The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

The path of a wizard is a gradual, step-by-step ascent of a ladder.

During the apprenticeship stage, wizards focus on accumulating knowledge, studying scriptures diligently, and exploring the subtle fluctuations of energy factors.

Once one crosses the threshold into becoming a formal wizard, one can use this knowledge to manipulate energy factors and unleash true witchcraft.
As for the Morning Star Wizards, they go a step further, beginning to touch upon the deeper rules of the world, using the power of those rules to weave spells and guide miracles.

However, the level of the Moonlit Wizard has already transcended the scope of "rules"!

That is another existence.

A field that is grounded in common sense and comparable to a "miracle".

Among the many floating cities in the Nightmare Rift, only the Mechanical City was regarded by His Majesty the Radiant Moon as a city of hope truly worthy of entrustment.

He left behind many mysterious methods, which are secretly sealed deep within this steel city.

The city lord, who truly governs this mechanical capital, naturally inherited that heavy "legacy".

Thus, when Sel destroyed a city with a single finger, and in front of countless Morning Star wizards, uprooted and annihilated the surrounding cities into dust.

On the surface, this city lord of the mechanical city seems to be sitting and waiting for death, but in fact he has been trying to activate the forbidden method left by His Majesty the Moon, attempting to fight for a sliver of hope!
But the question is, which one is the real "trump card"?
Even as the city lord, he found it difficult to decipher every mysterious mechanism left behind by His Majesty the Radiant Moon, and could only try them one by one, hoping for the best.

Fortunately, he succeeded when only two cities remained!

A dazzling light quietly bloomed in the silent sea of ​​metal, as brilliant as a falling star!
Upon receiving the order, powerful figures such as the Warhammer Master and the Grimlock Wizard withdrew from the front lines and returned to the Sea of ​​Metal.

Immediately afterwards, the once rampant and fluid sea of ​​metal began to slowly reconstruct itself, gradually piecing together the familiar yet unfamiliar mechanical city.

However, unlike in the past, the surface of the city was now covered with layers of thick, black substance.

Those are the "cursed marks" left over from the battle with the Dark Sea of ​​Sel.

Like maggots clinging to bones, they attach themselves to metal components, corroding the connections between metal parts and significantly reducing the city's combat effectiveness.

Boom! Rumble! Rumble!
The reconstruction of the mechanical capital was not silent, but rather shook the world like a behemoth awakening.

However, what is most striking is the faint glow that quietly appears on the surface of the city.

They are faint and fragile, like a gentle breeze brushing across the water, yet they carry an indescribable, oppressive force that silences heaven and earth and makes the soul tremble.

Even this inconspicuous glimmer of light caused the arrogant Ser to suddenly change color!

His gaze was serious, and he no longer had the carefree, joking manner he had shown before, treating the Morning Star Wizard as nothing more than dust.

It was as if what we were facing was no longer a dilapidated city, but a god in the process of revival!
His voice was low and suppressed, as if he were recalling something, or perhaps expressing fear:

"...The power of the Radiant Moon."

That delicate and fragile power, like moonlight, quietly enveloped the sky above the mechanical city.

From the moment the city lord activated his trump card to the appearance of this faint light, it was all over in the blink of an eye.

Even Sel had no chance to stop it, let alone intervene.

He stood silently suspended at the edge of the dark sea, beneath his feet churning and writhing in pitch-black matter, viscous as mud, emitting a nauseating stench.

Swarms of black insects crawled around him, flicking their long, thin tongues. Every inch they crawled across the ground left a trail of shimmering, sticky paint, as if it were a path corroding reality itself.

Meanwhile, the distant mechanized city seemed to be bathed in holy light.

That thin ray of light, like the gentle caress of moonlight, pure and flawless, covered the steel city, creating a striking visual contrast with the surrounding darkness.

The next instant, Ser's mind stirred slightly.

The dark sea he controlled suddenly boiled!

Countless jet-black, viscous substances erupted like a volcanic eruption, carrying a chilling, corrosive odor, and roared towards the mechanical capital.

Compared to his casual punch when he fought the city lord earlier, his attack now increased by more than tenfold!
This is precisely why he is wary of that "moonlight".

That was no ordinary power; it was the majesty of the radiant moon.

"Hey!"

The viscous, raging dark waves seemed to encounter some kind of invisible barrier the moment they collided with that light.

Surprisingly, the seemingly fragile moonlight remained completely still, while the pitch-black substance did not waver at all.

Upon contact, it makes a "sizzling" sound as if it were being burned by flames, continuously melting, peeling away, and evaporating.

At this moment, it was as if holiness was washing away filth and justice was purifying evil.

It was like a spring breeze caressing the snow, gentle yet merciless, quietly melting away all darkness.

Sel's expression darkened, and a rare seriousness appeared in his eyes.

"As expected... the power of the Radiant Moon."

That power was not unfamiliar to him.

He received the gift that belonged to the goddess of darkness, Shar.

That pitch-black undercurrent, and the countless swarms of malevolent insects, were all sources of dark power under his control, allowing him to easily crush any sixth-level Morning Star Wizard.

However, he has yet to truly enter the realm of Radiant Moon.

It is not insurmountable.

In fact, his contract with the goddess had already been completed. With just a thought, he could truly step into the Radiant Moon and enter that realm beyond the rules.

But he didn't do that.

There are two reasons.

Firstly, this "power" originates from that fanatical civilization.

Even he had to digest and refine it with utmost care, otherwise it might backfire and lead him into an uncontrollable abyss...

Secondly, and that is the key reason why he has been hesitant to cross the line.

He was wary of the Wizarding Council's watchful eyes.

The Realm of Radiant Moon is the peak level of level seven and above, which has long since broken free from the control of mortal laws and touched upon higher levels of power.

Once he truly steps into the Radiant Moon realm, he will naturally release the Radiant Moon fluctuations that belong to a level seven existence.

The appearance of such power will surely alarm the world formation that covers the entire wizarding world!

That array was a terrifying entity set up by the Wizarding Council over several generations, specifically designed to monitor the fluctuations of high-level creatures throughout the entire plane.

It slumbers within the laws of the world, surveying the heavens.

Once it senses a new fluctuation of the Radiant Moon, it will directly notify the high-ranking members of the council, and those Radiant Moon Lords who truly stand at the pinnacle of wizarding will know immediately.

At that time, Tazar will no longer be a "trouble" in the Southern Region, but will be regarded as a dangerous existence that threatens the order of the entire region!

Although he has stirred up trouble with the radicals of the Meteor Council and has attracted the pursuit of the Wizard Council, he has not yet touched the true core group.

To be precise, it was only the Southern Branch of the Wizarding Council that took action.

After all, the Council Headquarters, located in the heart of the wizarding world, is responsible for the operation and coordination of countless civilization projects. How could it possibly take action for a mere sixth-level Morning Star wizard?
The reason why the Southern Region Branch has launched multiple purges and incorporation operations is simply because the radical faction's various transgressions in the Southern Region over the years have already crossed the line.

Countless attempts to test the waters and covert expansions finally led to a purge.

But this is far from being truly angry.

Even under such circumstances, the Wizarding Council only allocated a limited number of personnel to set up a targeted blockade, hoping to completely recruit or annihilate him.

However, once he stepped into the Radiant Moon, even if he was calm enough and not corrupted by the power of that crazy civilization, even if he managed to retain his self-awareness.

Ultimately, it couldn't escape the perception of the world's array!
At that time, what awaits him will no longer be an enforcement team dispatched by a branch in the Southern Region, but one after another true His Holiness the Moon!

Even though he is no longer an ordinary person, he could very well be shattered into ashes in an instant by a single palm strike.

Sel was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

“However… this is enough.” His gaze slowly swept across the mechanical city in front of him, which was covered by the holy moonlight.

There's no need to take any more risks.

Of the ten cities of the Nightmare Rift, nine have now fallen, leaving only this one still clinging to life amidst the dark tides.

But he didn't care.

With no way out and no reinforcements, this last city is only a matter of time before it falls.

"Anyway... they can't escape."

Sel snapped his fingers lightly.

"Snapped."

This is a very casual gesture.

The next moment, countless black and viscous substances shot out from all directions, as if a black tide had erupted, twisting, intertwining, entwining and merging in the air.

They trailed behind chilling hissing sounds, like whispers from the abyss, echoing in the wind.

In an instant, an enormous black net was woven in mid-air.

It slowly descended, like the darkness of night collapsing, pressing down from the sky and imprisoning the entire mechanical city!

That layer of holy light, like moonlight, still covers the city's surface, quietly protecting every piece of metal, every rune, and every wizard within the city.

But that was ultimately just protection, not a counterattack.

At this moment, the dark power released by Sel was not an attack in the ordinary sense, but an oppressive cage formed by absolute quantity and concentration!
The dark, viscous substances continued to aggregate and multiply, eventually forming a huge dark sphere that completely sealed off and enveloped the entire city.

It was a prison for exile.

At this moment, the mechanical city seems to be isolated from the world.

The light was blocked, information could not be transmitted, and all communication between the city and the outside world was cut off.

Even if this moonlight protects the city from destruction, it can only achieve the goal of "self-preservation," nothing more...

Sel stood high in the sky, his long black robe fluttering in the wind, his eyes as deep as the night sea.

He knew that all of this, including the power and status he possessed today, was not something he had obtained for nothing.

His deal with the goddess of darkness, Shar, was made on those soul-stirring golden scales.

It was a mysterious ritual whose essence even he could not fathom, a contract that the dark goddess Shar called "equivalent exchange".

According to the Dark Goddess Shar, she is a staunch "equivalent exchanger".

In that deal, she gave him the opportunity to rise to the top in one fell swoop:

A powerful force, containing pollution and danger, yet capable of helping him break through to the realm of Radiant Moon.

In exchange, Ser offered his loyalty.

From that moment on, he no longer belonged to himself.

He would carry out her orders, expand her territory, and offer her his faith and soul.

Until the contract ends, allowing the scales to return to balance.

Sel slowly closed his eyes, and the scales that symbolized fairness and justice appeared in his mind.

At this moment, the two sides of the scale are still vastly different. The side belonging to the goddess of darkness, Shar, is hanging heavily, while the side belonging to him is still suspended high in the sky, wavering uncertainly.

He is not free yet.

Only after the value is returned in equal measure, only when the exchange of equal value is truly completed, can he break free from his shackles, escape the control of the gods, and regain his freedom.

Before that, all he could do was keep giving.

Just like now, we are conquering the Nightmare Rift, constantly sending wizards and apprentices into it.

All of this was simply to help the goddess of darkness, Shar, find something and some clues...

"Now, the Nightmare Rift Valley is our Meteor Council's home ground..."

Sel withdrew his gaze, his eyes deep and his tone calm to the point of indifference, as if the massive destruction of the city just now was merely an insignificant part of the plan.

"Let's go and see what the Wizarding Council, the Forgestone, and the Seven Towers will do next."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two Morning Star Wizards slowly descended from the sky and hovered respectfully behind him, silent and solemn.

One of them was the Spirit Eye Wizard, who was secretly controlled by Lynn.

At this moment, Lynn's consciousness was quietly observing everything through the pale, empty eyes of the Spirit-Eyed Wizard.

The mechanical city was not destroyed, the moonlight appeared, and Sel withdrew his troops... All these turning points were deeply etched into Lynn's heart.

"...What exactly was that ray of moonlight?"

Lynn sat in the secret chamber of the Temple of Life, silently pondering, recalling the scene he had just witnessed through the Spirit-Eyed Wizard.

Originally, he also thought that the ten cities of the Nightmare Rift Valley would be completely destroyed today, and the Mechanical City would be nothing more than a victim sooner or later.

To everyone's surprise, at the last moment, a veil of moonlight appeared.

It looks as thin and light as a cicada's wing, as if it would break at the slightest touch, and has no power whatsoever;

But this faint light actually blocked Selna's full-force attack that swept through a level six Morning Star Wizard!
To Lynn's surprise, Sel did not insist on destroying it completely, but instead chose to back down, which was quite unusual.

He spared no expense, using the power of corruption to construct a dark blockade, sealing off rather than destroying the mechanical city.

This is no longer just "concern," but a kind of fear.

"That moonlight... is definitely not simple."

Lynn murmured to himself, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

He remembered clearly that in that clash between the city lord and Sel, both sides used the power of rules that only sixth-level wizards could control.

The mere aftershocks of the collision of rules were enough to terrify the surrounding Morning Star Wizards and cause the heavens and earth to tremble.

Through the Spirit Eye Wizard's perspective, he clearly felt that level of terrifying power, as if the entire space was about to be torn apart.

This was the first time he had ever felt the immense power of a sixth-level Morning Star Wizard so closely, and the first time he truly understood the enormous gap between himself and that level.

However, after such a great battle where the power of rules roared and intertwined, that "moonlight" appeared out of nowhere.

It was calm and undisturbed, without any pressure or fluctuation of laws.

Like an ordinary drop of water falling into the deep sea, it appears silently, yet triggers a stillness and retreat of all forces.

Lynn recalled how he felt at that moment; for a fleeting instant, he was completely unaware of it.

There were no psionic fluctuations, no surging of rules, and not even basic traces of witchcraft or fluctuations of energy factors.

The moonlight existed there quietly, so quiet it sent chills down one's spine.

It was unreasonably quiet.

"...There was absolutely no sense of oppression, nor any unique aura whatsoever."

"But it was precisely this that made Sel stop and the darkness retreat."

Lynn murmured softly, her brows slightly furrowed.

The calmer it is, the more eerie it seems. The more seamless it is, the more incomprehensible it becomes.

It was as if this was beyond Lynn's current level of observation; even with the faint moonlight appearing there, he couldn't understand it... (End of Chapter)