Chapter 230: Selene and The Ascender [2] The powerful dual-element spell that Selene had constructed simply... dissipated. The fire and wind separated, the mana collapsed harmlessly, and the destructive energy she’d gathered dispersed into the atmosphere as if it had never existed. Moon, who’d caught up and witnessed the exchange, felt shock ripple through him. ’He neutralized such a powerful attack with just a wave of his hand... Ascenders really are on a completely different level.’ "Kid, you’re strong," the representative said, his tone appreciative rather than condescending. "Really strong for someone at your age and level. With proper development, you’ll make an excellent Surpasser someday." "But," He paused, "you arrived late. Awakeners of similar strength to yours had already claimed their spots in this expedition. The mission roster was finalized some time earlier. I would have gladly included you if there were open positions, but there’s a fixed number of slots available to enter this gate. It’s a restricted gate." The representative’s tone became firmer. "Now, don’t cause further disruption. We have a lot of work ahead of us." With that, he turned and walked closer toward the gate, returning to his duties and leaving no room for further argument. Selene stood frozen, her hands clenched into fists so tight her knuckles turned white. Frustration, helplessness, and worry battled across her expression, emotions she rarely allowed herself to display so openly. "Hey," Moon said gently, moving to her side and placing his comforting hand on her shoulder. "It’s okay. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I’ll be careful, and I’ll come back, like I always do." Selene’s teeth grounded, but she didn’t pull away from his touch. "You’re going into the first S-rank gate that already killed so many powerful S-Rankers." She turned to look at him, before whispering, "This is really dangerous, despite your strength. Creatures like that Golden Fish might exist there." "I know," Moon admitted. "But I have advantages they didn’t. And I’m not going in reckless. I’m going in prepared. Also, the Golden Fish is an anomaly, there is no way such a beast would exist in that gate." Near the command building, Kael observed Selene and Moon’s distant figures, understanding what had transpired without necessarily hearing the specific exchange. "She’s strong," Kael commented to his father, who’d joined him to watch the scene unfold. "With your strength and influence, you could have secured her a spot on the team. Why didn’t you?" Tom gave a wry, knowing chuckle. "You still don’t know who she is, do you?" Kael glanced at his father with confusion. "Am I supposed to? I don’t recall seeing her at any of the important gatherings." Tom’s expression became more serious, his voice dropping to ensure their conversation remained private. "She’s the little sister of that monster in the Second Sanctuary." "You mean..." Kael’s eyes widened. "Yes, the youngest Surpasser in history. And soon to be Ascender." Kael’s gaze returned towards Selene, still in shock.. "But they’re a family of swordsmen! Legendary sword wielders! How is she an elemental mage?" Tom nodded, confirming his son’s confusion was justified. "Indeed. That’s precisely why that old monster made sure her existence isn’t widely known. He considers her... defective. A stain on the family’s prestigious swordsman legacy because she awakened an elemental affinity without any blade mastery." He paused, his expression showing both respect and wariness. "If her brother found out that I knowingly permitted his ’shameful’ little sister to enter an S-rank gate, one that’s already proven lethal to elite teams, he would cause considerable trouble for our family. Ascender or not, that guy has the kind of influence and power that makes even Ascenders cautious about crossing him." Tom’s gaze remained on Selene’s distant figure. "So I made the pragmatic choice. I protected Moon’s entry because he’s not politically complicated. But her? She’s a liability I can’t afford to take responsibility for, no matter how talented she is." "I see," Kael said slowly, looking at Selene in an entirely different light now. Not just a powerful awakener traveling with Moon, but someone carrying the burden of a legendary bloodline’s rejection and the shadow of an overprotective brother whose power made even Ascenders nervous about interfering. The politics of the awakener world were indeed complicated. And sometimes, talent alone wasn’t enough to overcome those complications. Kael’s respect for Selene actually increased knowing she’d achieved such power despite being rejected by her family, despite carrying that shame. That took a different kind of strength entirely. But it didn’t change the reality: she wouldn’t be joining them in the gate. Tom looked at his son with a teasing smile. "The others are going to take a few hours to arrive here, so you still have time to spare. Your little sister misses you. When will you visit her?" Kael glanced at his watch, calculating the time available. "Hmm... I’ll go now then. I’ve been really busy with taking over the Ironpeak base and implementing our other plans. I’ve been a negligent big brother." "Haha, don’t be so harsh on yourself," Tom laughed, patting his son on the shoulder with pride. "It’s not easy to remove an established base lord from power, yet you made it look effortless. Our family has grown in influence within the First Sanctuary because of your accomplishments. Well done." Kael nodded, accepting the praise silently, before leaving his father’s side. He walked towards Moon, still speaking quietly with Selene, and approached to inform him of the situation. "The rest of the team won’t be assembled for approximately four hours. We have some free time before deployment. I need to handle some important personal matters, so I’ll be away for a bit." Moon nodded in understanding. "Alright. I’ll be here." After Kael departed Zone C to visit his sister, Moon returned to the command building with Yara and Selene in tow. He needed to convince Selene to leave, which wouldn’t be easy given her obvious worry about him entering the gate without her protection. "I’m going to rest for the remaining time before deployment, get my mind right, rest, that sort of thing." Moon said, handing out his keys to Selene. "You should take Yara and get her settled in my apartment. There’s no point in you both waiting around this zone for hours." Selene’s expression showed her reluctance, but thankfully she didn’t make things difficult for him. She understood that her presence wouldn’t change anything about the mission, and hovering anxiously wouldn’t help either of them. Instead, she grabbed his shoulder and fixed him with an intense stare. "Take care of yourself in there," she said in absolute seriousness. "Don’t take unnecessary risks. Don’t try to be a hero by risking your own life. And make sure you come back alive. Understand?" "I will," Moon replied, meeting her gaze. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎 Yara stepped forward and gave Moon a brief, awkward hug. "Please be safe. I just got to Earth. I don’t want to lose my... friend so quickly." "I’ll be careful," Moon assured her. After extracting a few more promises of caution and survival, Selene and Yara finally departed, leaving Moon alone in the building with Tom and a few other Evolvers. Moon waited a few minutes to ensure they were truly gone, then approached Tom with a specific request. "I need to step away for a few hours to handle some things. I’ll return an hour before it’s time to assemble the team. Is that acceptable?" Tom glanced at him briefly, then nodded with indifference. "There’s nothing happening here right now anyway. The gate’s stable, no breaches, and the gate team won’t gather for another three hours minimum. You can leave, just make sure you’re back in time for the briefing." "I will," Moon confirmed.