The Invincible Full-Moon System

Chapter 2013: Reaching for the Moon

All Rex needed to do was place himself in the Goddess of the Greater Moon’s position.

His own children, whom he raised dearly, had betrayed him and stolen his power. He lost the divine sources that supplied him with enough divinity points to remain in the God Realm. And now—even his own home was being torn apart piece by piece.

Not to mention, he was probably also wounded beyond measure or at least feeling weak.

It was a tough spot to be in.

Rex was not a parent. He didn’t really understand the love a parent has for their children, but he was sure that it was immense. Perhaps bigger than anything in the universe. Naturally—being betrayed by people whom he loved most would most likely be painful.

He wouldn’t be surprised if he fell into the abyssal deep of depression.

A place that he couldn’t escape until his dying breath.

Perhaps anger would still be present in him, and he would try his hardest to fix his situation and scold his children sternly. Delivering appropriate punishments to make sure they understood how hurt he was by what they did.

But if that failed and he couldn’t fix his situation, then he would find a way to die peacefully.

And in this case, the peaceful place for the Goddess must be the moon.

Going up there was a problem that Rex needed to tackle—as the God Realm’s influence prevented him or anyone from wielding energy of any kind. Any flow of power he or anyone else created would be dragged downward, and thus, every source of power would fail.

It didn’t matter what the energy was.

Just like having low blood pressure that would cause someone to pass out.

That happened because the blood couldn’t reach the brain.

In this case, the energy couldn’t complete its path to cast the ability, so it failed midway.

However, despite the unavoidable constriction, Rex found a solution to the problem.

Forcing his way into the sky was the wrong approach; that was clear to him, as the Warden himself said that the God Realm is above Gods. Going against it is a foolish endeavour. As a matter of fact, Rex did not need to go to the moon with the others.

All he needed was to alert the moon of his presence.

Ignite as much energy as possible and let the moon know that it has guests.

Rex learned from Nivellen that the Lunirich Gods had stolen the Goddess of the Greater Moon’s power to ascend into Godhood. They were already divine by birthright as inhabitants of the Great Pale Court, but they wanted more than be mere Demigods.

Power seduced them to commit treachery to the very being who birthed them and gave them divinity.

And that meant their power came from the Goddess.

Since Rex had been stealing their powers and make it his, then the King Mark that he attained should also come from the Goddess. His bloodline, his authority, his very essence as a werewolf—all of it had flowed through the Goddess’ stolen radiance.

Naturally, the moon above would recognize his energy.

It wasn’t its power anymore, but it should still remember the power of the Full Moon.

Rex needed to push his energy high and strong enough to make the moon recognize his energy.

Boom—!

Once again, Rex pushed everything he got as his body screamed to the absolute limit. Every muscle in his body locked. Every vein stood out like a river carved through stone. He summoned everything inside his body and hurled it to the sky.

Every drop of kingly energy was launched to the moon.

But the God Realm pressed back.

Its influence was a crushing weight, an invisible hand that pushed against his energy’s ascent.

Every inch became a brutal battle.

Before the Sundial Arch, fighting against the God Realm’s influence would’ve been impossible. A pipe dream. Now—with immortal energy coursing through his divine space, his kingly energy was stronger, denser, and more durable.

But even that was not enough.

Rex roared—a violent, guttural noise that tore from the depths of his chest.

Above, a column of blood-red energy erupted from his body, intertwined with black and gold.

All three King Marks blazed to life on his forehead simultaneously to the point of breaking his skin. A thin trail of blood drizzled down to his nose and then his upper lip—as their light merged into a searing brand that fought against the resistance.

The column shot upward.

A spear of pure will and inner power aimed at the gibbous moon above.

It climbed higher and higher, fighting the God Realm’s pressure—pushing through the heavy air.

”Rrrgghk!”

Blood began to leak from Rex’s nose and ears as he continued to force his body to exert kingly energy. His King Mark throbbed with a searing pain that drilled into his skull, shrieking for him to stop, but he didn’t heed it.

One could tell that the strain was monstrous from how his veins bulged like ropes beneath his skin.

Lilliana and Davina felt a shiver down their spines from even staring at his veins.

Both feared that Rex’s body would explode if he continued exerting himself like this.

And even with every fibre of his being straining to reach the moon above, his energy fell short. It was so close, dragged low—by the God Realm’s influence to the point that he could almost feel mesmerizing light brushing his face, yet he couldn’t reach it.

Couldn’t even brush the lower atmosphere.

Pushing further felt impossible—the short distance to reach the moon felt like a chasm.

And his strength was bleeding fast.

Just then, he felt warmth spreading against his back and fueling him with even more energy.

Lilliana’s hands, steady and sure, settled behind his shoulder blades, and her energy poured into him. It didn’t feel right to watch Rex s train that hard, so she decided to help him. As the Soulspeed Werewolf, her energy reserve ran deep.

Deeper than any regular werewolf and deeper than most beings could dream.

Her bloodline was soul-focused; thus, her spirit was stronger than her body.

In fact, her energy reserve might even rival Rex.

Lilliana’s energy flooded into Rex’s body, and reignited the dying flame inside him.

And the second it settled—Rex’s body detonated with renewed force.

Kaboom—!

Above, the column of kingly energy surged even higher. It rapidly grew in length—roaring powerfully as it tore through the God Realm’s resistance. It climbed and climbed, a blazing pillar of crimson, black, and gold until finally, it touched the gibbous moon above.

For some reason, Rex felt a connection being built between him and the gibbous moon.

One that felt intrinsically familiar to his connection with his pack members.

Regardless, Rex didn’t waste this chance and sent a telepathic message, trying to talk with it, hoping that it would answer his call. Do you remember me? I don’t know how long it has been—but you must remember me. I am yours from the past.

Rex looked up, waiting for an answer.

But he got none.

I know you remember me!

Swish—!

It was more of a desperate scream inside his mind, hoping that the moon could recognize him.

He knew that his time was limited.

It wasn’t the Purgation Duel that would require his eventual return to High Lord Rashal. But it was the connection. It was slipping from him. If he held on any longer, Lilliana’s energy would drain out too—and the bond with the gibbous moon would snap.

By that point, he wouldn’t be able to connect with the gibbous moon again.

But he was surprised to see that it finally flickered.

An acknowledgment—or at least he assumed the flicker was that.

Gently, the moon reached out to them without warning.

For a suspended heartbeat—the center of the gibbous moon seemed to thicken in Rex’s eyes. Its colour condensed like ink blooming through water. And then, the light broke free. It was a single, brilliant shaft of silvery moonlight descending from the moon with seemingly slow speed but fast at the same time.

It lanced toward them.

A bridge of pale radiance, which was the stretched hand of the moon.

Rex reacted instantly. He retracted his kingly energy with a sharp, almost violent snap. The recoil struck him like a physical blow—and behind him, Lilliana gasped as the same force rocked through her. They both staggered, panting hard, their bodies trembling from the strain of the abrupt release.

But it was worth it—the moon had answered.

”Let’s stick closer,” Rex said as he reached out his hands. ”Just in case.”

His hand found left hand found Lilliana’s first, then Davina came from behind and clasped his right.

All of their fingers interlocked firmly, an unbreakable bond that sealed their fate into one.

As the moonlight reached them a breath later, it didn’t do so violently. It gently wrapped around. Slowly, almost consciously, the silvery light coiled around their bodies like a living thing. Gentle and deliberate are the words that Rex could use to describe the feeling.

It pulsed once, as if recognizing them, and then began to lift.

Before the three could realize, their feet left the marble.

Rex only realized when there was no more weight straining against his legs, and the others soon followed suit. The ascent was slow and dreamlike—the three of them rose through the black void as though gently cradled by an unseen hand.

However, the God Realm’s pull was absolute.

He could see the moonlight beam frayed in some parts, wisps of silver dissolved into the darkness.

But regardless, the moonlight beam held, and the light that touched them carried a warmth.

A warmth that was deeper than flesh.

It seeped into their senses and eased the tension that had been wound tight for hours. Rex felt his frigid body loosening, his mind clearing, and the fog of exhaustion and desperation lifting like thin mist before dawn.

It was the feeling of being held—the feeling of a mother cradling her son.

Even so, he stayed alert. His eyes tracked the thinnest part of the beam—where the light grew weak and the void pressed in. If it snapped, they would fall into the blackness below. So, he needed to be ready if that happened.

His hand twitched, ready to summon the Primordial Permit from his inventory.

If the moonlight beam failed, he would tear open a tunnel straight back to Larta City without hesitation.

But fortunately, it didn’t.

Gradually, the beam carried them higher and curved gently around the side of the moon.

It took some time to reach the other side, but when they saw a glimpse of it, the vast pale surface filled their vision entirely. Then, with a soft, final pulse—the moonlight beam set down on the far side of the gibbous moon and faded into nothing.

Now, they stood on the surface of the moon—it was silent and silver-lit.

”Eugh...”

Davina grabbed her head and fell to one knee.

Her head had been throbbing since earlier, but now that she stood directly on the moon—that throb had gotten far worse. It rapidly increased in intensity to the point that she couldn’t stand anymore, and she slowly collapsed to the ground.

”Davina,” Rex went down to one knee and caught her before she touched the ground. ”Endure it.”

”I don’t feel so good...” She mumbled.

”I know.” He nodded in concern. ”But you have to endure it. Just let your body transform. Don’t hold it back. No need to hold back when there’s nothing in this realm that you could hurt or destroy. Let the transformation take you.”

”Hang in there,” Lilliana whispered, fixing the strands of hair that fell on Davina’s face.

Just then, Rex sensed a presence coming from behind.

And it was only then that he remembered what he was doing here.

Something incredibly ancient and divine was somewhere behind him, and the voice that seeped into his ears made his body tense again.

”You come back to me... I’m glad. Come here.”