Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic Chapter 542 – Chapter 542 Chapter 542 The Devourer of Darkness

Chapter 542: Chapter 542: The Devourer of Darkness Chapter 542: Chapter 542: The Devourer of Darkness Time seemed to stand still in this room, Shard wanted to wait in silence for the doctor to speak again, but to prevent Iluna and Tifa from getting impatient and storming into the clinic to kill the doctor, Shard still spoke up:
“Because of some accidents at Lakeside Manor, I was guessing at the time that you were possessed by a demon.”

This referred to the strange shadow that appeared behind the doctor when he used the Sublimation Incantation.

“Yes.”

“Do you remember the time we met at Hymn Square?”

“The time you were selling illegal magazines?”

“Um… don't mention that, but yes, that time. I met you and Mr. Alan Madison from Xerxes Higher Medical Academy. He talked to me about some past events of our group, mentioned the former leader, and the Relic control incident years ago, that's when I was completely certain about you and the demon… but I knew that you could control the demon, so I didn't tell anyone.”

He actually did mention the demon to Luviya and Dorothy, but the past events, he truly didn't mention.

“Alan… most of the people who experienced that incident have left Tobesk. You could have only heard from him.”

Dr. Schneider sighed deeply while leaning on the windowsill.

“I believed you could control the demon, and I intended never to bring it up. But for some reasons, I was tracking Human Pus, and its trail ended up here. Doctor, you canceled our group study yesterday afternoon because you also went to the south of the city, right?”

“Yes.”

The voice was forlorn and low.

“So, you saw Miss Feliana as well? Did you also go to the central part of Millwood Forest?”

“I ended up seeing Miss Feliana. The news has spread all over the local black market; even I, as a witness, still can't believe it. As for Millwood Forest… where is that?”

“You didn't enter the core of the Dark Realm?”

Shard found it hard to believe.

“Embarrassingly, I got lost. I could sense it, but the paths inside were too difficult to navigate.”

Although Dr. Schneider was facing away from Shard, Shard still felt that he could trust those words. The doctor was acting alone, and without the top informants of the Church, it was impossible for him to know in advance about the most central area of the forgotten Dark Realm, as Shard did.

“Then, was Human Pus attracted here by you?”

“No, I captured it. After Miss Feliana appeared and swept through the entire Dark Realm, I found that the essence of Human Pus was still alive, so I immediately returned here and set up a ritual known from demon knowledge, making it believe there was a possessor here that perfectly met its criteria, and then I caught it.”

This could explain the sudden change in direction of Human Pus, which was originally planning to go to Yordle Palace.

“The demon within you, can you really control it? You devoured Human Pus, does it really have no effect on you?”

Shard asked again. Dr. Schneider by the window turned around, his blue eyes looking at Shard sitting on the sofa, and he nodded slowly:
“At least I believe that I am still in control of this terrible power.”

“The demon, what is its name? Does it have a widely known name?”

“I cannot tell you that.”

“All these years, haven't you thought about resolving it?”

“No, I willingly coexist with it.”

“Why?”

“I need to save Mr. Sherf Tim and Miss Shana Aya, they were members of my previous group, they saved me.”

“They're not dead?”

“They're dead, but their souls have been taken, seized by an entity more powerful and evil than the demon within me, whose name I dare not even utter. To save them, I must use this demon's power and keep it in check.”

In his left eye, a crimson brightness began to emerge, a telltale sign of demonic possession.

Yet compared to Daknis, Dr. Schneider was not at all frantic; instead, he seemed poised to self-destruct in the midst of extreme calm:
“Devouring the souls of the wicked, consuming other demons, it all makes me stronger. Years ago, in that accident, something evil, twisted, terrifying, and unspeakably vile was unleashed. The noble ones saved me, and the demon within me was nearly obliterated. In that final moment, I agreed to its request. We became symbiotic. It heals through me, and I garner its power and keep watch over it.”

This was about what Shard knew:
“One of my elder…”

Wanting to say “elder,” but feeling it wasn't quite right:
“A friend of mine once said, cherish life, stay away from demons. These spirits from the Third Era will use all sorts of methods to usurp our souls, it's only at the very last moment that we realize the demon's plot.”

Daknis was a prime example; he understood the conspiracy in the end but willingly gave his all to the demon.

“And Priest Augustus has also told me that coexisting with a demon will definitely not end well.”

“After all, a priest is an elder, and he has always been correct. I know that I will eventually lose control over it.”

Dr. Schneider's normal right eye, along with his left eye which was pitch black with just a speck of crimson at the center, both fixed on Shard.

“Then why not seek help from the Academy?”

“Because I need its power, only it can help me reclaim the souls of Mr. Sherf Tim and Miss Shana Aya. Detective, you cannot imagine what my enemy is.”

“Evil God?”

“Not a deity, but just as terrible.”

There exist in this world hidden and bizarre beings, spoken of in stories and legends, extremely fearful evils like the Ancient Demon whose mere corpse could give rise to a ‘Dark Realm'.”

Shard understood the doctor's point; no one could help him, he could only trust himself.

“Doctor, do you realize what you're doing? You're devouring darkness, but one day, you will be consumed by it.”

“I understand, but I have inherited their wishes and have the responsibility to liberate their souls. I am willing to do this, even though I myself know, I might not meet a good end.”

The two looked at each other, and Shard was unafraid of the glint in the doctor's eyes, having seen it a lot lately.

The light was dim, and the doctor, with his back to the window, only had a small portion of his face illuminated by the desk's gas lamp. His expression was calm, as if he had long anticipated a day when he would have this conversation with someone:
“The souls of the wicked let me draw power from sin, and the bodies of Evil Spirit Demons grant me a host of Arcane Techniques. Having devoured Human Pus, I obtained two Spirit Runes directly, and just the part of the power that's been digested enables me to plant thoughts in dreams, to change the dreamer's mind with negative emotions, even—I can sense that by digesting the other party, I can gain even more power.”

Pitch-black pus oozed from the doctor's strange left eye, but it only covered half of his face. Compared to the frenzy and ferocity of Daknis's Human Pus form, the doctor was truly calm:
“But it's not enough. I have consumed six Evil Spirit Demons in the past decade, including the eldest of Human Pus. Yet it's still not enough. I will continue down this dark path until the very end.”

The power in his words left Shard struggling to breathe. He had never considered that the always kind-hearted Dr. Schneider carried such a heavy secret:
“You too will walk alone in the darkness, until you're devoured by it?”

This was what Daknis had done.

“No, what I intend to do is devour the darkness.”

The doctor lowered his head slightly:
“As a psychologist, I perceive people's secrets, I discover the wicked, I carry out secretive missions related to demons. These are the things I have been doing for over a decade. Shard, you're the first to know this secret; before this, I never spoke of it to anyone. I hope you can inherit my wish…”

“What wish?”

Shard was puzzled.

“If you find me losing control, please kill me immediately.” (in the language of demons)
“Why me? Our team isn't just me alone.”

He didn't care about being discovered by the doctor, he understood the language, and as expected, the doctor did not ask; his eyes emitted an even stronger crimson glow:
“The only people I can trust are you. Priest Augustus is too old, and though it might sound unpleasant, I don't believe he will live longer than me.”

Shard did not object.

“Annette is young enough and healthy enough, but she is always shrouded in mystery. Sometimes, I even feel that she carries a burden heavier than mine, a desire weightier than what rests on my shoulders.”

Shard still could not find grounds to object.

“As for Luisa, among us, she seems to be the only normal person. Her parents are alive, her career is successful, and her life never involved any earth-shattering secrets. I don't want to involve the only normal person around me in matters related to demons.”

Shard was still unable to object.

“As for you, detective, my mind is filled with demonic knowledge, and I know that since you have the ‘Demon Hunter Seal,' it means you have been chosen as the successor by the demon hunters of the Third Era.”

In that light, Shard indeed seemed the most suitable candidate.

“You always think I'm unlucky, but I feel quite the opposite. More than ten years ago, I didn't die but instead gained power beyond what a common Circle Sorcerer could imagine; for over a decade I haven't lost control and instead met you, and you received this seal to watch over me.

I never complain about my fate, because I always believe that destiny has been protecting me.”

Shard moved his lips slightly but did not voice his thoughts.

He too stood up and came to the window. He pushed open the window in front of them, letting the moist air from outside surge into the room. The doctor, whose eyes had returned to normal, turned and joined Shard in gazing outside:
“I will keep your secret, but your wish… I hope that you can fulfill it yourself.”

The outlander said softly.

The doctor chuckled without saying a word.

“So this matter ends here. I will tell the companions tracking the Human Pus with me that it has been eradicated.”

Then he thought of the box he was carrying on his back:
“That's good; I'll have more random stuff like apples, pipe wrenches, and women's clothing every week. All the events of this summer have come to an end.”

“No, the Human Pus has not been eradicated.”

The doctor reminded.

“What? Wasn't it you who…”

Shard was somewhat surprised.

“You need to understand a dreadful truth, the Evil Spirit Demons of the Third Era can mostly be killed, but never truly eradicated. The Human Pus is the malicious pus that oozes from the boils produced by the negative aspects of humanity. As long as this world has intelligent beings, as long as there is humanity, it will never perish. By consuming it, I have merely indicated that this generation's Human Pus has disappeared. It will eventually reappear one day, but that is many years in the future, and it will need time to grow again.”

This was knowledge that Shard had never understood, and even Priest Augustus had never mentioned it; probably only the doctor, who had acquired demon power, knew such secrets.

Having learned the doctor's secret, Shard had no intention of conveying to the Academy the concerns they had about the doctor. The doctor indeed could lose control at any moment, and while Shard would keep his secret, he also agreed with the Academy's view that the doctor indeed needed close surveillance.

Facing the last rays of the late summer sun, both men sighed deeply. The matter of the second Chosen One had concluded, but new issues had arisen, and Shard found it hard to describe his current feelings.

“Actually, you need not fear demons, any power in itself is just power. Demons, darkness, and even sin, when we face adversaries more formidable and overwhelming, can all become a source of strength.”

The doctor said.

Shard agreed with this perspective; his “Great Sin Chain” was not exactly a normal power either. He had even once thought that this power, derived from the Flesh of Desire, was stranger than that of demons.

“To control the darkness, to let light and shadow both become a part of me. I will walk alone through the darkness until I reach the end of this road and fall into the bottomless abyss. For I have inherited the desire, I am willing to consume the darkness.”

The doctor's voice was weak yet firm, and Shard could feel the other's strong heart, as well as the will to bear responsibility.

Overcoming darkness wasn't about light, and the doctor fully demonstrated this. He became part of the darkness, devouring that vast and limitless power amidst the interplay of light and shadows.

Yet, the demon within the doctor could even devour Human Pus. Shard struggled to imagine just how powerful the other was:
“Devouring the souls of the wicked, devouring the power of demons, and then strengthening oneself… the doctor's story seems to be just beginning.”

A breeze caressed his face, and the sound of the rain gradually weakened. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed when the sudden drizzle came to a stop. The clouds dispersed, and the late-summer sunlight spilled onto Tobesk.

Feeling increasingly relaxed, Shard found himself smiling, perhaps because Dacknis' issue had been resolved, or perhaps due to the doctor's honesty.

With both hands on the windowsill, he took a deep breath, inhaling the urban air scented with Tobesk. Cars and horses crowded the streets below; civilization pushed forward just as it had for the past hundred years, with light and shadow both present.

“So, the matter is officially concluded. I have been quite busy lately. But doctor, don't ask me about my connection to demons or why I was tracking the Human Pus. Consider this as my way of repaying you for keeping my secret.”

He suddenly said, and the blue-eyed doctor was taken aback for a moment, his face breaking into a smile:
“No problem, but be careful, Detective.”

Shard nodded, gazing into the distance, taking in the city skyline.

The recently rain-washed metal pipes on the outside of the building reflected the sunlight, and little figures in the windows played out their lives in the Steam Age's urban setting. A mist hovered over the city, and far away, plumes of black smoke rose slowly skyward, ultimately merging into the world or, rather, being devoured by it.

Shard and the doctor faced the sunlight, their backs to the darkness. The interplay of light and shadow at the window devoured the people of darkness, who at this moment watched over this civilization.

The Outlander was fascinated by this scene, and with the breeze and a smile, “her” voice emerged by his ear:
[The Sixth Era, Common Era Calendar 1853, Autumn, Month of Harvest. With the demon-possessed man by the window railing, when you gaze upon this world, the world also gazes upon you. Devour darkness within darkness, call upon entwined forces through the years. You have erased the darkness's cloak, yet you allow darkness at your side. Outlander, the wind of years accompanies your breath, virtuous blood bears witness to your growth, the curtain rises, and the story unfolds slowly. But you, who have witnessed darkness, do you truly understand its essence? You, who devour darkness, are you clear on what awaits you next?]
“Actually, there's no need to mention virtuous blood.”

Shard complained quietly in his mind, shook his head, and then spoke with a smile:
“Doctor.”

“What is it?”

Dr. Schneider turned his head to look at him, and Shard stood leisurely by the window:
“Compared to Ivan Daknis, who would stop at nothing for power, you, you are the real devourer of darkness. I'm glad I witnessed your story, these stories of darkness.”

“No, I hope it's you who devours darkness. You must remember, when I lose control, to put on that ring, and kill me with your own hands. The one wearing the ring will definitely not be possessed by a demon… Also, who is Ivan Daknis?”

Shard smiled without responding, instead reaching to unbutton his shirt collar, wanting to breathe freely, as no one could disturb his good mood now.

He didn't care about devouring darkness; whoever tried to stop him on the Path of Sublimation of the Thirteen Divinities, he would devour them. He also didn't care about brightness and shadow because he himself stood in this place where they intertwined.

Realizing this, and thinking of Luviya, of Mia Cat, and of everyone around him, he felt that he truly needed a holiday.

In his pocket, the [Genesis: Darkness] emitted a faint glow. Suddenly, the doctor standing with him at the window saw a flash of an old, dark gold cloak behind the young detective.

But upon closer inspection, there appeared to be nothing at all.

“An illusion, perhaps?”

The middle-aged doctor shook his head.

A gentle voice reached Shard's ear, and he felt as though someone was embracing him from behind:
[Outlander, you have gained new power.]
(End of this volume)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co

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