SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will-Chapter 343: I Have Found...

Joseph’s eyes widened for a brief moment. Moon’s cold gaze somehow pinned him in place. For a second, he felt like he couldn’t move.

What the hell is wrong with this guy’s eyes.

"Why are you giving me such a cold stare, dude? I was just trying to lead you back toward the gate. I figured you might not remember the way back." Joseph immediately improvised, pulling his hand away and raising both palms in surrender.

Moon studied him for a moment longer. Joseph’s expression was confused, maybe even a little hurt. There was no tension in his stance. Just a man standing with his hands up wondering why he was being stared at like a criminal.

Moon’s expression loosened up.

"I memorized the way back."

Joseph blinked. "You what?"

"The route. I memorized it on the way up."

Joseph stared at him. Then he let out a disbelieving laugh, scratching the back of his head. "You memorized the entire route on your first time through? There are people here who still get lost after weeks."

Moon didn’t respond to that. He gave Joseph a short nod.

"Thank you for the help."

Joseph lowered his hands slowly, still looking at Moon like he was trying to figure out what kind of person he was dealing with. After a moment, he just shook his head and smiled.

"Sure. Be safe on your way down, freshcomer."

Moon took out a pouch from his storage ring and handed it to Joseph.

Joseph’s eyes narrowed staring at the pouch, "This is...?"

"It’s a pouch with a few dozen First Order A-Rank Cores. The total value is around $50,000, this is a token of appreciation for showing me around."

Moon understood that very few people helped out for free, so he decided to pay the man a fee for his help around the area. Joseph had helped him in planning out his next course of action.

"Oh, haha. That’s fine, there is no need. Here take it back, I was the one that offered you the service, and I never mentioned any hidden fees. Keep it." Joseph tried to return the pouch to Moon, but Moon had already turned and started walking back into the cave without another word.

His steps were steady, each turn coming to him exactly as he remembered it.

Behind him, Joseph stood at the exit, watching until Moon’s figure disappeared into the narrow passage.

A soft smile appeared on his face, albeit, It was different from the one he had been wearing all this time.

He turned around and began making his way toward an area he knew very well. Joseph stopped before a heavy stone door carved into the side of a rocky outcrop and knocked twice.

~Knock~ ~Knock~

"It’s Joseph."

"Come in." A cold feminine voice reached his ears.

Joseph pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room beyond was larger than anything else on the island, carved stone walls adorned with furs and dark fabrics.

At the far end of the room, a woman sat on a majestic throne. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders, past her waist, all the way down to the base of the throne behind her. She wore tight leather body armor that hugged every curve of her figure, and her legs were crossed as she leaned to one side with her chin resting on her knuckles.

Her eyes were deep, vivid red, like fresh blood pooled behind glass.

On either side of her, two men were stood. Both were incredibly handsome, both wore chains around their wrists and necks. One held a platter of exotic fruit, offering a piece up to her ample lips. She took it without looking at him.

Joseph’s eyes were glued to the ground, the moment he entered the room—or better put, the throne room.

"My Lady."

She chewed the fruit slowly, her crimson eyes staring him down, "Speak."

"A new Evolver arrived through the portal today. I guided him through the tunnels and showed him the surface as per usual."

"And?"

Joseph kept his head low. "He is different from the others. His guard never dropped, not once. He memorized the entire route back to the portal on a single trip through. And his eyes..."

He hesitated.

"His eyes, what?"

"When I reached for him, he looked at me like he was ready to kill me on the spot. I couldn’t move for a second. I don’t know what it was, but it held me in place."

The woman’s chewing slowed.

"I believe I found the kind of person you have been looking for."

The room remained quiet for several seconds. The woman’s red eyes narrowed, and the corner of her lips curled upward.

"Oh?"

Without waiting for the men beside her to feed her, she plucked another piece of fruit from the platter without looking away from Joseph.

"Interesting. Keep an eye on him for me, he sounds fun."

"Yes, my lady."

♢♢♢♢

Back on earth, Moon had exited the portal. His first stop was the Awakener’s Association Certification Bureau nearby. For several reasons, the first was was to get an ordinary rank spirit art like he had been told by Joseph, and the second was to get certified as a Evolver.

Arriving at its location, Moon found the place quite busy. The lobby was spacious with multiple assistants standing behind multiple service windows, each window had a long line in front of it.

’There is quite a large number of fresh Evolvers over here.’

These were all people that came for the free Ordinary Rank Spirit Art that the Awakener’s Association provided to new Evolvers.

Looking at the crowded lobby, Moon picked the shortest line and waited there. Unfortunately, as Moon had expected the line moved very slowly.

’I will most likely be done in an hour at this rate...’

Moon continued waiting, there was nothing he could do other than that after all.

"Moon? Is that you?" A voice suddenly sounded from his right hand side. Moon turned his gaze towards the speaker.