Free Web NovelChapter 2017: Chapter 2017: The Harvest of Three
When Shard came back home from Randall Valley with two Red Butterfly Cards, it was almost lunchtime. He saw Luviya and Iluna’s shoes in the foyer, indicating they were already back.
Sure enough, as he reached the second floor and entered the room, Luviya and Iluna were sitting on the sofa chatting, while Mia lay on the windowsill basking in the sun as usual.
"Welcome home!"
Shard opened his arms, hugging the two young ladies individually. Reuniting at Saint Delan Square after such a long time made Shard very happy.
Iluna and Luviya had already taken leave from both the church and Prophet’s Society, having just returned to Tobesk City; they needed to handle some personal matters, allowing them the whole day off from work.
Consequently, Shard went to the Golden October Restaurant in Tobesk and ordered lunch, having the restaurant deliver it straight to their home.
Since it was a home gathering, it allowed for some freedom, and during lunch, they discussed many things. Iluna demonstrated her Ring of Fate, now at the level of Eight Rings, and informed them about the new power she had acquired:
"Upon advancement, due to the ’Duality’ fusion with Shard, I reached Eight Rings, and Shard’s soul is quite warm..."
She felt a bit shy mentioning it, but seeing Luviya’s indifferent reaction, she continued:
"Later on, Shard fused with me and the Chosen of Space to repair the Space-Time vortex in the sky. During this time, I touched the essence of that newly chosen composite spirit, thus gaining a new Spirit Rune [Distorted Space]."
With that, she demonstrated her newly acquired ability. She didn’t suddenly learn powers like "Lagre’s Leap" related to spatial movement but instead another unique ability:
"Look here."
Her left and right hand extended thumbs and index fingers, forming a rectangle with four fingers together. Then, looking through the frame formed by her fingers at the fork on Shard’s plate, the fork vanished and appeared in Iluna’s hand:
"Whatever I can see through this method, I can take into my hands. Currently, it only works on objects without souls, but I can feel that as I advance, I might be able to capture living beings too. It isn’t considered an Arcane Technique, rather a... talent? Oh, just like before, I can’t quite understand it."
"The Mirror Association has a similar ability, but your power is different. You might want to learn sorceries like ’Eagle Eye Spell’, which would let you retrieve something from thousands of meters away even if it’s inconvenient to get directly."
Shard considered this skill quite useful.
Luviya pondered:
"I recall after your story with the Chosen of Darkness, the ability you gained was..."
"Dark Vortex."
Suddenly a vortex appeared before Iluna. She reached through it, her right arm appearing beside Shard, returning his fork:
"The Dark Vortex is a power of darkness. Although it manifests space, its essence is entirely different. But with the new Spirit Rune, perhaps I could attempt learning other spatial powers... not sure if I have the talent, I’ve heard it’s quite difficult."
Shard and Luviya both laughed, Shard added:
"Laplace Howard left me a lot of books, many of them about space-type Arcane Techniques. Iluna, since you’ve touched the Ancient God Statue below Green Lake Hotel, you might find some time to go and read at Edwards’ Old House."
"Reading, huh..."
Iluna shook her head in distress, put away her Ring of Fate, then focused on the stew on her plate. Shard then said to Luviya:
"Speaking of those books, Luviya, I asked Megan to help organize and move the books about astrology and divination over to No. 6, Saint Delan Square. These books are for you. My understanding of astrology and divination is only superficial. Oh, and there’s an extra room on the third floor, perfect for placing those books, right across from your astrology room."
Luviya wasn’t aware of the extra room on the third floor, so Shard briefly explained it. Then, Luviya also displayed her Ring of Fate at Seven Rings:
"I advanced on the way back. No, I didn’t prepare any advancement ritual; instead, I had a strange dream. I don’t remember much about the dream, something about wearing different clothes and commenting on my life. But then I woke up at Seven Rings. Oh, how am I supposed to explain this to the Society?"
Though her expression was troubled, it was undoubtedly a happy concern. Luviya’s guidance and witnessing of the Chosen would benefit her, and Shard guessed it was because she guided or broke through the predestined Fate, thus gaining Fate’s reciprocal force.
Now, both she and Shard were at Seven Rings, a level that could be considered combat-worthy in the Material World.
"I am now also at Seven Rings; no need for introductions, you were all there that day. Since Iluna is at Eight Rings, only the last Spirit Rune is left for the Words of Inner Ring Ascension, right?"
Shard asked.
Iluna gently nodded, placing down her knife and fork. She ate elegantly, perhaps a skill learned during her training with the Papacy:
"My Words of Inner Ring Ascension, [Dancing] [Thunder]’s [Fool], will [Shred] Fate’s [Poem Chapter], the core Spirit Rune is [Thunder], now only [Fool] is missing. Actually, for [Fate] and [Poem Chapter], only one of them is needed, different combinations will result in different ascension rituals, and the final form of the Ascension Words is also different, similar to my Words of Low Ring Ascension."
Iluna’s Words of Low Ring Ascension are "[Chasing] [Glimmer]’s [Hero], will ultimately [Break Free] from Fate’s [Shackles]", where [Fate] and [Shackles] were a choice of one, and Iluna chose shackles.
This means Iluna had two opportunities to choose "Fate" but did not, and once again gave up "Fate" during the Inner Ring, choosing "Poem Chapter" instead.
"[Fool], perhaps I can help, but indeed, this Spirit Rune is not simple."
Luviya said from the side, and Shard remembered that her Words of Inner Ring Ascension are "Writing Fate’s poem Chapter amidst whispers."
"One is ’Writing Fate’s Poem Chapter,’ the other is ’Shredding Fate’s Poem Chapter.’
Shard pondered silently in his heart, not quite sure if this signified anything.
After having lunch, the servants from the Golden October Restaurant came to clear the table and collect the dishes. Before they left, Shard did not forget to remind them of the dinner delivery time.
"This time it’s my own money, it’s not being charged to Lecia or Galina’s account, Edwards’ Old House has a large fortune, which I hold jointly with Megan and Audrey. As for the Furen Brothers, the Edwards Brothers... with Megan and Audrey as the elders, they naturally don’t get a share. This is what Laplace Klein personally said he gifted to me, I am not that generous. Besides, the majority of that fortune isn’t easy to liquidate, so Megan said if I need money, she can arrange for me to access it... why does this feel a bit off?"
Shard asked in confusion, and the girl with purple eyes laughed. As for the dinner, it was to make up for Iluna’s birthday party, and when he left for lunch, he even ordered a cake.
And speaking of those assets, Shard also didn’t forget to tell them about the books, laboratory, materials left by the Diviner, precisely how much there was. Just that small piece of the Philosopher’s Stone already made Shard feel satisfied, let alone the other gains.
"I guess this means I’ve inherited his Kindling Flame, representing him to continue forward."
"Forward, to where?"
Iluna asked puzzled, as the afternoon sunlight streamed into the second-floor parlor, Shard holding the cat napping gazed at them:
"The apocalypse, yes, the inevitable apocalypse."
He shared all he knew about it, and what Laplace Howard described about it. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Luviya was not surprised at all:
"A major event is bound to happen at the end of the Whispering Verses, the apocalypse? The answer is a bit cliché, but what does the Chosen One have to do with this?"
She seemed unconcerned about the world’s ultimate death:
"We are already on the right path, the pursuit of the thirteen Chosen Ones becomes even more valuable. Witnessing their stories, gathering as many Chosen Ones to stand with us, then pushing open the final door. Balance, Death, Knowledge, Earth, Space... we will win it all."
Despite Shard’s worries, even Iluna wasn’t concerned about it:
"Luviya is right!"
The eighteen-year-old girl believed Shard would surely save this world, so there is no need to worry about the apocalypse, just wait for Shard to handle it or for Shard to ask her for help. And she contemplated that after Shard saves the world, it would be her turn to save Shard. She was also still pondering those five-word secret language, and how to find what was "dead," and then resurrect it.
She couldn’t quite decide whether to ask Shard and Luviya about it. Although those five "Guardians" didn’t mention it, she felt that it would be best if she alone knew the secret language:
"But to make Shard feel the strongest emotions for me... should I ask Luviya for help?"
Her thoughts were increasingly scattered, yet not on the news of the apocalypse.
Seeing they were not that worried, Shard felt a bit more at ease:
"No matter what the future holds, let’s walk through it together. I will investigate and clarify all this, and there will be more people preparing for the last termination. Luviya, Iluna, as we agreed from the start, we will move forward together, until the end."
Luviya smiled and asked:
"Is that what we should do?"
She extended her right hand, and Shard placed his on it. Iluna immediately put her hand on Shard’s, sandwiching him with Luviya:
"Yes, until the end!"
The three of them said together, even though they knew of the apocalypse, they would continue forward together, supporting each other. As Shard said, it was agreed from the beginning.
