CHAPTER 39 — SILVER SNAKE
The Stone Fields were nothing like the Red Desert.
Where the desert had been endless dunes and wind-carved emptiness, the Stone Fields looked like a battlefield abandoned by the gods themselves. Massive slabs of rock jutted from the earth at crooked angles as if the world had once shattered here and never bothered to heal. Broken pillars lay scattered across the land, half buried in moss and blackened soil, while thin streams of rainwater trickled through the cracks between stone ridges.
Above it all hung a sky the color of cold steel.
Bale moved through that graveyard of rock like a war hammer given flesh.
A mana-maddened victim lunged at him from behind a fallen pillar, its jaw hanging loose and its eyes burning red with ether corruption.
It didn't even finish its scream.
Bale's fist crashed forward like a cannon shot.
The impact shattered the creature's skull with a sickening crack. Bone fragments burst outward while the body collapsed to its knees, twitching violently.
Before it could regenerate, Bale's other hand ignited with ether.
A blade of pale blue energy formed instantly along his forearm.
He swung once.
The weapon carved cleanly through the creature's torso, splitting it in half before the corpse could even fall.
The two halves slid apart across the wet stone.
"That," Bale said calmly, shaking the ether blade away, "is the easiest and fastest way to deal with them."
Lucy stood a few steps behind him, watching carefully as she brushed a strand of damp silver hair from her face.
"Makes sense," she said thoughtfully. "If ether production comes from the brain, destroying it first stops the body from regenerating completely."
Bale glanced over his shoulder and grinned.
"Exactly."
He nudged the corpse aside with his boot.
"It's like the crown on your head."
Lucy froze.
The words struck her harder than any blade.
Her fingers unconsciously drifted upward toward her hairline where the Inverted Crown rested, hidden beneath strands of pale moonlit hair. She could not see it, but she felt it always—an invisible pressure clinging to her skull like cold metal.
Bale noticed her sudden silence.
His expression softened slightly.
"There are three types of Inverted Crowns," he said as he began walking again. "Which one do you have?"
Lucy blinked.
"…I don't actually know."
She hurried after him as he climbed over a jagged stone ridge.
"I didn't even know there were different types."
Bale chuckled.
"Well, you did say you've only been a mage for less than a month."
Lucy nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah…"
"That's not exactly a lot of time to learn the darker parts of magic," Bale continued.
They crossed over a toppled pillar that had once been taller than a tower. Moss coated its surface, and rainwater gathered in the cracks like tiny mirrors reflecting the gray sky.
Bale kept speaking as they walked.
"An Inverted Crown is basically a restraint. A tool used to control unstable mages."
Lucy listened quietly.
"Most stories say they were forged by Kon the Conjuror, an imaginary god of magic."
Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"Imaginary?"
Bale shrugged.
"Depends who you ask."
He kicked a loose stone down a slope.
"The truth is a little more complicated."
Lucy leaned forward slightly.
"Oh?"
"The first crown was created to weaken the power of something called the Dreamer. Not control it—just limit it."
Lucy frowned.
"That sounds terrifying."
"It probably was," Bale said casually.
They descended into a shallow valley of broken stone where the wind whistled through narrow cracks like distant whispers.
"The second set of crowns were far more dangerous."
Lucy looked up.
"Those were forged by Soron, the first God King."
Her eyes widened.
"The brother of Kaisarin Drem?"
"Yep."
Bale hopped across a narrow stream of rainwater running through the rocks.
"He forged eight crowns."
Lucy followed him across the stream.
"And what were they for?"
Bale glanced back at her.
"To bind eight ancient demons."
Lucy blinked twice.
"…okay that's actually insane."
Bale laughed.
"Yeah. Weird stuff."
He gestured vaguely ahead.
"Anyway, the crowns used today—like the one on your head—were created much later."
Lucy looked uneasy again.
"By who?"
"The Order of the Golden Moon."
She looked down at the stone beneath her boots.
"A treasure meant to control something they don't understand," Bale continued quietly.
They walked in silence for a few moments.
Then Bale stopped.
He turned toward Lucy.
"Listen," he said seriously. "You're strong."
Lucy looked up in surprise.
"And not because you're Moonborn."
He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"You're strong because you're still walking forward even though you know what's waiting for you."
Lucy forced a smile.
"The cruel fate thing?"
"Exactly."
Bale folded his arms.
"If that were me…"
He hesitated.
"…I don't think I'd survive it."
Lucy tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged.
"I'd probably kill myself before letting someone chain my soul like that."
Lucy blinked.
"…yikes."
Then she laughed awkwardly.
"Well thanks for the honesty."
She looked down at her hands.
"I still need to get stronger."
Her fingers curled slowly.
"A lot stronger."
She raised her head toward the distant horizon.
"If I'm ever going to fight a literal god."
Bale whistled softly.
"Not just stronger," he said.
Lucy looked at him.
"You'd need to become the strongest."
He paused.
"But do you really think the path you're on right now will get you there?"
Lucy frowned.
"What do you mean?"
They climbed over another ridge of broken rock.
"What I mean," Bale said, "is that you're in the Wister War to become a mage of the Golden Moon."
Lucy nodded.
"Right."
Bale smirked.
"So if your goal is to one day surpass their god…"
He spread his arms dramatically.
"…wouldn't it make sense to seek power outside of their control?"
Lucy blinked.
"You mean…?"
"A little sidequest," Bale said with a grin.
Lucy stared at him for a moment.
"Okay I understand the idea…"
She kicked a puddle of rainwater aside as they walked.
"But how would I even start something like that?"
She looked up at him.
"If you were me—and you had two years to prepare to fight Kaisarin—what would you do?"
Bale scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Well…"
He raised a finger.
"First I'd push my magic as far as possible."
Another finger.
"Then I'd figure out how to remove that crown."
A third finger.
"After that I'd hunt down a Sacred Treasure of Kon—something powerful enough to actually kill a god."
Lucy's eyes widened slightly.
"And finally?"
Bale grinned.
"I'd gather a few talented lunatics to help me commit cosmic heresy."
Lucy burst out laughing.
"You've clearly thought about this."
Bale shrugged.
"I get bored."
They walked in silence again for a while.
Then Lucy suddenly stopped.
"Oh!"
Bale looked back.
"What?"
She crouched down.
"Look!"
A small white snake was slithering across a patch of moss-covered stone.
Its scales shimmered faintly like polished silver under the gray light.
"Should I kill it?" Bale asked automatically.
Lucy gasped.
"Heavens no!"
She gently scooped the tiny creature into her hands.
"It's cute!"
The snake flicked its tongue curiously before curling itself around her wrist.
Lucy giggled as it climbed her arm and settled comfortably around her neck like a living necklace.
"It kind of reminds me of you," she said.
Bale raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"You said Hornblest are supposed to be giant, terrifying monsters."
Lucy poked his shoulder.
"But you're kind, polite…"
She looked him up and down.
"…and a little small."
Bale scoffed.
"That's because my mother was an Old Earth human."
He crossed his arms.
"I'm technically a half-breed."
Lucy tilted her head.
"Well I like it."
Bale gestured toward the snake.
"Where I'm from, two-tailed snakes are supposed to be bad omens."
Lucy blinked.
"Wait—two tails?"
They both looked down.
The snake lifted its body slightly.
Two slender tails flicked lazily behind it.
Lucy's eyes widened.
"…oh."
"So it's dangerous?" she asked nervously.
Bale shrugged.
"People also say Hornblest are brainless monsters."
He chuckled.
"So I wouldn't trust Midlans folklore too much."
Lucy relaxed again.
"Fair point."
They resumed walking.
"We're five days into the war now," Bale said.
Lucy nodded.
"And we're still alive."
"That's a win."
"True."
"But we still haven't found any allies."
Lucy thought for a moment.
"Maybe we should ask the duck where Adam is."
Bale nodded.
"Good idea."
Lucy lifted her hand.
"Duck—"
A thunderclap exploded across the Stone Fields.
The ground shattered.
A massive beam of light crashed down toward them like a falling star.
Bale reacted instantly.
He grabbed Lucy and hurled both of them sideways just as the beam detonated against the stone where they had been standing.
The explosion ripped a crater into the earth.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
Lucy coughed as she pushed herself upright.
"What the hell was—"
She froze.
Inside the crater lay a familiar figure.
"…wait."
Her eyes widened.
"Is that—"
She ran forward.
"ADAM!"
She slid down into the crater and threw her arms around him.
Adam groaned weakly.
His eyes slowly opened.
"Lucy…?"
Recognition dawned.
Relief flooded his face.
"Lucy!"
He grabbed her shoulders.
"Thank the Nine it's you."
But before he could say anything else—
Another thunderclap tore through the sky.
A second figure crashed across the Stone Fields like a meteor.
Rock shattered as she skidded across the ground before stopping upright.
Lilan stood there, arms raised defensively as smoke curled off her body.
"…hey," she muttered.
Lucy blinked.
"Lilan?!"
Bale stepped forward slowly.
His eyes narrowed.
"No…"
The smoke began to clear.
A figure walked out of it.
A man.
His entire body burned with violent ether fire.
His skin was blackened and cracked like cooling lava.
His eyes blazed red with pure destructive power.
Each step he took caused the stone beneath his feet to fracture.
Bale's voice dropped into a grim whisper.
"…that's not just a Riven."
The burning man raised his head.
And smiled.
The air around him began to distort as his ether flared like a raging inferno.
Bale clenched his fists.
"This one's different."
He looked back at the others.
"Gear up."
His voice hardened.
"Because I think…"
The Riven's flames exploded outward like a collapsing star.
"…this thing might actually be stronger than us."
The monster took one step forward.
And the Stone Fields cracked.