…Approximately five minutes earlier, just before the blue lightning struck Eisel.
… Approximately five minutes earlier, just before the blue lightning struck Eisel.
"This is bad!"
At the pilot's exclamation, Baek Yu-Seol shouted back with a pale face, "What now?!"
"Damn it! Even a veteran like me can make mistakes. The engine's overheated! Mana is leaking!"
"What? Isn't this vehicle brand new?!"
"It's a new airship, not a new vehicle."
"Does that even matter right now?"
Apparently, it mattered to the pilot, who looked genuinely troubled. Baek Yu-Seol frantically leaned forward to glance at the dashboard.
Unfortunately, he couldn't make heads or tails of it, and his Sentient Spec weren't equipped to analyze it either. Understanding what was wrong seemed impossible.
[...Synchronization complete.]
[Baek Yu-Seol's trait, ???, has been combined with the item, Sentient Spec.]
[Beginning analysis of the airship, Flying Pig dashboard.]
[3, 2, 1...]
[Analysis complete.]
"Huh?"
Just as Baek Yu-Seol thought he couldn't decipher anything, the dashboard information appeared before his eyes.
However, something felt off.
He wasn't even wearing the Sentient Spec right now.
'What… what's going on…?'
At any rate, having understood the control panel, Baek Yu-seol quickly realized that the engine was almost destroyed and the airship was on the verge of crashing.
"Damn it! Are we going to die?!"
"Haha, no way. Airships always come equipped with parachutes."
"Damn it, as if that helps! We don't have time for this!"
"Luckily for you, kid, we've already reached our destination!"
"…!"
He looked ahead. Sure enough, the moment the white clouds obstructing their view cleared…
There it was.
Before him stretched an enormous dome of dark storm clouds and the massive, spiraling whirlpool rising from its center.
The sheer overwhelming spectacle left Baek Yu-Seol momentarily speechless, but the veteran pilot was unfazed by the scene and quipped nonchalantly.
"Hmm. Quite the breathtaking sight to see before dying."
"Didn't you just say we had parachutes and nothing to worry about?!"
"Well, that's just a figure of speech. Now, get ready, kid. We're making an emergency escape."
"What? Wait, at least give me a signa—ugh?!"
Thunk!
And then, silence.
No, to be precise, the roaring wind drowned out all other sounds, making it impossible to hear anything.
'This is insane! Who does something like this?!'
Hahaha! Up above, the pilot, already gliding with his parachute, gave a thumbs-up.
Grinding his teeth, Baek Yu-Seol grabbed the strap of his harness to deploy his parachute but paused to glance below.
[The blessing of Pink Spring Moon, 'Hyperfocus,' is activated.]
[The blessing of Silver Autumn Moon, 'Momentary Time,' is activated.]
Suddenly, time seemed to slow, and Baek Yu-Seol could clearly perceive everything happening below the clouds in a single glance.
'...They've gathered in massive numbers.'
— The curiosity of humans truly knows no bounds.
Remarked Silver Autumn Moon as he observed the hundreds of ships floating on the sea.
Should Azure Spring Moon have a sudden change of heart, he could easily overturn every single one of those ships. Yet, there they were… taking photos, conducting magical research, and marveling at the scene.
'Still... if the whirlpool were to collapse suddenly, Admiral Halicevale would probably handle it, right?'
For him, controlling such a whirlpool would likely be no trouble at all. The only reason he hadn't acted yet was because of the hostages trapped inside.
Even if Halicevale tried to control the whirlpool, if Azure Spring Moon flipped the sea inside and drowned the entire fleet, there would be nothing even he could do.
'Eisel... I need to find Eisel first.'
For now, there was still time.
Now that the existence of the whirlpool was known to the world, Azure Spring Moon wouldn't allow much more time to pass.
While it was officially stated that two months remained, Eisel had already arrived here, and with so many eyes watching, there was no reason to delay further. The grace period could be shortened at any moment.
But...
'Eisel, where are you?'
Using the telescopic function of his Sentient Spec, Baek Yu-Seol scanned all the ships floating on the water, but Eisel was nowhere to be seen.
— There's Flame and Hong Bi-Yeon.
'...'
On the Dragon Ascension, the ship closest to the whirlpool, Admiral Halicevale's flagship, Flame and Hong Bi-Yeon stood on the deck, staring intently at something. Naturally, Baek Yu-Seol followed their gaze.
What he saw next made his heart sink.
'...Unbelievable.'
It was enough to throw his mind into turmoil.
Even before Baek Yu-Seol could arrive, Eisel had already made her decision to sacrifice herself.
She must have thought there was no other way, even if Baek Yu-Seol managed to get there. More than that, she didn't want to burden him with guilt.
If she made the decision after he arrived, he would likely blame himself, thinking she had been forced into the choice because he couldn't do anything to stop it. That's what Eisel must have believed.
'What an idiot…'
Thanks to Silver Autumn Moon's blessing, Baek Yu-Seol's thought process had accelerated, making his descent seem incredibly slow.
But he lacked the ability to fly, and with Eisel already spreading her wings so close to the whirlpool, reaching her seemed almost impossible.
There was no other choice.
He had to use Harmony of Heavenly Qi.
In an instant, the natural mana around him began to stir and swirl, surging violently into Baek Yu-Seol's body.
The events unfolded in less than a single second of real time.
Thanks to the numerous blessings of the Twelve Divine Moons, the drawbacks of Harmony of Heavenly Qi - its high concentration requirements and long activation time - were nearly completely mitigated.
On top of that, his training with Scarlet had significantly improved his mastery of Harmony of Heavenly Qi. He could now even launch himself into the air.
Though walking through the air like it was solid ground was still impossible, the ability to kick off the air even once was crucial.
[Flash]
The Momentary Time ability could only be used while stationary, so it deactivated the instant he used Flash. Even so, time seemed to flow slower, an illusion caused by the rapid succession of his teleports.
The distance between Baek Yu-Seol and Eisel was vast, making it unnecessary to measure the range precisely. Using Flash at its maximum range repeatedly, he quickly closed the gap and arrived above the spot where Eisel hovered with her wings spread.
However—
— Damn it! It seems he's noticed you!
In the brief window of time while Baek Yu-Seol approached with consecutive Flash, countless streams of water extended from the whirlpool and began to envelop Eisel.
"Damn it! This is bad!"
Hoping the storm clouds might obscure his presence from Azure Spring Moon, Baek Yu-Seol had held onto a sliver of optimism, but it was in vain.
— There's no other choice! Cut through all the water streams! You can do it!
At the shout of Blue Winter Moon, Baek Yu-Seol wordlessly agreed, summoning Ethereal Wind and Moonlight into his hand.
This sword could only be wielded while using Harmony of Heavenly Qi, but its incredible ability allowed him to identify and strike the precise 'weak points' necessary to cut through anything.
Countless weak points where the water streams could be severed appeared in his vision. Cutting through all of them was an easy task for his current self.
'Just three seconds.'
Three seconds would be enough to sever all the water streams.
But—
Azure Spring Moon wasn't a fool.
Knowing that Baek Yu-Seol could cut through the streams, his countermeasure was already in motion.
'What…?'
A chill ran down his spine.
The sensation was so overwhelming that Baek Yu-Seol instinctively halted his movement. Activating Momentary Time, he quickly looked up.
Dark storm clouds loomed above. Tiny water droplets, swollen and condensed to their limit, were suspended in the air.
If someone could manipulate those countless droplets individually, and intentionally create a massive voltage difference between the clouds...
CRACK—!!!
… It would mean forming an incredibly powerful bolt of lightning, even within such a confined space!
'This is insane.'
Baek Yu-Seol's eyes locked onto the lightning bolt streaking toward him.
This was not an artificial lightning bolt created by mana. It was raw, natural lightning. Trying to cut it down with his sword was not even an option.
'So this is the power of the Twelve Divine Moons…'
The level of control and application was almost beyond belief.
But there was no time to admire it. He had to escape.
However—
'Where to?'
Every space within the range of his Flash was now engulfed in lightning.
A trap.
By the time he realized it, it was already too late. There was no apparent way to navigate through the maze of glowing blue streaks surrounding him.
Had he truly been a Class 7 mage, perhaps he could have conjured a shield to block the lightning with ease.
But for Baek Yu-Seol, that was impossible.
Fortunately—
— We will help you.
— Trust us and move forward.
The blessings of the Twelve Divine Moons were still with him.
— I will temporarily grant you my power and activate it. However, your body will not be able to endure it for long. You must reach Eisel and make physical contact to transfer my power to her.
'...How much time do I have?'
— Three seconds.
Until a moment ago, three seconds would have been enough time. But for the current Baek Yu-Seol, it felt like an impossible task.
However, the Twelve Divine Moons aiding him weren't just one.
— Three seconds is plenty. Move forward!
[The blessing of Silver Autumn Moon, 'Stillness of Flowing Time,' is activated.]
[For the next 10 seconds, time will flow at 20 times slower speed.]
Baek Yu-Seol's eyes glowed a radiant blue and silver as the world around him froze.
Time seemed to stop entirely. Even the incoming lightning moved so slowly it appeared suspended in place. Only Baek Yu-Seol could move freely.
At that moment—
Crackle...!
The sound of lightning almost freezing in place echoed through the air as the bolts momentarily halted.
But it was only for an instant.
The lightning resumed its trajectory, streaking toward Baek Yu-Seol as though nothing had happened. Calmly, he weaved through the arcs of electricity, rushing toward Eisel.
However...
— Just now, was that...?
— Could it be...?
The two Twelve Divine Moons assisting him observed the phenomenon intently. What they had witnessed defied the laws of nature itself. It was an unbelievable event.
Baek Yu-Seol had, at some point, begun using the very lightning bolts as stepping stones, leaping from one to the next as he propelled himself toward Eisel.
As they watched his form, the two Divine Moons couldn't help but ponder.
Could this phenomenon be... part of what the Progenitor Mage had once described… 'what happens when all Twelve Divine Moons unite'?
Had this occurred because two blessings from the Twelve Divine Moons had perfectly overlapped?
Flash!
Cutting through the arcs of electricity, Baek Yu-Seol dashed along the lightning and reached Eisel effortlessly.
At that moment, The Stillness of Flowing Time deactivated, and Eisel's eyes widened in shock.
Having been completely unaware of the slowed time, to her, Baek Yu-Seol's sudden appearance was as if he had descended from the sky alongside the lightning itself.
"What?!"
"Hi."
He spoke lightly, as though greeting a friend on the street.
"...!!!"
Then, without hesitation, he pulled Eisel into a tight embrace.
At that moment, her focus completely broke, and her ice wings shattered into pieces, scattering in the air. But those wings were no longer necessary.
Crack...!!!
The entire world - or rather, the massive whirlpool of the Eastern Sea that had been closing in on her - began to freeze in an instant.
At the same time, Eisel felt an intense, chilling cold coursing into her body. But thanks to Baek Yu-Seol's firm embrace, she was able to resist the icy grip.
"Ah..."
Finally understanding the situation, Eisel raised her trembling hands and hugged Baek Yu-Seol in return.
No matter how capable Baek Yu-Seol was, she had thought this time would be impossible. She had chosen to sacrifice herself to spare him the guilt of not being able to save her.
Yet, he hadn't given up. Even in the last, seemingly hopeless moment, he had rushed to her like a beam of light, wrapping her in his warmth.
Eisel buried her face in his chest.
Baek Yu-Seol was now significantly taller. He offered a broad and warm embrace, more than enough to hide her face. She knew how messy and tear-streaked her expression must be right now.
As the whirlpool froze solid and even the approaching thunderbolts halted as if by miracle, a single beam of light pierced through the storm clouds and illuminated them.
Under that single, radiant beam of light, Baek Yu-Seol quietly whispered to Eisel.
"I'm sorry..."
"No."
Baek Yu-Seol corrected her.
"That's wrong."
Her lips quivered, almost breaking into a laugh at his response, but instead, tears streamed down her face, refusing to give way to laughter.
"... Thank you."
Finally, as if she had given the correct answer, Baek Yu-Seol gently placed his hand over her head, holding her close.
Crack—!
In the heart of a world frozen over, Eisel finally felt at ease enough to close her eyes.
It felt like a dreamlike day.