Free Web NovelChapter 2040: Chapter 2040: Witch Echo · Isabella
Shard didn’t notice the strange expression on the witch’s face beside him. Since he knew he could leave behind a few items, he restrained his mental discomfort and rummaged through his pocket for a few trinkets:
"Food, drinking water, change of clothes, would you need soap? Let’s leave that here for now. Oh, I don’t have a penchant for women’s clothing; I’m carrying them to prepare for awkward situations."
He handed those items which had turned from toys to realities to Miss Isabella. Feeling he could barely hold on, he finally began to examine the newly acquired cards.
The back of the brand new card in his hand had the same pattern as the "Roder Card" and the "Impermanence Card". When he turned it to the front, he saw at the top of the card face, written in gilded Delarion language:
[Immortal Spirit]
On the card face was the second-floor window of a house standing amidst the yellow sands at the edge of Saint Delan Square. Mr. Armand Bernhardt, pale-faced and blurry-featured, was gazing outside the window toward the card face. The composition couldn’t be called stunning, but it induced an exceptional chill.
At the bottom of the front side, three lines of sentences were written, which Shard softly recited:
[Died in calamity and returned from death at the coming of the apocalypse.]
[The calamity of life and death reversal originates from Midshire Fort.]
[When the final moment arrives, even death itself shall meet termination. Nothing can die in this era, and there is no life here.]
After reading the sentences, two strange memories appeared in Shard’s mind.
The first memory took place in a city unfamiliar to Shard.
The scenes in memory seemed to occur at night, with blurred cityscapes. He only glimpsed a massive arch standing in the urban area. Subsequently, a dazzling white light ascended into the sky, and within that light, due to the marvelous scene, city dwellers who raised their heads to watch them on the streets were dissolved into light.
The owner of this memory was none other than Mr. Bernhardt, who attempted to flee into a house to avoid the light but was ultimately also dissolved within the light.
This concludes the first memory, which was very succinct. Yet Shard acquired crucial information: In the nonexistent Bygone Era: Sixth Era, Mr. Bernhardt didn’t perish in the undead uprising of Midshire Fort and Sicarl Mountain, nor was he implicated by the battle of Pantanal in Huntington City; he instead died in an unfamiliar city, his cause of death being dissolved into light.
"This isn’t the scene during the apocalypse—it’s before the apocalypse... Mr. Bernhardt and Mrs. Lemer both died before the apocalypse; only Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith truly lived to witness the advent of the apocalypse... What is this light that causes people to dissolve?"
The second scene, even as Shard was merely watching a memory, conveyed the chilling facade of death.
The scene was entirely familiar: The Nether Moon half-sunk in the pitch-dark water, countless deceased spirits stood on the water’s surface, advancing towards the direction of the Nether Moon. The perspective was incredibly peculiar; the deceased Mr. Bernhardt was undoubtedly one of the spirits, therefore Shard was experiencing an unprecedented immersion into the domain of death.
The Nether Moon seemed within reach, even during Joey Barton’s final battle, he hadn’t managed to delve into such a position.
But quickly, an anomaly occurred; the Nether Moon’s glow dimmed until it completely extinguished. Those spirits, each appeared capable of emitting a gentle white glow themselves, disappeared one by one into the darkness.
All was silent and soundless, yet as Shard witnessed this scenario, he felt his hair standing on end. Mr. Bernhardt, undoubtedly one of the lucky ones, and few others didn’t have their glow extinguished, instead continuing their march in the dark.
Until yellow sand blew from the foreground, dim light appeared overhead, soon illuminating even beneath their feet. Footprints couldn’t be left on the sands by souls, and remnants of cities were seen in every direction. It appeared even space itself had transformed; the cities of a normal world wouldn’t be situated so closely to one another.
But the unconscious spirits didn’t concern themselves with these; they merely continued forward, progressing perpetually forward, not realizing they could never reach the end.
At the conclusion of these two memories, the slightly numb soul of Shard awakened, he looked at the card in his hand:
"When the apocalypse arrives, even the concept of death no longer exists. Most spirits were annihilated in an instant, while lucky people like Mr. Bernhardt returned to the ’Present World’, yet instinctively continued their march, believing there was still a return path... So, his spirit remains so peculiar."
He wasn’t summarizing in his heart but expressing the words out loud. The witch beside him, holding various items, nodded slightly:
"Here, evil objects are scarce in the ’Present’; I have never seen them be annihilated."
"So, is it truly impossible to realize death here?"
In heart, silently mouthed the phrase repeated countless times:
"Luviya, what exactly have you experienced?"
White fog surged from all directions, cloaking this space-time that ought not to exist. Because it too possessed the power of time, Adel Isabella could see this white fog.
She knew Shard was departing and saw him trying to say something to her at the last moment. The last Grand Witch took a deep breath, making a decision. Before Shard’s figure vanished completely amidst the white fog, she pricked her finger, placing a blood-stained guidance onto Shard’s forehead:
"I will wait for your return."
A foreign spirit injected itself into his soul through such a bizarre method, as the white fog thoroughly covered the view, Shard distinctly heard the sound of clicking near his ear.
The white fog dispersed, revealing the scene of the coal-lit study at home. And the ’She’ beside his ear continued narrating the gift bestowed upon Shard by the Last Witch:
[Outlander, you felt the miracle and enlightenment, and gained insight into ’Time Stasis’.]
[Outlander, you acquired the Arcane Technique - Adel’s Time Stasis. Usable by gazing at a target, affecting a single individual, completely stopping their time, an exceedingly high consumption. Corresponds to Space-Time Spirit Rune.]
Once again, a slight pause allowed Shard to feel the final voice of the Grand Witch still echoing in his heart:
[Outlander, you have obtained the ’Witch Echo: Last Speaker Isabella’. This echo is of a special nature, your Low Ring Ascension Words are ineffective against it.]
Shard stood at the door, looking ahead, with the night view of Tobesk City outside the window adorned by streetlights and the glow from households. A cat lay lazily on the desk, meowing at Shard, hoping he would promptly return to his seat to pet it.
"She" finished the last sentence:
[Outlander, you have returned to the present moment.]
[Next time activation, Present World: Sixth Era, Common Era Calendar 1854, Thunder Moon.]
Shard gently responded with a "Mm~," looked down at the card in his hand, then took out a small mirror, watching as the blood mark on his forehead faded away like water stains being weathered.
But that power had already settled into his soul:
"A Space-Time Stasis Arcane Technique effective on a single individual, Eighth Section Witch Echo... Miss Isabella... This gift is indeed overly generous."
It was currently the 24th of Sunlight Moon, Tuesday. The next meeting with the witch was a week away, and Shard resolved to thank her properly.
As for the information obtained this time, besides knowing Mr. Benhart’s past cause of death, he learned about what really happened during the Age of Apocalypse.
All of this was more terrifying than he imagined. Time and space were confused, and life and death had lost their meaning. He even wondered if the Apocalypse City: Tobesk truly existed. If everything had moved towards an end, then whether the city’s landscape in the desert was the world’s remains, or merely a conceptual scene formed by someone’s solitude.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to forget this strange thought. Tossing the card into the air, as it spun along its axis in front of him, his flame-imbued finger touched the card:
"[Calamity Card: Undying Wraith]."
The Primal Fire suppressed the calamity’s power, revealing some of its power before Shard. The cat suddenly stood up, frantically meowing towards Shard, then surprisingly dashed at him.
Feeling a chill throughout his body, Shard hurriedly dispelled the card’s power and held the anxious cat leaping towards him.
"It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m fine."
Cradling Mia in his arms, stroking the cat with bristling fur, which gradually returned to its normal state but stubbornly didn’t want to leave Shard’s embrace.
Shard now understood the function of the [Calamity Card: Undying Wraith]. Under the Primal Fire’s suppression, it allowed Shard to temporarily transform into the deceased. Blood ceased to flow, his heart stopped beating, his body temperature lowered, and corpse spots appeared, but he could immediately return to normal after negating the effect.
"Corpse Transformation?"
He placed the [Undying Wraith] together with [Twin Lovers] and [Shadow of the Deep Sea], returning them to the basement. These cards could serve a significant purpose in the future, but at least tonight, Shard wouldn’t need them.
He held the frightened, attention-seeking cat and read a book for a while. Luviya only unlocked the door downstairs with a key after eight o’clock.
The purple-eyed girl, who had worked all day, looked a bit fatigued. After washing up and hugging Shard while preparing to rest in the bedroom, she still took the initiative to kiss him, but Shard declined:
"Just rest, look at you, you can barely keep your eyes open. Doesn’t Miss Galina always say, lack of sleep is a girl’s biggest enemy?"
The bedroom gas lamp had been turned off, the cat curled into a ball by the pillow, determined not to stay in the wardrobe tonight. The purple-eyed girl lay in the darkness watching Shard, hesitantly asking:
"But you invited me here tonight..."
"Luviya, what do you take me for? Your birthday gift was already enough, did I invite you over just for that?"
He lay down with Luviya in his arms:
"I just wanted to fall asleep with you and then see tomorrow’s sun."
There was a hint of laughter in her purple eyes:
"Those witches you fooled, it seems there’s a reason."
"Luviya~"
"Yes, yes, resting now. Well then, goodnight Shard, see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Luviya, sweet dreams, see you in the morning."
"Meow~"
"Goodnight to you too, Mia."
The cat, the outlander, and the diviner closed their eyes, each embarking on their distinct dreams. And as Shard’s consciousness fell in his dream, when he stood firm, he found himself once again returned to the dilapidated home at No. 6, Saint Delan Square.
