Aram liked studying.
She liked it very much.
Whether eating food, listening to music, or even just walking down a road, knowledge was always necessary.
And the more she learned, the clearer the world became.
In the end, a wretched beggar with nothing to her name was lucky enough to become a priestess.
"Will you come with me?"
"Am I allowed to?"
"Yes, I see potential in you."
"Then... I'll go."
She took the offered hand.
The risks of joining the Moon Sect had been explained to her in advance.
But that didn't matter.
It wasn't just about escaping her lowly status as a beggar.
What mattered was that she would be able to enjoy knowledge that was beyond her station.
"How does the Moon grant wisdom?"
"If the priests gather and pray for an average of a month, we can receive answers from the Master. If there's an easier method, it would be asking a Saint to commune directly with the god."
"But the current Saint seems like they're about to die. They're bedridden and can't even exchange questions with the Master."
"Then another Saint will appear. That's what we've gathered for, isn't it?"
"...Ah."
Maybe her fate had already been sealed from that moment.
From the instant she heard the bishop—her adoptive mother—say those words, she began to form a vague resolve: I'll take on that role.
But it wasn't as if she was obsessed with becoming one.
Aram simply loved to study.
She delighted in learning.
She welcomed the clarity it brought to the world.
She wanted to become a more perfect being.
If I keep changing myself like this, day by day, I'll be able to do more. I'll become a better person, and that'll let me live happier days. I can do it.
And so, Aram became the Saint.
"...?"
On the day she heard the voice of the Moon.
"...You're saying you heard the Master's voice?"
"Yes. I was clearly told answers to things I was curious about."
"If that's true, we'll need to verify it. Be prepared."
"I'll wait."
Aram knew exactly what it meant to become a Saint of the Moon Sect.
Still, she didn't mind.
Even if she died as a human like the previous Saint, or became just a fragment of divinity, it was fine.
This place was the perfect home for her.
She had people she relied on and loved like family.
She wanted to repay the grace she had received and become more perfect for herself.
She had nothing to fear.
"If I become a Saint, I'll ask the Master the questions the Bishop is curious about. I'll especially try harder for the ones you care most about."
"...That's very kind of you."
"I'm fine with it."
"..."
The bishop didn't reply.
The test was held.
She was bombarded with deep and complex questions she shouldn't have known.
Aram answered without pause, guided by the voice of the Moon.
The priests were amazed, and a new Saint was born.
"Aren't you glad I exist?"
"Of course, Saint."
"...Am I no longer the Bishop's daughter now?"
"..."
Once again, the bishop didn't reply.
"...That's not okay with me..."
"I'm sorry."
"I hate it even more when you apologize."
"I'm sorry, Saint."
"..."
This time, it was Aram who fell silent.
She understood.
It wasn't that she didn't answer. She couldn't.
No matter what she said, it wouldn't change anything.
She didn't know what the right answer was.
Even if she had something to say, maybe it would only cause more pain.
That's why the bishop never answered Aram's questions.
But still, this was the path Aram had chosen.
"..."
"It's okay."
She still loved learning.
"I can make the world a better place. Doesn't even the Research Facility rely on the Moon Sect's advice the most? If I become divine one day and make the Moon warmer, I'll be satisfied with that."
So—
"...So don't look at me like that."
"My apologies."
That precise tone of voice struck her as so cold.
"..."
She had no regrets.
I chose this.
This was the path she walked because she wanted it.
She was still young and had much to learn.
Her family was distant but dependable.
The depths of mystery had yet to reveal their end.
There was still so much joy ahead.
And yet, from time to time, she would feel a sudden, crushing loneliness.
"...Is the Moon's embrace this frightening too?"
"It must be cold and dark. That's why we need to make the Moon warmer."
"They're providence itself, and yet they make people feel scared."
"A foolish thing to say. Just because it is providence doesn't mean it can't destroy a mere creature."
"I still have much to learn, Bishop."
The Earth was full of confusion.
The Moon held wisdom she longed to know but could not reach.
The Moon Sect was working for the world's sake.
Aram respected and loved that.
She felt proud to be part of it.
"I will become closer to perfection."
"Admirable."
So her fear could never be her top priority.
Aram studied and learned with all her might.
With the Moon Sect's support, her vessel had only barely expanded, and she could die at any moment.
She wasn't yet strong or big enough to fully contain the Moon.
If I'm fated to die young, then I'll enjoy even more while I can.
And she would leave behind as much as she could.
Knowledge lives on in permanent form and spreads to many kinds of beings.
Knowledge is an immortal concept.
If a part of that knowledge remained in the world, that would be enough.
Aram studied with everything she had.
And eventually, when the time came, she collapsed.
The Moon may have come to take her, for her mind went hazy.
And then, she met a man named Sergio.
"Today we're having French toast."
"French toast...?"
"I didn't think it'd be your first time. Is there a problem?"
"I just wondered if it's always this thick."
"Thicker is tastier."
"...That's true."
He often gave Aram delicious snacks.
...It really is tasty.
Soft, like a cloud melting on her tongue.
A fluffy texture that spread gently.
Egg batter soaked in just right, without any fishy scent.
The flavor of butter and milk.
Honey and cinnamon.
I can taste it.
Even if her vessel was imperfect, perhaps her potential wasn't completely lacking.
Over time, she could feel the mystery accumulating within her body.
Aram was drifting away from being human.
Even when she ate, it didn't feel like she had eaten.
She could still taste, but it was becoming dull.
It was because she was becoming divine.
There was no way divinity would be satisfied with mere mortal food.
The more her senses dulled, the less joy she found in physical pleasures.
Only knowledge brought her joy, and she had even nestled into the Moon's embrace.
Until...
"What is this? I've never had it before. It's amazing."
"It's just fruit from some dungeon, aged in sugar and fermented."
"You make 'fruit syrup' sound so complicated..."
"I wanted to make it sound fancy."
"Silly."
Before she realized it, she was enjoying gourmet food.
...Ah. I see now.
I had forgotten how to eat.
Forgetting what one learns is the kind of foolishness even novice priests of the Moon Sect avoid.
She remembered the feeling from when the bishop first taught her table manners.
How to hold utensils.
How to savor food.
How to enjoy a meal the most joyfully.
"...I'll remember it all."
"What do you mean?"
"The flavor, texture, and color of this toast you made. And all the other food you made before this. I won't forget any of it."
"Why?"
"Because when I become the Moon, I want to remember this."
She could not allow herself to forget how delicious food made by a mere creature could be.
She shouldn't.
A Saint was a little warming stone meant to heat the Moon, to make it gentler.
She wanted to fulfill that role fully.
Sergio the hunter asked her,
"Is that what you want?"
"Of course."
It was her pride, her choice.
"Someday I'll become the Moon and make the world more perfect. The great calamity only ended recently, so everyone is still struggling and confused, but once more knowledge is shared and people grow wiser, the world will be much better."
More perfect.
"That's why I won't forget."
"I hope you don't forget your mother either."
"..."
She choked up again.
"...I don't want to cry, so why do you keep making me cry..."
"If you want to make the Moon warmer and more perfect, you have to remember sorrow too."
"...You're right."
"Here, look. I won't turn you into a strange girl."
He was such a kind person.
"You need to live a life with no regrets."
"I've never regretted anything... not once, up till now..."
"Mature, aren't you."
He even sighed a little.
"You really did grow up too fast."
"It's because I'm special."
"Then make sure you remember the emotions you can only get from being ordinary."
"I will."
"You can become anything."
"You can become anything."
"...Teacher..."
She became curious.
"What about you, Teacher?"
"Me?"
"...Don't you want to remain human?"
"Hmm. My father doesn't absorb me."
"But I can feel it."
It was an instinctive sense.
She had never experienced anything like it before, but somehow, she knew.
The man before her was a Saint.
And maybe, just maybe, he had already gone beyond humanity.
"You too... you're already filled with mystery..."
"Overflowing, right?"
"..."
"Yet still just an ordinary person. °• N v l i g h t •° That's my special trait."
"That doesn't make any sense..."
"I've always been human."
"Did you choose that path?"
"For me, the path isn't what matters."
That was a foreign idea to Aram, who had spent her whole life choosing just one path.
"But don't beings like us become disasters if we don't choose a path?"
"A disaster is still a disaster, but even those come in many kinds. The important thing is not to cross the line, Aram."
Her teacher had no expectations of her—nor disappointments.
He simply looked at her with gentle eyes.
If something was wrong, he helped her correct it.
If something needed improvement, he pointed it out.
To Aram, that felt impossibly sweet.
A sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time.
A feeling like her feet were firmly on the ground.
"I really want you to stay here, Teacher. I want to talk to you every day, without missing a single one, and I want you to keep making delicious food like this forever."
Someone equal to her.
Not pitying her, not expecting things from her, just... being there.
"But I guess that's too much to ask."
"You're not greedy, even at the end."
"...Then just this once, I'll be greedy."
"What is it?"
"Can I become your student?"
"..."
For the first time, he didn't reply.
He couldn't.
"...Did I make things hard for you?"
"...Not really."
He looked a little sad.
"I just never thought I'd be in a position to take on a student."
"I want to learn how to live from you, just like I learned from the Bishop."
"No, Aram. What you'll learn from me is how to lean on someone. How to let go."
"...Isn't that a waste?"
"You'll have to learn that too."
He smiled.
"If you want to become perfect."
"...I'll do it."
"I'm looking forward to the day you laugh like a child who's nothing at all."
"Can I really do that?"
"Of course. You're full of talent."
His encouragement was so warm.
"You can become anything."
And with that, the fear faded.
She felt like crying.
One day, I might regret this...
She was scared.
***
"The Saint looked very peaceful."
The bishop still felt conflicting emotions.
She wanted the Saint to walk the path of divinity and lead the Moon Sect to new heights.
But she also wanted the girl she had cherished like a daughter to live a happy, peaceful life.
"In the end, the choice is hers."
"She will choose well."
Gio smiled.
"She can do anything."
It was time for the wicked Demon King to appear.
-x-X-x-
Scratch, scratch—
Countless quills floated in the air, scribbling across sheets of paper.
"..."
Eventually, their owner—Bishop Bae Seo-Gyeong—let out a long sigh.
"Hoo..."
As if responding to her, the quills slowly descended, settling one by one atop the desk.
The desk, long and vast like a banquet table, easily accommodated the many objects.
There's no easy answer.
The paper, thickly stacked to a plush softness, was filled with densely written text.
It described the relationship between humanity and divinity.
There were notes about human limitations.
And also, tales of when humans became /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ divine, or when divinity took on human form.
"..."
Bae Seo-Gyeong stood quietly, watching.
The Saint's condition has stabilized significantly.
Hunter Sergio had said he'd restored the balance between her mind and body.
That meant the Saint's fate would be decided when the scale tipped—toward humanity or mystery.
...But still, just a little more... There's still so much the Saint hasn't learned...
No, that's not it.
...Those are just excuses.
The Saint was the most learned scholar in the entire Moon Sect.
Bae Seo-Gyeong knew the effort she had put in, the accomplishments she had shown.
To ignore that would be to dismiss the Saint herself.
"...It's not even a matter I'm worthy of agonizing over."
In the end, all choices would be made by the Saint.
I must trust her judgment.
Whether she polished herself further and became the Moon in full divinity, or chose to live a peaceful life of learning as she was now—or even walked a different path altogether—that, too, must unfold according to the Saint's will.
And yet, why do I... hesitate like this?
She didn't even know what she was hesitating over.
Why? Over what? What do I think I'll do?
Even now, with the moon about to set, she could not sleep.
"..."
In the end, it was all meaningless.
"A mere creature like me..."
No matter how hard she tried, she could never match the Master's knowledge.
She could never be wiser than the Moon.
She could never accomplish as much as a Saint.
To know all that and still act so foolishly—it only proved her own shortcomings.
And yet, she kept thinking.
...If I could become just a little more perfect.
Then—
Could I stay by her side?
That question the Saint had once asked while seated in her place.
When she asked if the Moon's embrace was just as terrifying, Bae Seo-Gyeong had only chastised her.
Called her foolish.
Told her to become more perfect.
Said she had to warm the Moon.
"...Ugh."
The hand braced against the desk trembled violently.
"Guh—ugh, kegh—kehhk..."
She clutched the desk and collapsed into a crouch.
How many times must I repeat this?
The nausea choked her.
She had already sent off three Saints from Korea alone.
Some had become divine.
Some remained human.
Some were publicly announced.
Some remained hidden.
Through them, Bae Seo-Gyeong had come to know—even providence can be horrifying.
Especially when providence and humankind came into contact.
How many more times must this repeat before the world improves?
It was so awful, she couldn't even imagine breaking the cycle.
All she could do was hope, desperately, that somewhere, someday, an end awaited.
Bae Seo-Gyeong had been born before the Great Calamity.)
What once was the worst she'd known had become today's best.
If only they could return things to the way they were before.
If only—she'd give everything for that.
If only I had the qualifications to be a Saint.
It wasn't a thought unique to her.
Many who joined the Moon Sect thought the same.
Let's mend the world through the vast knowledge of the cosmos. Let's make it better. Even just a little faster.
If only it were me... me instead of them...
Only then could they avoid passing this horror onto future generations.
The present sacrifice was for the sake of the future.
"..."
She steadied her breath and returned to her usual cold expression.
...It's all meaningless.
Bae Seo-Gyeong stood up.
She straightened her crumpled clothes.
Cleaned what was soiled.
Corrected her disheveled appearance.
The bishop was the one who soothed and guided the order.
Among humans, she had to be the most perfect.
This research is meaningless.
Without a proper vessel, Bae Seo-Gyeong could not become a Saint.
She could not become divine.
She couldn't even contain mystery beyond a certain threshold.
No matter how hard she tried, she was still human.
She could never become a star that remained beside the moon that was the Saint.
The Saint is doing excellently. She has confidence in her path, pride in herself. Showing lingering human attachment now would only be unpleasant. What good would it do to have some half-formed star forced to remain by that noble moon's side?
If she couldn't truly help, the least she could do was stay out of the way.
This was the Moon Sect.
They affirmed all knowledge and emotion.
They had a duty to acquire more diverse wisdom.
More than anything, this is just my own satisfaction. It's not an act of respect toward the Saint. I can't let my selfishness ruin everything.
Bae Seo-Gyeong looked at the research scattered across the desk.
"..."
Surrounding her were filth and scraps torn from her own flesh and blood.
"...I have to clean this up."
This wasn't helping anyone.
Once she made up her mind, the fatigue hit her all at once.
She doubted she'd be able to see the Saint tomorrow due to the need for rest.
The bishop waved her hand, lightly cleaning the laboratory.
She'd sort out which documents to burn tomorrow.
After offering a prayer, I'll rest right away.
She'd foolishly overexerted herself from impatience.
The Saint's path will be decided by fate... how foolish of me to be so attached.
The Moon Sect respected the freedom of the order's four ranks.
Even stepping down from the priesthood was allowed, as long as one's memories were erased.
Among their few rules was this: to report one's day to the Moon before going to sleep.
The bishop stepped into the prayer room.
"..."
A space shaped like a giant pupil, it felt like staring into the night sky.
The dark ceiling had no visible end, and the floor—nearly imperceptible—was a clear lake.
A pitch-black night with no moon, no stars, no clouds.
It was a mystical space designed for communion with the Moon.
If one was lucky, they could sometimes meet the Master on the lake's surface.
He's not here again today.
The Saint's recent poor condition must've played a role.
Without the Saint to act as a medium, even glimpsing the Master was difficult.
The bishop knelt in a terrace-like space.
May the meager knowledge I gained today also be contained within the Moon...
She stayed there for a long time.
"..."
"..."
"...?"
The bishop opened her eyes at the light seeping in through her eyelids.
"...Ah."
A pure white, round moon.
And then, she saw something.
***
It was half a head.
No brain, no eyes, no ears.
It looked like the base of a shattered porcelain jar.
Inside, a golden liquid shimmered, pouring out like a gentle stream.
It flowed past lips curled into a smile.
It had six arms.
The topmost pair held the skull of a ram with geometric horns atop the half-head.
The middle arms cradled the sacred moon like a child.
The lowest arms were spread wide, golden eyes embedded in their palms, gazing down at the world.
Its legs were wrapped in a tail.
Delicate fur, billowing like silk curtains.
The red tail looked like an animal's, or a crafted ornament, or the aurora in the sky.
It seemed tangible, yet possibly illusion.
It wrapped around the left leg, which was folded as if in a meditation pose.
"..."
Its radiance formed crimson wings.
Soaked in blood, dripping heavily, falling—or seeping—into the lake below.
Like countless feathers mercilessly ripped from a bird, each cut coarse and frayed.
So many, they trembled in agony—or perhaps convulsed in laughter.
"..."
Its voice—its numbers and its time—were unknowable.
"Little beast."
Who was speaking?
How many?
From the past?
The present?
The future?
"I, who sleep in the final coffin, speak."
"Pitiful thing."
"Whose belief is yours?"
"To not even know your own feelings."
"Are you angry?"
"What a shame."
"You've been tamed."
"Never learned, did you?"
"Beg me!"
"Was what you thought conviction truly so?"
"You are afraid."
"Were you not born human?"
"What are you doing?"
"Joy should be enough!"
"Seems you've never learned."
"If you cannot feel anger, how are you human?"
"Not obsession, not conviction."
"Not even malice."
"Look at the world."
"Rejoice!"
"Rage."
"If not that, then you, little beast..."
"What can you do?"
"So very small."
"...That was a long dream."
"I shall speak more with your master."
"Now awaken."
"The moon has set."
***
"—Bishop."
"..."
"Bishop?"
The voice of a fellow ranked priest roused her.
"..."
"Why are you sweating so much?"
"...Just now, I..."
"Did you... see the Master?"
"I..."
Her breath quivered.
"..."
The world returned to her eyes.
The pitch-black prayer room, still empty.
The fellow priest who came looking, worried she hadn't returned.
The clock on the terrace wall.
She must have dreamed while praying.
But—was it really a dream?
"...What did I see?"
And what did I hear?
***
"I understand."
"What is it you understand?"
"I understand everything the Moon Sect has done."
"That is..."
Looking at the portrait, Joo-Hyun tilted her head.
"Isn't it a horrifying human sacrifice?"
"I acknowledge your words."
"I didn't think you'd approve, Gio."
"I do not approve of it."
"Ah."
"I set aside personal likes and dislikes to comprehend the reason behind its existence."
There was no such thing as absolute right and wrong in the fate of the world.
Did every branching path grow by checking against human ethics and morality?
"People are diverse. Their limits vary wildly. Beings capable of thought endlessly generate variables. Everyone calls that fate, but I think it's simply a natural flow."
Fate wasn't some grand concept.
"If a child who loves cake grows up in an environment where they can never eat it, they're more likely to obsess over cake. What do you think of that, Joo-Hyun?"
"You're right, Gio."
"All flows in the world are like that."
"I understand that too."
"The Moon Sect is no different."
Gio defined it as unfortunate.
"They don't even realize it's a sin."
It was only natural.
The Great Calamity had stolen all prior ethics and morality.
Now, people only mimicked such things.
They continued to discard much for the survival of themselves and their loved ones.
Neither personal preference, nor the morality of belief, nor any other concepts in the world—people understood none of them properly.
They were like newborns.
And not just the Moon Sect.
"During the Great Calamity, the Moon Sect discovered a way to end tragedy even a little faster. A Saint of the Moon Sect became divine and warmed the Moon. What do you think of that?"
"...I, too, want today's tragedies to end as soon as possible. But I don't want to offer up healthy people as sacrifices like the Moon Sect did. That's just disgusting."
Joo-Hyun let out a dry laugh.
"Peace gained that way means nothing."
"No one ever told the Moon Sect that."
"Shouldn't they have realized on their own by now?"
"They should have. But many never did, and that's how the world ended up this way."
"...You're right. The Research Facility's the same."
"Far more people live without realizing what sin even is."
Even if it was the road to destruction, people were too busy to see past their own feet.
And those who looked too far ahead couldn't even see what was near.
"The sinner is clear, but the origin of the sin is murky."
Who was the first to go wrong?
"The Great Calamity, merely a natural disaster?"
Or the Moon Sect's first Saint, who sacrificed themself for the future?
"Later Saints, who recognized the sin but mistook it for noble sacrifice?"
"The priests who, hidden behind lofty ideals, began to justify both their own and others' sacrifices?"
"...I don't know."
"That's right. Everyone in the Moon Sect is both victim and sinner. They committed sin in every part of fate. People commit large and small sins throughout life."
"But isn't the Moon Sect's sin too great?"
"Sin can only be eradicated by pulling it out at the root. What do you think of that, Joo-Hyun?"
"But... we can't even find the root."
Each year, the new initiates of the Moon Sect vary.
Some join for food and shelter.
Some because they don't want to be alone.
Some for honor.
Some seek more wisdom.
Some want to become perfect.
Most of them are children.
All of the Moon Sect's priests grew up there from a young age.
Children who craved knowledge and honor became the Moon Sect's adults.
Beginning and end—whose fault was it?
"Now, the Moon Sect faces two fates."
"What are they?"
"Learning... or punishment."
"And you're the one who can deliver either, aren't you, Gio?"
"I can deliver neither."
But Argio had opened the floodgate.
"For now... we'll start with the head."
The upper water must tremble for the lower water to ripple.
"A cult priest tempted by the whispers of an evil god... I think that's a pretty entertaining cliché."
"I don't know the full story, but... let us say farewell to the Moon Sect's bishop's fate..."
-x-X-x-
"..."
The bishop, after wandering the archives for quite some time, finally parted her lips.
"...Nothing."
No matter how much she searched, there was no trace of it.
Who in the world was that being I saw before dawn?
She wanted to believe it was just a dream. But she couldn't call it ordinary.
It was just like facing the Master who dwelled within the Saint—or no, even more bizarre and ominous than that...
She could still vividly recall the sensation from when that strange entity's language crashed over her like waves. That was no dream.
It said the moon has set.
A message clearly directed at the Moon Sect.
And the second hand of that creature held what unmistakably looked like the form of the Master...
Each of the four ranks described the Moon's appearance differently. Some called it a round mirror. Others, a transparent orb. Still others said it was a sphere made of overlapping rings.
The only thing they agreed on was its spherical form. Nothing more.
But the bishop knew.
What she had seen that day—was the Moon.
That white, cold, and luminously beautiful thing.
...Which means that red being I saw wasn't just a mere hallucination either...
But nowhere could she find any information.
"...There's no way a being of that scale doesn't have a history."
Divine beings grow stronger through fate. The more stories are attached to them, the more presence they have.
To say "the moon has set," and to hold the Moon in its hand—it had to be an entity of immense power.
Yet the Moon Sect has no record of it.
She had checked everything, from the most ancient deities to the infamous evil gods.
She even looked into mysteries that were not divine in nature.
But nothing. Not even in the archive of the Moon Sect, where all manner of knowledge and wisdom gathered.
Half a head. Thick golden blood. Three pairs of arms... and wings made of broken light...
She even considered the possibility it had changed form—but that felt too convenient.
I asked the Association, but they gave me no answers either.
Only one possibility remained.
"..."
A new evil god has arrived on Earth.
And it has set its sights on the Moon.
While the public remained unaware, the global Hunter Associations constantly compiled and protected numerous secrets. Mysteries were no exception.
And yet, even they had no answer.
Which meant a new calamity.
"...We're in trouble now..."
The confidential archive was still and silent.
Only the bishop and the Saint were permitted entry.
She slumped into the nearest chair.
"What's going to happen to the world..."
Even as she said that aloud, her thoughts whirled.
...That entity was clearly an evil god. But what is its goal? Entertainment? A scheme? Whatever it is, it's clearly a great threat to this already unstable Earth.
Her head pounded.
Still, a divine presence always has a reason for walking. And even if it doesn't... it eventually finds one. But why was the first thing it did to hold the Moon in its hand? For amusement? Or something else entirely...?
If only she had more data. But she'd only seen the being once.
During the war with the merfolk, the Sun Church confirmed an intrusion by the evil god Sankallut. Korea is one of the few nations still maintaining human civilization on Earth. And in the capital are two major religions. One was invaded—but it recovered. Could it be... that the evil forces are coordinating their schemes?
The merfolk, said to have accumulated sin great enough to rival divinity. Sankallut, the evil god who violated the Sun Church. And now, a red divine being invading the Moon Sect.
Perhaps it was time for the religious world to prepare for war.
But the issue with the merfolk was resolved well. The Collector played a major role. And even though the evil god Sankallut invaded the Sun Church, all it did was abduct a single trainee. It had only one or two contacts beyond that... and in the end, it was said that Cha I-Sol overcame it by forming a contract with the Black Cloak.
If so—
"...Was that red being behind the merfolk and Sankallut?"
It was too soon to conclude, but if framed as a hypothesis—it was plausible.
The war with the merfolk could have lasted years longer.
Sankallut's schemes could have been far more wicked.
Yet the problems were resolved with little damage.
The Moon Sect believed the Black Cloak had greatly helped.
But what if there was something more?
What if the red evil god was behind those other evil forces?
What if all the chaos on Earth had been orchestrated just as a prelude for something greater?
It was only a hypothesis. Nothing certain.
Still, the dispatch team had reported something.
They said the merfolk kept trying to divert the Black Cloak's attention by abducting his child.
There was clear tension between the merfolk and the Black Cloak.
And if the merfolk, Sankallut, and the red god were aligned...
Sankallut, ever impatient, concluded its invasion of the Sun Church with a mere abduction. It must have been ordered. And if that order came from the red god I saw—then things are even more complicated.
At this point, she found herself wondering again.
What's its purpose?
Why did it show itself to me?
"..."
Then she suddenly flushed with shame.
...Did it think I'd be the one to betray the Master?
On the day she saw the Moon in the hands of the red god, she hadn't felt rage—only confusion.
And beyond that confusion... she had felt relief.
If the Moon were to truly fall... maybe that child could finally live as a human.
She had never imagined a world without the Moon.
But after seeing that vision, she couldn't help but think of the Saint.
The way she writhed in pain, trapped between humanity and divinity, was still fresh in her mind.
...Was it because I thought something so blasphemous... that I was chosen?
It made her feel sick.
No matter how much she checked, no one else had seen the red evil god.
There ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) was no record of it on Earth.
Of all people—why her?
Divinity might not have much meaning for the divine themselves.
But to a human, to be chosen meant everything.
For a bishop of a traditional deity to be chosen by an evil god... A person who couldn't even become a Saint, who watched countless Moons fade away, who was always left behind in this temple... now chosen by an evil god...
But another thought crept in.
"..."
Maybe it's for the best.
...If I betray the Master, erase the Moon from Earth—erase the Moon Sect itself...
Then maybe...
"...I'm overthinking things."
She'd been pushing herself too hard these past few days.
Her thoughts had become strange.
The bishop waved her hand and returned the archive to order.
Just in case the Saint entered, nothing should seem out of place.
That she had heard the voice of an evil god—that had to remain a strict secret.
Whatever happens, I should inform my trusted aides.
She didn't know for certain if the red god wanted a bishop who would betray the Moon.
But the Moon Sect was still needed on Earth.
To pass on a better world to the next generation.
So even if the bishop became mad with emotion and attachment, someone needed to be able to stop her.
They needed capable people.
With that thought, she finished tidying the archive and stepped outside.
She walked for a long time down a long hallway.
"..."
"B-Bishop?!"
And then—she ran into the Saint, holding a basket.
"...Saint? What brings you out into the hallway?"
As she approached, the gathered priests stepped aside.
"What's with all this commotion?"
"Th-that is... I, uh, it's nothing serious. This wasn't supposed to become such a scene...!"
"You seem very flustered. Please, calm down."
In the bishop's line of sight, she spotted Sergio, smiling quietly.
"Hunter Sergio... You seem to know what's going on here?"
"Since I caused it, how could I not?"
"Ah. Then may I ask... what exactly happened?"
"We baked cookies in the kitchen."
"Cookies?"
Now that she looked, the basket the Saint held was filled with cookies.
"...I knew you sometimes cooked or made snacks..."
Everyone knew Hunter Sergio was serious about food.
Unlike the Moon Sect priests, who often skipped meals if not for research, he frequently visited the empty kitchen.
"I suppose it makes sense for you. But why the Saint?"
"She cooked with me."
"Ah..."
A strange feeling crept in.
"I didn't think you'd be interested in such things."
"It was more like... studying, than interest..."
Perhaps because she had caused such a rare stir in the normally quiet Moon Sect, the Saint's cheeks were red.
She looked visibly flustered.
Trying to collect herself, she explained.
"Ahem. After I nearly transformed into divinity last time without any preparation, I belatedly realized how little I had truly learned. All I really knew was scattered theory."
"That's not knowledge to belittle."
"Of course, I take pride in the wisdom I've accumulated. But to teach the Moon more... I thought I needed some practical knowledge too—things I'd never tried before."
"So you cooked yourself?"
"Yes. Teacher said he'd help, so we went to the kitchen together."
"No wonder things have been lively in the temple lately."
A tired smile broke through the bishop's weariness.
So this is what you've been doing.
Perhaps because she was unusually exhausted, she found herself smiling—unaware it came from a place of pride and affection.
"I also heard you started a flowerbed in a sunlit bedroom. And that you made Gyeongbokgung out of origami. This cookie distribution must be part of that experience-building too?"
"I'm sorry if I've caused any trouble while you've been so busy lately, Bishop..."
"It's lovely to see."
Her heart felt light for the first time in a long while.
"Thank you as well, Hunter Sergio. As you know, we of the four ranks know only how to study. We have no experience with such activities. Without you, the Saint likely wouldn't have even thought to learn these things."
"I only helped distribute some cookies."
One of the nearby priests murmured,
"Only? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get cookies made by two Saints."
"To say only in such a heartwarming moment—what kind of man are you? These cookies were made by the Saint's tiny hands! Is that all you have to say as a grown man?!"
"The cookies you shared—uh, we kept them as specimens for study...!"
"If it's not going into your stomach, hand it over."
Another priest asked,
"If I eat it first, then study it—is that allowed?"
"Just hand it over."
"No...! My precious research specimen...!!"
"Creepy."
As the adults squabbled, the Saint approached the bishop.
"Um, Bishop."
"..."
"Bishop...?"
"Ah, yes. It was such a rare sight, I got distracted. What is it?"
"This is a snack I made for you."
It was a slightly lumpy cookie shaped like a rabbit, wrapped in clear plastic.
"You've seemed holed up in research lately. It's not much, but I made something sweet that you could eat easily. If... if you don't skip meals, that would be even better..."
The Saint's cheeks were flushed red as she spoke.
"..."
A child's face, robbed of the chance to grow.
"...Thank you. I'll try to take better care of my meals."
"! Then I have nothing more to ask."
"To think—the Saint who once refused even a spoonful of porridge would now be giving such advice... This priest is deeply moved."
"T-that's because... back then, I still had so much to learn...!"
"No."
The bishop reached out to brush her pale, bleached hair—but flinched, her hand trembling, stopping short.
Her hand, hidden beneath her flowing sleeve, clenched so tightly it drew blood.
"You did nothing wrong."
"I was just too stubborn..."
"Not at all."
This child's first priority was never her own fear.
"Thank you for the gift."
All that failed research...
The star beside the Moon.
Maybe, with the help of divinity—it could become possible.
***
Argio said,
"No, even after all I told them, they still haven't come to their senses."
Giovanni said,
"Well, a frog stuck in a well can't easily imagine the world outside."
"But still! How could they have shown no growth at all, friend?"
"That child is doing her best. She's swaying diligently just as you push her. I think you should be proud. She's following along far better than expected."
"If I shake her a bit more, maybe she'll start walking the right path..."
Sergio said,
"Can we go eat now?"
"Let's do that."
"Let's."
And so, "Gio" decided to take the bishop and the Saint with him—to go eat.
-x-X-x-
Lately, Gio had been exposing the Saintess to various new experiences.
"So this is...?"
"Yes."
Gio smiled brightly.
"Isn't it good? Tteokbokki?"
"I heard it used to be sold frequently in Korea before the Cataclysm."
"Nowadays it's hard to find, which breaks my heart."
"Nowadays...? Hunter Sergio, how old are you again?"
"That's ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ not important. What matters is the tteokbokki in front of us."
"Ah, right."
The bishop looked down at the tteokbokki sitting on the white plate.
"Our order never had rice cakes, did we?"
"I prepared and supplied them myself. It had been a long time since I made rice cakes, so I was worried—but they turned out well."
At that, Aram's eyes sparkled.
"It's my first time eating tteokbokki."
Gio's face hardened.
"First time?"
"Yes, rice cakes are hard to come by."
More than anything, the Moon Sect wasn't the type to care about cuisine. Unless it was a research subject, food was merely fuel to them. Luxuries like rice cakes rarely came in.
"I probably could've ordered some if I'd asked, but... most people just said they'd rather spend on research materials than food."
Had even one person said, 'Actually, I'd really like to eat this,' the item would've been procured. The Moon Sect wasn't a poor, destitute group by any means. But not a single person had ever said such a thing.
Gio's expression turned deeply pained.
"No wonder your storage room always looked barren..."
"Barren, you say?"
The bishop looked flustered. From her perspective, overseeing the entire order, it had always seemed sufficient. The brothers and sisters in charge of cleaning and cooking had never complained either. It was Hunter Sergio's reaction that felt strange.
But Gio had already taken it as a calling.
"Then shall we eat before it gets cold?"
These bone-headed researchers needed to be turned into pigs. That would surely be the shortcut to world peace.
"I'm embarrassed to say, it's been a while since I made this, so I don't know if I captured the true spirit of a market snack."
"Market...?"
"The Saintess seemed interested in food culture before the Cataclysm, so I picked something you'd commonly find back then. Sweet tteokbokki, with tempura, sundae, and liver on the side."
"You really seem to know a lot about pre-Cataclysm cuisine."
These were dishes that were almost impossible to find nowadays.
"Did you study it?"
"In a way, yes."
Gio smiled and thought to himself.
'These Moon Sect people really can't think of anything unless it's framed as study, huh.'
He just liked eating good food, that was all.
Had it been before the Cataclysm, these people would've all gone to Harvard. Perhaps it was the Moon Sect's unique sense of duty—"Let us enrich the world through knowledge and wisdom." But really, it seemed like they just enjoyed studying.
'No wonder they became so insular.'
Geniuses were like that sometimes. They struggled to interact with the world because everyone else was just too slow. It must've been maddening to watch people fumble around confirming what was already obvious.
And so, such geniuses spent their lives locked in one place. The people of the Moon Sect ended up applying their own logic to everyone else: "Since we're like this, you must be too."
'Severe lack of social skills.'
You pathetic little frogs, stuck in a well.
'The well was simply too big, and that became its own poison.'
But not to worry. Gio was already prepared to grab them by the scruff and drag them outside. Whether it fit or not, they needed to mingle with the rest of the world to even begin to understand what didn't fit.
"Does it suit your taste? You didn't seem used to spicy seasoning, so I made it as sweet as I could..."
"IT'S SPICY!!!"
"Oh dear."
Aram shot up from her seat and rushed out, pouring bottled water into her mouth. Gio, who had been about to pour her a glass of sweet juice, hesitated. Then gently placed the filled glass in front of the trembling bishop.
"I really did try to make it sweet..."
"...Thank you..."
"I didn't expect such a total lack of spice resistance."
"Our order rarely uses spices in food, so..."
"And why is that?"
"Strong flavors and scents are said to interfere with thinking..."
"Why though?"
Look at these poor little lambs. They truly didn't understand the joy of good food. Even when Gio had looked over their food storage before, he'd thought, 'This is a bit bleak,' but this was on another level.
'...Has the average Korean tolerance for spice dropped?'
Come to think of it, making gochugaru does take quite a bit of time and effort. Everything these days was homemade. Growing peppers, drying them, removing the stems and seeds, grinding them—that was all money.
'There's definitely been a drop in the demand and supply of spicy ingredients...'
Collectors were rich, but based on what Joo-Hyun had told him, ordinary people barely ate anything more exciting than temple food. Opportunities to enjoy vivid flavors had generally decreased.
"...Hmm..."
Still, the Moon Sect was extreme.
"I should've made it even sweeter."
"No, it was perfectly delicious."
The bishop, who had calmly managed the pain on her tongue from the beginning, recovered fully with just one cup of juice. Holding the glass delicately in both hands, she spoke.
"Any sweeter, and the flavor balance would've been ruined."
"Thank you for understanding my intention."
Returning to the table, Aram paled as she took the juice.
"...Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever eaten anything spicy before."
"And this is what the Moon Sect that values knowledge has been doing?"
"No, I knew what the taste was like. As a novice, we're taught about our own bodies first, so of course I'd had some experience with taste."
"To better manage yourselves."
"That's why I've felt spicy sensations before... but eating it as food..."
"So that's where the 'almost first time' came from."
She was basically a newborn.
"If it's too spicy, trying the tempura might help. I like dipping it lightly in the tteokbokki sauce before eating. That way it's much less spicy. And the texture's fun too."
"Oh, the sweet potato tempura is good. Maybe because it's sweet, it feels way less spicy. The batter is really crispy. And the sweet potato inside crumbles softly..."
"Isn't it?"
The fact that Aram could already describe it like this proved she had the makings of a pig.
'She's discovered the true flavor of sweet potato tempura.'
For the record, Gio's favorite staple crop was sweet potato.
"..."
Watching her, the bishop asked,
"Saintess, does it suit your taste?"
"The more I eat it, the more addictive it is."
"I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself."
"...D-Did I overindulge in gluttony?"
"Hardly something you'd call gluttony."
But suddenly, the bishop had a thought.
"...Maybe next time, we should try eating out."
She felt compelled to let her experience even more.
'I'm still not sure what I want to do with all this, but...'
Watching the Saintess live like a real person made her brain go completely white.
Whether that was a good or bad thing, she didn't know. But if the Saintess was the one choosing, then maybe it wasn't bad. After all, Hunter Sergio, an adult like her, freely pursued whatever he felt like.
'Yes. It'll be fine.'
Even so, her chest felt heavy.
"..."
She would need to offer a prayer to the Moon.
***
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Yoo Seong-Woon covered his mouth.
"What is that?"
"It's the Moon."
"Why are you holding it?"
"It's a hostage."
"...Why?"
"With a proper teacher to grant knowledge, there'd be no foolishness."
"..."
At those words, Yoo Seong-Woon muttered to himself.
"...You really do have a villain streak..."
"Well spotted, my friend."
Argio smiled brightly from behind the portrait.
"Say hello. This is our newly acquainted friend, the Moon."
A tiny moon the size of a crystal orb shimmered in Gio's palm. It even seemed to wave at Yoo Seong-Woon. His eyes narrowed at the moon drawn inside the painting.
"Gio, I feel like you're misunderstanding something here, so let me clarify—friends are people who build trust with mutual consent."
"I didn't kidnap, threaten, or brainwash it. I know very well how you see me, but I promise, nothing that scary happened."
Gio had simply had a conversation with the Moon.
"That's how people get close—by talking."
"So this is your new divine friend?"
"Yes. It felt like a massive AI born in the cosmos... Determining its actions and knowledge-sharing based on an immense data set. It was fascinating."
"In that sense, it's kind of like you."
"Like me?"
"You're constantly fusing with the 'Gio' that suits you best and evolving."
Yoo Seong-Woon thought to himself.
'Maybe that's why he's gotten so much better at mimicking humans.'
Even lies—which a divine being of order shouldn't be able to tell—he'd become quite good at now.
"If I think of it that way, I wonder... will this Moon one day become a divine being capable of lying?"
"Hmm, people do call that an evil god."
"It's the fastest way to distinguish between traditional gods and evil ones."
"But who knows what this friend will become?"
Gio grinned.
"You're surprisingly not shocked."
"I've just... accepted that this is how far things were bound to go."
Please, don't go abducting divine beings from other people's religions.
'Not that this guy would ever listen to me anyway.'
Even when he first mentioned a religious war, Yoo Seong-Woon had felt it—he was going to cause some kind of massive incident. At least it wouldn't harm Earth, so he'd mentally prepared himself to handle the cleanup.
"Thank goodness it's not the kind of being that would get talked about in rumors."
"Is there even a kind that would?"
"The Moon Sect doesn't have a physical manifestation of divinity, right? And unless it's the Saintess herself, direct communication's impossible. And she's been so focused on recovery she wouldn't notice anything missing..."
"I brought it precisely to spread rumors."
"..."
Yoo Seong-Woon reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of candy. He popped it into his mouth and crunched down.
"Alright, so what are you planning now?"
"Oh my. Did you just finish that candy in one second? Careful, you'll get diabetes. Watch out for adult diseases, okay?"
"Before diabetes catches me, I'll burn all the sugar as energy. So, what's your plan?"
"Word will start to spread that something's wrong with the Moon."
"And then?"
"It'll be time for my new friends to arrive."
Argio looked absolutely delighted.
"Do you like amusement parks?"
"...Well..."
It was a good look on him. Yoo Seong-Woon smiled faintly.
"I don't hate them."
***
"...?"
A man asked with a dazed expression.
"...What is this, exactly?"
"An advertisement!"
"No, I mean..."
"I promise you won't regret it."
"Uh, uh... uh..."
The man looked uneasily at the woman dressed as a fox. Perky ears, a fluffy tail, and a long, neat maid outfit that didn't reveal a thing.
'That's... niche.'
He glanced back at the flyer.
We Invite You to the Amusement Park of Dreams!
Are you weary from this harsh world?
Do you have dreams you gave up on because of reality?
Have you been putting off rest because work won't let you breathe?
Then come to us!
Here, everything you've ever wanted awaits you!
Imagine yourself spending money freely.
Imagine yourself surrounded by adorable animals.
Imagine yourself healthy, with wings, flying freely through the sky.
No matter how ridiculous or absurd your dream is, it's welcome here.
We will give you the dream of freedom from your boring everyday life.
All you have to do is this:View the correct content at
1. Before sleeping, place a note with your dream under your pillow.
2. Whatever happens, enjoy the dream to the fullest!
That's all!
To those who dream, the world belongs.
"...So, what is this really..."
The man looked up—but the strange fox maid was already gone.
"...Huh?"
What the hell? A hunter?
'Or... a monster...?'
But monsters handing out flyers to humans made no sense. Maybe it was just a hunter using an unusual marketing strategy. He calmed his startled heart.
Flyers like this showed up often in random alleyways.
'All those conditions... probably just a service using their skill. The world's gotten weird—hunters doing business with their skills...'
There were plenty of hunters who built businesses using intangible abilities. So the man didn't think too much of it. He wasn't about to try it himself, but it wasn't the first time he'd been approached with something strange.
And then, a few days later, prompted by a colleague, he actually followed the instructions from the flyer.
"..."
His eyes lit up in awe.
"...It—it really... really works."
His mouth stretched wide into a grin.
"This is insane."
And then, a few more days later, the government issued an official safety notice to citizens:
A dungeon named "Amusement Park of Dreams" is spreading rapidly. Do not engage. Keep your distance.
But the people didn't listen.
-x-X-x-
"So you popped the balloon after all!"
Bisa Beul grinned brightly.
"This was bound to happen eventually."
"You expected it?"
"Of course. It would've been harder not to know."
These were people who had spent nearly their entire lives without doing what they actually wanted. Odds were, they didn't even know what they wanted. And now, they were being handed "happy dreams with no side effects."
Of course they'd lose their minds, ignoring even the government's warnings.
"You seem unusually optimistic about it."
"Oh, I'm always watching over my son. So I can capture with these eyes whatever performance you put on, wherever, whenever."
"So how was this performance, Father? Did it suit your taste?"
"Of course!"
He looked thoroughly pleased.
Argio lounged across the long sofa in the guild master's office, gazing up at him. Bisa Beul stood leaning on his cane, staring down at Argio. Those bright yellow eyes glowed with persistence.
"Hmm."
He liked those eyes.
Seong-Woon and Giovanni both winced at Argio's thoughts, but Argio ignored them. He had always liked people who were fanatically passionate. Those were the ones who inevitably caused at least one major incident.
"Good. I'm feeling generous. I'll grant you an audience with this precious body of mine."
"Oh my, how gracious."
Bisa Beul didn't bother moving to sit across from him.
"I was impressed."
That was his first line.
"You see, the world is terribly boring. Everyone is so desperate to survive they no longer know what truly matters to them. They scramble to gather things that resemble happiness rather than actual joy. And all the while, they suffer."
"Because that's the only way they know how to live."
"Exactly. They don't know how to do anything but endure. It's a ridiculous world. Crammed into their little molds, they don't know what they like or hate, what they want or want to avoid. They waste their lives like that."
"Were you bored?"
"Oh, so bored. If it had at least descended into complete chaos, that might've been entertaining—but no. Just rows of toy soldiers crawling around, barely holding in their dissatisfaction."
"Tame people can't rebel."
"Right, because there's no reward for doing so."
Bisa Beul's lips curled faintly.
"But now, you've given them a reward."
The Black Cloak gives gifts to the kind.
"Look at the world the Black Cloak has created! Those empty-headed, arrogant moneybags have begun to think. The beggars trembling in the slums have started to hope. They're discovering courage."
"Because I offered them a gift."
"That was the beginning."
People who had only ever known suppression were learning how to be bold. Instead of hiding, they were starting to step forward. Even just one foot. This current situation was connected to that as well.
"They learned virtue... and now they're learning sin."
At Bisa Beul's words, Argio laughed.
"Are you trying to say I caused a disaster?"
"Disaster? Didn't I just say—it's a performance."
Everything was merely one scripted play.
"Those who opened up to virtue through the Black Cloak will find a better path even as they experience evil. And those who resisted or rejected the Black Cloak? They'll begin with evil first."
Still, Gio would never allow this play to actually create wicked people.
"In the end, Argio, I know you're a mystery who loves heroes and affirms goodness."
"And yet I'm called an evil god."
"Of course! You simply adore joy too much, don't you? Argio, the cruel beast who cherishes righteous fury more than anything. You don't shun the weak."
"You know me quite well."
"I have good eyes."
Eyes even a divine being would envy.
"In the end, things will improve. Yes, the world should be like this to be interesting! What joy is there in living like machines, suppressing both goodness and wickedness? Watching people ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) drift like rats in dirty alleys with no self—that disgusts me."
"So in the end, you're also chasing your own pleasure?"
"A society without change is nothing but a disposable tool, used and discarded. Where's the value in that? Without virtue or sin, there is no change. No resistance. No conflict. But if you teach them well this time... Professor Sergio."
As Gio returned to his black-haired Black Cloak form, Bisa Beul's eyes curved like crescent moons.
"Imagine how much more fun the world will become."
"..."
Looking up at him, Gio exhaled and said,
"I was wondering where that expression came from."
"My expression?"
"That smile on your face."
"Ah, yes."
Straightening his back, Bisa Beul chuckled.
"My curators likely smile just like this."
That occasionally unsettling smile that outsiders recoiled from—its origin was Bisa Beul himself. It hadn't been intentional, but over time, the curators had all come to resemble it. He quite liked it, so he simply let it be.
"By the way, you didn't deny the title of 'professor' just now."
"Because I am a professor."
"Even though your school is now rubble?"
"Seems you know about me."
"I've learned your name and face. It took a lot of work verifying your identity since it was from before the Cataclysm, but I picked up some small stories."
"From whom?"
"From your former students."
After a pause, Gio said,
"They're alive."
"Of course. But you didn't go to see them."
"I've been thinking."
"May I ask—thinking about what?"
"What I should do."
Whether they should consider him dead or alive. Whether his sudden reappearance would terrify them. Whether showing himself was the right thing... or a mistake.
"I haven't found an answer yet."
So he had buried it, for now.
"Guild Master Bisa Beul, you might not realize it, but I can be this pathetic sometimes."
"I'm awed by your thoughtfulness."
"You sure are comfortable saying burdensome things."
"And yet, you're the one who came all the way to my office, aren't you, son?"
"That's true."
As Gio ran a hand through his hair, it instantly turned red.
"I do enjoy teaching, Father."
"So you'd like to educate the entire Republic of Korea? That's quite the plan. I like it."
"There's something I realized through my time with the Moon Sect."
"Would you like to share?"
"People in this era... they're basically newborns."
He rubbed his chin.
"They don't know even the most basic things. Not knowing what you want is one thing, but... they don't know how to be angry, or cry, or laugh, or sing, or eat, or sleep, or walk, or see, or listen... Some of them have even forgotten how to breathe."
It wasn't like this in his time.
"So I'm teaching them slowly, step by step. I don't think it'll be much of a problem. You needn't worry. The ones who learned the value of connection from the Black Cloak won't crumble at the arrival of Argio, the so-called evil god."
"You seem so certain, but I wasn't worried in the slightest."
"That was me asking you to pretend to worry."
"What's the point in that?"
At last, Bisa Beul sat across from him on the sofa.
"So why did you come see me, specifically?"
"To look into those eyes again."
"Oh? My eyes?"
"Yes."
Gio's golden gaze fixed on Bisa Beul's.
"How did you come to possess them?"
"Oh dear, no comment."
"Are you getting along well with those eyes?"
"Of course! We've become horrifically close."
"How do I appear through them?"
"Hm, let's see..."
Bisa Beul feigned deep thought, then replied.
"Ah. How unexpected."
"How do I look?"
"You appear as a winged beast."
"Bullseye."
Argio smiled.
"Good to know your eyes are still intact."
He'd been ready to help if they weren't—but it seemed they were doing just fine.
***
"'Amusement Park of Dreams' is, indeed, a dungeon."
The bishop of the Moon Sect explained.
"From what we've gathered so far, there's truly a massive park-like space involved. Based on the condition—'write your wish on a note and place it under your pillow before sleeping'—we've classified it as a virtual dungeon."
If the condition was met, participants were pulled into the dungeon.
"Since the condition can't be fulfilled without the person's own will, there's no coercion involved. However, when we consider the appeal this offers to citizens exhausted by reality—the ability to safely do anything they want in a dream—it's not exactly reassuring."
"Is there any indication of people not waking up? Or taking longer to wake?"
"No such reports yet."
The Moon Sect had a close relationship with the Association. In events like this, they shared intel and cooperated. After a short briefing at the Association, the bishop addressed the senior brothers of the Moon Sect.
"It's too large in scale to be a personal or group skill. The space is also highly structured. Please review the documents we've distributed for more details. Our objective is to understand the structure of this dungeon—'Amusement Park of Dreams.'"
In other words, they were the lab rats.
"You may use any method you wish, so long as it satisfies you and doesn't cause major problems. As with the 'Nation of the Deep Sea' incident, we await your active research and reports."
"So we're allowed to try what's written on the flyer? It seems like the easiest and quickest method. And it says there are no side effects so far..."
"If anything poses a danger to your health or life, report it before attempting. Otherwise, proceed as usual. Please conduct your research discreetly to avoid public controversy."
"Understood."
The Moon Sect was, on the whole, quite excited. To them, dungeons and monsters were nothing more than fascinating research subjects. And a virtual dungeon with such kind conditions? Worth every bit of effort.
Amidst them, Hunter Sergio stood awkwardly, smiling.
"I just hope none of you try anything too dangerous..."
"Don't worry, Saint. If I really feel like I'm dying, I'll pray to my teacher..."
"If you pray, will the Moon save you?"
"He'll at least hear about my noble achievement before I die."
"I don't usually say this, but please show some restraint."
"It's all for the future of humanity..."
"Enough."
"Yes, sir."
The bishop cleared her throat, stepping in awkwardly.
"This situation must be rather uncomfortable for you, Hunter Sergio."
"The Collectors have a similar disregard for their own bodies, but maybe because of the guild master, they don't do anything too reckless. Still, it's hard to get used to. You're all such brilliant people..."
"They're good at thinking, but the Moon Sect isn't really made up of clever individuals. Still, if you set boundaries, they'll follow them. So there's no need to worry too much."
"I think you're the one who worries more than I do, Bishop."
"..."
A beat passed before she asked,
"...Me?"
"You haven't looked well lately."
"I haven't been sleeping well."
"Nightmares?"
"No, more like..."
She hesitated, then answered.
"It feels like I'm half-awake."
Lately, she had been dreaming of the evil god.
-x-X-x-
"Lately, the bishop's been acting strange."
"Ah... is that something I should be hearing?"
"You're a teacher, so it's fine."
"Feels like you're skipping a few steps here."
Gio was sitting on Aram's bed in the Moon Sect.
"If you're here to seek advice from your teacher, I'm happy to listen. Helping a student grow by hearing their troubles is part of the job, after all."
"Then I won't hold back. I've been too flustered to think objectively, and I can't just go around talking about the bishop—she's the pillar of the entire Moon Sect."
"So earnest."
Aram looked as if she were barely holding in a sigh.
"What I mean is... the bishop has changed."
"For example?"
"Well, she's been excluding me from major events."
"What kind of events are we talking about?"
"There was a meeting to discuss countermeasures for the new dungeon, and I wasn't invited. Normally, I'd be called to something like that, but this time, the bishop didn't even mention it."
"Maybe she wanted you to rest up, since you haven't fully recovered yet."
"I thought so too, but..."
When Aram hesitated, Gio filled in the words.
"It feels off, doesn't it?"
"...Yes. She always emphasized health, but this time it feels like it's dragging on. Haven't I gotten a lot healthier?"
"If a child you cared about like a daughter had been suffering for years in a form that was neither human nor divine, I'd want her to rest for a long time too. I'm sure I'm not the only one."
"That would make sense, but lately... she keeps looking at me. Like she's about to pat my head but then pulls her hand back. It's like, how do I put it..."
"Hmm."
Gio pretended to think.
"Feels unstable?"
"Maybe."
The bishop was always calm and serene. In other words, well-composed. But lately, her expression had been... off.
"She looks tired, like she's not sleeping well. And she's been wandering around the libraries of the Moon Sect like she's trying to absorb all of them. Some days she locks herself in her room and doesn't come out at all... and when she looks at me, it's like... she's uncomfortable."
It hurt.
"Getting upset over something like this just proves I've still got a long way to go."
"It's perfectly normal to feel hurt when someone close starts pulling away."
"I want to ask what's going on, but I feel like she's avoiding conversation. And she seems to be getting worse, so I'm really worried..."
"That's definitely something to worry about."
At that, Gio thought:
It's done.
Aram had no idea why the bishop was acting like this.
She hasn't even considered that the bishop is starting to look at her with human concern, like a parent would. And honestly, it's not like the bishop herself realizes it either...
If the Moon Sect's system collapsed, there'd be no need for Aram to succeed the Moon. That possibility alone had left the bishop anxious and unsettled—an effect intentionally triggered by the evil god Argio.
Even so, the irony wasn't lost on Gio.
Still, the way she's accidentally showing signs of affection only to back off again... it's pretty serious. Moon Sect priests really do lack social skills. That's for sure.
Gio gave Aram's back a gentle pat.
"I never got the sense that the bishop wanted to distance herself from you. Maybe she's worried about you but just doesn't know how to show it. So it comes across strange."
"If that's the case, then I'm relieved... and grateful."
"She has been looking rough lately."
"See? I told you."
"Maybe she's conducting some secret research?"
"..."
Aram's expression drooped.
"...I just feel uneasy."
"What's making you uneasy?"
"I feel like a lot is changing. Like I'm standing on the floor of a tall building about to collapse. Or sitting on a branch that's about to snap."
"That's... surprisingly specific."
Was this the famous instinct of a Saint?
She's sensing the root shake of the entire Moon Sect? That's impressive.
"Do you have any idea why?"
"Not really."
"Then?"
"...Maybe it's because I feel your absence more strongly these days. You used to disappear often, but at least I could have short conversations with you. Lately, there's nothing at all..."
"You sound like a child looking for a parent who went on a trip."
"Well... it's not all that different, is it? We've been together since I was very young."
"That makes sense."
She was right on the mark.
Even if she's still young, she was chosen directly by the Moon. It's only natural. And if that's the case, maybe she'll notice the cracks in the Moon Sect faster than expected. That would make things easier going forward...
Gio smiled.
"Still, I think you've been doing well lately, Aram."
"...Me?"
"The bishop's an adult. I've actually been more concerned about your condition. You were in a pretty terrible state when I first saw you, remember? Imagine the shock I felt."
"Th-That was... I didn't know it'd get that bad..."
"I'm happy to see you doing what you want. You were always walking your own path, but I think even you can tell that your perspective now is a little different than it was back then."
"...That's true."
Aram nodded after a brief pause.
"I didn't realize just how much I still had to learn."
"I know how hard you've been trying. But sometimes, it's good to look outward too."
Gio lifted his hand from her back.
"Try talking more with the senior brothers of the Moon Sect."
"They're all busy. I don't want to bother them."
"This is another way to share knowledge and wisdom with them. Didn't you only discover the joy and wisdom of meals after eating that porridge I made you?"
"So you're saying this is the same?"
"Exactly. The knowledge and wisdom a human can accumulate isn't just in complex theories or unexplained mysteries. Honestly, I think the priests of the Moon Sect are missing out on the most fundamental lessons."
"...You're probably right, teacher."
"Aram."
Gio asked gently.
"Do you want to become the Moon?"
"Yes, I..."
She answered without hesitation, but the next words took a moment longer to come.
"...I want to make the world more peaceful."
"That's your dream, huh."
"Yes."
A choice made of her own will—her pride.
"I can do it."
"Of course you can."
Gio affirmed her.
"You can do anything."
***
Sometimes, Ather felt like his current life was a lie.
"..."
"What is it? Are you hungry?"
"...You ask that the moment I space out. Surely you don't believe humans malfunction solely from ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) lack of fuel."
"Judging by how long your sentence was, you're definitely hungry."
"It is mealtime... but that's not why I was—ugh..."
Even this nonsense banter with the evil god Argio.
"I baked this bread a while ago. Want some?"
"...It's soft and sweet. But isn't this the kind of thing you eat as dessert?"
"Just because you ate something sweet doesn't mean you can't have a proper meal. What's the problem?"
"I wouldn't say it's a problem..."
Even the fact that the bread he baked himself was too good.
"Do you like the room you're staying in?"
"Oh, yes. Thanks to you, I'm doing fine."
"If you prefer, I could arrange lodging in the Black Forest or the beasts' village instead..."
"As I said before, the Black Forest is too damp. And I'm not brave enough yet to approach that new world you mentioned. This room you prepared suits me best."
"How brave of you."
The evil god had personally given him a corner of his tomb.
"I thought you wouldn't like this place much. Didn't exactly leave you with fond memories. I worked hard to fix it up, but it still takes guts to sleep here."
"My comrades all died here, after all."
Even now, the memory of that narrow, thorn-covered crown still sent shivers down his spine. But that was the past—something to overcome, not avoid. It would take time to properly lay his comrades to rest.
Besides, his feelings toward this place weren't entirely negative.
"...If I'm being honest, the best treatment we ever received was when we were exploring this ruin, planning to slay you—the Demon King. I can't say the meals and conversations we had back then were all bad."
"I'm glad you're so positive."
"Didn't think you of all people would say that. You're surprisingly generous with praise."
Despite how you look.
The tomb that the evil god had offered was cozy. Even though it was deep underground, sunlight streamed in. When Ather asked how, Argio said he used the power of the sun.
Something must've happened during his sealing.
Even the fact that he now has a human form...
The Argio Ather remembered had been less of a man and more of a massive, malevolent beast. Too large to take in at a glance—part man, part animal. Nothing like the form he now wore.
He said this personality was that of the last sacrificed saint. So this body must be that saint's too... but still. Why go out of his way to make himself palatable to human eyes?
Still, the bedding he offered was soft. The meals were warm and delicious. The conversations, oddly enough, were enjoyable. Argio was a good conversationalist. Ather found himself wondering how exactly he'd gone from evil god to this almost-human being.
"..."
Not that he was ready to ask yet.
"...Thank you for helping me bury my comrades."
"You seemed completely out of it back then. But now you look like you've sorted through your thoughts and feelings quite a bit."
"...I apologize again for how I behaved back then."
By divine grace, Ather had returned from meat mush to man. But even the strongest heroes cracked before the shadows of their past. He could function perfectly—until a single dagger pierced him, and he'd flail like a beast again.
So that's why you left me alone for a while...
Argio had only recently returned to the ruins. Ather had been busy collecting the remains of his comrades. Thankfully, the evil god had restored the bodies beautifully, saving him much effort.
If he hadn't, I might've remained a wreck even longer.
The feeling was part guilt, part awkward gratitude.
"...We 'heroes' are relics of a bygone age. A new era has dawned, so we belong in the past. That's why I wanted to bury them with my own hands... in the soil of that old age."
"I do wonder if it's appropriate to bury them in the tomb of an evil god."
"I figured it was better than the Black Forest."
That swampy, foul land would dig up the dead before long. These comrades had been restored by divine miracle—he didn't want to ruin them again so quickly.
"So, you'll be staying for a while?"
"Probably."
Gio nodded.
Aram's condition has stabilized.
In truth, she had been healed a while ago.
But Gio had remained near her out of personal desire. With the recent chaos surrounding "Amusement Park of Dreams," though, he had reluctantly packed up again.
"Any cravings for dinner tonight?"
"...Hmm..."
After some thought, Ather said,
"...I'd like jerky soup."
"I'm very good at making that."
"You don't look like you would be."
"I've spent nearly my whole life wandering the Black Forest. You think I can't manage that much? Still, jerky soup, huh... You must be thinking of your comrades."
"It's kind of sloppy, but... yeah, I guess I am."
"Food tied to memories always hits different."
The way Argio readily agreed made Ather press his lips shut.
"..."
It made him wonder.
...Is that face real, or fake?
A meaningless question, really.