SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will - Chapter 228 Arriving at the Gate, Meeting an Ascender.

Chapter 228  Arriving at the Gate, Meeting an Ascender.

Moon looked at Selene and Yara, his expression shifting to something more focused. “I’m going to meet up with someone who’s also planning to join the clearance team.”

“Who?” Selene asked, curious about the person’s identity. There weren’t many awakeners strong enough to even attempt entering an S-rank gate, and the fact that Moon somehow knew one of them was noteworthy.

“You know him, actually. We met him during our first expedition together. Kael… Glassy.”

Selene’s eyes widened for a brief moment, “I see, the same person whose father just became an Ascender.”

Moon nodded.

She paused, then asked more directly: “Want me to join you?”

Moon considered, then shook his head. “No, you need to stay with Yara. She’s still getting oriented to Earth, and leaving her alone…might be troublesome.”

He paused, then added more honestly: “Besides, I don’t think you have anything you need from the gate personally, do you? Though it’s your choice, obviously.”

Selene’s expression, becoming more conflicted. “I don’t want you going alone into something this dangerous. What if something happens to you? What if—”

Moon interrupted with a slight smile. “Ah, don’t worry. I don’t die that easily, I’m an unkillable cockroach.”

Selene rolled her eyes at the crude self-description. “That’s one way to call yourself invincible amongst first order creatures.”

But her eyes became worried again almost immediately, concerned. “But seriously, I can’t just let you go alone into an S-rank gate that already killed so many elite awakeners. I’m coming with you.”

Moon looked at her for a long moment, reading the concern in her expression. He couldn’t help but feel a warm feeling spread in his chest. It’s been a long time since someone had cared about him this much.

Finally, he sighed. “Alright, come. But that doesn’t mean they’ll automatically give us spots on the team anyway. Entry might be limited to per-approved personnel or specific power thresholds.”

Selene nodded, accepting the caveat. “We can try. And if they say no, then at least we tried.”

She turned to Yara, her expression becoming more instructive. “You’ll need to come with us to Zone C, but you’ll stay in the secure civilian area while we handle the gate. Okay?”

Yara nodded, worried about her two friends. “I understand.”

Moon checked the coordinates Kael had sent, about an hour away by orbital transit.

“Let’s move,” he said, already planning their route. “Kael’s probably already there making arrangements. I don’t want others to take my spot too.”

The three of them changed direction, heading towards the same transit hub they came from.

The first S-rank gate in human history had appeared. And Moon was about to walk straight into it.

Not because he was heroic or selfless or particularly concerned with saving millions of lives—though those were nice side benefits.

But because inside that gate were exactly the kind of opponents he needed to complete his evolution requirements.

♢♢♢♢

An hour passed by in a blur as they navigated the orbital transit system, and finally they arrived at Zone C’s Transit Hub.

They were still a few minutes away from the exact coordinates where they’d arranged to meet Kael.

“So many people,” Yara couldn’t help but mutter, her eyes wide as she took in the transit hub’s lobbies, which were absolutely packed with awakeners and civilians alike.

The crowd was chaotic. Normal families clutching to their hastily packed luggages. Awakeners in full combat gear preparing to evacuate. Children crying. Adults arguing with transit officials about seat availability.

After hearing about the death of ten elite awakeners and the dire circumstances surrounding the S-rank gate, many had decided to flee to other zones entirely and start new lives elsewhere. Even if that meant their houses would be destroyed and their jobs lost, survival took precedence over material concerns when you didn’t have other options.

Those who were wealthy enough had the option to leave, but the main problem plaguing everyone was transport. Every mode of transit—orbital trains, emergency shuttles, civilian vehicles—was overwhelmed with traffic and desperate passengers.

Unless you were a big shot amongst the wealthy, you would have to wait for public transport.

“They’re trying to flee for their lives,” Selene observed, looking at the crowd with visible pity. “These are the people who become casualties when disasters strike, the ones without power to protect themselves or influence to secure priority evacuation. It’s a sad reality.”

Moon began forcing his way through the dense crowds, using his body strength carefully to create a path without actually hurting anyone. Selene and Yara followed close behind, using the opening he created before it could close again.

The process was frustrating, taking them approximately five minutes just to exit the transit hub and reach the street outside.

From there, they made their way toward the coordinates Kael had sent—a location approximately one hundred meters from the S-rank rift itself, close enough to see the phenomenon but outside the immediate danger zone.

As they approached, Moon could see the rift with his own eyes for the first time.

It was a massive tear in space, approximately fifteen meters tall and ten meters wide, its edges crackling with mana. The interior was crimson red, gloomy and threatening, with visible waves of concentrated mana emanating from it in powerful pulses.

Surrounding the rift were dozens of Evolvers maintaining a defensive formation. They stood at various positions, alert and ready to eliminate any creatures that might emerge.

Several beast corpses littered the ground nearby. A-rank monsters that had broken through before being swiftly eliminated. Other corpses were still being processed, stored away in spatial rings by logistics teams working efficiently despite the tense atmosphere.

Moon scanned the area for several moments, searching for Kael among the various personnel moving about the secured zone.

He didn’t spot him. Reaching into his pocket, Moon pulled out his phone and dialed.

Ring-ring!

Kael answered after just a few seconds, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. “You’re here?”

“Yes.”

Click.

Kael ended the call immediately without further discussion.

Moon looked at the screen flashing “Call Ended” with a twitching smile. ‘This guy…’

After about thirty seconds, Kael emerged from one of the temporary command buildings that had been erected near the perimeter. He walked toward Moon with his characteristic confident stride, his combat gear suggesting he was already prepared for deployment.

His eyes swept over Moon’s companions, and a subtle frown crossed his features. “Who are these people?”

“My friends,” Moon replied simply.

‘Friends…’ Kael thought.

But after a moment, he simply nodded. “Okay. Come with me. Let’s talk inside where we have more privacy.”

Inside a normal building that had turned into a command center for the time being, the environment was considerably calmer than the chaos outside. Monitoring equipment, and communication devices filled the space.

Kael led them to a side room where a middle-aged man with distinctive red hair matching Kael’s stood reviewing some reports. His posture was straight, his body was buff and his eyes were scary.

“This is the person I spoke of, Father,” Kael announced without preamble.

Moon immediately understood who he was facing and extended his hand in greeting, initiating the gesture out of respect. This wasn’t just Kael’s father, this was Tom Glassy, newly ascended to the Third Sanctuary, an Ascender, one of humanity’s most powerful combatants.

A monster in power and business alike.