Chapter 350 Glassy Group's Surprise
Moon left the Association with the contract placed into his storage ring and a new ID card in his pocket. His income had increased, but not by much. Only fifty thousand dollars on top of what he was already earning. As an S-Rank Awakener, his salary had already been substantial, so becoming an Evolver added a bonus rather than a significant jump.
It didn't bother him. Money wasn't the priority right now.
His first stop was the Glassy Group. He had two things to collect. The first was the C-Rank Second Order Staff he had been promised as a reward for the base reclamation quest during the attack by the mysterious organization. The second was a Spirit Art. He couldn't afford to step back into the Second Sanctuary without one.
Moon tried calling Kael first. But there was no answer even after he had tried two more times.
He dialed the second number he had, a regional manager he had been given as an alternative contact. The man picked up on the second ring. After a brief exchange, the manager told Moon to head to one of the Glassy Group's main headquarters and that he would be seen immediately upon arrival.
Moon took a short ride on the orbital. The city blurred past beneath him, and within minutes he was standing in front of the headquarters. It was a towering building of dark glass and steel, the Glassy Group's logo etched into the facade in silver.
He walked in, gave his name at reception, and was escorted upstairs without waiting.
The regional manager was already expecting him.
Moon entered the room and stopped directly at the door.
Sitting beside the regional manager was a figure Moon recognized immediately. Even with his back turned, there was no mistaking him. The massive build that made the chair beneath him look undersized. The fiery red hair that the family had in their heritage. And the aura, calm on the surface but churning underneath like magma beneath a thin crust.
"Sir Tom? What are you doing here?"
A grin broke across Tom Glassy's face as he turned around. "Oh? You knew it was me?" He leaned back in his chair, looking genuinely amused. "I was planning to surprise you."
He waved a hand dismissively, before saying, "I was here handling some errands, and I heard you were on your way. So I decided to stick around a little longer." His grin widened. "I heard you evolved."
'News has already reached him.'
Moon wasn't surprised. Tom Glassy was an Ascender and the chairman of one of the most powerful groups in existence. Information was as much a currency to him as strength. A man like that didn't wait for reports to land on his desk. He had eyes everywhere, in every branch, in every corner that mattered.
Moon had walked out of the Association's testing room less than an hour ago, and Tom already knew.
"Yes, I have."
"And what were your results like?"
Moon's eyes narrowed slightly. "You don't know?"
Rather than answering, Tom laughed from his heart, "I have an idea. But it's always better to hear it from the person involved."
"I received an average of 2666. With a single acupoint open."
Tom's grin stretched wider. "As expected of my golden boy. You've surpassed Kael's score."
There was no jealousy in his voice or hidden displeasure at the idea of someone outperforming his own son. Tom seemed rather happy about the result. Whether he knew it from before or not remained hidden.
Moon couldn't read the old, sly fox. But if he had to guess, he would think that Tom did know.
"Once he hears about this, that boy will be even more determined to become stronger." He muttered, almost to himself, the way a father speaks about a son he's proud of rather than threatened by.
Moon studied Tom for a moment. A question had been sitting in his mind since the conversation started, and he couldn't hold it back.
"What about you? What was your average when you were an Evolver?"
Tom was an Ascender. Even if he was considered a new one by the standards of that realm, the fact remained that he had climbed to a height that most humans would never reach. His potential as a fresh Evolver must have been extraordinary.
Tom scratched his beard, a sly grin forming on his face, "Me? Not much, about 3000."
As a fresh Evolver. Moon had hit 3000 on his final attempt, but that was after evolving Lightning Raiju all the way to Second Order mid-test. His average had been 2666. Tom had averaged 3000 from the start.
Moon hadn't yet evolved his Advanced Elemental Body. He hadn't used a Spirit Art Manual. He hadn't tapped into half of what his skill set could offer. If he had, his numbers would have been higher. Possibly much higher.
But that didn't change the fact that Tom Glassy, as a fresh Evolver with none of the advantages Moon currently had waiting in his back pocket, had put up a score that Moon's evolved Thunderclap Raiju had just matched.
'As expected of an Ascender. A powerhouse of humanity…'
The gap between an ordinary Evolver and someone destined to ascend wasn't something you could see on a status screen. It was something you felt when you stood in the same room as them. That immovable pressure that said this person was built differently from the ground up.
Tom had that pressure. He had probably always had it.
"I see, that's quite a high number."
Tom waved it off like Moon had complimented his choice of shirt. "It was a long time ago. What matters now is what you do with yours."
Moon nodded his head, actually, I wanted to show you something.
"Oh? What would that be."
Moon retrieved a stack of papers from his storage ring, before handing them out to Tom.
Tom raised his eyebrow in interest. He instantly recognized the source of the contract. As he began reading, the smile on his face slowly began to drift.
"You were invited to join the Special Squad…"
**
GT Ranking: Top 5 - Complete
Reward: Mass Release 10 Chapters
Hello guys, these are 2/10 of the mass release which will be released today. I have a few chapters left, and I will release them within the next few hours. Sorry for the delay :[