Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Moonlit Dance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Shing—*
The Moonlight Knight raised his sword.
Guardian of the Forgotten Moon Temple.
'Moonlight Knight Karuna.'
The Forgotten Moon Ruins had a notorious difficulty level, in large part because of this Moon Square where he now stood.
'It was a real headache when we first figured out the strategy.'
It was hard to believe this was the same game of rolling dice and laughing around the board. The Moonlit Dance had difficulty levels that defied imagination.
Dodge Karuna's attacks and reach the safe zone far across the way.
The problem was, allowing even a single hit from Karuna meant burning to death in moonlight.
A horrific phase where the boss monster had an instant-death pattern.
Oh… looks like some promising guy just showed up….
(Breaking) This guy's the first player to reach the final gate "shocked"
We're on the front lines of humanity right now!
All the cleared info we have is just the setting guide. Wow "shocked" What are his stats!
This is a tutorial adventure?
It was essentially a game of tag.
But when you broke it down, that simplicity layered on more simplicity, pushing it into outright complexity.
'The platforms...'
The unforgiving lion, the jealous wolf, the embracing moon, the docile sheep—he'd seen them all before.
Every platform bore one of those images.
'And then there's the colors.'
Red, blue, black.
Every type of platform from his prior experiences was here.
Step on these while dodging Karuna's attacks and reach the far end. In the early days, those who'd said, "This seems easy?" all burned to death in his moonlight.
'It's been a while.'
A set of choices appeared before his eyes.
[You see platforms.]
1. Step on the black sheep platform.
2. Step on the black wolf platform.
3. Step on the black moon platform.
4. ……
He stepped onto the square's first platform.
A red lion platform.
Thud.
"Such arrogance!"
The correct sequence for stepping on the platforms naturally followed the prior gates: lion, wolf, moon, sheep.
This held true all the way through the Moon Square.
One mistake in the sequence, and Karuna charged his moonlight to slice the player's horse in two.
'And the colors each play different roles.'
A red platform slowed Karuna's movements and stripped away one layer of moonlight from his armor.
Whirr—
As Kang Seol stepped on the red lion platform, the moonlight shining on Karuna's armor dimmed slightly.
'Need at least three reds.'
Only then could he fully strip Karuna's barrier and slow him to a crawl like a sluggish larva.
Without that penalty, Karuna would strut forward undaunted and cleave the horse's head clean off.
Kang Seol kept stepping on platforms.
Thud.
Red wolf.
Thud.
Red moon.
Whiiiirrr—
"Whiiirrr... I willl... cleeeeave your horrrrse...."
As the red platforms sapped Karuna's power, his speech slowed too.
Not enough to ignore him entirely—it matched Kang Seol's brisk walking pace.
He wished the reds could drain Karuna completely still, but no matter how many he chained, the effect didn't stack beyond three.
'Next...'
Thud.
Black sheep.
Clank.
Boom!
Splat!
Stepping on the black platform launched an iron ball from somewhere to smash into Karuna's armor.
"Hmph!"
Whoosh—!
The armor dented slightly, but moonlight soon refilled it.
The freshly recharged Karuna regained his original momentum.
Iron balls couldn't deal damage until that light was stripped again.
"Stand still!"
Whoooosh.
As the distance grew, Karuna's body suddenly glowed with moonlight.
He assumed a sword-drawing stance.
'Instant-death pattern!'
Just when you thought you were safe with distance, Karuna's instant-death triggered.
That draw affected the entire square, slicing an unequipped adventurer like a bundle of straw into thirds.
Only one counter.
Thud.
Kang Seol mounted the blue lion platform and stopped.
Moonlight enveloped his body.
Whoosh—
Soon, Karuna's instant-death pattern—Moonlight Slash—swept the square.
Kaboom!
The moonlight swept over Kang Seol too, but he neither burned nor split.
"Farewell."
A blue platform let you block Karuna's Moonlight Slash.
Kang Seol resumed red platforms, widening the gap from Karuna.
"Arrogant fool! You shall face judgment...!"
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
"Whiiiiiirrrr yoooouuuu...."
This time, a black platform.
Thud.
Boom!
Crack!
Karuna's armor visibly cracked wide open.
But recharged with moonlight, he closed in on Kang Seol in a flash.
'New Moon Step...'
If Karuna only had the Moonlight Slash pattern, he wouldn't be so infamous.
No matter the distance, players were always at risk.
Replenished with moonlight, Karuna surged forward like the hit never happened.
'This is the most dangerous part.'
Right after taking an iron ball from a black platform and charging back—that was peak peril for the player.
In the Eternal World, Karuna got dice bonuses here.
Didn't matter much since one hit meant death anyway, but in reality, it weighed heavy.
'Insanely fast!'
Thud.
Thud.
"Cooooome...."
But a red platform locked him down again.
Kang Seol neared the vast square's end.
"Iiiii wiiiiill noooot looooose...."
Kang Seol stomped a black platform hard.
Thud.
Boom!
Craaaack!
Clang!
The iron ball smashed his left shoulder pauldron clean off.
"Nooooo!"
Kang Seol now faced only the final platform.
He'd successfully shaken Karuna; one more step for the reward.
The tiresome knight wouldn't pursue further.
His foot shifted to the last platform.
The Forgotten Moon Ruins originally had a perfect strategy designed by the gods who'd cleared it before, built on piles of new horse corpses.
Follow it faithfully, and unless the dice rolls were cursed to the worst, you could pass the final gate unscathed.
Many did just that.
Without a doubt.
Snowman's horse had claimed the final reward that way too.
But what empty phrase is loftier than "perfect"?
The gods might've bought it once their true nature showed, but human Kang Seol doubted most pre-made strategies.
'Is this really the best way?'
Was dodging Karuna like this truly the answer for the Forgotten Moon Ruins?
Kang Seol harbored that doubt and asked the other gods.
Their replies were bitterly disappointing.
- Isn't that risky? What's the point if the horse dies?
- That adds patterns. Why bother?
- Is there even a reason to go that far?
Back then, he felt a twinge of alienation from the gods but hid it.
The gods feared failure.
Fearing failure meant fearing challenge.
Kang Seol soon tried his own strategy alone, without telling them.
"See? It works."
The method was right.
Creak.
Kang Seol stopped short of the final platform and turned back into the square.
"Almost forgot."
The reward for clearing the square would be superb, key for future adventures.
Completing a tough one flawlessly eased the next.
But something here mattered more than that reward.
"Do not disturb the moonlight!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Thiiiis diiiiiiirty... foooool...."
Thud.
Boom!
Craaack!
"Keurgh!"
Now, every hit on Karuna was lethal.
His armor hung in tatters; even moonlight barely sped him up.
'Time for Karuna's final pattern.'
What was hard about executing his own strategy himself?
Snowman was Kang Seol, and Kang Seol was Snowman—no fear at all.
Whoooosh—
Another Moonlight Slash pattern.
Karuna gathered moonlight into his blade with grim resolve.
"Must you truly go this far?!"
Whoosh!
[Moonlight Knight Karuna is overtaken by moonlight.]
[Karuna takes ongoing damage.]
[Karuna's Agility rises by 10%.]
[Agility increase stacks every 5 seconds.]
[Continues until the enemy is defeated.]
Don't scoff at 10%.
Stacking every five seconds meant a brief delay could end with a whirlwind of slashes lopping off your head.
Precision movements were key from here.
"Die!"
Karuna's shout rang hollow; Kang Seol was already atop a blue platform.
Kabooooom!
Moonlight shook the square.
Kang Seol just sneered.
'That's why it's called Moonlit Dance.'
It felt metaphorical rolling dice on the board, but colliding with it in reality made the name brutally literal.
They were dancing.
Kang Seol never outright antagonized Karuna; they never truly clashed.
One pursued, the other mocked him from platforms.
Such was the scene in the moonlit square.
The platform dance continued awhile.
But the end neared.
Karuna panted, his hazy eyes fixed on Kang Seol.
"Time to finish this."
"Be... humble... invader!"
A death countdown.
Each red platform ticked it down like a number.
Thud.
4.
Thud.
3.
"Our Looord willl... judggge yoooou...."
Thud.
2.
And Kang Seol's final black platform punctuated it.
Thud.
1.
Boom!
This iron ball flew straight for Karuna's thick helm.
It hit true.
Splaaaat!
"Guh...."
Clatter....
Karuna's head snapped back, knees buckling.
His helm flew off from the impact; now, his armor held no moonlight.
"My loooord... I failed... my duty...."
Helm-less, Karuna's face was fairy-like, with snow-white skin.
His caved-in skull bled from multiple spots.
"Forgive... me...."
Thud.
Kang Seol stepped on a distant black moon platform.
Boom!
Craaaack!
The iron ball crushed Karuna's chest; he collapsed.
"......"
A barrage of messages surged up.
[You have cleared the final gate of the Forgotten Moon Ruins.]
[You may select a reward.]
[A gem chest has spawned.]
[Karuna has fallen.]
[Rewards enhanced.]
[Gem chest upgraded to moon chest.]
[Selecting a reward will end the adventure.]
[Achievement 'Moon Hunt' unlocked.]
[Title 'Moon Dropper' acquired.]
"Hoo...."
Bathed in moonlight, Kang Seol stood alone in the square.
Before checking the top-tier moon chest, he approached Karuna.
"Your lord, huh...."
Kang Seol bared white teeth in a grin.
"From now on, I'm your lord."
- Is there even a reason to go that far?
The method was right, and reasons could be made.
Now, Kang Seol had reason to fell Karuna.
He activated the Shadow Summoner's power.
"Serve."
[Shadow Summon used.]
Crackle—
Karuna's shadow writhed.