ALL NOVEL Chapter 24.2
Phase 2 Begins
Lark and Veronica froze at the sight of the Pale Moon’s true form, but fortunately, Wilkes and I could still move.
– ROOOOAAAAR!!
With a thunderous roar, Phase 2 began. The monster now swung its elongated arms, launching devastating area-wide attacks. Noticing this, Wilkes immediately raised his staff.
“Shadows shall bind all here!!”
As his staff lit up, dozens—no, hundreds—of shadow tendrils erupted, entangling the Pale Moon.
This was the Multi-Shadow Bind, the shaman’s ultimate skill.
Properly executed, it was strong enough to immobilize even the Demon Lord, the game’s main story’s final boss. It was so effective that most players made sure to include a shaman in their party. And in this world? It was just as invaluable.
“How long do I need to hold it?”
“Until they recover! Just hang in there!”
I strummed my lute, playing Spring Breeze. Failing the performance wasn’t an option.
– Ding~ Ding~ Ting~ Ting Ting~
Thankfully, the performance was flawless. As the soothing melody wrapped up, Lark and Veronica gasped and staggered back to consciousness.
“Huff… Huff…”
“Haah… finally…”
“Lark! Get ready for a duet! Veronica! Attack as soon as Wilkes’ skill ends! We’ll handle support!”
“Ugh… I hate hymns, though.”
“Just this once, set aside your artistic pride, okay?!”
The hymn was the most effective piece I could play, and it was crucial for empowering Veronica, who would be our main damage dealer.
– Ting~ Ting~
Grumbling, Lark began harmonizing with my lute.
“Spring’s light takes root here, oh blessed saint, grant eternal rest~!”
Next up was Lark. The real issue was how he would sing it.
Would he set aside his ego for once? Surely, he wouldn’t troll us here… right?
“Truth’s light brings blessings, eternal rest will cleanse this place of darkness~!”
…What was that voice?
“Wow…”
“Unbelievable…”
Even Wilkes and Veronica were dumbfounded by the sheer beauty of his singing. This guy had such a magnificent voice, yet he usually sang such horrendous, ear-splitting songs?
His scales flushed a faint red as he continued the hymn, his voice carrying an unexpected elegance:
“When madness retreats, and darkness fades, blessings of spring grace the saint this day~.”
Our duet enhanced Veronica, strengthening her with every note. After briefly staring at us with a dazed expression, she snapped out of it and gripped her mace tightly.
“I’m going in!”
The hymn’s empowering effect was focused solely on Veronica, but that was fine. After all, Wilkes and I had faced even worse situations together and made it through.
All we had to do now was:
“Light, oh light~”
…sing for our lives and play until our fingers bled.
—
Achievement Unlocked: Defeat the Pale Moon.
Reward: Begin Event – Blessings of the Church.
– Groooan…
The continuous hymn, coupled with the buffs it provided, allowed Veronica’s attacks to inflict devastating damage on the Pale Moon.
Battered by her mace and repeatedly ensnared by the Shadow Bind, the Pale Moon finally shattered and crumbled to dust. We gasped for air, finally allowed to rest as the hymn ended.
“Is it over…?”
Veronica murmured as she watched the Pale Moon’s remains disintegrate. Normally, this would be the moment for a revival phase, but no—it was truly finished.
Or, at least it should have been.
Wait. There’s something more pressing.
“Hey, Lark! You sing that well, yet you usually—”
“What?! What about me?!”
“You usually sing that garbage!”
His singing was better than most royal performers or renowned bards. Wilkes and Veronica, equally amazed, stared at him in disbelief. Lark, meanwhile, thumped his tail in irritation and grumbled.
“True masters walk their own path.”
…Don’t walk that path, man.
The three of us exchanged exasperated glances, but Lark just snorted.
“Couldn’t you stick to the basics, at least for the princess’ birthday party?”
“Hah! Until my art spreads through the royal court and nobility, I won’t stop.”
Fine. I’ll make sure to be elsewhere when that happens.
—
“Is it over now?”
“It’s over.”
With the achievement unlocked, all that remained was to collect the loot.
I approached the remnants of the Pale Moon, now reduced to powdery fragments. Amidst the debris, I found what I was looking for:
“Got it.”
It was a cylindrical sword hilt.
“What’s that?”
Veronica, curious, followed behind me. Not bothering to hide it, I held it up for her to see.
“A sword hilt?”
“Yeah.”
“What does it do?”
“It’s called Moonlight. A weapon.”
“That’s a weapon?”
“Yup. Here, watch.”
I brought my lute close to the hilt, and as soon as they touched, the lute was enveloped in light and absorbed into the hilt.
“What?! What just happened?!”
“The moon changes its shape. Moonlight does the same. You register a weapon, and it takes its form.”
As a Sage One capable of using all types of skills, it was crucial for me to handle various weapons. But carrying all of them around? Not practical.
Even in the game, inventory space was limited, making The Sage a challenging class to fully utilize since most skills were heavily dependent on weapon type.
That’s why the developers had created Moonlight specifically for Sage Ones.
I returned the weapon to its hilt form and tucked it into my belt.
—
“Sage One! So, is it really over now?”
Glancing at Wilkes, I checked the achievement list.
Yes.
It was over.
“Veronica, this ordeal must’ve been exhausting for you…”
I turned to see Veronica, her fatigue evident, holding a shard of the Pale Moon’s remains. She looked at me and asked:
“Could you stop by the church for a bit? I need you to act as a witness and help explain everything.”
The church, huh?
Of course.
If I wanted to unlock the next chain of achievements, there was no other choice.