Chapter Twenty-One: The Descent of the Violet Moon

Ji Yu had not experienced natural sleep for a long time.

Although, when entering the game as the Oak, he could rely on meditation to ensure his energy was replenished for the next day, as a human, the comfort of normal sleep was something he still missed.

So, after chatting with Adam the Oak, Ji Yu decided to take a nap. Setting his alarm, he lay on his bed and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

...

Four o’clock in the dead of night, Banar Tropical Rainforest, the tribe where the Oak resided.

At this moment, Adam the Oak was curiously observing everything around him.

As a newly awakened conscious being, even though his mind contained knowledge of this world, the reality he saw was vastly different from the basic understanding within his thoughts.

Looking around, he felt everything was novel. Below the tree, the campfire blazed brightly; countless humans gathered together, most sleeping, while a few huddled, discussing serious matters.

Above, the full moon shone luminously. Many birds nestled together on broad leaves, while a few nocturnal ones reveled in the glassy flowers shimmering with reflected moonlight like water.

Gazing at the rainforest, looking up at the sky, Adam felt, for the first time, the joy of being a living creature.

"This is life, and perhaps the meaning of life is simply to witness and perceive all that exists in this world."

"Thank you, Father, for bestowing life upon me and bringing me into this world."

Adam marveled at the world’s beauty, and at the same time, he held the deepest longing and respect for the father who created him.

Recalling his father’s instructions, Adam quickly pulled his thoughts back.

There would be plenty of time to appreciate the beauty of the world; his own growth was the most important task.

After all, from his conversation with his father, it was clear how weak he still was, requiring his father’s personal guidance.

Remembering the dramatic scene of his father meditating with his own body, Adam felt all the more compelled to strive for growth.

So, Adam immediately began to attempt entering a meditative state.

Calming his mind, clearing all distractions, Adam succeeded in meditation for the first time and quickly settled into the state.

However, soon after, Adam awakened from his meditation.

He felt a sigh and a hint of disappointment.

The reason was simple: Adam found the feedback from his meditation was extremely slow.

Compared to the rapid growth when his father descended and meditated, his own meditation’s feedback was dozens of times slower.

---

This made Adam feel a lack of talent, but at the same time, it helped him understand just how powerful his father truly was.

Adam did not wallow in self-pity.

After all, in his understanding, this world was nothing extraordinary.

He himself was a miraculous being, created by his father. Compared to ordinary life, his uniqueness and talent should be quite exceptional.

So, Adam soon accepted the slow progress in meditation as normal.

The difference, of course, was all attributed to his father’s mystery and greatness.

Father was like the sun in the sky, like a star in the universe—distant, sacred, and mighty.

With these thoughts, Adam’s mood brightened, and his admiration for his father deepened.

Soon, Adam’s emotions calmed.

But just as Adam was about to continue his meditation, he suddenly noticed something unusual.

Looking up at the sky, he saw the silver glow of the full moon gradually shrouded in a layer of violet haze.

In the darkness, the world was suddenly enveloped in a faint, eerie purple.

In that instant, all the birds perched atop the tree instantly awakened.

A chorus of startled cries erupted.

However, none of the birds took flight; instead, they all hurriedly burrowed beneath the thick oak leaves.

Their eyes were wide with fear, completely devoid of sleepiness.

They clustered under the heavy foliage, silent and unmoving.

Below the tree, the humans who had been sleeping near the fire all awoke at the night watchmen’s urgent shouts.

The moment they regained consciousness, they rushed under the oak, hiding within the massive shadow cast by its crown.

Beneath the tree.

"The purple moon came so suddenly, but dawn is near; it won’t last long," Reed said, frowning at the sudden purple darkness.

"That may be true, but tonight the radiation concentration from the purple moon seems unusually high," Mallory replied, standing at the boundary between the tree’s shadow and the purple moon’s light. He took out a detector, aimed it at the moon, and watched as the readings climbed steadily.

1.23, 1.52, 1.78...

Soon, the value stabilized around 5.68.

---

This was no small number; compared to the last purple moon, the radiation concentration had more than doubled.

It must be remembered: the purple moon’s radiation accumulates within living beings, and a concentration above 5 means every minute brings humans a significant dose.

Watching the detector’s readings, everyone’s expressions grew heavy.

Someone checked themselves, and their face darkened instantly.

"This is bad! I was exposed to the purple moon for just over ten seconds, and my contamination level has already risen by 0.21."

"This... this is serious!"

His words sent a shock through everyone present.

They all began checking their own contamination levels.

"0.57"

"0.36"

"0.45"

All similar; before arriving, most had contamination levels below 0.20, but now, everyone’s contamination had jumped by more than twenty percent.

With that, their spirits sank to rock bottom.

This group was not worried about widespread chaos in human society; after all, the authorities of every nation had long regulated purple moon events, and most people knew to avoid it.

But animals were another matter.

While most animals tried to avoid harm, some lacked such instincts, and many could not find shelter in time.

The world was not as tranquil as it seemed on the surface.

Most large-scale pollution caused by the purple moon had been concealed by the authorities.

For example, the frenzied fish swarms in the Maria Trench and the giant whales attacking ships, their bodies rotting like monstrous horrors.

Or the mass extinction on the Moriton Prairie, and the destruction of a town by sea lions on Snow Island two months ago.

Though these were rare calamities, all had far exceeded what ordinary people could know or comprehend.

The governments of every nation shared information, deploying troops to handle incidents, and covering up all news.

The human world seemed peaceful and joyful, but in truth, it was slowly sliding into the abyss.