The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 82: Melleran's Prayer in the Lake

"Moon, the moon of fantasy, the moon of miracles, the moon of dreams."

"The first moon, vast and formless, then disintegrated."

"The second moon, wandering among the treetops, weaving years and months."

"The third moon, descending into dreams, roaming the void."

"The fourth moon, clear and flawless, holding the scales and blade."

An ancient ballad echoed within the temple. Around a cool fountain stood a group of members dressed in snow-white priestly robes. Their faces were hazy, only the silver trim on the edges of their sleeves and cuffs was so strikingly visible.

Humming along with the ballad, a woman with a light veil over her face gently clasped her hands before her and walked forward with measured steps, arriving at the edge of the pool. Then, her figure slowly began to float. Her exposed, snow-white toes lightly touched the surface, and an invisible stream of water welled up from beneath her feet, forming a transparent, watery dome that enveloped her.

Afterwards, she floated before the tall white stone statue, humming a light, airy ballad. Slowly, she raised her palm, and an invisible ripple spread out. In the night sky above, the silver moon descended with moonbeams so dense they seemed almost tangible.

These moonbeams fell upon the pool. The originally dry pool gradually became moist with dew, while within the water jug of the white stone statue, a more precious, intangible 'Tear of the Moon' liquid condensed.

This unknown ritual lasted for a long time, until the 'Tear of the Moon' liquid within the water jug was full.Finally, the singing gradually ceased. The other participants left the fountain and the temple step by step, leaving only that woman standing beneath the statue, praying with her eyes closed.

The Tear of the Moon within the jug swirled once more, creating subtle ripples within the jug, sprinkling down tiny points of moonlight. The liquid inside also diminished further.

Until, at the very end, only one special drop of transparent liquid remained.

This drop of liquid slowly floated out and dripped onto the center of the forehead of the veiled woman, merging into her body. It was as if she herself had been cleansed, becoming lighter and more dreamlike.

After concluding all of this, this unknown woman turned around once more. In the dream, Sylutia clearly saw the jade holy grail she held in her hands, within which a transparent, intangible liquid gently swirled...

The dream ended.

Sylutia rubbed the center of her forehead, feeling her physical condition was exceptionally good. It was as if she had also participated in that ritual in the dream. Now, although her Aspect rank was zero, her physical fitness had actually improved a bit compared to before.

Thinking of this, she tried jumping and found she could easily leap onto a broken stone pillar two meters high.

Not only that, but her running speed and reaction time had also increased noticeably. This meant that even without a condensed Aspect rank, she had a basic ability to protect herself against ordinary First Tier opponents.

After finishing her recollection of the dream portion, Sylutia came to the poolside again. She once more observed the graceful white stone statue before her, pondering its origins and possibilities.

Based on the conversation between the witch and the hag in the dream, they had once both belonged to an organization called the 'Moon Parliament'. This organization and the 'Silver Radiance Church' had once, in a very distant time, fought over the 'Luminous Moon' Hour position, engaging in a great war that lasted for centuries.

Since they could participate in the struggle for a Hour position, this meant the pinnacle figures of both organizations were at least 'Named Ones'—powerful individuals possessing true names capable of influencing the laws of a specific Aspect.

The fall of the Silver Moon Dragon was an extremely significant event, an indelible piece of history. This was a major event that occurred in the Eighth Epoch. Because the fall of the Silver Moon Dragon meant that all six of the Law Dragons who sealed the Star Dragon had lost their Hour positions.

This event directly led to the occurrence of the 'Dragon Hunt War'. Due to the weakening of the dragon race, the great dragons of the mortal lands were hunted by allied forces and heroes from various factions. Subsequently, the dragons and ancient dragons who survived the 'Dragon Hunt War' also went to reside in the celestial gardens of the 'Dragon Kingdom', becoming rarely encountered in the present world.

"So, it seems the existence of the Silver Radiance Church was erased from history." She had never seen this name in any historical texts or secret chronicles.

Recalling the ritual from the dream, she began to hum softly, imitating it.

At first, it was somewhat awkward. Then, as if the melody possessed a certain magic, once she started humming, she slowly found its unique rhythm, becoming more and more fluent and relaxed. She almost didn't need to deliberately memorize or recall it; relying on intuition, she could complete the entire humming.

This tune had no specific lyrics, only a few humming syllables that changed freely according to her mood. It felt unconstrained yet imbued with a certain atmosphere and spirit, making it feel magical.

As the song echoed through the temple ruins, everything grew quiet. Faint, hazy figures came and went. The shadows of people who had once lived here, who had once held various activities here, appeared and then dissipated.

That was the forgotten history.

Also the sealed past.

They had celebrated here.

They had also joined hands and advanced together here.

Until later,

They withered away bit by bit.

Finally, the entire temple fell from the continent above the sea of clouds, sinking into this unknown Shadow World.

『The Silver Radiance Saint · Meleranke』

A 'Named One' who once made a vow, building the 'Dream Lighthouses' together with many like-minded companions to guide the 'Lost Ones of the Dead Path' back. The Saint followed by all members of the Silver Radiance Church. She fell during the Calamity War of the Eighth Epoch, when the 'Golden Honey Dynasty' breached the last Dream Lighthouse.

This Named One, who had been favored by multiple Hours as the most suitable successor for the 'Luminous Moon' position, vanished from then on. Legends about her were also erased and eliminated.

Silver Radiance Church: A vast organization that followed 'The Silver Radiance Saint · Meleranke'. It once spread across multiple continents, covering hundreds of countries, with followers numbering in the hundreds of millions. They were dedicated to building 'Dream Lighthouses' in various places to pull the 'Lost Ones of the Dead Path' from the Shadow World back, and to guide moonlight deep into the lightless, monstrous sea to purify and cleanse the tainted lands within.

Golden Honey Dynasty: A mega-dynasty that unified the Fifth Continent during the Eighth Epoch, with a population of nearly ten billion. It launched several continent-spanning wars of annihilation, finally perishing at the hands of the newly ascended 'Blazing Sun' Hour, the Corona Dragon.

...

The song was hummed again and again. The last remnants of 'Luminous Moon' power within these temple ruins slowly gathered, gradually concentrating upon that beautiful white statue.

Slowly, a faint silver light emerged from the edges of the statue, spreading bit by bit until it completely covered the entire statue.

Sylutia opened her eyes and looked at the white stone statue before her. The originally still, unchanging facial contours now seemed to reveal a faint smile. Then, the statue began to crack and crumble piece by piece.

These dissipating fragments of Luminous Moon drifted towards the sky, roaming and spinning in the dim, night-like heavens, before finally falling down gently like feathers.

The silver fragments gathered like grains in an hourglass, reassembling before Sylutia.

『Meleranke Praying in the Lake』

'A poetic scripture recording the life experiences of the 'Named One' Meleranke. One of the three holy scriptures of the 'Silver Radiance Church'. (According to its legends, two rituals can be performed, and clues to the Sixth Tier profession 【Lake Saintess】 can be obtained. Meleranke once held the title of 'Lake Saintess' in her youth.)'

[Purity Ritual · Bathing in Moonlight] (Luminous Moon · Bloodline · Verdant Nectar)

[Purification Ritual · Baptism in the Lake] (Luminous Moon · Snail Fish · Slumbering Winter)

Warning: Advancing to the 【Lake Saintess】 profession will be sensed by high-ranking members of hostile factions (Golden Honey Dynasty, Moon Parliament).