The forest was alive with tension, even after their narrow escape from Raizel, the Moonfang General. Every rustle of leaves, every distant cry of beasts reminded Kazuki of how close they had come to death. His muscles ached, his body still trembling from the retreat, but he refused to slow. Beside him, Lyria struggled to keep pace—her body burned with the unstable power of the Lunar Royal Seal Fragment.
By the time they found shelter in a hidden cave beneath the twisted roots of ancient trees, night had fully fallen. Kazuki helped Lyria inside, gently lowering her to the cold stone floor. Her aura flared violently, silver energy crackling over her body, forcing her to gasp and stumble.
"Lyria! Focus!" Kazuki's voice was sharp, but calm. He grabbed her shoulders, stabilizing her. "You survived Raizel. You can survive this."
Her breathing slowed, though faint tremors still coursed through her limbs. The Seal Fragment's power surged unpredictably, but the cave's protection gave her time to stabilize. Only then did the system speak.
◈ STATUS UPDATE — LYRIA (Seal Fragment Awakened)
Level: 19HP: 280 / 350Mana: 700 / 950Race: Half-Elf (Lunar Royal Bloodline — Fragment Awakened)
Strength: 19Agility: 27Magic: 58Endurance: 22Luck: 14
New Skills:
Lunar Blood Resonance (Passive) — Mana capacity increased; unstable under stress.
Royal Veil (Active) — Automatically creates barrier under lethal threat.
Moonlit Restoration (Support) — Healing amplified by lunar phases.
Seal Fragment Pulse (Uncontrolled) — Bursts of mana; can disrupt enemies or allies.
Title:Bearer of the Lost Lunar Lineage
Kazuki opened his own status window, inspecting his numbers after the Raizel encounter.
◈ STATUS — KAZUKI (Moonblood Warrior)
Level: 25HP: 600 / 600Mana: 180 / 240Race: Human (Moonblood Variant — Evolving)
Strength: 85Agility: 90Endurance: 65Intelligence: 38Luck: ???
ALL SKILLS
Moonlight & Combat Skills
Lunar Step Lv.3 — Enhanced mobility and mid-air control.
Moonlight Blade Lv.3 — Moonlight-infused weapon strikes.
Moonlight Aura Lv.3 — Enhances physical stats.
Moonlight Ascendant Lv.3 — Moon synergy transformation.
Moonlight Overdrive Lv.2 — Temporarily supercharges all moonlight skills.
Moonlight Fusion Lv.3 — Blends physical attacks with mana.
Moonlit Tenacity Lv.1 — Strength increases under pressure; gravity suppression.
Special Attacks
Celestial Strike Lv.3 — High-speed lunar slash.
Silver Pulse Lv.2 — Mid-range shockwave attack.
Lunar Veil Lv.3 — Defensive barrier absorbing magic.
Celestial Moonfall Lv.1 — Team ultimate with Lyria; massive hybrid strike.
Instinct & Survival Skills
Predator's Intuition Lv.4 — Detects ambushes and killing intent.
Adrenal Surge Lv.3 — Boosts stats at low HP.
Critical Instinct Lv.2 — Increased critical chance at weak points.
Additional Skills
Shadowrend Affinity Lv.1 — Enhances stealth and dark mana.
Mana Resonance Lv.2 — Harmonizes with external mana sources.
Passive Bonuses:
Double EXP
Pain Suppression (Minor)
Moonblood Physique (Evolution-Linked)
Titles:
The Undiscovered One
Moonblood Warrior
Kazuki exhaled slowly. Numbers couldn't measure the weight of failure, the pressure of Raizel's attack, or the stakes of Moonfang's pursuit. But he could measure growth—and resolve.
"Lyria… we'll survive this. We'll grow stronger," he whispered, gripping his blade.
Her eyes, though tired and flickering with unstable power, glimmered with trust.
"And we'll make sure Moonfang regrets ever underestimating us."
The cave trembled with distant howls. Moonfang scouts were closing in.
Kazuki smiled faintly, eyes sharp."We're no longer the same weaklings he saw. We're rising."
The night deepened. Danger approached—but so did their awakening.