Chapter 1474: Chapter 1474: Path of Night
Although the history of the Sixth Era records that Fiona Drago was the second principal of Saint Byrons Integrated Academy, which suggests that Miss Feliana and Miss Orland are likely to rescue her, it’s also possible that another witch inherited her na to commorate the school site gained through Fiona’s sacrifice.
Moreover, Shard promised Fiona that he would take her out. Having gone through so many adventures and walked such a long path with Fiona, a promise given must be fulfilled:
"Hold on tight to !"
He was ready to confront the descending God of the Night in its unknown form in the last thirty seconds and then leave with Fiona. He didn’t need to win, as long as they left the City of Eternal Night, it was victory. He didn’t believe that without the Divine Descent Ritual, the power of the God of Night could extend beyond the City of Eternal Night.
Shard was not worried about being unable to withstand the deity before him in his godfall state, as his divine form was close to the God of the Moon, and thus not concerned about being countered by the God of Night. He might even be immune to so of its attacks.
However, after "she" laughed softly in his ear, Shard did not hear the sentence "you are ":
[It’s ti to go.]
"What? No, it’s not ti yet, I haven’t..."
In an instant, dense white fog surged from all around and surrounded Shard completely in the blink of an eye.
When he ca back to his senses, he found himself inside the white fog-filled Ti Corridor. In front of him was a transparent giant tree seemingly supporting the world. The trunk of that tree was engraved with the passage of ti, and each leaf chronicled tales of the ages.
One leaf was spiraling downwards, and unlike the past when Shard saw the giant tree representing the shadow of the Ancient God Father of the Infinite Tree, he always felt lancholic or sad, but at this mont, he felt a chill throughout his body as if his heart was about to stop beating:
"What’s happening? Didn’t I have at least twenty seconds left?"
The leaf representing the Spirit Rune of [Darkness] slowly fell. Shard didn’t reach out his hand. The cat on his chest, awakened by Shard’s recent shouting, stuck out its little head and looked at the illusory giant tree.
The shadow of ti was reflected in the amber eyes of the cat. The cat curiously owed and stretched out its front paw trying to grab that leaf about to fall.
[A reminder from the Father of the Infinite Tree:]
[You cannot directly use the power of divinity in tis of the past. Ripples in the river of ti can be ignored, but earth walls spanning the river will cause huge impacts on the world.]
"So, was my adventure cut short because I tried to use divinity? But what about Fiona? Did I leave her alone in the City of Eternal Night?"
In disbelief, Shard asked as Bimia preemptively caught the leaf. Hearing the owing sound, he only then realized that this cat, which hadn’t turned into a toy, had also traversed ti with him.
[It does not belong to that era, so it was also expelled.]
"She" explained softly, but Shard, preoccupied with Fiona’s safety, had no ti to worry about the cat that was securely with him.
"But what about Fiona? I can’t leave her there!"
He looked blankly at the leaf in his hand:
"Even if I find a ti point after Autumn of Year 3028 in the Fifth Era in the future, having left Fiona alone in the City of Eternal Night for so many years, can I still save her?"
[So?]
"She" smiled gently, as if unable to feel Shard’s near-desperate mood at that mont. Having experienced so much, even confronting an Evil God for the first ti didn’t leave Shard as desperate and frustrated.
[Perhaps there’s still a way.]
"What way?"
Shard abruptly lifted his head and only then realized it when he saw the soon-to-disappear giant tree. He extended his hands, holding up the leaf, and prayed to the Tree Father:
"You are the Ancient God of Ti, the beginning and end of ti! Father of the Infinite Tree, Protector of Nature and Elves, please help , even if just this once, allow
to return to the City of Eternal Night in Autumn of Year 3028 of the Fifth Era! Even if it’s the last chance, even if it’s just for a few short seconds, please let
return there..."
The Outlander had never prayed for any miracle to happen to himself, always believing in his plans. But now, he fervently hoped that a miracle would favor him.
And the Father of the Infinite Tree, who never disappointed, did not let Shard down this ti either.
A gentle spring breeze blew, stirring the transparent branches with leaves that chronicled stories of ti.
"Her" laughter was still so tender; "she" didn’t fail to understand Shard’s feelings, but was comforting the Outlander in her own way:
[A ssage from the Father of the Infinite Tree:]
[By giving up this reward, the opening ti of the next Ti Key will be postponed by a month, allowing you to re-enter Autumn of Year 3028 of the Fifth Era. The ti gap from when you left is 1 second, this ti you can stay for 3 minutes.]
Even if that leaf symbolized the "Darkness" so crucial to Shard, he did not hesitate to agree:
"No problem!"
He believed that with his understanding of Darkness, this Spirit Rune would eventually appear on his Ring of Fate.
Raising both hands, lifting the leaf upwards, Shard watched it fly back towards the swaying treetop:
"Can I wait for a while before entering, instead of entering imdiately?"
The treetop rustled, and the white mist gradually dispersed. Shard felt as if he was embraced by soone, and after seeing the scene before him clearly, he realized he had stumbled back to the corridor of the Wilder Opera House at midnight on the seventh day of the Month of Rising Wind, late winter, Year 1854 of the Sixth Era.
The Ti Key from the Year 3028, which had shattered upon its last use, was now reconstructing itself as if ti was flowing backward, erging from the keyhole and flying into Shard’s hand. However, the cracks on the key were clearer than ever, and every crack flickered with an unsteady pure white light.
This was the color of the familiar white mist Shard knew; this key was different from any previous key.
[Outlander, you need to activate the "Near-Broken Key" within two hours.]
"She" reminded softly.
"No problem."
[You still cannot use divine power in past tis, so you must...]
"Shard, what’s happened?"
Luviya, who was waiting nearby, noticed his unusual expression imdiately because only three seconds had passed. The purple-eyed girl thought Shard had encountered sothing and hurried over to check his condition:
"What happened to you? Oh, why is your hand so cold?"
"I ran into sothing. My hand is cold from fright, luckily, there’s still a chance to make things right... I need to see Miss Danester."
He spoke rapidly, then noticed he was panting heavily. He placed a hand over his chest, surprised by the force with which his heart was pounding.
Even though he knew that unlocking this special key would only seem to have passed a second in ti, he still felt an urgent sense of haste:
"Also, all plans and arrangents must be changed. Since sothing like this has happened, I think different circumstances might occur... Send a ssage to Iluna to have her wait for
in the secret passage under the Night Shrine as soon as possible. Yes, I’ve suddenly understood so things. The Ti Key indeed relates to all my experiences."
Luviya didn’t fully understand, but she nodded:
"I have contacts on Iluna’s side. And Miss Danester too, right? No problem, I was worried you’d run into her when you head out of town soon; she’s been seeking the professors from Saint Byrons."
Luviya said, always reliable as she was:
"You’re going to see that professor? Tonight? Now?"
Luviya asked as Shard clenched his fists:
"Yes, going imdiately. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner I can enter the final battle... I need to find a path."
"What path?"
Luviya asked as Shard gazed deeply in the direction outside the city, as if he could see the landscape of the City of Eternal Night once more:
"An ancient path that allows one to enter and exit Saint Byrons freely at night."
Although Shard spent forty minutes in the City of Eternal Night and the doctor’s Magic Potion had fully taken effect, removing the influence of the Demon Domain on Shard. In actual fact, for the Sixth Era 1854, during yet another extraordinary night, only three seconds had passed.
Thus, the earthquake was only a few minutes ago, which also ant that the first bloom of the Randall Flower might not have been found yet, and the appearance of the Mad Guardian was still at least an hour and a half away.
Shard had to resolve Fiona’s matter within this ti fra. He had a premonition that although Fiona’s matter happened in the Fifth Era, it would definitely have a significant impact on the Present World: Sixth Era tonight.
anwhile, while Shard awaited news at the Wilder Opera House, Iluna, having dealt with the Earth Elental Titan appearing in the city with her squad, was already buried deep in darkness.
She was handling enemies in a basent at No. 3 Saint George Street, not far from the Wilder Opera House, when the earthquake struck. Since she was a Six Rings Sorcerer, and manpower was scarce tonight, her squad consisted of only two Five Rings companions.
During the earthquake, she was in the depths of the basent, so while her companions might have escaped unscathed, she did not leave in ti.
"Fortunately, the enemies have been dealt with."
The collapsed earth and bricks pressed heavily down, yet Iluna managed to create a safe area. She lay on the ground, lanting her bad luck tonight:
"This was a new outfit given by the church; I planned to take it back to Tobesk..."
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