Chapter 356
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Chapter 356: The Scarlet Moon’s Revelation
Tatsumi City, Amidst the Wilderness
The Scarlet Moon, with fair jade-like skin and a smooth complexion, stood bathing in the frigid river, surrounded by nature’s embrace.
Although there were various types of private showers and baths within Tatsumi City’s rooms, she still preferred to bathe alone, out in the wild.
This habit of wild bathing harked back to her childhood, in a secluded village within the Kingdom of Dark Light, where her family didn’t even have a proper bath.
As a young girl, she and other unmarried women would gather to bathe in the river together, a ritual in their isolated life.
What they longed for most, above all else, was to marry someone of extraordinary lineage, someone who could offer a life far beyond ordinary.
Even within a group of suitors, those of remarkable standing held a distinct edge over their peers, with their extended lifespans and enhanced health promising a future that ordinary suitors could not provide.
A longer life and better vitality meant they could accumulate more wealth and resources over time.
Extraordinary abilities could easily translate into vast fortunes.
In the culture of the Kingdom, extraordinary power trumped all else, with wealth, status, and prestige deemed secondary.
This admiration for power led many, even the most destitute among the extraordinary, to feel superior when surrounded by ordinary people.
Extraordinary abilities often passed down through generations, ensuring that the children of powerful beings were likely to inherit great strength.
It’s not just the Air Alliance with its polygamous customs; other regions like the Kingdom of Dark Light and the Night Union follow similar practices.
Whether male or female, individuals of great power were legally permitted to take multiple spouses.
In the primitive era, before the Kingdom of Dark Light had fully established itself, it wasn’t unusual for powerful beings, even those who owned slaves, to form unions with hundreds or even thousands of commoners.
Although strange-sounding, this arrangement was grounded in practicality.
One extraordinary being could father a handful of extraordinary children, a powerful advantage for the faction that would yield great rewards.
However, even in these times, it was incredibly difficult to have an abundance of extraordinary children—especially if the gap between the parents’ powers was vast.
The larger the disparity between the two parties’ abilities or soul planes, the less likely it was for the offspring to inherit any extraordinary powers.
During the primal era, some powerful factions kept extraordinary beings in captivity, specifically for the purpose of breeding.
In today’s civilized world, the approach had changed, but the pressure on people to marry still lingered.
The Dark Light Church, for example, forbids marriage and procreation among its priests, using such strictures as a form of ritual sacrifice.
Rumors circulate that these commandments may also be a path to receiving the power of Dark Light, a power granted to ordinary people upon their elevation to extraordinary status.
Thus, the priests refrain from marrying themselves but encourage others to expand their families.
“I was so naïve back then…”
The Scarlet Moon stood still in the icy river, her gaze fixed on the flowing water.
It was still January, but she felt no chill.
Her mind wandered to the nearby Tribe of Sinners, a new community formed by Ganis and others who had escaped the abattoir. Their establishment hadn’t attracted attention from Tatsumi City’s forces like the Imperial Guards or Demon Hunt General Agency.
As long as the sinners didn’t attempt to sneak into the city, they would remain unnoticed by the authorities, for their actions were not deemed illegal by the Air Alliance.
The barren wilderness surrounding the Air Alliance was harsh and unforgiving, with scarce resources and frequent natural disasters. Life there was exceedingly difficult for the sinners.
Yet, Ganis and his supporters remained hopeful, celebrating their newfound freedom.
What was on Ganis’ mind as they celebrated, however, was a mystery that his companions would likely find hard to comprehend.
“The Babel Tower was truly limitless, a place where anyone could belong… even as a mere servant.”
The Scarlet Moon couldn’t help but feel that when the inevitable disaster struck, the Savior—whose power could dispel calamities—would protect Ganis and his people.
In the river, she could sense that there was no one within a kilometer’s radius, a quiet solitude that gave her a moment of peace.
“…”
With a sense of calm, she washed herself in the cold waters, her mind drifting back to memories of Profligate, that unfortunate soul who still lingered in her thoughts.
“I thought it was the essence of delicious food, but it turned out to be a curse…”
Regret flooded her thoughts, especially over the decision to drink Moriarty’s blood.
At the time, she had believed death was inevitable, yet she couldn’t simply give in, knowing that the fate of her entire race rested on surviving the Doomsday Crisis.
“Profligate…” The mere thought of him caused her to shudder slightly.
Sinking into the river, she closed her eyes in contemplation.
“I could always find a chance to sever his limbs and keep him in a tank, with a straw… No, maybe a faucet would be better… so convenient, right?”
She chuckled to herself—just an expression of frustration. The Scarlet Moon would never actually go so far.
Not only because the Savior would prevent it, but also because she had long regarded the people of Babel Tower as her allies and would never harm those she considered family.
This principle had guided her for centuries.
The Scarlet Moon, now in her more youthful form, began to play in the river, floating on her back and kicking her legs, carefree in the solitude.
She had done this many times before, slipping away from Tatsumi City unnoticed.
“If anyone finds out, I’ll just dig out their eyes.”
The Scarlet Moon mumbled to herself, before sinking once more beneath the surface, blowing bubbles in her calm solitude.
[Scarlet Moon, you are the potential you were always meant to be.]
A sudden sound broke her reverie.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, a cold, familiar voice sounded. Startled, the Scarlet Moon popped out of the river, completely unprepared. Amidst the water splashes, she swiftly put on her clothes in a flash.
“…”
The Scarlet Moon stood calmly in the river, her expression incredibly displeased.
“Savior?”
So that’s how it is, the great being was granting me power once again.
This was not the first time; in fact, she had already grown accustomed to it.
However, as the legendary Scarlet Moon of Tatsumi City, every time Himeko secretly snuck out to enjoy a wild bath, she would always feel a little afraid of being discovered by someone else. That’s why her reaction just now was so intense.
But once Himeko realized that the voice was coming from the Savior, she didn’t feel panicked at all.
“That thing, no matter how you say it, shouldn’t be regarded as a ‘person’…”
When Himeko drifted off into her own thoughts, a subtle transformation of the “Heart of Shadows” began to manifest on her.
“Probability: Heart of Shadows”
“Heart of Shadows, with a stylish black leather jacket and a fitted gray sweater, accompanied by a cloak made of shadow that seemed to float even without wind, giving off a cold and mysterious aura, like a king of darkness.”
In this world, the once prosperous civilization is on the verge of collapse due to the ravages of a great war. People in this ‘end of the world’ era reside in gathering points, while scavengers and mutants pose visible threats outside the safety of these points.
“Queen of the Scarlet Moon led the blood clan and ruled over a settlement of a million people. Due to a unique power, some members of the original power group mutated into the ‘Shadowblood’ power group, gaining abilities related to shadows.”
Of course, these introductions about possibilities were something that the Scarlet Moon herself could not see.
Standing in the river, she only saw herself dressed in a new outfit – a black leather jacket, a knitted sweater, and a cloak with an ethereal shadow.
“What a messy and ugly sight!”
The Scarlet Moon was very unhappy; she really didn’t like this outfit.
She knew that once she took off this outfit, she couldn’t put on her original clothes again, unless the “Savior” removed this possibility.
“I don’t care, anyway, I’m taking a bath…”
The Scarlet Moon quickly discarded all her new clothes, then lay down once again, floating in the river.
[Queen of the Scarlet Moon]
[Searching for One’s True Heart]
[Embark on Your True Path]
[Seeking One’s True Heart]
Will it ever end?
The Scarlet Moon, floating in the river, remained silent. She simply wished not to be disturbed.
[This is your revelation…]
“I…”
In the next moment, the Scarlet Moon’s vision went dark.
Lost in a daze, her consciousness had drifted away from the real world and arrived in a pitch-black space.
Where have I arrived?
The Scarlet Moon realized that her thoughts had entered another dimension.
This was a special space where there was no sound, no direction, not even the presence of time.
The Scarlet Moon had vaguely heard of this place, but couldn’t remember it at the moment.
Revelation…
Wait a moment, could this be the place where the ‘Apocalypse’ is said to be unleashed in legends?
The dimension of ultimate will!
The Scarlet Moon felt nervous.
“The Ultimate Will” is the embodiment of consciousness in the multiverse, often referred to as the “Apocalypse” by many individuals.
The Scarlet Moon had heard a long time ago that there was a significant connection between the promotion to Apocalypse and “The Ultimate Will.”
Then, the surroundings of the Scarlet Moon began to change.
There was a picture.
Just like a scene from the real world, but it had nothing to do with the Scarlet Moon herself.
She was not a “person in the painting.”
The Scarlet Moon suddenly saw her younger self, the girl was reliving all the things she had experienced, one after another. The Scarlet Moon’s emotions became excited and saddened.
The past, unable to be undone.
She let out a sigh.
When all of her impossible experiences played out rapidly, the Scarlet Moon then saw three brand new versions of herself.
This was herself, yet not quite herself.
Her wearing a red swimsuit,
her wearing a black leather jacket,
her wearing a black formal dress…
The previous incarnation of the Scarlet Moon lived on a small, hot island,
leading the people there to fight against the endless sea creatures,
almost as if she were the embodiment of justice.
On the island, both humans and vampires fought desperately,
but even so, they were still unable to resist the massive army of sea creatures.
She fought until the very last moment,
but in the end, she was captured by the relentless sea creatures.
Finally, the Scarlet Moon was mercilessly devoured by the savage sea beasts,
leaving no trace behind.
The later incarnation of the Scarlet Moon lived in a ruined stronghold without daylight,
ruling over the people who inhabited the post-apocalyptic world.
The order of this world was on the verge of collapse, with no currency.
People traded goods with each other, constantly fighting and plundering.
The weak ones ended up as slaves.
Even though she was as powerful as the Queen of the Scarlet Moon,
she was eventually surrounded and defeated by a group of leaders from different strongholds.
As the queen of the blood clan,
she was burned alive in front of everyone, with people cheering loudly…
Here, she was viewed as evil by the people.
As the last remaining Dark Lord,
she lazily confronted the heroes in a battle, her incredible power beyond doubt.
But in the end, she was surrounded and slain by the mightiest warriors from all over the world.
Silently observing everything,
the Scarlet Moon knew deep in her heart that the three versions of herself were more than just mere illusions.
Just as the Savior had said.
“They” were actually possibilities of herself… paths she could have taken.
A thought suddenly emerged from deep within her heart.
What path did she really want to take?
Once upon a time,
Scarlet Moon used to believe that only fools would ponder over who they truly are and what future they should pursue,
finding such thoughts utterly baffling.
But now, she understood that she had to grasp this realization within the dark dimension to truly reach the Apocalypse.
Any extraordinary being of the level of “Apocalypse” possessed an unwavering spirit,
hardly vulnerable to outside influences.
It was precisely because they had come to terms with themselves and decided on the path they wished to follow
that they were able to reach the Apocalypse.
Scarlet Moon closed her eyes and fell into deep thought.
For hundreds of years,
Scarlet Moon had been carefully selecting individuals with both ability and character,
bringing them into the ranks of the Scarlet Blood Clan to expand the lineage.
The people of the church even believed themselves to be ambitious beings.
Actually…
The actions taken over the past few hundred years were nothing more than a pursuit of the shadows of “family.”
He had already succeeded.
The Crimson Blood Clan saw themselves as the chief, the ruler, the deity,
and admired them wholeheartedly.
As the king, I don’t bow my head, shed tears, or fear death.
Therefore, I embarked on the path to become a king…
No.
Scarlet Moon immediately thought of other things.
The so-called Bloodline Queen had long lost her freedom.
Had become a slave of the Babel Tower, the Savior.
They were known for being unconquerable, yet gradually they started relying on various aspects of the Babel Tower.
Even though they constantly claimed to be unyielding,
they ultimately accepted the existence of the Savior,
and even complacently embraced His blessings, regarding the members of the Babel Tower as comrades!
Yes, indeed, they truly felt the reliance placed upon them,
and they experienced sincere friendship…
But the foundation of all these bonds was not voluntary!
If they were to start all over again, allowing themselves to choose whether or not to join the Babel Tower…
would the solitary self truly be willing?
The Scarlet Moon didn’t know.
Besides that, she also thought about the vampire-obsessed mother beast.
There was hardly any reason to be found.
Incredibly wild and unreasonably savage,
Profligate seemed indifferent to the blood of the pleasure-seeker,
but deep inside, he took great pleasure.
And of course, it was himself.
Deep within him, there was a side he detested,
a side he couldn’t shake off.
The person who seeks bonds of family and friends,
the spirited king, the person without freedom, the indulgent mother beast…
Each and every one of them, without a doubt, was himself,
a facet he had grown unable to let go of.
“So, what kind of path will I take…”
In Scarlet Moon’s heart, something suddenly became clear and bright.
After losing loved ones, he set off to find them.
Facing challenges, never backing down.
Bound by a great force, they angrily resisted.
If they wanted blood, they dashed forward without hesitation.
In the eyes of others, whether they were seen as good or evil, didn’t really matter.
What mattered more to them than the future was the “present.”
Actually, she had been walking on this path all along.
The three possibilities within the soul of the Scarlet Moon suddenly vanished without a trace,
merging completely into the deepest parts of her soul.
The essence of the soul started to undergo a gradual transformation.
And the divinity hidden deep within the soul radiated with brilliance.
In the dark space, the fiery Scarlet Moon shone like burning blood.
She took a deep breath and slowly raised her hand.
The final revelation was…
“From now on, I will embark on a path where I can do whatever I please, and follow my heart’s desires!”
Translator’s Note:
This novel has reached 50+ ratings on Amazon, so as promised, we will start a free ebook promotion for Vols 1 – 15, which means the entire novel, from 2024/06/14 to 2024/06/15.
Amazon Link:
Vol 16 (the last volume),
somehow I can’t click its free ebook promotion button. I will try it a few days later.
After this free ebook promotion, the next free ebook promotion will be three months later.
