Brunestud, the Crimson Moon

The moonlight was exceptionally beautiful that night. Under its glow, the snow-capped peaks of the Ural Mountains appeared as if their white hair were falling down.

The Roman military camp was unusually quiet.

After a series of expeditions and a long journey, they finally arrived at the border of what would later become Europa. This large army, consisting of more than a dozen full-strength Roman Legion, had long been infiltrated by many young men from Germanic, Celtic, and other barbarian tribes.

At the beginning, there were naturally some chaotic situations such as exclusion and crowding in the ranks, but after one battle after another, the soldiers had long since regained enough cohesion.

Even if they were once enemies, it was only for their respective positions that they are now comrades-in-arms, which is enough to make both sides put aside their differences.

"Working side by side is the best way to break down barriers and build friendships."

Inside the central command tent, Rovi looked at the twinkling lights of the military camp outside the window and smiled, "Because we've been through life and death together, many things become less important."

This is precisely why Rovi dared to take away the young and strong men of the barbarian tribe, unafraid of them mutinying in the army.

Even in the end, the Romans outnumbered the able-bodied barbarians.

As long as this bond remains...

The foundation of this team can still be maintained.

And it will continue.

Having already crossed the borders of Europa, Rovi had no intention of stopping his conquests.

"So, your previous doubts were wrong. I've won again, Miss Third Magic User?" Rovi turned his gaze to the girl who was the Goddess Athena manifesting in the human world, sitting to one side.

"Hmm?" The Third Magic User tilted his head under the moonlight, his silver hair falling like a light veil, and his crimson eyes narrowing slightly.

She smiled. "So, Sage Sage... um, Your Excellency the Roman aide, what reward would you like?"

Ainsworth slowly stood up, her legs, which extended from beneath her flowing skirt and were encased in white silk, appearing graceful and beautiful.

"I don't need any reward, because I've already received the best reward." Rovi spread his hands. "That's you."

Ainsworth sighed and tossed a strand of silver hair aside, stepping forward to stand beside Rovi: "I really don't know where you learned those kinds of things..."

"It's very useful, isn't it?" Rovi laughed.

Ainsworth did not deny it. "Indeed, I am very tempted."

"I am moved by anything you say."

So you're going to play direct, straightforward games with each other, huh?

Rovi's eye twitched inexplicably. All he could say was that... a wise 'etymology,' a Greek Goddess of Wisdom, would inevitably have some differences in their way of interacting with ordinary people.

They constantly witted each other through words and experienced each other's selves through continuous interaction.

This was a pleasure for the Goddess of Wisdom.

For Rovi, it was also quite a pleasant feeling.

They scheme and plot, but they don't fight each other.

"Hmm?" The Ainsworth was standing next to Rovi, leaned forward slightly and turned her gaze to look at Rovi.

She blinked, put her hands behind her back, lowered her pretty face slightly, and looked up at Rovi.

It's hard not to think she's just being cute...

"Ahem." After a moment of distraction, Rovi coughed softly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking... what position would be best tonight?"

Although it's a straight ball.

That's a bit too blunt.

Luo Rovi's expression remained unchanged. "Hmm, I felt the last one was good, but I've decided on a new one..."

"Winning against you isn't so easy after all," Ainsworth tilted his head.

Rovi laughed, "When it comes to being thick-skinned, no one can beat me."

Ainsworth was about to say something when she suddenly heard a light knock on the door.

The tapping echoed, as if it were considering something.

"It's Merlin." Rovi's expression shifted; he knew the identity of the 'person' outside the door even before the person entered.

Ainsworth thought for a moment, "Is it that little girl who doesn't talk much?"

"She's much older than you!" Rovi looked towards the door. "Merlin, is there something you need?"

"Hmm... you're still awake?" Merlin, standing outside the door, was unexpectedly happy to hear the response, but also somewhat uneasy.

She would never forget that although Rovi's power lay in his own intelligence, he still managed to maintain a normal human lifestyle in a strange way. Usually, Rovi should already be asleep.

As she pondered the question she wanted to ask, she felt somewhat nervous.

"Not yet," Rovi replied. "What's up?"

"Could... you come out for a moment?" Merlin, slightly nervously. "Just a little while..."

Rovi glanced at Ainsworth: "I'll go out and take a look—after all, I'm the one who brought Merlin out."

The silver-haired girl nodded gently to him. Rovi had already explained Merlin's background to her.

The Third Magic User wasn't entirely unaware of the situation.

With a click, the wooden door of the tent was slowly pushed open, and a figure appeared in the moonlight. "My lord."

"Merlin? What's wrong?" Rovi walked out and looked at the person who came in.

"Hmm... um."

The little girl spoke softly, "Actually... it's nothing, it's just..."

She was organizing her language, carefully choosing her words.

I had so much to say when I arrived, but suddenly I found it hard to say it.

Rovi wasn't in a hurry; he simply glanced at Merlin in front of him.

The girl from the Albion Dragon of Britannia stood in the moonlight, her long, silvery-white hair swaying behind her and brushing against her hips. The two black, prismatic crystals on her forehead, resembling dragon horns, shimmered slightly, highlighting her delicate and lovely face beneath her hair.

She wasn't wearing the same Mechanical God Armor she had on, but instead concealed it between her massive, shield-like gauntlets. All that remained was a long white and blue dress, her slender shoulders revealing glimpses of her fair underarms and back. The white fabric covered her slightly undulating chest, revealing a defined side profile. The blue fabric cinched at her waist, and the skirt flared slightly, hugging her shapely hips. Her legs were bound together by white silk, creating a smooth silhouette.

Casual and appropriate, compared to her previous armored appearance, Merlin now undoubtedly has a more approachable, girl-next-door feel—except for the large armor still covering her hands.

That was the form that Rovi had given her after her body had been retracted.

Let's talk as we walk!

Rovi waved his hand and approvingly commented on her outfit. "Pretty cute."

The military camp appeared exceptionally quiet under the moonlight.

The soldiers on night patrol carried torches as they walked through the dim light, diligently fulfilling their duties.

Hearing Luo Rovi's words, Merlin paused, "Is... cute?"

"This outfit was a gift from Boudica... she said it was an outfit she wore when she was a child."

"Boudica?" That valiant female warrior can be so adorable... Rovi's first impression of her has always been that of a resolute and strong Britannia female warrior.

"Yes, Boudica said that dressing like this makes people feel less afraid..." Merlin sighed, raising her delicate little face. "I accept it, because I don't want to be feared either."

"I don't really like the idea of being powerful and feared by others."

"Why? Isn't it natural for the weak to fear the strong?" Rovi walked ahead, his voice drifting in the wind and reaching Merlin's ears.

"It is natural, but it's not something I like." Merlin tilted her head, as if she had forgotten what she wanted to ask, and slowly said, "Because for me... it's something that's been abandoned."

"I am a hand from the remains of the Primordial Dragon Albion. I represent the continuation of the Albion dragon."

"Therefore, I can feel Albion's loneliness and solitude before his death, and I can feel the suffocating feeling of being abandoned by the world."

Loneliness, solitude.

This was Albion's feeling before his death.

That ancient and enormous creature, which was born in the very beginning of the planet, traversed the ancient Mythic Age and countless changing years, but in the end, it died in solitude.

The passing of a great god.

Because of the disappearance of one being of the same level after another.

"According to the memories I obtained from the primordial dragon, 'I' participated in a battle against an extraterrestrial civilization ten thousand years ago, along with many Primordial God."

"That war was extremely brutal. Countless Primordial God had their divine cores shattered and fell into the mortal realm as a result. Countless Primordial God had their authority as gods destroyed..."

"I was also wounded in that war."

Merlin was referring to was, without a doubt, the war waged by Tiamat and many other gods against the civilization of ' Atlantis ' across the ocean.

The battle between the original gods and the Machine God that fell from the heavens.

For Earth, it was a disaster second only to the ' Harvest Star Vanguard,' but for the Dragon of Albion, it was an extremely beautiful memory.

Because He met many, many 'comrades' during that war.

Before this, He was the only life in His own region.

During that war, He had the opportunity to connect with the outside world for the first time, and He had the desire to connect with the outside world for the first time.

The world of Chuchu was filled with joy and excitement.

But the seeds of disaster had already been sown. One by one, the wounded Primordial God were betrayed by their own deities, either sealed away or exiled to the Sea of Imaginary Numbers beyond the mortal realm...

The Dragon of Albion has lost its 'companion'.

He was plunged into profound loneliness once again.

There is no counterpart to the flow.

There is no one to confide in.

With the passing of one god and the dawn of a second myth, the Dragon of Albion, watching the world gradually become unfamiliar, chose to leave.

He chose Britannia, the land closest to the Sea of Stars, and buried his massive body deep in the earth, using his sharp claws to dig a passage to the Sea of Stars.

This is difficult. Although the Sea of Stars is the core of the planet, it is not actually on the same dimension.

But in reality, no matter how difficult it is, the Dragon of Albion can actually do it.

only...

"I still died, without knowing the cause or the truth, at the very moment the tunnel was dug through." Merlin's light voice echoed in the wind.

"Enveloped in loneliness, the final moments of death bring an even stronger sense of the continuous draining of power and the collapse of the ether, while old wounds erupt simultaneously..."

"I died underground just like that."

In a way, it was extremely dramatic... The Dragon of Albion died the moment it dug the tunnel to the Sea of Stars, as it exhausted its power and aggravated its old wounds.

Rovi could guess that the cause of Dragon of Albion's death was indirectly due to the fact that the Harvest Star Vanguard had pierced the Age of Gods, causing a large loss of the Age of Gods' magical power, ' True Ether '.

Normal gods, after the collapse of the Age of Gods, would try their best to minimize the loss of power, and this is precisely the reason why.

The Dragon of Albion, buried deep in the earth, is unaware of what is happening on the surface.

Therefore, He will not restrain Himself.

He will continue to use all his strength to dig.

Anyway, it will recover after it's used up, and it can be continuously absorbed from the outside world... The Dragon of Albion never imagined that the Age of Gods would collapse, and even less did it imagine that the last energy, once exhausted, would be difficult to recover from, would trigger old injuries, and would become an eternal slumber.

One of the Primordial God was thus buried deep underground.

In a way, this was truly an unlucky child... Of course, this also answers Rovi question of why the Dragon of Albion, a being of the initial level, died.

Just like Tiamat, even if the original being did not possess strong immortality, it should at least be nearly immortal.

But Albion, in a sense, experienced the death of three.

Exhaustion of energy is physical death, loneliness is spiritual death, and recurrence of old wounds is death on the past timeline.

Three deaths, and honestly, even if Rovi were to face them now, he wouldn't necessarily be able to withstand it... But this only strengthened Rovi's resolve.

Dragon of Albion is truly unlucky.

"That's why I hate death, and I hate loneliness even more." Merlin looked at Rovi: "I can sense that your enormous Machine God state is related to the Atlantis Civilization. For the gods of other gods, the gods of the Atlantis Civilization are a disaster, but for 'me', it's different."

That was the starting point for the Dragon of Albion to escape loneliness and obtain its 'heart'.

Rovi leaned down slightly and rubbed Merlin's head. He said, "So, there's no need to consider the meaning of life, no need to think about why you're alive."

"Isn't it enough to just be alive and not lonely?"

Nothing in the army could be kept from Rovi.

He was well aware of Merlin's confusion.

But Rovi did not choose to guide Merlin.

It is a choice that allows her to find the answer from her past 'self'.

This is the most suitable one.

It is also the most perfect thing.

"I... understand." Merlin paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up slightly.

She understood.

She finally found out...

There's no need to be confused, no need to deliberately pursue it.

"Can I... follow you?" Merlin suddenly raised her head.

Rovi paused for a moment, then nodded. Of course, he wouldn't refuse. "If you're willing."

"Just following behind you will be enough!" Merlin smiled.

Yes, as long as you follow behind Rovi.

Then you will no longer be lonely.

Rovi smiled and nodded. He was about to say something when another voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Melly?"

"Hey, it's me, Assistant Officer. I have a reminder for you."

"Because the intensification of His Her Majesty Nero's 'royal power' has eroded its source in reverse."

"There are now changes on the lunar surface."

"That thing up there... seems to have released something terrifying?"

Rovi suddenly looked up.

Moon surface.

An unchanging landscape atop a satellite that receives the light of stars.

The cold, crisp voice echoed: 'Detection, intrusion—'

The system has been compromised.

The standard cleanup function failed.

'Activate the simulated combat system.'

'Request for the release of the imprisoned 'UO'...'

'Application approved.'

As the buzzing sound echoed, rainbow light fell between the shimmering clouds, and a figure slowly emerged on the lunar surface facing the ground.

Her blonde hair was loose and her fair skin was exposed.

She opened her red eyes, the depths of her pupils gleaming with a brilliant red light.

'Release code name is...'

'[Crimson Moon Plan——].'

'[Brunestud].'