Chapter 255: Good Friend

Here is the Chapter with the three suggested fixes applied: "capped" changed to "hooded", "the Order she belonged to", and the duplicate pillow placement cut.

"My name is Alma."

Listening to the name for the first time, Moon pursed his lips. The last time he asked for her name was after he stomped on her face.

It was embarrassing, but names were still a secondary form of identification for him. He could give others nicknames in his head and use them just fine.

Living with a number and using numbers to call others for a long time had twisted his perception of how things should be.

Ding!

[Second Floor Ascender Alma requests to join Defence Faction]

[ Accept / Deny ]

Moon crunched his neck forward and gave her a dubious look. "You sure about this?" he asked.

So far, Alma had been working independently, not under direct command from the mysterious Order she belonged to.

Working for Enzo was part of a deal to gain intel the Order refused to share.

Now that the intel she sought was no more, she couldn’t stay on their side.

Learning the truth, knowing who the enemy was... She had no reason to stay on their side any longer.

Thus, her answer came firm.

"More than anything."

Moon listened to her; he rested his head back on the bed.

Click~

He hit accept before sitting up. He bent down and took off his shoes and leg guard before undoing his chest armour.

"Imma sleep," he said before giving her a look. "Wash your face." He pointed at the bathroom.

He spread himself on the bed before turning around, facing the wall. "Ah, close the window too," he added.

"Can I stay here for now?" she asked.

"I’ll have them arrange a room for you when I wake up," he said, throwing a pillow he wasn’t using at her. "Use this for now if you’re going to sleep."

Alma caught it and looked around the room.

She placed the pillow on the ground before closing the window.

Her face was also bloodied and bruised; Moon didn’t hold back while beating her. She went into the bathroom to study her injuries.

Lips torn at four different spots, her nose bruised and bluish. Her eyelids were purple, with a little red spot on the whites.

She exhaled and washed her face with some water before using her Echo to knock the excess water off her skin.

"Ah, don’t activate your Echo or get too close to the bed; I might stab you in my sleep." Moon’s voice rang from the room.

Alma took off her hood and placed it on the ground before lying down on the pillow to sleep as well.

She looked around, but Mishu wasn’t there.

Pushing back her discomfort and insecurities, she closed her eyes to sleep. She could already hear Moon’s breathing getting louder.

She looked up at the steady movements of his chest.

"Already asleep?" she whispered.

She rested her head again. If anything, it was clear he was tired. Very tired.

Yet she didn’t know what he was doing or what he was planning. She also didn’t want to ask.

If anything, he didn’t seem to want anyone to know about what he was doing. Still, she had found out only thanks to the fact that he didn’t kill her on the spot.

Exhaling, she closed her eyes.

"Brother, you made a good friend."

Hours later, Moon woke up feeling somewhat rested and a little heavy.

Looking around, the window was still closed. Mishu hadn’t returned, and Alma was still asleep on the floor.

He stretched first before heading to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower.

Every day, he was appreciating the clothes he had more and more.

It wasn’t simply about the fact that they would block the scent of death; that function wasn’t very important now that Samuel had sealed it shut for good.

His body was perfectly normal now and didn’t smell like an undead to undead hunters, at least.

’Would be nice to never meet another hunter ever again...’ he thought to himself.

Once he was done, he just put on his clothes, which were "clean as fuck," or so Moon said.

That was what made them special and highly appreciated.

Always clean!

After running for the entire night and sweating a bucket, they were completely clean and tidy.

No smell, no stain.

Just clean, soft fabric over his body.

He spent a little more time arranging his hair properly, like Ed once did.

Tying it up. He gave himself a nod of approval and two thumbs-ups.

Before leaving, he paused before the mirror. Lifting his T-shirt, Moon ran his hand over the large scar on his abdomen.

The one that should have killed him.

It was still there. "Would there come a day when it disappears completely?" he wondered, knowing how much of a monster everyone gets the higher they climb.

If anything, he would rather keep it.

Still, it was too early to worry about that. He stepped out of the bathroom.

"Ah, you’re awake." He noticed Alma sitting on the ground.

She nodded.

Moon sat and started putting on his armour and shoes. Getting his bag secured on his back and Liquid Mountain on his hip.

"Let’s go get something to eat," Moon invited.

The sky was still bright, but it wouldn’t be for long.

Alma stood, placing her hood properly like she always did, leaving not even her face visible.

"Do you have to look like this?" Moon asked.

"For now." She nodded.

Not arguing, Moon stepped out with her following. The dart was still stuck in the door; she swiftly retrieved it before closing the door behind her.

A few steps ahead.

"Ah, Boss, you’re—"

"AAAAAAH, BOSS, WATCH OUT!" Basil screamed, unsheathing his daggers.

Moon waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t worry, I poached her," he said, walking leisurely.

"Is there still any food in the kitchen?" he asked.

Basil squinted, his eyes darting between Moon and the hooded assassin he had only seen and avoided in the facility.

He sheathed his blades and got closer to Moon, who was walking.

"Boss, that’s some serious rizz," Basil whispered. "Teach me how to rizz like you."

Moon slowed down, blinking. "The hell you talking about?"

Basil’s eyes darted at Alma once. He swallowed hard.

"Let’s talk later then, Boss!"

He ran off somewhere, just like he always did.

After having a meal with Alma, Moon brought her to the meeting room where Gustav and Talia were waiting.

Opening the door, the two inside studied the newcomer.

"Sorry about today," Moon said first, knowing well he had ditched them in the middle of the drill he had arranged and proposed himself.

Gustav nodded. "As long as you’re fine," he said politely.

It was obvious Basil had let them know Moon was feeling unwell, or so Moon told him.

There was growing tension in the room.

Moon sat down right away, not concerned about the questioning gazes.

He pointed his thumb at Alma standing behind him. "Can we arrange for her to get a room?" he asked.

"Of course."

Gustav agreed readily; he wasn’t part of what was going on.

For a long while, Talia didn’t say a word. She recognized her right away, but that wasn’t the reason for the tension.

It was the fact that Alma had been the informant for Enzo for as long as they stayed in the Normalization Facility.

Appearing here and joining their side.

Talia didn’t seem that willing.

"Would you please explain how she got here and how she’s on our side?"