Chapter 125: The Unspoken Threshold

Six days had passed since the coordinated assassination attempts began, and Captain Adesewa had spent much of the morning examining reports that had nothing to do with the enemies hunting them.

The documents concerned Awakener advancements.

Inside her private office at the concealed base, several encrypted reports occupied the holographic display above her desk. Most contained incomplete information gathered through former colleagues, Guild contacts, and private conversations with veteran Awakeners.

None could be considered official confirmation, but the similarities between them were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Adesewa enlarged one particular report concerning a First Generation Awakener who had recently advanced after remaining at the same Star Rank for several years.

According to the account, the breakthrough had occurred shortly after the Second Red Moon appeared.

Another report described a veteran Awakener experiencing an unusually smooth advancement despite previously struggling with the same bottleneck.

A third concerned an Awakener who claimed that the resistance surrounding his breakthrough had suddenly weakened.

Different people. Different locations. Different circumstances.

Yet all three accounts shared something important.

Their advancements had occurred after the Second Red Moon.

Adesewa leaned back in her chair, considering the implications.

During the previous day’s discussion, she had explained why the Palladium Fruits couldn’t fully account for the extraordinary progress experienced by her team. What she hadn’t shared was a suspicion that had been developing ever since she began investigating similar reports.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," Adesewa called, minimizing the display.

Jet entered carrying two cups of coffee. Although his injuries had improved considerably since the assassination night, he still moved with occasional stiffness whenever his ribs protested.

"I figured you might need this, Captain," Jet said, placing one cup on her desk. "You’ve been working since breakfast."

Adesewa accepted the coffee with a faint smile. "Thank you, Jet. I assume this isn’t simply a social visit."

Jet pulled out a chair.

"Not entirely," he admitted. "I’ve been thinking about what you told us yesterday. Particularly the part about something unusual happening during your advancement."

Adesewa studied him for a moment before reopening the reports.

"Then your timing is fortunate," she replied. "I’ve been looking into that very subject."

Jet leaned forward as several documents appeared above the desk.

"Are those advancement records?" he asked.

"Unofficial accounts, mostly," Adesewa explained. "I’ve contacted several people I trust, and they’ve shared reports concerning Awakeners who recently experienced unusual breakthroughs."

Jet examined the information.

"Are they connected to the Palladium Fruits?" he asked.

Adesewa shook her head.

"That’s what makes them interesting," she answered. "As far as I can establish, none of these individuals possessed Palladium Fruits. Some used ordinary Mana Crystals, while others relied on resources they’d accumulated over several years."

Jet frowned thoughtfully. "And they experienced something similar?"

"According to their descriptions, yes," Adesewa replied. "Several reported that longstanding bottlenecks became easier to overcome. Others described an unusual sense of clarity during the breakthrough itself. The accounts aren’t identical, but the similarities are significant."

She highlighted the dates recorded beside each report.

Jet examined them carefully.

Every advancement had occurred after the Second Red Moon.

His expression changed.

"Captain, are you suggesting the Second Red Moon has something to do with this?" Jet asked.

Adesewa nodded slowly.

"I believe it’s a possibility worth investigating," she answered. "But I want to emphasize that it’s still a theory. We don’t have enough evidence to establish a direct connection."

Jet remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"The First Red Moon changed humanity fifty years ago," Adesewa explained. "It introduced the Awakening phenomenon and transformed the world into what we know today. We still don’t understand everything that happened during that event, particularly how the Red Moon affected the relationship between humans and Mana."

She paused before continuing.

"Now a Second Red Moon has appeared, and shortly afterward, several veteran Awakeners are reporting unusual advancement experiences. That coincidence deserves attention."

Jet glanced toward the reports again.

"Veteran Awakeners," he repeated. "You mean First Generation Awakeners?"

"Every report I’ve been able to examine closely concerns someone from the First Generation," Adesewa confirmed. "That doesn’t prove the phenomenon is exclusive to us, but it’s the strongest pattern I’ve identified so far."

Jet considered the implications.

If Adesewa’s suspicion was correct, the Second Red Moon might be influencing Awakeners who had already experienced the original Awakening era.

But why?

And what would that mean for those who awakened during the Second Red Moon?

"Could the First Generation be responding differently because their Divine Runes awakened under the original Red Moon?" Jet suggested.

Adesewa regarded him approvingly.

"That’s one possibility," she replied. "Our Divine Runes have existed for decades, and our bodies have spent years adapting to their power. Perhaps the Second Red Moon has affected something established during our original Awakening."

She folded her arms. "However, that’s speculation. We don’t know whether the phenomenon originates from the Divine Runes, the Awakening process, or some broader change affecting the world."

Jet nodded. He appreciated that Adesewa wasn’t pretending to possess answers she couldn’t support.

"Then what about the Palladium Fruits?" he asked. "Wouldn’t their effects make it difficult to separate the two possibilities?"

"Exactly," Adesewa answered. "The fruits provided us with enough energy to attempt breakthroughs we otherwise might not have reached so quickly. But if the Second Red Moon has altered something about advancement, the fruits may simply have allowed us to encounter that change earlier than we normally would."

Jet looked toward the window overlooking the underground training chamber.

The explanation was reasonable, but it remained incomplete.

"Can you describe what the phenomenon actually felt like?" he asked.

Adesewa considered the question carefully.

"I can describe the circumstances, but not the experience in a way that will make you understand it completely," she replied. "Imagine reaching a barrier you’ve spent years preparing to overcome, only to discover that something about the barrier has changed. You still need the strength to reach it, and you still have to cross it yourself, but the resistance isn’t what you expected."

Jet frowned. "So the advancement requirements haven’t disappeared?"

"Not according to anything we’ve observed," Adesewa answered. "Nobody has suddenly advanced without sufficient preparation. The reports concern people who were already approaching their thresholds."

She took another sip of coffee. "When you experience your next advancement, pay attention to what happens at the threshold. Perhaps you’ll understand what I’m struggling to explain."

Jet nodded thoughtfully.

He was still some distance from reaching 2-Star, but the possibility of experiencing something connected to the Second Red Moon made his next breakthrough considerably more intriguing.

Before he could ask another question, Adesewa’s communication device vibrated.

Cassian’s name appeared on the display.

"Captain, everyone’s assembled in the conference room," Cassian reported after she answered. "We’ve finished reviewing the possible evacuation routes."

Adesewa stood.

"Good. We’ll be there shortly," she replied.

---

The conference room was considerably more crowded than usual.

Cassian, Marcus, Safiya, and Bastian occupied their customary seats, while Frey rested in an adjustable medical chair beside Jet. Laurent and Celeste had also joined the meeting, concerned about the continued danger facing their children.

Inez, Nadia, Mikhail, Lucien, and Amélie remained in a different room.

Cassian activated a holographic map of Zenith City.

"We’ve examined several possible destinations," he began. "Unfortunately, moving everyone through ordinary transportation routes presents considerable risks. Our enemies have already demonstrated that they can identify residences, monitor movements, and coordinate attacks across the city."

Laurent studied the map.

"Then perhaps we should leave Zenith entirely," he suggested. "I have business contacts in other Regions who could provide accommodation."

"That remains an option," Marcus replied. "But arranging secure transportation without attracting attention would take time. We also don’t know how far the organization extends."

Bastian leaned forward.

"What about Beyond?" he proposed. "If we could establish a temporary refuge there, we’d remove the civilians from Zenith while Adesewa deals with the assassins."

Jet looked toward him.

The suggestion wasn’t unreasonable.

Beyond was dangerous, but powerful Awakeners maintained secured outposts and fortified settlements in certain regions. With Adesewa and the others providing protection, such a location might offer temporary shelter.

However, Safiya immediately frowned.

"Transporting Awakeners is one thing," she cautioned. "Bringing ordinary humans through the available teleportation method is considerably more complicated."

Frey shifted carefully in his chair.

"Because of the Star Rank requirement?" he asked.

Adesewa nodded.

"The multi-person teleportation method capable of safely transporting ordinary humans requires a 5-Star Awakener to perform it," she explained. "Among us, I’m the only person who currently meets that requirement."

Laurent looked toward her.

"How many people can you transport?" he asked.

"Two additional passengers per activation," Adesewa answered. "And once I’ve completed a multi-person transfer, the method cannot be used again for three days."

The room fell silent.

Jet immediately began calculating.

Inez, Nadia, and Mikhail were ordinary humans. Laurent, Celeste, Lucien, and Amélie also needed protection.

Seven civilians.

Even before accounting for Frey’s injuries, transporting everyone would require multiple separate journeys.

"Four transfers," Jet muttered, looking toward Adesewa. "At least four, assuming you take two people each time."

Cassian nodded grimly.

"And with a three-day cooldown between transfers, the fourth journey couldn’t happen until nine days after the first," he explained.

Celeste’s expression tightened.

"Nine days?" she repeated. "You mean some of us would have to remain here while the others were already somewhere in Beyond?"

"Yes," Adesewa confirmed. "And every transfer would create additional complications. We’d need to secure the destination, arrange protection for those already transported, and maintain sufficient defenses here for everyone still waiting."

Frey looked toward his father.

"Separating the family would be a terrible idea," he said quietly. "Especially when we don’t know whether the assassins are watching our movements."

Laurent nodded in agreement.

Jet studied the holographic map, his expression growing increasingly troubled.

The plan had initially sounded like a reasonable escape route.

Now its weaknesses were obvious.

Transporting the civilians into Beyond wouldn’t solve their immediate problem. It would divide their already vulnerable group, consume precious time, and force Adesewa to repeatedly leave Zenith while their enemies remained active.

Adesewa slowly deactivated the map.

"Then we have our answer," she said, looking around the table. "Beyond may offer shelter, but evacuating everyone through that method would take far too long."

Jet leaned back in his chair.

Nine days.

Nine days during which their enemies could regroup, discover another weakness, or launch a stronger attack.

And as he looked toward Frey, still recovering from the injuries sustained while protecting his family, Jet understood that they couldn’t afford to spend another nine days simply waiting to be hunted.