It was still afternoon when Drayen and Kael finally stopped their training. After all, the Bright Moon would rise tonight.

  Drayen used the little essence he had recovered to heal Kael. Once the worst of Kael’s wounds closed, Kael shook off Drayen’s hand and stepped back.

  “Enough, enough. Heal yourself. You look ugly.”

  Drayen snorted. Small cuts covered his body, but his remaining essence wasn’t enough to fully restore himself. That was why he had only patched the most serious injuries while prioritizing Kael. Still, with what little remained, he sealed a few of the deeper cuts across his arms.

  They stepped outside and looked toward the open ground.

  The entire town was already changing.

  Shops, houses, and guild buildings were being decorated. Lamps were hung outside doors and along the streets. The lamps were crafted from special wood and wrapped in black sheets, though none had been lit yet.

  People swept the roads clean. Shopkeepers displayed extra goods outside their stalls. Laughter and chatter filled the air.

  It was clear—everyone was excited for the Bright Moon.

  Kael watched quietly. “Bright Moon… I wonder how it’ll look.”

  Drayen glanced at him. “Your first time too?”

  Kael nodded. For a brief moment, something flickered across his expression before he masked it. “If you’re fine, let’s go check things out.”

  The Nightmare Realm was extremely strict about who entered through its portals—only the awakened were permitted. That rule was ironclad. But when it came to Nightmare Realm natives entering Tellus, the restrictions were even tighter. After all, they could smuggle goods from Tellus if left unchecked.

  Kira had struggled greatly to enter Tellus. After all, what would the unawakened even do in the Nightmare Realm?

  So with a discreet bribe, Tellus people could bring the unawakened to the Nightmare Realm. Zuko’s father would sometimes bring him along. Zuko had once told Drayen about it.

  Drayen exhaled quietly.

  So the relationship between Kael and his father had always been strained.

  He had once assumed Kael was merely a privileged young master—strong because of connections rather than merit.

  But Jim had clarified something.

  Yes, Instructor Miller had trained Kael from a young age. That much was true. But that was all. Kael never relied on that relationship. Jim had even said that if Miller offered him cores, Kael would refuse.

  Not only me. All of us thought the same.

  Drayen found himself staring at Kael.

  Kael caught him and scoffed. “What? Is there something on my face? Let’s go.”

  “Let’s wait for Nevis,” Drayen said, pushing himself to his feet. “He should be here any moment.”

  A few minutes later, Nevis arrived, waving as he approached them.

  “Hey, Drae! Sorry for being late.”

  He looked at both Kael and Drayen and grinned. “Looks like training was intense.”

  “For him,” Kael replied dryly.

  Nevis laughed, playing along.

  Drayen had slowly built a connection with him over time. If he intended to stay in Rock Apple Town for a while, forging relationships was necessary. Especially since Drayen was quietly gathering information—about bloodlines, culture, customs, habits… everything. All of it would be useful for the journey ahead.

  Nevis was the son of the old woman who ran the inn. He possessed a Second-Grade Bloodline: Puppet Mastery—the same as the old man’s grandson.

  At twenty-five, he was already Rank Two.

  He was handsome, though shorter than Drayen, with a slim build, black hair, and grey eyes. He wore simple grey and black clothing that suited him well.

  Drayen didn’t know Nevis’s exact strength, but from the beasts he had tamed and the way he controlled them, he seemed competent. Perhaps not at peak Rank Two—but solid.

  For his age, that was more than respectable.

  And more importantly…

  Nevis was a local.

  He knew things.

  He was friendly, bold, and a little foolish. Even when Drayen asked strange or probing questions, Nevis would simply laugh and brush them off.

  They wandered through the streets together, heading toward what people called the “central region.”

  Rock Apple Town didn’t truly have a center. The town was divided among the three guilds—Titan, Mini Shark, and Sky Gold—each controlling its own territory. But during special occasions like the Bright Moon, the three borders converged at a single open intersection. That shared boundary would temporarily become the town’s “center.”

  It wasn’t an official arrangement—just an unspoken agreement.

  For the festival, the guilds set up their shops side by side, transforming the border point into a grand plaza. It was a place to celebrate… but also to compete.

  Each guild flaunted its goods, its wealth—and subtly, its power.

  Nevis lowered his voice. “We should be careful. With all three guilds gathered, there are always minor feuds.”

  As if to prove his point, just a few steps ahead, two shopkeepers were shouting at one another. They hadn’t turned physical, but their voices were loud enough to draw a crowd.

  Nevis sighed. “It’s common here. Let’s keep our distance.”

  The three of them moved away.

  Other than a few minor disputes over space and arrangements, the feuds gradually subsided as time passed.

  The people were cheerful. Even the guards had dressed casually, wearing simple clothing with only a badge pinned to their left chest to indicate their affiliation.

  Every building was decorated. Not a single plain grey wall remained in sight. Colorful banners, fabrics, and lanterns covered the streets, transforming the usually rugged town into something almost grand.

  Stalls displayed all kinds of goods. Though Drayen and Kael regularly visited the Titan Guild’s shops, it was obvious the guild had brought out more of its specialties for the occasion—tainted beast skins, weapons, and finely crafted items.

  Some stalls even showcased samples of nightflowers—temporary physical strength boosters, essence recovery blooms, speed enhancers… and more.

  Of course, since this wasn’t the main Titan Guild store, everything on display was common-grade. Truly valuable items were never left in the open. Something worth ten Rank One cores was already considered expensive; such purchases required entering the guild store itself.

  There were even goods imported from Tellus. Interestingly, one section of the market looked almost identical to a Tellus marketplace—as if a fragment of that world had been transplanted here just for the festival.

  Nevis bought a pair of slippers for his sister’s daughter. They were quite costly—almost two Rank One cores.

  Just for slippers imported from Tellus.

  In Tellus, people would struggle their entire lives just to get their hands on a single core. Here, two cores were spent on something so ordinary.

  Although Drayen and the others usually earned around two cores a day, one of those would always go to Etherion. Even then, spending two cores on something so trivial felt excessive.

  An interesting fact about the Nightmare Realm was that most people were born with Third-Grade talent—almost ninety percent of the population. The remaining ten percent possessed Second-Grade talent.

  First-Grade was rare.

  In Tellus, however, the situation was completely different. There was barely a one percent chance of awakening at all.

  But among those who did awaken, the probability of having a strong bloodline was significantly higher.

  Why?

  Because only powerful bloodlines had the potential to awaken across realms from Tellus into the Nightmare Realm.

  In other words, awakening in Tellus was rare. But when awakened, it was rarely ordinary.

  Most Third-Grade and even Second-Grade bloodline talents could barely earn one core a day. And that was under stable conditions.

  Not to mention, they still had to cover their living expenses.

  After food, lodging, equipment repairs, and mandatory guild contributions, there was barely anything left.

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  For most people in the Nightmare Realm or Tellus, survival itself consumed everything they earned.

  Regardless, night was approaching.

  All the people had gathered in the temporary plaza. There were easily two to five thousand people present. Drayen could feel the auras of those around him.

  Most were Rank One.

  Barely one in ten was Rank Two.

  There were also individuals who emitted no aura at all. They were either hiding their rank… or they were unawakened.

  Most people from Rock Apple Town wore badges or carried items symbolizing the guild they supported. Even in celebration, allegiance was visible.

  The town was divided into three parts.

  As mentioned before, most people in the Nightmare Realm possessed Third-Grade or Second-Grade talent.

  Third-Grade talents were usually stuck in Rank One for their entire lives. Reaching Rank Two was already considered an accomplishment.

  Second-Grade talents were generally confined to Rank Two. With extreme hard work—and some luck—they could step into Rank Three.

  But stepping into Rank Three was only the beginning of the real struggle.

  When someone advanced in rank, they did not immediately gain abilities of that level. Only the quantity of Nightmare Essence increased.

  To kill a Rank Three tainted, Rank Three abilities were required.

  This created a dangerous transitional phase.

  A newly advanced Rank Three possessed greater essence but lacked corresponding Rank Three abilities. Rank Three tainted were strong—very strong. Without proper abilities, Nightbornes could do almost nothing against them.

  However, what was described above represented only the theoretical limits of each bloodline grade.

  Not everyone worked hard enough to even reach those limits.

  After Rank Two, the difficulty of breakthrough increased significantly. Bloodline grade alone was insufficient. Skill in using abilities, combat experience, discipline, hard work, and luck—all played crucial roles.

  For someone with a Second-Grade bloodline, this transitional phase was especially difficult.

  This was life in the Nightmare Realm. Most didn’t choose to hunt the tainted even after awakening. After all, it required hard work and risk. It’s not that they didn’t choose; they just gave up after experiencing difficulties.

  Before the moon rose, the important people from all the guilds started taking seats on the temporary plaza’s main stage. First, the people from the Sky Gold Guild arrived. It was a large guild with branches throughout the kingdom, just like the Titan Guild, but they had little influence here.

  A thin man with no beard was leading them. He looked like a handsome pretty boy, but his aura was incredibly strong—Rank 4. He was wearing a blue cotton outfit that looked like it came from Tellus. With his matching black hair, he looked quite elegant. Drayen and Kael stared with wide eyes. Only one thought existed in their minds.

  Rank 4.

  The crowd became solemn as he walked forward. They were treating him almost like royalty.

  After that came the Mini Shark Guild. It was a newly formed guild, and this was its starting branch. A young woman with a muscular build was leading the group onto the stage. She had blonde hair and tanned skin. Everyone looked at her with respect. Her aura made people feel intimidated; even though they were already far from her, many instinctively stepped back.

  Nevis muttered, “She is the strongest in the town. Her name is Clara, a Rank Four Nightborne.”

  There was no need for further introduction. One glance and anyone with a surviving instinct would know how powerful this woman was.

  She looked like she was in her forties. Without hesitation, she took the center seat, even though the Titan Guild had the most influence in Rock Apple Town. The branch leader from the Sky Gold Guild leaned over and spoke to her respectfully.

  Next came the Titan Guild.

  A group of four or five people stepped forward, and those affiliated with the Titan Guild wore smug expressions, clearly proud of their guild’s dominance. At the front was a middle-aged man with blue hair streaked with white. His eyes were grey and calm. Every step he took was quiet and steady.

  Drayen’s gaze shifted to a girl walking behind him. She had red hair and a small frame as she followed closely behind.

  It was Zona.

  All the leaders greeted each other. The previously noisy crowd now spoke only in soft murmurs.

  The Sky Gold branch leader spoke first. “As the dominant force here, will you commemorate the event, Branch Leader Will?”

  The Titan branch leader laughed. “Haha, how can I? The Bright Moon signifies the era of the young. Miss Clara should be the one.”

  “Well, I gladly accept the honor.” She stood up.

  “The Bright Moon from ancient times is known as the era of humanity. It represents our rise. In a few minutes, the first battle under the Bright Moon will commence. I wish that all the people of Rock Apple Town receive the blessings of the Bright Moon.”

  The Bright Moon was the period when tainted creatures hid away. That was why it was considered the time of humans.

  A few minutes later, three participants—each Rank Two—stepped onto the stage.

  The crowd erupted with cheers so loud that the ground itself seemed to tremble.

  Drayen and the others were quite far away. To see them clearly, Drayen had to use his vision ability.

  Nevis pointed in a direction. “See there? He is my friend. That is the Titan Guild’s representative, although we’re not very close.” He scratched his hair while saying that.

  The Mini Shark Guild’s representative was Clara’s sister, named Claire. The crowd went wild. Unlike her sister, she was beautiful and had a lean build. She looked extremely beautiful, with blonde hair and yellow eyes that complemented her tanned skin perfectly.

  Claire had the Thunder Panther bloodline.

  The Sky Gold Guild representative had the same bloodline as Fedric — the Beastkin Lion bloodline. His body was fully transformed into a mini lion-man. He was trying to get into close combat with the other two.

  Nevis’s friend Ark had the Moon Butterfly bloodline. He was fighting using sword abilities.

  Drayen’s eyes could barely keep up with their fight. Most of the time, he only saw Claire dominating the stage. She was at peak battle strength among Rank Two. She seemed inferior only to Kira. With the cheering of the people and her dominance in the fight, she seemed invincible.

  Nevis was also cheering for Claire. “She will definitely win. Let’s cheer, Drae.”

  Drayen went along, while Kael just stood and watched the fight with focus. Drayen teased Kael, “Is she pretty? You’ve been staring for quite a while.”

  Kael didn’t respond. His eyes remained fixed on the stage.

  In a few moments, she was declared the winner.

  Although the other guilds were disappointed, many were happy that Claire had won.

  Suddenly, the murmur began to fade. The plants and flowers emitting light went dark. The sky, which had held the purple moon, slowly dimmed.

  For a brief second, everything felt eerily still.

  Then, a tiny ray of light appeared—no larger than a dot. It slowly expanded, growing brighter and brighter until it resembled a miniature sun suspended in the sky.

  People began wishing and praying to the Bright Moon. Their faces were filled with hope. Their prayers were sincere.

  “So this is the Bright Moon…” Drayen watched quietly.

  It looked nothing special—just a small sun in the sky. Yet the light waves carried a strange warmth, not the warmth of heat, but something deeper. Something that stirred the air itself.

  It was a magical sensation, difficult to describe.

  Even if it appeared unremarkable, the light was undeniably special. Especially the moment of change—when the purple moon faded like ink dissolving in water, and the Bright Moon rose slowly, like hope emerging from darkness.

  For a brief moment, the entire town seemed united beneath that light.