The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1776: Dead in Time

Previously on The Invincible Full-Moon System...

Amanir successfully opened a treasure chest, revealing the Phoenix Feather, which he then unleashed into the sky as a signal for Rex. Drawn by the spectacle, a powerful Voidal Lord attacked Rex and Alana, but a mysterious, dark figure emerged from the earth and effortlessly annihilated the monster. This enigmatic being, who Alana initially feared, revealed herself to be Linthia, bowing to Rex and pledging her renewed service.

It was truly unforeseen.

Ever since the moment Rex designated his three future generals, he had been fully committed to elevating their strength.

However, his greatest anticipations were reserved for Gelmar or perhaps Dindora.

Both possessed more years, greater experience, and a superior level of grit. Individuals with their backgrounds either shattered under pressure or rose to the peak, and Rex was certain they would choose the latter. With his backing, their ascent was practically assured.

Regardless of the circumstances, those two were destined to reach the highest heavens on the path of power.

Rex was absolutely sure of this.

He was, after all, the living embodiment of that very conviction.

By comparison, Linthia’s resolve seemed to pale next to theirs.

If the other prospects hadn't been so subpar, she likely wouldn't have been picked as one of the three future generals of the Clarentium Empire. Rex’s faith in her was the lowest—though he maintained some hope given the potential of her bloodline.

Rex never anticipated she would achieve anything remarkable, at least not in the immediate future.

For a long time, Linthia’s performance only confirmed his doubts.

She struggled just to keep pace with the others.

During the confrontation with the Fifthborn, she stood alone as the only one unable to trigger an evolution.

It was... a letdown.

Nonetheless, Rex was not the type to withhold recognition where it was earned.

He didn't miss the bruises and calluses covering her, evidence of the grueling training Linthia endured to close the gap between her and her peers.

That effort, at least, suggested her situation wasn't entirely hopeless.

Following their hard-won triumph over the Fifthborn, Gelmar and Dindora shifted their priorities. Both were now occupied with completing missions and adjusting to their upgraded bodies and abilities—a vital step in their Cultivation journey.

To Rex, this marked the end of the road for Linthia.

There was no question that the two leading captains would leave her behind in their wake.

Failing to evolve and now lacking Dindora’s protection—as her elder sister became preoccupied—Linthia was essentially finished. He anticipated her resolve would shatter and her spirit would fade. Convinced of her coming failure, he had already begun quietly scouting Liliya as a potential successor.

Liliya was someone he could rely on, and her power was distinct even when compared to the likes of Gelmar and Dindora.

As for Linthia, she would be relegated to the rank of a permanent captain.

No longer a candidate for general.

But with Dindora’s untimely death, which dealt a heavy blow to the empire’s prospects, Rex felt a flicker of—reluctance to discard Linthia. It felt like a waste to let her go after the resources he had already poured into her growth.

Thus, he resolved to offer her one final opportunity.

He hoped that Dindora’s passing might serve as the ultimate spark to ignite her potential.

Since he was heading to the Spirit Realm regardless, it was the perfect time.

It provided the ideal setting for Linthia’s last chance, as the Spirit Realm held the key to her most powerful evolution—the Dark Drifting Spirit. Witnessing her now, bathed in her new strength, it was clear he had made the correct choice.

Of all the people who could have come to his rescue, Rex never guessed it would be Linthia.

"No, wait... I recognize her," Alana thought to herself, watching the dark figure bowing—before Rex with the devotion of a servant. "I saw her back at the Forsaken Tower. I had wondered if she perished since she vanished from his side, but to think she would return in this state."

A small smile touched Alana’s lips.

Even those surrounding Rex were evolving into something that defied logic.

Linthia had been a weakling previously, yet now—she had returned with enough power to dismantle a Voidal Lord with no effort. Regardless of the carnage following Rex, there was no denying the benefits of being part of his inner circle.

Rumble—!

Suddenly, the earth shuddered once more under the weight of the approaching horde.

<Notice: the Countess of the Banished Dark Moon is fading away!>

Sensing the shift in Rex’s temperament, Linthia rose instantly and took to the air again.

She swept her arms in a wide, circular motion, manifesting a massive and terrifying dark vortex that shielded them. Without even touching the swirling energy, everyone understood it was a barrier capable of holding back the entire horde.

Linthia then turned her sharp gaze aside and reached out.

Her palm began to draw in a massive quantity of voidal energy.

Before long, another figure was wrenched from the ground, appearing right in their midst.

Amanir.

Realizing he had been pulled there against his will, Amanir was startled, but he regained his composure the moment his eyes met Rex’s. "We have to seize the Phoenix Feather! The number of voidal beasts hunting it is growing!"

"Linthia," Rex said, turning back to her. "Retrieve the Phoenix Feather."

"Understood, Your Majesty..." She gave a resolute nod.

Just as she had done before, she extended her hand toward the blazing object as if to grab it.

Then, her fingers tightened in a gripping motion.

Voidal energy gathered in her hand, shrinking into a single, high-pressure point. Moments later, it flared out—a contained burst of eternal fire that filled the vortex's center without leaking out.

The inferno was held perfectly within her grasp; the raging storm of fire touched only the void she intended it to.

When the fire finally dimmed, the Phoenix Feather was held firmly in her hand.

Linthia presented it to Rex like a sacred relic, fully aware of its significance to him.

<Notice: the user has acquired a Phoenix Feather!>

...

Objective: Purify the Countess of the Dark Lunirich from her Chaos Corruption!

Locate the Divine Chalice: 1 / 1 √

Locate a Lotus of Lunar Heart: 1 / 1 √

Locate a Phoenix Feather: 1 / 1 √

Collect 10,000 Strands of Divine Energy: 12,000 /10,000 √

...

"Guard me. Ensure I am not interrupted."

"Yes."

Even if Rex hadn't commanded it, she would have done so with absolute devotion.

While she was pleased with her new power, she still harbored a seed of guilt for having left Rex’s side.

Rex assumed a meditative posture and prepared for an immediate journey to the Banished Realm.

He had relied on Alana to find Amanir previously—because his focus was entirely on consuming Nightfall Stars to restore his vitality. To enter the Banished Realm, he had to invoke the Mask of the Banished Eclipse.

This was an impossible feat if his life energy was depleted.

Luckily, he still possessed a significant hoard of Nightfall Stars.

It might not fully restore his reserves, but it was sufficient to activate his weakest Soul Artifact. Within moments, a mask formed of pure shadows covered half of his face—another Soul Artifact he rarely utilized.

Even Alana was slightly taken aback by the sight.

It wasn't that she was unaware of his three Soul Artifacts, but she had simply forgotten about the existence of the third.

A glowing, crystalline object then materialized in front of Rex.

It radiated a powerful moonlight energy that everyone present could feel intensely.

Two minutes remaining.

Without wasting a second, Rex allowed the mask to consume the Tear of Moonlight he had previously acquired.

His eyes turned pitch black almost instantly, followed by dark runes that spread across his flesh like sentient glyphs. While the others watched, unaware of the internal process, his soul was pulled from his physical vessel—and propelled out of the Spirit Realm.

<Notice: the user has entered the Banished Realm.>

As the familiar silence and frigid air of that world washed over him, Rex opened his eyes.

He had returned to this bleak dimension, but this time, he arrived with a sense of frantic hope and urgency.

Unlike his previous somber visits, he was energized by the fact that he could finally produce the cure.

However, as he scanned the area, his heart hammered against his ribs—Nivellen was nowhere to be found in the vast emptiness.

"Nivellen!"

Rex screamed, demanding she reveal herself.

His strained voice barely carried through the air, highlighting his desperation.

It was as if the realm itself was attempting to stifle his cries.

"Nivellen, where are you!!"

When no response came, Rex immediately utilized the System to sweep the entire realm. A single panel eventually flickered into his sight not far away. It was Nivellen. Her aura was nearly gone, and her form was so transparent that his naked eyes couldn't even see her in the darkness.

Like a man possessed, he charged toward her.

Or he tried to.

All he could manage was a ragged, limping shuffle that was barely faster than a walk.

His soul should have been more recovered by now, but the low quality of the Soul Artifact he had used in his haste had affected his very essence here—weakening and thinning it. It was a vital detail he had overlooked in his panic.

"Rrggh!"

Rex tripped and crashed to the ground just a few feet away from her.

His eyes went wide as he saw Nivellen’s form was cracked, with half of her already crumbled into ash.

She was clearly hanging on by a single thread.

"I... I have the cure!" Rex scrambled forward on his knees until he was at her side.

He focused intently on the holographic instructions for the remedy and began the process.

First, he pressed the essence of the Lotus of Lunar Heart into the Divine Chalice.

Next, he began saturating the essence—a shimmering, clear liquid that nearly overflowed the cup—with raw divine energy. Rex worked with frantic speed, his eyes fixed on the liquid as he funneled more energy into it, waiting desperately for it to turn violet.

<Notice: the Countess of the Banished Dark Moon is vanishing!>

Rex glanced at Nivellen and watched as her final leg disintegrated into ash.

His eyes bulged as he glared at the chalice, "Come on!!"

A mix of fury and panic surged through him.

He forced even more divine energy into the mixture, but the color was only just beginning to shift toward violet.

Swish—!

Blood sprayed from Rex’s mouth as he pushed his limits even further.

<Notice: the user's soul cannot handle a higher flow of divine energy!>

"I don’t care! Just do it!!"

"Violet! Turn violet!!"

<Notice: the user’s soul is undergoing Divinity Overload.>

Swish—!

Rex’s eyes lit up as the liquid finally took on a light violet glow. However, the shade was too faint, nowhere near the deep royal purple shown in the instructions. He had to provide more divine energy.

As he gathered his strength for one last push, more blood welled up and stained his lips.

Tears of blood began to stream down his face.

His veins bulged and his very soul seemed to shrink and wither, paying the price for his desperation.

Once the color was right, the final step was simply to add the Phoenix Feather.

This current step was the only real obstacle.

<Nivellen, the Countess of the Dark Lunirich, will fall to Chaos Corruption in nine seconds.>

"Please! I can't fail... not when I’m this close!"

"Come on... COME ON! MOVE!"

The moment the liquid deepened into a solid violet, Rex shoved the Phoenix Feather into the cup. He raised it immediately, holding it over what was left of Nivellen—her body had already been entirely reduced to dust.

Only her head remained; the very last piece of her existence.

As he tipped the chalice to pour the liquid onto her lips, her head suddenly crumbled into a pile of ash.

<Notice: Nivellen, the Countess of the Dark Lunirich, has died.>

Rex stared at the words, his body turning as cold as stone.

He read the message over and over, hoping he had misunderstood.

Even though the reality was clear, he stared at the screen as his vision blurred with tears.

On the ground, the last of the dust began to blow away.

A silent proof of his failure.

At that moment, another prompt appeared.

<Notice: an entity has entered the Banished Realm.>

"The Dame of Snow...?"

Before he could understand, a swirl of frost-blue energy descended from above. It pulled together the remaining ashes of Nivellen, and to his shock, the dust reconnected—her head was forged anew from the void.

He blinked, and his reflexes took over.

Tilting the chalice, he poured the completed cure into her restored lips.