Chapter 105: The Second Hidden Realm

Moon’s heartbeat accelerated considerably. His eyes narrowed slightly, giving Selene his full attention. "You mean like... The Heart of Winter?"

The Heart of Winter. A keyword that they both knew intimately from the hidden realm they’d barely escaped with their lives.

"Similar, but different in nature," Selene clarified, resuming her walk but at a noticeably slower pace. "Not a hidden realm exactly. This one is... stable and according to the information I’ve gathered and the geographical area it’s located in, it must be incredibly valuable even among similar phenomena."

She paused, choosing her words with visible care. "I stumbled across evidence of it while investigating something else entirely. The location, and the entry requirements, but there’s a problem."

"There’s always a problem," Moon said dryly. "What is it?"

Selene glanced at him with serious intensity. "It requires at least two people to enter safely. The entry mechanism won’t activate for solo awakeners—some kind of failsafe built into the realm’s fundamental structure. And more importantly..."

She lowered her voice even further, barely above a whisper despite the relative privacy of the street.

"I don’t trust anyone else with this information. The people I know would either try to steal the opportunity entirely or bring in their families and organizations, turning it into a political mess with profit-sharing and control issues. But you..."

Selene met his eyes directly. "You proved yourself reliable in the Heart of Winter. You didn’t abandon me when it would have been easier and safer to do so. You fought alongside me despite barely knowing me. And you’re not affiliated with any major family or faction that would complicate ownership and distribution of whatever we find or...are you?"

Moon processed this information rapidly, his analytical mind already calculating implications, potential risks, and possible rewards. "I’m not, my equipment when we first started said enough didn’t it?"

Selene chuckled softly. "That’s true."’

A stable realm with valuable contents, requiring partnership to access, discovered by someone who wanted to keep it completely confidential. The setup seemed almost too convenient, too perfectly aligned with his current needs.

Which made Moon suspicious by default.

"What kind of realm are we talking about specifically?" Moon asked. "A dungeon variant? Something else entirely?"

Selene’s expression grew more uncertain, which Moon noted with concern.

"That’s the issue. There isn’t enough detailed information about it available. The entry point exists, the requirement for dual activation is confirmed, but what’s actually inside..." She shook her head. "Unknown. That’s part of why I need a partner I can trust absolutely. We’d be going in somewhat blind."

Moon nodded slowly. "I’m assuming this isn’t something publicly known or registered with the Awakener’s Association?"

Selene immediately confirmed his suspicion. "It’s hidden quite well, and extremely hard to stumble upon accidentally. The location is remote, the entry point is camouflaged by natural terrain features, and there are no official records I could find. Last time I physically checked the site was few hours before you called me. The entry mechanism was still undiscovered and intact."

She paused, then added with urgency, "Still, we should make our decision quickly. Just because no one’s found it yet doesn’t mean it will stay hidden indefinitely. The longer we wait, the higher the chance someone else discovers it."

Moon considered the proposition for several long moments, weighing risks against potential rewards.

Unknown realm. Uncertain contents. Requires partnership. No backup or rescue if things go catastrophically wrong. Could be a trap, could be a fortune, could be anything in between.

But Selene had proven trustworthy during such circumstances. He didn’t have blind trust in her, but he had some trust, at least in being a good partner.

"Alright," Moon decided. "I’m willing to enter it with you. Tell me—where should I go to meet you?"

Selene’s face brightened with visible relief and excitement. "I knew you would accept. Let’s head to the nearest portal facility. I’ll give you the full details on the way there."

♢♢♢♢

Inside Ironpeak Base, Moon immediately made his way toward the Base Lord’s administrative building. He wasn’t certain he’d find Kael there currently, but he was confident he’d encounter one of Kael’s trusted people—whether Marcus, the spear-wielding woman, or another team member.

Indeed, upon receiving permission to enter from the guards stationed outside, Moon found Marcus working in Kael’s office. The young heir had clearly given him a temporary leadership role during his absence. A base couldn’t be left without any authority figure, after all, especially so soon after a major siege.

After explaining what he needed, Moon received exactly what he’d come for: a detailed road-map route to the base Selene had mentioned—Rocketer Base. It was approximately a day’s journey away with Mirage, which was manageable despite being somewhat distant.

Moon didn’t bother arranging transport via caravan since that would actually take considerably longer. Traveling alone on a personal mount was often much quicker for experienced awakeners. Caravans were primarily used for guaranteed safe routes and protected company during travel. Moon needed neither of those benefits, hence his decision to journey solo.

"Thanks for providing the map," Moon said genuinely to Marcus. "I appreciate the help."

Marcus waved off the gratitude. "No problem. Kael left instructions to assist you if you needed anything."

The Base Lord’s office naturally maintained detailed maps toward all nearby bases and major landmarks. Marcus, acting as temporary administrator, had the authority to provide such information without requiring compensation or formal approval.

Still, Moon didn’t like being indebted to anyone unnecessarily, even for small favors. He’d find some way to repay this assistance at some point later, maintaining balance in his relationships.

Moon left the administrative building and made his way to the stables where Mirage was housed and recovering. Mirage perked up immediately when Moon approached, recognizing his rider with obvious pleasure.

"Ready for another journey?" Moon asked, rubbing the horse’s neck affectionately. "We’ve got about a day’s ride ahead of us."

Mirage snorted agreement, already seeming eager despite his recent ordeal.

Moon saddled the horse efficiently and led him out of the stables. According to Selene, the realm Selene had discovered was relatively close to Rocketer Base’s perimeter, which meant Moon wouldn’t have to travel too far after reaching the base itself.

Moon mounted Mirage and guided him toward the western gate, the same section where he’d fought the Mountain Bear just yesterday. The area was already undergoing repairs, with earth mages reshaping damaged terrain and construction teams rebuilding destroyed sections of wall.

Thankfully, Selene had said the realm entrance was relatively close to Rocketer’s outer boundary, so Moon wasn’t worried about someone else discovering it during his travel time.

He urged Mirage into a steady pace, beginning the journey toward whatever unknown opportunity—or danger—awaited.

During their journey, Mirage proved to Moon once again why he had chosen the right mount. Despite his lower level, Mirage moved with surprising agility. The white horse seemed to be even more agile than before!

A problem rose up during his travel to the location of the realm that Selene spoke of.

’I don’t know where to leave mirage...this is troublesome.’ Moon thought to himself. He had to choose whether to leave mirage at the Rocketer base, or take him alongside them.