The dim, yellow glow faded, and the purple moon hung high in the sky, looking hazy and indistinct.
The clouds were very thick today, blotting out most of the starlight. The purple moon didn’t last long in the sky before drifting clouds obscured it, leaving the vast sky a dark, expansive ocean of blackness.
Lights bloomed throughout Bild City, keeping most places brightly lit, a testament to the marvels of alchemy.
North District, Moonlight District.
Amelia and Eileen, both in black robes, hoods, and masks, arrived inside a clock tower.
Silence reigned within the clock tower. The hands ticked and tocked. In the past, bright lights would have been here. Combined with the building’s height, anyone in Bild City could look up and see the time displayed.
However, the clock tower’s lights had recently broken, and the person responsible for repairs was temporarily unavailable. So, it would be plunged into darkness for several nights.
Under the thick night sky, the dark clock tower concealed their presence. Its sufficient height made it an excellent observation point for Amelia and Eileen.
They watched a distant alleyway.
It was the meeting place she had arranged with the Beck Adventure Party, and the rendezvous point indicated by the Red Moon Society’s emergency assembly signal also led to that same alley.
Right now, under their watchful eyes, a group of people entered the dark alley.
As expected, members of the Red Moon Society arrived, walking straight into Beck Adventure Party’s trap.
==========
The Red Moon Society was extremely strict about assembly times. They would arrive exactly when they said they would, not a moment earlier or later. Therefore, when Aaron entered the alley, the other Red Moon Society members arrived at the same time.
But the moment he stepped into the alley, Aaron sensed something was wrong.
A barrier rose around them, instantly isolating the alley from the outside world. The black barrier was nearly invisible in the night. If Aaron weren’t a Mid-Rank Apostle, he might not have even noticed it.
What was going on?
As Aaron was feeling surprised, a group of people emerged from the depths of the alley.
They were dressed in leather armor, looking every bit like adventurers.
These people were clearly not from the Red Moon Society!
Seeing this group, Aaron and the other Red Moon Society members felt their hearts sink. They immediately understood they had fallen into a trap. But how did anyone learn the Red Moon Society’s emergency assembly signal?
There was no time to ponder that question now.
“Who are you people? What do you want?” Aaron asked in a deep voice.
Among the Red Moon Society members in Bild City, he held the highest Rank, making him the de facto leader.
“You don’t know who we are?” A large, bald man stepped forward—none other than Beck Lawson, the Leader of Beck Adventure Party.
“Beck Lawson?”
As a Mid-Rank Apostle, Beck had some renown in Bild City. Once Aaron recognized him, his gaze narrowed.
Why would Beck Adventure Party know their Red Moon Society’s emergency assembly signal, and even set up a trap and ambush them?
“That’s right, it’s me.” Beck said coldly. “You brought quite a few people too. It seems getting you to obediently tell me what I want to know won’t be easy. So, I’ll just have to capture you all first and interrogate you slowly. Brothers, attack!”
With a rallying cry and a wave of his arm, Beck charged forward, wielding a massive sword. He was like a fierce tiger, instantly bringing immense pressure.
‘Beck Adventure Party wants to know about our Red Moon Society? What does he want to know? But whatever it is, their goal is very clear.’
Aaron’s expression darkened. He quickly stomped his foot, and a ring of black ripples immediately spread towards Beck and the other members of the Adventure Party behind him.
As the black ripples touched them, the members of Beck Adventure Party immediately felt a wave of weakness emanate from within their bodies, their expressions changing.
‘Soul Wither? That’s a Death ability. Is he a believer of the Bloody Red Moon?’
The thought flashed through Beck’s mind, his face changing slightly.
Gods that humans could put Faith in included the God of War’s Sword, Hymn of Ice and Fire, Book of Mysteries, Pure White Wings, and Bloody Red Moon.
The first four were orthodox faiths, but the Bloody Red Moon, because its believers often gained abilities considered evil and terrifying, wasn’t recognized by orthodoxy. Typically, only sinners put their faith in it.
Beck hadn’t expected the person who took the God of War’s Sword Mindscape Diagram to be a believer of the Bloody Red Moon. These types were often huge trouble.
But as long as he obtained a sufficiently high Realism Level copy of the God of War’s Sword Mindscape Diagram, becoming a High-Rank Apostle was just around the corner. Nothing to fear!
Thinking this, Beck let out a loud battle cry. He swung his massive sword, and a silver-white Sword Aura lanced out, tearing through the earth as it slashed towards the Bloody Red Moon members.
==========
“Did a fight break out over there? Eileen, I can’t see clearly.”
In the clock tower, Amelia looked at the dark, deep alley in the distance, puzzled.
Eileen also looked over and replied, “A barrier must have been erected, blocking our view.”
“A barrier?” Amelia understood.
“This barrier is likely the ‘Two-Layer World.’ When many Apostles gain barrier-related abilities from the Book of Mysteries, there’s a high chance they obtain this one. It can isolate an area from the outside world. Whatever happens inside that area, the outside can’t detect.” Eileen explained for Amelia.
“This barrier is different from the one Beth used back in Rhine City,” Amelia mused.
“There are many types of barriers. Beth mastered a different barrier ability,” Eileen replied.
“I see,” Amelia nodded, then asked, “There should be more than just the Two-Layer World barrier deployed down there, right?”
“Underneath the Two-Layer World barrier, there should be another barrier meant to trap people, preventing them from simply leaving. Otherwise, the Red Moon Society wouldn’t have any reason to fight to the death against the odds,” Eileen judged.
“So that’s how it is… Hmm?”
Amelia’s gaze suddenly sharpened. There was a commotion from the alley.
The black barrier that had been present vanished abruptly, revealing the chaos within the alley. The sounds of killing cries and clashes burst out, rumbling and immediately alarming many people nearby.
Seeing this, Eileen immediately explained, “The person who erected the barrier is dead, so it disappeared. Apart from large-scale barriers designed to automatically absorb ambient energy from the world to exist long-term, these temporary barriers require the caster to continuously supply power.”
