Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1710 - 1709: The Temple of "Mr. Ring

"Even avalanches cannot deter travelers from reaching their destination, and all the travelers worked together to survive the avalanche. Though you feel physically and mentally exhausted due to this, fortunately, the remaining path is not far. At midday, you set up camp at a safe location for rest, collectively anticipating what awaits in this final day’s adventure. After a brief rest, it’s time to set off again. Equipped with the unicorn’s map, where will it lead you to the end point?"

The Deity motioned for the Witch to draw the next card, but Shard asked the Witch to wait a moment. He turned to Chloe:

"Chloe, why did you come to the Snow Mountain?"

The light from the fire made her silver hair even more ethereal, the small-framed Witch curled up beside Shard and gently shook her head:

"Don’t concern yourself with me, even if I don’t accomplish what I came to do this time, I can try again next time. Focus on your quest first."

She said with understanding.

"No, no, I want to know ahead of time, what else is waiting for us on the mountain."

So Chloe nodded and introduced under everyone’s gaze:

"I came to this nameless Snow Mountain to explore an ancient legend for the Academy. According to rumors, a wandering Witch at the summit has a chance to encounter an ancient Temple. And that Temple has the power to exchange one’s self for another’s happiness."

"Another wishing place?"

This reminded Shard of the bottle he encountered during his journey on the ship.

"No, it’s not a wish, nor a malicious trap. Based on local legends and the Academy’s preliminary investigations, the ancient Temple at the Snow Mountain summit is highly likely the ritual site of the Fate Ancient God - [Mr. Ring]. This is a place to twist and alter fate, but also a place of sacrifice. That’s why the Academy sent me, a Demigod Witch, to investigate personally, though I haven’t discovered any ancient buildings so far...Of course, they sent me because my country is closest to here."

The Ancient God [Mr. Ring], also known as [Ouroboros], is revered by the Prophet’s Society and governs [Fate] and [Cyclical Recurrence]. Up to now, Shard’s understanding of this Ancient God comes only from Luviya’s brief mentions. The consequences of recklessly manipulating fate were already clear to the Outlander last summer.

He looked worriedly at Witch Miss Andriana and the maid Clara, the flickering firelight casting uncertain shadows on their faces, indicating that they too understood what was coming next.

Chloe softly said to them:

"I don’t know the current situation of the person you’re seeking, but if there’s still hope to save them, I’ll help."

"Thank you."

Miss Andriana thanked in a low voice, reaching to flip the card, then suddenly asked Shard:

"His Majesty mentioned that the Temple is hard to find. Does this mean that even if we ascend to the summit, we might not find it?"

"Yes, so we need clues."

The Witch lightly nodded, holding the [Impermanence: Space] before her eyes, then proceeded to reveal the next card. Unsurprisingly, the card depicted an ancient Temple atop a blizzard-ridden mountain peak.

It’s different from the ritual site of the [Spiritual Practice Order], as it has long been neglected without maintenance, the Temple shown on the card is almost in ruins, with only a few building remnants standing tenaciously amidst the snowstorm.

The Deity spoke:

"The Unicorn broke through the storm, finally leading the travelers to the mapped destination. What greets them ahead is the relics of an ancient Temple. From the Silver Cat’s description, you know that mortals once worshipped fate here, but that is a story from the old times. Now, all that remains for you is this ruin. So, on the last afternoon of the journey, will you bypass the ruins and continue, or will you carefully search this ruin?"

The Deity smilingly asked, directing the question at the brown-haired Witch, Aleira Andriana confidently replied:

"We must explore this ruin."

The surrounding scenery didn’t change, indicating that there was no need for everyone to move:

"The Unicorn decided, and so the travelers busied themselves. The Hound sniffed the scents, the Parrot flew into the sky searching for traces, the Unicorn silently wandered the ruins, and the Traveler under the Moon and the Silver Cat together sought remnants of miracles."

At this moment, everyone’s senses seemed faulty; though they were still seated in the camp, their vision, hearing, smell, touch, and perception of elements and Spirit felt like they were truly probing the ruins.

They saw a group bracing against the storm, arriving at the Snow Mountain Summit, where the Unicorn used a card and its golden horn to open a previously nonexistent path. The group then traversed the narrow, winding icy path to stand before a vast archway guarded by two weather-worn statues.

Even without physically arriving, standing at that archway felt as if they were really feeling the threads of fate. Though the Temple had become ruins, the ancient powers still lingered here. Each casually muttered a few prayers before entering the archway for separate investigations.

"I smell my sister’s perfume; she definitely arrived here!"

The maid Clara confidently asserted.

"There are no signs of battle here, I didn’t find any trace of Lax’s Arcane Techniques."

The Witch regretfully remarked.

"I see towards the center of the ruin near the summit, there’s the most intact building remnant!"

The Bard loudly reminded as though everyone was truly amidst the snowy mountain storm.

"Yes, we got there."

Shard looked at the air before him and added:

"Chloe and I saw it, we saw a table, and... a stone statue, a female stone statue. She indeed resembles Miss Clara."

"Be careful, even though the Ancient God has long since departed, the power of fate still lingers here. It unsettles me, no one should approach that table or lightly touch that stone statue."

Chloe reminded everyone.

After confirming what they were searching for, the abnormal sensations disappeared for the five of them. Amidst the slight vibration of the ground, the table and female stone statue seen by Shard and Chloe appeared near the campfire just like that.

Except for the deity who remained seated, everyone else got up and gathered around. The stone table, weathered by countless years, was densely covered with small holes left by wind erosion. The table was rectangular, with the female stone statue standing at one end of the short side. Her lifelike expression was a relieved smile, as if she had been alive just a moment before.

"Sister!"

The usually calm Maid disregarded Chloe’s warning and embraced the statue, but midway, she turned into a black Hound. Because of her height, she could only lean against the foot of the statue, fortunately causing no harm. The campfire’s glow illuminated the two tangled shadows, yet could not melt the snowflakes on the statue’s shoulder.

No one dared to touch that table. The Unicorn came first, using its horn to touch the statue, then said to Shard, who was stopping two cats from fighting—mostly Mia doing the hitting:

"The soul is still inside the statue."

The experiences earlier this year in Randall Valley made Shard very knowledgeable about people turned into statues.

He nodded:

"If the soul is still there, I can attempt a rescue. I have an arcane technique that can turn stone and soil into living flesh."

As he spoke, he placed his hand on the statue’s arm. Sensing no elemental reaction, this indicated the statue was merely ordinary stone:

"Active Soil."

Brilliant golden light burst forth from Shard’s hand, and the petrified arm indeed turned into a white arm in an instant. However, the restored part of the body immediately turned back to stone, and even though Shard tried using the arcane technique again, it had no further effect.

"No need to attempt spellcasting any longer. She paid a price to become stone. Your power isn’t ineffective; rather, after the arcane technique took effect, she was petrified again. She is destined to be stone, fate has given her this outcome and you cannot change it."

The silver cat chased by Mia onto Shard’s shoulder reminded, extending a paw to point in another direction:

"That is very ancient power, and it’s related to this table."

"Fate?"

The black Hound, formerly the Maid, lay at the statue’s feet unwilling to leave, while the Unicorn continued trying to dispel the petrification with spells, though she couldn’t achieve even the momentary success Shard had.

The Bard, transformed into a parrot, was the first to discover a clue:

"Look, there’s a complete pattern under the dust on the table."

Flying in the air for a better view, the silver cat in Shard’s arms blew a breath. A gale swept across, clearing the dust from the table. Shard approached the table and saw crisscrossing patterns on the stone tabletop, connecting to form frames, resembling a Roder card table, akin to the "Game of Life" gambling table he had seen in Horror Fortress with Mr. Riddle.

The dust blown away did not settle with the snowflakes but rather gathered at the other end of the table into a faceless human shape. Since the table’s dust was sparse, the human shape was quite thin, and through the constantly vibrating dust comprising its body, one could still glimpse the scene of the distant Fog Woodland.

This was not the result of Chloe’s spell, but the power of miracles and fate put everyone on alert, as the trembling dust moved in a wondrous trajectory inside its body, resembling stars, or like ripples stirred when dense raindrops fell into a pond.

The dust figure did not intend to attack them; instead, its hands pressed upon the table:

"You have intruded upon the temple of fate; what fate guides you here?"

Shard, familiar with such strange conversations, coughed and replied:

"Lost blood relatives, a missing lover, we came here to seek the maiden cursed by fate. Gatekeeper of fate, can you tell us why she turned to stone?"

The dust-formed figure ’looked’ at Shard:

"So it’s the gleam of the Moon shining here, such an ancient light is indeed nostalgic. The cursed maiden came seeking more power for her lover, to help her sister cross the transcendent gate. She sacrificed herself, thus fulfilling her wish."

This answer was quite straightforward, even Chloe, the least informed of this matter, understood.

"See, her wish is already realized. The Witch gained the power of a Unicorn, and the Maid in the black dress has transcended the mortal realm. Fate has always been this just, it has never changed."

The dust figure added.

"I want to trade myself for my sister, use me instead! I am at fault for my jealousy towards my sister, for suggesting she venture out to seek power, it’s me, it’s me... I am willing to give up anything, as long as my sister can return."

The black Hound leaped onto the table, facing the dust figure.

"Of course not, fate has made its choice, it cannot be changed."

"Then use me..."

The Unicorn spoke, using its horn to knock the Hound off the table and onto its own back:

"It’s my fault. If I had more timely discovered the problem at home, the rift between the sisters wouldn’t have arisen. This is my fault, let me make amends."