Chapter 128: Werewolf’s Moon Shine (1/2)
Rakna woke up from his soul meditation and sighed before sitting up. He glanced at the sleeping form of Nyx and smiled internally before getting up. There was still a bit of leftover lunar energy in the air but since the sun was already rising, it didn't affect him at all.
”Though…” He whispered and focused on his ears and tails with a bit of his soul. Nyx had told him that they had acted as the catalysts for the lunar energy to enter his body so if he focused a bit, he might be able to consciously gather and use lunar energy.
What he did not expect however was the speed at which the lunar energy flooded into him with just a small nudge. For a second, he almost seriously considered jumping back in bed in order to avoid transforming but he quickly realized that nothing was messing with his mind. Instead, he felt stronger, though marginally so, and a System prompt then popped up in his vision.
⠀
❮ ◈ ❯
⠀
You have learned a new skill; Werewolf's Moon Shine!
---
⠀
Werewolf's Moon Shine (Lv.1): By absorbing the lunar energy permeating the world, it is possible to wield its boundless power. This is a spell that can only normally be learned by lunar magic users but as a werewolf, this skill becomes a racial skill.
⠀
The effects vary according to the phase of the moon:
⠀
Full Moon – All attributes +10%, -50% to All Cooldowns, +200% MP & Regen.
Waxing/Waning Gibbous – All attributes +7%, -30% to All Cooldowns, +150% MP & Regen.
First/Third Quarter – All attributes +5%, -20% to All Cooldowns, +100% MP & Regen.
Waxing/Waning Crescent – All attributes +3%, -10% to All Cooldowns, +50% MP & Regen.
New Moon – All attributes +1%, -5% to All Cooldowns, +25% MP & Regen.
⠀
Note: Lunar energy can also be used as an alternative to mana so the latter's consumption can be considerably reduced but the extent of that ability is limited by how much lunar energy the user can absorb at once as well as the average concentration of lunar energy available.
The base effects will apply wherever the user is located, regardless of how covered the moon is from where you are. The effects will cease once the moon is fully set and each phase of the cycle lasts for an average of 4 days.
Lastly, if the sun has risen, the effects will all drop to their minimum value, regardless of the phase the moon is currently in or if it's still visible.
⠀
❮ ◈ ❯
⠀
”Uh…”
”{Well, this is what I call taking advantage of a drawback,}” Higure suddenly commented.
'I agree. This doesn't seem to lead to a loss of control. Which is a good thing, though it probably is irrelevant in the full moon. However… Alexa, how long does the full moon phase last?'
[Roughly three days. But you do not need to worry about going berserk again. It normally happens once every cycle. This is something common to all werewolves. While the possibility of you being an exception is still there, it's very unlikely. Today was in actuality the second day of the 'full moon'. The reason why the first day didn't force your transformation was that it wasn't the 'true' full moon yet.]
”{Indeed. What most people don't know is that the full moon only lasts an instant. With the naked eye, it appears to be full, but it's just very close to it. And the night that it occurs is the night of the full moon; there can only be one every month or so.}”
'Good to know,' Rakna responded.
⠀
❮◈❯ Werewolf's Moon Shine has leveled up! ❮◈❯
⠀
'…right,' he deadpanned and checked the skill's description again. The level up had incremented every percentage by one. 'Not bad,' he thought then heard a rustling from behind him. He looked to his left and saw Nyx rubbing her eyes while sitting up.
She yawned lightly then blinked when her brain caught up with what she was seeing; namely, a certain therian looking at her with an amused eye. Her expression twitched and her complexion grew a bit redder.
”Ah, yes…” She whispered as she remembered. ”I have to say, it is my first time waking up along with someone else like this,” she remarked whilst keeping her embarrassment in check.
”Really?” Rakna was a bit surprised. ”Considering who you are, I would have expected you to have already experienced everything a mortal could.”
”Are you insinuating I'm old?” Nyx huffed.
”I'm insinuating that you've probably lived long enough to have seen and done a lot of things. I am not saying that you're old,” he retorted calmly. ”The value of one's age is intrinsically correlated to their life expectancy. It would be just nonsensical to call someone old after something like a hundred years if they can still live for thousands of years.”
Nyx blinked a few times. ”That's… very true,” she uttered and shook her head before standing up as well. ”But, well, to answer your question, I never experienced what mortals would consider the norm. As a goddess born from ideas, I do not even have parents, my only meaning in life was to simply exist as a conceptualization of the night. Divinities like me do not have carnal desires. The only reason we would even indulge in it would be for entertainment.”
”And you didn't, huh?”
”There was no appeal. For me, indulging myself for nothing more than hollow interest would just lower my self-worth,” she stated and faintly blushed. ”In this case, I suppose we're talking about my chastity… I wouldn't give it away carelessly. Baba Yaga would always tell me so.”
”Baba Yaga?” Rakna's eyes widened.