Under the Cursed Moonlight

Greenmoon Island is vast—despite being called an "island," its size is anything but small.

Everything is relative. Compared to the Flicker Empire, both the Silver Flower and Greenmoon Islands are mere fragments of land. However, when measured against the continents of a planet like the Earth, these islands are still remarkably large.

As one of the largest islands in the region, traveling across Greenmoon without magical infrastructure would be a slow and arduous journey.

Fortunately, magic exists. Each major city is equipped with enchanted formations capable of transmitting messages across great distances. While activating these formations requires costly mana crystals, they are indispensable in times of emergency.

And the sudden arrival of several Golden Knights from a neighboring island certainly qualified as an emergency.

Though an invasion was unlikely, no one knew their true intentions. Leaving foreign Golden Knights to their own devices was an unwise gamble at best.

...

Upon receiving the news, the Runewood Empire wasted no time, dispatching five of their own Golden Knights to receive the envoys.

On the Flower Island's side, their ship docked smoothly. Of the six knights aboard, five disembarked, prepared to meet with the leaders of Greenmoon's two kingdoms. Their mission? To inquire about the whereabouts of the missing queen of Greenblade Country.

...

Edric gazed at the moon. Its light green light bore down on him, as if trying to pierce through his mind. Yet, something within him resisted—completely blocking its influence.

"Is this the work of my 'Mental Fortitude' skill?" he wondered.

Having an Extreme-ranked skill was certainly a blessing, but the fact that he had no idea why he possessed it was deeply unsettling.

He sighed. Overthinking wouldn't help. As always, when faced with something beyond his control, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"First things first—finding a good place to spawn the eggs."

This was his most crucial objective on the island. As long as he successfully laid his Mythic-grade eggs—and as long as they hatched—his long-term control over this land would be all but assured.

With that goal in mind, he moved forward.

With his power, no one could stop him. No one could even perceive him.

His disguise skill alone was enough to deceive all Golden-ranked individuals. Even among the Legendary rank, unless they specialized in detection or were paying close attention, they wouldn't notice him at all.

...

During his journey, Edric neither rode a horse nor took a carriage. He didn't even fly.

He wanted to push the recent event to the back of his mind, but he couldn't; it was too unsettling to ignore. His mind had been preoccupied with his recent episode of amnesia. He had no recollection of what had happened or how he had obtained the Mental Fortitude skill. To clear his thoughts, he chose to walk for a few days instead of flying; after all, the cooldown for his spawn skill still had a long way to go, and he had time for a short rest. 

The roads were mostly paved and bustling with activity. Travelers rode past him on horseback or in large caravans, making his solitary figure stand out. Yet, while a lone traveler on foot was an unusual sight, people minded their own business. No one stopped him. No one asked questions.

The major roads under the Runewood Kingdom's control were relatively safe. Banditry was rare. Even after five days of walking, Edric hadn't encountered a single one.

As a Legendary knight and mage, he had long surpassed mortal needs. Food, water, sleep—even air—were no longer necessities. 

He continued walking, not stopping for anything.

Every night, distant screams echoed from deep within the woods.

But he paid no mind.

He was too focused, too lost in his thoughts—trying, desperately, to remember.

Suddenly, he stopped!

He looked up at the moon. It felt unnatural. Hostile.

"Is it fixed on me alone?" He narrowed his eyes at the eerie celestial body. "It's like it's trying to invade my mind. But if it's this aggressive, how are these weaker people still alive?"

From the moment he set foot on this land, he had felt it—a sinister presence. Something unseen. Something that loathed him. Yet, it could not harm him.

It was like a starving beast, separated from its prey by an unbreakable wall—glaring, growling, waiting.

"According to the system, the demon that tainted this land is the Demon King of Greed… but I never imagined a demon's influence could be this strong, even in the main world."

His brows furrowed. It was strange. The Flicker Empire should have quarantined Greenmoon Island long ago.

He had read many books on magic, demons, and the workings of the world. He knew that areas too deeply corrupted by demonic influence were always sealed off. Yet, Greenmoon remained unchecked.

"Is the Empire underestimating the spread of demonic corruption?"

A chilling thought crept into his mind.

"Could there already be Demon Kings lurking in this world?"

But if the Demon King of Greed had truly entered this world, Edric would already be dead.

Yet, the way the Green Moon hated him, the way it bore down on him like a predator sizing up its prey…

"Or perhaps… it doesn't want to kill me."

"Maybe it wants to consume me."

He looked up again. For a brief moment, he swore he saw it—the moon's glow twisting, shifting, forming an abyss. A void that wanted to pull him in.

Fortunately, the shield protecting his mind held firm.

He looked away, secretly grateful for 'Mental Fortitude.' It didn't matter where it came from; it was certainly a very useful skill.

"Even if the Green Moon's influence on others isn't as severe as it is on me, there's no way it doesn't have a terrible effect on the people here," Edric thought.

Logically, this island should have been crawling with bandits. In most places, bandits were often driven by hunger and desperation, but plenty of them simply chose that path out of greed and laziness—it was the easier way to get rich. If the moon's corruption stirred negative emotions, then Greenmoon Island should have had far more bandits than somewhere like Silver Flower.

Yet, there were almost none.

"Maybe the rulers here crack down on them harder? Do they regularly purge them?"

As he walked, a sound cut through his thoughts—the distant cries of a child.

Screaming.

Crying.

For days, Edric had ignored these noises. But now, curiosity got the better of him.

Others heard it too. Travelers on the road stiffened at the sound, but none showed the slightest desire to investigate. 

He followed the voice.

Whatever was making the sound, he didn't believe it could be anything beyond Mythic rank.

The farther he walked, the louder the cries became—piercing, unnatural.

Then, a voice spoke.

"What a strong man."

He turned his head.

Not far from him stood a woman. She was deathly pale, almost paper-white. Aside from that, she looked… ordinary. Maybe a little more beautiful than most.

Edric narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… you're a ghost?" His lips curled into a smirk. "This is the first time I've seen one."

The woman licked her lips. "So brave. You're just my type." Her gaze shimmered with hunger. "I can feel the power inside you."

Edric let out a small chuckle.

"So this is why there are no bandits." It all made sense now. "With ghosts roaming the forests, no bandit could set up camp out here."

His curiosity deepened. "What are your limitations? Are you bound to stay in the forest? Why don't you attack the caravans? There are plenty of people passing through the roads, you know."

The ghost's expression darkened.

"Food doesn't ask questions," she said as she stepped toward him.

Edric sighed. Without hesitation, he cast a Silver-level brainwashing spell. At Legendary rank, Silver spells required no incantations—he could cast them instantly.

The ghost's expression shifted in an instant.

The hunger in her eyes vanished, replaced by reverence. She fell to her knees.

"My king!" she said, her voice trembling with respect.

"Talk," Edric commanded. "Answer my questions."

This ghost, though powerful, was no more than Great rank at best. Silver Knights would struggle to kill her, as their internal energy was too cold and unsuitable for dealing with spirit bodies. Golden internal energy, however, would fry ghosts like her instantly.

The ghost hesitated but spoke. "My king… we are not allowed to cross the boundary. If we break the treaty, we will be severely punished."

Edric's eyes narrowed. "Who would punish you?"

The ghost's entire body stiffened.

"This… My king, she will not let me live if I speak her name! She has placed a secrecy mark on me…" Her voice trembled with pure terror.

Edric exhaled sharply. "It doesn't matter. Just say it."

The ghost's face suddenly relaxed.

All fear drained from her expression.

Her king had given an order.

She was completely loyal to Edric—ready to give her life for him without hesitation.

"She is called the Queen of Greenblade…" the ghost began. "She appeared only recently… She made a deal with the humans… We are only allowed in uninhabited places— Ahhh!"

Suddenly, flames erupted beneath her.

Ghostly white fire licked at her form, slowly consuming her.

Edric's eyes narrowed.

"A Legendary-level curse!"

The flames intensified, threatening to swallow the ghost whole—

But Edric stepped forward.

He pressed his palm against her forehead, activating Energy Absorption.

The fire vanished instantly.

The Energy Absorption skill was a bane to most curses—it devoured the mana fueling them, nullifying their effects.

However…

Edric didn't remove his hand.

The moment he did, the curse would return.

"A Legendary curse… Energy Absorption can only suppress it temporarily," he analyzed.

Thanks to his many skills, including Mana Detection and Energy Absorption, he immediately understood the nature of the curse.

If not for them, even a Legendary Mage like him—without a proper counter-curse spell—wouldn't have been able to stop it. Sure, he possessed some demonic spells, but he was extremely unwilling to use them.

"Thank you, my king!" the ghost said, her voice filled with gratitude.

Edric nodded. "Now, tell me—how did the Queen of Greenblade become the Queen of Ghosts?"

"She drank from the Fountain of Greed," the ghost answered.

Edric's expression darkened. "Explain."

"The Fountain of Greed appears once every few decades… It is almost always taken by the Knights of the Flicker Empire. But this time… by chance, they didn't take all of it. The Queen drank what was left behind… and transformed herself into a ghost."

Edric's thoughts raced.

"So that's why they didn't seal this place… They want the Fountain of Greed to remain accessible. If they sealed the island, they wouldn't be able to return and claim it again."

His gaze sharpened.

"Where is it? How can I find it?"

If he wanted to eliminate the Demon King of Greed's influence…

Then the Fountain of Greed was the key.

"I… I don't know, my king! This is far beyond me!" the female ghost said, trembling.

Edric nodded. He hadn't expected a mere Great-level ghost to know much.

"Then tell me—what are the benefits of being a ghost?"

Though he had no intention of becoming one himself, it wouldn't hurt to know.

"We ghosts live ten times longer than humans of the same rank," she explained. "We also have a natural affinity for magic, can phase through objects, alter our forms, and require nothing to survive. In combat, we are generally stronger than humans of equal rank."

Edric raised an eyebrow. "And the downsides?"

She hesitated before answering.

"Not being able to eat or sleep… it feels wrong, even if we no longer need those things. Advancement beyond our current strength is nearly impossible. The sun burns us. And…" she paused, her voice tinged with sorrow. "We can never truly enjoy anything."

Edric studied her carefully. "What's the difference between ghosts and demons?"

The ghost's expression twisted in disgust.

"Demons? They are creatures of the Abyss! Filthy, chaotic, mindless beings! To compare us to them is an insult!" she spat.

Edric smirked.

"Yeah, but you were created by the Greenmoon's influence—which comes from a demonic infection. That means, in a way, you are demons… just with a diluted bloodline, right?"

"NO! No, my king, that cannot be true!" she cried, shaking her head violently. "We are not demons! They are savage beasts—dirty, mindless barbarians! We are beautiful and cultured!"

She spoke with pride—a strange arrogance for someone moments away from destruction.

Edric simply smiled.

"Alright. Thank you for your answers."

Then, without hesitation—he removed his hand.

The flames roared back to life, stronger than before.

"Ahhhhhh!"

The ghost let out a piercing scream as she was consumed entirely, her form turning to nothingness.

Edric watched in silence.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.