Chapter 119: Lone Warehouse
Baines had already pieced together that Shuphern was entangled with an organization, likely tasked with constructing a ship of immense power. Whether Shuphern aimed to pull Baines into their fold remained unclear.
However, Baines had a thought. ’They must have made some progress, right?’ At least a foundation to build from. While awaiting word from the Orion Assembly, he decided to probe how far Shuphern’s group had advanced.
"Can I see your progress?" Baines asked, keeping his tone casual.
Shuphern blinked in confusion. "What?"
"I got a message about sourcing some materials you might need," Baines lied smoothly, watching Shuphern’s reaction. "But I’d like to see how far you’ve gotten, to avoid double spending."
’Already?’ Shuphern’s eyes flickered with surprise, then narrowed as he sank into thought. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright, let’s go." He stood, brushing dust from his cloak, and gestured for Baines to follow.
"Now?" Baines raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Shuphern said, his fist clenching with resolve. "I need every hand I can get to meet my goals as soon as possible."
With that, he led the way from the dorm, through the winding corridors of the Moon Tower, to the academy’s gates. The academy was located between the two territories, with the Moon Tower bordering the Lunar Dominion, and the Sun Branch touching the Solaris Empire. After presenting permits and verifications—etched scrolls pulsing with mana—they passed into the Lunar Dominion.
"Follow me," Shuphern said, his voice clipped as he veered from the academy’s paved road onto an off-path winding through dense forests.
The air grew thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, the canopy above filtering sunlight into dappled patterns. They stopped at a clearing, and Shuphern rubbed a ring on his finger. Mana flared, a soft hum resonating, and a sleek, white, two-passenger flying vessel materialized.