MTLNOVEL Chapter 322: Inner Self (1)
Dusk Soil Moon’s power was often understood as ‘absolute protection.’ However, that was merely one of the most prominent abilities of the Twelve Divine Moons and did not encompass everything about them.
Their personalities and attributes, the things they love and hate, their dreams and hopes—the Twelve Divine Moons were beings who, like humans, lived with emotions and souls. Yet, no one ever considered this.
The reason was simple.
The Twelve Divine Moons had existed for so long that they were regarded as the most powerful and transcendent beings in existence. To associate them with something as human as emotions seemed unthinkable.
"... I’m not sure if I should really use this.”
Dusk Soil Moon muttered as he stood in the center of a massive altar, larger than an Olympic stadium.
He hesitated while standing on the glowing magic circle, and Baek Yu-Seol pondered briefly.
‘Well… Should he use it?’
He wasn’t entirely certain either. The Root of Life had been casually discarded and left behind by the Witch Queen.
But one thing he knew for sure. No one understood the purpose of this artifact. Even in the game, when players met Soft Green Spring Moon, the supposed owner of the artifact, she herself had no idea how to use it.Its true purpose wasn’t revealed until the player holding the Root of Life encountered Dusk Soil Moon by chance and successfully used it as an affinity item.
"It’s fine.”
The reasons behind its usage didn’t matter much to him. Even if the artifact had some other hidden purpose, he was certain of his decision.
Dusk Soil Moon was a cursed being, born into a body that had already died. He was fated never to create or even touch life. Though he existed, he couldn’t truly be considered alive. His only destiny was to watch the birth of life from afar.
‘Look at that radiant life.’
Dusk Soil Moon‘s determination burned as brightly as the artifact itself.
How beautiful and enchanting it is.
Despite living only 100 to 200 years at most, humans tirelessly used their fleeting life force to shape the world around them.
While the Twelve Divine Moons, with their boundless lifespans, quietly lingered on the far edges of the world, humans had left their indelible marks across the entire Aether Continent.
A thousand years of history and legends.
Peace and love, war and hatred.
Advancing science and dazzling civilizations.
The breathtaking achievements born of mortal life.
Dusk Soil Moon, buried in the desolate soil of a barren land where no flowers could bloom, had endured a thousand years, yearning for the radiance of their souls.
As the moon representing the second month of the year among the Twelve Divine Moons, emerging at the end of winter, he had earned the right to summon flowers from the cold, lifeless soil.
The ‘divine artifact of Soft Green Spring Moon’ was the perfect gift for Dusk Soil Moon.
"…Let’s begin."
"Yes."
As Baek Yu-Seol took a step back, Dusk Soil Moon firmly planted the Root of Life into the ground.
Fwoosh!
A wave of green light burst and Baek Yu-Seol’s hair wildly fluttered in the wind.
Grimacing, he bent forward, struggling to steady himself.
The wave of life force was far stronger than he had anticipated.
‘This… is dangerous.’
Without any mana in his body to protect him, Baek Yu-Seol was at risk of being overwhelmed and poisoned by the sheer density of mana emanating from the artifact.
Whether Dusk Soil Moon noticed his plight or not, he pressed on, pushing the Root of Life deeper into the ground to fully activate its power.
‘W-wait a second…!’
As Baek Yu-Seol mustered all his strength to shout, it was already too late.
Silence.
For a moment, it felt as though all sound had been swallowed by the void, replaced by an eerie stillness. Then, an enormous wave loomed in front of Baek Yu-Seol.
It towered higher than the 63 Building, a colossal surge of vibrant green life mana. The overwhelming density of life force roared and surged, taking the form of an unstoppable tidal wave.
If that wave hit him, there was no way he would escape unharmed. He wasn’t sure if being intoxicated by life mana would kill him or not—nothing was known about such phenomena. But one thing was certain: he would not come out unscathed.
[The aura of Soft Green Spring Moon seeps into your body!]
“Ah… Ugh…”
The wave swept him away. Baek Yu-Seol could no longer hold on and collapsed as the storm of mana overwhelmed him. Darkness began to consume his consciousness.
His final thoughts were a chaotic blur…
The last thing Baek Yu-Seol saw was…
[The blessing of Blue Winter Moon…!]
[Pink Spring Moon…!]
[Silver Autumn Moon…!]
Silver, pink, and blue lights shimmered brilliantly, wrapping around his body like a protective cocoon.
———
Meanwhile, the underground bunker of the Astral Flower wasn’t built like a ordinary earthbound shelter. Befitting a high-tier magical institution, the bunker was protected by an intricate magical barrier, allowing only those who were granted access to enter.
“Arghhh!”
Flame burst through the glowing green barrier, followed by a stream of students. Their numbers swelled to over a hundred.
They had all followed Flame, a single student, into the safety of the bunker.
“Hah… Hah…”
Flame slumped against a pillar, her breath ragged. Beside her, a silver-haired girl collapsed to the ground.
Though clearly having less stamina than Flame, the girl made every effort to mask her exhaustion, maintaining an air of composure. Her dignified act amidst such obvious fatigue made Flame chuckle despite her own weariness.
“Ha, hey. Princess.”
While the other students sprawled on the floor, completely drained and relaxed however they could, Hong Bi-Yeon sat rigidly with her legs folded. Tossing her hair back, she turned her head toward Flame.
She didn’t respond. Whatever image she was trying to uphold, Flame could tell she was simply too tired to speak, which only made the sight more amusing.
"Why don’t you just lie down on the floor too?"
Hong Bi-Yeon didn’t bother answering. Instead, she sharply turned her head away, pointedly ignoring the comment.
"Funny.”
Flame chuckled softly, then shifted her gaze to the scene outside the barrier.
Dozens of wraiths swarmed the perimeter, relentlessly pounding against the magical shield. Their grotesque, shadowy forms writhed and twisted, making them horrifying to behold. The fact that they had managed to break through those creatures and make it here felt nothing short of miraculous.
"Hah, your crazy stunt almost got us killed. But you’re grateful, right? I saved you from dying quietly in some desolate place."
Once again, there was no response.
Not that she’d been expecting one. Flame just felt an odd compulsion to keep talking. She was about to drop the subject when—
"... Yeah, thanks."
"Uh, what?"
Hong Bi-Yeon actually replied.
"What did you say? I think I misheard. Say it again, I want to hear it once more."
"Shut up. You’re so noisy."
Hong Bi-Yeon wiped her face with a handkerchief, then neatly tied her hair back before moving to another spot, clearly done with the conversation.
"Huh…"
Flame smirked. She easily guessed the reason for her sudden relocation.
"She’s running away because she’s embarrassed, huh?"
She laughed quietly and turned her attention to the other side of the room. Unlike the composed Hong Bi-Yeon, Eisel lay sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily. Her damp, sky-blue hair clung to her face, shimmering faintly like winter snowflakes.
"Hey."
"Nngh…"
"Your belly button’s showing."
Eisel didn’t even flinch at the comment, clearly too drained to care.
Boom! Bang!
With a sigh, Flame reached over and tugged Eisel’s shirt down to cover her stomach. Just as she did, a loud commotion erupted outside the barrier. Massive tree trunks fell from the sky, and bursts of radiant green light rained down as beams of elven magic pierced through the darkness.
"The professors are here."
"We’re saved…!"
"Oh my god… I really thought I was gonna die…"
As they fled to this sanctuary, elves and humans fought side by side, breaking through enemy lines without hesitation or discrimination. Flame had rescued every student in danger, whether they were an isolated elf or a human.
By the end, elf students were helping humans they found first, and vice versa.
Just yesterday, they had drawn clear lines of separation, sitting apart as if divided by invisible barriers. But now, they were completely mixed, lying together in utter exhaustion.
Some elves and humans leaned against each other, arms draped over shoulders, while others sat back-to-back, fast asleep.
‘I guess it’s a relief that it all ended with a happy ending…’
Then, a chilling sensation crept over Flame.
‘Happy ending…?’
Who decided that?
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how little she understood about the current situation.
Why had the giant wraiths appeared in the first place? Could they even be defeated? No matter how many fell, more seemed to rise endlessly.
Boom…!
The ground trembled violently, and Flame frowned.
‘Something’s wrong.’
The vibrations were stronger now, their rhythm growing closer and closer. It felt like the epicenter of an earthquake was heading straight toward them.
"No way...!"
"Uh, Flame…?"
Springing to her feet, Flame dashed out of the barrier, timing her escape perfectly with the professors’ spells as they knocked down the surrounding wraiths.
"Student! It’s dangerous outside! Get back inside immediately!"
A professor shouted after her, but Flame ignored the warning, sprinting toward the upper levels of the structure.
On her way, a surviving wraith swung its massive arm at her, but an icy spike shot out of nowhere, piercing its chest.
Glancing back, she saw Eisel following her with her staff extended.
"Eisel! Summon an ice pillar on the school’s rooftop! Make it as high as possible!"
"W-What? Right now?"
Eisel’s face turned pale, but hesitation wasn’t an option.
“Hurry!”
“Y-Yes!”
With trembling hands, Eisel waved her staff and the embedded blue crystal glowed brightly. She swiftly drew a magic circle, and as the spell activated, a massive ice pillar began to rise from the rooftop of the Astral Flower Magic Academy.
Flame seized the momentum from the glowing pillar, leaping effortlessly to the top. Once there, she wrapped sturdy vines tightly around the ice to stabilize it, ensuring it wouldn’t collapse under its own weight.
The pillar grew higher and higher, cutting through the air until it finally stopped. Standing at its peak, Flame’s breath hitched as her eyes widened at the sight before her.
“… Ah.”
It was a giant, a colossal brown silhouette.
Its head pierced through the clouds, and its massive body stretched wide enough to dominate half the horizon.
“This… This can’t be real…”
The realization hit her like a blow, leaving her speechless. Her staff slipped from her grasp, clattering against the ice.
“W-What is that thing?!”
“A giant… it’s a giant!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Panic spread like wildfire as professors and students below caught sight of the monstrous being. Terrified screams filled the air.
Boom! Thoom!
Each step of the giant shook the earth violently, its movements slow but unstoppable. The ground shook with each step, and everyone knew what would happen if it reached the ‘World Tree’.
Even without a vivid imagination, everyone could foresee the outcome.
“We’re… We’re going to die…”
Some dropped to their knees, others screamed and ran beyond the barrier, and the more faint-hearted students crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Flame closed her eyes.
There was no resisting a being that surpassed the bounds of human imagination.
And yet, why didn’t she feel like she was about to die? Even as despair itself approached them on two legs, why did an inexplicable sense of hope stir within her?
She already knew the answer.
“H-Huh?”
“What’s happening…?”
“The giant is…!”
Hearing the commotion below, Flame opened her eyes.
The massive brown giant, which had been reaching out toward the ‘World Tree,’ suddenly froze, as if it were a wind-up toy that had run out of power.
Frozen in place, the towering giant stood motionless, and Flame could only let out a breathless laugh.
“Seriously, what kind of trouble have you been causing this time? Scaring people out of their minds…”
This time, Flame swore she’d get a proper explanation. No matter what.
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Goal: 20 Bonus Chapters to Celebrate 300 Chapters of Flashing Genius!
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