Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 893: Chapter 893: Magician’s Escape Box

During dinner, another interesting thing happened. On his way back from the bathroom, after washing his hands, Shard ran into Miss Swift in the corridor.

The young apprentice didn’t encounter Shard by accident; she seemed to be waiting for him:

“Mr. Hamilton.”

With a bit of hesitation, she clasped her hands behind her back and stopped Shard in the hallway. Seeing that no one else was around, she asked softly:

“You met that Miss Sylvia, didn’t you?”

“Yes, she’s a very outstanding lady.”

Shard nodded, prompting the young lady with flaxen hair to ask with a glimmer in her eyes:

“We can’t casually inquire about other Grand Witches, but I remember Miss Sylvia isn’t very old.”

“That’s right, she’s twenty-one this year.”

Although discussing a lady’s age is impolite, since Miss Sylvia is still young, Shard felt it was fine to answer.

“Younger than all of us here…”

Miss Swift nodded with a hint of disappointment.

Though she appeared about the same age as Angelina, her actual age was the same as Shard’s body, just a year or two older than Miss Sylvia.

Knowing the young woman’s thoughts, Shard comforted her:

“You should compare yourself with the Grand Witches’ apprentices, not the Grand Witches themselves.

Miss Sylvia becoming a Ten Rings at such a young age is due to her own efforts and, also, her circumstances… I mean, her encounters. I’ve had in-depth talks with Miss Sylvia, and I know she’s had her struggles. Without her mentor’s protection, she faced everything alone. I won’t lie and say you’re better than her, but sometimes we need not look too far ahead; focus on the present and your own path.”

Miss Swift nodded. She was always a bit insecure:

“Teacher Cassandra intends to cultivate me as her successor, but I don’t think I can be better than Miss Sylvia.”

“Granny Cassandra is still at Ten Rings at several hundred years of age, while Miss Sylvia is already at Ten Rings now. Comparing in this way is meaningless. Although it might be disrespectful to say, Granny Cassandra is not as outstanding as Miss Sylvia, yet she remains one of the most respected members in the contemporary Council.”

Hearing Shard say this, Miss Swift finally showed a slight smile and looked at Shard a bit sheepishly:

“Sorry, listening to me talk about these things must be boring, but I have no one else to share these thoughts with.”

As Granny Cassandra’s only current apprentice, she naturally couldn’t discuss these matters with the other followers.

“It’s alright. Everyone has their own worries. Compared to others, your concerns are quite normal. Let’s head back.”

Shard said, but Miss Swift shook her head:

“Mr. Hamilton, you go ahead. I’ll return in a bit.”

Saying so, she headed towards the bathroom, then suddenly turned back:

“Thank you.”

“Is this something worth thanking for?”

Shard wondered in surprise, then heard her laughter:

[Sometimes you really have to wonder if it’s truly only the God of Gambling who has blessed you.]

After dinner, the Old Witch took Shard, Sister Delphine, Grace Helen, and Miss Swift to the basement to closely examine the relic she found for Grace and Helen, which could safely conduct spatial transfer.

It was the Keeper of Secrets Level relic known as the “Magician’s Escape Box.” Its exterior was a metal “escape box” with black and deep blue hues, resembling a coffin no matter how you looked at it.

The box was a standard rectangular prism with geometric patterns of unclear significance on its four sides. Additionally, there were openings from top to bottom and through the middle sections, where swords or blades could be stabbed through:

“Have you ever seen a magic performance?”

Granny Cassandra asked Shard, who after a moment of reflection replied:

“No.”

Not in this world.

“There’s a classic escape magic trick where the magician enters a sealed box. People outside attack the box with weapons, but when the box is opened, there’s no body inside. Then the magician dramatically appears from a corner of the stage.”

Helen enthusiastically explained to Shard, tugging at his sleeve:

“My sister and I have seen this before, but we don’t remember when. Yes, if it’s this relic, then it will definitely work.”

Keeper of Secrets Level Relic [Magician’s Escape Box], when any humanoid creature enters inside the box, closing the box door, with five sharp swords piercing inside the box, the creature inside the box will feel a slight piercing pain and be relocated to the location of a pre-set “escape ritual”.

The specific base formation of the ritual is drawn at the bottom of the box, and can be redrawn on a flat surface with chalk. If multiple escape rituals exist simultaneously, relocation will occur to the last formed ritual.

Of course, the negative traits of Keeper of Secrets Level relics should not be ignored. In the [Magician’s Escape Box], resides a terrifying undead claiming to be “Magician Veerwood”, who likely was the original owner of this relic. After the box became a relic, the undead was also influenced by the whisper element, sublimating into an unknowable and inaudible strange existence.

Anyone using this box for “escape” may be targeted by Magician Veerwood, or even release the undead trapped within the escape box.

Some special methods, such as carrying the Holy Emblem of a True God, bathing in Holy Water, or engraving symbols of other powerful beings on the skin, can effectively reduce the chance of encountering “Magician Veerwood”, but if luck is really bad, there’s still a chance of being entangled by him.

Strictly speaking, the primary function of this relic is not spatial movement, but upon entering the escape box and transferring, one hears the whispers of the undead, thus gaining the eerie yet useful “magic” knowledge of “Magician Veerwood”. Spatial movement is just an additional effect of the relic, but it’s precisely useful for Grace and Helen.

Even if their powers are sealed, they remain angel-level humanoid relics. “Magician Veerwood” combined with this box is still rated at Keeper of Secrets level, and the two do not even possess comparative value, so there’s no need to worry about the relic’s negative effects taking hold on them.

They are all relics, not needing to consider as much as humans do.

However, for a human like Sister Delphine using this box, Granny Cassandra advised that at least a High Ring is required, and the usage frequency should not exceed once every six months.

Listening to the whispers of “Magician Veerwood” to gain knowledge is something bound to happen. Even disregarding the potential to be hounded by that dreadful whispering undead, one must consider the influence of the undead’s whispers on the human soul.

Of course, for Sister Delphine, she is The Chosen One, able to enter the [Spatial Labyrinth] unconditionally. Therefore, Shard only needs to take the nun to first touch the Ancient God Statue of the Ruined Tower of Sicarl Mountain, then use [Magician’s Escape Box] to touch the Ancient God Statue of White Valley Vineyard, thereby successfully establishing route markers for the nun at both locations, eliminating the need for further use of this relic.

It’s just a pity, if she wants to visit Tobesk, she still needs to find a similar relic, or travel there herself. However, currently, nothing in Tobesk necessitates her presence, so this matter is not urgent.

Granny Cassandra explained the relic’s traits, and with the help of Miss Swift, Shard opened the box locked with nine padlocks. The inside of the box had a soft red wool lining, evidently intended to make it more comfortable for its occupant. Only the interior top lacked lining, instead bearing a line of Fifth Era text seemingly scratched by fingernail:

“The final way to escape from this box is death.”

“The body cannot escape, so does the soul escape? But his soul ultimately failed to escape either.”

Shard translated the text, then lamented sorrowfully.

Wearing a white long dress, appearing fifteen or sixteen years old, Grace, clutching Shard’s sleeve like her sister, softly said:

“Sir, I still remember, Helen and I went to see his performance. It’s said he ultimately died alone in the box, his body pierced by five longswords, yet no one could have entered that sealed chamber, as if he himself was outside the box, piercing himself within.”

“This is also a kind of magic.”

Sister Delphine murmured, while Helen, clutching Shard’s sleeve, added:

“This magician in life always wanted to reach out for mystical powers to enrich and expand his magical techniques. But, as you know, men in the Fifth Era cannot use transcendental powers, so it’s hard to judge whether the magician’s death was due to accidental mishap, or if in his exploration of mysticism, he truly provoked those terrifying beings.”

Listening to Helen’s voice, Shard reached out to touch the line of text at the top inside the box, but across an era, there was no residual power to allow Shard to discern:

“Perhaps the stories of these relics are more interesting than the relics themselves.”

In any case, with this [Magician’s Escape Box], Grace and Helen could head to No. 6, Saint Delan Square, but since their injuries were not entirely healed, they planned to wait until formal winter, after snow falls, to visit Tobesk.

Sister Delphine was also not in a haste to head to Huntington City and establish new route markers, intending to wait for Shard to complete his tasks first, then embark together.

And so, a fulfilling and busy Monday passed just like that. Upon returning home in the evening, Shard remained busy, continuing to refine his thesis in the study. Once focused on this kind of work, it’s easy to lose track of time.

By the time Shard realized he had nearly finished his draft, it was already one o’clock Tuesday morning:

“There’s a wedding to attend during the day!”

Glancing at the foggy Saint Delan Square outside the window at night, Shard got up and prepared to rest. Just after hurriedly washing up, he realized Mia was nowhere to be found.

After making a round on the second floor, he found the cat in the study, peeking at the thesis manuscript by moonlight:

“You can’t read, what are you looking at?”

He picked up Mia, with three rings around her tail, playfully flicking her tail, then received a discontented glare from Mia.

“Meow~”

Rubbing against Shard’s arm, the small orange cat opened her mouth wide in a yawn.

Shard took a pen in hand and wrote down a set of simultaneous linear equations on scrap paper, the smudged ink spreading out four solutions:

“Which one is the answer? Get it right and I’ll make you a midnight snack.”

The cat, squinting, lay in Shard’s arms, showing no intention of moving.

Only then did Shard feel at ease, quite content as he prepared to rest.