Chapter 275: Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 275: Unexpected Encounter

"Da-in, Da-in."

"What's wrong, Seo-eun?"

This happened a long time ago.

I was working on my laptop in the living room, and Seo-Eun was lying on the couch with her legs on my lap, reading a comic book.

"Do you know about parallel universes?"

"Parallel universes? I've heard of them. Why?"

"No... You know, the parallel universe theory, where there are other dimensions of Earth."

Seo-Eun explained that she had read about it in a comic book.

...When I heard that and realized that I was actually from another dimension, if not a parallel universe.

She closed the book, looked in my direction, smirked, and said.

"So, somewhere in this world, there's a world where Da-in is younger than me and I'm his older sister? It's a world where Da-in is calling me big sister!"

She said that to herself with excitement.

She was just describing Han Seo-Eun from a parallel universe who was over 170 years old, and I could only shake my head and say.

"Umm... No, I don't think that world exists."

"What? Why, it could be!"

"Uh...."

I had a hard time explaining to Seo-eun, who was stomping her feet in exasperation at my words.

Anyway, the bottom line is that it looks like Earth, but the rest of the world is completely different. In other words, even if there was a normal Earth I was on, or a monster-infested moonlight dimension... I don't think there's a "parallel world" that's only slightly different from this one.

The timeline in this world is clearly one. At first, I vaguely wondered if there were, but the more I learned about this world, the more I realized it.

...Yeah.

Anyway, I suddenly remembered playing with Seo-Eun.

I was following Stardus, who had disappeared into thin air after a surprise attack by the Moonlight Lord, into a strange portal.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh."

I thought to myself as I fell into the swirling weightlessness of the dimensional flow, blindfolded.

...Where the hell is this?

And then there was a flash of white light in front of me and I blacked out.

***

"Oh my God..."

I don't know how much time passed.

Realizing that I was lying on the ground somewhere, I somehow managed to pick myself up off the ground, holding on to my sticky head.

...At least I'm somewhere.

But where the hell did I fall?

I staggered to my feet and opened my eyes.

In front of me

"Huh...?"

Was nothing but white everywhere.

"...What is that?"

I muttered to myself as I looked at the scene.

It was a strange space with a flat white floor that stretched endlessly.

I was stunned by the strange world, as if it was not the real world.

"You're awake."

From behind me, I suddenly heard a man's voice.

When I turned around with that thought, what did I see?

"...?"

It was a man with long black hair down to his waist, dressed in white silk with a sculpted face.

Dressed in something that resembled a shrine maiden's robe, he sat in front of a wooden table.

I looked at the mysterious man, who had a serene expression and I couldn't help but ask

"...Who are you?"

At my words, he put down his brush with a small sigh.

Finally, the man looked back in my direction and his red eyes met mine.

I shook my head at the strange sensation I felt for a moment as he opened his mouth, quietly, and spoke to me.

"...The Moon God."

"...."

His voice echoed through the white space.

"...Uh, yeah?"

Puzzled, I could only repeat after him.

This was my first encounter with a god of this world.

***

A mysterious, silk-clad man with long black hair identified himself as the Moon God.

Seeing the confusion on my face, he sighed and opened his mouth again.

"...Well, haha, I'm just waking up, too, and I'm a bit disoriented. I was in a deep sleep, and was startled awake by the sensation of dimensional barriers breaking down."

He rose to his feet and looked down at me with an intricate gaze before continuing.

"...It's been millennia since I've spoken to a human. Anyway, when I woke up, you were caught in a dimensional rift, and I rescued you, child of the stars. Anyway..."

He paused, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

"I have sealed the hole in the dimensional wall, and while my powers have weakened and I was unable to do it all at once, the hole that connects your world to mine should close over time."

"...Uh, thank you?"

"No need to thank me. You did what you had to do. Anyway..."

He looked down at me in silence again after saying that, but then he opened his mouth to speak and turned his head to me.

"...No good can come of a mortal lingering in this divine space, so you'd better get back quickly. I will make way for you, and then..."

"...Uh, wait."

"...Hmm?"

He looked down, momentarily intrigued by my words.

I swallowed hard in front of him.

...A god, the Noon God.

In the original story, he was only mentioned in name, but never appeared. There was only a mention of him in the Three Discreet Names, as a god of knowledge who oversaw magic and dimensions.

As such, I knew very little about him.

I already knew that the gods were human, but the existence of the Moon God was unknown. All I knew is that he has severed ties with the mortal world, and he is not seen until the end of the original story.

"...Are you sure you don't intend to get involved in the affairs of mortals?"

So I asked him that question.

Of the three gods who exist in this world, he is the least present, though he did bring the study of magic to humans, but even that has long since been overshadowed by superpowers.

Unlike the other two gods who cared about humans, this one was truly indifferent. I didn't even see him in the original.

He was silent for a moment at my question.

Then, looking at me again in silence, he spoke.

"...I had already concluded long ago that I would no longer be involved in the human world. Not that I can anymore, given the restrictions."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes."

He was silent for a moment, then said.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I want your world to end."

He added at the end then, smiling slightly at me, he said.

"And, child of the stars. I thought you were doing a good enough job already."

"...."

I was momentarily at a loss for words to respond to him.

No. How does he know what I did...? He said he just woke up.

Whether or not he knew what I was thinking, he continued.

"Still, I'll help you as much as I can....I didn't know if those posing as my followers would connect the dimension of the monsters I created for my experiments to the world, so I'll do my best to prevent that, and strengthen the dimensional barriers."

"...Understood."

I decided to leave it at that.

After all, just realizing that the Moon God wasn't an enemy after all was a harvest of its own.

...And somehow, he was sending me a favorable attitude.

"Any more and it will be dangerous. I think it's time to go."

As he said this, sitting at the wooden table, he picked up his brush and pointed in one direction as a purple portal appeared in the middle of the white space.

"Daughter of the Stars, you have come here in search of her. I have linked you to where she is, so head there."

"...I see, thank you."

I said, and pulled myself up.

...Even before he spoke, I was already feeling a little dizzy and my body was starting to feel strange. I didn't know what the Moon God had done, or if I was in God's space as he said, but it seemed right to leave. ...The Moon God didn't seem to be in a position to tell me anything more.

With that, I rose from my seat and made my way to the portal but just before I stepped through the Moon God was still quietly doing something without even looking this way.

"...And..."

His voice came from behind me at the last moment.

"My daughter, Silver Moon. Thank you for saving her."

I paused, listening to his words.

"...You're welcome."

With those words, I stepped through the portal.

Immediately, I was greeted by a vaguely familiar scene of dark space.

The only difference was that, thanks to something the Moon God had done, I could see ahead instead of being swept away by the dimensional torrent.

As I stepped forward, I saw a familiar yellow light in the distance, and I chuckled as I muttered to myself.

"...Right. I should go back now."

...I was so nervous about my unexpected encounter with the Moon God and used up too much energy. Ha. It's time to end this tiresome Moonlight Gate scenario.

I'll take Stardus and go back to our home.

With that thought, I sprinted toward the falling yellow light, to save her.