Chapter 711: Returning to the base

Moon found Selene curled up on the couch, and let her know he was heading out.

"I need to take care of something in the Sanctuary. A few hours, maybe less. I’ll be back before you know it."

Selene glanced up from her phone. "Try not to get into trouble for once. You just walked out of a gate that nearly killed you."

Moon smiled. "No trouble. Just base business."

"That’s exactly what you always say right before the trouble." But she waved him off with a small smile of her own. "Go. Be careful."

He left for the nearest gate.

♢♢♢♢

Moon arrived at the floating island base and made his way inside.

The moment he stepped into the main chamber, the greetings came. Subordinates called out to him, some with warmth, others angling for a moment of his attention, eager to curry favor with the Base Lord who had built all of this and rarely walked among them in person.

Moon usually ran things through Rowan, Talan, the brute, and the rest of his inner circle, delegating orders rather than delivering them himself, which made his appearances something of an event to the people of his base.

He returned the greetings easily as he crossed the chamber, then reached for his communication device and contacted Rowan.

"Rowan. Come see me at the base when you can."

Rowan answered within moments, "On my way, boss. Ten minutes."

While he waited, Moon decided to spend the time building something he usually left to others. A connection with the people who made his base run.

He looked over the fighters gathered nearby, and his eyes caught the worn state of their gear, cracked plate, chipped blades, equipment that had clearly seen too many hunts without replacement.

"You lot look rough. Anyone with broken or worn-out equipment, take what you need from this."

He opened his storage ring and dumped a massive pile of E-rank equipment onto the chamber floor, more than a hundred pieces in total, weapons and armor across every combat role.

Their eyes went wide.

"Thank you for your generosity! I was in need of a new armor since mine broke during the last fight I had."

Others also began to thank Moon, their voices overlapping as they crowded forward to sort through the pile. Within a few minutes, everyone who needed something had taken it, some taking a little extra, and a considerable amount still remained on the floor.

Moon gestured to one of the base’s standing coordinators.

"Store the rest in the vault. Anyone who needs gear later can draw from it. No approval needed for E-rank, just log what they take."

The coordinator nodded quickly and set to gathering the leftover equipment, and the mood across the chamber lifted noticeably.

Rowan arrived before his estimated time.

Moon could tell at a glance that he’d run the whole way, his breath coming quick, a drop of sweat on his forehead.

Smiling at him, Moon said, "You didn’t need to rush. You’re out of breath."

Rowan shook his head, a faint smile on his face as he steadied his breathing. "Good exercise. What did you need from me, boss?"

"Come to the office. I want to talk."

♢♢♢♢

Inside the private office, Moon closed the door and got straight to it.

"The spirit art. Did you manage to find one?"

Rowan’s expression clouded, looking troubled by the question. "I’m afraid not, boss. Not yet. I’ve been putting out feelers, but an Excellent-Grade Art isn’t something that just turns up. I’ll find one in a few days. A few weeks at most. I promise I—"

Moon summoned the Excellent-Grade Spirit Art he had exchanged with the association and held it out to him.

"No need for that, I got this for you."

Rowan froze, staring at the spirit art that Moon was handing out to him.

"Now don’t be so quick to reject it," Moon said before the man could open his mouth. "I told you I’d give you time to try on your own, and I meant it. But you can’t keep delaying. Every day you spend on a Fair-Grade Art is a day you’re wasting your potential, and your potential matters to me. So take this for now. If you somehow land another one soon through your own channels, hand it to one of your friends at the base. Plenty of them could use it, nothing will go to waste."

Rowan was silent for several long seconds, staring at the art in Moon’s hand.

Then he looked up, and said, "...Thank you, boss. The favors you’ve shown me are too many. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay them in my lifetime."

Moon reached out and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I don’t need repayment. I need you to get stronger. That’s the only thing I’m asking for."

"I will," Rowan said, and there was resolve in his voice. "I swear it."

"Good. Now use it now, lest you play around."

Rowan settled onto the floor in a lotus position, cradling the Spirit Art, and began the process of absorbing it. Moon watched in silence as the man’s spiritual energy rose.

Several seconds later, Rowan’s eyes opened, wide with wonder.

"I can see all fifty acupoints. Every one of them, laid out clearly." His voice was hushed. "It’s... it’s amazing."

"Now you need to fill them," Moon said. "Fifty acupoints, fully filled, and you’ll be standing at a tier most Evolvers your age will never touch. The road’s longer than a Fair-Grade, but the ceiling is so much higher it isn’t even a comparison."

Rowan nodded, determination settling over his face.

"Yes, boss. I won’t waste it."

Moon gave his shoulder one more pat, then rose and made for the door.

"Take your time filling it. I’ve got something else to handle."

Moon stepped out of the office.

Now. Time to check it out.

The true elf’s heart was still waiting in his storage ring. And the Supreme turtle egg had been incubating in his beast space for a really long time, unhatched.

It was time to bring the two of them together.