Rakna sat cross-legged on top of the city's wall whilst meditating. Claudius was nervously standing next to him, admiring the vast amounts of lunar energy that flowed into the werewolf's tails.
'Is this the power of the Nine-Tailed Sentinel?' He thought to himself. 'The magnitude of energy he's assimilating cannot even be compared to what we Moon Descendants can handle…'
Meanwhile, Rakna furrowed his eyebrows as he felt the lunar energy have effects on his mind and was forced to slow down. 'I see… even if there isn't technically a full moon, I can potentially force myself into a berserk state by overloading myself... Though it might be short-lived and not strengthen me anywhere near what happened last time.'
Ding!
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❮ ◈ ❯
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Werewolf's Moon Shine has broken through Exceled!
Your race resonates with the skill…
You have gained the Max Exceled Skill; Moon Shine of the Nine Moons!
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- Moon Shine of the Nine Moons (Lv. Ex ⋆⋆⋆): By absorbing the lunar energy permeating the world, it is possible to wield its boundless power. This is a spell that can only normally be learned by lunar magic users but as a werewolf, this skill becomes a racial skill.
The effects vary according to the phase of the moon. They will also increase depending on how many moons the user's current surroundings possess, with a maximum of nine in total:
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Full Moon – All attributes +15%, -50% to All Cooldowns, +200% MP & Regen.
Waxing/Waning Gibbous – All attributes +10%, -30% to All Cooldowns, +150% MP & Regen.
First/Third Quarter – All attributes +7%, -20% to All Cooldowns, +100% MP & Regen.
Waxing/Waning Crescent – All attributes +5%, -10% to All Cooldowns, +50% MP & Regen.
New Moon – All attributes +2%, -5% to All Cooldowns, +25% MP & Regen.
(Moon Count Multiplicator may range between x1.2 and x1.9)
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This skill has evolved to be able to take away Lunar Energy from the air to be controlled by the user at will. If they so desire, the Lunar Energy can become a substitute to mana, they can also be directly used to accelerate healing, or used directly in its raw form to attack.
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Note: The increases given by the phases of the moon cannot be induced with pure lunar energy and must be triggered by standing on a land orbited by one or more moons.
Additional Note: This is a skill comparable to Nirvana Skills but due to its unique requirements and situational uses, it will be classified as an Exceled Skill.
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'As I thought… the effects of the moon cycle on me are conceptual in nature,' Rakna thought. 'It's not just because I'm on the moon itself that the attribute, cooldown, or regen boosts will take effect.'
[You are correct,] Ceres said and Rakna could almost imagine her human appearance nodding at him. [I have told you this in the past, but the idea of a night of full moon is abstract. It is like a spell cast by the world itself when the conditions are fulfilled. Since you are not in a position to witness an actual full moon, one of those conditions cannot be satisfied.]
Rakna nodded faintly. 'Yes, I understand that… However, I'm quite curious about that new detail; if I find myself in a place with nine moons, the skill will get stronger. I guess that falls in line with the name but I can't help but feel there is something more about it… I don't believe it has anything to do with this Simulation in particular… So, what…'
As he was brooding that idea, a new notification startled him.
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❮◈❯ You have gotten closer to your Soul Marble! ❮◈❯
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His eyes widened. 'Now that's a message I haven't seen in a while. Does it mean the nine moons have a relation to it? Nine moons… where could that-?!' He stopped himself and despite himself, let out a few chuckles that made Claudius jump up. 'I understand now. I know where those nine moons are.'
"{Eh?}" Fray exclaimed in confusion. "{What do you mean, have I missed something?}"
Rakna snorted. 'You might be smart, Fray, but you seriously lack observational skills.'
"{Well… I never really was that good at it, in all honesty. It does that to you when you spend most of your time only focusing on books,}" the storyteller replied, surprisingly unoffended.
'Well, all I can tell you is that I'm suddenly a lot more eager to unlock this Soul Marble,' he responded and put a hand on his knee before standing up. He looked toward the half-devastated Red Forest in the distance, which the demons had used earlier as a cover to retreat.
"They're here," he said to Claudius, who promptly followed his line of sight.
The young king soon spotted a group of three demons walk out of the trees' cover, along with a large wolf veiled in shadows. He squinted his eyes in seriousness and jumped down from the wall, landing in front of the city gate.
"Keep a safe distance and don't do anything rash," he ordered the guards behind him and they nodded. Rakna crossed his arms and watched as the demons came closer. He briefly made eye contact with Lilith who was leading them and smiled internally.
'It seems I haven't made a wrong decision. No scent of dishonesty on her. I can also sense some form of trust, though faint. As for the two others… rather bitter by the looks of things, but they harbor trust directed at her. So, they're following along by association, huh? Good enough,' Rakna thought and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the wall and found himself standing next to Claudius.
"I have returned, Your Majesty," the Shadow Wolf suddenly spoke and the Moon Dwellers were jolted out of the tension bearing on them. Everyone nervously watched as the wolf split off from the demons' side and made his way to the Sentinel's shadow before merging with it.
"…scary bastard," Norio grumbled under his breath, and Ramil, the living armor, could only agree with the sentiment. That wolf wasn't too strong from their standards, but it was at least as strong as a veteran soldier from their army. And they knew that the werewolf could summon many more without trouble since he had summoned dozens, if not hundreds, during their skirmish.
"Sentinel," Lilith raised her voice, catching everyone's attention. "I've come as you asked. Would you mind revealing your motive now?" She inquired.
"Well, Lilith Yamul, don't you already have an idea of that?"
The demoness pursed her lips, silently complaining about the werewolf's casual attitude. Every time he addressed her, he did so with her full name as well. 'For some reason, it's as if he's joking around and remaining serious at the same time. What a frustrating person…' She said to herself.
Rakna seemed to get an idea of what she was thinking and the corner of his lips curled a bit. "Don't worry, I'm not making fun of you. In any case…" He smiled. "Why don't you let the son of the king you killed explain in my stead?" He uttered and leaned against the fortification wall.
Meanwhile, Claudius and Lilith froze at his words. The two of them crossed sight and the tension in the air multiplied. 'Intentionally mentioning his father…' Lilith narrowed her eyes. 'What is he playing at? Is this a way to demonstrate that they are being sincere?'
Claudius exhaled deeply, unclenching his fists. "I am willing…" He grunted out. "To forgive your crimes today if your side agrees to not harm my Lunar Kingdom further. We will not oppose the resurrection of the Gods, assist you even, and in exchange, the demons must not attack any of our cities."
Norio raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you're willing to cut ties with the Moon God?"
"If the Moon God chooses to continue fighting upon his return, the Moon Dwellers will not involve themselves. However, if an agreement, a peace treaty, or even payment can be made with the Earth God, we will follow through as long as it's reasonable."
"Hah," the demon mage scoffed. "So, you wanna make buddies now, eh? Aren't we the super bad guys though?" He said sarcastically. "What makes you think we'll accept?"
"Because you'd die otherwise?" Claudius tilted his head impishly as he pointed at the Sentinel.
"…"
"He's got a point there," Ramil commented and Norio face-faulted.
"Oi, stupid tin can! Don't encourage the enemy!"
"As Ramil said," Lilith interrupted her comrade's tantrum with a wave of her hand. "The Sentinel can kill us. He can easily defeat our forces as well. What would be the point of a cease-fire?"
"Well, let me answer that with another question," Rakna chimed in. "What did you do in the past half an hour or so after I let you go?"
The demoness scowled. "I recovered and ordered my men to standby. What else?"
"Oh, really?" He said with an amused voice and her frown deepened. "Then that means you have yet to send the green signal for the Earth to invade the Kingdom's other cities, right?"
Lilith's eyes widened instantly. "How do you--!"
"Don't give me that shocked look. There is no reason for the demons to only send an army of your size to take the capital. Despite your strength and command, Earth could have dispatched far more units to assure your success. They have the resources for it. But that's only if you didn't know what you were diving into. You had everything you needed from the traitors on our side, right?"
The demoness trembled at the mention of the insiders.
"And yes, I already know. I dealt with them a bit earlier," Rakna added. "Anyhow, you had all the intel you possibly needed. Which means, your side had all the cards in their hands. That's why you knew precisely how much force would be required to take over the city. But despite that, even if the Lunar Kingdom isn't as strong as it once was, it doesn't make sense to hold back. Anyone with a sensible mind would purposefully overshoot in order to deal with unforeseen circumstances."
"Let me guess; something like you?" Norio threw out a snide comment.
"Exactly," Rakna snorted. "You know where I'm going with this, right? The reason you held back was that you had other uses for the rest of your forces. It doesn't take a genius to find out what could qualify as secondary targets."
"So, that's it?" Lilith muttered in realization. "That's what you want from me; that I order the other teams not to attack. Sorry to disappoint you, but there's no guarantee they will listen to me. If the Demon King decides to continue the plan, he will."
"The Demon King, huh?" Rakna huffed and looked at Norio. "You, mage, explain how you were going to use the Shrine to resurrect your God."
"Huh?! Why should I tell you?!"
Rakna gave him a flat look. "You want an early ticket to the actual realm of demons?"
A vein popped on the mage's forehead and his eye twitched several times before he grudgingly opened his mouth. "Tch… I have an artifact with me that took five hundred years for our race to develop. As long as I install it at the center of the Moon Shrine, it will suck up the divinity and then make the connection with our God's reliquary. Then, I'll perform the ritual together with my fellow researchers back on Earth."
"Hmm… Yamul," Rakna turned back to the demoness. "Contact your so-called King. Tell him to halt all advances. If he agrees, he might survive long enough to see his God return. On the other hand, if he refuses, I'll personally go to Earth and kill him. Understood?"
"…" Lilith didn't reply for a moment. She swiftly glanced at her two followers and both of them had a neutral expression on their faces. She breathed in and nodded. "Understood…"
"Good. It all went nicely," Rakna uttered and headed to the city gate. "Come on, you can follow me to the Shrine. I have a friend working on the seals there. You'll help her, mage."
"Wha-?" Norio blinked. "Wait, so you already have someone unsealing the Shrine?! Are you saying that you were going to try resurrecting the Moon God regardless of our choice?"
"Yes," Rakna said without missing a beat.
"What the…" The demon gaped as the werewolf entered the city. "I don't fucking understand this guy… What's his angle?!"
Lilith simply stared at the werewolf's back before moving. "Let's go," she said whilst pulling out a transmission item from her storage to contact her planet.
"This is madness…" Norio grumbled. "Hey, Ramil, do you think this is a good idea?"
The demon armor eyed him wordlessly before following after his commander.
"At least say something, tin can!"