Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1764 - 1763: Arcane Technique - Love God’s Sting
As he spoke, a fantasy-like bookshelf appeared beside Shard, and he took a book from it. Upon opening it, the images of two relics and that coin appeared.
Granny Natalie took her glasses from behind the counter, looked at them carefully for a while, then searched through a few books before shaking her head at Shard:
"With only the appearance, figuring out what these are is indeed difficult. I can only identify this one; for the others, you might want to ask someone else."
She pointed to the Broken Sword:
"The Keeper of Secrets Level Relic ’Sword of the Lost Soul King’, this sword itself is broken. Its effect is to gather lost souls, absorbing those who willingly follow the sword bearer into the sword, releasing them at appropriate times to assist the bearer. The number of souls this sword can absorb is only related to the bearer’s level. Note, there are many soul-draining weapons, but only souls that truly wish to follow the bearer can be absorbed; this almost counts as a soul contract."
"The effect is quite nice, but why is its danger level only Keeper of Secrets Level?"
Shard asked curiously, and Granny Natalie shook her head:
"Even the strongest souls cannot compare to Circle Sorcerers, where the soul and body coexist harmoniously. Even the special undead that once appeared in the Midshire Fort Area, only a few could be considered strong enough, but how many such undead are there in the Material World? Moreover, having strong and special souls make a contract with oneself is inherently difficult."
"True, unless the undead knew you in life."
"It’s said this sword originally belonged to the Peace Church Papacy, but was transferred to Midshire Fort after last autumn. If you want more information, you’ll have to ask someone from the Peace Church. It’s rumored that the Church of War and Peace once considered forming an undead army with this sword, but the idea was shelved because it was too dangerous."
Of course, information about relics comes with a fee, but since Shard was introduced by Mr. Edmund, Granny Natalie’s fee was very low.
Before Shard left, this High Ring Sorcerer from the Guiding Light Hermitage brought up another topic:
"You and Megan have stirred up such a big issue on Green Lake Central Island. Neither the church nor Megan’s ancestors will let you off easily. Keep a low profile for a while; regarding the investigation on Green Lake Central Island, after the Thirteen-Ring Diviner made an appearance last night, I estimate it will enter the next phase. The Circle Sorcerers on both shores of Green Lake will probably secretly collect information, making the negotiations between the two countries the center of discussions again. If you need my help during this time, feel free to come find me."
It seems Granny Natalie knows a lot of things.
"Alright... will the Hermit Society send others here this time?"
"No, I am sufficient here."
A Twelve-Ring Sorcerer has the qualification to say such words.
With the arrival of the most important negotiation delegations from both countries, crossing the border has become more troublesome than usual. Even with Captain Lades’ special pass in hand, Shard still waited five or six minutes at the camp before the captain appeared and re-signed and stamped his pass, allowing him to leave.
"Really sorry, the old passes have all been invalidated and require camp officer endorsement to be reused."
To express his apologies, Captain Lades personally escorted Shard to the border line, at the camp’s southern gate.
"No need to apologize, I understand. But whose idea was it to earn the same money twice reasonably?"
Shard asked with a smile, while the captain pointed behind him towards the main camp, making a helpless expression, and then waved goodbye to Shard.
What happened last night during the Lunar Eclipse on Green Lake was perceptible to the area’s Circle Sorcerers. Shard was unsure whether the Believers of the God of Love were aware of the information about ’Desire’ that emerged during this period, but when he arrived at the Victory Carroll Hotel, Mr. Richard, Mrs. Hope, and even the somewhat crazed Mr. Upton due to the oil painting were all waiting for him in Mr. Richard’s room, number 402.
Mrs. Hope welcomed Shard at the door, while Mr. Richard, looking concerned, watched over Mr. Upton, who had previously been unkempt but now wore decent clothes and had clearly groomed his hair.
However, his appearance was extremely haggard, with bags under his eyes swollen as if he hadn’t slept for days.
As Shard approached, Mr. Richard greeted him before explaining:
"Last night, I was watching the situation over Green Lake from my window when Upton suddenly ran upstairs, knocked on my door, and then cried in my arms all night."
With a relaxed smile on his face, he gestured for Shard to sit beside him, while Mrs. Hope and Mr. Upton sat opposite.
"Why cry?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Shard asked curiously, Mrs. Hope first drew a Holy Emblem over her chest before explaining:
"On one hand, it’s repentance. Despite believing in our Lord, he was almost led astray by that painting. On the other hand, maybe because of lost love..."
She also wore a smile, and Mr. Upton nodded tiredly, clutching his chest:
"For a moment, it felt like there was a hole in my heart, then I realized what I had actually fallen for. I know I’m liberated now, but the love and sentiment over the past year... love is so blinding and maddening."
"That’s not love."
Mr. Richard laughed sarcastically, then gestured for Shard to look at the coffee table among the group.
On the glass coffee table, inside a long paper box, lay a rolled-up oil painting, entwined with a red thread rich in miracle elements.
"Is this the painting?"
"Yes, it belongs to you now."
The original owner of the painting, Mr. Upton, nodded heavily:
"Although I don’t know what you did, or if the commotion near Green Lake last night had anything to do with you, I think you surely saw it and made a deal with it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t suddenly be liberated."
He reached out and pushed the box toward Shard, an action that finally reassured the other three entirely, indicating he was no longer captivated by the painting’s charm. Shard picked up the box, restraining the impulse to open it and glanced inside, placing it beside him.
"So...did you really see it yesterday?"
Seeing Shard accept the painting, Mr. Richard hesitated before cautiously asking. Shard nodded, and as all three showed complex expressions, he apologized to Mr. Richard:
"Sorry, the Holy Emblem you lent me and the black shard inscribed with information were both destroyed."
The shard dissolved in water after displaying the information "Desire" wanted Shard to see, while the Holy Emblem converted Whisper elements into Miracle elements at a critical moment. Otherwise, the new Spirit Rune Shard acquired would have been Whisper—[Charm].
"No need to apologize. It seems my Lord still favors you."
Mr. Richard smiled and patted Shard’s shoulder:
"I lent you the Holy Emblem to resist its power. The Holy Emblem has been passed down for millennia and isn’t easily destroyed. If it was, it surely had something to do with it."
"Indeed."
Shard wanted to briefly introduce the situation at that time; when he floated to the surface of the lake, the scene of the black-haired woman sinking into the water left a profound impression on him, even making him suspect that last night’s dream was related to it. But he didn’t know how to begin, so he revealed a part of his Ring of Fate:
"At first, she gave me a kiss—not a direct kiss, but a flying kiss—and then I gained a Whisper Element Spirit Rune. However, the Holy Emblem suddenly shone and replaced the Whisper element with Miracle element, thus creating this—Miracle [Charm]."
The Believers of the God of Love, who specialize in the love of soul and flesh, exchanged glances and simultaneously drew the Holy Emblem on their chests. Mrs. Hope praised:
"Indeed, our Lord is merely departed, yet His power still protects us—as long as we believe in love and marriage. Our dedication and faith have not been wrong; even if we wait hundreds of years, our Lord will eventually return, this is the proof."
Even Mr. Upton, whose face looked unwell initially, now showed joy. Mr. Richard stood to retrieve an expensive-looking bottle of champagne and glasses from the liquor cabinet and toasted with the other three.
Although Shard couldn’t share their joy, he was still happy to drink with those who had helped him. Having drunk, he sat back down and brought up a new topic: Besides retrieving the painting and apologizing for the damage to the Holy Emblem, he had a third purpose for coming here:
"I previously purchased the Divine Arts—Heart Connection—from you, and now I want another Divine Arts."
This is the secret technique "Desire" informed Shard about—the connection of souls—and can only be obtained through believers of the Old God—the God of Love.
"No problem, you are under the protection of our Lord. Even if you don’t worship Him, we’ll help you."
The Secret Keeper of Order knowledge, Mr. Upton, promised readily:
"May I ask, which Divine Arts?"
"The one that can connect [Charm] Spirit Rune. Yes, Arcane Technique—Love God’s Sting."
Arcane Technique—Love God’s Sting, a proactive arcane technique that requires no spellcasting materials. Upon spellcasting, it summons a short spike made of a red-crystal-like material, but it’s not a spiritual weapon and shatters upon contact. This ritual item allows the caster to inject "Love God’s Sting" into another being’s chest, creating temporary affection towards the caster.
Of course, it doesn’t create a wound because it’s not a weapon.
This trait is not "Consciousness Rewriting" or Hypnosis but generates a hint of fondness. The primary trait of Arcane Technique [Love God’s Sting] is not this, but when the caster injects "Love God’s Sting" into individuals of vivid affection—be it familial, romantic, or other—both ways, it allows the target to temporarily wield powers to condense and utilize red crystals, forming armor, weapons, and energy attacks by sacrificing the caster’s soul limit.
The effects of being struck by "Love God’s Sting" can last a long time, yet the caster must actively terminate the arcane technique to retrieve their decreased soul limit.
In other words, this arcane technique can connect two souls; through intense emotions, the caster’s soul power transforms into the power of the target. Essentially, it’s "borrowing power," but according to "Desire," this "borrowing power" is a very superficial and primitive form of Soul Fusion.
