Chapter 656: Approaching the mission

The result of his training with the different elements was surprisingly effective.

Moon’s assimilation progress jumped from stuck-at-ten-percent to nearly doubling across the basic elements. Fire reached eighteen percent. Water reached seventeen. Earth and wind both crossed sixteen. The two advanced elements, ice and lightning, remained stubbornly under ten percent because of the deeper density and complexity that made them harder to weave into the arrow’s molecular structure.

This was really enlightening.

The thought formed a feeling of deep satisfaction in his heart as he examined the arrow in his hand. More fire had assimilated into the arrow than he had ever managed before. The shaft carried a subtle warmth throughout its length, not concentrated on the surface but distributed evenly through the material.

The arrow was still unusable in battle. The fire would wear off during flight as the integration was too shallow to survive the aerodynamic forces of a proper release. But the progress was tangible, and that was what mattered.

Using the different elements had taught him how the arrow’s molecules reacted to varying environmental changes.

Fire produced a pattern of accelerated molecular vibration in the wood grain. Ice slowed the same molecules and drew them into tighter arrangements. Water swelled the fibers and opened new channels along the grain. Earth compressed the material and created higher-density insertion points. Wind pulled the molecules outward and made them more receptive to layered elemental interaction.

Every reaction gave him an insight into the underlying mechanism.

The reason his fire assimilation had improved fastest was that fire’s molecular effect was the easiest to observe and correct in real time. Ice and lightning demanded more experience than he already had.

Four hours in, Moon decided to take a break.

The drill was taxing on his mind more than his body. Maintaining focus on every minuscule molecular change required a level of mental attention that couldn’t be pushed indefinitely without diminishing returns.

He walked away from his practice section.

Nina was still running her knight drills across the room, working through one of her sword sequences. Her strikes were clean, and her footwork was graceful. She had built her form in a family school of long tradition, and it showed.

No other awakeners were using the training room except for them.

A few had come in earlier during the flight. Each of them had trained for a few minutes before leaving. Moon wasn’t sure why. It could have been because the space filled up quickly. It could have been because his presence made them uncomfortable. It could have been something else entirely.

But the more likely explanation was Nina.

Every time an awakener had entered the room, Nina had looked at them as if they were spies sent to observe their training methods. The intensity of her stare had been enough to make most of them cut their sessions short.

Moon didn’t care enough to intervene. Another training room was available on the orbital if anyone really needed the space to train.

"Are you taking a break?" Nina paused her drill and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Moon nodded.

"Want to join?"

Nina shook her head.

"Not yet. I want to finish this drill first."

"I’ll be in the lounge ordering a drink and something to eat. Come find me when you’re done."

Nina nodded.

The door hissed shut behind him.

Time passed in a blur after that.

He ate in the lounge, read through a few reports on his phone, sent Selene and Yara a message that gave them a brief update on the trip and its location.

Nina eventually joined him for the last stretch of the flight. They spent the final couple of hours in the private cabin, both showered and rested from their earlier training, discussing lighter topics.

The intercom crackled overhead an hour later.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We are on final approach to Rivergate Station. Please prepare for landing. Weather is clear. On behalf of the crew, thank you for flying with us today."

Moon and Nina stood and gathered their things.

They made their way to the exit as the orbital settled onto the landing pad.

The station beyond the disembarkation gate was smaller than the one they had departed from but that was to be expected.

They had fewer platforms and overall fewer passengers. It had a quiet atmosphere of a regional hub rather than a major kingdom-wide transit center.

A young man in his early twenties stood just a few meters from their landing spot.

He wore a professional black suit with a crisp white shirt and matching tie. His frame was athletic and slim.

Upon sighting Moon and Nina, he approached them immediately with an easy smile and a warm, welcoming posture.

"Sir Moon. Madam Nina. Welcome to Rivergate. My name is Ellis. I’ve been assigned by the Association’s local branch to serve as your escort and coordinator during your operation here. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you directly to the gate site and get you settled with the rest of the team."

Moon studied him for a moment.

The young man was a few years older than him. Two Star Evolver judging by the aura reading.

Moon activated Eye of Truth briefly.

The reading came back reasonable. A relatively powerful class, with several rare-ranked skills that were above average for his tier. Someone who wasn’t exactly combat oriented but could hold his own very well in case things went wrong. It was apparent that he had been carefully groomed for exactly the kind of liaison work he was performing right now.

Moon nodded.

"Lead the way."

Ellis smiled and gestured for them to follow.

He led them through the station’s inner corridors and out to a private launch pad at the rear of the facility. Another orbital waited on the pad.

This one was much smaller than the luxury shuttle they had arrived on. A compact private vessel, built for efficiency rather than comfort with the maximum capacity for maybe seven passengers in total.

Moon and Nina climbed inside.

They took their seats.