Chapter 53. The Next Impact, How to Use the Divine Authority Jade!
A group of two thousand people, and for an entire hour, the messages didn't even hit 99+.
It wasn't until everyone had adjusted their mindset that they took a deep breath. Stiff fingers typed the first line of text, then they began frantically discussing Merlin and Lunar Coral.
Some were excited, thrilled, silent…
And many readers couldn't help but burst into tears over the fate of the main character in the story.
It's hard to imagine just how overwhelming the aftermath of Lunar Coral was.
That tragic and majestic feeling was reminiscent of Land of Steel, but the descriptions went even deeper, and that surreal, dreamlike atmosphere made the world feel vividly, terrifyingly alive, delivering a visceral shock to the senses.
It felt like magic, pulling readers into that hopeless world and making them struggle in sorrow.
If Land of Steel was a shot of strong liquor,
Then Moon Coral was a bowl of strong tea.
At first, it might not taste too intense—there weren't many flowery words, nor were there direct, soul-shaking warnings quoted.
It was simply telling a story.
Letting that grand and sorrowful world gradually unfold through the eyes of the protagonist.
But the longer you read, the more you could feel an unspeakable truth hidden in the words.
That sense of being completely surrounded, along with a pure kind of emotional stir that made the soul tremble, made it easier to picture that realistic vision of the apocalypse.
The entire work carried a kind of magic.
Stirring the heart.
[The ocean glows, the coral softly sings. Even now, I still love you.]
A captivating story, told in such a gentle and tender tone, could only be described with one word:
Romantic.
Even though the male and female leads never truly ended up together, and barely even interacted—
Their love had already reached each other.
——
Amazing,
Absolutely amazing!
This novel hit right in the heart, dragging readers in so deeply they couldn't pull themselves out.
Compared to Land of Steel, it left an even stronger impression.
This inevitably left readers baffled.
Where the hell did that damn Merlin go to train, huh? His writing had improved so much it was visible to the naked eye!
But regardless, the readers were still fired up, flooding the group chat with messages.
[Hakurei Reimu: "This isn't just a good story… No, it's nothing less than a masterpiece."]
[Fallen Angel Black Cat: "That damn bastard author actually grew a conscience and finished the damn thing?!"]
[Lord-kun: "Love it, love it, Merlin's got a bit of a heart after all～(￣▽￣～)~"]
[Senryou Hanechin: "Time to dig a new hole but still hasn't filled the Land of Steel pit. If Merlin has a conscience, it probably ends there ╮(￣⊿￣)╭."]
[Member of FFF Squad: "The new work is amazing. I won't curse Merlin for now. Who knows, maybe he'll update Land of Steel in a few days."]
[Ghosty-z: "No hope, that guy's even less reliable than me (￣⊿￣)."]
[Akikan 40: "You bastard, if you've got time to chat, why aren't you updating your own story?"]
[Ghosty-z: "Ahem ahem, I'm writing, I'm writing."]
[Literature Girl: "Lunar Coral was really beautifully written. Only seventy-six pages, but it made me cry so much."]
[Ally of Justice Tokisaki: "+1, it had me bawling. Damn you, Merlin!"]
"…Looks like everyone feels the same as I do~."
Kasumigaoka Utaha whispered. Her pale hand held a tissue, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing everyone chatting so happily in the group, the heavy and sorrowful feeling in her chest also lightened somewhat.
However, the deep impression Lunar Coral left on her—the unprecedented impact—was etched into her mind. She would never forget the silent collapse of human civilization…
A new story… Maybe try a post-apocalyptic theme?
Then, following the modern trend, give the light novel a ridiculously long title.
Mix the characteristics of Land of Steel and Moon Coral, refine them, reinvent…
Wait a minute…
If I do that, can humanity even survive?
The girl scratched her head and gave up on that dangerous idea.
"Beep beep——."
Another message came in.
Kasumigaoka curiously clicked it and saw a message from a friend noted as "Flat-chested Blonde Chick."
["Hey, fatty, have you read Moon Coral yet? It's insanely good!!"]
["Go read it now, I swear it'll inspire you."]
["Don't forget to thank me!"]
"Pfft~."
The long-haired black-haired girl couldn't help but burst into laughter.
She could already imagine the other girl standing in front of her, twin tails swaying, that tsundere expression begging for praise—so ridiculously adorable.
Though a bit amused, Kasumigaoka Utaha still fired back with her signature sharp tongue.
The corners of her mouth curved into a smirk, eyebrows slightly raised, as she typed back a biting reply.
Her pale hands rested on the keyboard, the sound of clicking echoed softly.
——
["Sawamura-san, don't tell me you didn't know—I'm the admin of the group that pressures for Land of Steel updates. I'm a diehard fan of Merlin-sensei~."]
["I finished Lunar Coral the moment it was released."]
["Didn't expect Sawamura-san to be not only flat-chested, but also so cute~."]
"That damn pig…"
In her room, the twin-tailed blonde girl was grinding her teeth, seething with rage.
That girl—total backstabbing dog. Completely ungrateful for someone else's kindness!
Next time something comes up, she's definitely not sharing it with her!
Hmph~
Sawamura Eriri turned her head away in a tsundere huff.
——
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
The release of Lunar Coral was like a deep-sea bomb dropped into the world, stirring up endless waves.
Trending searches across various countries began flooding with keywords like "Merlin", "Lunar Coral", and "Arthurian Legend", even linking them together.
In the circles of literature, music, painting… countless people were whipped into a frenzy.
And it didn't stop there—governments around the world began forming think tanks.
To analyze whether this Merlin might be the real Merlin.
If so, is he the Merlin of this world—or a Merlin from a parallel universe?
What exactly is the purpose behind the existence of Celestial Curtain?
If Servants from Fate/stay night, or even actual Heroic Spirits, truly descend upon reality—how should we respond?
Among all, the President of the United States had it the worst.
Native Americans—practically wiped out. If Quetzalcoatl were to descend, would they kneel… or pull out the nukes?
And what if nukes don't work?
Or worse, what if they can't even hit?
"BOOM BOOM BOOM…!!"
The fate of the world was shifting at lightning speed, converging toward an unpredictable future.
Golden lightning boomed across the sky, as though heralding the surge of a new era.
Anomalies in the heavens.
As if a hero was about to emerge—a great being descending to the world.
A glorious golden age was gradually being unveiled!
In these chaotic days, countless monsters slumbering in the "Dark World" suddenly stirred.
"Does the future of this planet… still belong to humanity?"
In the Vampire Empire, Aswad-Guul Aziz muttered to herself.
As the Second Primogenitor, "Fall Gazed", she once ruled the eternal night, swept across East Asia, and suppressed countless races in her brilliant prime. But in the end, she too withdrew from the stage of history along with the vampire race.
The age of humanity—apparently not yet ended.
On the contrary, it was only growing stronger.
A gaze that could see no end.
Anyway, as long as no one touches that sword—
The holy sword, its light dulled by dust, remained the natural nemesis of vampires.
...
"Not bad, another million Divine Authority Jades this time."
The corners of Raku Sou's mouth curved ever so slightly, a breeze-light smile tugging at his lips.
Just two hours after Lunar Coral went live, it had already brought in massive profits.
Cliffhanger digging truly was the golden path!
Currently, the account "Merlin" had over a hundred million fans.
Fan loyalty was off the charts—if Merlin appeared now and started a livestream sales pitch, just one line like:
"Hey family, who could even understand..."
No wait.
Wrong script.
It should be…
["Hey family, Morgan the Witch mocked me for being poor. I—Merlin—can endure humiliation, but I will never let my family be looked down on by her."]
["Let's go full carnival, show Morgan wide-eyed what the Merlin Army is capable of!"]
"The image is so beautiful I can't even dare to imagine it."
Raku Sou buried his face in his hands.
Then, his eyes quickly glanced toward the shimmering silver wave interface to his left, his thoughts beginning to swirl.
Time to put those chaotic ideas aside.
He now had funds in excess—so, how should he use this stash of Divine Authority Jade wisely?