Chapter 205: Predestined Fate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 205: Predestined Fate
Night shrouded the city as a torrential downpour commenced.
It was as if all the water in the world had gathered above this single city. Within minutes, a cataclysmic spectacle unfolded, looking for all the world like the end of days.
Knights atop tall steeds galloped through every corner of the city, splashing through the rain to deliver His Majesty the Emperor’s supreme decree.
—A city-wide curfew.
Tonight, whether in the Upper District or the Lower District, anyone found outdoors without cause would be deemed an enemy of the city.
Summary execution.
At this moment, even the mangy rats of the Lower District stayed huddled obediently in the arms of their women or beneath their blankets, trembling in the face of the unknown.
Meanwhile, Muen stood on the deserted main street in front of the Academy, tilting his head back and letting the rain wash over his face.
"One piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want first?"
Teacher Mela’s voice echoed in his ear.
"The bad news."
"The Night of the Lunar Eclipse has moved up. The Moon’s influence over this city is growing stronger, and the decryption of the Iso script has failed."
"...Expected. And the good news?"
"The Moon is panicking!"
"Huh?"
"I said, the Moon is getting desperate."
Teacher Mela sounded unusually excited. From her voice alone, Muen could imagine her rubbing her small hands together, eyes sparkling.
It was a pity he couldn't see her; a white-haired loli looking like that would surely be adorable.
"Desperation leads to mistakes. I might be able to take this chance to score big!" Teacher Mela said enthusiastically.
"...Is that supposed to be good news for me?"
"Uh... for you, it seems like more bad news... After all, the more the Moon loses its mind, the less we know what it'll do. I won't be affected, of course, but you... ahem, hard to say. After all, some troublesome things have already crawled up from below."
"..."
Muen was speechless. Truly, the joys and sorrows of mortals are not shared; he only found this white-haired loli noisy.
"Teacher Mela, can I ask you a question?" Muen sighed, continuing to gaze at the sky.
"Ask."
"If I enter the Academy right now, can you guarantee my safety?"
"Of course."
Without looking, Muen could imagine Teacher Mela arching an eyebrow on the other end.
"You are the disciple of Mela Domir. As long as you are within the Academy's grounds, unless an Evil God shoves its true body in here to fight me to the death, no one can touch a single hair on your head."
The voice was that of a tender young girl, but the words were peerlessly domineering.
Yet, no one would doubt her ability to back them up.
Because she was Mela Domir—the world's only Origin-Tier Grand Magister.
She was the existence to whom every living mage, no matter how long their beard, had to bow respectfully and address as "Mentor."
"I see. It really is nice to have a powerful backer."
Muen allowed himself a sentimental smile. Then, as he stared at the sky, his expression gradually turned cold.
High above the firmament, amidst the heavy dark clouds, a ghostly blue moon hung suspended.
It seemed to sit just beneath the cloud layer, yet also felt as if it were stationed beyond the infinite reaches of the world. The eerie blue moonlight intertwined with the fine needles of rain, creating a cryptic and sinister tableau.
It felt as if it were sneering at Muen.
The moonlight spilled down, unnervingly cold.
This scene was identical to the prophetic dream from the Black Book.
In other words, if nothing changed, tonight would be another predestined dead end for him, the yellow-haired villain.
However, because of an outlier like Teacher Mela, this fate could be easily shattered.
All he had to do was turn around, take a few steps, and walk into the Academy. He could return to his dormitory, take a comfortable hot bath, enjoy a meal from the Academy chefs that rivaled the Duke’s estate, and then drift off to sleep in a warm bed.
When he woke up tomorrow, he could fully enjoy the peaceful academy life he had dreamed of.
Compared to the painstaking effort he’d spent escaping the first prophetic dream, this one was laughably simple to avoid.
But—
"Isn't this exactly how fate mocks people?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on Muen’s lips. He pulled his soaked top hat back onto his head and walked into the deepest shadows without looking back.
"Teacher Mela, I'm heading out."
"Mm. Be careful."
Muen walked on alone, followed only by a fleeting blessing that was instantly shattered by the sound of the rain.
*
The Mercury Well.
The Flower Sea.
Teacher Mela, dressed in a pink nightgown, tossed aside the Iso document that no longer required translation and sprawled out across the flowers, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The document fluttered to the ground, and with it, another piece of parchment covered in dense annotations fell as well.
Among those annotations written in the Ancient Language, one sentence stood out with startling clarity—one that even Muen would have been able to recognize.
—"Snakes do not shed tears."
Teacher Mela had lied to Muen. While the Moon was indeed desperate, it only proved that the Divine One was too distracted to maintain its defenses. Mela had taken the opportunity to forcibly pry open its suggestions and successfully translated a single sentence.
But she had no intention of telling Muen. From the moment she understood the meaning of that sentence, she realized that to cure the so-called Snake Transformation Disease, the "method" wasn't what mattered at all.
It was something else, something far more important.
Without that thing, even if one knew the method, they would be left utterly helpless.
"Still, I think that stupid disciple of mine might actually be able to pull off this near-impossible feat."
Teacher Mela gave a mysterious smile.
"After all, he possesses an 'excellent' quality that very few can match."
As she was thinking, Mela’s brow suddenly twitched. She gave a light wave of her hand.
The space above the Flower Sea distorted for an instant, and a white pigeon flew out.
"Hello, Mitsukoshi Trading Company. Your pre-ordered goods have arrived. Please sign for them."
The pigeon spoke in a human tongue and suddenly spat out a small pouch.
"Finally, it's here."
Teacher Mela rubbed her hands in excitement. With a casual flick, she tossed a glittering coin to the pigeon and then ruthlessly threw the bird—which was a full day late—back out of the space.
She urgently opened the bag and gave it a light shake over her palm. The contents tumbled out... it was a single, pitch-black seed.
Mela carefully buried the seed in the soil, patiently watered it, fertilized it, and then... snapped her fingers.
Beneath the Flower Sea, the thunderous roar of a massive mechanism echoed.
The seed sprouted, grew, branched out, bloomed, and bore fruit at lightning speed. Finally... it produced a large, round melon.
Mela clapped her small hands, and the perfectly ripe melon split open, revealing the bright red, succulent flesh inside.
"Ah, what a treat it is to eat such a good melon in this season."
Cradling the melon, she sat down comfortably. With another wave of her hand, the space in front of her shimmered, revealing a spectacular, cinematic view of a bloody battle.
"Hit him!"
"Kick his ass! Poke his eyes!"
"Oh, come on, what are you scared of? It's just a Calamity-level monster! Where are the cannons? Blast the damn thing!"
"That guy named Dodge—how did this generation's Tower of Origins produce such an idiot like you!"
Mela watched the screen, waving a child-sized rice scoop with agitation. At the frustrating parts, she looked as if she wanted to jump in and fight the battle for those fools herself.
"Sigh."
But in the end, she just curled up and obediently ate her melon.
Her amber eyes dimmed slightly.
She was invincible within the Academy, but in the end, it was still very difficult for her to take even a single step outside its walls.