The Cornflower Witch Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Demonic Moon

“What is a nightmare?”

Just as the sun’s three phases control the physical growth, stagnation, and death, the moon’s three phases represent mental clarity, confusion, and loss of control.

There is the clear and flawless Glorious Moon, the misty, half-obscured Phantom Moon, and the Dark Moon steeped in shadow.

The changes in the moon’s phases, like the ebb and flow of tides, influence dreams and the mental world, ultimately reflecting in the actions of all living beings.

Day belongs to the sun, night to the moon. It is said that in ancient times, whenever night fell, the consciousness of all living beings would enter dreams, where they would lead another kind of life.

Of course, since the fall of the previous ‘Dream Lord,’ the Silvermoon Dragon, this agreed-upon behavior has been broken. Most living beings in the current world, even when dreaming, are often hazy and confused, making it difficult to achieve clarity in their dreams.

But even outside of dreams, how many people can truly claim to be absolutely clear-headed?

The myriad complexities of the world bring forth desires, interests, and temptations, causing people to be moved, intoxicated, and bound by them, unable to let go. This is their spirit and desire, the meaning for which life crawls forward.

Desire, like life itself, drives living beings across the earth, but desire is not bound by real-world rules, making it incredibly difficult to control.

A single change in thought can shatter a person completely, abandoning past bravery, pride, and the dam of a steadfast will has always been a difficult endeavor.

…

A shining golden blade cut through dry wood, severing it. Shards of wood burned in the night, sending up showers of sparks as the two continued to clash in the forest.

“Clang—”

A crisp clang resonated through the trees. Hylial parried Iona’s attack, her emerald-green jade sword held before her.

Another gleaming golden blade swung down, its blazing sword light leaving a striking afterimage in her eyes. Hylial, with great effort, twisted her blade, deflecting the initial attack, and then blocked the renewed assault.

Emerald shards chipped off her sword, and the once-straight blade now had another notch.

With the blessing of the ‘Emerald Honey’ affinity, the Jade Tree Spirit Sword, though not as hard or sharp as pure black steel, its strength was never its sharpness, but its resilience.

The emerald light flowed, and the jade-like longsword clashed with the golden blade several times, its notched edge repeatedly restoring itself.

Both were first-order affinities. ‘Blazing Sun,’ as a superior affinity, provided a powerful boost in combat, temporarily giving Iona an advantage in strength, speed, and stamina over Hylial. However, Hylial clearly had a more practiced control and grasp of her power, preventing Iona from defeating her in a short time.

The golden-haired and black-haired figures intertwined and moved through the forest, swinging their blades in repeated clashes, constantly shifting their footsteps. Fatigue, exhaustion, and sweat accumulated little by little.

After a day of fighting, both were in a poor state, now relying on sheer will to drive their aching bodies and limbs.

In another exchange, Hylial agilely moved, her black hair and longsword swishing. A charged sword arc struck towards Iona, clashing with the opponent’s blade once more.

This time, her emerald-green longsword chipped, and the opponent’s black steel longsword also cracked and split under the high temperature and continuous impacts, showing flaws and notches.

Though seemingly a flickering candle, ready to extinguish at any moment, Hylial miraculously endured the fierce, continuous attacks.

“You’re not an ordinary person, are you, Lia?” Iona recognized the ring on Hylial’s wrist.

The bracelet, originally hidden by her sleeve, was now fully exposed due to the intensity of the battle.

“Let me guess, perhaps you’re also the descendant of some great noble.”

“No wonder you show no fear in front of me,” she shook her head slightly.

“I should have known; how could such a talented person be born in such a mediocre and remote countryside?”

“Even if there were, their temperament wouldn’t be as calm and quiet as yours.”

“Temperament and character are forged by environment. The busy and struggling lower class only produces shortsighted and cunning children, whose next meal is uncertain. How could they be as calm and quiet as you?”

“You are very different, Lia.”

“I admit I lack the patience to play those childish games with commoner children, wasting energy and time.”

“However, overly weak individuals often get sidetracked by various things, whereas true strong individuals only focus on their own growth and strength.”

She slowly raised her sword, holding it in front of her. The straight blade split her face in two, her scarlet eyes unusually firm and bright in the firelight.

“The current you cannot defeat me.”

As if to validate her words, she swung her sword forward, and her once dim sword technique now burst with vitality.

The golden blade swung repeatedly, striking Hylial’s parrying sword again and again, like a hammer continuously pounding, smashing open the door of her precise defense.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe your definition of a strong person is correct.” Hylial shook her head, feeling that the other party’s view was a bit narrow-minded.

As someone who had spent a lot of time reading online forums, she had witnessed too many such verbal arguments. She was immune to this “survival of the fittest” rhetoric.

True kindness is a firm and noble virtue, not a sign of weakness.

But Iona was clearly immersed in her own world now, and whatever Hylial said would not be heard.

Hylial threw out the pearl with dwindling power, and a fierce cold spread between them. She once again pulled away from Iona.

Using this brief window, she took out the ‘Blood Berry’ from her waist pouch and put it into her mouth.

The berry, originally used to replenish blood, could also be used to restore stamina, allowing the exhausted ‘Blood Discipline’ affinity within her to recover.

Her entire body’s blood circulated anew, and the ‘Blood Odd Flower’ at Hylial’s waist emitted a faint glow.

The ‘Breathing Method Lv.3’, which had been stagnant, instantly broke through the final barrier, reaching the fourth stage.

In the past, such an action would have inevitably caused Hylial’s affinity to change, but now her ‘Emerald Honey’ affinity was stable enough to withstand the radiating influence of ‘Breathing Method Lv.4’ on her fate disk.

After the breakthrough in the Breathing Method, it not only brought stronger power and speed enhancements but also significantly reduced the associated physical burden.

Without leaving Hylial much time, a brilliant golden light pierced through the cold mist, rushing towards her and exploding directly in front of her.

The shattered golden blade melted and tore apart the Jade Tree Spirit Sword.

Gripping the remaining golden blade with both hands, Iona charged forward. Her figure, covered in a radiant glow, crashed into Hylial, and the golden blade she held directly pierced Hylial’s left arm.

The recent breakthrough in her Breathing Method gave Hylial a faster reaction speed, allowing her to shift some distance in a flash, narrowly dodging the fatal golden blade.

This final, all-out attack failed to defeat Hylial, and in the subsequent exchanges, Iona’s attacks grew weaker. She could no longer suppress the side effects of using the ‘Sun-Glow Breathing Method,’ while Hylial, thanks to the breakthrough in her Breathing Method, became more fluid and effortless in her movements and swordplay.

Seeing her defeat as only a matter of time, Iona felt an overwhelming anxiety and panic.

She had never imagined that she would actually lose to someone else in an assessment.

She had envisioned that path for too long; it had become an obsession in her heart, her only way to save her family, her father, and maintain her own pride.

The thought that she might never catch up to her peers in the Royal Capital, those she once looked down upon who would now trample over her, while she would be left to wander fruitlessly in remote mountainous areas, eventually forced to accept reality and live a mediocre life—this imagined future crushed her sanity bit by bit.

No.

Never.

Absolutely not.

Standing in the dark forest, the surrounding trees twisted, as if each had a face, mockingly laughing at her, stirring up many unpleasant memories.

Ever since Viscount Kalun’s defeat, her life had plummeted. Her former companions, once close, had turned away one by one, avoiding her with apprehension, for anyone associated with Viscount Kalun suffered the wrath of the King.

Countless thoughts clashed and surged in her mind. Images from the past, faces from her memory, now seemed arrogant, gazing down at her as small as dust, then stepping over her.

In the night sky, a faint red moon hung high.

In the forest, the golden-haired girl’s eyes slowly lost their luster.

“What is a nightmare?”

“It is the shattering of the spirit, and the collapse and despair of reason.”

(End of this chapter)