When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 130
Chapter 130
First, giant horns of light, like wings, spread out, covering the sky.
She didn’t transform into a beast like before. Instead, a radiant light, in the shape of a beast, enveloped her body.
The beast resembled both a dragon and a deer.
Blue energy flowed from between its hooves, supporting its massive body like the earth itself.
The Corrupt Dragon, groaning in pain, twisted its body, its eyes wide with disbelief.
—No way… Here…? You… you…!
The Corrupt Dragon’s dark red energy began to fade against Sehwa’s powerful spiritual power.
No one could withstand that light.
Even the people below the altar hurriedly knelt, covering their faces and eyes as if bowing.
The light, which seemed to have dispelled the darkness and brought forth the sun, was like a blade to the Corrupt Dragon.
Its incomplete skin began to melt and peel off, revealing its red muscles.
—You will regret this day! The next time we meet, I will throw you into a lightless prison and inflict you with unimaginable pain and despair every single day!
The Corrupt Dragon, its claws scraping against the stone floor of the altar in agony, gritted its teeth and shouted,
—Do you think that’s truly your power?! The more you use it, the more you will lose yourself! Your memories will fade, your body will disappear! In the end, you will turn to dust, and nothing will remain! No one will even remember you! That’s the nature of that power! It has always been that way!
Sehwa, her expression calm, slowly descended the stairs of the altar, one step at a time.
As she moved, the Spirit Stones piled around the altar resonated with her power, swirling around her, their energy amplifying hers.
The darkness had long been dispelled by the waterfall of light, and the blue sky was now visible.
Looking up at the sky, Sehwa swung her arm horizontally, imbuing it with power, just as the Corrupt Dragon had done.
As if following her command, the light soared into the sky and then scattered in all directions.
Rumble—.
A low rumble of thunder echoed from the distant sky.
The wind picked up.
It started as a gentle breeze, but quickly turned fierce, gathering moisture from somewhere.
The people, still unable to look at the battle between the two otherworldly beings, remained with their heads bowed to the ground.
It was then.
Plip. Plop.
Something landed on their backs.
Someone, noticing the change, raised their head. They blinked, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Plip, plop. It continued to fall, hitting their bodies.
“…Oh my god.”
Someone raised their dirt-stained hand.
Something cool collected in their rough, calloused palm.
“…Rain.”
It was raining.
Whoosh.
The small droplets quickly turned into a downpour, soaking everyone to the bone.
The rain poured down, a torrential downpour that obscured their vision.
They should have been overjoyed by the rain after six long months, yet…
The ongoing battle between the monsters prevented the people from enjoying the rain washing over them.
They hurriedly collected the rainwater in their hands and drank, wiping their wet faces and letting the moisture soothe their parched, cracked lips.
Tears, held back for so long, flowed silently in the rain.
Sehwa walked towards the Corrupt Dragon, whose body was mangled and soaked with blood and rain.
Raindrops, imbued with the power of Spirit Stones, shimmered like sunlight as they drenched the world.
Even though its spiritual power was fading, the Mystic Realm was still the Mystic Realm.
While Spirit Stones were only valuable for exuviation in the Mystic Realm, it was different in the Human Realm.
These stones, containing immense healing power, would heal the barren land, make the grass grow, and give strength to the sick.
And the Corrupt Dragon glared at the scene, its face contorted with rage.
Its body was mangled, its skin melted and peeling off from Sehwa’s light, but its murderous gaze remained unchanged.
Only the frustration of losing its prey remained.
—Do you think you’ve won? This is just my shadow.
The Corrupt Dragon let out a harsh laugh, its eyes gleaming.
—So enjoy it while you can.
The more it spoke, the faster its flesh melted. The Corrupt Dragon’s flesh that dripped onto the ground turned into a black, viscous liquid.
Sizzle, sizzle.
The moss and flowers on the stones withered and rotted where the liquid touched them.
Sehwa knew that this form wasn’t the Corrupt Dragon’s true body, just a fraction of its power.
—The more hope you harbor, the greater the despair will be when it’s taken away.
The Corrupt Dragon wasn’t wrong.
Having used her power to its limit, she now understood.
This wasn’t simply a mixture of spiritual powers, it was something different.
If she continued to use this power…
If she was eventually consumed by that waterfall of light she had glimpsed…
She would lose herself, becoming nourishment for the Mystic Realm. It was a powerful double-edged sword.
But Sehwa, looking at the Corrupt Dragon, simply smiled.
“Go ahead. Try whatever you want.”
And with that, she stepped on the Corrupt Dragon, which was still spewing curses.
—Kuh… Aaargh!
The radiant beast enveloping Sehwa’s body swung its massive horns and roared, its voice echoing like a mountain’s cry.
Wooong!
As light and darkness clashed, the altar flashed as if struck by lightning.
When Sehwa withdrew her power, the dark red spiritual power was gone without a trace.
Only a black liquid, like its last desperate struggle, remained, flowing down the stones.
Sehwa crushed it with her foot and turned away coldly, as if it was no longer worth her attention.
“But I don’t have time for your nonsense.”
“Has the rain ritual started?”
“I don’t know, it sounds like it has, with all that commotion.”
“…I see.”
People in ragged clothes looked at their fields with weary eyes.
They had scattered the seeds on the parched earth as instructed, but they knew the truth.
That nothing would grow like this.
They reached out their bony hands and touched the dry, cracked earth.
The land was already dying.
These people had been farming all their lives.
Even if it rained now, this land would be nothing but slightly damp sand.
It was impossible to grow anything on it.
That was why they hadn’t reacted positively to the news of the King’s rain ritual.
Of course, even a little rain would be better than nothing, but still…
“…Why don’t we just pick up the seeds again? Instead of wasting our energy?”
At his wife’s question, the man looked towards where the rain ritual was being held.
They hadn't seen food in days, so even standing like this was a burden.
He knew it would be wiser to pick up the seeds and eat them, as his wife suggested.
“You told the children that we shouldn’t give up, even if we can’t see the future.”
His wife continued in a weak voice, her words directed at her husband’s thin back, “I understand. But that’s only if we’re alive.”
The man stared at the ground.
If it were just the two of them, they would have eaten the seeds instead of scattering them and wasting their energy.
But they had children at home.
Their children, who had looked at them with hope in their eyes after hearing the rumors.
Their children, who could barely walk from hunger, but still believed things would get better.
That was why he didn't want to leave.
He wanted to bring hope to his children, just as they believed.
‘…But now… should we give up?’
Even hope was something they could only hold onto if they were alive.
His wife urged him again, “…Let’s pick them up. Let’s at least give them the happiness of a full stomach, even if we can’t give them hope.”
She understood how he felt, but this time, they had to do it.
His thin wife, crouching behind him, began to pick up the scattered grains.
Even though he knew what she was doing, the man couldn’t bring himself to move.
He knew this was his last hope.
Just then, a drop of water landed on the back of his hand.
At first, he thought he was crying.
But…
“D-Darling… Darling!”
His wife’s trembling voice called out to him.
She was looking up at the sky, her head raised.
Plip, plop.
Something fell on them again.
The man also looked up.
Dark clouds were gathering above them.
It wasn't long before the rain poured down.
“Father! Mother!”
The door of their house burst open, and their small children, their faces bright with joy at the sight of the rain, ran out.
They jumped and danced in the downpour.
They could barely walk before, where did they get such energy?
Just as the man was about to pick up his children, he stumbled and fell to his knees, overwhelmed by their sudden burst of energy.
He looked down in surprise, his hand touching the wet earth.
The soil in his hand wasn’t dry and sandy like before.
It was rich and fertile, like it had been before the drought…
Was he dreaming?
As he stared at the ground in a daze, he froze, seeing the scattered grains moving.
The seeds they had sown were sprouting.
How? How was this possible?
The man stared blankly at the rain pouring down on the parched earth.
Sparkling fragments of light shimmered between the raindrops.
The droplets, carrying radiant light, landed on the ground and spread their glow.
Gradually, the light spread, illuminating the world as brightly as midday.
People, curious about what was happening, opened their doors and rushed out.
They stood there, speechless, tears streaming down their faces.
Even though no one had told them, they all knew.
That the long, dark night was finally over.
As the rain, imbued with light, washed over them, their withered, sickly arms regained their healthy color.
Green sprouts emerged from the earth, and the dying trees regained their strength, their branches reaching out, new leaves unfurling.
“Sob… sniff…”
Someone clutched a handful of earth and took a deep breath.
It was alive.
The earth was alive.
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