Chapter 652 Tom's News
Moon returned to Earth through the base's gate and made his way to the nearest Glassy Group Trading Center.
The Center sat in the zone's commercial district. A tall, tastefully understated building with the Glassy Group banner floating high.
He walked through the front entrance and the reception staff recognized him immediately.
The woman behind the front desk straightened up. Her colleague looked over with wide eyes. The security officer at the corner of the lobby snapped to a more alert posture. Every one of them had seen Moon's face on national broadcasts for weeks, and every one of them knew that Tom Glassy had personally sponsored him.
The receptionist's smile was already present as she stood.
"Sir Moon. Welcome to the Glassy Center. How can I help you today?"
"I'm here to sell some small stuff."
The receptionist immediately grew more excited, "Please, come with me. We'll take you directly to a private appraisal room."
Moon inclined his head.
"Thank you."
She led him through the main lobby and into the private client area.
She stopped at a heavy wooden door and opened it for him.
The private appraisal room beyond was spacious and well-lit. A long stone-topped table dominated the center of the room, its surface embedded with runes designed to safely display and analyze large quantities of beast materials.
A small seating area at the far end held two comfortable armchairs and a low table with fresh refreshments already laid out.
The head appraiser was already waiting.
He was a kind man in his sixties with sharp eyes, "Sir Moon, It's an honor to meet you in person. Please, take your time. When you're ready, place your materials on the table and I'll begin the assessment."
Moon walked to the table and opened his storage ring.
He began placing the Cragbrute corpses one by one. Nearly thirty bodies emerged from the ring in a sequence, arranged in neat rows across the table. The alpha's massive corpse came last, its three horns and powerful hide immediately drawing the appraiser's attention.
The appraiser's eyes widened slightly but he said nothing.
He simply began his work.
"This will take around ten minutes, you may leave for refreshments or fresh air in the mean time."
Moon shook his head, "It's fine, I will stay here."
He had plenty of time to kill.
The appraiser moved each corpse to the table for appraisal, tracing the quality and damage.
Moon sat on one of the armchairs and let the appraiser work. He drank slowly from the tea that had been provided. He waited without pressuring the pace.
Finally, ten minutes later, the appraiser returned to the table with a slim tablet in his hand.
"Sir Moon. I've completed the assessment. Most of the corpses are powerful Three-Star body refiners, which have significant applications in weapon and shield crafting due to the density of their hides and the properties of their bones.
The alpha is a very rare Five-Star specimen, which makes it particularly valuable to specialized forge masters. Additionally, the cores from the entire haul are in excellent condition, with no real combat damage compromising their use."
He glanced at the tablet.
"The total offer we can extend is forty million dollars. That includes premium pricing on the alpha, and on the Three-Star bodies, and bonus pricing on the intact cores. Does that sound acceptable?"
Forty million was a strong offer. The Glassy Group's pricing was consistently fair, and they never low-balled clients they wanted to keep. Furthermore, due to his position within the group, nobody would dare to low-ball him.
He nodded.
"Sure. Let's do that."
The appraiser smiled and extended his hand.
"Great doing business, Sir Moon. The funds will be transferred to your account within the hour. If you have any additional materials in the future, please contact me directly. I'll personally handle any transaction you bring in."
Moon shook his hand.
"I appreciate it."
The appraiser bowed slightly.
Moon left the private room and made his way back through the corridor toward the main lobby.
Moon pulled out his phone as he crossed the main lobby toward the exit.
He checked his inbox on the walk out.
Several unread messages from Tom sat at the top of the list. The most recent one had come in during his time in the appraisal room. He tapped into it and scanned the content as he stepped outside into the afternoon sun.
The message was about the Awakener's Association.
They were inviting him to join the exploration team for a powerful B-Rank gate that had recently appeared in another city.
Moon's brows rose immediately.
He called Tom.
The phone rang twice before the connection completed.
Tom's voice came through with an audible grin.
"I knew you'd be interested the moment I saw that invite."
"What's the situation?"
"The gate appeared about a week ago. In one of the eastern commercial districts, near a major trade hub. The Association classified it as B-Rank and dispatched a team of powerful Evolvers to clear it. A few Top-tier Four Stars, and multiple Five Stars, the usual assembly you'd expect for a standard B-Rank clearance. They went in six days ago."
He paused.
"They stayed inside for most of the week. The Association was expecting them to emerge within the eight-day window that's typical for a clearance of that tier."
"Let me guess...they didn't."
"That's correct, the gate opened again today on its own. Which means the team is dead."
Moon exhaled slowly.
Gates only reopened for one of two reasons. Either the exploration team completed the clearance and exited normally before it closed behind them, or every member of the team died inside. If a team was still alive and actively working inside, the gate remained sealed. The fact that this gate had reopened without any team members emerging meant everyone inside had died.
An entire Association-sanctioned team of Four and Five Stars, wiped out.
"That's not standard for a B-Rank."
"It's not... but it gets worse."
"How?"
"The gate changed color when it reopened."
Moon's eyes widened in surprise, "It rose in rank?"
"No. According to the Association's post-reopening assessment, it's still B-Rank. But the color shift indicates the gate has increased in difficulty within its tier. It's now a peak B-Rank gate, effectively one of the most difficult B-Rank gates to clear.
The Association is now recruiting the best possible Evolvers from across the kingdom to clear it. They can't wait too long. If they leave it unattended, the gate will explode outward. And it's sitting in one of the most valuable commercial districts in the eastern region."
Moon nodded slowly, walking down the sidewalk.
"How much damage if it explodes?"
"Catastrophic. The district generates a significant portion of the city's trade revenue. If the gate ruptures uncontained, we're looking at tens of thousands of civilian casualties, direct infrastructure destruction across a massive radius, and economic shockwaves that would ripple through the entire regional supply network for weeks or months. It's not the kind of loss the Association can absorb without significant consequences."
"Surpassers can't enter right?"
"Yes, Gates below A-Rank reject any fighter above the Evolver rank. If a Surpasser tries to enter, the gate physically stops them. So the Association is stuck with Evolvers only, and they need the best.
That's where you come in. Your public profile is at an all-time high, and your combat records from the tournament speak for themselves. The Association wants or better said, needs you on the team. They asked me to reach out because they know I have the fastest channel to you."
Moon considered the offer.
The gate was a big opportunity.
B-Rank gates typically contained beasts operating at the top of the Second Order tier without any Surpasser level beings. Peak B-Rank meant those numbers would trend even higher across every beast.
The density of powerful beast kills would provide massive Lives gain across the clearance. His floating island had good hunts, but the island didn't have what the gate offered.
More importantly, the team roster would give him access to skills of the very best. Every top-tier Evolver from across the kingdom in a single expedition meant a wide selection of classes he could copy.
His current class cycle had been running mostly through the same kinds of fighters. So this expedition might include some classes he had never encountered, or so he hoped.
"I'm interested."
Tom's grin came through the phone audibly.
"That's my boy."
"But what are the incentives? I'm not walking into a gate that killed an entire Association team for free."
Tom laughed.
"That's my boy. We don't do anything for free here. The incentives are actually significant. The Association is prepared to offer a range of options, from cash to equipment to political favors. But you can just tell me what you want, and I'll negotiate on your behalf. They'll accept the terms if I present them properly."
Moon didn't hesitate.
"I want a B-rank sword. Forged by Master Veylin specifically, the same one who made my current sword. And I want an assassin-type armor set that enhances camouflage effects."
Tom's laugh came through the phone louder this time.
"Good incentives. Excellent, actually. Master Veylin's schedule is booked for the next months, and getting a custom commission bumped up would be difficult."
"And the assassin armor?"
"There are two or three master artificers who specialize in that kind of gear. I'll route through the one whose work aligns best with your combat style. It'll take a few days to craft, if there is none made already, but if we lock in the commitment now, they'll start immediately."
"Perfect."
"Alright. I'll talk to them. I'll let you know within the hour. Sit tight."
"Thanks, Tom."
"Don't thank me. Just don't die in the gate."
Moon smiled and ended the call.