Man on the ark, forced to become king

The sky of Terra seems to be shrouded in an invisible layer. Even with modern high-tech equipment, it is impossible to truly see the deep starry sky beyond the heavens or touch the bright moon hanging overhead.

From the past to the future, no one has ever been able to see through the illusion that shrouds the entire world and truly set their sights on the stars.

However, at that moment, the stars descended.

The boundary between black and white is reversed in an instant, and the concepts of day and night are twisted in a moment.

Daylight is gone, night has fallen.

A dazzling, starry sky replaced the dark, cloud-covered sky of Saltwind City, stretching to the horizon as if the entire world had been distorted.

Then, the moon descended.

A huge, dark moon, so large it covered most of the sky, slowly rose, replacing the twinkling starlight, making all the stars pale in comparison.

Within Saltwind City, both ordinary residents and believers of the Deep Sea Church wandering in the shadows witnessed this breathtaking scene that defies description.

When the familiar sky is filled with the rising moon, it's as if another world is hanging overhead. You can even see the dents and ravines on the moon. The unparalleled oppressive force plunges the entire city into chaos.

Everyone who witnessed the arrival of the Great Moon stopped what they were doing, held their breath, and looked up at the sky. An indescribable pressure overwhelmed their minds, causing their thoughts to come to a standstill.

Unfathomable, unimaginable, even the most exaggerated myths recorded in books seem insignificant compared to the arrival of the Dark Moon that is truly happening before our eyes.

A chilling coldness spread through the city, a chill emanating from the moonlight.

Under the dark moon, whether human or marine, whether rational or capable of thought, all trembled in the moonlight, their most primal and profound fears rising from the depths of their hearts.

Compared to the dark moon that dominates the sky, the magical moon seems insignificant and nothing at all.

At this moment, heaven and earth were completely silent.

"what is that?!"

After a long silence, Laurentina, gazing up at the sky from the cave, uttered a few words in a trembling voice. Even the deep-sea hunter, who had never known fear, could no longer remain calm and rational.

Her knowledge, her learning, and everything she knew were insufficient to support her understanding of the scene before her.

That's the powerful woman of the Golden Tree, the leader's wife?

With the power to change the world with a mere wave of the hand, how can this be called human?

Even the sea god in the depths of the ocean is far inferior to it.

Although the sea god is powerful, he is ultimately just a creature of slightly larger size. Even if he can stir up towering waves, swallow islands, and destroy cities, what does that amount to compared to the power that directly alters the celestial phenomena?

A massive, dark moon, so large it exceeds the limits of vision, hangs overhead. What would happen if it were to fall toward the land?

That would be an unimaginable disaster.

Not to mention a city, even a country would be reduced to ashes the moment the dark moon fell.

Originium Arts, technology, ancient witchcraft... everything that humanity relies on is insignificant in its presence, as fragile as a mud sculpture built by a child.

Can Agor's technology stand against such a being?

Laurentina couldn't help but think about it, and then came to a despairing conclusion.

Impossible, it's simply impossible.

No matter how many of the most elite troops come, it's meaningless; powerful and destructive weapons are simply a waste of resources.

If that person who brought in Otsuki really were an enemy, they would probably be killed in an instant.

She didn't even need to do much; simply throwing the moon down would have been enough to utterly destroy the entire land of Agor.

All pride is as fragile as a piece of paper.

"Gulu~"

Warfarin couldn't help but swallow.

Heaven have mercy! What she just said was all from the records. She said it that way because she wanted to put on a show in front of this Agorian. Who could have imagined that she would actually encounter such an unprecedented scene?

Is this the power of the Golden Tree? She was surprised too!

Lani was someone she had met before. Sometimes she would see her in the Great Blessing or in the city built around the Golden Tree. Occasionally she would also visit Kal'tsit's office or the office areas of the Engineering Department and the Medical Department. She was a very gentle person.

Although she may seem a bit serious, she actually gives off a very comfortable feeling, at least that's how Warfarin felt.

They also had a brief exchange.

At times, Warfarin even saw the leader's wife walking down the street with a cookbook or comic book, not much different from many young female operators.

She had seen snippets of information about this person's strength in the records; it was said to be very strong, but the records did not provide an accurate description of just how strong he was.

Now, she knows.

This can no longer be called human, but a god, a god walking on earth. Even the natural disasters that terrify countless people are not as awe-inspiring as the spectacular scene of the dark moon descending.

If the leader's wife is already this powerful, then what about the leader of the Golden Tree?

It's probably much stronger.

The claim of destroying the city, which I initially thought was an exaggeration, now seems to be an understatement.

To possess such power and then use it to destroy a city?

Don't be ridiculous. If the moon were to fall from the sky, the entire country would be razed to the ground, and even the strongest defenses would be useless.

That was a disaster that was completely beyond the limits of human imagination.

The thought that she had chatted and laughed with such an important person made Warfarin feel a little proud and honored.

……

"Teacher, that, that's..."

Outside Saltwind City, two weary figures stopped near the sea, close to the city's outskirts. They wore black coats with white backgrounds, black wide-brimmed hats, thin swords at their waists, and weapons resembling guns and bullet belts visible on their belts.

One of them was tall and masked, so his face was not visible. The other was a petite white-haired girl who carried a lamp that emitted a faint light.

The floating tide suddenly rolled ashore, wetting their boots, but the two men, who were standing still, had no time to care.

The girl carrying the lantern tilted her head back, her wide-brimmed hat almost slipping off her head due to the large movement. Her mouth was wide open, and the huge moon's reflection was in her eyes. She was so surprised that she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"……I have no idea."

The masked man, who was also gazing at the sky, shook his head slightly upon hearing this.

The girl was even more surprised.

"How could this be... You are the Grand Inquisitor, how could you not be aware of the anomalies here?"

"Amidst the chaos, it was the Inquisition that drew the line between right and wrong, guiding people toward the right path. Otherwise, the entire nation would have crumbled into pieces long ago. But, Eleanor, the Inquisition is the maintainer of order, the guide in the darkness. We are the beacons, the pioneers, the judges, yet we do not know everything. There are too many unknowns and mysteries on this land, and even the Inquisition can only grope its way forward."

The Grand Inquisitor, feared by countless people, showed patience towards his students. Although he was equally astonished by the strange phenomenon in the sky, he tried his best to explain in a calm tone.

Because he knew he couldn't show any sign of panic.

Even though he was unaware of what had happened in Saltwind City, and even though he felt a shiver and instinctive fear at the dark moon that occupied the sky, he could not let his thoughts show in his actions.

In Iberia, everyone has the right to fear, flinch, and panic, even to the point of madness, but the judges cannot; they must remain rational at all times, no matter what they are facing.

This is the foundation upon which order exists.

However, he would not deny his own ignorance, as using limited knowledge to haphazardly explain things he did not understand would set a bad example.

"Then, then, teacher, what should we do? Ask the court for help?"

Elena was not very old; she was just a trainee judge and had not been studying under the Grand Judge for very long. She was not yet able to be as calm and composed as her teacher, and it was inevitable that she would feel a little flustered in the face of the unknown changes.

"No, it's too late. An anomaly has already occurred. We must find out what exactly happened in Saltwind City. We can't leave now."

The Grand Inquisitor gazed at the dark moon that obscured the sky, his hand unconsciously moving closer to the slender sword at his waist, his voice firm and powerful.

Such a terrifying scene has never been recorded in any ancient texts. They must find out the source of the anomaly and what impact it will have on Saltwind City and Iberia. They absolutely cannot retreat here.

Even if that city harbors terrors that humanity cannot overcome, as a judge, one must still move forward.

This is faith, and also enlightenment.

Nothing that happens in Iberia is unrelated to the courts.

"Follow me, Elena. Stay calm and composed. We're going to the city to take a look."

Pulling his hat brim low, the Grand Judge strode toward the city entrance, the flustered girl quickly following. The light from their lanterns swayed on the ground, reflecting their current mood.

……

Was it really necessary to make such a big scene?

After Lani used her authority to summon the Dark Moon, the out-of-control spell quickly stabilized, and there was no need to worry about it continuing to expand and erupt. Lin Lu also breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the moon shadow in the sky, and casually complained.

In terms of full moon magic, Lani can be considered a true master. After all, it is her mother's magic, and she herself once comprehended the existence of the dark moon in the same way. Mastering a spell is nothing more than that.

But just to resolve the risk of spells going out of control, it seems unnecessary to make such a big fuss, right?

Enveloping the entire Saltwind City in the Dark Moon is no easy task, especially in a place without the support of the Golden Tree. The consumption of resources is considerable, and even for Lani, it wouldn't be an easy task.

"How can we resolve the following issues without doing this?"

Lani rolled her eyes, looking down at the dilapidated city from the sky, her tone tinged with helplessness.

She knows her man all too well.

Using magic of that level couldn't possibly be for showing off; the most likely explanation is that there's something in this city that can only be dealt with using magic of that power.

Since that's the case, instead of wasting time and effort later, it's better to take it one step at a time and use her power to control the city. Any problems can be solved at the same time. After that, she'll still have food cooking at home.