299 Over There
So in short, these things suspected to be artificial Lunar Monsters can also be completely killed by Judgment equipment.

Upon coming to a conclusion after the short battle, he looked down at the corpses scattered on the ground and retrieved Judgment 2, stowing it away in his inventory.

As he bent down to examine one of the corpses by removing its hood, his frown deepened.

The skin on the corpse’ face looked like it had been made of stained glass that had melted and solidified, flowing with colors that resembled oil membranes floating over water. The facial features were grotesque—eyes and mouth sewn shut by tight needles, and ears and nose sealed by lead-gray metal. The oil-colored skin was unnerving, and William couldn’t help but feel a shiver down his spine.

During the battle, William had noticed that the colors under the monsters’ hoods were constantly changing like a kaleidoscope, creating a stunning display that reflected the Moon Realm’s strange orange clouds.

!!
With their origins being illusory thoughts, the Lunar Monsters’ characteristics were ever-changing, except for Steelheart Widow and her spawn. From this, William realized that they were the truest sense of Lunar Monsters.

In the short battle, William realized that the other party was wielding spells against him.

Now, it wasn’t uncommon for Lunar Monsters to have magical abilities, but these were different. These were low-level monsters summoned by demon summoners, drawing upon the ether domain of their host to bolster their power.

But the spells they used were unlike any modern incantations that William used.

It was all so familiar, yet so incomprehensible.

This was no ordinary magic woven through logic, but something bold and unrestrained, like an abstract painting that defied easy understanding. William had seen this kind of magic before, when he had battled a member of the Tacma Church.

The Church member had explained that this was the true form of magic, and that the logical spells pursued by all the mages in Currere were misguided.

Could these things be so-called correct magic created by the empire according to some theories of the Tacma Church?

“Hey, what are they?”

William turned his gaze towards the empire ambassador he had bound to a tree root.

“What kind of… person are you?” Elaire asked, his body trembling uncontrollably.

. He had originally planned to ask what kind of “monster” William was, but the intensity in his eyes made him think twice.

What kind of monster is he…? He had single-handedly taken down all the guards from the Obliteration Tower in one swift strike. Even Duke Floral, known as invincible in the White Bone Temple, couldn’t accomplish such a feat so easily.

There is a powerhouse of this level in Holy Tree City?

And to make matters worse, he seems to be allied with the Holy Tree Duke. Could that woman really be planning a rebellion?

As Elaire’s thoughts ran wild with fear and confusion, William stepped in front of him and asked again, “Let me ask you, what are they?”

Elaine sensed the impatience in William’s voice and quickly replied, “They’re Obliteration Tower monks.”
“Listen here, the Obliteration Tower is an imperial organization that specializes in unraveling the secrets of the mysterious Moon Realm. Back in the day, it used to be an esteemed member of the Astral Council, but it went solo for some undisclosed reason… Let’s not dwell on the past for now. To put it simply, the Obliteration Tower’s monks possess special authorization from the empire to dive deep into the Moon Realm. In addition, they are the empire’s primary combat force in the war against the vicious Lunar Monsters, just like the Demon Burial stationed beneath the Holy Spirits Church. They work tirelessly in the shadows to safeguard the empire’s people from any Lunar threat that looms over them.”

Do they truly believe their own propaganda? As if they weren’t the ones who had chiseled apart the World Shell and spawned the 24 Moon Realm rifts…

William let out a cynical snort and gestured towards the lifeless bodies strewn behind him.

“Research the Moon Realm? Protect the empire’s citizens? All with the help of something that’s as intelligent as an Elemental Soul?”

The other party continued to explain to William, “The Holy Tree Duke spoke highly of your expertise in the Moon Realm. So you must understand the dangers of coming into contact with the Moon Realm. The monks who study it undergo a ‘pre-treatment’ to protect themselves from its bewitching powers. Those who fail the treatment but gain strength are turned into powerful weapons for hire,” Elaire clarified.

These failed subjects from the ‘pre-treatment’ process were stripped of their personalities and transformed into mindless puppets that were used as powerful weapons.

The word ‘pre-treatment’ triggered a haunting memory in William’s mind. He recalled the face of a man whose skin had melted and whose eyes and mouth were sewn shut…

Was it to reduce the Moon Realm’s mental influence on mortals by destroying their senses?

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, William made plans on gaining a deeper understanding of the Obliteration Tower in the future.

There were more important matters to resolve now.

“What brings you here, and how did you find this place?”

William refocused on the matter at hand that needed answers.

“I’m here because…”

Before the other party spoke, William warned him, “Don’t try to lie in front of me, and don’t try to play games with me. I won’t hesitate to take action if you try to test me again.”

Elaire had been slyly testing William by dropping a casual mention of Floral’s praise for his expertise in the Moon Realm during the conversation in the hall. But William saw right through his ploy.

Elaire, a seasoned politician of Platinum City, nodded with sweat all over his forehead. When faced with an adversary with absolute power, one had to be astute in navigating the murky waters of politics.

And so, he spilled everything he knew to the enigmatic powerhouse who had appeared out of nowhere.

But he made sure to keep his thoughts and reasoning to himself, only recounting the objective events.

Telling the truth but not from the heart was the safest way to stay safe in front of the strong.

William let out a helpless sigh as he listened to the other party’s explanation.

What was this? Did some negligence worsen the situation?

He glanced back at the dozen or so undead killed by the person in front of him and recalled what Floral had said. Once they died in the current timeline, it meant that their existence was fixed as the current historical truth.

This would cause a conflict between the two timelines and ultimately accelerate the healing of the shattered time.

William looked at the empire ambassador and wondered if this person was one of the pawns controlled by the Lady of Starvation to accelerate all of this.

Elise shivered under William’s gaze.

After a while, William complained, “About what you’ve done… Wait for Floral to explain it to you in the future. The people here were gathered to resist her. Why did you attack without clarification?”

He said this because he heard footsteps not far behind him.

Floral and the others were probably here.

William turned around and, with a flick of his wrist, William ignited the magical medium in his hand, signaling his presence in the hall.

And just in time, for the accessory on his chest suddenly heated up, creating a magical barrier

that protected him from a hail of silver-tipped arrows and powerful spells which shattered upon contact. The tree hole shook from the impact, but William stood firm.

Although they couldn’t break through his defense, William was stunned by the sudden attack. He immediately used Illumination and Eagle Eye.

The entire tree hole was illuminated as bright as day. Then, William saw… Floral, wearing a dragon bone crown, was leading the charge with her magical medium at the ready. And beside her was the half-knelt Nizemar, with a crossbow in her hand, aiming straight at him.

William didn’t feel betrayed or misunderstood when he saw this scene.

With the Eagle Eye spell enhancing his vision, he could see the rot on their faces, exposing their gums.

To confirm his suspicions, William turned to the surviving members of the Forest Elf Resistance.

This time, Life Detection indicated that they were alive.