Reality, in the bedroom of the Hero's mother.
Time ticked away, and it was already midnight.
The quiet room was unlit, with moonlight streaming through the curtains, softly illuminating the objects in the room.
Although the Hero's parents were recognized as model noble couples in the city, they each had their own rooms in the Viscount Mansion.
In the mother's bedroom, there were only a few decorations; on the dressing table, there weren't any cosmetics, unlike other noble ladies' rooms. Even the Hero's own room seemed more lively than this austere interior.
At this moment, the usually expressionless Moon Person silently gazed at her daughter, who sat across on a chair with her eyelids gently closed as if sleeping, her moon-white pupils rippling imperceptibly.
"The full moon is approaching..."
She murmured softly, her gaze fixed on the Moon Mark at the Hero's brow, her eyelashes trembling slightly but not blinking once. The source of thɪs content is novel⸺fire.net
After listening to her own description and falling into an awakening slumber, as time passed, the moon phase at the Hero's brow gradually became more complete.
Although it looked like an ordinary White Moon Emblem, a skilled Mage could perceive the massive amount of information compressed within.
Especially since, as a Moon Person, she recognized that the Emblem bore traces of magic power from the Great Sacrificial Rite, she understood even more how astonishingly fast this seemingly slow change actually was.
Her gaze remained unyielding, unwilling to miss any changes.
Finally, under the anxious yet calm watch of the mother, the imprints at the Hero's brow became fully complete—
Then, tainted with the color of Chaos.
She suddenly stood up, the abrupt movement causing the chair to knock over and crash onto the soft carpet with a dull thud.
That not-so-loud bass note reverberated like thunder, making her whole body tremble slightly.
"Failed? Is it because of the Magician?"
She stared intently at the moon phase at the Hero's brow, now engulfed in corruption, her face pale, momentarily rendered at a loss.
Is there really no escape from His cage?
The mother's breathing grew rapid, and her hands trembled slightly.
But within seconds, this lone Moon Person who came to the land regained her calm.
Her lowered hair, under the moonlight, took on mottled colors. Her gaze complex, she looked at her daughter, finally sighing lightly with a tone that carried a certain helpless determination:
"Is there no other way..."
She slowly extended her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, reaching toward the Hero's face.
Then, clenching her teeth, she lit up her palm with a faint pure white radiance.
In Moon City, every adult Moon Person must undergo an important ritual: devour the first pollution and awaken the power of purification.
But this process is not simple.
The type of pollution to devour and the amount to devour are strictly regulated, with meticulous attention to detail.
Carelessness could thrust the immature Moon Person into intense pain, or even a life-threatening crisis.
Thus, before the ritual, every underage Moon Person must undergo precise evaluations and tests.
Despite this, accidents always happen, and at those times, the adults presiding over the ritual must assist, removing and devouring the pollution that the underage Moon Person cannot process.
But, is that chaos from the depths of the lineage something I can bear now?
Her outstretched hand paused slightly, then continued forward—
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the Hero's brow, under the mother's astonished gaze, the moon phase at the Hero's brow suddenly surged, and seconds later, split into two.
Pure White Moon, Ashen Moon.
Then, before the mother could recover from her shock, the Hero's mouth curled into a wicked grin.
"Hey! Pervert, I caught you!"
She exclaimed excitedly, the crisp Moon Language making the moonlight grow brighter, sweeping away the room's darkness.
In the next moment, the Grey Moon transformed from a plane to a three-dimensional form, fleeing from the Hero's skin, attempting to dart toward the window.
Before the Grey Moon could escape, the Hero suddenly tilted her head back, her small mouth opening wide, and her white teeth bit down hard, swallowing the fleeing grey dot in one gulp.
The crisp clash of teeth sounded like a sharp knife chopping a cutting board, making the mother's brow twitch as she recoiled her hand from the Hero like an electric shock.
But at this moment, the Hero was too occupied to notice her mother's reaction, her eyes shut tightly, her hands clamped over her mouth.
"—Mmmmmm!" (Translation: Resign yourself!)
Then, the mother saw her throat move slightly.
As that action was completed, the White Moon at the Hero's brow suddenly vanished, replaced by a sudden bloom of pure white radiance that enveloped her entire being, then surged towards her back like an encircling force.
A massive flow of magic power stirred, causing a strong wind to rise in the once silent room.
Then, like an insect emerging from a cocoon, or a lazy creature pulled from its nest—accompanied by an angry Phoenix Cry, a shadowy figure enshrouded in black mist burst forth from the Hero's back!
The black shadow, like a living creature, struggled to flee, but was tightly bound by the thousands of threads of magic power flowing from the Hero's body, maintaining a strange standoff.