NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 - Moon's Magic
Scene 017: Moon’s Magic
We walked through the air, just like when we ascended the Stairway of Truth, except this time our bodies were upside down. Looking up, the Wall of Truth stretched out like a mountain range.
Wendy’s eyes were tightly shut, and she clung to my neck as if her life depended on it.
Hmm, at least it’s better than when we climbed the stairs. Keep it up, Wendy.
“Follow me.”
Myoil led the way, It was like walking upside down on an invisible surface, as if we were stepping on a transparent ceiling. But it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
“…Are you from the Cremonte family?”
The Cremontes were famous for their earth magic. Only someone connected to that family could use such advanced gravity-reversing magic.
Myoil shook his head with a gentle smile. “Hehe, not at all. I was merely a guest of the Cremontes before becoming a mystical creature. I simply learned by observing.”
Magic isn’t something you master just by watching others, especially inherited magic, which made it rather unusual.
Only a genius who appears once every thousand years could achieve something like that.
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Character Profile
Name: Myoil
Age: 1,237
Role: Librarian of the Magical Library and Keeper of the Wall of Truth
Trait: Hermit master
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“…You are humble.”
“Haha, you’re too kind. Meeting you in person, Sir Tristan, you seem very different from the rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“Yes… none of them were flattering. I fear you may have made quite a few enemies.”
“Enemies….”
If anything, I suppose I am the enemy of the world. Most characters despise me; some even wish me dead. However, I’m still not ready to face them. I can’t cast spells and am not exactly physically strong. I’ve learned to make the most of my traits, but it’s not enough. I need the power to face any enemy.
As we walked, the landscape zipped past overhead until we stopped on a mountain far from the library wall’s towering shelves. Myoil did a backflip midair, and we landed on solid ground.
“We’ve arrived.”
It was a small shrine, hidden deep in the forest and invisible from the outside. Moss blanketed the stone walls, with wild grass growing unchecked. I stood before the shrine’s locked door.
“This library hall is the most special place in our library. Only those with VVVIP access may enter,” Myoil explained, pointing to the purple access card in my hand. “Only the master can enter. Even I lack the authority.”
“I see, so I’m the first to enter.”
As I approached the door with the purple card, it began to emit a faint hum. I hesitated just before opening it.
“Is something the matter?” Myoil asked.
“Myoil.”
“Yes?”
“I hear you play janggi¹.”
“Oh…? Quite so. I’m rather fond of it.”
“Good. Wendy.”
“Huh? Y-Yes?”
Wendy looked confused at being called on so suddenly.
“Learn from him.”
“…?”
“I’ve always wanted to learn janggi, but as you know, I’m too busy.”
“Count…?”
“Since you’re my maid, it’s only natural that you should know how to play.”
“Count… Why are you doing this to meee…?”
“Learn it well before I return. I’ll be counting on you to teach me.”
I turned to Myoil. “Please take good care of her while I’m gone.”
“My, my, the responsibility falls to me, then. I must ‘thoroughly’ teach her so that the Count may eventually learn. Haha.”
“Couuunt!!” Wendy wailed. But I knew it would help her. I had no choice. Ignoring Wendy’s cries, I opened the door to the archive.
As I did, a voice echoed.
[Archive No. 1257742 – Magic/Subject: Opening Ancient Magic Archive.]
My consciousness was drawn into the door. It felt as if I’d been seated here all along. Knowing how to use the archive from the original novel, I spoke to the empty space.
“Keyword search.”
[Please enter a keyword.]
A message window appeared, shimmering.
“Ancient magic without mana.”
[0 out of 56,321 results found.]
Hmm… I may need a different approach. After a pause, I tried again.
“Forgotten ancient magic.”
[7,431 out of 56,321 results found.]
Fewer, but still too many.
“Refine results… oldest ancient magic.”
[15 out of 7,431 results found.]
Almost there.
“Further refine… magic of the moon.”
[1 book found.]
This is it.
“Open.”
A book materialized before me, so worn its original color was indiscernible. This was the book I had been searching for.
Name: Book on Moon Magic
Description: An ancient book on the long-lost magic of the moon.
Appraised Value: Unknown
Moon Magic. This might be the only magic I can learn. With everything prepared, I navigated the menu to view one of my traits.
Ability: Greed
Rank: SS
Details: When you desire something, you won’t be satisfied until you obtain it. You seek to understand, possess, and monopolize your target completely. Your greed is boundless, and the more you satisfy it, the more impoverished your soul becomes.
Note: This ability is one of the seven deadly sins.
Finally, I could put this to use. I focused, as I had when I used “Wrath,” and began to covet the knowledge within this book.
Gulp.
While Wrath felt fiery, Greed was sticky—a feeling that overflowed within, consuming the book’s knowledge.
[You covet the book’s knowledge with ‘Greed’!]
The knowledge from the book flooded my mind; its archaic language was incomprehensible, but I grasped the concepts it was trying to convey.
Magic requires mana within the human body to be activated. Tristan can’t cast magic because he has no mana. Moon Magic, however, does not rely on internal mana. Instead, it draws mana from the surroundings, just as the moon uses sunlight to shine.
This is the only way Tristan, who lacks mana, can use magic.
I kept focusing, absorbing the ancient knowledge of Moon Magic and deducing what wasn’t written. Driven by Greed, I devoured this new understanding.
My body without mana began to accept this magic. I understood it, but I was not satisfied. I longed for knowledge about the ancient magic from other books: learning techniques, more spells, secrets, and stories built over the centuries.
“…I want it all.”
Gulp.
I exhaled.
[You use ‘Patience’!]
[Your ‘Greed’ is suppressed by ‘Patience’.]
[‘Greed’ writhes in fury!]
Gulp, gulp!
Greed and patience fought within me. I concentrated, recalling the moment I barely held back in front of William. My patience was as fierce as my wrath.
Gulp.
The sticky feeling finally subsided.
[You successfully suppressed ‘Greed’ with ‘Patience’!]
At that moment, I finally knew that I had become a mage.
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1: Janggi is a strategic board game from Korea, similar to Chinese chess (Xiangqi). It is played on a 9×10 grid with pieces representing military units, and the goal is to checkmate the opponent’s king, known as the “janggun.”