The eight puddings on the plate vanished one by one.
Coppelia stood up, stacked the bowls and plates, and cleared them away. Columbina, cradling the maimed Moon Spirit, floated lightly toward the corner of the tent. A small open space had been cleared there, occupied by several fist-sized river stones.
She began to use these stones to practice the teleportation technique she had comprehended during the day.
"Come look quickly!" Columbina called out.
Coppelia wiped the stains from her hands with a towel and walked to her side, her gaze falling upon the stones.
A pebble in the bottom-left corner of the clearing vanished without warning. In that same instant, it appeared in the top-right position, as if it had been there all along.
"I've learned it." Columbina's voice danced with radiance. "It is just as you said: I do not move myself, but make something appear from one place in another! I just learned it today!"
"Congratulations!" Coppelia said. "You have become stronger again."
Columbina intended to try once more. She extended her hand, palm open and facing upward before Coppelia. Her fingertips made no movement, yet another pebble on the ground quietly disappeared, immediately landing steadily in her palm.
"It will be much more convenient to search for power fragments in the future," she said.
Coppelia noticed that these two teleportations were somewhat different from before. "Your body doesn't glow anymore when you use teleportation now?"
"The scholars during the day told me that was an unconscious release of energy, and that it could be controlled," Columbina replied.
As her voice fell, several diamond-shaped hydro projectiles materialized without warning in the air before her. This time, the flowing liquid lunar force did not surface around her body; these projectiles seemed to condense out of thin air.
"It is good to control it." Coppelia observed the suspended hydro projectiles. "It prevents enemies from predicting your movements based on the 'white light warning.' Now you can achieve the element of surprise."
*
When Coppelia and Nafisah finished washing the tableware and returned to the resting tent, Suleiman was already waiting at the entrance. He wore his customary gentle smile.
Coppelia quickened her pace to approach him. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you discussed a solution for the Fungus?"
"Yes." Suleiman nodded. "I came precisely to inform you both of the upcoming plan."
Coppelia lifted the tent flap. "Let's talk inside."
She invited Suleiman into the tent, pulled over a chair for him to sit, and called for Columbina. The two of them sat on the edge of the bed opposite him.
"That Fungus... we have named it the 'Jadeplume Terrorshroom,'" Suleiman began, his voice steady. "I will speak of its situation first."
"That fellow drained all the elemental energy in the cavern where it currently resides to grow to its present scale. But because its size is too massive and its offensive power is insufficient to widen the surrounding rock strata, it has been trapped in that narrow space for a long time."
"To acquire the vast amount of elemental energy needed for survival, it cultivated and drove ordinary Fungi to the outside world to gather energy for it. That is the direct cause of the Fungi infestation."
"However, the fundamental problem lies in the fact that its current cavern cannot provide enough elemental energy. So, to solve the trouble, we need to move it to a new home."
"We plan to transfer it to the vicinity of the Sand Defense Wall. The Sand Defense Wall is a colossal construct created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to resist the wind and sand; that area never lacks for elemental energy."
"We have already selected a target location. Once the Jadeplume Terrorshroom is migrated there, with a stable energy supply, it will naturally no longer need to produce more Fungi."
"Moving house... is it that simple?" Coppelia asked.
"It is that simple," Suleiman replied, shifting his gaze to Columbina. "Speaking of which, this mission is practically custom-made for Columbina. I heard from the students that you were studying 'teleportation' today?"
"Mn," Columbina responded.
"I guess," Suleiman probed, "that Miss Columbina is related to the 'Moon.'"
Coppelia and Columbina's spines stiffened simultaneously.
Columbina spoke first: "You know about the Moon?"
"How do you know?" Coppelia's voice revealed wariness. "I never mentioned the relationship between Columbina and the Moon—"
She stopped suddenly. Suleiman simply smiled and did not interject.
Coppelia immediately understood that he had just been testing them, and her and Columbina's reactions had confirmed his guess.
Suleiman then continued: "Life, Death, Time, Space. These are the most primordial Authorities of this world. They are not something just any random Archon can possess."
Using the term 'Archon'... Coppelia knew that he had likely already guessed that Columbina was an incomplete Moon God. "Mr. Suleiman, why mention this?"
"I simply wanted to confirm some information, and then offer you two a suggestion."
"You have surely confirmed it already." Coppelia looked him in the eye. "What is your suggestion?"
"Do not go to the desert," Suleiman said without circumlocution. "Even if there are things you need there. For example, those stones that emit white light."
"Because of the Scarlet King? Or Khaenri'ah?"
"Both."
"What is the Scarlet King doing?"
"He is seeking the means of 'arrogation.'"
Columbina finally found an opening to speak: "What is 'arrogation'?"
"That kind of thing cannot be explained in detail," Coppelia interrupted her, lowering her voice. "Anyway, it has to do with that island in the sky."
Columbina recalled the gray island suspended in the clouds and immediately fell silent.
"You mean," Coppelia turned to Suleiman, connecting the clues, "that what the Scarlet King is doing might utilize Columbina's spatial Authority, and would be harmful to her?"
Suleiman nodded, offering no supplementary details.
"Then what about Khaenri'ah? I know that nation has a 'Crimson Moon.' Would it pose a threat to Columbina?"
"I suspect Khaenri'ah's 'Crimson Moon' is the Rainbow Moon of the three moons. If it were only the Rainbow Moon, it would be fine, but I fear they have also mastered the power of the Eternal Moon."
Columbina spoke up again: "Are there many moons?"
"The sky once held three bright moons," Suleiman said. "The Frost Moon, the Eternal Moon, and the Rainbow Moon. Except for the Frost Moon, the other two fell during ancient wars and their whereabouts are unknown."
Columbina's body shrank back slightly. "The moons... are all gone? Then where should I return to?"
"No," Suleiman corrected. "There is still one Frost Moon that has not fallen. At this moment, it lies beyond the false sky."
Coppelia reached out and gently pressed Columbina's shoulder. "Don't worry, the Frost Moon should be your moon. It is still there, just not visible. We talked about this before."
Hearing this, Columbina finally relaxed.
"I cannot be certain if the Eternal Moon is also in Khaenri'ah," Suleiman said. "But given that nation's capabilities, it is truly hard to say."
Coppelia asked the most critical question: "What happens if the three moons gather together?"
"The three moons govern the four Authorities of Life, Death, Time, and Space." Suleiman paused. "I cannot say for sure what exactly would happen, but as for the 'Heavenly Principles,' that would absolutely not be something they would be happy to see."
The Heavenly Principles.
This term caused the air inside the tent to stagnate for a moment. The mineral lamp flickered.
Coppelia remained silent for a long time before speaking again with gravity:
"How do you know all this? Why are you telling us this?"
____
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