CHAPTER 536: MOONLIGHT’S INNER SIDE (PART 2)

Just like some animals eat grass and grow meat, this talent ability is not merely cleansing or refining, but has a complexity hard to analyze.

And it is by relying on this strength that they built this immaculate city on the White Moon.

If the people of the Warlock Association knew, they would probably sell everything to buy a ticket to the moon.

Thinking this way, can I open an Earth-Moon route in the future?

"Let’s proceed to the next topic." The secretary smiled slightly, breaking the momentary silence.

"Ah." Thinking about the future life, I relaxed a bit and nodded in response.

[Unexpected (Extreme Failure)]

1. The queen wants to see you.

2. The crew has lost the desire to leave ♛

3. So, have you ever thought about becoming one of us?

4. What do you think of the Gray Moon?

5.1

6.2

7.3

8.4

9. What do the Earth People think of this only moon?

10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure

D10=d10(2)=2

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

The conversation with the Moon People secretary came to an end, and I walked down the clean and tidy streets of Moon City, heading towards the temporary base at the outskirts of the city that temporarily belonged to us.

The gradually familiar scenery unfolded before my eyes, followed by a sense of dissonance that I couldn’t shake off.

No different from before, the population of Moon City wasn’t large, making the streets appear lonely and desolate.

Despite being such a magnificent city, the streets lack the bustling vitality of the Capital.

But this isn’t something strange.

First, as a type of demon, the fertility rate of the Moon People is much lower than Humankind, so the population density naturally can’t compare to the ground.

Secondly, Moon City is located on the moon, where resources are scarce. Although the Moon People can rely on space channels and some native products on the moon’s surface to sustain life, they ultimately can’t compare to the fertile land.

Surviving in such an environment, it’s normal for personalities to become bland.

I nodded in greeting to a Moon Person passing by and received a barely noticeable nod in return, which prompted me to quicken my pace.

The confusion and curiosity in my heart surged like a spring, the strings in my mind tightening constantly, yet never reaching the limit.

Before the inspiration and answers could erupt, it was as if some devourer swallowed them before reaching the critical point.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks, startled by a realization.

During our stay in Moon City, not just me, but everyone on the ship, none of us ever thought of actively exploring the city. At most, we only operated in areas allowed by the Moon People.

I had merely been waiting for the Moon People to come talk to me, picking up tidbits about their culture from their words, then offering my own intelligence in exchange.

And I never tried to use my own spells to discern anything.

On the surface, our actions seemed fine. Staying obedient in this Moon People city is the safest approach.

——But what a joke, we are sailors!

If we sought to stay obedient and safe, we would never have left the land to embark on adventures into the unknown oceans.

This city has a problem!

It was like a basin of ice water was poured over my head, making me shiver, and I immediately cast several spirit protective spells on myself——used against those singing sirens.

The next moment, I kicked open the station’s door.

The wind brought the message that there were no Moon People inside.

So I yelled out, and a barrier of wind formed behind me, blocking the spread of sound.

"Crew, get up! There’s something wrong here! Get to the ship quickly——"

My voice choked upon seeing the scene before me.

"...Captain, what are you talking about? Isn’t it nice to stay here?"

The crew members, with eyes devoid of luster, didn’t even lift their heads, only responding dully.

"Alright, Captain, we’ll set off right now, to return to the ground! I miss it so much there!"

Then, the Miss Moon who initially led us, turned around with a bright smile.

Her gray hair swayed, and in her moon-white pupils, there was a light that seemed to burn.

As that smile entered my view, the string in my mind finally snapped, bursting forth with the sharpest warning I had ever experienced.

All the clues linked together, and the answer made my face turn ashen.

——Our longing (corruption) has been devoured by this city.

1. Overflow Disaster

2. Hollow Disaster♛

D2=d2(2)=2

[Ancestor LV]

D33+60=d33(3)+60=63

Note: Below 70, you can only escape; above 90, crew members have the ability to resist; above 72 for Fourth Transition, due to Extreme Failure no Ultimate Shift.

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

...The subsequent scenes, like shattered dreams, are fragmented and discontinuous, flashing by quickly.

Like the blurred view through water vapor, or a mirage with bizarre and fantastic colors.

Is it because the wear and tear over the years caused the ancestral memories to be incomplete? Or is it that the ancestor themselves didn’t want to leave such an unbearable memory?

The Hero tries hard to analyze some meaning from the shattered memories but sees only some fragments difficult to interpret correctly.

Then, after a dizzying, chaotic display, the Hero’s perspective finally becomes clear.

[Ancestor’s Escape Action (Past +30, as there is no Fourth Transition, only when escape action is above 60, no aftereffects)]

40- Only oneself escapes,

40+ Takes away a few crew members♛

50+ Takes away most of the crew

60+ Persuades a few Moon People to flee

All escape

D33+30=d33(15)+30=45

→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←

The first thing that catches the eye is a young and beautiful girl, yet her face is tired, unable to hide her weariness.

She is sitting in front of the dressing mirror, gazing serenely at herself in the mirror.

Her Emerald Eye and dark hair present a visage somewhat familiar to the Hero—as if gazing at their own reflection.

The Hero observes the items on the dressing table and the room reflected in the mirror.

Despite the years gone by, the setting remains somewhat familiar, making her realize that this is no longer the Moon City’s guesthouse but the mansion in the village – her grandfather’s and her home.

——The ancestor successfully left the moon and returned to the earth.

Although knowing since there is a descendant that the ancestor must have been safe, the Hero still felt a pang of anxiety earlier but now breathed a sigh of relief, awaiting the ancestor’s actions.

Gazing at the weary reflection for a long time, as if trying to find the former self on the still young but no longer spirited face, the Ancestor slowly sighed and then softly muttered.

"Let me introduce myself first.

"I was once hailed as the Mage Association’s shining star, breaking through to Legendary before the age of sixteen, then leading companions to sail the seas, not only expanding the Kingdom’s sea map but also befriending Sirens, gaining immense wealth..."

Recalling the past, a smile appears on her face, carrying a hint of warmth.

"At that time, I firmly believed that whether on maritime paths or magical ways, I could reach places unknown to predecessors, scaling new heights—and indeed, I achieved that, reaching mysterious lands where no one from the Kingdom had gone.

"But that was my limit, and also where my downfall began."

Her smile quickly fades, becoming sad and melancholic.

"Since you’ve seen this far, you probably understand or guess what I experienced there—"(Moon Language)

Suddenly, she effortlessly switches her language to Moon Language, her eyes slightly lifted, with a gaze becoming sharp like a seafarer unafraid of stormy nights.

"Had my descendant broken through to the Palace, completely deciphering the imprint I left? Or, in the end, couldn’t protect the secret, scattered by the Knowledge Hunter after disassembling it?

"Surely not a talented Magician, my money went to relief payments then bought a small territory and Noble Title, family wealth was almost exhausted, where’s the money to raise a Magician? Could it be you are a spendthrift—sorry, went off track."

The Ancestor clears her throat lightly, straightening up.

"In any case, you should know, I once borrowed an ancient Array in the Siren territory, went to the White Moon, and discovered the White City on the moon, and the Moon People on it had already reached the brink of madness—"

[Opportunity to Escape (influencing Forbidden Curse’s origin)]

1. Twin Moons War

2. Grey Moon Invasion

3. White Moon Plunder

4. Moon People Infighting

5. Sacrifice Assistance♛

6. Civil War Visionary

7. Stealth Attack along the way

8. Feel the pain! (?)

9. Aid from Grey Moon

10. Great Success/Extreme Failure

D10=d10(5)=5