After completing his visit to the awakenerâs association and giving his own take on what had transpired, and doing some other legal things. Moon made his way back to his house.
On the way, a subtle but unmistakable frown formed on Moonâs face.
âSomebody is following me...â
Moon wasnât certain exactly when the tail had begun, but the presence was undeniable now. It was concerning for multiple reasons.
Unlike the First Sanctuary where threats came from beasts and fellow awakeners capped at level twenty-five, Earth presented dangers of an entirely different magnitude. Awakeners here werenât limited by sanctuary restrictions. They could be any level, possess Second Order equipment, and wield powers Moon couldnât begin to fight against.
For all he knew, the person following him could be a Second Sanctuary awakenerâan Evolverâwhich was something he absolutely couldnât handle at his current stage of development.
The power gap between those whoâd undergone their first class evolution and those who hadnât was enormous. Not just the level difference, but the transformation in attributes, skills, and capabilities. There was a reason Second Sanctuary awakeners werenât called mere awakeners anymore, but Evolvers. Theyâd evolved their entire existence, transcending the baseline human-turned-awakener state into something much more superior.
What concerned Moon most was that the person tracking him seemed to want him to notice. The presence wasnât attempting genuine stealth, more like a message.
Moon stopped walking abruptly in the middle of the street. He turned to face the direction the presence emanated from and spoke clearly.
"Do you want to come out? Letâs talk."
Silence dominated the nearly empty street for a brief, tense moment. Then a presence revealed itself, stepping out from an alley with unhurried confidence.
"Mr. Moon. Iâm pleased to meet you. You have quite the sharp senses, I must say." A man wearing an immaculate formal suit emerged, a soft, professional smile on his face.
He had darker complexion with brown eyes that assessed Moon with interest. His build was massive, like a tank in human form, with bulging muscles that his suit struggled to house.
Moonâs gaze locked onto the man, searching for malicious intent or immediate threat.
"You werenât exactly hiding your presence either," Moon replied, keeping his voice neutral.
"Haha. True enough." The manâs smile widened slightly, appreciating the observation.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Oliver Snack. Iâm an Evolver currently employed by the prestigious Richter family."
Moonâs expression remained carefully composed, but his mind immediately began processing that information.
âThe Richter family.â
One of the absolute powerhouses among awakener dynasties. Unlike the Glassy family, whose patriarch had built influence primarily through business acumen, trade networks, and economic dominance, the Richter familyâs reputation rested on something far more direct and terrifying.
Raw power.
The Richter patriarch was known throughout the awakener world as one of the genuine powerhouses of the Second Sanctuary. Some rumors placed him among the top ten strongest Evolvers globally. His combat record was legendary, Second Order A-rank dungeon clears, beast subjugations that seemed impossible, victories against opponents who should have overwhelmed him through numbers or attributes. The patriarch was also rumored to be ascending to the third sanctuary within the past years, making him more terrifying.
A family backed by that kind of individual strength were hard to ignore.
Why is someone from the Richter family tracking me? Iâve never interacted with anyone from that family, Moonâs thoughts raced. This canât be coincidence.
Oliver seemed to sense Moonâs wariness and raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Please, donât be alarmed. Iâm not here to threaten or intimidate you. Quite the opposite, actually."
"Then what do you want?" Moon asked directly, seeing no benefit in dancing around the subject.
"I was personally sent by the patriarch himself. To extend a recruitment offer to you, Mr. Moon."
Moonâs eyebrows rose slightly despite his attempt at maintaining composure. "Recruitment?"
"News travels fast in our circles," Oliver explained, his smile never wavering. "Your performance at Ironpeak Base has made quite the impression. Killing a level twenty-five assassin through repeated execution. Critically wounding an S-rank beast with an immensely powerful skill. Saving dozens of awakeners from permanent death. Youâve become something of a rising star, Mr. Moon."
How did they get detailed information so quickly? Moon wondered. The battle ended less than twelve hours ago.
Oliver continued, clearly prepared with his pitch. "The Richter family recognizes exceptional talent when we see it, and we believe investing in promising young awakeners benefits everyone involved. Weâd like to offer you a position within our organization."
"What kind of position?" Moon asked carefully.
"Combat specialist, primarily. Youâd undertake missions, dungeon clears, and operations on behalf of the family. In exchange, we provide substantial compensation and resources." Oliverâs smile took on a sharper edge. It was evident that Oliver believed the offer he was about to present couldnât be refused.
"Specifically, weâre prepared to offer you a yearly salary of five million dollars, with performance-based bonuses that could easily double that amount depending on mission outcomes."
Moonâs expression remained neutral, but internally he was calculating. Five million dollars annually was substantial wealth for someone his age and level. Most awakeners wished they could get 5% of what he was getting annually.
Despite the large salary, Oliver wasnât finished. "Additionally, upon signing the contract, youâd receive one First Order S-rank weapon of your choice from our armory. Weâd also provide multiple A-rank itemsâarmor, accessories, consumablesâto ensure youâre properly equipped for the challenges ahead Most importantly, the patriarch himself will help you in completing your class evolution tasks, whether itâs mentoring, items, whatever it is, he will do his best to help you complete them."
The offer was genuinely impressive. S-rank First Order equipment was difficult to acquire and prohibitively expensive for most awakeners. Having access to the Richter familyâs resources would accelerate Moonâs development significantly.
Oliver let the offer hang in the air for a moment before asking the crucial question.
"So, Mr. Moon... what do you think?"