Steampunk: Sixth Era Chapter 1760 - 1759: Chains of Ascension

Chapter 1760: Chapter 1759: Chains of Ascension

Shard attempted to lift the Black tal Balance to inspect it, while the boy, who hadn’t dared to speak, cautiously supported Mrs. Miles and said:

"Maybe we can determine the direction by observing the height difference between the two sides... just like a compass."

The boy was right. The Balance was not in a state of equilibrium. As he held it and rotated in place, the left end of the Balance was always pressing down, and the degree of depression varied depending on the direction it pointed.

So Shard turned in place and found the direction of the lowest depression of the Balance. It pointed to the left front. Thus, the group held up torches and walked a few dozen steps along the paths between the stalls, leading them completely into the Black Mist Camp. During this, the Witch allowed the Balance to float from Shard’s hand and allowed it to spin slowly, to help the group better adjust their direction.

For this reason, after walking just a few dozen steps, they confird that the Balance pointed deeper into the camp, rather than to the left side of the path ahead.

"Mrs. Miles, can you hold on?"

Once they penetrated deeper into the camp, it would take a longer ti to get out again, and the oppression and cold in the depths of the camp would make it even harder for people to cope. Therefore, Miss Higgins asked her employer in advance. Though she was exhausted, the latter still nodded:

"No problem."

The boy Andor Ade was a bit bolder, continuing to support the old lady self-consciously; though no one asked him, he also nodded with a shiver.

But looking ahead, just within visible range, the path at the entrance of the camp was narrowing. The stalls would beco more dense in the depths of the camp, and from earlier experience, once one was determined to want to purchase goods, it seed impossible to leave without paying a price.

Therefore, Shard and the Witch discussed it and finally decided to proceed in a single file, with each person placing their non-torch holding hand on the shoulder of the person in front. With Witch Leah Higgins and the Balance leading the way, followed by the aged Sarah Miles, then Shard, and finally the boy Andor Ade.

"You are not placed at the end because as long as we do not break the rules, the possibility of an attack is low, so there’s no need to specifically have you guard the rear. Instead, walking in the middle allows you to attend to both the front and back."

The Witch explained this to Shard, though everyone could see she was deliberately trying to ensure Grandma Miles’ safety.

Shard had no objections to this arrangent. If possible, he would protect everyone. Probably because of a lack of trust in Shard, the young Witch made a promise to him:

"If we have any coins left after Grandma Miles’ transaction, all those coins will be yours."

Shard still had no objections, but he did not think he would have the opportunity to use those coins. Judging from previous experience, if he couldn’t find a Deity, neither the boy nor Mrs. Miles would be able to complete their transaction.

The best plan now is actually to find a way to get all the coins and then use them to seek out any possible Deities. Then, once a Deity is found, through a transaction with the Deity, help everyone fulfill their wishes.

But clearly, the Witch would not easily hand over all the coins, and Shard had no intention of letting his first conflict with the Witch of the Fifth Era occur here. After all, this was just his first ti using this key. He was willing to wait, first making every effort to beco familiar with the rules of this camp before planning further.

So the four of them placed their hands on the shoulder of the person in front of them in sequence, advancing silently through the camp shrouded in black mist. Shard could feel the trembling of both the old lady in front of him and the boy behind him, but no one had the intention to give up because of that. It was hard to say whether their movents were stranger, or if the completely motionless silhouettes in the camp were more terrifying.

As they went deeper, the paths between the stalls indeed beca increasingly narrow and rugged until only one person could proceed without touching the surroundings. Most of the stalls here displayed three items, one revealed while the other two were shrouded in black mist. However, so stalls had a number of items far exceeding the average.

Moreover, this place was called the "Black Mist Camp" rather than "Black Mist Market