Chapter 184: Moving Forward
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Moving Forward
"In short, for now, the Eternal Clock can probably extend your time by a maximum of sixty-fold. Its limit is one minute—and take note, that is one minute as you perceive it. In real-time, only a single second will have passed.
"However, your current physical body can likely only handle the burden of ten-fold time while maintaining normal speed. Therefore, I suggest that when you use it, you don't just crank it to the max like you did this time. Doing that serves no purpose other than giving you a brief, overwhelming rush before turning you into a complete invalid," Teacher Mela warned him with a solemn expression.
"Ten-fold..."
Muen looked down at his hands. Thanks to the Withered King’s flames, his injuries had mostly healed, but the sense of emptiness within his body remained intense.
It seemed he wouldn't be able to activate it again anytime soon.
Still, he was well aware of how formidable this power was.
Gaining ten times his normal speed for a short burst, combined with the indestructible Elizabeth, would bring a qualitative change to his combat strength. It would go a long way toward compensating for his lack of versatile techniques.
Moreover, this power could evolve.
From that incredibly slowed-down world he had just experienced, he could see exactly what level his strength would reach once he fully mastered the sixty-fold dilation.
Thinking of a certain cool old man who wielded a folding knife, Muen felt that this power was, quite frankly, badass.
"And this is only the beginning," Teacher Mela continued.
"Right now, the Eternal Clock can only affect your own time. In a sense, it currently functions merely as an accelerator for your consciousness. However, as the subsequent steps proceed in an orderly fashion and your connection with the Eternal Clock deepens—once you receive more of its blessing—this temporal authority will expand from yourself to external objects, and eventually, it will even be able to affect the world itself. Only then will the true power of the Eternal Clock be revealed."
Saying this, Teacher Mela looked at Muen, the corners of her mouth curling upward.
"When that time comes, those... creative ways to play you have in your head might actually be possible."
"..."
Muen’s cheek twitched. He scratched his head and gave a forced laugh.
"Wh-what creative ways? Teacher Mela, what are you talking about? I have no idea, hahaha..."
"Let's just pretend you don't."
Mela gave a cute stretch and began walking toward the depths of the flower sea.
"Keep at it, kid. The Eternal Clock is powerful, but the greater the power, the more you need to take it one step at a time. Otherwise, it won't be you mastering the power, but the power mastering you. So, until you can fully control the current stage—the sixty-fold dilation—I won't proceed to the next step."
"I'll get there as fast as I can."
Muen clenched his fist, his eyes resolute. "I promise."
"It's good that you have the spirit."
Mela waved her hand dismissively.
"You should head out now. After working so hard for so long, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep for a while."
"Alright. I won't disturb your rest then, Teacher Mela."
Muen gave a respectful farewell and turned to leave. He had only taken two steps when Mela called out to him again.
"By the way, I'll keep deciphering that Iso script. That Moon is too busy to pay attention to this place right now, so I might be able to find some loopholes."
Muen froze, then was instantly overjoyed.
"Thank you, Teacher Mela!"
"No need for thanks. But there is one more thing."
Lying amidst the sea of flowers, Mela suddenly rolled over, propping her small head up with her hand as she looked at Muen.
"Ten days from now, there will be a lunar eclipse over this city."
"A lunar eclipse?"
Muen blinked. "What lunar eclipse?"
A lunar eclipse should be a major event in this era. Logically, people should have been hyping up the news long before it happened. Why hadn't he heard a single word about it?
"Well, don't ask troublesome questions about why there's an eclipse. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."
The smile remained on Mela's lips, but Muen felt as though her crimson eyes were seeing right through him.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a 'bad boy' who sleeps soundly at night, but this city... Belland is going to get very interesting soon. So, you'd best be careful."
*
"A lunar eclipse, huh?"
After exiting the Mercury Well, Muen was still pondering Teacher Mela's words.
Many things that seemed to have no beginning or end suddenly became clear when combined with the information he already had.
"As I thought, no matter how I look at it, there's only one possibility. The 'lunar eclipse' refers to the Withered King mopping the floor with the Silent Moon. Ten days... I didn't expect it to be so soon."
It seemed the Withered King was even more aggressive than he had imagined.
Or rather... perhaps the Silent Moon's series of failed self-preservation attempts had pointlessly drained its own strength, making the gap between them even more obvious.
"As for Belland becoming 'interesting'..."
That was also easy to figure out.
That Moon had already done so much; it certainly wouldn't sit idly by at the final moment and let the Withered King devour it completely. It would definitely try something.
And from the look of things, it was planning to do something in Belland, and his Senior Sister would be its most important pawn.
I won't let you succeed so easily, even if you are an Evil God.
"Black Book," Muen called out softly in his mind.
After a long silence, the black book deep within his consciousness finally flipped open. A single word appeared reluctantly on the blank page.
【 Present. 】
Why does this thing feel more and more unreliable?
Muen’s mouth twitched. "Do you know what the Silent Moon's goal is?"
【 No. 】
"Why not? Can't you provide prophecies for me?"
【 I can only prophesy matters directly related to you. 】
"I see."
As expected, learning the goals of an Evil God wasn't going to be that easy.
Muen thought for a moment and continued, "What about the Snake Transformation Disease? Do you know the cure?"
The ink on the Black Book began to squirm, forming a complete sentence. However, within that blur of "mosaic" distortion, the only words Muen could distinguish were still the same four.
【 Tear of True Love. 】
"Even you are affected by the Evil God?"
【 It is not I who am affected, but you. 】
"What do you mea—"
Muen paused, then realization dawned on him.
Was this the "Suggestion" from the Evil God that Teacher Mela had mentioned?
In other words...
"Under the influence of the Evil God's suggestion, even if I'm looking at the real answer, the only thing I can comprehend are those four words?"
【 Correct. 】
【 But those four words are absolutely true. 】
【 Do not worry. 】
"It's rare to feel a hint of comfort coming from you," Muen said with a wry smile.
【 Keep going. 】
After displaying those final two words, the Black Book snapped shut and sank back into the depths of Muen's consciousness. It remained still, as if falling into a deep slumber.
"To think I'd be encouraged by a book."
Muen gave a self-deprecating laugh and looked up at the sky.
The weather was no longer clear. Dense dark clouds had masked the sunlight, blanketing the entire world in heavy shadows.
"It looks like tonight will be perfect weather for a dark and windy night."