"HE DID IT!" Yara shouted.
"I knew it," Selene whispered, tears streaming down her face as she hugged Yara tightly. "I knew he'd find a way. He always does."
Without wasting a second, they imdiately rushed out, heading toward the gate site, desperate to see Moon in person.
But the streets were absolutely flooded with others who had the sa idea. People wanting to witness the miracle firsthand, migrant families returning to reclaim hos they'd thought were lost forever, dia crews racing to get the story of the year or perhaps decade.
The orbital transit lines were completely booked solid. Even the VIP express routes had no availability for hours.
Selene pulled out her communication device and dialed a specific number.
"I need transportation to Zone C imdiately," she said when the call connected. There was a brief pause on the other end.
"It's booked, young miss. Board the next orbital."
The call ended without further discussion.
Yara looked at her curiously. "Who was that?"
"One of my brother's subordinates. We'll be there in twenty minutes."
As they waited for their ride, Selene stared at the television coverage continuing to replay Moon's ergence from the gate over and over again.
'Moon... you actually did it, you saved everyone. You saved the entire city, just like I knew you would.'
She couldn't wait to see him again., and to hear the story of what had transpired inside.
The transport arrived precisely on schedule, and Selene and Yara climbed aboard, finally heading toward their reunion with the person who'd just beco one of the most famous awakener on the planet. ♢♢♢♢
Inside a tall tower in one of Zone B's most exclusive districts, Marcus's group was still enjoying their luxurious downti before their return to the Second Sanctuary.
The penthouse suite they were staying at was a testant to their wealth—imported furnishings, panoramic views of the city, anities that cost more per night than most awakeners earned in months.
"Ugh, I've been assigned to one of the worst possible spawning locations imaginable," Mark groaned, sprawling dramatically across a plush couch that probably cost more than an average awakener's entire monthly salary. "The staging area is positioned right within sight of a C-rank Spirit Pavilion. Can you believe that?"
Marcus leaned forward with interest, his expression mixing sympathy with curiosity. "Do you know the exact coordinates yet? Sarah and I got incredibly fortunate with our assignnt—we've been placed together at one of the most secure locations possible."
His grin widened with obvious satisfaction.
"Apparently we're being stationed at one of the few fully established human strongholds in that sector, and it's controlled by none other than Alaric's team. You know, Alaric the Sword Genius? The monster of the Second Sanctuary himself?"
Mark shook his head with evident frustration. "I don't even know my exact deploynt zone yet. The Evolvers who were stationed there before are all depressed, and from what I've heard, none of them want to talk about what they experienced."
Mark ran his hands through his hair with obvious stress.
"The Spirit Pavilion I ntioned? It's been tornting every human presence in the area for a long ti now. The previous teams couldn't even hunt properly to maintain their strength because any significant combat activity risked drawing the spirits' attention. They were essentially trapped, slowly weakening, afraid to fight the very creatures they needed to kill to grow stronger."
"Don't worry about it too much," Marcus said, reaching over to pat Mark's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll coordinate to extract you from that nightmare posting eventually. Right, Sarah?"
Sarah nodded, though her attention seed partially elsewhere. "Yes."
Adrian and Lena exchanged knowing looks and chuckled quietly to themselves, their amusent clearly related to so private joke or observation.
Their reaction imdiately triggered Mark's defensive irritation. "Hey, you two need to commit to helping as well! You were both lucky enough to get either partnered or decent placents. I'm the only one who got completely screwed over by the damn system."
He gestured dramatically at his predicant.
"Everyone else gets reasonable postings, and I get stuck in a death trap where the previous occupants couldn't even function properly. It's completely unfair!"
Marcus's expression grew more serious. Being stationed near Alaric's base ant access to one of the most elite and well-defended positions in the entire Second Sanctuary. The Sword Genius's reputation alone was enough, and his team's presence guaranteed both security and opportunities for advancent.
anwhile, Mark would be struggling just to survive in a hostile environnt designed to prevent human growth and consolidation.
The disparity in their assignnts was concerning from a team cohesion perspective.
But such was the reality of Evolver placents—very few locations offered opportunity and safety, while most were essentially punishnt. ♢♢♢♢
On the private orbital ship belonging to Ascender Tom Glassy, Moon found himself in a situation he'd never experienced before—complete luxury.
He was lying face-down on what felt like the softest surface he'd ever encountered, while a professional masseuse worked skillfully to relieve the tension and knots that he had never thought he had.
'Is this how the powerful and wealthy live all the ti? I have to admit... it's not bad,' Moon thought as he felt the ache in his shoulders slowly dissolving under expert hands.
The massage felt absolutely incredible. But, there was only one thing preventing him from complete relaxation—
"Hah! Enjoy yourself while you can, kiddo," Tom's booming voice carried across the luxurious cabin. The Ascender was receiving his own massage treatnt just a few ters away, his massive muscles and strong body requiring two masseuses working in coordination.
"I can only keep you up here playing hooky for so long before duty calls. Those crafty old foxes at the Association have most definitely dispatched soone to collect your official statent about what the hell actually happened down there."
He let out another hearty laugh, "And knowing those people, they're probably circling the landing pad right now with clipboards and recording devices, just waiting to pick your brain clean. But hey—that's a problem for future Moon, right? Present Moon gets to enjoy getting pampered like royalty for another few minutes!"
The Ascender's casual, uncle-like deanor made the entire situation feel surreal. Here was one of humanity's most powerful individuals treating Moon like a favored nephew after eting him for the second ti only.
"Take my advice, young man, when those Association folks start grilling you about every detail, rember you don't owe them your entire life story. Give them the facts they need, but keep the really interesting bits to yourself. Trust on this one—so secrets are worth more than any reward they might offer."
Moon couldn't help but smile at the advice, even as he wondered exactly what Tom suspected he might be hiding.
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