Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 1934: The Isolated Inn

The bonfires in the basement and the third floor had gone out. Shard, who had once again thrown out a little gold bar, lit two more bonfires on the first floor and split a portion of the "Sunfire" from the lantern storing kindling flame into the heart of these new bonfires.

The warm glimmer drove away most of the mist on the first floor and made the previously damp air much dryer, leaving at least half of the hotel lobby usable.

The obstructing tables and chairs were pushed into the darkness, leaving only a few to place the magic potions, relics, alchemical items, and other spare materials. The unconscious young women were gathered together, placed on tables with mattresses set against the wall, and were cared for by dedicated personnel.

Everyone still awake gathered around the three clusters of burning bonfires. The ladies’ eyes turned to Shard, unclear when the people outside the island would arrive, but these ladies before him were undoubtedly his greatest reliance at the moment.

Shard also voiced his guess:

"At precisely 7:48, we all came from Green Lake City to Green Lake Central Island. Or rather, this isn’t the real island, but another one. On this island, due to the influence of the white mist, the hotel’s ritual functions are greatly weakened. Ms. Edwards has already disappeared. The good news is we have arrived on the island; the bad news is, once leaving this hotel, from attempts made, the consumption of spirit and stamina will greatly increase, and the effects of arcane techniques are greatly weakened."

This was much like the situation Shard encountered during past time explorations, only far less severe.

"So, we can only rely on ourselves for a short period?"

Lecia asked, her face pale. Though she hadn’t fainted, her condition wasn’t very good.

Shard nodded:

"Lecia, drink some magic potion, don’t save it. Yes, that diviner truly has a skilled touch."

He shook his head, thinking there was no need to consider such matters now. Currently, the Grand Witches weren’t here, the highest level among the girls here was only Ten Rings. Though Ten Rings were sufficient in ordinary events, facing this island filled with immense malice towards outsiders without Edwards’s bloodline, if actions were taken outside the hotel, the Ten-Ring Female Mage suppressed by the island might not necessarily be a match for the less suppressed Shard.

Although this was Green Lake Central Island, it must be quite different from the real island. The strange feeling of space twist and the twist and eerie sensation absent in the real world indicated the danger level here.

"But the good news is, we still have this hotel. Most of the functions of this base can still be used. If it’s just for self-preservation, we have enough people to remain in the hotel."

Shard said, looking around at everyone with different expressions on their faces:

"Apart from me, all others stay here. Gather on the first floor, with Tifa in charge, and Miss Haley Aflora as her assistant."

"No, that’s not okay."

The first dissent came from Tifa instead. The girl in the maid dress looked at Shard standing by the fire:

"They can stay. I’ll go with you."

"No, someone must stay here to take care of those who are unconscious, and to respond if needed."

Shard explained his reasoning:

"We still don’t know what’s going on on this island. Now, more than half of them are unconscious. Are we going to just leave them? Also, I need a place to retreat to when needed, and here is the only safe place on this island. Moreover, the Grand Witches of Green Lake City are probably anxious to enter this island now. When they show up, you need to inform them of the situation."

He touched his pocket, which originally held keys collected by Megan and Audrey, carrying two among them, and now only one key remained. This certainly wasn’t an error by the diviner; it seems the diviner is expressing, through this method, that he was waiting for Shard’s arrival.

"Since inviting me, why not transfer me together with Megan? What’s he waiting for? Or is he also delaying time?"

Judging by the current situation, although it might appear somewhat arrogant to say, Shard still felt; rather than moving with these girls, whose presence may not yield much effect, he should directly plunge into the depths of the island.

A loyal maid shouldn’t oppose her master’s proposal. Tifa pursed her lips and looked at Shard, and for the first time, her black-brown eyes showed a rare hint of anger, but she ultimately didn’t say anything more.

Dorothy wanted to say something, but was stopped by Lecia with a tug, and she kept silent.

Angelina stood among the group of female sorcerers, noticeably worried, knowing she was the least suited to speak now. Her hatred towards her lack of strength and her uselessness boiled within her like water until it churned repetitively, the process akin to an oyster enduring immense pain to grind a grain of sand with its softest part until it forms a pearl, causing the deepest part of her soul to grow ever more radiant.

No one opposed Shard’s decision anymore, so he closed his eyes again to perceive space, and then told the girls:

"I can only confirm that we are currently near the island’s northern shore. You have another task to stay here, explore the surrounding terrain, determine from which direction we can... wait a moment."

Shard frowned and looked at the window on the first floor:

"Arrange it later, I feel something’s coming. Demon Vision."

Outside the window was a rainy night, combined with thick fog, it was impossible to see specific scenery. But in the perspective of "Demon Vision," the darkness deeper than darkness itself, along with malice almost solidified into substance, all represented the same thing:

"The stench of demons. It’s low-level demons, and something unknown infected by demon blood. It seems he not only summoned the maze demons but also other entities... a considerable number. Let’s deal with the issue here first, ladies, prepare for battle!"

Shard picked up his longsword and stood up.

"Yes, sir!"

One must admit, when more than thirty ladies said this together, the momentum was quite impressive.

Although the prearranged plan did not foresee such unbelievable events as the entire Green Lake Hotel moving to the island, there was still documentation on how the hotel would defend itself once the Grand Witches left.

Now the second floor does not need defense, and the third floor was directly abandoned due to too many windows. After collectively blocking the staircase from the third floor to the second, effectively abandoning the third floor’s defense, the first battle after arriving at this eerie island began.

Shard was the one among them who understood demons the best, but he wasn’t the most knowledgeable about summoning and control. After simple judgment, Tifa concluded that it wasn’t that someone was controlling the gathered monsters to attack them, but rather the sudden taste of living flesh and souls attracting these monsters originally scattered around the area.

"Wait, Sh-Shard just said, the monsters surrounded us in numerous numbers, and now said those monsters were originally dispersed here, does this mean that the whole island..."

Miss Haley Aflora understood Tifa’s words, and Shard frowned and nodded gently:

"Yes, I’m afraid the whole island is full of similar monsters."

The glimmer from the three bonfires lit by Sunfire was enough to illuminate half of the first-floor hall. Except for the ordinary person Angelina, and those without Witch Power like Dorothy and Lecia, Shard and the other ladies gathered around the bonfire, forming three circles.

Shard, Tifa, Miss Haley Aflora, and Miss Dector were in the center. Everyone raised their hands, connecting with others, activating the engravings on the floor, old Sun Power illuminating everyone:

"Sun Oath."

The ancient ritual handed down by the Council granted them warm and enduring power, the hotel’s door opened, the flame’s light pushed into the outside darkness, illuminating the mist and drizzling rain, also lighting up the bizarre landscape amidst the woodland.

In the night, countless strange figures crawled in the mist of the woodland, like phantoms, or moths disturbed by the firelight.

Before the fire inside the door, Shard wielded the Night Watchman and walked out first, followed by Tifa and Miss Haley Aflora, two High Ring ladies and three Eight Ring ladies continued to step out.

They didn’t move far from the Green Lake Hotel’s entrance, but stood firm at the edge where the firelight could reach.

Shard held the silver sword, already shining, with both hands, its tip pointed upwards. The ancient runes engraved on the sword glowed one after another as he took deep breaths:

"With a clear heart, the sword slashes demons — Moonlight Slash!"

Brilliant silver moonlight glittered in the mist, breaking through the rain curtain, for the island long unvisited by outsiders, sounded the battle’s whistle.

In the city activating all hotel functions was inconvenient, but now as the basement’s ritual core exploded with even more astounding brightness, dense runes on the hotel’s exterior walls lit up simultaneously as the group initiated their offense at the entrance.

The ladies shooting arrows pierced through those black monsters’ bodies, continuous bright red fireballs bombarded the surroundings with the floating ladies’ hands, Aphrola Family’s ladies raised their hands, solidifying water into ice, ice forming swords, the Space Witch’s followers waved hands, creating several invisible slashes cutting through the air.

With the silver sword enveloped in Silvermoon, as Shard ventured deep into the mist, two Witch Apprentices coordinated with Female Sorcerers at the window, methodically clearing enemies attacking Green Lake Hotel from other directions beyond the entrance.

Though the rain on this island wasn’t as heavy as in the city, the sound of battle in a corner of the woodlands was still easily drowned out by the rain.