Ch. 368 - Absence (3)

After her brief encounter with Flame, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon used the divine artifact given to her by Fawn Prevernal Moon to move into another dimension, isolated from reality.

It was one of her favorite places.

The sky stretched endlessly above, awash in shades of deep violet, speckled with countless stars that shimmered like fragments of dreams. Simply gazing upon it made time feel meaningless, as if the world beyond this realm had ceased to exist.

At the heart of this strange domain stood a massive, circular table suspended in midair. Chairs floated weightlessly around it, defying gravity and making it impossible for ordinary beings to approach.

Even mages, skilled in flight or gravity manipulation, would find themselves helpless here, unable to steady their bodies against the currents of unseen forces.

Only the Twelve Divine Moons, who possessed godlike powers, could move freely in this space.  

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon moved gracefully toward the floating table but halted suddenly, tilting her head in contemplation.

"Hmm..."  

The table wasn’t the only thing that lingered in this mysterious void. Floating alongside it were countless fragments of material which drifted in the void.  

Crumbling statues, shattered towers, and half-submerged castles hung in the air like ghosts of a forgotten era. Though worn and rusted, their grandeur remained undeniable.

There were even traces of fountains, long dried but eerily intact, as if frozen in time.

It resembled the remnants of a city… one that had fallen into ruin and now drifted endlessly through this hollow dimension.

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon had no idea where this city came from.  

Had there ever been a civilization so magnificent, only to collapse and be cast away like this, lost to the annals of Aether Continent’s thousand-year history?

Or… was it possible that this city had been born here, within this enigmatic space, and had never truly existed anywhere else?

‘No. That can’t be.’

How could a city be built in a place where not even earth or stone existed naturally?

Unless there was magic powerful enough to create matter itself, such a thing should have been impossible.

If Pale Yellow Autumn Moon had access to such creation magic, she would have used it for something far more meaningful than wasting it here.  

Yet, despite the countless mysteries surrounding this place, it wasn’t the ruins themselves that captured her attention.

What caught her attention was something located at the top of what looked like an ancient, ruined palace.

Its wings stretched outward, vast and menacing, resembling those of a demon.

Four pairs of horns jutted out from its forehead, and its elongated, reptilian maw hung open, frozen mid-roar as though it might come alive at any moment.

‘A dragon.’

A creature of legend. A being spoken of only in myths and ancient tales.

Not even the Twelve Divine Moons had ever seen or heard of one. Until now. 

However, it wasn’t a real, living dragon.  

Despite its lifelike form, so vivid that Pale Yellow Autumn Moon almost expected it to stir, it was nothing more than stone.

‘A dragon, huh…’ 

Had dragons ever truly existed in this world?  

Legends spoke of dragons… grand, mythical beings immortalized in the oldest of records. Yet most dismissed such tales as exaggerations or misunderstandings, attributing the descriptions to lesser beasts mistaken for creatures of fantasy.

‘As if dragons could actually exist in this world…’

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon tore her gaze away from the statue.

Despite the haunting beauty of the ruins, the dragon’s stony form unsettled her. Its lifelike presence gnawed at her thoughts, stirring an unease she couldn’t quite place.

Pushing the feeling aside, she lowered herself into one of the floating chairs and waited.

Before long, Fawn Prevernal Moon appeared… arriving as though he had anticipated her presence.

He stood with arms crossed, eyes closed, and an expression so perpetually irritable that it almost seemed carved into his features. Pale Yellow Autumn Moon couldn’t help but smirk.

"Were you waiting for me?"  

"Yes."  

"Oh my, what’s the occasion?"  

"Something happened while you were gone."  

"Huh? Something happened? What do you mean?"  

Fawn Prevernal Moon fixed his calm yet piercing gaze on her.  

Even without words, his restrained fury radiated outward, making Pale Yellow Autumn Moon stiffen.

‘What’s with this atmosphere…?’

For someone as composed as Fawn Prevernal Moon to show such rahe, even Pale Yellow Autumn Moon couldn’t help but tread cautiously.  

However, moments later, Fawn Prevernal Moon calmed himself with surprising speed, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.  

"Scarlet Summer Moon was attacked."  

"Attacked? By who—"  

“Baek Yu-Seol.”

“What?! That’s impossible!”

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon’s jaw dropped in disbelief.  

A Twelve Divine Moon - one of their own - defeated by a mere human?  

"By a human... Of all things...?" 

"Hah... Don’t make me repeat myself, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon. I already told you—stop looking down on Baek Yu-Seol and calling him ‘just a human.’"  

“B-but it doesn’t make any sense! Whether I look down on him or not, there’s no way a human could overpower one of us—”

"Pale Yellow Autumn Moon."  

His voice dropped, low and cutting.

"Even the Progenitor Mage who created us was a human. They are a species of limitless potential."  

"That was... An exceptional case. There’ll never be another mage like that in this world..."  

"Never? And who decided that?"  

Fawn Prevernal Moon’s voice grew rougher.  

Already frustrated by the loss of Scarlet Summer Moon, he was further irritated by Pale Yellow Autumn Moon’s inability to let go of her arrogance—just like Scarlet Summer Moon.  

"Listen carefully, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon."  

"W-what...?"  

"Do you know why you get to call yourself a ‘great being’? It’s all because of humans. Without their existence, you are nothing. You’d just be the most pathetic piece of trash among us."  

"That’s..."  

She wanted to protest, to tell him his words were cruel and unfair. Yet, faced with Fawn Prevernal Moon’s unyielding gaze, she swallowed her pride and held her tongue.

"Humans—and the countless intelligent beings across this continent—are precious because they move the world’s story forward. Not a single life among them is meaningless. But what about us? What are we?"  

"We’re important too... Right?"  

"No. You’re wrong."  

Fawn Prevernal Moon shook his head.  

"You and I— we don’t contribute anything to the story this world desires."  

"Story...? What are you even talking about, Fawn Prevernal Moon? I don’t understand any of this."  

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. Just do as I say."  

Even though Fawn Prevernal Moon and Pale Yellow Autumn Moon were both Twelve Divine Moons, technically equals, there was no formal hierarchy among them.  

And yet, Fawn Prevernal Moon’s overwhelming strength had long established an unspoken order. He carried himself as their leader… unyielding, commanding, and impossible to defy.

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon despised it.

Yet, for now, she had no choice but to endure it.

Her ambitions far exceeded her current strength. And if she dared to challenge him now, there was no telling what this lunatic might do.

— Oh, great eye.

Pale Yellow Autumn Moon stiffened, her sharp, cat-like eyes narrowing as she shot a glare at Fawn Prevernal Moon.

Casually, she began nibbling at her fingernails, though her mind was already elsewhere.

Just then, a voice echoed in her ears.  

It was one of the few individuals whose mind she controlled. The Guardian of the North, Grand Duke Selphram.  

‘What is it?’  

- Oh, O Great Eyes.  

Selphram’s voice trembled with reverence, his tone soaked in the kind of awe reserved for deities.

To him, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon wasn’t merely a superior being. She was divine.

Her mental domination wasn’t perfect. Completely controlling the minds of powerful humans was nearly impossible.  

While she could plant suggestions and stir their instincts with ease, deeper manipulation demanded intricate, near-flawless techniques.

To counter this, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon had started brainwashing Selphram from an early age.  

She even planned ahead for the day when his power might grow strong enough to break free from her influence. To ensure her control, she intentionally revealed herself to him, posing as a goddess figure.  

The deception had proven remarkably effective.

Unlike standard mental domination, which could quickly unravel once the target surpassed Class 7 magic, reinforcing their belief with religious devotion created a deeper, faith-based bond that was much harder to break.  

"Hoho."  

Slipping into her carefully crafted role, she straightened her posture and cleared her throat. She could not afford to sound casual.

Her voice, carried through telepathic whispers, resonated with divine authority.

‘Speak your purpose, my faithful servant.’  

Though she found the overly dramatic line cringe-worthy and embarrassing, Selphram seemed delighted by it.  

Through the telepathic link, she could almost feel him bowing deeply as he responded.

— O Great Eyes, a troubling matter has arisen, and I humbly seek your divine guidance.

‘Hmm... If even the Ruler and Guardian of the North, Grand Duke Selphram, is concerned, then it must indeed be a grave matter.’  

— Indeed, it is as you say. The northernmost regions of the Arctic Iceberg Mountains are known to be desolate and uninhabitable… home only to the most vicious monsters.

Selphram paused briefly before continuing. 

— Yet, at approximately 4 a.m. yesterday, a group clad in black robes was spotted in the northern expanse. They moved at supersonic speeds, leaping over mountain peaks as if gravity held no sway over them.

‘Black robes...?’  

— Yes. Though the distance was too great for a clear view, their forms were unmistakably humanoid.

But humans can’t move faster than sound.  

There was no magic capable of enhancing the body to such extremes.  

Then...  

‘They must be Dark Mages.’  

— That seems likely.  

‘Even so, it doesn’t add up. What would Dark Mages be doing in the northern regions?’  

Even for humans, the northernmost polar regions of the mountain were barren and inhospitable. The area was so dangerous that it had been designated a forbidden zone, preventing even adventurers from setting foot there.  

And yet, Dark Mages—who thrived by feeding on negative emotions and human hearts—had appeared in a place devoid of humans?  

The northern region was filled with muscle-bound brutes who spent their days yelling and training, a far cry from the despair and negativity Dark Mages needed to survive.  

It made no sense.  

For centuries, the northern lands had been anathema to Dark Mages. They avoided it as if the land itself rejected their presence.

‘Why are those disgusting cockroaches suddenly acting up now?’  

— Pardon?  

‘Ahem, never mind. You must have misheard me.’ 

Cutting the connection, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon let out a sharp breath. Her fingers tapped impatiently against the armrest of her floating chair.

"Hah... I’m leaving now. Something urgent just came up."  

As she stood up to leave, Fawn Prevernal Moon called out to her.  

"Pale Yellow Autumn Moon."  

"... What?"  

"Don’t do anything foolish."  

"I... won’t."  

"Remember this… Everything you do is meaningless."  

With those final words, Fawn Prevernal Moon disappeared as silently as he had arrived.  

"Arrogant bastard... Does he think he’s better than everyone else? He’s just lucky the Progenitor Mage blessed him with a powerful ability. If I had his spatial magic instead..."  

Clenching her fists and trembling with frustration, Pale Yellow Autumn Moon turned toward the portal that Fawn Prevernal Moon had created.  

‘Fine. This works out perfectly. I’ll tear those dark mages pests in the north apart and relieve some stress.’  

Humming softly to herself, she activated her warp spell and vanished into the portal, completely unaware of what awaited her in the frozen wastelands of the north.

***

A massive red pillar connecting the sky and earth loomed before Baek Yu-Seol, who let out a brief exclamation of awe.  

"Is that... Scarlet Summer Moon’s will?"  

— Yes. It’s his soul, his will, or perhaps his conviction. HHe may have seemed like a brute, but as one of the Twelve Divine Moons, even he had ambitions. Perhaps more than we gave him credit for.

This place was the mental world of Hong Bi-Yeon.  

He had stayed here, watching over her as she struggled to inherit Scarlet Summer Moon’s formidable power.

"Can she really handle flames that massive?"  

— She has to. If she can’t, she’ll die.  

— Did I sound too harsh? Well, as you can see, she’s doing pretty well so far.  

As Silver Autumn Moon spoke, Hong Bi-Yeon stood unwavering, enduring the flames with a calm expression.  

Even Baek Yu-Seol, who was standing far away out of fear of being scorched, could feel the intense heat radiating from the flames.  

It was impossible to imagine what kind of mindset allowed her to withstand such agony.  

— What’s the big deal? You’ve been burned by fire before, haven’t you? 

Silver Autumn Moon, who knew that Baek Yu-Seol had experienced countless deaths through thousands of regressions, spoke casually. However, Baek Yu-Seol was left bewildered.  

"Well... I guess that's true?"  

He recalled a time in his childhood when he accidentally burned his finger while playing with a lighter.  

It had been so hot and painful that he jumped in surprise. Even now, the memory made him wince.  

— As I mentioned earlier, it’s impossible to absorb all those flames at once. Most of the power Hong Bi-Yeon receives will temporarily be stored within you. Then, you’ll gradually return it to her as she processes and absorbs the flames over time.  

"Wait, I’m supposed to absorb all of it?"  

— Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, you can’t handle it alone. We, who granted you our blessings, will divide the flames among ourselves for safekeeping."  

"Ah, so it’s kind of like an external hard drive?"  

–- ...?  

"I meant like an External Cast Load Staff. I mixed up my words."  

–- You mean the kind of staff that stores spells in advance? I didn’t expect you to mix up words like that."  

"Yeah. Something ike that."  

Several hours passed as Baek Yu-Seol and Silver Autumn Moon continued conversing while keeping an eye on Hong Bi-Yeon.  

Baek Yu-Seol paced nervously, his gaze fixed on Hong Bi-Yeon as she stood unwavering at the heart of the roaring flames. Sweat beaded on his forehead. No matter how resilient she appeared, he couldn’t shake the gnawing fear in his chest.

Then, without warning, the flames vanished.

Panic surged through him. Unable to hold back any longer, Baek Yu-Seol bolted forward.

—  Reckless fool.

True to his words, before Baek Yu-Seol could even reach her, Hong Bi-Yeon’s mental world began to collapse.  

But it wasn’t because something catastrophic had happened to Hong Bi-Yeon.  

If that had been the case, the mental world would have started showing cracks and begun the process of disintegration.

Just like blackout curtains being drawn, Hong Bi-Yeon’s mental world began to vanish.  

This could only mean one thing—she had successfully absorbed all of Scarlet Summer Moon’s power, but in the process, had completely lost consciousness.  

"Huh? W-wait!"  

Feeling himself being forcefully ejected from the mental world, Baek Yu-Seol lost his balance and was flung outward.  

"Ugh!"  

When he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar physician staring at him in shock.  

"B-Baek Yu-Seol! Are you alright?"  

"Huh...? What...?"  

"You suddenly insisted on entering Her Highness’s mental world, and then collapsed unconscious!"  

"Ah..."  

Realizing what had happened, Baek Yu-Seol quickly scanned his surroundings.  

Two troll corpses lay nearby.  

Knights were stationed near the carriage and along the cliffs, carefully monitoring the area. Doctors and nurses moved busily around them.  

When Baek Yu-Seol tried to stand up, the doctors rushed over to stop him.  

"Your leg is completely shattered! If it were an ordinary person, they’d be crippled for life! Please don’t move!"  

"This kind of injury? I’ll fix it in no time."  

Ignoring their protests, Baek Yu-Seol brushed them off and hobbled toward Hong Bi-Yeon, leaning heavily against the carriage for support.

"Haah..."  

Hong Bi-Yeon lay there, her lips slightly parted as she exhaled hot air.  

Sweat streamed down her forehead, and her body radiated intense heat.  

When Baek Yu-Seol touched her forehead, it burned like fire, but according to Silver Autumn Moon, this was actually a good sign. 

The fact that Hong Bi-Yeon was able to successfully absorb even a small portion of Scarlet Summer Moon’s flames was proof of her progress.  

"Hooh..."  

Baek Yu-Seol finally let out a sigh of relief.  

Leaning against the carriage, he closed his eyes.  

Physically and mentally exhausted from everything he had endured in such a short time, a wave of fatigue swept over him.  

And yet, despite his exhaustion, Baek Yu-Seol forced his bloodshot eyes open, unwilling to look away from Hong Bi-Yeon, who was still lying there.  

Seeing this, Silver Autumn Moon and Blue Winter Moon finally spoke up.  

— Close your eyes and get some rest.  

— We’ll keep watch over her.  

Hearing these trustworthy voices, Baek Yu-Seol finally allowed himself to relax and shut his eyes.  

Even so, the Twelve Divine Moons couldn’t help but click their tongues. They were impressed by his unyielding determination. 

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