"Speaking of which, the Black Mist Camp is also filled with the Great Sin Chains..."
Shard thought of this again and then decided to ask the question he had at the mont:
"Is there any reason you’re asking this question?"
"The chains you wield are a power not everyone can harness. Cherish this power. You may not understand what it truly ans now, but soday you will realize what kind of gift the one who gave you this power has bestowed upon you."
This answer was essentially no answer, but it at least indicated that the [Great Sin Chains] were a very unique power... Shard had known it was very unique from the start, after all, the only Arcane Technique he had encountered that could directly affect the Ring of Fate of Circle Sorcerers was this one.
Keep in mind, even when it cos to Relics that can directly impact a Ringwarlock’s Ring of Fate and the "other ", he has, until now, only seen that mirror in the Tobesk Underground Ruins.
The transaction was complete, and on the other side of the rift, in the blazing flas, Mr. Richard Jackman, who had originally sealed the rift with his spiritual body, actually had a corpse lying on the ground on his right side, and the corpse was exactly the sa as the soul.
Because the soul could not move due to blocking the rift, the body naturally could not move either. But in the eyes of Shard and Miss Higgins, the two were gradually approaching each other until they rged into one.
"Spatial convergence? Or is the earth moving?"
Naturally, no one answered this question. After regaining his body, the man who had been suffering painfully in the flas actually stood up. A Deity atop the Clock Tower waved a hand, revealing golden glimrs, temporarily sealing the rift in the ground spewing flas.
Although flas still burned behind the rift, the young knight, covered in scars, still staggered through the blaze, step by step, to the rift opened by the Deity. He could see everyone at the top of the Clock Tower through this rift, and naturally, he could also see the elderly Mrs. Miles.
Even though his soul was enduring great pain, even though the long-dead corpse had no strength, he still, driven by his last wish and a lifeti of remorse, took difficult steps and finally arrived in the Clock Tower.
The promise made half a century ago, after years of waiting, after countless sunrises and sunsets, finally ca true in this dilapidated and eerie Clock Tower. When she saw the figure that appeared in her dreams countless tis walking out of the flas and heard the heavy footsteps echoing in the Clock Tower, even though Mrs. Miles had prepared all her life for this mont, she still trembled all over, tears blurring her vision instantly:
"Richard!"
The staggering knight also called out that na:
"Sarah!"
Shard frowned slightly. The young knight who erged from the rift, although his soul and body had reunited, still didn’t look like a living person; it was just a body controlled by a soul.
Nonetheless, the soul having gained freedom in this manner was at least better than sealing a rift filled with Demon Flas.
At least Miss Higgins wasn’t concerned whether the man was alive or dead. Moved by the scene, she returned the rusty knight sword in her hand to the man who still carried a strong sll of sulfur. Shard reached into his pocket, pulling out a flower crown that could be worn on the head and handed it to the trembling Mrs. Miles.
The agreent between the two back then was for Mrs. Miles to weave a flower crown with flowering parsley, sage, rosemary, and thy from her hotown’s roadside to welco her lover’s return. But Shard was unaware of this detail in advance, so his flower crown was made of roses, laurel, gypsophila, and tulips. It wasn’t even made by him but bought from a flower shop run by Angelina’s maids on Silver Cross Avenue—the flower crown was also a common ritual symbol.
Mrs. Miles’s trembling hand accepted the flower crown, her tear-blurred eyes gazed at the young knight refastening his sword to his waist.
Then, both stepped towards each other. The young Richard Jackman bowed his head slightly, and the elderly Sarah Miles placed the flower crown upon his head.
Two pairs of eyes gazed into each other, then both embraced tightly:
"I’m back, Sarah."
"Welco back, Richard."
Words that should have been spoken many, many years ago were finally uttered at this mont.
The Deity watched the scene with a smile, finding satisfaction in the tale that unfolded before the mortals, deeming it more precious than gold. In Miss Higgins’s heart, a newfound yearning for love erged once again, while she blad herself for not pursuing the pretty girls around her in her youth.
At this mont, Shard also had many new thoughts in his heart. He truly admired the two people before him, whether it was Mrs. Miles, who spent her whole life waiting for a promise unlikely to be fulfilled, or the young knight who used his soul relentlessly to block the dreadful Demon Flas to fulfill the promise of a reunion. These were enough to be written into songs, sung, and praised for thousands of years.
"Is this... loyalty to love?"
He thought silently in his heart, and from there he thought of himself, of his feelings for the girls. Yet, there was no bewildernt in his heart anymore. Even if he couldn’t be like the two people before him, cherishing only one person for a lifeti, he could still strive, waiting for soone, fulfilling promises made, never betraying anyone even if it took all his strength.
The two embracing were sobbing, this mont being one they both had waited for too long. Their embrace was so intense, as if they wanted to rge into each other, never to part again.
"Oh!"
Miss Higgins suddenly exclaid in a sowhat terrified tone, for she truly saw the living body of Mrs. Miles rging with the dead body of the Knight. The souls longing for each other wanted to embrace tightly, so their bodies, which separated the souls, indeed fused according to their wish.
First the chest, then the arms, and finally the head. They slowly sat by the fire, their bodies gradually hunched over, until even their bones touched and forcibly rged with the sound of teeth-grating.
"That’s why I said, this is essentially a horror story."
Shard thought to himself, stopping Miss Higgins from approaching:
"Look closely, this isn’t sothing we can interrupt."
Black smoke drifted from the two twisted bodies, the choking sulfur sll growing even stronger. The Knight’s soul, with its Demon Flas, was so intense that when the soul’s inherent temperature burst forth from emotion, it lted the bodies, following the owner’s will to never separate.
Mrs. Miles did not resist; the lting of her body could not prevent her soul from touching her lover’s soul. As the increasing heat forced Shard and Miss Higgins to retreat, the black flas completely engulfed them. When the flas faded, nothing was left beside the campfire but two skeletons fused together.
Since the Green Lake incident began, Shard had seen many various Fusion Monsters. Yet only this skeletal form seen now seed to him not eerie or terrifying, but sowhat sanctified.
Bone twisted and intertwined, bone spikes woven together. The skeleton itself bore a jade-like luster, heavy with elents of Miracle and Desecration.
Beside the skeleton, the souls of Mrs. Miles and Mr. Jackman held hands and looked bewildered at their bodies. The Deity smiled and pointed to the oddly-shaped bone, bringing it before Shard and Miss Higgins:
"Do you understand?"
Both reached out to touch the bones, each witnessing different phenona behind them.
Behind Miss Higgins, the end of what had been just nine steps slowly revealed the phantom of the Tenth Level. Behind Shard, amidst the dense Steam Mist, the sound of steam whistles and clock chis echoed, a large Brass Ring slowly erged, its bronze Spiritual Light symbolizing "Enlightennt," like a copper Sun appearing at the dark Bell Tower’s top.
"Love one person, and you’ll wait a lifeti for her; love many, and you must protect everyone’s Happiness. The attraction of soul to soul, the fusion of body to body, loyal love can transcend vast Ti and distant Space. The farthest distance in the world is between souls longing for each other."
"Outlander, you’ve witnessed the story of ’Lovers of the Bell Tower.’"
Everything fell into place, as if it naturally belonged to Shard:
"Outlander, you’ve engraved the Brass Enlightennt Rune - Bell Tower Lovers."
Without surprise, the last Spirit Rune of the Six Rings belonging to Shard appeared the instant he touched the skeleton.
He turned to look at his Ring of Fate, realizing this Spirit Rune was ford from his heart truly understanding "loyalty" and bearing witness to the story’s emotional power.
The Maze Lock had yet to appear, indicating he rely understood the story, not comprehended its power. But it was enough; Shard at this mont had nurous things he wished to share with his girls. Others’ stories had ended, his had just begun.
"Your souls can exist in the Material World for 365 days before reaching the End Point."
The God told Mrs. Miles and the young Knight, both bowed deeply in gratitude. Shard and Miss Higgins also bowed together, expressing their thanks to the Deity.
As for the fused skeleton, it slowly floated toward the still-existing chasm, replacing the Knight’s original soul and sealing the large fissure on the ground. The dark fla attempted to escape from the crack but was absorbed by the skeleton, pulling them tighter in embrace, causing them to gradually lt and fuse with the fissure.
Finally, the Sanctified White Bone fully filled the fissure, perfectly closing the fla’s exit. The remaining black flas on the ground were all absorbed by this strange skeleton.
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