[Shock! Evil Gods Flee Allen Peninsula Overnight, Aberrant Towns Vaporize in Dreams, Machine Cult Swaps Headquarters Seven Times—Is This a Twist of Humanity or a Fall of Morality? Welcome to Silver Moon's Special Broadcast: Inside the Magic Circle!] —Yu
[Given everyone's unfamiliarity with Silver Moon's most enigmatic organization—the Magic Circle—I'm here to guide you through it.
(Special thanks to our technical support [@Certain Anonymous Elder] and content support [@Certain Anonymous Senior])
[Pretend there's an evil god image here]
[Pretend there's an aberrant image here (we had one, but Elder forgot to snap it; I'll grab one later)]
[Machine Cult, same deal]
Now, let's get to it—]
Group chat: …
Xue: [Pointless.]
If they're anonymous, why call them out?
Feng Ye: [Outsiders have a peculiar humor, don't they? It's kinda fun.]
Chong: [Should I go smash something and take a pic?]
Gui Fan: [Next time. I'm busy—don't mess with me.]
Yu Yu typed furiously, juggling Senior Meng's guidance while crafting her words.
Her follower count was solid, and with the game down for an update, the official forums were packed. Her post shot to the homepage instantly, pinned and highlighted in red.
[The Magic Circle, a spellcaster organization dating back to the end of the Silver Era. At its peak, it carved up the world, divided rivers and mountains, and claimed all lands under the sun and moon as its dominion (doge).]
[Kidding, but based on Senior's account, that's the vibe. She might have rose-tinted glasses, so take it with a grain of salt.]
Meng messaged privately, [Solid summary, but ditch the humble bit. I spoke facts—no embellishments.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Wow! So cool!]
FreeLittleBird: [Keep spinning tales.]
Gui Fan: [Well-written, vivid.]
Chang Ming: [Indeed.]
Yu Yu continued, [I'm not spinning anything. If you dig into other NPCs, you'll see the Magic Circle's mark is bold across the mainland's history, never fading. For details, borrow a book from an NPC—The Great Purge.]
[Haven't read it yet, but once I do, I'll dive deeper.]
Xue: [The Great Purge? Bet it doesn't paint the Magic Circle kindly.]
Guang Chen: [Who cares?]
[But brave men don't dwell on past glories. Let's talk now. First, the Magic Circle's structure—]
[The Council, the Magic Circle's core, has one Speaker and seven Councilors, residing in a secret spatial headquarters. All eight are likely Legends. P.S. I don't know if Legends are a big deal, but the Speaker's title is Night Lord.]
Guang Chen: [How'd she know the Speaker's title? Feng Ye, you tell her?]
Feng Ye: [Don't ask me. Ask the Speaker.]
[The Council's too ethereal for us to touch, so let's talk about what we can—the Four Grand Archons.]
[Silver Moon's Grand Archon—hold on, let me check if I can name her…]
Yu Yu popped into the group, [QAQ Grand Archon, can I share your codename?]
Feng Ye replied curtly, [Yes.]
Guang Chen: [Why start with her? Why not me?]
Yu Yu: [QAQ I know a tad more about her.]
Guang Chen: [Hmph, fine. We don't mind outsiders knowing we exist.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes commented, [How do you ask? You log in and just see the Grand Archon?]
Yu Yu wrote, [Just asked—they're cool with it.]
Qing Qing: [They?]
Passerby A: [Whoa, 'they'? You're chatting with the Grand Archons, plural?]
Ignoring them, Yu Yu continued, [Silver Moon's Grand Archon, codename Feng Ye, oversees Silver Moon's governance but seems to dabble in everything. Players probably deal with her the most.]
Passerby B: [Thanks, but by 'players,' you mean you, right?]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [QAQ Saw her from afar ages ago—didn't even catch her face.]
Shang Wei: [No one else knows her. Stop saying 'players'—just say you.]
Yu Yu ignored them, typing, [Internal Affairs Grand Archon, codename Guang Chen, handles Magic Circle internals, like the Academy where we grab quests, which falls under her.]
[War Grand Archon, codename Gui Fan, manages external conflicts. When we hit Pioneer camps or head to the mainland, we'll likely interact with her more.]
Passerby C: [Interact more? For real? I'm believing you!]
Yu Yu: [Purification Grand Archon, codename Chang Ming, oversees enforcement, investigation, and cleanup. The Enforcement Division is hers. Pray you never meet her—running into her means big trouble.]
Chang Ming: [Heh, amusing. Now I want to meet you.]
[Also, the City Guard falls under Silver Moon's Grand Archon, while Enforcement is under Purification's. You can join the City Guard, but avoid Enforcement. The stakes are worlds apart—trust me, I learned the hard way!!!]
[By comparison, the City Guard's like a warm home!!!]
Chang: [Warm, huh? Feels like you're taunting me.]
Qiong: [Heh, no need to feel it—she is.]
Xiang Qin: [City Guard vs. military tribunal?]
—Yu Yu: [Pretty much. Avoid Enforcement at all costs! It's like a local magistrate versus the secret police!]
[That's the Four Grand Archons, rarely seen. Now, the High Stewards—]
[Known: besides the Four Grand Archons, there are 22 High Stewards. Let's dive in.]
[Starting with Silver Moon's Grand Archon, she oversees seven High Stewards managing Silver Moon and its six territories—simple and brutal.]
[First, the High Steward players are most likely to meet: Silver Moon's overseer, Chang! You can just call her Silver Moon.]
[Cat slamming table.jpg] [I just learned today that High Steward Chang doesn't just run the City Guard—she governs all of Silver Moon! I didn't know Silver Moon had a castle, City Guard, and a lord's mansion!!!]
[Per a certain anonymous Senior, you can spot High Steward Chang anywhere except the lord's mansion. Your odds are higher at the Silver Moon Gazette, City Guard, or any lively spot. Her dedication to being on the front lines of gossip—er, incidents—is unmatched! (doge)]
Chang: [@Yu, @Meng, slandering me, huh?]
Qiong: [Doesn't feel like slander.]
Xue: [Don't you know your own reputation?]
Chong: [Forget Silver Moon High Steward—call her Gazette High Steward.]
[The other six High Stewards cover the six territories: East Rim, Roland, Fran, South Shore, Wind Cliff, and Duosuo. I don't know them, so no intros. Rumor has it Roland and East Rim will open soon—maybe we'll meet them then~]
[Though the other six are elusive, Chang's easy to find. Hang around the City Guard, and you might bump into her~]
[Next, the War Grand Archon's High Stewards—]
[Seven as well: High Steward Chong and six others—(redacted).]
[Don't ask why they're redacted. Their posts tie to Silver Moon's defense line—classified. Think military bases.]
[We'll just talk about the one we can meet: Deadwood Town's defense line High Steward, Chong.]
[Chong's great—just loves chasing 'Solanine.' That's it.]
Chong: […So, question: have you turned in your Solanine? Think I'll forget?]
Yu Yu: [QAQ Forgot again! I swear, I'll turn it in next login!]
Chang: [Don't bother. Give it to me.]
Chong: [Dream on! Not a single bottle less!]
[Now, Internal Affairs Grand Archon's five High Stewards: Xue, Qian (yes, really Qian—shocked me), Liang (maybe sounds like 'grain'?), Ku (storage, transport?), and Zong (manufacturing?).]
[Their codenames scream their roles. My reckless guess—they inherited these, didn't pick them.]
Xue: [Sadly, no.]
Qian: [Why shocked? Qian sounds better than Qiong, no?]
Qiong: [?]
Liang: [Maybe Liang's because I'm kind?]
Ku: [Kind? Shut it.]
Zong: [Master enchanting, then come to me. I'll hook you up with work.]
Yu Yu's keyboard clattered. [As Internal Affairs High Stewards, we might meet them eventually. I don't know the other four yet, but I wanna cozy up to Qian~]
Qian: […Sure, come on.]
Xue: [No ambition.]
Liang: [She's poorer than Qiong.]
Qiong: [You guys done?]
[So, let's focus on the most common High Steward—Xue!]
[Xue, tech guru, runs Academy affairs. Yup, our happy quest hub!]
[I know Silver Moon's Grand Archon and High Steward hang at the castle, but where do Internal Affairs folks work? Does Silver Moon have secret buildings?]
Xue: [Usually at the Academy, dimwit. Met you tons of times—don't talk, so you forget me?]
Yu Yu: [Excluding the other four, Xue's pretty easy to find! Like, set the Academy on fire?]
Xue: [?]
Liang, Qian, Ku, Zong: [?]
Xue: [You dare!]
Yu Yu, oblivious to the group, typed passionately, [Good news: you can meet High Steward Xue!
Bad news: it's a combo deal—Xue plus Qiong, or Xue plus Chang. You might even get a funeral package, cremation included~ (doge)]
Xue: [? @Yu, get over here!]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
Xue: [Try setting a fire!]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
Xue: [You did this on purpose, didn't you?]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
Xue: [Stop spamming that emoji!!]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
Xue's composure shattered.
Feng Ye: [Hahaha… adorable. The Academy's not for just anyone. With so few spellcasters, you can't handle her?]
Xue: [She's stirring trouble!]
Guang Chen: […]
Gui Fan: [Haha, I think her intro's fun. Too brief on me, though. My folks are friendly—I'll introduce you.]
Yu Yu: [QAQ Really? Don't trick me, Elder.]
Gui Fan: [No tricks, promise.]
Chong: [Promise, no tricks.]
Feng Ye: [Smiling silently.jpg]
Gui Fan: [What's so funny? The tough ones are with Feng Ye and Chang Ming. If you handle them, we're no problem~]
Chang Ming: [My turn?]
In the thread, Shang Wei: [Where's she at? Silenced herself mid-post?]
Yu Yu: [Here, here, let's continue.]
[Finally, the Purification Grand Archon. She has the fewest—three High Stewards.]
[Cleanup Division, Dai; Enforcement Division, Qiong; Investigation Division, Ying.]
[Cleanup: sees you, deals with you. Enforcement: catches you, jails you, or deals with you in jail if it's bad. Investigation: probably tech support for the other two?]
Dai: [Wrong. Totally off. Meng didn't tell you?]
Yu Yu: [QAQ I got it wrong?!]
Dai: [We all deal with you directly—just different targets.]
Yu Yu: [!!!]
Qiong: [Enforcement has its own mages—you've met them. We don't need Dai's help; she has her own work.]
Ying: [+1]
Yu Yu: [Correction: my guess was wrong. The three divisions aren't checks and balances—they each have their own scope.]
[Investigation might be gentler? Either way, none are good places. Avoid them! Best not to meet!]
Qiong: [Wrong again. They're crazier than us. Enforcement's the gentlest.]
Dai: [Heh.]
Ying: [Heh.]
Yu Yu: [Oh, and Purification reports directly to the Council. You know what that means.]
Qing Qing: [Got it. Brutal enforcers—catch and kill, right?]
Shang Wei: [Maybe kill during investigation.]
Passerby A: [Investigation, capture, execution—any step could vanish you. Noted!]
Passerby B: [Purification's three: 'Want the process, or straight to killing?']
Passerby C: [Investigation: Kill! Enforcement: Kill!! Cleanup: Kill!!!]
Chang Ming: [Outsiders seem to have strong opinions about us?]
Qiong, Dai, Ying: [Seems so.]
Feng Ye: [.]
Guang Chen: [.]
Gui Fan: [.]
…
Yu Yu checked the group, spotting a row of periods—everyone except Purification's four sent one.
Purification's side was definitely no joke!
Yu Yu: [As you can see, the Magic Circle is our main order faction, holding both land and military power.]
[Silver Moon's defenses are orchestrated by the Magic Circle, with other forces following their lead.]
[In short: me and the Magic Circle wreak havoc! They do the wrecking, I do the cheering.]
Feng Ye: [Haha, a bit snarky, but accurate.]
Gui Fan: [Nailed the vibe.]
Then, unexpected replies appeared in the thread.
Felix: [.]
Fu: [Fake, nonsense! You're the one cheering!]
Feng Ye: [Oh, Fu Fu finally shows up~]
The little pup had snagged a new account from her and lurked for ages.
Chang: [Fu Fu's getting cuter.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Aaaah! Now the Magic Circle feels so cool! Me and the Magic Circle wreak havoc!!!]
FreeLittleBird: [Main faction? Pfft. Barely interact with players, lofty, cold, arrogant. So few of them—how do they hold Silver Moon? Keep dreaming!]
Yu Yu: [Plenty. High-tier spellcasters love teleporting—you don't see them doesn't mean they're not there.]
[Don't believe me? Loiter near the school. Guarantee a high-tier spellcaster shows up at your doorstep.]
Xue: [He dares!]
Guang Chen: [He dares!]
Feng Ye: [He dares!]
As Yu Yu's words landed, the group erupted, a flood of [He dares!] filling the chat.
Yu Yu: …Really? Does the Magic Circle have PTSD about this?
She messaged Meng privately, [Senior, why's the Magic Circle so obsessed with the school?]
Meng: [That brutal battle back then started because someone, while we were on the front lines, killed our rearguard spellcasters and razed nearly all our schools.]
[We were left with no successors, forced to retreat step by step, losing vast lands and people, shrinking to Allen Peninsula.]
[In that time, the Magic Circle lost nine Speakers alone, with countless Grand Archons and High Stewards dead.]
[We nearly lost all hope!]
She paused, calming. [Check the group. Time to get scolded.]
Feng Ye: [@Yu, no joking about the school!]
Guang Chen: [From now on, we'll kill outsiders near the school—no mistakes.]
Gui Fan: [Kill!]
Chang Ming: [Kill!]
Xue: [Kill!!!]
Yu Yu didn't dare show her face.
FreeLittleBird: [How many high-tier spellcasters does the Magic Circle have?]
Yu Yu: [Why not log in and ask yourself?]
[Stay away from the school. The Magic Circle will kill players who get close. Don't cross that line, or you'll die for nothing.]
FreeLittleBird: [Scared of what? I'm going!]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Something's off with this guy.]
Zi Shu: [He once tricked someone into deleting their account, tanking their spirit and will. Now he's baiting players to die at the school?]
Shu Tu: [Listen to Yu. Stay away.]
Fuyu: [@BigIdiotZhou]
Yu Yu: [This guy's got a rap sheet and still isn't banned? @Federation]
Federation Account 1: [Order received!]
[Citizens, don't fall for other players' lures or follow rumors. Prioritize life safety and protect your accounts.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Huh? Why'd the Federation pop up so fast? Real or fake?]
Passerby A: [Why'd it say 'Order received'?]
Yu Yu refreshed and saw FreeLittleBird was banned.
The Federation lacked ban authority—they could only mute. So…
Chang: [@Yu, enough hiding. Young spellcasters are the Magic Circle's untouchable line. Don't touch it.]
Yu Yu: [QAQ]
[Reporting to the Grand Archon: lore guide complete!]
Feng Ye: [Saw it.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Feels weird. I swear I've seen these Grand Archon and High Steward codenames on the forums. All cosplayers?]
—Chang: [You mean me?]
—[Yeah, you and that Meng guy. Feels off…]
—Chang: [Not quite.]
Yu Yu: [Clarification: these accounts are Federation-run. If you don't want jail time, don't harass Federation offices. Their speech and actions have deeper meaning.]
Shang Wei: [If we could harass them. Their accounts block private chats and sometimes vanish—very odd.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Federation? Performance art? Why bully players?!]
[Hmph, wait for it. I'm logging in to break laws and grind Chang at the City Guard!]
Chang: […Waiting.]
Meng: [Heh.]
Eating Without Washing Dishes: [Cosplay all you want, but replying to me? Believe I'll report you!]
[No clue if I'll see her. Big shot, does Chang have favor rewards?]
Yu Yu: [Probably?]
Yu Yu noticed Shu Tu was back.
She sat up, peering across, spotting Shu Tu behind her computer.
Shu Tu, fresh from a shower, was combing her hair. She looked up. "What?"
Yu Yu: "When'd you get back?"
Shu Tu: "Earlier. You were all on the forums, so I showered first."
"It's raining outside," she said.
Yu Yu heard the storm's roar. "Been ages since it rained."
"Silver Moon never seems to rain."
Yu Yu stood, snapping a photo and tagging Felix, [Senior, Senior, look—it's raining!]
[I don't think I've seen other weather in Silver Moon!]
Felix, online, replied, [Mm, abnormal weather destabilizes Silver Moon's environment. Other weather means something's wrong with the Stars.]
Yu Yu posted in her private log thread, locked from players.
The Duchess soon crept in, [What's good about rain? Annoying.]
Yu Yu paused, struck by a thought.
Did little wolves like water as pups?
Did the stingy Grand Archon ever splash them?
She wanted to ask but didn't dare court death.
Ugh, when can I speak freely?!
After chatting with the pup, Yu Yu messaged Yu Bai, urging her to prioritize the schoolkids, then set her phone down.
Senior had said Magic Circle-trained spellcasters had stable wills—rarely below 5, mostly 6, sometimes 7—with ample experience.