"If you want the highest chance of walking out of the Chamber with something good, your best bet is to win the Tournament first. Everything you’ll need for the next six months is going to come faster and easier if you have a Tournament victory under your belt."

Moon nodded. Indeed, winning the tournament would open up many doors for him.

He stood up from his seat, his hand brushing against the hilt of the new sword resting beside him.

Although he was somewhat tired, beneath that was...excitement.

He had a goal now.

A specific, tangible goal that stretched beyond just winning the tournament or getting stronger.

The Chamber Secret Realm waited at the end of the six-month horizon, and everything he did between now and then would be in service of being ready when those doors opened.

"Thank you, Tom." Moon said quietly. "For all of this. But, what about my Floating Island book? How am I going to use it?"

"You can’t. You will not be able to use it because of the key on it. Once you use your entry to the hidden realm, you will regain control over the Floating Island."

"Oh..." Understanding flickered beneath Moon’s eyes. His previous assumption about the Pavilion Spirit being unable to use it because of the language barrier had been wrong. Turns out, the Spirit had been unable to remove the key, and without being able to use it, she decided that it was best to keep it hidden from sight and touch.

Locking it in a chamber with powerful chains. ’That makes sense now...’

He sighed internally. It would have been ideal for his progress if he could have the ability to move the Floating Island around the Second Sanctuary. Unfortunately, he had been blessed with the key, and restrained with the use of the book.

’It’s fine...after six months, it would work out.’ Moon consoled himself.

Tom waved him off.

"Thank you Tom, for all of this."

"Bah! Get out of my orbital and go rest, boy. Save the gratitude for after you bring home a Sacred grade Spirit Art of your own."

Moon’s lips curved into a small smile.

He picked up the sword carefully, stored it in his ring, and turned to leave. Selene and Yara rose to follow him, both of them still processing everything they had just heard.

Kael gave Moon a small nod as he passed. "Good luck tomorrow."

"You too." Moon returned the nod.

The three of them stepped out of the orbital and into the cool night air.

Above them, the kingdom’s stars lay scattered across the sky, indifferent to the secrets that had just been shared inside the polished cabin behind them.

Moon looked up at the stars for a moment, then turned toward the path home.

They boarded the nearest orbital and rode it back to their neighborhood. The journey was quiet, all three of them content with the day’s events.

When they stepped off, Selene tilted her head thoughtfully.

"You know what? Let’s not cook tonight." She glanced at Yara. "That place we love near the corner. The one with the spicy beef stew."

Yara’s eyes lit up immediately. "Yes. Absolutely yes."

Selene turned to Moon. "We’re getting takeout. Want to join us?"

Moon checked his internal clock. He had plenty of time before he needed to nap, and the idea of a real meal eaten in good company was infinitely more appealing than collapsing into bed alone.

"Sure."

The three of them detoured to the restaurant. The place was bustling at this hour, packed with diners celebrating tournament outcomes or commiserating over them. The owner recognized Selene immediately and waved them straight to the counter, skipping the line.

Their order was massive. Six different dishes, four bowls of rice, three appetizers, and enough side dishes to feed a group of ten. Yara had a tendency to order more than she could eat, and Selene had given up trying to talk her out of it some time ago.

Ten minutes later, they walked out with bags hanging from every available hand, the smell of spice and grilled meat following them all the way back to the house.

They ate in the living room. Plates spread across the low table, drinks within reach, the lights dimmed to something warm and comfortable.

Yara was the most lively of the three. She had been holding her observations from the spectator stands all day, and now that she had food in her hands and friends to share with, she let loose.

"You should have heard the people sitting near me at the start." Yara said between mouthfuls, gesturing dramatically with her chopsticks.

"I am not exaggerating. They were so angry. Like, personally offended that you two were just standing there. One guy kept shouting that you should be disqualified for wasting everyone’s time."

Selene laughed. "They were really that bad?"

"Bad doesn’t cover it. There were people calling you every name under the sun. Lazy. Cowards. Embarrassments to your families. I almost stood up and started a fight with the loudest one. I had to keep telling myself you’d be mad at me if I got kicked out of the stands."

"That was the right call." Moon said calmly.

"Barely the right call." Yara grinned. "Anyway, then the massive beast showed up, and I have never seen so many people shut up so fast in my entire life. The same guy who had been screaming at the screens was suddenly quiet. Just staring with his mouth open. I swear he didn’t blink for a full minute."

Selene chuckled. "What did he do after?"

"He started cheering harder than anyone else. By the time you two killed the beast, he was screaming Moon’s name like they were old friends. I wanted to punch him for nagging in my ears all that time."

Moon shook his head with a small smile. In reality, he really couldn’t care less what those people thought of him.