Chapter 176: The World from the Sky

Next morning, Moon started off his day with making good use of Zera, now that he was borrowing the one-eyed enemy. He started by capturing Zera, who was trying to sneak into the eatery for breakfast, and sending him to Basil and Barrett in the Zero Damage Hall.

He made sure to give each of them the booklets Ed drafted for them personally before they started getting beat by Zera.

He didn’t explain the content, but he said, "Make use of this well, I paid dearly for it," to the two of them, bringing Basil specifically to the verge of tears. Little did he know, Moon was just lamenting the state of his hair and eyebrows.

Never once did he pass a day without saying, "I look like shit," since that last round.

While enjoying his breakfast, Uon reminded him... today, he was going to attend a lecture with Teacher Samuel.

"Fuck this shit!" Moon cursed out, but considering the seals he had on him and how critical they were for his future and survival, especially so for the seal on Death Echo...

With no other choice but to attend, Moon ground his teeth and went to the assigned room.

Inside, Samuel was sitting at a desk, behind him a huge board. On the opposite side, there was but a lone desk for Moon, where he sat without saying a word or greeting.

The two locked eyes for a moment before Samuel finally started.

Unlike any lecture he’d attended before, that one was very long, and by far too complicated to the point that Moon’s eyes reddened and his mouth was wide open the entire time.

"A seal to be built successfully has to be crafted in a 3D structural shape; each of the dimensions must be flawless. They also require material; they cannot be built with Echo."

While listening to this, watching the different kinds of material that could be used, and learning the nature of each of them, Moon’s mind couldn’t help drifting back to the first time in his life he heard the word ’Seal’.

Back when he was captured and made into a child war slave.

’That seal was also abnormally painful, just like the ones this mustache bastard makes,’ Moon thought for a moment. ’What if—’

"Focus." The air inside the room shook, blasting into Moon’s face at the command of Samuel, snapping him out of whatever he was trying to think of.

After a long, agonizing lecture where Moon didn’t learn anything about building or making a seal himself yet, it was finally over.

Samuel walked out, but Moon held his head with bloodshot eyes for a long time, unable to get over the new kind of torture Samuel had just unleashed on him.

Moon supported himself up, feeling woozy. "That damn—"

Hoooo~

He exhaled sharply. ’He still holds my seal; I’ll curse him after learning how to do it myself.’ He squinted and walked out of the hall...

In front of his face, a giant shadow loomed. "Little Moon, did the lecture go well?" Uon asked with his signature gentle smile.

Moon shook his head. "The amount of pain I’m going through is something I can’t put into words."

Uon shook his head. "Many, or even countless, desired to learn what you’re learning now, but were never given a chance."

Moon went silent for a moment, nodding. Considering Samuel’s reputation, his abilities, and what he’d seen till now, Uon wasn’t exaggerating by any means.

"I guess you’re right." Moon sighed, looking up to where Uon’s gaze was.

Behind his head, Moon saw it again: the large structures going around the facility. Moon looked deeply at them for a short second before pointing his finger. "Big Brother Uon, where do these bridges lead? The other branches?" Moon asked.

"What bridges?" Uon said, turning around to see what Moon was speaking of. "Oh, these?" He suddenly chuckled.

Uon’s gaze returned to Moon again. "They aren’t bridges," he said softly.

Moon frowned. "Not bridges?" he asked.

Uon nodded. "Yeah, they aren’t bridges. These are entirely to hold arcane."

"Arcane?... What for?"

Uon looked troubled for a second. "Well, I guess you never noticed then," he commented.

"Notice what?" Moon’s voice got louder. ’Tell me already, you’re doing this on purpose, you yellow bastard,’ Moon thought.

"Actually," Uon’s smile disappeared, "this facility is not on the ground."

"Huh?!"

"This facility is flying, suspended in the air," Uon explained, pointing at the bridge-like structures. "These halos are to suspend it in the air."

Moon’s face fell. "You’re lying," he said, turning around. "Bruh, so much waiting only to be messed with." He shook his head.

Uon tapped his shoulder once. "Follow me," he said as he started walking in a certain direction.

Moon pouted for a moment, but ultimately decided to follow, taking a long walk beyond the buildings he knew, behind anything he had seen.

At the very end, as if the world as he knew it had come to an end, now he stood at the very edge.

"Look here." Uon gestured for him. Moon, mesmerized, started approaching.

"HOLY—" Moon couldn’t hold himself back—

Thud~

He fell on his butt; for all of a sudden, the sight he beheld forced him into a state of severe dizziness.

His legs couldn’t help feeling weak.

Uon chuckled softly. "Did you see it?" he asked.

Moon’s eyes were in a state of shock; wide open, he looked ahead. White clouds floated on the horizon right beyond the edge of the facility. The halos he thought were bridges were detached completely from the edge, even farther away from it, untouchable.

And below.

Below was everything.

Moon gritted his teeth and forced himself up; he wanted to see it again. That sight, he wanted to take another look at it.

Moon staggered as he came closer to the edge.

Slowly creeping his feet, not letting them leave the ground, dragging them closer and closer.

Little by little, the view started coming back, beyond the edge of the facility.

Before he could discern the scene, Moon felt his balance was being assaulted, challenged again. He instantly unsheathed Liquid Mountain.

Cheen~

He stabbed it into the ground, leaning closer to the edge.

Hahaha~

He laughed; the more he saw, the more he laughed. Moon was suddenly hit by a newfound sense of liberation.

"This is the second floor?" he asked Uon amidst his laughter.

Uon’s smile widened; he nodded. "Yes, so far, you’ve been flying in the air, yet to set foot on the soil of the second floor."

Moon’s eyes scanned the world. Trees, rivers, seas, castles... so many things he was seeing from high in the sky, watching them so small.

A new point of view for him, for he had never been on anything higher than castle walls in his life, but today, he was watching a new scene.

"The world from the sky," he whispered.

His legs went wobbly again, even with his hand holding onto the hilt of Liquid Mountain as if it was his lifeline. Knuckles turning white and the veins popping all over his forearm, he still couldn’t resist the dizziness that came with losing yourself to the beauty of heights and the fear of them.

"Gotcha!"