Chapter 14 : The Red Moon’s Prelude

A man? Or a woman? It was hard to tell.
Because the being was wrapped in armor.
I could only tell that it was humanoid, but I wasn’t sure if what was inside was really human.

The being in armor was pierced by a spear through the chest. A long black spear had pierced the platinum armor, spreading his blood everywhere. From the place where the spear and armor met, an energy that I also knew was emanating.

“······Red energy.”

Who is this person? What happened that he is dead, pierced by a black spear that emits red energy? And who is the owner of the black spear?

Numerous questions swirled in my head, confusing my mind.

···········!

Then, the body of the being, which I thought was dead, twitched. He was groaning and raising his hand to grab the spear that pierced him.

Wait, he’s alive?

I went near him and began to examine his condition closely. It wasn’t an action I took without knowing anything. It was the result of judging that this being was related to the Sunstone and was an enemy of the red demons.

I looked inside the armor to see if there was anything I could do to help, but it seemed hopeless.

The red energy was constantly eating away at this being’s flesh, and his hands and feet were gradually turning into dust.

Another thing I realized was that this seemed to be a video. The fact that he didn’t care about me and that there was a bit of noise suggested this.

Since I thought it was already a past event, I felt relieved and began to examine the armor and spear more closely. Since it seemed to be related to the red demons I was currently fighting, I wanted to get as much information as possible.

If I could find a way to deal with the red energy, I could even pass that information on to others.

As a result of examining it, I noticed that some kind of energy was colliding with the red energy. A blue energy was flowing out of the armor that was twitching slightly, and it was colliding fiercely with the red energy.

“So, what the hell is this?”

But I could only distinguish it by color. I couldn’t know its name or how to use it.

In the end, I only knew about the existence of the blue energy, which was opposite to the red energy, but I couldn’t find out anything else.

“······Then, let’s just look at the face.”

If I came to this space because of the Sunstone, I’ll probably be able to get out soon. Before that, I was curious about the identity of this armor’s owner, so I gently reached out my hand.

“Ah, am I an idiot? This was a video.”

It was so realistic that I forgot for a moment.

But at that moment, the platinum gauntlet grabbed my arm.

“Uh, uh?”

[Solia’s will does not break.]

After some words, blue light poured out from the helmet. I was swept away by the light before I had time to act, and I lost consciousness.

A little while later, I regained consciousness in the crater.

After finishing everything, I returned to the cliff through the way I came. It seemed like I had been there for about 2-3 days, and when I looked at the sky at night, a moon that was a little more full than a half-moon greeted me.

But after cleaning up all the red demons in the black storm, the amount of red demons appearing in the sea was noticeably reduced compared to before.

“···Did the Sunstone just disappear after doing its job?”

But I couldn’t fully focus on the demons of the forest. The reason was because of the Sunstone that disappeared without a trace.

When I came to my senses, the crater was dark like night, and the Sunstone that emitted light had disappeared.

It became more certain that it was related to that white space, but the problem is where that guy went.

If it was completely destroyed, it wouldn’t matter, but if it remained somewhere, it would be quite a headache.

What’s the scariest situation when an insect appears at home?

The insect rushing at me?

That’s also close to a horror movie, but that’s wrong. It’s when the insect disappears from sight. That alone means that you’ve had it that night.

You have to be on edge every moment, trembling with fear of when it will appear.

I wondered if the Sunstone was also hiding somewhere and gathering demons.

“······It’s probably not.”

It probably just died on its own. It’s convenient to think so. And it was surprisingly manageable, so it’s good not to worry too much.

From now on, I needed to devise an overall strategy in preparation for the red moon.

“If the black storm is a dungeon clear, now it’s like an open-world monster wave.”

Unlike dealing with a limited number in a confined space, on that day, I would have to fight everywhere around here. In a situation where I had to fight a long battle with red demons rushing from all directions until morning, I needed to distribute my stamina as efficiently as possible.

“I guess I have to use the dragon’s mind.”

Water armor is a very efficient combat technique, but it doesn’t have the stamina to operate for long. It’s a skill that consumes mental strength, so it’s twice as tiring.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to let the dragon’s mind take over the battle that day.

The dragon’s mind would only take on a supporting role. On the day the full moon rises, it will appear for a moment, do one thing, and quickly be put away.

I can continue to fight using what the dragon’s mind did as an aid for the rest of the time.

“Then before that, I guess I have to practice once.”

A little while later, as my mind changed, I could feel the responsiveness of the water increasing.

Finally, that day came.

Jonan was stiff all over his body in the great battle that he would experience in 10 years. He was a veteran hunter, but he was not without fear. It was the same for the hunting captain and the village chief, who had lived several decades longer than Jonan.

The red moon was such a being.

“Honey, lock the door tightly. If the bell rings, go to the basement, okay?”

“······Be careful.”

“Daddy, be careful······.”

Sophie, who knew the horror of the red moon, held Jonan’s hand tearfully. Rachel, who didn’t know about the red moon but could read the atmosphere, was also intimidated and saw Jonan off.

“It’s not like I’m going to die. See you tomorrow morning, daughter. Choose the picture book you want.”

With those words, Jonan took his bow and sword and headed for the village hall.

“You’re here. Sophie seems to be very worried.”

Already, numerous men were gathered there, each with their own weapons. Mercenaries, hunters, and ordinary residents. Their occupations and abilities were different, but they all had a common point in that they had tense faces.

A middle-aged hunter who usually paired up with Jonan greeted him. Jonan smiled deliberately to relieve the tension and affirmed his words.

“Now, everyone, attention!”

A little while later, the remaining few people arrived, and the hunting captain focused everyone’s attention. The noisy hall became quiet in an instant, and everyone’s eyes turned to him.

“In one hour, from the time the sunset begins, the red moon will begin! We will check the strategy and formation for the last time, so be alert!”

The hunting captain divided the gathered people into formations as written on the paper and checked again.

The village’s barriers and traps made of logs and stones had already been checked in the morning. After confirming that everything was fine, the captain called the village chief.

“I’ve checked everything. A total of one hundred people and thirty mercenaries have gathered without a single exception.”

“Hmm.”

The village chief stood in front of the door and looked at the gathered people. A disaster that came every 10 years. Their expressions were stiff, but they seemed to have enough will to protect the village.

“Everyone, listen carefully. Soon, the red moon will begin.”

The village chief’s heavy voice, although it sounded small, was properly embedded in everyone’s minds.

“In my past life, I have experienced six red moons, and I fought directly in four of them. And soon, I will fight for the fifth time.”

“·········.”

“Some of you may be fighting for the first time, and some of you may have fought several times. And regardless of your fighting experience, you will all be worried about whether you can win this fight.”

There was no one to deny it. Jonan had also finished all the preparations, but it was the first time he had participated in the red moon battle directly.

‘Can I survive and see tomorrow?’

He must protect Sophie and Rachel. But even so, there was no way to avoid the feeling of skepticism in a corner of his heart.

“I felt the same way when I first faced the red moon. And that feeling is still the same.”

‘······Chief.’

“But we won. Even in worse situations than now, we finally brought victory.”

The village chief’s speech gradually climaxed. At the same time, the hearts of everyone gathered here began to heat up.

“We will win. We will stand up to the disaster that tries to exterminate us and bring the victory of tomorrow morning!!”

Whoa!!

At someone’s shout, other people naturally joined in, and the excitement of the battle began to spread. Jonan also accepted the excitement and firmly prepared his mindset so that his body could fight.

At the same time, the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon.

Darkness came.

And the red moon came.

“Everyone, light the torches and go to your positions.”

Whoosh!

Splendid flames began to rise in the village, which was full of darkness.

Before disbanding for the last time, the village chief left the last words.

“We will surely win!”

Whoa!!!

It was time for everyone to roar and move their feet to go to their respective positions.

Rumble!!

“······?”

Boom······.

Suddenly, an ominous sound began to be heard from somewhere. The embarrassed village chief looked around and stared at the forest without realizing it.

Normally, the red moon should have been rising slowly. But instead of the red moon, a mass of gray clouds were seen, tangled and rotating.

“Storm·········?”

Rumble!

As if in answer to someone’s words, thunder struck. The village chief was embarrassed by the sudden abnormal weather, but he wasn’t so lost that he forgot to defend the village.

He quickly gave orders to the people who were briefly frozen and sent them to their defensive positions.

Jonan headed to the place where his group was in charge and looked beyond the forest where the storm was raging.

“······Could it be.”

And that night, Estel Village was not attacked by red demons.