Chapter 164: Looming Dread

The doors of the training room, where Moon and his two underlings were, opened.

"No wonder these two old men constantly cheat to win," Moon’s voice came as he walked out with a face full of satisfied smiles.

He held his wrist and rotated his fist softly. "Did I overdo it?" he whispered, looking back inside the room.

Basil was sitting far away, hugging his knees. His eyes were glassy, looking hollowly at the ground.

On the other side, Barrett lay like a starfish, face down and unmoving.

"Probably not; they seem fine." He nodded to himself as he adjusted Liquid Mountain on his waist.

"That took longer than expected." Uon’s voice came from the side. Moon turned around.

"Oh, well," Moon shrugged. "They don’t have any fight left in them today."

Uon looked inside the hall at the two victims inside. "What’s up with these two?"

"They got beaten one-sidedly," Moon stated the obvious. "I tried to make it more meaningful for them, but this will take a while prolly," Moon said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"You beat them up one-sidedly?" Uon asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"How else would they learn to fight?" Moon asked back.

"I meant spar, as to guide them slowly... show them how to navigate battles," Uon said, rubbing his forehead.

"Big brother Uon, we’re warriors, desperate without any backing." Moon’s face fell. "Not some bitchy young master treated with care."

Moon pointed at them. "The fastest way to become better at fighting is to come closest to death," he said with a straight face.

’I know this better than anyone,’ he reminded himself inwardly while his eyes still locked with Uon’s.

But for a split second, Moon saw something.

Uon’s eyes flashed with something. Something he was familiar with, only seen on the battlefields.

A glint of desperation.

Yet, it was only for a very short moment. Uon blinked once, smiled again. "I guess you’re right," he said, turning away. "Keep it up, little Moon."

Moon squinted deeply at Uon, who was already walking away from him. ’What’s with that yellow bastard now?’ he thought.

Moon shook his head; there was still much he didn’t know about everyone, as there was about him that he didn’t allow them to learn.

People changed much under different conditions and environments.

Especially people like them who came from places polar opposite to the nature of their current lifestyle.

Ed, who was a fearful warrior and blacksmith, now has a large belly and works as a chef.

Samuel, who invented countless methods of self-torture, now walks around with a straight face and a mustache.

Barrett and Basil weren’t different either. Barrett no longer looks like a merchant in any way, and Basil became a loud guy, too loud for a thief.

Moon himself was not an exception.

Once a war slave, now eating three meals a day and sleeping on a comfy bed. Having his own underlings even.

Life could turn, change everything about a person and his being.

But can a man truly and completely escape his past and start anew?

Moon exhaled sharply. ’I guess you’re not a born airhead then, big brother Uon.’ Moon stepped from the shadow of the training room.

His eyes were instantly assaulted by the golden, bright rays of light. Moon raised his hand to shield his face.

"The sky is no longer grey, huh?" he whispered, once again reminding himself that things have changed.

He turned around to Basil and Barrett. "You faggots, get up now or I’ll beat the crap outta you till midnight," he threatened them, getting their bodies to convulse rapidly into a standing pose.

’It’s time for coffee and cheesecake, hehehe,’ he reminded himself before sprinting to the students’ eatery.

Before long, Moon was already hugging a large tower-like cup of coffee and a cheesecake, and his pockets were looking quite enlarged, with a couple of cheese cubes peeking out on each side.

He looked around, searching for Dorbish, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Guess I’ll find a bench outside then," he decided before starting to walk leisurely outside.

"Ascender Moon," he heard someone call his name from behind, a girl’s voice.

Moon had already seen how people act around each other; seeing girls was no longer a crazy event to him.

Uon also told him he was still a kid, sadly so.

Still—

’Whenever someone calls me ascender, it’s always trouble,’ he thought. ’Should I run or turn around?’ He weighed his options.

Hierarchy was already set; no one would pick a fight against him again. He didn’t lack food either and was sleeping well.

He didn’t want any bothersome things that would interrupt his vacation and muscles again. Thus, Moon raised his foot, ready to step away from the source of the voice.

"Lady Talia sent me to invite you for a meeting," the girl said, causing Moon’s step to halt.

He turned around, checking who was there.

White dress, wrist guard... Moon instantly recognized her.

"I know you," Moon stated in recognition.

She nodded. "My name is Boa; I’m Lady Talia’s aide," she introduced herself, scanning Moon’s attire and belongings.

Moon pursed his lips; he wanted to enjoy his coffee break first.

Thus, he asked, "Right now?"

Boa squinted, but didn’t answer. Instead, she just nodded.

Moon’s eyes looked sad and disappointed; he looked at his hugged coffee and cheesecake. Then he looked at Boa.

Sigh~

"Aight, let’s go," he said helplessly. "Lead the way."

Without another word, Boa nodded and started guiding him. But for some reason, he didn’t find the way she looked at him pleasant.

"Um, why does it feel like you were forced to find me?" Moon suddenly asked while on their way.

Boa halted her steps, turned around, gazing at Moon with the edges of her eyes. "I don’t like you!"

Moon raised his eyebrows. "Do I even know you?" He tilted his head. "I mean, I’ve Coffee seen you before, but I don’t know you."

Moon’s gaze fell to the ground; he shook his head in disappointment. "I’m so awesome that I even have haters," he whispered.

"Just... Just follow me!" Boa spat under her breath, turning her head away from Moon, not willing to engage in any further conversation with him.

After walking for a while, they reached a building that loomed on the horizon.

Moon squinted. ’What’s this place?’ he thought to himself, for some reason not feeling like he should be here.

Moon looked behind him; he saw another building he was familiar with. The building where Mishu punched a hole in Dorbish’s room.

He turned back and proceeded to follow Boa into the building that felt like looming dread.

By the time they were at the entrance, signs littered the walkway.

Most of them had skulls and bones crossed against one another.

[Stay back]

[Don’t approach]

[Off limits]

[Don’t take another step forward]

[You shouldn’t be here]

Moon’s feet suddenly rooted themselves into the ground, not taking another step.

Boa stopped as well once he did, her face evidently displeased. Her eyes fell, along with her face. "Would you please follow me and stop wasting our time?" she said in a tone that wasn’t polite in any way.

Moon’s lips protruded; he bared his teeth. "Where the hell do you think you’re taking me?" he said in a standard hooligan dialogue.

Boa pointed with her delicate finger up. "What are these eyes of yours for if you can’t see it?" she asked.

Moon looked up, squinting as he started reading the large sign in the middle of the building, one that he had failed to see while coming.

"G-girls’ dorm?"