Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 709 -
Chapter 709: 709
At the banquet hall on the third floor of Sin Mansion, Armand Bernhardt was sweating profusely as he looked at the cards in his hand and felt his heart thumping wildly. Vampires are not supposed to have a heartbeat, so this was an illusion he experienced when he was nervous.
He now fully understood why there were almost no cases of anyone meeting the mansion’s owner and then escaping. The owner played cards by the rules, but he always managed to draw the most advantageous cards.
After Shard fell into unconsciousness, the opponent had drawn a 21 three times in a row, followed by the combination of [Steam Mechanized Ship]. This time, that old fellow actually drew the card Sunflower 13 [Charity Organization: Serpent Heart Hospital], which adjusted a total score to 21 points with three dice rolls, each time rolling just 20 points.
And then, he truly did roll three times 20 points with that dice that looked as if made of human bone.
Armand Bernhardt was no stranger to playing Roder Card with those who were adept cheaters, but this time, he couldn’t chop off the cheater’s hands.
With this thought in mind, he looked over to the young man lying face down, then turned to the opposite side of the table at the increasingly strange-looking blind nun, his voice full of hope as he asked:
“Nun, do you have any other way?”
The nun shook her head slightly:
“I am not skilled at gambling cards.”
As she spoke, she drew the next card. Without needing to see, she displayed the card on the table:
“Genesis: Silver Moon, I adjust the 3 points to 5 points, twenty-one points.”
With her hole card revealed, the nun indicated she had finished the round. She had barely managed to draw even with the mansion’s owner with that miraculous card.
“But what should I do?”
The worried middle-aged man looked at the points in front of him, announcing the addition of a standard quarter of Gluttony before drawing another card. Without a draw, the sum of Sunflower 6 and Sunflower 5 would definitely lose this round, but with a draw, there might still be a chance of winning.
As he turned over the card, it was his Special Card, Sunflower 1, the [Southern Old Continent Scenery: Fertile Vineyard]. Armand Bernhardt immediately raised his eyebrows:
“If you already have cards of Moon, Star, and Flower suits in your hand, you can adjust this card among 1, 2, or 3.”
But this card was only the third draw, so the condition couldn’t be met.
“Then I want another card; the raise is a standard quarter of…”
He glanced at his parchment:
“Greed.”
As he turned over the card, he finally showed a smile; it was Shard’s card [Primal Steam Engine: Mark IX]. Suit: Sunflower 10,
When drawing this card, if you have at least two cards in hand and all are of the Sunflower suit, you can adjust this card’s number between 9 and 10.
“Luck has finally arrived, adjust the Sunflower 10 to Sunflower 9, 6+5+1+9, connect, Fate! Blood traversing the Sunflower, that’s 21 points. It seems my lord still blesses me.”
He displayed his cards and the elderly man at the end of the table shook his head;
“Don’t be too happy. This round is a tie; you have neither loss nor gain. But it is far, far from enough…”
It seemed that because in this round, all the newcomers actually drew 21 points, wasting a round of time, his words carried more malice than before.
The attitude of the mansion’s master directly affected the environment; the already dim room became even more oppressive, the flame from the gas lamps on the walls flickered and dimmed, large shadows cast from the closely packed statues towards the central long table, while inky patterns spread out from beneath the old man’s chair across the floor in all directions.
“Our sins have not yet been fully accounted for; you can’t lay a hand on us!”
Mr. Benhart quickly reminded, while with his eyes he “signaled” the nun to say something, but the nun already had the residual glow of flames on her, ready for battle.
“Don’t worry, I abide by the rules.”
Because the lighting was so dim, the old man’s body was almost completely enveloped in the shadows. His tone bore no emotion, but the chilling feeling made it clear how foul his mood was:
“Not enough, nowhere near enough. Perhaps from the next round onward, you’ll have to place higher stakes, yes, far from enough.”
“Yes~”
A sigh, as if from a distant time, carried through the air, ambiguous pink glimmers emanating from Shard, who lay prostrate. Then, those pink glimmers transformed into bloody and fiery red lights, the craving for Phoenix Flame, the branding of desire, and the power of Phoenix Fire, were enough to make Shard cry out:
“—Not nearly, enough!”
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A “ding-dong~” chime came from nowhere, a light sound that seemed capable of trembling the souls of all mortal things.
Blood fog swept through, blood light swept across, and the black tablecloth was instantly stained into a red and black pattern. Before others could react, Armand Bernhardt was the first to show a look of terror. Because he felt the power of a higher order of blood.
With a bang, Shard’s left hand slapped onto the table. Following this, he slowly straightened his body, and the strange firelight from within him revealed itself with the whistles and chimes of the bells, entering into the massive Ring of Fate behind him.
The silver Desecration Spiritual Light crazily spun along with the Ring of Fate, amassing on the surface of the ring. Letting go of the Divine Statue and Holy Emblem he held, right after Shard regained consciousness, he received a hint about a new sin.
[You have come in contact with the power of the Old God “Father of Slumber”.]
[Indulge in pleasure, indulge in forgetfulness, indulge in the sin of Sloth. When everything comes to an end, in the scenes of bygone days, to give up everything is to have everything. Slumber, forget, and fall into those eternally stagnant thoughts, wishing only to enjoy the moment. Not to flee, but to cherish the here and now.]
[You have listened to the tale of the Old God “Father of Slumber”, you have learned of the Old God “Father of Slumber’s” Desecration.]
[Outlander, you have inscribed the silver Desecration Spirit Rune – Sloth.]
The silver Spiritual Light, sweeping through with the spread of the blood fog, made for an unusual method of inscribing a Rune, causing even the nun to turn her head.
In the scorching Steam Mist, the Ring of Fate gradually slowed down. The emergence of the third Spirit Rune of the Three Rings made the Spiritual Lights on the massive Ring of Fate shine even brighter.
Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, these three sins echoed each other. But in the end, the Spiritual Lights of [Sloth] and [Greed] gradually dimmed, while the Desecration silver-white Spiritual Light of [Gluttony] completely dyed the Brass Ring.
The special environment of [Sin Mansion] already bolstered the powers related to sin, the branding of [Desire] intensified all longings, together with the power of the Phoenix, that gnawing hunger, and the setting of the long table at this moment—
The ritual was established, the bell tolled, the blood fog spread, and the feast began.
The power of [Lord of the Blood Feast] once again awakened within Shard.
