Skill Cards and the Moon's Simple Truth

Skill cards were incredibly useful items. If scrolls were like feature phones, skill cards were smartphones. Just as humanity's daily life transformed beyond recognition after smartphones became widespread, once Ian demonstrated skill card magic, the magic of this medieval fantasy world would shift in a direction far more "familiar" to him.

A world where mages shouted "Fireball!" and launched fireballs. But even these tremendously useful skill cards had their limitations. First off, they couldn't contain magic beyond Ian's own skill level. Maronius language or Arcana magic could vary in results depending on the state of the mystery or Hrun Dal. Skill cards, however, always produced similar outcomes—no happy accidents for better results.

Moreover, creating skill cards required Arcana cards personally drawn by Hrun Dal. The condition for her to bestow such hand-drawn cards was...

"Your experiences and insights," Hrun Dal said with a smile.

"I figured as much."

Ian nodded. Pyra had hinted at it before. Arcana cards held the story of one's life. Unless you were a sage who had comprehended all things in the world, filling all twenty-two cards with Hrun Dal's custom illustrations was impossible.

Ian currently owned eight special cards. Meaning he could only make eight spells into skill cards. To increase that number...

Traveling, of course. Learning and enlightenment were what made a mage grow.

"Now, show me your magic sword."

As Hrun Dal instructed, Ian drew Anorilsil. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The magic sword infused with the power of sun and moon retained its glow even in the underworld.

Hrun Dal narrowed her eyes and caressed the blade.

"Indeed... what a bewitching sword."

"Bewitching?"

Hrun Dal handed the sword back to Ian.

"It's slyly stealing and using the Sun Keeper's power, isn't it? The handiwork of a truly cunning fairy."

Ian imagined the Fairy Queen waving from afar... Anyway. Fairies. A race with craftsmanship that even gods envied.

"I get the sun's power, but it also holds the moon's. Is there a separate god for that?"

At Ian's question, Hrun Dal closed her eyes briefly. This poor mortal might be too young to know the world's truths. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But...

Fulfilling a seeker's curiosity was a god's role too!

"Sigh. I suppose I must tell you."

"...?"

"Mortal, please don't be too shocked."

Ian tensed up. What earth-shattering secret was she about to reveal?

"The truth is, the moon's master... is the Sun Keeper."

"Pardon?"

Ah. Hrun Dal sighed at Ian's bewildered expression. As expected...! He still couldn't accept that sun and moon drew from the same god's power!

"What you call the 'moon' is... merely reflecting sunlight...!"

Hrun Dal gazed at Ian with concern. Before the Golden Empire's founding—ancient times even by medieval standards—people believed sun and moon each held divine sanctity. When a scholar accidentally discovered "the moon is just a rock!", the masses accused him of blasphemy and tried to hang him in the square.

How could the moon be mere rock? So sacred! So beautiful!

Even now, with ancient faiths evolved into sky god worship, medieval folk revered the moon. So when a god personally declared to an empire citizen who'd believed in its divinity all his life, "The moon is just a rock!"—Hrun Dal couldn't help but worry.

He was a mage, so maybe it'd be fine... but had she burdened this young one with too heavy a secret?

But Ian, who had just heard this "monstrous secret" from a goddess, felt... nothing. He already knew the moon reflected sunlight.

"Ah. Yeah. Same here."

"???"

"I kinda expected it. It was the same in my previous life."

Hrun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Dal gasped at Ian's words. He already knew? Then his "old world" had... unraveled the moon's mystery entirely?

"You lived in a frightening world..."

"This world's way scarier."

Ian examined Anorilsil this way and that as he spoke. In the end, it still borrowed the sky god's power—no change there.

"Right, Ian. You received an oracle from the Sun Keeper, didn't you?"

"Yes. Via status window message."

Ian recalled the bizarre quest from before.

"Was this the oracle?"

"A mission directly from a god is an oracle."

Thinking back, yes. The status window had gamified it as a quest, but what Ian received was essentially divine prophecy.

"The Sun Keeper entrusted me with part of heaven's mysteries."

"..."

"And the item meant for you is this."

Hrun Dal revealed a mystical gem. It held the power of the firmament.

"What does the sky god plan by having me strengthen Anorilsil?"

Hrun Dal smiled faintly.

"Some requests only make sense once fulfilled. The Sun Keeper is shy and reclusive, unaccustomed to direct mortal communication. Hence these roundabout methods."

"...You're saying 'go meet them yourself,' but at length."

Ian shrugged. Ultimately, progressing the quest was his call. At his pace, to whatever extent he wanted.

He'd long wanted to meet the sky god, but... on second thought, no rush, right?

"Yet you haven't done any strengthening so far."

"Ah, well..."

Ian showed Hrun Dal the Eye of the Wind. A gift from chronomancer Gerard long ago. He'd struggled to merge it with the magic sword but found no proper solution. Maybe visit a temple? he'd pondered.

Unexpectedly, Hrun Dal helped.

"Of course. Fairy-made items aren't easily understood. Especially one flowing with the Sun Keeper's power."

With those words, Hrun Dal swiftly extracted the Eye of the Wind's power. When Ian came to, the wind's essence had fused with Anorilsil.

"???"

How'd you do that?

Ian stared at Hrun Dal in shock. She'd solved in an instant what had stumped him. Gods handled divine power far better than mortals, it seemed.

"There. Now this magic sword will guide you to places of treasure for its growth."

A sort of navigation function. If lost on the path, Anorilsil would point the way.

"Let me see... The closest is probably the Thunder Cloud?"

Thunder Cloud. Ian had heard the name.

"You mean the treasure guarded by that Behemoth, Mountain King?"

"You know of it too. Yes. But its aura... I can barely sense it."

Confined to her ice palace, Hrun Dal's worldly news was slow.

"Mountain King said a black dragon beat him up and stole the Thunder Cloud."

"What? Then Mountain King?"

"Died... Oh."

Ian realized why Hrun Dal was surprised and panicked. She guarded the underworld's threshold. If Mountain King died, she'd know.

Yet she didn't. Simple reason: Ian had sent Mountain King's soul straight to the sky god!

"Heh. So it passed through your realm to the spirit world..."

"Sorry, Hrun Dal."

"No need. Why apologize? If the Sun Keeper took it, I'm relieved."

Hrun Dal looked troubled—not over the soul.

"The Thunder Cloud stolen by a black dragon..."

The Thunder Cloud was the nearest, easiest enhancement material for Anorilsil. Now nabbed by some dark dragon. Ian was stuck twiddling his thumbs!

"What will you do?"

"Steal it back if the chance arises."

If the chance arises. Dragons were never easy foes. Heck, declaring he'd fight one might summon Eredis from afar with her rod raised. Reckless fool, charging a dragon?

So Ian decided to gauge from afar first. Strike if the angle was right. Otherwise, seek other cloud-power items.

"Yes. Your choice."

Hrun Dal nodded. Ian slyly ventured:

"Then the firmament's power..."

"Ah. That's the main point."

"..."

Everything so far was just preamble.

"The Sun Keeper entrusted me with the firmament's power. But Ian, to receive it, you need one qualification."

"Qualification?"

Hrun Dal said:

"Yes. Show me 7th-level magic."

"...?"

Ian tilted his head. Show 7th-level magic? What kind of demand was that?

"You must be at least capable of 7th-level magic to trade with me."

"...That'll take some time."

Ian played weak—not because he doubted acquiring it, but to negotiate better. Luck might loosen the terms.

But Hrun Dal smiled.

"Why do you think I shared my power with you? Ian, the foundation for your growth is set."

"That..."

"It won't take long. Now go and grow strong."

Ian found Hrun Dal's smile oddly cold. An icy grin curved the goddess's lips.

"You have the potential to become a mighty mage."

Ian finished his business in the ice palace. He'd learned to turn Arcana cards into skill cards and successfully enhanced Anorilsil. Time to return to the empire. Scout enhancement materials, raise magic levels. Or investigate the black dragon's whereabouts.

Whichever. He'd choose as he pleased.

"Ah, Ian."

Before leaving the ice palace, Hrun Dal added:

"If the magic sword acts strange, don't be too surprised."

"...Strange how?"

Ian was already a fantasy world denizen. Few fantastical events fazed him anymore. But how strange could a sword get?

"Thank you for everything, Goddess."

Hrun Dal almost laughed at "Goddess," then stopped. Ian had knelt.

"Yes, young wanderer."

Hrun Dal placed a hand atop Ian's head.

"Your soul raced tirelessly here. But don't resent your fate too much. Wanderers have their own paths."

Ian bowed to Hrun Dal and turned. A Valkyrie awaited to guide him back to the land of the living.

Led by her hand, Ian exited the ice palace.

"..."

Ian opened his eyes. He was at the peak of Spirit Mountain.