Chapter 736: Meeting Old Fox, Tom.

Arriving at the old man’s mansion, Moon was escorted by the butler to Tom’s office. The moment he knocked, Tom’s voice called out from within, telling them to come in.

They exchanged warm greetings, and then Tom got to business.

"So, how was the gate? I know it was under your combat level, hardly a challenge for someone who just cleared Rivergate. But it’s an easy way to bank contribution points, and honestly, the better gates are all spoken for right now. Figured you’d rather take an easy one than sit idle."

Moon nodded. "It was fine. I mostly used it to train these two." He gestured to his companions that strolled behind him, examining the room curiously from their spot. "Gave them some real combat experience against the beasts inside. Worth the trip for that alone."

Tom nodded, and then his gaze snapped toward Mirage and the small turtle at Moon’s side. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly rose from his chair, walking around the desk toward them.

"Something wrong?" Moon asked.

"No... but these two." Tom studied them, his brow furrowing. "They aren’t simple... not at all, where did you find them?"

"In the sanctuary. And you’re right, they’re not simple. They are both extraordinary in their own ways."

Tom’s gaze lingered assessing the two pets with the eyes of an Ascender who had seen enough of the world to recognize something extraordinary when it stood in front of him. "This turtle is so young, barely more than a hatchling, and by the feel of its aura it’s already at five-star combat strength." He shook his head slowly. "That shouldn’t be possible."

"Yeah," Moon said with a small smile. "He’s quite the fast grower, isn’t he?"

Tom’s eye twitched. "Fast grower? That’s one way to put it." He paused, something occurring to him. "Wait, hold on a moment. Let me get something."

With a thought, he materialized an object into his hand.

A small vial of dark, rich blood.

"This is...?" Moon started.

"Undiluted Black Tortoise blood." Tom held it up to the light. "Picked it up a while back at auction, through one of my old friends. Cost me several hundred million and a few natural treasures for this single vial. But quality like this is worth every penny."

Moon’s eyes widened, standing to his feet as if his body had undergone a massive electrical shock.

’Black Tortoise Blood...’

He knew this vial intimately. He’d bought the diluted version from the Association during his Rivergate negotiations, and he’d specifically asked whether they had any undiluted vials left. They’d told him no, all sold, and that if one somehow surfaced, they’d want the true elf’s heart in exchange for it.

He’d more or less forgotten about it, removing the thought as it was out of reach for the time being.

And now here it was, sitting in Tom’s palm, staring at him.

He couldn’t help but swallow. Undiluted Black Tortoise blood, fed to Honeybun, would boost the little turtle’s power by an enormous margin. The Black Tortoise had been a Second Order S-Rank creature, and its undiluted blood carried a potency the diluted version couldn’t touch. For a defensive Supreme creature like Honeybun, it was almost tailor-made, not to mention the very close racial-match that would boost the effects of the blood.

"I want it," Moon said, the words coming out fast, his eyes fixed on the vial. "How much? Name your price. Money, items, whatever you want, I’ll try get it. Just tell me what it costs."

Moon had no issues exchanging with Tom. They had a very close, intimate relationship, the man deserved good stuff, and so did he. He was certain that Tom wouldn’t scam him, unlike the association.

Tom stared at Moon’s near-crazed expression for a long moment. Then, he burst out laughing.

"Ha! I’ve never seen you this eager for anything, boy. Not for money, not for weapons, not even for that Sacred art you’ve been eyeing. That turtle must really mean something to you." He wiped at his eye, still chuckling.

"Well. As it happens, I don’t have much use for the thing myself. Kael’s not a defensive fighter, and neither am I. We’re both mages, through and through. And you know me, I’ve never kept a single pet in my life, never found the one for me. This vial’s just been sitting in my storage ring collecting dust."

He held it out. "So I was thinking I’d just give it to you."

Moon blinked. "Give it to me? Just like that? For free?"

"Just like that."

"Tom, this cost you hundreds of millions, not to mention the natural treasures, I can’t just—"

"You can, and you will." Tom pressed the vial into Moon’s hand, folding his fingers around it.

"Listen to me, boy. I’ve got more money than I could spend in two lifetimes. What I don’t have is much of anything worth spending it on that actually matters to me." His voice softened, the businessman’s tone becoming warmer. "You matter to me. You know that, right? Somewhere along the way you stopped being just the talent I sponsored and became something a lot more like family. Kael thinks of you as a brother. And me?"

He smiled. "I never had another son. Turns out I ended up with two and a daughter that you still haven’t met."

Moon stood there, the vial warm in his hand, and for once found himself without a reply ready to fire back.

"You spend all your time worrying about getting stronger, protecting your people, staying ahead of the threats coming for you," Tom continued with a proud smile on his face. "You’ve earned the right to let someone else look out for you for a change. So take the blood, feed it to your turtle. Watch it grow strong enough to keep you safe when I’m not around to send potions and pendants."

He clapped Moon on the shoulder. "That’s payment enough for me. Watching you get stronger. Watching you thrive. An old man doesn’t need anything more than that."

Moon looked down at the vial, then back up at Tom, and a knot formed in his chest, a warmth he didn’t often feel.

"...Thank you," he said quietly, and he meant it more than the words could carry. "For everything you’ve done, not just this. The way you’ve had my back since the beginning. I don’t say it enough, but I don’t take any of it for granted, and I will make sure to repay those favors one day, even if you don’t seek it."

Tom waved a hand, "Bah, don’t get sentimental on me, you’ll ruin my reputation as a heartless old fox." He grinned, "now go on, feed your turtle. And when it hits whatever monstrous height it’s climbing toward, you make sure to bring it around so this old man can say he had a hand in it."

Moon smiled, tucking the precious vial carefully into his storage ring, right beside the future of the little creature that had come to mean so much to him.

"I will."

The two spoke for a while longer before Tom told him to leave and do his thing.

Moon did not waste a minute after leaving, heading straight to the nearest Second Sanctuary portal, ready to feed the little turtle the precious Black Tortoise Blood vial.

He glanced at Honeybun, excited to see the changes that would soon follow.