Moving Forward

Volume: 2

Title: Chapter 107: Moving Forward

“In essence, for now, the Eternal Clock can extend your perceived time by a maximum of sixty times, with a limit of one minute. Note, that’s one minute as you perceive it; in actual time, it’s merely one second.

However, your current physical body can barely withstand the burden of ten times the speed while performing normally. Therefore, I advise against activating it at full power all at once, as you did this time.

Such an action would only briefly exhilarate you before rendering you useless, serving no other purpose,” Mera cautioned him with a serious expression.

“Ten times…”

Ewan looked down at his hands. Thanks to the Flame of the Withering King, his injuries had almost fully recovered, yet the profound sense of emptiness within him persisted.

It seemed he wouldn’t be able to activate it again anytime soon.

Still, he remained acutely aware of the power this ability held.

Achieving ten times his speed for a short duration, coupled with the unyielding might of Elizabeth, could fundamentally transform his capabilities.

It might even significantly compensate for his current weakness of having too few combat strategies.

Moreover, this power was capable of evolving.

From the impossibly slow world he had just experienced, he could discern the immense leap in strength he would achieve once he fully mastered a sixty-fold time extension.

He thought of a certain dashing old man wielding a folding knife—truly formidable, wouldn’t you agree?

“And this is just the beginning,” Mera continued.

“Currently, the Eternal Clock can only affect your own time. Thus, in a sense, it merely acts as an accelerator for your consciousness.

However, as subsequent steps unfold and your connection with the Eternal Clock deepens, granting you more of its blessings, this authority over time will expand from your ‘self’ to ‘external objects,’ and eventually, even the ‘world’ itself.

Only then will the true power of the Eternal Clock genuinely manifest.”

As she spoke, Mera glanced at Ewan, a slight smile playing on her lips. “At that point, those strange ideas you have brewing in your mind won’t be impossible to achieve, either.”

Ewan’s cheek twitched. He scratched his head, letting out a laugh. “Wh-what strange ideas, Teacher Mera? What are you talking about? I don’t understand, ha ha ha…”

“We’ll just pretend you don’t understand.”

Mera stretched languidly, a charming gesture, and began walking deeper into the sea of flowers. “Keep at it, kid. While the Eternal Clock is incredibly potent, the greater the power, the more crucial it is to progress step by step.

Otherwise, the power won’t be yours to command; it will command you. So, until you can fully master the current sixty-fold extension, I won’t proceed to the next step.”

“I’ll do my best, then.”

Ewan clenched his fist, his gaze firm. “I promise.”

“That resolve is enough.”

Mera waved a hand. “You can leave now. I’ve been busy for so long, I’m tired and need to rest for a bit.”

“Understood. I won’t disturb your rest, Teacher Mera.”

Ewan respectfully bid her farewell and turned to leave. After only two steps, Mera called out to him. “Oh, and that Aesop script? I’ll continue to decipher it. The Moon is preoccupied right now, so I might find a loophole.”

Ewan froze, then was overcome with joy. “Thank you, Teacher Mera!”

“No need for thanks, but there’s one more thing.”

Lying in the flower sea, Mera suddenly rolled over, propping her small head with her hand as she looked at Ewan. “In ten days, there will be a lunar eclipse over this city.”

“A lunar eclipse?”

Ewan blinked.

“What kind of lunar eclipse?”

A lunar eclipse should be a significant event in this era. Logically, news of it should have been circulating long before its occurrence. Why had he never heard of it?

“Well, don’t ask about troublesome questions like why there will be a lunar eclipse. I merely wanted to give you a reminder.”

Mera’s lips still held a smile, yet Ewan felt utterly seen by her crimson eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with being a bad child who sleeps soundly at night, but this city… Belland… will become very interesting soon. So, it would be best for you to be careful.”

****

“A lunar eclipse?”

Even after exiting the Mercury Well, Ewan continued to ponder Mera’s words.

However, many seemingly disjointed matters suddenly became clear when combined with his prior knowledge.

‘Indeed, no matter how I think about it, there can only be one possibility: the lunar eclipse refers to the Withering King pinning the Silent Moon to the ground and grinding it. Ten days from now… I didn’t expect it to be so soon.’

It seemed the Withering King was truly more ferocious than he had imagined. Or perhaps, the Silent Moon’s series of self-preservation attempts had failed, needlessly depleting its strength and widening the disparity even further.

‘As for Belland becoming interesting…’

This, too, was easy to grasp.

The Moon had already done so much; it certainly wouldn’t sit idly by at the last moment, allowing itself to be utterly consumed by the Withering King.

Therefore, it would undoubtedly take further action.

Moreover, it was highly probable that it intended to do something in Belland, with his Senior as a crucial pawn. ‘I won’t let you succeed so easily, even if you are an evil god.’

“Black Book.”

Ewan softly called out in his mind.

A long moment passed.

Eventually, the black book deep within his consciousness rustled slightly, and a single character reluctantly appeared on its blank pages.

[Here]

‘Why does this guy feel increasingly unreliable?’ Ewan’s lips twitched.

“Can you tell me the Silent Moon’s objective?”

[No]

“Why not? Can’t you foresee things for me?”

[I can only foresee matters related to you]

“I see.”

‘So it’s not that easy to discern an evil god’s intentions, after all?’ Ewan considered for a moment, then asked, “What about the Serpent Transformation Disease? Do you know its cure?”

The Black Book’s characters writhed, coalescing into a complete sentence.

Yet, amidst the blurred mosaic, Ewan could only distinguish four words.

[Tears of True Love]

“Even you are affected by the evil god?”

[It is not I who is affected, but you.]

“What do you…”

Ewan paused, then suddenly understood. ‘Was this the evil god’s suggestion that Mera spoke of?’

Which meant…

‘Under the evil god’s suggestive influence, even if I saw the true answer, I could only comprehend these four words?’

[That is correct]

[But these four words are absolutely true]

[Do not worry]

“…It’s rare to discern a hint of comfort from you,” Ewan said with a wry smile.

[‘Keep it up.’]

After displaying these final two words, the Black Book closed once more, sinking deep into Ewan’s consciousness, silent and still, as if in slumber.

“To be encouraged by a book, of all things.”

Ewan chuckled self-deprecatingly, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky.

The weather had long ceased to be clear. Dense clouds obscured the sunlight, shrouding the entire world in a heavy shadow.

“It seems tonight will be a dark and windy night.”