Chapter 16 – Secrets, Spies, and a Warm Meal
Just as Kai, Moon, and the five-member squad were about to step through the entrance gate of Base City #12072009, Moon paused mid-step.
He glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable.
Before he could speak, Kai suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait."
Everyone stopped. The air grew tense.
Kai turned to the group. His usual calm face now held a sharp seriousness that even Moon noticed.
"No one… and I mean no one," Kai said, locking eyes with each of them one by one, "should mention anything about the true extent of our powers. Not even by mistake."
Moon tilted his head. "You're really that worried?"
Kai didn't reply immediately. He simply turned away and muttered under his breath, "I don't know how far Ruok's connections spread... and until I'm sure, we stay hidden."
The others looked a bit confused but nodded respectfully. Even James, who usually had something sarcastic to say, stayed silent.
Kai wasn't doing this out of fear. It was strategy. He needed time—to grow, to understand his enemies, and to plan.
But before anyone could ask more questions, James stepped forward, rubbing his hands with a slight grin.
"Uh, Sir Kai," he said politely, "I'd like to make a request."
Kai blinked. "Go on."
"I want to buy that octopus beast you guys killed," James said with a smile.
Moon raised an eyebrow. Is this guy for real?
Kai remained quiet for a second, then finally asked, "Oh? How much are you offering?"
James thought for a moment, then confidently said, "500,000 Universal Coins."
Moon almost coughed. "500k? Bro are you trying to buy the whole sea with it?"
Kai tilted his head and smirked. "Funny. Last I heard, even a top-tier Fighter-class beast barely sells for 200k. So what exactly are you trying to buy here, James?"
James looked a bit nervous but then let out an awkward chuckle. "Well… the beast, obviously. But also…"
He hesitated, then suddenly straightened up. "I'd like to become your student."
Moon's expression immediately turned blank. "Wait… what?"
James looked serious now. "I'm good with kicks, yeah. But outside of that? I'm below average. I don't know how to handle weapons. I don't have control over elemental abilities. And…"
He looked at Moon with admiration.
"I want Moon-sir's madness. That raw, fearless drive in battle. And I want Kai-sir's precision and planning."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You want to be like both of us?"
"I want to learn from both of you," James replied, folding his hands in a traditional gesture of respect. "Please. I'll pay the full 500k. I'm not asking for miracles. Just training. Real training."
Kai glanced at Moon, then looked down thoughtfully. Honestly, they needed funds. And James seemed sincere.
"You know you could find plenty of traditional instructors for less," Kai said carefully. "Why us?"
James replied without hesitation. "Because those instructors follow books. You two… you survived death. You changed after coming back. And I want to change too."
There was silence for a moment.
Kai finally nodded. "Alright. But lower your expectations."
Moon looked sideways at Kai. "You sure about this?"
Kai replied, "We could use the funds. And besides…" He leaned closer. "This might come in handy later."
Moon shrugged. "Fine. But if he tries to hug me or something, I'm throwing him off a cliff."
They quickly drew up a small trade contract on their system. James pulled out a silver card from his storage ring.
"This has the money. Deposit it at any Universal Bank and it'll transfer directly. Also…" he passed a second card, "if you ever leave the Expanse, I'd really like to stay in contact."
After James and the squad left, Moon exhaled deeply. "People really do be weird out here."
Kai chuckled slightly, then suddenly became serious again.
"Moon," he said quietly. "Follow them."
Moon blinked. "Huh?"
"Track them," Kai said. "Observe where they live, who they meet, how they train. Take notes. Don't let them notice you."
Moon tilted his head. "You suspicious of them?"
"I'm cautious. Just… gather intel. We can't afford surprises."
Moon wanted to ask more, but he saw the look in Kai's eyes—the same look he had before that deadly octopus fight. Sharp. Cold. Calculating.
"…Alright," he muttered and disappeared into the crowd.
---
12 Hours Later – 2:00 AM
Moon arrived quietly at the gate. The city was mostly asleep. Neon lights flickered above, and a soft electric hum filled the silence.
A few seconds later, Kai stepped out from the shadows.
"Well?" he asked.
Moon handed him a worn-out notepad. Kai started flipping through the pages.
"Hmm… Nate and Violet mess around too much. Oliver and Lisa are always talking tech. James… keeps to himself."
Kai nodded slowly. "So they stay in Sector-9, near the mech training field."
He closed the notebook. "Seems like a clean group… but I'll keep observing."
Moon crossed his arms. "Why are we doing this again?"
Kai didn't look at him. Instead, he muttered, "Doodh ka jala, chhaach bhi phook phook ke peeta hai."
(An Hindi idioms of "once bitten twice shy")
Moon squinted. "Where the hell did milk and buttermilk come into this?"
Kai ignored him and began walking. "Come on. I got us a room."
---
First Taste of Peace
Their room wasn't too fancy—just a clean two-bed apartment in the middle layer of the base. But after the hell they'd been through, it felt like paradise.
"I deposited the money in our account," Kai said. "It's real. Legit."
Moon collapsed onto the bed. "Finally… something soft."
Kai opened the order menu and scrolled through food options.
"What do you want? Spicy noodles? Grilled beast meat? Maybe some roasted root veggies?"
Moon rolled over and groaned. "Anything that's not raw or burnt is fine."
Kai selected five dishes.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Moon opened the door… and froze.
A young woman stood outside—humanoid, with cat-like ears and a tail. A member of the Phalis Catus race.
> [Phalis Catus: A race considered 'lesser' than humans. Humanoid in shape but with feline features. Often hired for service jobs or… less noble work.]
Moon stared for a moment. His brain short-circuited.
But then his stomach growled and brought him back to reality.
"Uh, thanks," he muttered, taking the food quickly and shutting the door.
They laid the dishes out on the small table—steaming beast meat, spiced noodles, herb-seasoned bread, and something that looked suspiciously like dessert.
They didn't speak. They just ate. Bite after bite, eyes half-closed in bliss.
"This…" Moon said between mouthfuls, "…is what heaven tastes like."
"Agreed," Kai replied, scarfing down a bowl of rice.
For the first time since entering the Shifting Expanse, they felt like normal people.
---
Morning Thoughts and Hidden Truths
The next morning, Kai woke up early. The sunlight outside was faint, filtered through layers of artificial atmosphere.
He stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
"I'm alive… Moon's alive… this isn't a dream."
He sat up and took a deep breath.
"I remember it all. The exact day Moon died. The blood. Ruok's hand around my neck. The helplessness."
He opened the calendar feature on his system interface.
"Exactly 30 days after that day… we came back. Resurrected."
He shook his head.
"And we're not the same anymore. Stronger. Sharper."
He opened his system and focused.
---
•••• Kai's System Panel ••••
Name – Kai
Lineage – Alhuwalia Clan [Not Awakened]
Race – Human
Body – Asphaleios
Combat Mastery – [D]
Level/Stage – Planetary / Rookie
Elemental Affinity –
1. Water
2. Void [Locked]
Essence Points:
• Rookie: 6/150
• Fighter: 5/150
• Pro: 0
• King: 0
• Saint: 0
Transformation Form – Poseidon Form [Unavailable]
Reason: Not enough energy reserves
---
Kai focused on the Combat Mastery tab.
---
•••• Battle Stats ••••
Strength: 62
Speed: 51
Agility: 50
Endurance: 45
Stamina: 65
Charm: 15
---
He stared at the stats, eyebrows furrowing.
"So one rookie essence point increases each stat by 1…"
"Fighter essence… boosts them by 10 each."
He grinned slightly.
"No wonder I feel lighter. Faster."
He looked at the teleportation access window and saw a green signal.
"We've passed the threshold. We can finally use the teleporters now…"
He leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes again.
This was just the beginning.
To be continued
---
---
.