Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 719 - : Arcane Technique - False Immortality

Chapter 719 -719: Arcane Technique – False Immortality

The gust of wind was too sudden, and Shard, unable to dodge in time, watched helplessly as the black snowflakes headed straight for his face. He wanted to raise his hand to cover his face, but it was already too late.

It was as if time itself had slowed down, and he could see clearly the crystalline structure of the black snowflake that was about to enter his eye.

Time continued to flow normally, and as Shard was struck by the black snow, he fell straight backward onto the ground, leaving an enormous human shape on the pitch-black snow-covered surface.

Everything seemed to be moving away from him, the snowfall-filled sky so vast, so empty. In that moment, he thought of many things, many people, but of himself, he…

[Lying in the snow, you’ll catch a cold.]

A gentle murmuring voice reminded him. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Thus, Shard, knocked down by the wild wind, stood up with the support of the ground, patted the black snow off his gloved hands, and then walked towards the distant firelight, bent against the wind:

“That really scared me just now.”

The wind still howled, and the snowflakes fluttered past him, as if accompanying him at this moment. The black snowflakes were dirty yet strangely dazzling, yet Shard could feel very strongly that these snowflakes, seemingly floating in from the most real of deaths, were truly terrifying.

“Fortunately, for someone like me who has truly died once before, this death is far too fake.”

A strange black spirit light converged from around him. Having touched death before, Shard, now immune to death, vaguely understood something amidst the swirling black snow:

“False immortality is because true death exists.”

[The black snow signifies the end of all things, the messengers leading souls to ultimate death, and at this moment, they walk with you. Outlander, they see you as one of their own because the power of death already flows within you. Immortality is a false facade, you who have resurrected have witnessed ultimate death firsthand.]

[Sorcery – False Immortality, drawn by the Spirit Rune.]

[Outlander, your sorcery has evolved, you have gained the Arcane Technique – False Immortality.]

The sorcery [False Immortality], bestowed by the Old God [Creator of Innocence], evolved after Shard came into contact with the instant-death black snow.

The Three Ring Soul Rune [True Death] is thus linked to [False Immortality], and compared to the many special effects brought by the evolution of the sorcery [Echo of Blood], [False Immortality] maintains its original effects and requirements for breaking the undead state and causing fresh trauma. It only adds two small functions—

First, [False Immortality] remains an actively cast Arcane Technique, but for the caster himself, Shard, it has become a passive effect always in play. When he suffers a fatal hit, he will automatically enter [False Immortality] state. Of course, if he then suffers a fatal injury again, he will still die.

Second, from now on, Shard is immune to any instant-death effects.

That doesn’t mean Shard won’t die, but effects like the black snow this moment, the High Ring Sorcery [Death’s Finger], and the ritual [Song of Death], have no effect on him.

A High Ring Sorcerer can also resist instant-death effects with their own power, but will still suffer physical trauma. Similarly, while Shard is immune to instant-death effects, it does not mean that he won’t take additional damage.

Just now, falling down in the snow, apart from the shock and the gust of wind, the instant pain also made it impossible for him to maintain balance. But the pain was brief, and once the snowflakes stopped touching his skin, it went away.

“Many strange Relics come with instant-death effects, now I won’t have to worry about suddenly dropping dead. It’s just that I didn’t expect my second evolved ability to be [False Immortality], I was actually hoping for [Time Perception].”

He thought to himself as he struggled to walk forward, but at the same time, his right hand plunged into the air beside him, and the silver Moonlight Greatsword was slowly drawn. The black snow in the wind tried to touch the sword blade, but it melted away under the glow of the Silvermoon.

And in front of Shard, the walking skeletons and frozen-to-death corpses were slowly turning in this direction.

Looking up at the direction of the flickering campfire in the distance, Shard raised his left index finger:

“Silvermoon!”

In an instant burst of brilliance, even the snow layer beneath his feet melted away, but this also seemed to signal something, as the revived undead surged toward him like a tide from all around.

His right hand swung down the greatsword, severing the dry bones emerging from beneath the snow, while his left hand left trails of light traces in the air, but the Silvermoon Arc Blades sent flying were but a drop in the ocean against the tide of undead that surged forth.

These undead were infused with the power of the black snow, far surpassing any normal undead.

Initially, Shard was able to run through the snow, his right hand greatsword attacking enemies that were close, his left hand constantly launching Silvermoon Slashes at those that tried to block his path; afterwards, he could only walk quickly, his greatsword almost touching foes with each swing, while the Silvermoon Greatswords summoned by the [Blade of Chaotic Space-Time] thrust out from all angles; finally, surrounded by a tide of undead, he could only stand his ground, his active offense turning entirely into passive defense, and in less than half a minute, the surrounding undead skeletons nearly had Shard standing atop a small mound.

Luckily, the evil souls feared the Holy Silver moonlight and did not get too close, or else things would have been even more complicated.

“Roar~”

The hoarse roar of the undead almost melded into one under the drifting black snowflakes, as dense masses of corpses leaped towards Shard, eventually completely engulfing him.

But as the gold Ring of Fate appeared above the mound of corpses, representing a Three Ring Sorcerer, a golden glimmer opened a gap in the mountain of bodies with a melting presence.

“Felian’s Light of the Witch!”

Using the Arcane Technique “Frog’s Leap” to leap high into the air, Shard was relieved that no flying undead had yet appeared, and he used another spell:

“Lagre’s Leap!”

Taking steps in midair, he forcefully shifted to an empty space beyond the mound of corpses. Upon landing, he dashed forward, maintaining the effect of “Feliana’s Witch Light” as the golden glimmer radiating from his body melted away the hands and weapons that reached for him in the light.

Still, it was insufficient. The undead, resurrected by the black snow, surged relentlessly toward him, and in just a few dozen steps, Shard was once again surrounded. But he had bought enough time, and at the distant bonfire, with the appearance of the Thirteenth Level Golden Ladder, a huge orange-yellow moon astonishingly emerged beneath the snowfall sky of the daytime.

The movement of the horde of undead immediately slowed, and even the black snow floating in the sky grew sparse.

The giant Moonlight Greatsword, as if wielded by a giant, swept close to the ground. Then, a small moon was cast above Shard and with its explosion, the orange-yellow moonlight nearly turned the entire land into a lunar hue.

Following the strike from the Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer, the undead around Shard were temporarily cleared away. Miss Briony Orland flew over from afar and, in midair, grasped Shard’s extended hand, pulling him up into the sky:

“Shard, dispel the undead!”

Her voice was very urgent, for even she could not linger for long in the Valley of Dead Silence during the black snow period.

“Moonlight!”

Pointing his fingertips forward, the holy silver light momentarily drove away the thick spiritual bodies in the air. Miss Orland, holding Shard, almost turned into a beam of light, flying back to the entrance of the library.

“Oh!”

As the two tumbled into the great hall lit by the bonfire, the Thirteenth Level Golden Ladder that momentarily suppressed the black snow completely collapsed. The frenzied black snowflakes fell even more densely from the air, and the ravenous undead, having lost their target, roared furiously with terrifying echoes.

The snowflakes were becoming their armor, and the chill of death endowed them with even mightier weapons. But no one, neither friend nor foe, seemed to notice the living were hidden within the building. The Divination Ritual of Zaras Academy’s Witch, Becky Samuel, protected them not only from evil but also rendered the undead unable to detect the living.

“Miss Orland, thank you truly.”

Shard, having fallen near the bonfire, got up and also helped the blond Witch beside him to her feet.

Looking around, the place seemed even more dilapidated than before, and the clothes on Misses Becky Samuel and Orland, both wearing round-framed glasses, also appeared even more worn.

The roaring bonfire still flickered in the middle of the spacious hall, with a solid yellow moon floating above it. The clear yellow moonlight allowed Shard to feel his stamina and spirit rapidly recovering.

The Witches’ luggage was placed around the firelight, and an old pile of books that resembled a throne held shifting shadows over the surface of a tightly closed shrine.

Miss Samuel of the Zaras Academy stared vacantly at the bonfire, only standing up when she heard the noise. The pure white of her eyes gradually returned to normal, as she had been using the bonfire for divination.

In the farther distance, the remnants of the old, dilapidated stone shelves against the wall were now covered in dust, and the already indistinct murals were nearly invisible.

Darkness lingered in the distance, leading to the deeper corridors of the library. Yet the only new addition in the light of the fire was an ice coffin.

The ice coffin was a standard rectangular shape, with a surface as smooth as if it had been polished. The coffin lid was curved, and around the coffin, there were inscriptions of the Zaras Literary Academy’s emblem that Shard had seen in the Sixth Era.

Through the transparent coffin, and with the help of the firelight, Shard could see the red-haired girl lying peacefully inside with her eyes closed.

His eyes widened suddenly:

“Miss Fiona Drago, she…”

Miss Orland avoided his gaze, and Miss Becky Samuel lowered her head towards the flames.

Shard quickly approached, only to feel a chill from the coffin that made the snowy valley seem even more heart-trembling. He placed his hand on the coffin lid and slowly slid it open.

The girl lay in peaceful slumber within the ice coffin, her hands clasped together over her chest, her thick red tail wrapped around her waist.

Her eyes tightly shut, she looked enchanting with her lashes visible through the ice. Shard could hardly believe what he saw before him. He reached out a hand and touched the back of the young Witch with the Red Dragon Bloodline, but “False Immortality” had no effect.

And such a spell would be ineffective in only two scenarios; the absence of serious injury, or death itself.

“She…”

Though he had known the young Witch for only a short time, Shard found it hard to accept that she had died right here.

“No more joking with you.”

Laughter came from behind, with both Miss Orland and Miss Samuel approaching:

“She’s just asleep.”