Chapter 80: Inn 2

He knew exactly what these wolves were thinking—they simply didn’t want to leave his side, and wanted to take advantage of him.

"Enough," Moon snapped, reaching out and taking the key from Axe’s hand.

"Stop arguing in the middle of the hallway. Move your dead bodies inside before you make fools of yourselves."

He opened the door and bid farewell to Oshan and Marina.

Oshan left to the side room.

Marina was already yawning, her small braids messy as she curled up on the edge of the bed in her own room next door.

Inside the last room, Moon went directly to the bed. His tired body fell on the soft mattress, sinking into it.

He heaved a sigh of relief at being able to lie in such an exquisite bed after a long time.

"Let’s buy some bedding tomorrow," he murmured.

Ugo lay beside him and slowly combed Moon’s hair.

"You want to take a bath?"

"Um, no need. I just want to sleep. Don’t disturb me," Moon said, closing his eyes.

He was still a novice-level cultivator, so daily life and work still tired him out to the point of needing sleep.

He still couldn’t just pass the days without sleep and just meditate.

He needed to reach the Apprentice level soon.

’How could I reach the Apprentice level soon before the admission starts?’ Moon thought.

[Dual cultivate.] Suddenly, he heard the soft teasing voice.

’’Fuck.’ Moon swore in his mind.

[Yes, that one can also increase the bonding process.]

Moon kept silent.

He had no intention of engaging in a wild game for now.

Outside of his thoughts, Ugo was still ruffling his hair softly. After a long moment, Moon felt something was not right.

’Why is it so quiet?’ he thought. The brothers were so energetic, competing to stay with him in the same room, but now he didn’t feel any other touch for almost an hour... only Ugo’s palm was still slowly ruffling his hair.

Moon opened his eyes and saw Axe’s worried face right in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Moon scoffed.

"Looking at you. You seem very tired." Axe moved away and leaned on the headboard.

"I am," Moon murmured. "Where is Nox?"

"He went to fetch bath water," Ugo replied from the side.

"I said I don’t want to bathe."

"It’s fine, just keeping the water here."

"Um"

"Um"

"Um."

"Why are you acting weird?" Moon chuckled at their sudden silent agreement to his every mood.

"Moon, we are sorry," Axe grumbled, rubbing his hand on his nose.

"It must be very hard for you to accept us." He murmured.

Moon kept silent.

Was it hard?

Yes, it was. But he also had his own agenda.

He wanted to live and get stronger. Although the constant fleeing gave him a lot of trouble, he had still managed to cultivate to Novice 7, a little bit more, and he would break through to Apprentice.

And his lifespan would increase by another 100 years.

Then Adept to Master, then Master to Grandmaster... just being able to cultivate will eventually lead him to immortality.

A mage’s way to heaven was not all soft and easy even in his world.

So he would just consider it a trial.

Moon wanted to say something, but before that he heard a knock.

Axe’s hand moved to his machete; his eyes became sharp, but Moon waved his hand.

He could already sense the clean, familiar scent outside.

It was Margarita, Marina’s mother.

Ugo opened the door, and Maggi stepped inside, closing it tightly behind her.

She took off her long cape, her face serious as her gaze shifted from Axe to Moon.

"I bought the courtyard under a random name as you asked," Maggi said softly, sitting on a wooden chair. She took out a scroll containing details about the city layout.

"But you need to be careful. The Vaelis Pack has many people here."

Moon stood up and went near the table where Maggi sat. He sat down and signaled Maggi to continue.

"Tell me about the admission tests. What are they looking for?" he asked pulling the map on his side.

Maggi sighed, her fingers tracing the map. "For the werewolf academies, the preliminary test is always a spirit stone resonance. The stone tests the purity and strength of the candidate’s wolf spirit. Even the independent academies on the western side will not accept someone whose spiritual sea is completely dead or defective. If the brothers show up with sealed spirits or without a spirit, the testing array will simply label them as wolfless vagrants and reject them on the spot."

Axe snorted from the corner, his fist clenching, while Ugo kept silent.

He grumbled under his breath. It was the same old wall they always hit.

"And the recruitment is in two weeks," Moon murmured, his gaze shifting to his own palm. "The full moon is in thirteen days. We have exactly one night to awaken the spirit before the registration starts."

Maggi looked at Moon, her brow furrowing slightly. "Vadira believed you could do it, but reviving a broken or sealed wolf spirit is something even the high healers or Maestra of the big packs deem impossible. Are you truly certain you can awaken their spirits in time?"

"I have my own methods," Moon said calmly. His voice was steady.

He was thinking of the Golden Lotuses inside his Lupine Palace.

If the Gengjin Spirit Marrow could temper their bones, the alchemical powder from the golden lotuses, combined with his unique physique, would be his ultimate gamble to trigger their latent warrior spirits during the full moon peak.

"What about the other two?" Maggi asked, looking around the room. "Leo and Rio? Where are they? I haven’t seen them with you."

"They are in another place," Moon said simply.

Maggi nodded slowly, then she stood up, wrapping her cape back around her shoulders.

"The Vaelis Pack thinks you are either dead in the sea or all hiding nearby to recuperate. They probably don’t know you are planning to enter the academies right under their noses. I will handle the courtyard paperwork. The rest is up to you."

She placed a folder and a stone on the table and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped.

"By the way, I thought about it. It’s really hard for you to take Marina with you.

But I don’t want people to find out where she is either.

So I decided to alter her appearance completely and settle her in that courtyard. I have someone who can take care of her for now. It’s just..."

She hesitated and paused her words in the middle.

"You want me to help with the face alteration? It’s fine. You gave me the courtyard and benefits, and I will help her." Moon smiled.

Margarita cupped her hands and bent slightly. Her eyes became moist for a second.

"I will remember this favor, Maestro." She said respectfully.

Once Maggi left, the room fell into silence.

Nox walked inside with his last water vat.

He poured it into the wooden bathtub in the corner and came to Moon’s side, his eyes carrying a trace of lingering anxiety.

"Moon..." he started.