Wherever Baek Yu-Seol went, he habitually assessed his surroundings.
It was a sort of occupational hazard.
Due to his lack of defensive magic and reliance on spatial manipulation as a Flash mage, he always familiarized himself with the terrain to prepare for emergencies.
When he entered Skalven's Utina Academy, it was no different.
'Utina Academy was quite spacious.'
True to the grandeur of an empire, the campus utilized its space extensively, which worked to Baek Yu-Seol's advantage.
With a single Flash, he could traverse over 15 meters, closing the gap in an instant to slice off the head of a Dark Mage.
Swoosh!
"M-My...!"
Even though Dark Mages typically had faster reflexes than humans, they couldn't react to Baek Yu-Seol's Flash.
They never expected him to cover such a vast distance so quickly!
In the past, his Flash range had been limited to around 12 meters, but now it had significantly increased. Since he began refining the energy of Silver Autumn Moon, his ability to use Flash had improved considerably.
'Next…'
The remaining Dark Mages leapt backward to create distance.
Even though they knew it was meaningless, it was an instinctive reaction.
'...It's smoother.'
This was the first time in a while that Baek Yu-Seol had used Flash in actual combat since seriously training with the Silver Autumn Moon's energy. He could distinctly feel the difference.
It no longer required intense, almost splitting concentration to control his movements like before.
Now, he simply had to think about where he wanted to go, and his body would naturally appear there.
Faster, farther, and more accurately than ever.
[Flash]
Every time Baek Yu-Seol Flashed, another wound appeared on the Dark Mages' bodies.
If he had faced all three of them at once, it might have been difficult. But by taking one out right at the start, the situation had clearly tipped in his favor.
Originally, the Dark Mages had planned to use their destructive power, taking everything in the vicinity as hostages.
However, with their numerical advantage gone, they could no longer act recklessly.
Moreover, as Baek Yu-Seol charged at them with strength not diminished but far more powerful than before, the Dark Mages couldn't shake the thought, 'Baek Yu-Seol really lured us here to hunt us down!'
With such fear in their minds, they couldn't fight properly. All they could do was run… fleeing over and over again.
Baek Yu-Seol hadn't even drawn his Ethereal Wind and Moonlight sword.
In a world that felt slower to him, Baek Yu-Seol calmly placed his sword in the path of the fleeing Dark Mages.
Swoosh!
"Aaaargh!"
When he slashed the leg of one Dark Mage, they collapsed mid-leap in a disgraceful heap. A typical risk level 7 Dark Mage could regenerate severed limbs quickly, but for some reason, wounds inflicted by Baek Yu-Seol's sword didn't heal as they should.
'Why isn't it regenerating...?'
The Dark Mages had no idea why.
The answer lay in the nature of Baek Yu-Seol's power, he was using mana derived from nature.
The natural energy, channeled through him, clashed with the Dark Mages' dark mana, disrupting their abilities and hindering their regeneration.
This wasn't something Baek Yu-Seol had intended, but the result was that he had become a natural enemy of the Dark Mages.
Thud!
"Ugh..."
As he drove his sword through the heart of one Dark Mage, the last remaining one let out a metallic screech and fled outside the academy.
Baek Yu-Seol could have pursued them easily, but he chose not to.
That Dark Mage would now return to their base and spread rumors like wildfire:
'The Dark Knight, the right hand of the Dark Mage King, has allied with Baek Yu-Seol!'
Of course, not many would believe it. The Dark Knight had no apparent reason to do such a thing.
That's why Baek Yu-Seol began considering how to make the rumors more convincing by leaving subtle traces.
'They tried to mess with me, so it's only fair to return the favor.'
After shaking off the dark blood from his Teripon Sword and sheathing it at his waist, Baek Yu-Seol noticed a trembling figure getting up nearby.
"Huh? Oh, it's you, Professor. You're still alive."
"B-Baek Yu-Seol…"
The figure was none other than Professor Bray Bun.
After being thoroughly humiliated by Baek Yu-Seol during their earlier debate, Professor Bray Bun had fled the academy with his pride in tatters. Unfortunately, he ended up caught in the Dark Mages' attack. However, thanks to his expensive robe, he somehow managed to survive the explosion.
"You seem injured, Professor. Let me help you up."
Baek Yu-Seol extended his hand. Bray Bun hesitated for a moment before finally grabbing it.
"Th-thank you… If it weren't for you, I might've been done for."
"It's nothing. It's the duty of a combat mage."
Indeed, that was the key difference between a combat mage and a scholar mage.
Combat mages didn't pursue magic as an academic discipline; they saw it merely as a tool for combat and survival.
In contrast, scholar mages were more like philosophers, constantly refining and researching magic to advance its knowledge.
This difference in mindset was the root of the age-old conflict between battle mages and scholar mages, who often butted heads and clashed over their ideals.
Honestly, with this many mages around, it was surprising how few were actually capable of fighting…
From Baek Yu-Seol's perspective as a combat mage, the existence of scholar mages felt even stranger.
One by one, the mages who had been unconscious began to wake up. Upon realizing that the Dark Mages had been defeated, they approached Baek Yu-Seol to express their gratitude.
Although the entire attack had been instigated because of Baek Yu-Seol, he didn't feel the need to share that detail.
'If I just keep my mouth shut, they might even give me some extra bread or something. Why spoil it?'
And so, the 17th Utina Conference ended on a somewhat anticlimactic note, with the Dark Mage attack thwarted. Still, Baek Yu-Seol was satisfied with the outcome.
'Are you watching?'
— Yes.
Through telepathy, Silver Autumn Moon responded briefly.
— You've grown more accustomed to using my energy At this rate, you may even surpass me someday.
'Oh, come on. That's impossible… it's your power, after all, so how could I…?'
— It seems you misunderstand something.
'What do you mean?'
Before Baek Yu-Seol could ask further, silver light shimmered in the air before him, and the semi-transparent form of Silver Autumn Moon appeared. It seemed invisible to others.
— The energy of the silver time… I am not its true master.
'…Then whose power is it?'
— We can only manipulate our respective attributes to their extremes; ultimately, we are merely borrowing the energy that exists naturally in this world. Can you say the forest has a master?
'I see…'
That's right. The energy of the silver time did not belong to anyone.
Like any other mana, it was merely one of the countless energies dispersed throughout nature.
The difference was that humans, with their limited senses, couldn't perceive the energy of the silver time at all.
— Do you understand what it means to wield my energy?
'I'm not sure…'
— No human can perceive the flow of time. While you can measure it in minutes and seconds, sensing the flow itself is impossible. You are the only human capable of this.
It was a difficult concept to grasp.
To sense the flow of time itself… It was still an unfamiliar idea to Baek Yu-Seol.
— That is why, if you become more adept at wielding the silver energy than I am, it would not be surprising. We… were merely shaped this way by the Progenitor Mage.
Baek Yu-Seol, lost in thought, finally snapped out of it when the Utina Academy staff informed him they would handle the cleanup.
They mentioned he would receive a reward for defeating the Dark Mages, as well as additional compensation, but he was too preoccupied to pay much attention.
As Baek Yu-Seol boarded the private aircraft provided by Skalven, Silver Autumn Moon spoke to him again.
— There are no prying eyes here.
"Yes."
— Then, can you open your palm?
"My palm? Why?"
He didn't understand the sudden instruction, but assuming there was a reason, he opened his hand.
— Now, channel the energy of Pink Spring Moon.
"Uh… I haven't practiced that much, so I'm not very good at it…"
— Just try.
With no other choice, Baek Yu-Seol closed his eyes and focused, drawing up the faintly pink energy buried deep within him.
To his own surprise, his palm began glowing pink almost immediately.
"Huh? Wait… Was it always this easy?"
— Indeed…
Baek Yu-Seol had rarely practiced using the energy of Pink Spring Moon, as it wasn't particularly useful in combat and was mostly reserved for meditation. Yet now, it was as easy to summon as the energy of Silver Autumn Moon.
"How is this possible?"
— It seems the energy of the Twelve Divine Moons has fully harmonized within you.
"If that's the case…"
— Congratulations. You've saved yourself a lot of time.
"Oh…"
Until now, Baek Yu-Seol had to practice controlling the energy of each Divine Moon separately… Blue Winter Moon on its own, Silver Autumn Moon on its own, and so on.
But now, things had changed.
The energies of the Twelve Divine Moons had completely merged within him, allowing him to draw upon any attribute at will.
"Whoa…"
Baek Yu-Seol began summoning red, blue, silver, and green energies in his palm, delighted by the ease of it. Meanwhile, Silver Autumn Moon silently observed, deep in thought.
'It won't be long now…'
In truth, the phrase 'the energy has harmonized' might not fully capture the phenomenon. What had occurred was that the energies of the Twelve Divine Moons had begun to blend together harmoniously, creating this unique state.
A human capable of such a feat likely existed nowhere else in the world… except Baek Yu-Seol. Even the Twelve Divine Moons themselves could not combine more than two energies at once.
However, there was one other person who might also possess this ability.
'…Fawn Prevernal Moon. That must have been his goal all along.'
He had been the only one to wield the complete energy of the Twelve Divine Moons.
Yet, despite his ability, Fawn Prevernal Moon had remained passive, refraining from interfering with the other Divine Moons for nearly a millennium. Why had he suddenly become active now?
'Is it because the end is near?'
If so, what was his objective? Was he trying to prevent destruction?
Or… was he wishing for it?
If the goal was to prevent destruction, there would be no reason for Fawn Prevernal Moon to hinder Baek Yu-Seol. In fact, they might even help him.
'He must be wishing for destruction.'
Even the Twelve Divine Moons weren't immune to the fear of death. Baek Yu-Seol had believed there were no Divine Moons who desired the world's end.
But Fawn Prevernal Moon seemed to be actively pushing the world closer to destruction—
As if it absolutely had to happen.
Silver Autumn Moon couldn't comprehend his actions at all.
'That's why this child must harmonize all the energies of the Twelve Divine Moons.'
He looked at Baek Yu-Seol, who had summoned all the different energies into his palm.
One day, if Baek Yu-Seol could wield the Divine Moon energies as adeptly as they themselves could…
That day would mark the miraculous moment the world could avoid destruction.
"But I'm curious about something."
— Hmm? Speak.
"Can I mix all these energies together and use them at once?"
— Yes. While we've never tried it ourselves, it's said that harmonizing all the colors of energy can create an extraordinary miracle.
"Doesn't that sound a bit strange, though?"
— What's strange about it?
"Well, if you mix all these colors together, it would eventually turn gray, right? And if you mix even more, it would turn black."
Silver Autumn Moon's eyes widened, and they fell silent for a moment.
"When you put it that way… gray and black don't sound very reassuring…"
— Wait a moment.
"Huh? Where did you go?"
Baek Yu-Seol tried to continue the conversation, but Silver Autumn Moon had already vanished.
'…Did I ask something I wasn't supposed to?'
It seemed like a simple, obvious question anyone might think of. It didn't feel like anything significant.
Scratching his cheek in confusion, Baek Yu-Seol leaned back in his chair.
"I don't know."
He was tired. Maybe a quick nap would help.