Yara stumbled slightly as she materialized on the Earth-side platform, her eyes imdiately going wide at the completely new environnt surrounding her.
Buildings made of materials she didn't recognize. Artificial lights that weren't fire or glowing crystals. Strange sounds and slls that had no equivalent in the First Sanctuary.
And awakeners. Dozens of them, moving through the portal station.
"A BEAST! Hurry, we need to—Oh, wait." One of the guards stationed at the portal platform stopped mid-alert as he noticed the badge on Yara's chest. "This is an owned beast. False alarm!"
The other guards lowered their weapons, relaxing from their defensive postures.
"Hello," she said clearly in human language, addressing the nearest guard politely. "I need to contact my owner. Her na is Selene. Can you help ?"
The guards' eyes widened in collective shock.
"It... it talks?" one stamred.
"Of course I talk," Yara said, a hint of indignation entering her voice despite her nervousness.
The senior guard recovered from the surprise first, "Right. Let see your badge and we'll contact your owner."
He examined Yara's credentials, verified her registration in the database, and placed the call to Selene's contact information.
'I'm about to earn so good money! To own such an intelligent beast, the owner must be really rich. A tip of a couple hundred bucks could never hurt,' The guard thought, ringing up the number.
Selene's phone rang almost imdiately after she and Moon erged from the portal.
She answered on the first ring, her expression eager and relieved. "Yes? You have Yara?"
"Confird, ma'am. Your registered companion materialized at Portal Station 47-C in the Industrial District. She's safe and waiting for pickup."
Selene's face broke into a smile. "Thank you! We'll be there imdiately."
She ended the call and turned to Moon, excitent clear in her voice. "She's at Station 47-C. That's not far—we can reach it in fifteen minutes using the orbital transit lines!"
Moon nodded, sharing her relief. The worst-case scenario would have been Yara erging sowhere far away. But the Industrial District was practically local.
They both made their way to the nearest transit hub, moving quickly through the familiar Earth-side infrastructure. Selene booked tickets for the next available orbital line.
The orbital arrived within five minutes, and they boarded imdiately.
True to Selene's estimate, they arrived at Portal Station 47-C shortly after, the entire journey taking less than twenty minutes from separation to reunion.
Yara was waiting exactly where she'd been instructed to stay, her eyes wide as she took in the overwhelming experience of Earth's urban environnt. When she spotted Selene and Moon approaching, visible relief can be seen on her face.
"You found !"
"Of course we did," Selene said warmly, giving the young maiden's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Welco to Earth, Yara."
Moon and Yara turned towards the guard that was standing next to Yara. Selene took out her wallet in an attempt to pay him, but Moon had already done so.
"Thank you for taking care of her in the an ti," Moon said, placing a five hundred dollar bill in the guard's hands.
The guard's face lightened up imdiately, the tip was generous. "Thank you, sir! It was my pleasure and duty."
With their group reunited, they took another orbital transport back toward Moon's residential district.
His house was located in that area—a modest but comfortable property he'd acquired with his first awakener earnings. It made sense to stay there rather than booking expensive accommodations elsewhere.
As they traveled, Moon ntioned casually, "I need to visit the Trading Center. There are so supplies I want to pick up and so items I should sell from my ti on Lunaris."
Both Selene and Yara imdiately perked up with interest.
"We'll co with you," Selene said, her tone making it clear this wasn't really a question.
Moon shrugged, unbothered by the company. Won always seed to enjoy shopping, whether for necessities or just browsing, so he didn't object.
Besides, Yara had never experienced Earth's markets, even if she had gone shopping in the sanctuary with Selene. It would be educational for her to see how comrce worked in human society.
"Fine with ," Moon said. "Just don't take forever looking at things we're not actually going to buy."
Selene smiled innocently. "No promises."
Moon laughed, "I'm just joking, take your ti. I will be selling my things in the anti."
Yara looked between them with curious excitent.
The orbital transport carried them through the city, heading toward both Moon's house and, eventually, the bustling comrcial district where awakeners bought, sold, and traded the spoils of their dangerous profession.
It was good to be back on Earth.
Even if only temporarily, before the next journey into danger began.
♢♢♢♢
"Sir Moon, you never fail to amaze , I must say." Brian said, his eyes wide with unrestrained shock as he examined the cores spread across the evaluation table before him.
It was the sa salesman Moon had been working with since the very first ti he'd sold the Winter Beast's core, a young man that had slowly risen in rank after his transactions with Moon. He'd handled countless transactions but still couldn't quite hide his astonishnt at Moon's consistent delivery of such high-value goods.
"Let's negotiate these two S-rank cores first," Brian suggested, gesturing to the Crab King's azure-tinted core and the Black Raven's obsidian sphere. "We won't have any problems dealing with the rest after we establish the baseline for your premium items."
The negotiation was surprisingly smooth. Brian knew Moon's track record, knew he delivered high-quality goods, and the Trading Center had established policies for S-rank core pricing based on market demand and rarity.
After so back-and-forth on specific percentages and Brian consulting with his managers about authorization for such a large purchase, they reached an agreent:
Total price for the two S-rank cores: $4.5 million.
As for the rest of Moon's inventory, the various A-rank and B-rank cores from his ti on Lunaris Island, along with the equipnt he'd confiscated from the outcast assassin, their combined value totalled another $5.5 million.
Grand total revenue: $10 million.
*GT Event*
Current Rank: Top 11
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