Can someone in MyGo stay in an adventure group forever?

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"The new pillar is built on bone, fireflies glow through fungi, and crimson stains the sky; its name is—"

"The Eternal Moon." Just as Koshimura Sawa finished speaking, Takamatsu Yuji added the last few words, "Where did you see this?"

“From the black one…” Koshimura Sawa answered truthfully, and then, as if afraid that he wouldn’t understand, he continued to explain, “It’s that… uh, pet that you didn’t allow Takamatsu to keep at home.”

"...Black Gu?" Yuji Takamatsu thought for a moment and said, "Would a normal person keep such a dangerous thing at home as a pet?"

Koshimura felt as if he had been shot in the knee.

“Judging from its form, this should be a… poem?” Yuji Takamatsu recalled what he had just heard.

“It should be a prophetic poem,” Koshimura Sawa added.

"But aside from directly pointing to the 'Eternal Rising Moon,' we can't find any useful information," Yuji Takamatsu continued his analysis. "The twin moons are indeed a symbolic image... but 'crimson staining the sky' points to...?"

He shook his head: "Although I don't know why this information appeared on that black Gu, since it involves the 'Eternal Moon,' it can't be taken lightly. I'll ask the experts in the department responsible for this area to help interpret it. Thank you for the information."

"So what exactly is this 'Eternal Rising Moon'? I think I've heard you guys mention it many times before," Koshimura asked curiously.

“...That's true. After all, you're a member of the Investigation Bureau now, so there are some things I should tell you.” Yuji Takamatsu nodded. “Where should I begin…?”

"—Do you know about the Great Rip?"

Koshimura Sawa shook his head decisively.

“That’s normal.” Yuji Takamatsu was not surprised. “After all, this part has been removed from textbooks due to strong demands. Apart from those who experienced it firsthand, most people only have a vague impression of the name. Even many of those who experienced it firsthand are unwilling to mention that memory again.”

He sighed and began to explain: "It's not something that can't be said... According to the Adventurers' Guild's technical department's summary of all observation records before the millennium, the frequency of the appearance of cavities and the average strength of the monsters within them are rapidly increasing globally. If this trend continues, in the not-too-distant future, our present world will be completely connected to the world beyond the cavities... Given that all the monsters currently appearing in the cavities have a natural hostility towards humans, if the anticipated situation occurs, it will be a huge shock to the order of the entire human society, because the world beyond the cavities may very well have a 'god' in the conventional sense."

"Because the process of void formation does indeed resemble tearing a rift in the original location of the present world, this conjecture is also known as the 'Tear' theory."

"And the crack will not heal... it will only continue to widen; it is an irreversible process."

"At the time, however, many people scoffed at this claim, believing it to be nothing more than an exaggeration by the Adventurers' Guild to gain more budget and authority, and that the Great Rift was the final straw that broke the camel's back."

"On January 1, 2001, countless people gathered at 109 Plaza in Shibuya, Tokyo, having just finished a grand New Year's countdown and celebrating the arrival of the new year... At that moment, everyone who looked up at the sky was horrified to see that a second moon rose in the clear night sky, pale and cold, reflecting off the original moon."

"Immediately afterward, amidst the screams of the crowd and the sudden outbreak of chaos, countless golden lights shone from the darkness, and thousands of pure white, twisted monsters on all fours appeared on the streets of Shibuya without warning."

"Is it a void out of control?" Koshimura Sawa asked.

“No,” Yuji Takamatsu said, “it’s a certain area behind the cavity... that directly overlaps with the entire Shibuya area.”

"According to the scattered descriptions of a few survivors, the core area of ​​Shibuya at that time became like the desolate surface of the moon, with only deathly silence and endless whiteness."

"In that hellish disaster, tens of thousands died or were injured, and less than one-tenth of the remaining adventurer groups in Shibuya survived. Even today, the effects of the Great Rift have not completely dissipated."

"And after that, similar phenomena appeared in Sydney, Australia, and New York, USA... but that's another story."

"The Eternal Moon is an organization that emerged after the Great Rift."

Yuji Takamatsu suddenly became serious, sat up straight, and looked at Koshimura Sawa.

Do you know about the trolley problem?

“I know,” Koshimura Sawa replied immediately. “It’s like an out-of-control tram that’s about to crash into four people who are tied to the tracks, but you can pull the lever to steer the tram onto another track where only one person is tied to it.”

"That's pretty much it, and the core of this philosophical context is whether the lives of four people are more valuable than the life of one, and whether a person's life can be measured by value," Yuji Takamatsu added.

"So, if I told you now that there's a way to save the other half of the world's population by sacrificing half their lives, what would you do?"

Koshimura remained unusually silent and did not respond immediately.

“That’s why the Eternal Moon has rapidly become one of the world’s largest terrorist organizations,” Yuji Takamatsu continued. “They exploit the cognitive biases caused by information asymmetry. They won’t tell you that there might be other possibilities to solve the problem without sacrificing half of the people, or that even if disaster strikes, the remaining people might not all die. They will simply and brutally lead you to this either-or, seemingly ‘rational’ but actually extremely ruthless choice.”

"Just like if you ask someone whether they want tea or coffee, they will most likely choose one of the two options directly, rather than easily stepping out of this pre-set framework and saying they want cola."

"...Guided choice?" Koshimura nodded thoughtfully.

He remembered seeing it in psychology-related books before.

“Now let me ask you again.” Yuji Takamatsu stared intently into Koshimura Sawa’s eyes, “If you had to sacrifice half the world’s population to ensure the survival of the remaining half, or if you had the possibility of everyone surviving, but the odds were unknown, which would you choose?”

“...Probably the second one.” Koshimura Sawa thought for a moment and said, “After all, I’m not some kind of hero, and I’ve never liked the so-called ‘necessary sacrifice’...Sacrificing half of the people to let the other half live is just too unfair to the sacrificed part, isn’t it?”

"Even if someone is willing to sacrifice themselves for some noble purpose, others should not make the choice for them."

“But the ‘Eternal Moon’ doesn’t think so.” Yuji Takamatsu’s voice gradually turned cold, filled with deep disgust. “They believe that since the final disaster is inevitable, the only ‘rational’ approach is to concentrate all resources to build an absolutely safe ‘Eternal Land’ that is completely isolated from external disasters.”

The Angel of Peace is a giant statue, isn't it?

“Elysium, the eternal paradise, that’s what they call it.”

“There, all the chosen residents will no longer die from disease, old age or any accident, all thoughts will be transparent to each other, there will be no more suspicion, harm or war between people, and they will forever enjoy planned, absolute peace and happiness.”

"Isn't that just like... a miracle?" Koshimura said in disbelief. "Is this really something that can be achieved by human effort alone?"

“Of course not,” Yuji Takamatsu said decisively. “Therefore, the ‘Eternal Paradise’ they depict is still just a illusory prototype. To accommodate human souls, it must be based on the soul of another human to complete this eternal paradise. Therefore, the total number of souls needed to complete the entire ‘Eternal Paradise’ is exactly half of the current world’s total population.”

Koshimura Sawa finally understood why he had asked him those two questions earlier.

"Human sacrifice, meticulously planned large-scale terrorist attacks, transnational human trafficking... In order to collect enough souls, these madmen have long since disregarded universal morality and even their own lives. Because they firmly believe that even if they die in the process, their souls will be integrated into the 'Eternal Paradise' and become part of this eternal temple, which is the highest honor for them."

“But… how could eternity be without a price?” Yuji Takamatsu’s words were laced with deep sarcasm. “Even if we take a step back and assume that ‘Eternal Paradise’ is indeed built according to their vision, what difference is there between a world where time is almost frozen, where new life cannot be born, and where all possibilities and uncertainties of the future are completely erased, and a lavishly decorated tomb?”

Is this really the future that the remaining half of the people who were 'saved' longed for?

"In the end... they're just a bunch of cowards who don't even dare to face things, cowards to the extreme."

Koshimura nodded in agreement.

“Of course, the most terrifying threat to the ‘Eternal Moon’ does not come entirely from their own crazy ideals and actions, but from the… being they believe in, rely on, and firmly believe can help them achieve all of this.” Yuji Takamatsu lowered his voice.

They call it—

"The Moon in the Attic".

Chapter 41 Salty

"The Ever-Rising Moon..."

Koshimura unconsciously twirled his pen, looked at the notebook in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then continued writing.

"After multiple investigations, it can be basically confirmed that there is no belief in any deity in the D&D worldview in any of the existing records. It seems that the priests in this world only vaguely know that they believe in a certain being, but know nothing about the relevant details."

"If the being worshipped by the Eternal Moon, the 'Attic Moon,' only appeared after the Great Rift, then it means that—he may not be a deity not recorded in the original rulebook, but rather not a deity in the D&D universe at all?"

In his previous life, Koshimura Sawa was a pure-blood strength enthusiast. He had only read the rulebook and not the official novel, so he dared not make any rash judgments.

But... isn't "The Moon in the Attic" something from the world of that cringeworthy, chuunibyou drama written by Teacher Da Xiang?

Fortunately, he was already very familiar with the original text of the novel "The Hen Card" and various interviews, and he had read it so many times that the leather bindings were worn out. As soon as he saw these four characters, he immediately got up.

reaction.

[You'd be deserving of the title "Red Stone Immortal"]

He carefully recalled every word and phrase from Mujica's original work.

"Under this moonlight, the dolls are given a brief life..."

“...Yoshimura-kun?” Just then, a weak voice rang out.

Wait, bestow? Life?

"Koshimura-kun?"

Koshimura suddenly snapped out of his daze and found that Wakaba Mutsu was staring at him with her clear golden eyes, not blinking.

"Are you alright...? You suddenly stopped talking just now," she asked with some concern.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered some things." Koshimura Sawa let out a sigh of relief, temporarily suppressing the turmoil in his mind, and closed his notebook. "By the way, where were we?"

"...A beast suitable for a Druid's Wilderness Form transformation?" Wakaba Mutsu tilted his head slightly and suggested.

“Oh, this.” Koshimura nodded. “You’re a level 3 druid now, so the maximum level of beasts you can choose to challenge is 1/4. The most versatile one is definitely the wolf, but the giant badger with its 10-foot burrowing speed and two dozen kills is also a good choice.”

"Generally speaking, Druids can only transform into flying beasts at level 8. I don't know why you can do it now... but in that case, pterosaurs and giant bats are also good choices."

"Mm." Ruoye Mu responded, looking down as she diligently took notes in her notebook, which was decorated with drawings of cucumber snakes.

“This only applies to the selection of beasts that can be transformed into Wild Form,” Koshimura Sawa continued. “If you include the beasts that can be used with Polymorph and various summoning spells, the range becomes much wider.”

As he spoke, he pulled a thick stack of printer paper from under his desk and placed it on the table.

"This is the information I've compiled in my spare time these past few days. It lists most of the beasts you might need, including their physical characteristics, fighting styles, living habits, and... cooking methods. It should be usable up to level 10."

So why are there even cooking methods included?

Ruoye Mu looked at the stack of documents on the table, which was almost as thick as a dictionary, her mouth slightly agape, and blinked.

"Ah, if you see some wild beasts that may not even exist in this world, don't worry about it too much. Just pretend I got it mixed up," Koshimura Sawa added.

Indeed, even with the existence of the Void, it's impossible for all the beasts in the D&D universe to appear in a short time; omissions are normal.

For example, the silverback patriarch James, and the giant parrot Sacock.

[What kind of wild beast is this?]

Looking at the thick stack of documents, Wakaba Muku's handsome brows furrowed slightly, showing some unease: "Koshimura-kun... actually, you don't need to do so much for me."

"It's alright, after all you're Xiangzi's friend, so I'll definitely do this simple thing if I can." Yuecun Ze smiled.

For him, it was simply a matter of re-outputting the knowledge he already had in his mind. With his current typing speed, in some cases it was even faster than searching online and copying and pasting.

Moreover, his own version contains much content that is not found in existing external records.

...Because I am Xiangzi's friend?

Ruo Yemu gave a soft "hmm," lowered her eyes, and her golden eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly.

She glanced down at the thick stack of documents on the table, then looked up at Yuecunze. After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly asked softly, "May I call you Master?"

Koshimura Sawa: "?"

“I’ve heard that… this kind of unique and precious knowledge can only be learned by formally becoming an apprentice…” Wakaba Mutsu explained softly.

[A. "Sorry, our family rule is to pass it down to sons, not daughters. If you were Xiao Nanliang, I might consider it."]

[B. "It's okay, Wakaba-san, you can just marry into our family."]

[C. "I see. Since you've already learned quite a bit, then use your body to make it up to me."]

"It's alright, Wakaba-san, you can just marry into our family," Koshimura Sawa said calmly.

Seeing the ambiguous smile on his face, Ruoye Mu subtly shifted her body back, revealing a wary look in her eyes.

No, why are you running? Do I look like a really bad person?

"So...can't I become your apprentice?" She tilted her head up, her golden eyes welling up with tears, looking at Yuecunze with a pitiful expression.

In her mind, if she made a request to "get married," her parents would definitely not agree, and it would only lead to all sorts of lectures.

"Of course, of course!" Yuecunze waved his hand quickly when he saw that she was about to cry. "I was just joking, don't take it seriously. Although I don't have those rules here, you can call me that if you want."

Hearing his affirmative answer, Ruoye Mu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Her slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. Her mood visibly improved a lot.

She turned around, picked up the paper bag that had been beside her, held it with both hands, and handed it to Koshimura Sawa.

“This is…” Yuecun Ze took the paper bag, opened it, and saw three bright green, fresh and plump cucumbers inside.

“I ripened three small cucumbers quickly,” Wakaba Mutsu said earnestly. “This… is a gift for becoming an apprentice.”

Using cucumbers as a gift for becoming an apprentice? That's quite her style.

Cute.

The cucumbers that Mu Tou gave me, I just ate them all!

"Thank you." Yuecun Ze smiled and thanked him, then casually picked out a cucumber from the bag, wiped it with his sleeve, and put it in his mouth, taking a "crunch" bite.

“I read in a book that you have to give cured meat as a gift when you become an apprentice,” said Wakaba Mutsu. “But I can’t buy cured meat… so I can only use cucumbers that taste like cured meat instead.”

What flavor of cucumber?

Koshimura Sawa abruptly stopped chewing.

An extremely strong salty taste exploded in his mouth instantly, as if he hadn't eaten a cucumber but had directly bitten into a mouthful of salt, so salty that his tongue felt numb and his throat tightened.

The salty, bitter taste mixed with the smoky, burnt smell made his stomach churn, and he almost vomited.

Xiao Mu... how much salt did you put in...?

Noticing his sudden change in expression, Wakaba blinked and asked with concern, "Koshimura-kun, what's wrong?"