Merely reciting this spell means cruelty to living beings, destruction to the world.
Thus, at the moment Grandpa began to speak, a maliciousness so intense it could sting the spirit arose, causing the Hero's muscles to involuntary tense up, nearly transforming into a riotous torrent to counterattack the old man before them.
The Hero struggled to remain calm, but in the next moment, that oppressive sensation suddenly vanished.
She clearly felt that, as Grandpa completed the chant with enigmatic language, all malice and evil were reined in, compressed, as if sealed within those melodically resonant syllables and sentences.
It seemed as if the act of using that mysterious language to narrate was the completion of a ritual in itself.
"——Its name is, [Gray Moon, Stained Sky]."
The old man's speech ended.
[High-level Language Critical Success!]
1. Holy Dragon Language
3. High-level Elf Language
6. Sacrificial Inscriptions
7. Spell: Dreamwhisper
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
It was a dream again.
Ever since the battle with the Nightmare Sage, when she gained knowledge about dreams and explored the Withering Dreamlands herself, the Hero often had all sorts of strange and vivid dreams.
Most of these dreams would be forgotten upon awakening, but some left a deep impression; still, the vast majority of their content were but bizarre fragments, meaningless even upon deep reflection, indistinct from anyone else's dreams.
But she knew, for Magicians, dreams were an important medium. Dreams symbolize the descent into the unconscious, denoting an exploration of the self, and sometimes even a recreation of history and reality.
The girl slowly opened her eyes, gazing upon the filthy night sky.
Before her, the Ashen Moon hung upon the shattered heavens, arrogantly and brutally looking down upon this frail land.
In mysticism, the Twin Moons have held a pivotal role since ancient times. Neither Magicians nor Mages can ignore the influence of the moons— the tidal forces that ebb with the moon phases, the Magic Element that mutates under moonlight, the Magic Creatures that thrive on Moon Magic, and the unique, inimitable materials from that distant satellite...
Endless such factors made scholars realize long ago that the Twin Moons are not some unreachable exotic realm or mere illusions; they are not only celestial bodies suspended in the sky, but also a real source of power affecting the world.
But now, the Grey Moon, ordinarily the less conspicuous of the Twin Moons, seemed no longer content to meddle from afar, and was instead expanding in a horrifying posture, oppressing this fragile firmament, almost about to tear the night sky apart.
Ancient and profound malice descended from the sky, causing even the Hero's spirit to tremble.
[Is there a record of anyone reaching the moon? (70+ yes, Critical Success means the moonfarer is still alive)]
What exactly is on the surface of the moon?
This question has baffled many generations, and to this day, the Kingdom's Astronomers have not found an answer, yet it hasn't stopped them from pouring their hearts and souls into the search.
However, the distance between the moon and the earth is a gap even Legendary Strongmen find difficult to cross.
The Pure White Moon, the Ashen Moon—the Twin Moons, though not too far from each other, differ greatly in visibility. The Pure White Moon is much more observable than the Ashen Moon; hence, through history, humankind's observations and records have largely favored the former.
But brightness and clarity are merely superficial, for no matter how arduous the observations, the details on the lunar surface remain unclear.
Thick Magic Element roiling in the high skies and the moon's own potent Moon Magic distort all observers' visions, to the point where even the most sophisticated Arcane Lens of the Kingdom Observatory—those precious instruments crafted at great expense—can only penetrate a thin shroud of mist.
Even the seemingly conspicuous White Moon's truth is obscured behind that hazy radiance, preventing any true glimpse.
For humankind, the existence of the Twin Moons is both enchanting and unreachable, like reflections in water shattered by ripples, their true faces forever unseen, let alone truly touched.
But across humanity's lengthy chronicles, there have always been some with exceptional talents or Seekers who devoted their lives to the pursuit, who could reach, with the extension of their thoughts from their tiny statures upon the earth, the bright moon above.
The current scene of moonlight in the Hero's dream is just such evidence.
[Do Moon People have a presence on the earth's surface? (50+ there are records)]
The Grey Moon swelled, dominating the center of the entire canopy.
The usually inconspicuous Grey Moon, once hidden in the depths of the night, now swells like a nightmare, far surpassing its usual size—as if the sky itself was collapsing.
The Hero looked up at this terrifying sight, her mind grasping a vague realization.
It wasn't that the moon itself had grown larger, but the effect of the Forbidden Curse turned the sky into an enormous lens, magnifying the presence of the Grey Moon, casting it across the entirety of the night sky.
The dim light emanating from the Grey Moon spread like a murky flood, penetrating layers of cloud, tainting the edges of the sky with filthy grey.
And the stark crimson cracks upon the lunar surface, like embers beneath the ash, seemed like blood vessels spreading from the moon onto the whole night sky, extending into countless twisted tendrils, muddying the heavens and swallowing all Star Light.
Beneath the night, the filthy ash fell silently like snowflakes, gently drifting down amidst the turbulent flow, slowly covering the entire landscape.