Chapter 460: Hanging out, and Preparations
After the earlier interaction that had embarrassed her, Selene steered the conversation away skillfully.
"We should head out and eat somewhere. I’ve been living off rations and beast meat for weeks. I want real food."
Yara’s eyes lit up immediately. "I saw a place near the eastern gate that smelled amazing."
The three of them began walking. As they moved through the crowd, Selene’s gaze drifted to the bag on Moon’s back. She had noticed it earlier but hadn’t said anything.
"Hey, I wanted to ask you. Why are you wearing a backpack? You know, storage rings exist..."
Moon smiled. "I have a beast egg in there. I can’t store it inside my storage ring, so I carry it around with me."
"A beast egg?" Selene looked at the bag with fresh eyes. The way Moon carried it, always keeping it close, always positioning his body so the bag was never bumped by the people around them. He was protecting it.
"I see." She nodded slowly. "I see."
She didn’t press further. Whatever the egg was, wherever it came from, Moon clearly valued it deeply. He would tell her when he was ready. That was how things worked between them.
The three friends found the restaurant Yara had spotted.
They ordered too much food and ate all of it.
The conversation flowed easily. Selene talked about her early days in the Second Sanctuary, the time she almost died, the grinding, the D-Rank beast soul she had gained through sheer luck and timing. Yara described the area she had been dropped into, the swarms of beasts she had learned to hunt alone, and the skill she had comprehended.
Moon listened more than he spoke. He shared pieces of his experience, not diving deep into them. This was a time to relax, and explaining what he had been through on the floating island was anything but relaxing.
The hours passed without any of them noticing.
Moon looked at Selene and Yara properly.
Selene wore a long dark cloak that covered her entire body, one designed for extreme environments. It had served her well, that much was obvious. But it had also paid the price. Patches dotted the fabric where tears had been mended, some neatly stitched, others half sealed. The self-restoring runes woven into the material had clearly faded, running on fumes.
Then he looked at Yara. Her bow, the weapon she carried everywhere, had a layer of rust creeping along the limbs from constant use and exposure. The string was frayed near the nocking point. She wore loose-fitting pants and a jacket that had seen better days, paired with arm guards that were scuffed down to the leather beneath the outer layer.
They all looked like people who had crawled out of a warzone. Which, in fairness, they had.
"Since equipment is allowed within the tournament, I think we all need to restock." Moon said, looking down at his own battered jacket. "Don’t we?"
Selene glanced at her cloak. A patch near her left shoulder chose that exact moment to peel away from the fabric slightly.
Yara looked at her bow. Then at the rust.
Both of them nodded.
"I suppose you’re right." Selene said.
They made their way to the Trading Center. The largest one in the vicinity of the tournament grounds, stocked with everything from Second Order weapons to rare consumables and defensive equipment.
They spent around an hour inside, moving from floor to floor, checking out weapons, armor, accessories, and runes. Each of them knew exactly what they needed, so no time was wasted looking at things that weren’t of use.
Selene replaced her cloak with a new one, darker in color, lighter, woven with fresh self-restoring runes.
Selene also decided to pick a new staff to suit her current combat power. The staff she was currently using was good, and it had lasted her a long time, but it was time for an upgrade.
She settled for a C+ Rank staff.
Yara took the longest. She walked into the Trading Center’s appraisal room with her storage ring full of beast materials, pelts, bones, cores, and rare drops she had collected during her weeks alone in the jungle.
When she walked out with one of the salesmen trailing behind her carrying paperwork, the number on the receipt spread a smile across her face.
She had become a multimillionaire in a single transaction.
Yara bought herself a new bow. A D+ Rank Second Order, with reinforced limbs and a powerful string that could resist the pressure. She picked out new arm guards, a fitted jacket with defensive mechanism, and a quiver that preserved the condition of whatever arrows were stored inside it.
She paid for everything herself.
Moon and Selene both offered. Yara shook her head firmly and handed over her own card without hesitation.
Before going into deep hunting, Selene had opened up a bank account in Yara’s name. Even if she was considered a pet, she was still intelligent enough to have one, and that was the second requirement, alongside the first, which was the consent of the owner — Selene.
Moon watched her complete the purchase.
’She’s grown so much. She’s no longer depending on us. She hunts alone, earns her own wage, and buys her own things.’
The girl who had trembled holding a bow against the heretics on the island of Lunaris was gone. The woman standing before him now carried herself with confidence of a hunter.
She had ventured out into a cruel world and managed to survive. That was a trait that wasn’t found in many, but in only a select few. She had earned her place in this world through her own strength, and courage.
’Truly, she is the maiden of the Savi Clan.’ Moon thought.
The three of them walked out of the Trading Center with new equipment. Moon had bought himself a C Rank sword, which warranted him some confused looks, but he didn’t care.
Nobody could prove anything from a purchase, and based on his new combat style, that sword was well worth the seven million dollar investment.
