Chapter 209: Returning to First Sanctuary Carrying Moon like a princess in her arms, Selene turned to look at Yara’s determined expression. "Ready?" Yara nodded, her resolve strengthening after a deep breath. "Ready." "Let’s go..." Selene muttered, stepping forward into the portal alongside Mirage and Yara. The transition was brief, returning them to solid ground beneath their feet again. The group materialized in the same location where they’d originally found the portal weeks ago—the hidden cave deep within the mountain range. After Yara and Mirage fully exited the portal behind Selene, the shimmering gateway remained stable for a few heartbeats. Then it began to warp, its edges collapsing inward, the dimensional tear sealing itself as if it had never existed to begin with. Within seconds, nothing remained but bare stone wall where the portal had been. Yara looked around the cave with open curiosity, her Savi vision taking in every detail of this new world she’d committed herself to exploring. Her eyes traced the moss, and mineral deposits that existed outside Lunaris Island’s boundaries. But nothing appeared dramatically different from the realm they’d just left. Stone was still stone. Darkness was still darkness. Selene noticed her searching expression and chuckled softly. "This is just a normal cave, Yara. Nothing special here. The difference is outside, in the communities, bases, and the system." Yara nodded, a hint of embarrassment coloring her face. Her blue-tinted cheeks darkened to a deeper azure as she flushed, realizing how obviously she’d been looking for something dramatic or magical about this ordinary space. "Oh, by the way, do you feel any difference? You were restricted in level while in Lunaris, after all. If my theory is correct, you should no longer be subject to those limitations here." Yara paused, her eyes going slightly distant as she turned her attention inward, examining her own body’s sensations carefully. After a moment, she spoke. "Hmm... I do feel lighter, if that means anything. Like a hidden shackle has finally been broken off me. And my body feels less... constrained, somehow." She frowned slightly. "But I don’t feel any evolution happening, and I don’t see any screens or notifications like you and Moon describe." Selene’s smile brightened with relief. "That’s great news! If you feel that way, then the realm restriction has most likely been lifted from you." She shifted Moon’s weight slightly in her arms before continuing. "As for the evolution or system screens, you probably have a more natural progression path, like Mirage does. When you accumulate enough power from defeating beasts or consuming their bodies, you’ll feel the changes happening instinctively. Don’t worry too much about not having an interface like us." "Alright," Yara said, accepting the explanation with a nod. Selene moved toward the cave entrance, her hands glowing briefly as she unsealed the barrier. Sunlight struck her eyes immediately, bright and warm after the cave’s dimness. She blinked against the glare, letting her vision adjust to the midday brightness. "Where are we heading now?" Yara asked from behind her, her voice carrying both curiosity and slight apprehension about this new world she’d committed herself to exploring. "We’re heading to the nearest awakener base, the Rocketer Base." Selene replied, her gaze dropping to Moon’s unconscious body cradled in her arms. His face was nestled comfortably against her chest, a peaceful smile on his face despite everything he’d endured. "We need to make sure this dummy gets proper rest before anything else. Whatever he went through in that inheritance trial... it was clearly more intense than either of us imagined." Her eyes lingered on his sleeping face for a moment longer than strictly necessary. ’He looks far too comfortable,’ she thought, though her expression softened rather than showing annoyance. ’But I suppose after everything he’s been through, he’s earned some comfort.’ She adjusted her grip slightly, making sure his position remained stable, then slowly vaulted ontop of Mirage who took them to the base. ♢♢♢♢ "Wow, it’s so big!" Yara exclaimed, her eyes wide as she took in the awakener base sprawling before them. Selene couldn’t help but chuckle at the reaction. To Yara, who’d spent her entire life in temporary settlements and crude shelters, even this objectively small outpost must have seemed massive. "Wait till you see the others. This one is tiny in comparison to the major bases." Her voice dropped to a more serious tone. "Remember what we agreed upon, alright? About your background?" "Alright," Yara confirmed with a firm nod, her expression showing she understood the importance of maintaining their cover story. They approached the base’s main entrance, and Selene immediately noticed something unusual. A queue. A long, winding line of awakeners waiting to enter the base, something that was definitely not the norm for the Rocketer Base, which typically maintained open access for registered awakeners. ’What’s going on?’ Selene thought, guiding Mirage toward the end of the line. Positioned atop her mount, Selene looked down at the person standing directly in front of them—a young male awakener who appeared to be in his early twenties, his equipment marking him as relatively low-level. "Hey, excuse me," Selene called out with a polite smile. The young awakener turned at the sound of her voice, looking up to see who had addressed him. And froze. His eyes widened noticeably as he took in Selene’s appearance, her breath-taking face, and her gentle smile atop the majestic white horse. ’Damn!’ His heart rate began racing at maximum speed. ’She’s gorgeous. Is this it? Is my handsomeness finally being recognized?! After years of struggling in this backwater base, a beautiful woman is actually talking to ME! This is my moment! My time! I’m finally going to lose my—’ "Do you know what’s going on?" Selene asked pleasantly, completely oblivious to the spiral of delusion occurring in the young man’s head. "Why is there a queue to enter the base? That’s not normal." The beautiful fantasy that had been constructed in approximately three seconds shattered like glass. "Oh," the young awakener said, his excitement deflating so rapidly it was almost audible. "Right. The queue..." *** EVENT STARTED: If we can reach top 20 GT ranking within next 5 days , I will mass release 5 Chapters! If we reach higher I will release more! 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