A flash of light blinds me temporarily before my vision returns. Blinking, I look around to see I have somehow entered a new room. The room I stood in was beautiful, the walls made of silver-white marble, behind me is a lake with a small waterfall flowing into it and various statues of different figures leading down to a door.
Remember I had received a System message before coming here, I attempted to open the System, but found I couldn’t. That hasn’t happened since my time in Cerberus’s trial, but the circumstances were very different to now. I was in a dream back then, but this was real. Looking down at my body, I found I was completely naked, and as I thought of what happened to my clothing, a simple, white dress suddenly appeared on me, like I had been wearing it the entire time.
“Where am I?” As I muttered to myself, a voice sounded out, answering me.
“Welcome, welcome. I must say, I have been looking forward to meeting you.” A soothing, female voice rang out.
As I looked around for the source of the sound, I heard a giggle ring out before the voice continued. “Through the door and a bit of a walk down the hall.”
Hesitating a bit, I wasn’t sure what was happening. My body didn’t feel fatigued, like it had minutes before. I remember I had laid down to sleep, then the System told me something…I was too tired to realise what it said.
After thinking about it for a few seconds, I walked towards the door and opened it to find a hallway, paintings lining the walls on either side. The paintings were an assortment of stars and moons. I could tell there was meaning to the paintings, but I didn’t understand it. Walking down the hall while glancing around, I soon arrived outside.
Spread before me is a garden that spreads beyond my vision, high above is the night sky, with a full moon hanging in the sky. The sight was beautiful, leaving me speechless for a moment. Silver, blue and white flowers ran along a path lighting the way, trees that had silver-green leaves hung above the flowers and perfect green grass made up the garden.
Slowly walking down the path made from white tiles, I kept gazing around, taking in the sight. This felt like a dream, but my mind denied it being a dream. After walking down the path for a few minutes, I finally approached an open area, where a table sat. Sitting in one of the chairs looking up in the sky with their back to me is a young woman with long, black hair.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” The same voice from before rang out from her. “Even after thousands of years I still find this sight beyond anything I have ever seen. There is such beauty to the night sky, so much depth and so many mysteries.”
Turning herself to look towards me, she studied me with her red eyes before smiling softly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alisha. I’ve been quite excited about meeting you for sometime now. Come, take a seat, you’ll find the tea and snacks here are quite delightful.”
Taking a seat as she suggested, a cup appeared in front of me, filled with a brown, warm liquid that smelt amazing. I identified it as tea as a plate of various cakes, biscuits and other types of sweets appeared.
“Since you’re in an Astral Body, it won’t matter how much you eat, you'll never be full. You’ll still experience the full flavour.”
Leaning back, I looked at this woman. “Where am I? Who are you?”
“Oh? I had thought the System would tell you before coming here. Or were you that fatigued from fighting for so many days without rest?”
My eyes widened in surprise as she giggled. “Well, my name is Selenia. You are in my realm, a place in which I reside while studying the mysteries of our world. You have been brought here upon my request, since you are granted an opportunity to learn more about Lunar and Astral magic.”
“Are you related to the Moon Goddess?” I wanted to know her answer. Smiling, she leaned forward.
“Ah, the Moon Goddess. Celestia. A being that is said to hold absolute control over the night sky and the power that comes from it. How could one not relate to Her when using Lunar or Astral magic?”
Hearing her answer, it made sense but something felt off. I couldn’t really put my finger on the problem with her answer as she continued.
“I’ve been watching you ever since you entered that dungeon of yours, and I have to say it has been quite the exciting adventure you’re experiencing. Even now you’re in the middle of a nail biting fight. Ah, to be so young again.”
Panicking, I remembered what I was in the middle of before appearing here. “Don’t fear, you’ll find we have plenty of time to talk here, much more than you may think. For the time being, your friends are fine, however the situation is quite dire as you may have expected. No time like the present to start, is there?”
As Selenia leaned back, she took a drink of her tea. “Alisha, to teach you I must first deconstruct what you know completely. I’ll be blunt, your understanding of Lunar and Astral magic is rubbish.”
A bit shocked at her words, I watch as she taps the table lightly. A transparent sphere appeared in the middle of the table, about the size of my palm.
“You understand the basics of having a strong foundation, correct?” As I nod, she taps the table again, another sphere appeared, but this was small, broken and filled with holes.
“This is your foundation in Lunar and Astral magic, in image form. Your understanding is half baked, incomplete and if you kept growing you would no longer be able to keep progressing your magic. This is why your Lightning magic is nonexistent, you don’t understand the basics. Your Wind magic is slightly better. I can not help you with those two, but I can with your Lunar and Astral magic.”
Picking up a slice of cake and placing it onto an empty plate, she used a fork to take a piece of it and eat. “Have you ever wondered why your Lunar Blessing and Barrier hit a bottleneck, like you can’t fully use them?”
“Y-yes, when I use Lunar Blessing it’s like there is something stopping me from using it.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t understand Lunar magic. I want you to answer me without thinking. What do the stars do?”
Opening my mouth, I blurted out the only thing I could think of in that second. “L-lighting the sky.”
“What does the moon do?”
Opening my mouth to answer ‘lightning the sky’, I immediately realised my mistake in what I was about to say. Wasn’t that the same answer?
“What does the night sky do?”
Unable to answer her, she smiled. “That is your foundation. How do you expect to wield a power that you don’t understand?”
Leaning forward, she glanced at me seriously. “Five months. In five months, I will wash away your foundation and rebuild it. I will teach you the true form of Lunar and Astral magic, and raise you to a new level. I will teach you a spell you may be familiar with, Starfall. However, unlike a book that has been written with lost knowledge, you will learn it in its most complete form.”
Standing, she slowly walked around the table. As I opened my mouth in panic, I needed to tell her I couldn’t spend five months here, even five hours was too much. But before I could, she spoke first.
“Don’t panic. One month in my realm is one hour outside. Five months in here is five hours out there. Your physical body requires rest, though five hours is inadequate, it will still allow you to fight. Don’t worry about your companions. By my estimation they will survive until the sixth hour. Have faith in them.”
Taking a deep breath, I looked at Selenia and wondered about trusting her. Assuming the message I had seen was indeed about coming here to learn about Lunar and Astral magic, I still felt hesitant to trust her words about the length of time I could stay here. However, I also knew the truth. We would die on the sixth wave. Perhaps by doing this, I could get us out of the situation we were in.
Looking at Selenia with determination, she smiled gently. “As expected…Well, I’m going to do something you may find scary, but please, believe in me.”
Arriving at my side, she sat down in the chair next to me. “I am going to wipe your memory of all knowledge of Lunar and Astral magic and all your spells you know under those two will be sealed. I will also be altering your memory, instead of being here to learn more about Lunar and Astral magic, you’re here just learning the basics.”
“W-why?” She was right, that was a scary thought. Someone altering my memories that easily?!
“Because with your current knowledge, you’ll learn too slowly. You’ll try and compare new knowledge or corrected knowledge with your old, incomplete knowledge. We need to start from the very beginning. You have the talent, you will learn fast. Once the five months have ended, I will unseal your memories of the spells you know, you would just need to fill in the blanks with your new knowledge.”
Taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes and nodded. I felt her hand grasp mine. “Don’t fret, it won’t hurt.”
Feeling a hand on my forehead, I heard a sentence that sent me into confusion before I forgot it. “You really are her daughter…”
***
It had been a month since I arrived here, and in that time I had learnt so much about Lunar and Astral Ice magic. I was rather surprised at how much there was to learn, like what the moon does, various meanings of constellations of stars and what the night sky truly meant.
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I had unlocked Lunar and Astral magic in the past, but I never knew how to use it. I just never understood how to use these magicks before. I still didn’t know how to cast magic with it, and Selenia said we would be learning a spell today, Starfall.
We hadn’t left the table during this month. I hadn’t needed to eat, sleep or even stretch, an effect caused by being in my Astral Projection. I had been enjoying the tea, coffee and snacks that Selenia had provided however.
“Now Alisha, tell me, what does the moon do for you?”
“It provides a source of power that is calm, yet powerful. It provides us with enlightenment and illumination.”
“The stars?”
“A guide. The stars guide our magic, constellations provide power and amplify us.”
“The night sky?”
“The cold darkness of our world. The stars and moon light that darkness, however it will always remain.”
“Good, you understand the basics. Now, the important thing about Starfall is learning how to draw the power of a particular constellation.” Tapping the table, an image that slightly resembled a nocked bow. “The constellation of Artemis, the Goddess of Hunting, also said to utilise the power of the moon. Starfall is as the name implies, it uses starlight as a basis but also uses moonlight to assist.”
Raising a hand, behind her dozens of monster-like statues appeared. “By using the full power of Starfall, you can target hundreds of enemies and lay waste to them. I must warn you, the power fully depends on the amount of mana you put in, so while you can target hundreds, you may need to use all of your mana to severely injure or harm them, leaving you vulnerable.
It is possible for you since your mana realm is aligned to Lunar magic. If you use your Domain there is no reason why you can’t kill hundreds of weaker monsters. Against opponents of higher level, you won’t kill them but it does make for a good trump card. Remember, to deal such large amounts of damage means you’d need to exhaust nearly all of your mana. Now, pay attention to how I use it.”
Watching how she performed the spell, I knew this was a spell I needed. I had been relying on Wind magic this entire time, having an amazing attacking spell like this that let me quickly target enemies was exactly what I needed.
***
Staring down at my palm then back to the statues I couldn’t believe such power came from me. This was…Lunar magic?
“Mm, good. The amount of magic is good, it will take a while until you truly grasp the spell in its entirety.” Selenia stood next to me. It’s been four months since I’d arrived, and apart from the first month, the last three had been about learning how to cast Starfall. It’s strange, it’s like my body had known how to use Lunar magic, that it was somewhat familiar, though some parts felt unfamiliar. When I asked her, Selenia simply smiled and didn’t answer.
Closing my eyes, I remembered all the various constellations I had learned, as well as how to visualise them, when they were best used, what situation to use them and what type of spells they empowered. According to Selenia, I had only learnt an eighth of all constellations. I felt the moonlight that helped create spells and was used in various different forms, but mainly for illumination and illusional. The night sky I still needed a lot of work on, however Selenia had mainly taught me about how dark, cold and lonely it was, how the energy it gave could corrupt those who became exposed to it and finally, just how truly dark it was.
“Alright, you’ve cast it twice now, with good control as well. We ended up finishing a month ahead, so Alisha, it’s time for me to unseal your memories.”
“Unseal?”
“Mm, we can use that last month to fill any missing knowledge you have for your spells, especially since you don’t remember ”
Before I could ask, she held my hand gently before kissing my forehead, as a torrent of memories rushed into my mind.
***
“Fuck! Bloom, I can’t use magic anymore!”
“Gods be damned. Aubrey, are ye gonna wake her up or just cuddle her?”
“Blazefyre! Bloom, I’m nearly exhausted of my mana.”
Hearing the yells of those around me as I stirred awake, I kept my eyes closed as I slowly adjusted to my body's condition. Selenia had told me over and over how vital it was to do this. I had been in my Astral Projection for five months, so I had forgotten how my physical body was completely exhausted, fatigued and about ready to collapse. The upside was that my mental state was at its peak, refreshed completely.
Slowly opening my eyes, I felt myself being hugged. I saw that it was Aubrey who held my head to her chest, crying. She looked terrified. Sensing Alice, I knew she was with Elizabeth but she’d exhausted herself as well. Listening to Aubrey’s heartbeat for a moment, I separated myself from her as I stood up unsteadily.
“A-Alisha?” Ignoring her as I swayed, I took a few steps forward.
“Missy! About damn time ye woke…missy?”
Ignoring Bloom, I slowly looked around. The room was filled with monsters, the sounds of screams filled with determination, fear or annoyance rang out.
“Domain.”
Feeling my Domain spread, it had changed slightly. The night sky now held a reflection of the true night sky, and it had become larger. It covered most of the room as I ignored the yells of surprise. I visualised the constellation of the Eye of Odin, said to belong to an ancient God that was well versed in personal growth and enhancement. As I felt the constellation respond to me, I used Lunar Blessing and I felt the power completely cover me, no longer incomplete.
Breathing out, I closed my eyes as I next visualised Artemis’s constellation. Using the moonlight within my mana realm, I spread it outwards, undetectable to most as it illuminated those I deemed as enemy in my Domain. Three hundred and twenty nine monsters in total remained.
Breathing in, I stirred the power of Artemis’s constellation as I weaved all of my mana together with starlight within and around myself. Opening my eyes, I felt the constellation of Artemis respond to my call as I raised a hand upwards.
“Artemis, lend me your bow and strike down those that I hunt!”
High above us a giant magic circle formed as a large amount of mana surged out of me as my mind started spinning due to how much mana I had used at once. Losing my focus here would mean the spell would fail.
“Starfall!”
In a blinding light, beams of silver light struck down within a second. There was no sound, no bangs or cries of monsters. I knew most had evaporated while others had taken severe damage, or would die within the next few seconds. Falling to my knees, I gasped as everything caught up with me. The pain of my body, the fatigue and now the mana exhausted.
There was a deafening silence as my Domain started collapsing before the sounds of fighting started, though it was now only a few dozen monsters.
“T-the fuck was that?!” Hearing Amelia’s voice from behind me, I smiled stiffly. I knew that this only worked because the monsters were much weaker than their level showed, and it still took my all to kill, or nearly kill, all the monsters.
Standing, I swayed on the spot and was about to fall over when I felt an arm wrap around my hip. Smiling at Xia, I thanked her for helping me as she helped me walk towards the group. All of them, except for Alice, stood there staring at me in disbelief.
“Is this a dream before my death?” Muttering like he couldn’t believe what he saw, Bloom just continued to stare at me before Amelia slapped him upside his head.
“Stop staring, fool. Alisha, just what happened?”
Xia places me on the ground next to Aubrey who handed me a healing potion that I rejected. Taking a breath in, I explained to them about the spell. I didn’t tell them who taught me or where I learnt it, but just simply referred to the booklet Roland had given me. I told them about the spell, its limitations and cost.
As I talked, the last monster had died and the countdown showed up.
Wave Complete! Time Remaining till Next Wave: 4:30:00
“Do we have more time?” Putting a hand to her chin, Amelia thought for a moment before gasping. “Does it depend on how quickly we kill the monsters? It’s only been under six hours…”
“Missy, is that there enough time for ya to recover all yer mana and Domain?”
“No, I need double that. My Domain can be used in a day, I kind of overdid it and drained my Domain energy.” Shaking my head, I knew that the next wave I wouldn’t be able to replicate what I had just done.
“Amelia, give it to her.”
“Oh, yes.” Digging in her bag for a moment, she handed me a small, hand sized vial filled with clear blue liquid. “It’s pure mana. It’ll recover about 30% of your mana.” Thanking her, I quickly drank it down.
Laughing, Bloom said out loud “Ye just drank 4 Mithril Coins, so ye best kick arse!”
Opening my mouth to respond, I quickly turned my head towards a figure walking over. I quickly recognised it as Joan, the one who had originally tried to gather everyone.
“Oh? Joan eh? What do ye-”
“Shut it Bloom, you know why I’m here.” Turning to me, she scoffed. “Some hero you are. So many lives were lost today because you were selfish and hid your true strength. I’ll be sure to inform the Guild and have you driven off.”
When those words left her mouth, silence fell upon us. Stunned by her comment, Xia reacted first and drew her rapier and held it to Joan’s neck. Unfazed, Joan snorted.
“Filthy slave, know your place.”
“No, Joan, know yours. You’d be dead if it weren’t for Alisha, don-” Cutting Aubrey off with another snort, Joan looked at her without hiding her disgust.
“A monster thinks of itself as an equal to me? Speak to me again and I’ll have your head.”
Slowly standing, I stared at this woman who turned to me. “I’ll have your head, whether it's here or outside of this damned place, I’ll hunt you down.”
“You know the rules, bitch. Did you just come here to vent your frustrations at letting your party die, or did you have a purpose?” Hearing an angry voice from Amelia surprised me. She’d only ever had a soft and gentle voice.
Scoffing, Joan turned her head to Amelia. “An elf also thinks of itself as an equal to me. Well, it’s better than the other vermin. The Guild can’t do anything to my family, so their flimsy rules don’t apply to us. Once they learn the truth, they will celebrate the death of this so-called hero. In fact, you should be thanking me now for taking this burden.”
I didn’t hide my bloodlust. I was exhausted, I simply wanted to rest yet this idiot came here and started yapping. Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned to look at Bloom as he shook his head. Behind him, I could see Leon trembling in anger and Elizabeth red in the face, staring Joan down.
“Ignore her missy. She ain’t right in teh head.”
“Hmph. Well, no matter. See you very soon, vermin.” Staring at me in anger once again, Joan turned and left. I wanted to kill her so badly, but I knew if I started a fight now with everyone exhausted, it would be pointless. We still had to get through this.
“Alisha, don’t worry.” Turning to Amelia, she smiled. “We’ll kill them once we've finished here.” For some reason, hearing that sentence said by her gentle voice sent a chill down my spine, and it got worse. “Leave her alive for now, she can distract monsters still, even her corpse will provide a few precious seconds of time.”
Making a mental note to never get on the wrong side of Amelia, I sighed and sat back down. The rest of the group did so as we recovered, checking our equipment and for me, I had some more sleep. Finally, the countdown slowly ended. My mana had recovered quickly thanks to the potion, I had about 80%.
“Alisha.” Turning with a bit of fear towards Amelia due to her serious voice, she said “I know the range is limited, but would your Starfall work if the monsters were all jammed into one space?” Nodding, she gave me a rather devilish smile. “Well, how about this?”
Hearing the plan Amelia had come up with, I felt excited. Considering how Starfall worked, the plan she proposed would be very possible, even if I didn’t have my Domain it would still be enough. As the countdown had ten minutes left, Amelia walked to the others and shared the plan, with Bloom laughing loudly after hearing it. With that, as the time fell to five minutes remaining, we acted.