Chapter 2400 - 2340: Choices and Return

Chapter 2400: Chapter 2340: Choices and Return

"This is truly... anyway, without that lady, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Although I still don’t know what exactly she came here to do, it doesn’t matter."

Shard shook his head and then reached out to touch the Heart of the Oasis held reverently by Miss Sander. After feeling the elements and the abundant life force within, he formally waved goodbye to the two of them:

"Old Lady Sianod, Miss Sander, every journey must come to an end. Go back, I will always keep this journey in my heart."

The elderly elf with a walking stick came forward to hug Shard, and Miss Sander, although a bit embarrassed, finally hugged Shard as well:

"Farewell, strange man! May your journey take you further, and may you not lose your way in the mist!"

Just like Shard said, the journey eventually had to end. After "losing" two companions consecutively, there was one less traveler on the return journey.

They had many things they wanted to say to Shard, but in the end, Old Lady Sianod blessed Shard in the Elf Language and crossed the Mist Gate. The boxes floated past one by one. The blue-haired girl walking at the end turned back and waved vigorously at Shard before finally stepping out.

Thus, the Mist Gate left by the deity disappeared, leaving only Shard and the cat that poked its head out from his chest in the silent Sand Sea.

Time had already reached its end. He looked toward the nearby Sun Temple and the nearby campfire, eventually extinguishing the campfire before reentering the temple with Mia.

When all five were present, the half-collapsed inside of the temple seemed a bit cramped, but now with only Shard inside, it felt hauntingly spacious.

Outside the door, the Sand Sea shimmered with silver moonlight, while inside, only the moonlight seeping through the ceiling crevices illuminated the altar at the temple’s end, lighting up the wall deep within the temple.

So, as the white mist wound around his body, Shard quickly walked up to the altar.

The altar in the "daytime" state felt warm, but now reaching out to touch it, it was cold and bone-chilling at night.

Perhaps because all his familiar companions had left, Shard inexplicably felt a bit melancholic. He did nothing but placed his hand on the altar, closed his eyes, and let his face bask in the moonlight:

"Oh, Sun~"

The soft sigh echoed in the deity-abandoned temple, and the silent Sand Sea remained unchanged. The wind and sand covered the footprints left by the five, just like those fleeting memories. As the moon set and the sun rose, when the rising sunlight once again illuminated the altar in the temple, all traces of their existence vanished.

Yet this Sand Sea remained tranquil.

(Mia running...)

After leaving the "Gravel Golden Sea," since the Time Key had already been completed, Shard immediately appeared in the dense white mist.

This was the "Time Corridor," a special space independent of normal time. When Shard, holding a cat, looked up in the mist, he still saw that enormous transparent tree seemingly connecting heaven and earth.

Even though there was no wind here, the tree crown still made a rustling sound. This sound soothed his heart, calming the emotions stirred by the story’s end. The wind of time always smooths everything, and it also applied to Outlander.

This time, Shard didn’t immediately search for the falling leaves but looked to his left at the glowing box.

He touched his pocket, confirming that the "Golden Lion Armor" had indeed disappeared.

Without Shard expressing any doubt, "she" laughed and said:

[You have received additional information.]

[Outlander, the armor you brought from the past has transformed into a transcendent item. However, since you originally brought it to the past, you have the following choices:]

[1. At the cost of not using the normal Time Key for the next month, bring the armor back to your current time point;]

[2. Abandon this armor that might disrupt time, and receive a "Ever-Youth Leaf" without any information;]

[3. Leave the armor in the "Time Corridor," and during the next normal Time Key usage, conditionally bring it back to the past, and store it in the "Time Corridor" again after completing the task.]

Although the "Ever-Youth Leaf" is valuable, after all, this was a gift from Miss Gawder to Shard, so Shard would not consider the second option.

As for the third option, although it sounds nice to turn this armor into "exclusive equipment" during time exploration without paying any price, Shard felt it completely unnecessary.

The armor wasn’t of much help to him, and even during time exploration tasks, there weren’t many occasions that required him to fight directly.

"A month without the key, bring it back,"

Shard said, then pushed the cat trying to crawl out of his clothes back inside. Only then did he look up at the transparent giant tree, watching as two verdant green leaves slowly overlapped and floated downward from the rustling depths of the treetop.

He raised his right hand high, and the leaves drifted into his palm.

With a gentle sigh, he looked at the knight sword held in his left hand. Finally, he nodded towards the giant tree. After the golden box floated to his side, Shard turned and walked into the depths of the thick mist behind him.

[Outlander, you’ve returned to the present time.]

[Message from the Ancient God "Father of the Infinite Tree":]

[Infinite time blesses you.]

Just stepping out from the dining room door at Belindel Estate on Monday morning, Shard saw Luviya and Miss Belindel retreating to make space for the landing of the glowing armor box. In the desert and in the mist, he hadn’t felt it, but now back in reality, the box’s brightness was indeed dazzling.

"Welcome back, Shard... although you only left for three seconds."

Luviya approached Shard first, giving him a warm hug before curiously inspecting the box.

The Countess naturally approached with composure, but in Luviya’s presence, she was a bit embarrassed to hug Shard... This was probably the biggest difference between her and other witches.

"So, did you see anything from the mist I entered?"

Suppressing the melancholy caused by Miss Nate’s departure at the story’s end, Shard asked the Great Witch of Destiny, who shook her head:

"I couldn’t see anything; it’s truly the power left by the Ancient God. Want to tell us the story? Also, why do I feel like you’ve become stronger than before?"

Although he had just eaten breakfast, for Shard, who had just unlocked the Maze Lock with full force, eating more was good, and Mia most agreed with his perspective.

The breakfast prepared daily at the Earl’s Estate was certainly not just the exact amount needed, so the Countess had Miss Matilda bring some more for Shard.

The three sat at the table, and as Shard ate, he recounted the final story of the "Gravel Golden Sea."

They all knew what had happened the previous two times, so as Shard spoke of the group of five heading into the depths of the night-fallen Sand Sea, embarking on an adventure inside the worm’s corpse, the mermaid girl sacrificing herself to block the falling stone gate, Shard comprehending the story to gain a new Spirit Rune, and finally Miss Nate ascending as a witch and utterly obliterating the worm with one sword, they listened intently.

"Such an adventure is truly splendid, something we in this era have no chance to experience. However, an ordinary girl ascending to a witch..."

Miss Aphrola, who arrived at the dining room halfway through Shard’s story, rested her chin on her hand and remarked:

"Your description differs from the current witches’ career paths. We can’t become witches on our own but rely on the power of the Council. And you know, we first become Circle Sorcerers, then qualify to become Witch Apprentices, and finally become witches. Thus, it’s impossible to receive a witch level and simultaneously hold a Circle Sorcerer position."

She spoke to Shard, who had the Ring of Fate hovering behind him, while Luviya counted Shard’s Spirit Runes:

"The Seventh Ring currently has five Spirit Runes: Desecration - Dragon, Enlightenment - Flesh, Enlightenment - Mermaid Princess, Whisper - Red Butterfly, Whisper - Prejudice. Now you’re only missing ’Miracle’ and an Ascension Words Rune. If your Ascension Words Rune happens to be of the ’Miracle’ type, then you’re only one short."

"Take it slow; there’s no rush."

Shard shook his head:

"This time’s Maze Lock effect really surprised me, but this Maze Lock seems useless. More than one person has told me that the material world of the Sixth Era no longer allows mortals to manipulate time on a large scale, not even inside the Maze Lock."

"But small-scale time manipulation should be possible, though it consumes a lot, at least freeing from the constraints of the Breath of Time."

Luviya was quite optimistic, and "she" by Shard’s ear laughed and said:

[Due to the Maze Lock’s unique nature, even if you violate the rules and alter time, it will only extend the Time Key’s unusable period.]

Shard raised an eyebrow and asked Miss Aphrola:

"In the mermaid population, is there any record of Miss Sander?"

The Light Witch thought:

"The mermaid tribe of the ancient mermaid you described probably wasn’t large; her mother being only Eleventh Rank is the best evidence. This kind of mid-sized or small tribe is basically unlikely to have records. Mermaid civilization, unlike land-based races, isn’t keen on recording their history."

So, the idea of finding Miss Sander with just a name is actually less practical than searching through the existing Fifth Era student lists at Saint Byrons or Zaras Literary Academy.

Of course, if seeking Old Lady Sianod, they could directly have Emilia ask her clan elders. The elves of the Moon Creek Clan are very passionate about recording history, so as long as the story of Old Lady Sianod hasn’t been lost in eras’ shifts, there’s a good chance of finding some information.