack, the cultist, aided by the force of the greatsword, retreated onto the water. The cultist from the coastal region, like Shard, also possessed the power of Water Walking, and in an instant, his form grew faint within the white mist:

"Do you think you can escape?"

Not wanting to involve Mia in the fight, Shard left the cat that looked like a dog on the shore and pursued onto the water. Although he set off a few seconds later, in just a few strides, Shard caught up to his opponent in the mist on the water:

"Moonlight Slash."

Clapping his hands together and then pulling them apart sharply, a dazzling arc of light flew across the misty water under the moonlight. The cultist instinctively sensed danger, hastily stopped, turned, and blocked with the box in his hand. In a crisp sound, the silver arc clashed again with the Angel-Level Relic [Divine Punishment of Wrath], scattering into a shower of light particles over the lake.

But this strike was not without effect; the immense force knocked the cultist, using the relic as a "shield," onto the surface of the water. As he steadied himself and tried to rise, ten seconds had passed, and Shard stepped forward once more, appearing before him:

"Moonlight Greatsword!"

This time, he couldn't let the opponent escape again and attacked without restraint.

The Ring of the Three Rings Sorcerer emerged in the thick fog, the [Fury] Spirit Rune glimmering with spiritual light. Kneeling on one knee, the cultist raised the [Divine Punishment of Wrath] with his left hand, while his right hand held an unseen blade emerging from the air. As a streak of black lightning surged from the Brass Metal Box into his body, he swung the invisible sword upwards:

"Storm Sword!"

Crash!

The clash of the two swords sparked a burst of light, as if the very air had exploded, flinging Shard and Carl Leipzig in opposite directions.

Shard felt the gale touch his greatsword, followed by lightning surging into his arm, paralyzing half his body instantly. He staggered several steps back before steadying himself. The cultist didn't fare well either; although the glimmer of the Moonlight Greatsword had shifted slightly, he felt as if the bones in his right arm were broken.

Moreover, even with the relic's power to catch the sword, the radiant silver moonlight still affected his body. He could distinctly feel the moonlight's power suppressing that of the relic.

"Indeed, despite only being at a Low Ring level, the Truth Society hired you for a reason. The power you can unleash with relics must be formidable."

Shard's paralysis quickly subsided, and upon hearing his perfectly normal voice amid the mist on the water, Leipzig looked over in surprise:

"You recovered so quickly?"

"Got struck by lightning recently, and since then, I've discovered I have enhanced resistance to it."

While speaking, Shard abruptly yanked on the chain he held. Earlier, when he used "Lagre's Leap" to reach the cultist's side, the [Great Sin Chain] had already fallen into the water. As the cultist dodged the Moonlight Greatsword, the chain beneath the water had already wrapped around his foot.

Now the [Animated Rope Trick] manipulated the chain, which shot up from the water like a serpent, coiling around the eyebrow-less man's right leg:

"What's this?"

For a Circle Sorcerer at a lower level than Shard, the Great Sin Chain's ability to immobilize was significant. Carl Leipzig immediately froze, maintaining his movement of rising on the water. With "Gluttony," "Greed," and "Sloth" runes glowing with faint light, the chain curled upwards from his right leg, entwining his body and creeping towards his Ring of Fate.

As the dark chain touched the Ring of Fate, the previously glimmering Spirit Rune dimmed, and the Ring itself ceased to rotate.

Shard didn't hesitate, swiftly stepping forward to reach for the box in his grasp. But before his left hand could cover the waterweed-clad box, about three inches away, the lid automatically opened a crack.