Volume One: The Awakening of the Dragon Soul Chapter 89: Two Moons
“Hah! Don’t try to scare me with such bizarre tricks!” Gadigus roared, swinging his battle-axe, Firebringer, down upon the Gale Knight.
The Gale Knight unleashed a violent surge of wind energy, gripping his spear in his left hand to block and counter the attack, then said, “If you don’t believe me, try it! Tempest Piercer!”
Swift as the storm, he augmented his own speed, thrusting with blinding force that pierced the very sky! The spear shot out toward Gadigus with lightning speed.
Gadigus swung Firebringer, cleaving through the assault. The power of flame surged within him as he bellowed, “Blazing Assault!”
Man and axe became a raging inferno, launching a fierce barrage at the Gale Knight.
With a cry, the Gale Knight was felled by Gadigus’ axe.
“Tch! Worthless trash!” Gadigus spat contemptuously at the battered, lifeless body, then hefted Firebringer over his shoulder and strode away.
“Hey! Where are you cowards hiding? Get out here!” Gadigus called as he walked, eyes scanning the surroundings, but no one responded—only the wind whistled past.
Under the sparse, starry moonlight, he paced the empty Dragon City Square with only the echo of his footsteps for company.
“Come out! Answer me!” Gadigus shouted again, but still, there was no reply. The desolation pressed in, but his nerves were steady; it didn’t unsettle him.
It seemed… he truly had entered some kind of domain…
A chilling laugh echoed behind him. Gadigus spun around to find the Gale Knight’s torn body being “stitched” back together, restored as if nothing had happened.
“Surprised? I come with my own resurrection armor!” The Gale Knight picked up his spear once more.
Gadigus frowned, gathering fire energy into Firebringer and charging again for another ferocious clash.
…
Elsewhere.
As the dust settled on the square, the scorched marks left by Shooting Star were revealed on the ground. The students of Crimson Moon Academy gathered together.
“The dragon and the draconid are gone!” someone exclaimed in surprise.
“Huh? Senior Gadigus is missing too!” another added.
“What’s going on? Where did they all go?” a third asked in terror.
“It must be a domain,” Orange reasoned. “He’s probably been pulled into one.”
“A domain?” someone asked, puzzled. “What’s that?”
“Look up at the night sky!” Orange urged.
Everyone looked up, gazing at the sparse, star-lit sky.
“Is there something unusual?” someone wondered aloud, squinting for clues.
“The moon! There’s something wrong with the moon!” Orange pointed.
“The moon? What’s wrong with it?” They all turned to the moon, and suddenly, a collective gasp of shock rose:
“There’s another moon behind it!”
“Two… two moons!”
“What’s happening?”
“This is too bizarre!”
“Just like that strange blue light a few days ago!”
“It’s uncanny!”
“Sister Orange, what should we do now?”
“Stay calm. We should…” Orange began, but broke off, glancing sharply around as if searching for something. Suddenly, she shouted, “There’s an ambush nearby! Be on guard!”
No sooner had she spoken than a horn sounded from the shadows, and volleys of blue arrows flew from all sides, sweeping toward Orange’s group in a barrage.
“Shield of Divine Protection!”
The heavy-armored knights of Crimson Moon Academy raised their massive shields, unleashing defensive spells that converged into four walls facing east, south, west, and north.
Had they been a moment slower, the others would have been pierced by arrows before they could defend themselves. Fortunately, Orange’s quick reflexes saved them.
“There are too many attackers—we can’t hold out for long!” Orange scanned the area, searching for the hidden draconids.
“Damn it, we’re too passive!” someone cursed.
“Archers! Fire back!” another shouted.
“Fire at what? We can’t see them!” came the reply.
“There are about ten targets to the southeast!” Orange announced. “Draconids to the northwest too! And at nine o’clock!”
“Got it!” the archers responded, readying their bows to retaliate. Suddenly, from every direction, groups of draconids wielding curved rods charged forth.
Demon Shocker!
“Don’t panic—elemental mages, follow me!” Orange commanded, summoning a magic circle beneath her feet, three interlaced red hexagrams, as a cascade of flaming meteors rained down on the Demon Shockers—
Inferno!
Before the flames could strike, the Demon Shockers unleashed their electric rods, sending a surge of powerful electricity crashing over the defenders. The fierce current, combined with the arrow storm, battered the knights’ defensive formation.
“There’s too much cover! We can’t hit anything!” one of the archers complained.
Orange bit her lip. She needed just one moment to break the enemy’s rhythm—just one instant to cast her strongest spell—but the situation allowed no such chance. Unless…
Something changed.
“Hey! There’s someone over there!” someone cried.
“Who?” another spun around.
“They’re attacking the draconids in the shadows!” another exclaimed.
Orange turned to look as well, spotting a lone figure leaping between rooftops in the distance, cutting down enemy after enemy. It was—
Mo Xing!
“Frostwater—Whirling Strike!”
He brandished the Divine Frostblade, channeling water energy as he swept through the draconids, then unleashed Frostwater Cyclone, vaulting onto a neighboring roof to strike down more foes.
A few draconids tried to surround him, but the returning Frostwater—Whirling Strike took them from behind, its sharp, icy blades piercing their bodies.
For some reason, after six days of sleep, his fighting style felt even more fluid, his command of skills reaching new heights, as though his meridians had been opened at last!
No wonder people always say not to stay up late—an early night brings a refreshed mind! Good sleep, good form!
“Brothers! Let’s kill this one first!”
A draconid sounded a horn, and the others fired arrows.
“Hm?” Mo Xing came to, summoning Pillars of Ice, which crashed down in a ring to shield him from the arrows.
“Watch my new technique!”
With that, Mo Xing swept the Divine Frostblade in a full circle, sending the ice pillars flying outward.
“Ha! Gonna show off with a few big ice blocks?” a draconid sneered. “Brothers, crush him!”
“Crush him!” the rest echoed, unleashing more arrows.
“Why not?” Mo Xing smiled. The moment the arrows struck the ice, frost crystals spread rapidly along the shafts, then into the air, instantly freezing the nearby draconids.
Miles of Ice!
Using the scattered ice blocks as conduits, he unleashed Miles of Ice to greatly expand his area of control.
Success!
Mo Xing smiled in satisfaction, then glanced toward the Crimson Moon battalion, where he saw Orange standing on a blue magic circle. Heavy snow drifted from above, freezing all the Demon Shockers nearby; then, in unison with the other mages, she summoned a flock of flaming phoenixes to obliterate the enemy.
“Elemental mages… fascinating!” Mo Xing mused, recalling that his original career path had been as an elemental mage, only switching to spellblade for practicality’s sake.
He still felt some fondness for the class; after all, the Frostblade and Pillars of Ice he used now were mage skills. Besides, elemental mages could master many types of magic at once, which he somewhat envied.
But, he knew he wasn’t suited for that path. Best to let those thoughts drift away.
Suddenly, Mo Xing heard footsteps behind him—very soft, but unmistakable.
Two arrows whistled from behind; Mo Xing rolled aside just in time.
Two draconids!
They’d hidden in a dark corner—he hadn’t noticed them before!
Mo Xing sprang to his feet, racing along the rooftop as arrows shattered bricks all around him.
“Frostwater—Whirling Strike!”
He launched several crescent blades of ice past the arrows toward the draconids, who didn’t even dodge—just had their heads sliced off.
Mo Xing paused, approaching to find they were actually statues—animated statues that attacked on their own!
Then… where had the footsteps come from?
“How dare you destroy our idols! Crush him!”
A horde of draconids burst forth, their heads as round as melons, dressed simply and wielding massive cleavers—like a band of pig butchers!
Suddenly, a thunderclap split the sky, lightning struck, and all the “butchers” fell, the air filling with the aroma of roast pork.
What on earth…?
“Mo Xing!”
He heard someone call his name. Turning, he saw Orange waving from not far away, the Crimson Moon battalion behind her having cleared the nearby draconids, though looking battered.
“Orange… greetings!” Mo Xing called, launching Frostwater—Spiral Storm to glide down and join them.
“What was that spell just now? It was incredible!” he praised.
“It’s the elemental mage’s Lightning Drop!” Orange replied with a smile. “But you bought us time to cast it—otherwise it would’ve been impossible!”
“Yes, thank you so much!” the others chorused. “Thank you for rescuing us!”
“Oh, it was nothing!” Mo Xing scratched his head sheepishly, finding their attitude so different from when they’d kidnapped him. “I just sneaked in after you. When I saw you in danger, I simply did what I could…”
“Hey? Where’s Senior Gadigus?” Mo Xing suddenly remembered he hadn’t seen the red-armored, battle-axe-wielding maniac.
“It’s a long story. While he was fighting the Gale Knight and the dragon, he simply vanished before our eyes,” Orange replied, shaking her head. “I suspect it was a domain skill that pulled him away.”
“Gale Knight?” Mo Xing muttered, recalling the midnight attack on Shenzhou.
“Any unusual phenomena around?” Mo Xing asked. “There may be some clue.”
“There is. Look at the sky!” Orange pointed upward.
Mo Xing looked up and froze. In the heat of battle he hadn’t noticed—but there, in the night sky, were two moons.
He wasn’t seeing things.
Two moons!
Before he could process this, the ground trembled violently, and everyone staggered, struggling to stay upright.
“What now?” Mo Xing began, but the earth beneath him gave way!
———————A Word at the Pit’s Edge———————
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[Volume One is about to end!]
Today marks the 88th day of consecutive updates.
With just ten thousand words remaining, the first volume, Awakening of the Dragon Soul, will conclude, and preparations for the second volume will begin. I’ll be taking a break to rest and learn, and will return when the time is right!