Chapter 129: How to Steal the Moon

Chapter 129. How to Steal the Moon

Theo nodded.

[Voidwind Manipulation]

The wind carried us above the coastline, following the dark cliffs beneath the full moon. Below, waves crashed against the jagged rocks, sending white foam into the air. The distant ship continued moving along the shore, its dark sails almost invisible against the night. But I wasn’t interested in the ship anymore.

My eyes were fixed on the cliff ahead. The same cliff where I’d stood earlier, staring at the sunset while trying to understand why this entire investigation felt wrong.

As we approached, I noticed a wide opening beneath the cliff’s upper ridge. From the sea, it probably resembled an ordinary coastal cave. From above, however, a large section of its ceiling had collapsed long ago, leaving an opening through which moonlight could reach the chamber below.

I descended toward the rocky ledge beside the opening.

The moment my boots touched the ground, I saw them. Twelve women. All wearing bridal gowns. The dresses were simple, made from pale fabric without elaborate decorations or expensive jewels. Some had lace around the sleeves, while others had delicate ribbons tied around their waists. Their eyes were open. Their expressions were empty. And their arms hung loosely at their sides.

The formation spread across the cave floor, its crimson lines connecting twelve outer circles to a large central spiral. At the center lay Chief Marr. Unconscious. His sword rested several feet away, and dark runes crawled across his exposed arms.

The vessel.

The moonlight poured through the opening above, bathing the entire formation in an unnatural silver glow. The crimson runes pulsed like a living heart. The ritual was already active.

Theo immediately pulled a signal flare from his belt and activated it. A streak of brilliant red fire shot into the sky. At least he’d remembered his instructions. Unfortunately, the moment he recognized one of the women, everything else disappeared from his mind.

"ELENA!"

He rushed forward. I turned toward him, but he was already running toward the nearest outer circle.

"Theo, wait—"

An invisible barrier threw him backward. He stumbled, barely managing to remain on his feet.

"ELENA!" He slammed his palm against the barrier.

The woman didn’t react. Not even slightly.

I followed his gaze. Silver-blonde hair. Blue eyes. A delicate face that looked strangely familiar.

And then...

-Ba-thump!

My heart slammed against my ribs. A sudden wave of memories surged through my mind.

The Holy City. Several years ago. The battle against the Dark Lord’s subordinates.

I remembered flames consuming the streets, shattered buildings collapsing beneath corrupted magic, and countless civilians screaming as they tried to escape. Blood covered the white stone roads. Bodies lay beneath the ruins.

And among them...

A girl. Silver-blonde hair stained red. Blue eyes filled with tears. She was lying on the ground, bleeding heavily from a wound across her abdomen. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her trembling hand reached upward.

I staggered slightly. My gaze returned to Elena.

"No..." I muttered. I quickly caught what had happened.

Theo didn’t hear me. He was still desperately calling her name.

I examined the barrier structure with Abyssal Eye.

Several layers of defensive magic surrounded the formation, each connected directly to the twelve outer circles. Breaking through by force was possible. But with the ritual already active, shattering those layers could send the accumulated mana straight into the sacrifices.

So I needed to do something with the magic formation.

I looked upward. The moon. That was the trigger. The formation required uninterrupted moonlight to maintain its current activation sequence. Then I’d simply remove it.

[Obsidian Earth Manipulation]

The ground shook. Black crystal erupted from the surrounding rock, spreading across the cave walls like enormous jagged roots.

Theo turned toward me. "My lord?!"

I ignored him. More crystal emerged. The dark formations climbed higher, branching across the exposed upper walls before connecting above us. I wasn’t merely creating a barrier. I was building a roof. A massive obsidian canopy spread across the opening, layer after layer of black crystal sealing away the silver moonlight.

The cave darkened.

The crimson formation flickered. Its pulsating light weakened. The runes dimmed.

Chief Marr’s body stopped trembling.

Unfortunately, whoever had prepared this ritual apparently anticipated someone trying to interrupt the moonlight. Because the moment my obsidian roof finished forming, all twelve brides moved. Simultaneously.

Their heads tilted upward. Their empty eyes stared toward the ceiling. Then they raised their hands.

I immediately sensed a change in the surrounding mana. Hidden formations appeared across the cave walls. Not newly created. They’d been carved beneath layers of mud, dirt, and dried sea salt. Their runes flashed crimson.

The first explosion tore through the cave ceiling. Then another. And another.

The entire cliff shook. Massive chunks of stone broke loose, crashing toward us as the obsidian canopy shattered beneath the concentrated blasts.

I grabbed Theo.

[Shadow Barrier]

A sphere of darkness surrounded us. Falling rocks slammed against the barrier, sending vibrations through the ground beneath our feet. Dust filled the cave. The smell of scorched stone mixed with salty sea air.

For several seconds, the world became a chaotic mess of explosions, collapsing rock, and trembling earth. The culprit didn’t care whether the ritual site survived. As long as the moonlight reached the sacrifices, everything else was expendable.

I tightened my jaw. When the explosions finally stopped, I lowered the Shadow Barrier. Dust drifted through the air. The cave ceiling had been torn open. Wider than before. Through that enormous opening, the full moon shone brightly.

Silver light flooded the chamber. The ritual flared crimson again. Its pulsing accelerated. The twelve brides remained standing, their raised hands slowly lowering as the hidden formations faded. And judging by the amount of mana gathering beneath Chief Marr, we were running out of time.

"ELENA!"

Theo tried to rush forward again. I caught his wrist. Hard.

He gasped. "My lord! Please, I have to—"

I turned toward him. My expression must have been particularly unpleasant because he immediately stopped struggling. "I told you," I said coldly, "if you get in my way, I’ll kill you."

For a moment, neither of us moved. Then he lowered his head. "I’m sorry."

"Listen carefully," I continued. "Once the barrier breaks, you take Chief Marr out of the formation. He’s the vessel. Without him, the ritual can’t complete its purpose."

"But Elena—"

"The girls are under manipulation spells. We can’t simply drag them out while those spells are connected to the formation." I tightened my grip slightly. "Get the chief first. I’ll handle the rest."

Theo looked toward Elena. His expression twisted painfully. That miserable expression of someone forced to choose between the person he loved and the person he needed to save.

I released Theo’s wrist and exhaled slowly. If covering the cave wasn’t enough, I’d change the battlefield.

My palm turned upward.

[Abyssal Darkness Manipulation]

A small sphere of darkness appeared above my hand. Then it expanded. The darkness swirled, gathering more and more mana as it grew. Black tendrils curled around its surface, swallowing the faint light that touched them. The air grew colder.

Theo stared at the expanding sphere. "M-my lord... What are you doing?"

I smiled. Because I’d decided to stop playing by the culprit’s rules. "They need the moonlight to complete the ritual. So..." I raised my hand toward the sky. The darkness swelled. My grin widened. "I’m going to steal the moon."

The sphere of darkness shot upward, expanding rapidly as it climbed through the opening above the cliff. Its edges spread across the night sky, swallowing the surrounding starlight.

I immediately felt the drain. Forbidden Energy surged out of my body at an alarming rate, feeding the enormous mass of darkness. My veins burned beneath my skin, and a familiar pressure settled around my heart.

The darkness continued expanding until it completely covered the moon from our position beneath the cliff. A perfect artificial lunar eclipse. The effect was immediate. The crimson formation flickered violently. Its intricate runes dimmed, their pulsating light weakening as the supply of moonlight disappeared.

Then... The protective barrier shattered.

"NOW!" I shouted.

Theo immediately scrambled forward, rushing toward Chief Marr’s unconscious body. He dropped to his knees beside the chief and reached for his shoulders.

But then something happened. All twelve brides turned their heads. Simultaneously. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their empty eyes fixing on Theo with an unnatural stillness.

Theo froze. His hands hovered above Chief Marr.

I clenched my teeth. "MOVE!"

He flinched. "Y-YES!"

I knew I sounded harsh. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of being gentle.

My Forbidden Energy was draining continuously, and the ritual hadn’t completely collapsed. If the brides moved before Theo removed the vessel, we might lose our only chance.

Theo grabbed Chief Marr beneath the arms.

Then... All twelve brides raised their hands. At the same time.

Thin crimson strings appeared between their fingers, stretching toward the unconscious swordsman. The strings were attached to Chief Marr’s body. His wrists. His ankles. His chest. Even his neck.

The brides weren’t merely sacrifices. They were controlling the vessel.