The Harvester

Chapter 244: Lunar Kingdom

A hundred and forty-six days were surprisingly fast to pass. If normal people were to spend that much time locked in a dungeon, they wouldn’t be able to remain sane. That was probably also the System’s goal to simulate a life of incarceration. But Rakna was far from the definition of normal.

First and foremost, he had two people with whom he could converse, and every time he fell asleep, he would meet with Ceres in his dream world.

Not to mention, he had nothing to be bored about. While he sadly couldn’t train physically or even magically, he could still read all the books stored inside Fray’s library. What he had been able to progress on were his magic theory and his runecraft.

His proficiencies had gotten a lot closer to breaking through the Demi-God Rank; an improvement that would baffle anyone. Even more so if they considered the fact he couldn’t actually practice his theories due to the chains.

Other than that, he also had been meditating and slowly improving his soul power. His soul sense, soul breath, and even his Soul Core had reached Exceled. The only soul skill he possessed that had not moved much was Soul’s Decree. The skill once known as Eye of the Mind had moved up by two levels; until level 29. It was a bit away from turning into a Divine-Rank Skill.

‘As expected, it’s incredibly hard to reach Divine-Rank on a skill… even if I’m particularly talented in that area,’ Rakna thought as he opened his eyes and let out a breath filled with soul power. ‘So, this is the 146th day, huh? Even if I used Soul Breath a lot… it feels like it went by far too fast.’

[This is an essential feature of Scenes,] Ceres spoke, allowed to divulge this specific information to her Host. [Every Simulation of this type will alter your perception of time. You will feel as if the time is passing by as you’re used to but at the end of it, you will look back and feel as if only a few days had passed. This prevents Hosts from ‘aging too much’ when going through Simulations. But nothing can be done about any sort of trauma that occurred within the Simulation.]

‘Logical,’ Rakna agreed with a nod. It made sense to him that the System would avoid making their Hosts suddenly act like old men after one Simulation. They would lose their drive to challenge the Plateaus, after all.

As he was thinking that, his ear twitched and he smiled. There was no need to say that his senses were currently out of this world with his attributes near the four figures. He could hear footsteps approaching from miles away.

In fact, he already guessed that this prison of his was located underground in some area devoid of human life. He had been able to sense animals from time to time but never humans. This was the first time he could hear one approaching.

And so, he calmly waited. Without as much as moving an inch, he tracked this visitor, right from the edge of his sensory range to the tunnel they took to reach him. He focused on that until he began to hear sounds coming from the corridor outside his cell; actual footfalls and their echoes.

Rakna squinted his eyes as he spotted a silhouette through the gaps of the bars. Then, he let out an audible chuckle. Quite a short and empty one since Obsidian Blood wasn’t activated. But the tone of his voice, ominous to anyone who heard it, made the person shiver.

“I was wondering…” He spoke up. “I only heard one set of footsteps. Shouldn’t there be two, I asked myself. And who would have thought?” Rakna snorted and his whirling eyes glowed, making the man that was standing in front of the prison even tenser.

The visitor was a tall man with silver hair and eyes. He was wearing a white coat and regal clothes accented by silver and blue. However, this majestic attire was stained by blood. The worst of it came from the arm which the man was clutching in pain.

The werewolf didn’t need any supernatural aid to see that he was struggling to stay conscious or even standing. But his Appraisal nonetheless told him of the person in front of him.

“So, you’re the Crown Prince of this generation,” he commented and the man stayed silent, his eyes half-closed from exhaustion but burning with willpower.

The truth was, Rakna knew who the frequent visitors of this place usually were. He had had more than enough time to use Clairvoyance on himself, reading his past fabricated by the Scenario. For the past 1264 years, the King and Prince of the Kingdom that had imprisoned him would visit him for the coronation of said Prince; every fifty years. Never absent even once.

“Then, young prince, what are you here for? I have to say, the blood on you is a delightful sight to me. Would you lend some?” Rakna jested. If he was in this scenario, he would play the part. Though his tone was slightly influenced by the fake memories he had gained through Clairvoyance.

“…” The young man gritted his teeth and used a key to open the cell. He staggered inside and kept close to the walls; not because he was wary of the werewolf but because he did not trust himself to not fall without support.

Rakna quietly watched as the prince made his way to his side of the room. His blood was dripping behind him and eventually, he stopped near the werewolf, towering over him by more than three meters, and collapsed on his knees.

“Sentinel… of The Moon…” He rasped out. “My name is… Claudius Luna Helios… I am… the heir to the throne… for the title of 46th King of the Lunar Kingdom… My father died… As of today… I hold… the… power… to decide… the fate of the Kingdom…”

The werewolf raised an eyebrow at him and then looked up at the ceiling. As if on cue, the entire underground dungeon shook. Rakna’s eyes narrowed. He could sense the mana at the surface as well as the telltales of an explosion.

The prince, on the other hand, seemed unbothered. No, it would be more accurate to say that he was doing exactly what the implications behind that explosion forced him to do.

“Sentinel of The Moon… the Lunar Kingdom… has wronged you… desecrated your duty… as the guardian… of the shrine… but I beg you… help us…”

“You are being attacked,” Rakna retorted without missing a beat. He was stating a fact. One clearly painful to hear for Claudius. “Who?”

“The… scourge from Earth… the Demons…”

“Their motive?”

“I… don’t know… perhaps their aim… is the Moon’s God’s legacy… within the shrine,” the prince winced. “That… you once protected…”

Rakna huffed in amusement, agitating the air around, and the young man shuddered. “Then tell me, why is it that you’ve come to me despite knowing the wrong you’ve inflicted on me?”

“You’re our… last chance… Ever since the day we sealed you… every King was tasked to tell… the next generation… of the location of this dungeon… as well as to inform them… of the secret weapon our Kingdom possesses; you.”

Claudius looked up at the werewolf’s numbing eyes as he recalled his father’s words right before he died in his arms, hidden from the Demons as they rampaged on their capital.

‘Go to the Red Forest… follow your pendant… I normally should have brought you there myself today but it seems I won’t last long enough… There, you will find the Sentinel… He must hate us… But you must plead for his help… He’s your only chance of surviving this… Good luck, Claudius…’

“I see. So, it was their plan the whole time to use me in cases of emergencies,” Rakna said out loud and eyed the prince. “Today, your father should have visited with you. As he did fifty years ago, in the company of your grandfather. Since that did not happen, but you still came here today out of all possible dates, I suppose they attacked during your coronation ceremony. The same kind that happens every fifty years; a perfect stage for the Demons.”

Claudius bit his lip as the terrifying voice made its way into his head like blades scraping against his eardrums. He could feel the strength and the wisdom in it… that scared him more than he would have ever expected. How was he supposed to convince a creature so old and wise to help the ones that betrayed him in the past?

“Claudius Luna Helios,” the Ancient Sentinel uttered and he hardened his eyes. “I will be free if you drop as much as a drop of blood on these chains. You must know that already, no?

“Yes…”

“And that is what you plan to do in exchange for my help.”

“Yes… you are correct…”

“But you are still hesitating,” Rakna said with a small but petrifying smile. “You are afraid that I’d kill you and be done with it. Perhaps even join the invaders; you reek of apprehension.”

“…” Claudius could only close his mouth. So, one could not even hide their thoughts from the Moon Sentinel that once stood side by side with the Moon God? His father had been far too optimistic…

“But I shall simplify your dilemma. Make a contract with me.”

“Huh?” The young prince exclaimed. “What do you…”

“I can sense them coming. They are following your trail. Soon enough, they will be here and if you do not make your decision soon, I will lose my last chance of escaping this place. I am not going to let that happen.”

“Then…” Claudius’ breath hitched as the werewolf’s body began to release soul power purer than he had ever felt before.

“Your people might have wronged me but my allegiance is with the Moon God. So, answer me, Ô Prince… No, King of the Moon. [I Decree Upon My Soul. I, The Ancient Sentinel of the Moon, will swear to defend the Lunar Kingdom as long as Claudius Luna Helios frees me of my shackles. If you accept this Decree, speak!]”

Claudius looked on wide-eyed before he steeled himself. He clenched his arm and used everything he had to stand up. He extended his own soul power at the werewolf and walked to the massive chains.

“[I Decree Upon My Soul… I, Claudius Luna Helios… recognizes this Decree,]” he declared and stretched his bloodied arm.

A line of blood streamed down his palm, to the tip of his finger, and then fell. The crimson ichor plummeted and right as it splashed on the chains, the ceiling of the dungeon collapsed and a figure crashed through it.

“Oi, oi, little prince. You certainly ran far,” a voice echoed and a man with red and black armored clothes stepped out of the cloud of dust he had made. A large one-handed ax was resting on his shoulder and he sported a pair of horns curving backward.

“What is this place? A Lunar Dungeon?” The demon muttered as he looked at the lunar stone that made up the walls. He still couldn’t properly see what was around him because of the dust he had raised himself. “How cute, your highness,” he grinned, his pointy teeth fully displayed and his eyes glowing yellow. “Are you desperate enough to ask help from some third-rate convict weak enough to be captured by you all? Don’t make me lau–“

*Clang*

The demon stopped talking as he heard the sound of chains hitting the ground.

“Third-rate, is it?”

The ax-wielding invader froze as the voice resounded. Immediately after, he saw a pair of golden and purple whirling eyes shine through the dust. Then, a shadow swiped across the gray cloud of debris and blew it all away.

“What… the…” The demon stepped back despite himself. His neck slightly cranked as he beheld the last thing he would see in his life; the Nine-Tailed Werewolf they called the Sentinel. Of whom one tail was wrapped around an unconscious body; the prince he had been after.

“This doesn’t make sense… the Sentinel is supposed to be dead!! Why the fuck are you here?!” The demon yelled as he took a stance and gripped his ax tighter.

One of Rakna’s eyes turned red and he clawed the ground, prowling like a wolf about to jump on his prey, his tails fanned out behind him. The legendary creature grinned, “Third-rate? Weak? You are quite bold. Let’s see if you can back up your bite, imp,” he uttered and leaped forward; the red hue of his trailing eye being the only thing the demon managed to see.

“AAAAAAHHH!”

His screams sounded for a few brief seconds before dying out forever.