Chapter 223: Back to Earth Just like [Calmness], the [Beastmaster] skill was progressing at an alarming rate, though noticeably slower than the Common-ranked ability. That made sense—Uncommon skills were more complex, requiring deeper understanding and more nuanced application to truly master. But still... twenty-one percent from less than an hour of practice? It was yet again, insanely fast. ’My comprehension is somehow...much better than before.’ Moon thought, shaking his head in amazement. Initially, he wasn’t sure whether it was just the [Calmness] skill that he was able to comprehend at a faster rate. But now, with [Beastmaster] skill also progressing at a faster rate, it was almost a proof to Moon. A proof that somehow, he was able to comprehend things faster than before. ’Could it be the Golden Fish’s blood? Or is it because of that weird river?’ The questions settled in his mind with no definite answers to them. After some thoughts, Moon decided to ignore them for the time being. Whatever the reason was, it was a good thing. It was a passive benefit that would compound over time, making him progressively more dangerous as he accumulated and mastered additional abilities at faster speeds. Moon smiled as he entered the inn. ♢♢♢♢ After an adequate rest, Moon woke to the sound of movement in his room. His eyes opened to find Selene’s silhouette bathed in the golden sunlight streaming through the small window. She was standing near the dresser, tying her hair into her usual bun. Selene noticed his movement and turned to look at him, a soft smile crossing her face. "Oh, you’re awake? Good morning!" Moon nodded as he slowly rose from the bed, his body feeling fully recovered from the inheritance trial’s lingering exhaustion. "Yeah, good morning." "Good morning," Yara announced her presence from near the doorway, where she’d apparently been waiting patiently. "Good morning," Moon replied, stretching slightly. The group freshened up and left the inn. They had several important tasks to complete before departing Rocketer Base, chief among them officially registering Yara as Selene’s beast companion to ensure she could travel freely without being attacked on sight. Awakeners without the Beast Master class were technically allowed to keep intelligent beasts with them—provided the creature demonstrated both intelligence and loyalty to their designated master, and passed an official examination proving they weren’t a threat to public safety. With Yara, meeting those requirements was no issue. It was simply a matter of time and bureaucratic procedure. Before they left the base to travel back to Earth, Moon took a moment of privacy in the stables. Ensuring no one was watching, he activated his [Beast Master] skill and stored Mirage in his beast taming space. The white horse vanished from physical reality, safely contained in the pocket dimension. Moon checked his class duration: more than fifteen hours remained before the copied Tamer class expired. He was confident he’d be able to master the [Beast Master] skill completely within that time-frame, making the ability permanent without needing to copy Mark’s class again. While Moon handled Mirage, Selene and Yara proceeded with the examination inside the base’s administration building. Since Yara had never used the dimensional portals before, her "emergence point"—the location where she would materialize when entering Earth—was completely unpredictable. To prevent Yara from being immediately attacked upon emerging in a random location filled with startled awakeners who might perceive her as a hostile beast, Selene arranged for the examination to be conducted with an Awakener’s Association official present who could authorize her status before she used the portal. With Selene’s current reputation in Rocketer Base—the S-Ranker beauty who’d subdued the entire guard force and a friend of the awakener who had captured a dangerous outcast—it was remarkably easy to secure an Association member’s time and conduct the test within the hour. The examination was straightforward: Yara demonstrated her intelligence through various tests, proved her loyalty through her obvious deference to Selene, and showed no signs of aggressive tendencies or instability. The test was a complete success. Yara was officially provided with an identification badge that displayed her registered status as an "owned intelligent beast" under Selene’s custodianship. The badge would protect her from being attacked by awakeners who might otherwise perceive her as a threat. Yara immediately placed the badge prominently on her chest where it would be visible to anyone before they made aggressive moves. Additionally, Yara was entered into the Awakener’s Association database: Beast Name - Yara. Owner - Selene. Species - Intelligent Humanoid. Status - Non-Hostile, Registered. If anyone questioned her presence, a quick database lookup would resolve the issue immediately. Once the paperwork was complete, the group headed to the dimensional portal together. Selene gave Yara a pouch containing several thousand dollars—enough to handle any immediate needs or emergencies—along with careful instructions on their reunion plan. "When you emerge on Earth, immediately speak to the Awakener’s Association representatives stationed at whatever portal you arrive at," Selene explained patiently. "Show them your badge, give them my contact information, and they’ll call me with your location. Don’t wander off, don’t leave the portal area. Just wait for us to come get you. Understand?" Yara nodded, her expression showing a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This would be her first her first experience with ’Earth’, her first venture into another completely unknown world, just like the First Sanctuary. This excited her just as much, she was going to venture into the world where both Selene and Moon came from. But she didn’t allow the anxiety to overwhelm her determination. She took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I understand. Wait at the portal. Don’t move. Let them call you." "Exactly," Selene said with an approving smile. With final preparations complete, all three of them entered the portal. Moon and Selene materialized together at the same Earth-side portal they’d used to enter the First Sanctuary—the return point was determined by entry location for registered awakeners. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂 Yara, as a first-time portal user, appeared somewhere else entirely. *GT Event* Current Rank: Top 11 Updated Goals: Top 15 GT (Monthly - End of month) = 5 Chapter Mass Release (in progress) Top 10 GT (Monthly - End of Month) = 10 Chapter Mass Release (in progress)