Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 806: Path of Shattered Light and Mia by the Lake

Chapter 806 -806: Path of Shattered Light and Mia by the Lake

The deity closed its eyes high above, while the people above Midshire Fort City saw that after the red moon disappeared, both abnormal moons in the starry sky had vanished.

But immediately, directly above Sicarl Mountain, a sparkling silver light appeared like a grain of rice. That grain of light blossomed until it became a complete Silvermoon.

The Silvermoon, so real it nearly drove one mad, was not smooth but covered in craters. It descended above Sicarl Mountain, illuminating the mountains and the city.

The pristine moon slowly fell, until it sank from the mountain pass into the mountain itself and disappeared.

People wondered what this scene signified, but soon, accompanied by the rumbling sound of the earth and the tremor of the mountains, a beam of silver light erupted from the mountain pass.

The moon once again flew out of the mountain, soaring into the sky, toward the rift in space where the Star Ocean Whales had departed. Behind the pure silver moon, bits of silver light formed a path of shattered light from the mountaintop to the Star Ocean beneath the deep night sky.

People heard singing, a sound that praised death and the Nether Moon. But upon closer listening, it was clearly just the sound of the wind and the forest among the mountains.

“No, it is indeed singing.”

The Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer of the Church of Nature, with green hair, respectfully bowed his head:

“That unknown Moon Goddess is guiding death. The world is singing for this; it is the song of nature.”

The enormous Silvermoon embedded itself into the space rift, and at the end of the silver path of shattered light, atop Sicarl Mountain, a few white shadows appeared together. But soon, more and more white shadows walked out of the mountain pass, following that path of shattered light under the inverted star river toward the distant moon.

“This is…”

Iluna gazed at that moon in a daze.

“Nether Moon.”

Someone gave the answer, and as the answer came, a black rift appeared below the moon. Then, silvery-white, star-like water flowed out from the rift, merging with the starry sky, submerging over half of the Silvermoon. It was hard to distinguish whether the Star Ocean illuminated the tranquil waters, or the waters reflected the brilliant starry sky.

The souls leaving from Sicarl Mountain pass followed the path of shattered light under the deep night sky, continuously ascending into the tranquil waters overlapping with the Star Ocean.

Silently, with sanctity and peace. The glimmering souls intertwined completely with that path of shattered light, though the glow wasn’t particularly bright, it painted sparkling traces in the long autumn night’s painting. And in the water of the Star Ocean, those figures were so clear.

Ao~

The translucent deep-blue Star Whales, for the first time since their appearance, collectively uttered a cry. These semi-corporeal star beasts roamed freely in the Star Ocean, wandering toward the sacred moon along with the pure white souls.

No one spoke at this moment. The people witnessing this quietly watched as countless souls emerged from the interstice, silently moving toward the moon in the sky.

The Star Ocean hung inverted overhead, and the silver light extended into a road to the sky. It seemed as if the souls were walking, but it also appeared as if each white light point formed the path of shattered light itself.

Even the residents of Midshire Fort City, at this moment, gazed from their windows toward the starry sky, watching in a trance the road extending from the mountaintop to the sky.

People saw many familiar faces, faces of those who had left long ago. They stood at the end of the path of shattered light in that watery domain, bathed in starlight, waving toward the city.

After thousands of years, many souls accumulated through eras in the interstice finally found a way to leave. Waving goodbye to the city, bidding farewell to their still-living loved ones who missed them, they then smiled as they moved along with the overlapping waters of the Star Ocean, walking toward the end, the Nether Moon.

Ao~

The iridescent blue bodies of the Star Whales lit up the departing path, taking away all memories.

The white mist above the city dissipated completely, and the glow of the Nether Moon dimmed, but the white shadows once again brightened the starry sky, illuminating the city.

White light points drifted above the city, guiding the lost souls scattered in the city toward the path of shattered light. That path led to the sky, to the end of everything.

“Beyas, prepare for battle.”

Mr. Lacan Matthis of the Sun Church spoke. The deities had departed; everything was gradually returning to normal. The battle between the deities did not affect the city. If not for the images in the Star Ocean, all that had just happened would seem like an illusion.

“The big guy born from the cocoon is about to revive. The deity has shown the lost souls the way out, and we mortals must also return this Undead Aggregation to the Interstice. The Moon Goddess has generously helped us; this is the best chance to solve the problems of Midshire Fort completely!”

Iluna panted heavily, taking one last look at the half-submerged Silvermoon at the end of the waters in the starry sky:

“I understand, this time, I won’t disappoint him.”

At the foot of the mountain, beside Bena Lake, the water had returned to being clear and transparent. The silver moonlight shone on the water’s surface, and the shattered light path in the sky and countless souls on the path cast a tranquil light trace on the lake.

The glimmering waves are so tranquil; neither the distant city engulfed in the flames of war nor the nearby Sicarl Mountain, seemingly on the brink of collapsing from a direct hit by a deity, can disturb this moment of serenity.

A streak of blood-red light descends from the sky onto this peaceful canvas. The bedraggled Vampire God once again stands on the shores of Bena Lake.

Clutching the spot over his heart, the god’s pale face looks back at the summit of Sicarl Mountain, then at the unconscious Red Butterfly Twins lying there, a bloodthirsty desire twisting his expression: ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

“Child of the Moon, you’re still too naive. I did indeed lose to you and adhere to the balance’s judgment—the Red Butterfly belongs to you. But that doesn’t mean I can’t tamper with them…”

The Evil God, about to leave the material world, stretched out his thin, grotesque, claw-like hands toward the twin girls lying within the golden circle’s mark.

But at that moment, a small orange-and-white kitten leapt out from between Helen and Grace.

Bathing in starlight and moonlight, Mia looked fearfully at the monster before her under the starry sky, her fur bristling. But she still stood on Helen’s chest, “roaring” at the creature in front of her:

“Meow~ Meow~”

The darkness of the deep night engulfed the earth, with trees rustling in the night wind. Above was the infinite starry sky and the Path of Shattered Light walked by countless souls. Though the lake’s surface was illuminated by that glimmer, the shore remained shrouded in the shadow of dense woods.

The brave cat stared with amber eyes at the terrifying Evil God. Although fearful, she faithfully executed Shard’s instructions before leaving: “Watch over them, don’t stray.”

Despite being a tiny creature that could be grasped with a single hand, she exuded boundless courage at this moment.

Noticing the cat, the deity’s hand froze in mid-air, his expression shifting from surprise to genuine terror:

“You, you…”

He retreated continuously, swiftly, until he reached the phosphorescent lakeside. Even stepping into the icy water dotted with starlight didn’t register to him:

“It’s you! How can this be, how is this possible!”

Always bullying the weak and fearing the strong, little Mia saw this scene and bravely pursued him. First, she stepped out of the golden circle Shard had drawn, then she left the shore’s shadows and came to the moonlit area, separated from the surging lake by a cat’s length.

Silvermoon shone on her orange furred back; Mia curiously looked up at the painted starry sky above, feeling as though Shard was nearby, and roared even more boldly:

“Meow~”

The sound made the Saint shiver; he retreated further, stumbling almost to the point of falling. His expression shifted to one of sudden realization as he looked fearfully toward the summit of Sicarl Mountain behind:

“Since you’re here… then you didn’t accidentally gain His powers. You are not the Child of the Moon, you are… impossible, this can’t be right…”

“Meow~ Meow~”

Feeling even more that she had intimidated the enemy, Mia called out again and assumed a pouncing stance, prepared to attack—even though Shard had never seen this cat catch any prey.

“Oh!”

The Vampire God, now in utter terror, continued to retreat. At this point, most of his legs were submerged by the water.

Seeing the cat eagerly approach the lakeside, seemingly ready to plunge in, the deity’s pale fingers immediately removed the Vampire Ring from his right hand and hurled it towards Helen and Grace.

The blood-red metal ring arced through the night sky in a parabolic trajectory downward.

Whether out of the desire to protect the girls according to Shard’s instructions or to obtain this ring, Mia leapt up dramatically, catching the ring precisely mid-air in her mouth.

Landing lightly on the ground again, Mia glanced around with some pride, only to find that the “monster” in the water had vanished from this world, disappearing without a trace.

Before her lay only the lake’s shimmering surface, twinkling with ripples like stars. Farther, beyond two hills in the high sky, was the Path of Shattered Light and the Star Ocean beneath the profound moonlit night.

The night wind also blew gently on Mia’s short fur. Squinting her eyes to savor the cool sensation, she then cautiously peered into the lake, tentatively extending her paw as if to search the water.

After a moment of hesitation, her furry paw refrained from touching the water. Deciding not to get wet, she let out another “meow.” She trotted back with the ring in her mouth, stepping over Helen’s belly and lay down once more between the black-dressed and white-dressed girls.

Squirming, the little cat slipped the new ring onto her tail, then contentedly half-closed her eyes, pretending to nap while quietly awaiting Shard’s return.

The minor episode under the starry sky was known only to the stars above. As for the Vampire God’s hasty retreat, it was likely he would not appear in the material world for a long time to come.