Chapter 212: Apologies! As they passed through the checkpoint, Yara leaned closer to Selene and whispered, "Is it always like this? The threatening and the backing down?" Selene’s lips curved into a slight smile, "Welcome to human society after the collapse. Power determines how rules are applied, mostly. You will need to get used to it." In the world that had emerged from the apocalypse’s arrival, official authority meant less and less the higher you climbed in strength. Laws still existed, bureaucracy still functioned, but when someone reached a certain rank of power, those structures became... negotiable. Yara stored that lesson deep in her mind, adding it to her growing understanding of how this new world operated. Strength wasn’t just about survival here, it was about freedom. The freedom to move without restriction, to ignore petty officials, to exist on your own terms. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Mirage carried them deeper into the base, his hooves clopping steadily against the paved pathways that wound between buildings. The white horse drew curious stares from passersby, a magnificent white steed was rare enough, but one carrying an unconscious man, a beautiful woman, and a blue-skinned humanoid made for quite the spectacle. Behind them at the checkpoint, the queue slowly resumed moving, though the atmosphere remained tense from the previous altercation. Whispered conversations spread rapidly through the line, carried forward by those who’d witnessed the confrontation. "Did you see that aura? I thought my knees were going to give out..." "Level 25! At her age! She looks like she had just awakened a few weeks ago, she must be one of those talented ones." "That guard is in so much trouble. The captain looked ready to throw him off the wall..." "That beauty who subdued the entire guard force with just her aura...I want to be like that one day." The story would evolve and embellish itself over the coming hours and days, becoming part of base gossip that would persist for weeks. By tomorrow, half the base would know about the mysterious beauty who’d arrived carrying an unconscious companion and traveling on a pure bred, white steed. --- Selene guided Mirage to the base’s main inn, a building that catered to traveling awakeners and merchants. She dismounted carefully, still cradling Moon in her arms, and approached the front desk while Yara followed close behind. The booking process was straightforward. Selene secured two rooms—one for herself and Moon, one for Yara—and arranged for Mirage to be stabled in the inn’s beast housing facilities. The horse was led away by a nervous stable hand who couldn’t quite believe he was handling such a magnificent, powerful creature. Selene carried Moon up the stairs to their room, pushed the door open with her shoulder, and crossed to the bed. She laid him down carefully, adjusting his position to ensure he was comfortable before stepping back. Moon didn’t stir or twitch, completely immersed in whatever his mind was occupied with. He remained deeply, profoundly unconscious, completely unaware of the journey from the cave, the confrontation at the checkpoint, or being carried through a bustling awakener base while cradled in Selene’s arms. "He’s fast asleep with no awareness whatsoever," Yara observed from the doorway, her tone caught between concern and amusement as she watched Moon’s chest rise and fall in a peaceful rhythm. Selene nodded, brushing a strand of hair away from Moon’s face with surprising gentleness. "Yeah. Whatever he went through in that inheritance trial... it must have pushed him beyond his absolute limits. His body’s forcing him into recovery sleep." She pulled a light blanket over him, then stepped back toward the door where Yara waited. "Let’s leave him to rest," Selene decided, casting one more glance at Moon’s sleeping form before turning away. "He’ll wake when he’s ready. Probably." She closed the door softly behind them, leaving Moon in the quiet darkness of the room. "In the meantime," Selene continued, her expression brightening slightly as she looked at Yara, "want me to show you around? Give you a proper introduction to how human bases work?" Yara’s eyes lit up immediately, her earlier nervousness about entering human society replaced by immediate excitement. "Yes! I would love to!" Her enthusiasm was almost childlike, and Selene couldn’t help but smile at the sight. For all of Yara’s determination to become stronger, for all her resolve to survive in a world that saw her as a monster, she was still young. Still capable of excitement about new experiences. "Alright then," Selene said, gesturing toward the stairs. "First lesson: currency. You’re going to need to understand how humans exchange goods and services if you want to survive here." As they descended back to the inn’s main floor, Selene began her informal orientation on life in human society—covering everything from basic economics to social hierarchies to the unspoken rules that governed awakener culture. Yara absorbed it all attentively, asking questions when something confused her, making observations that sometimes surprised Selene with their insight. Behind them, in the quiet room on the second floor, Moon slept on. Unaware of the world moving around him. Unaware of the legacy he now carried. Unaware that forces beyond his thought had turned their attention toward him. For now, at least, he was allowed rest. But when he woke... When he finally opened his eyes and rejoined the waking world... Everything would be different. The inheritance had changed him in ways he didn’t yet understand. And the world, that vast, dangerous, unforgiving world that had marked him as an anomaly was going to only get more dangerous. For the next few hours, Selene would take Yara through the entire base, buying her B-rank equipment of her own, and a bow of her choice. The bow and arrows she currently had were weapons that Selene had made her borrow. Looking at the huge number of things that were given to her by Selene, Yara’s eyes began to tear up as she could no longer hold her emotion. "Thank you," She whispered as she hugged the smiling Selene tightly. *** GT EVENT ALMOST FULLFILLED! The SUPPORT has been amazing(top14 GT)! For that, I will reward you guys by mass releasing tomorrow! 5 ChapterS! KEEP UP THE GT’S let’s climb the ranks together! Super Gift Event also started: A super gift(castle and above) will be rewarded with an extra Chapter for the support. So instead of two, receive three the next day after castle.