Darkmoon?... Kole let out a turbid breath of air while shaking his head to control his churning thoughts.
Dammit, I have never researched anything before… I need to read the geography of this world properly for once.
Kole shook his head and left the bar with a tinge of annoyance on his average face.
Having faced a mysterious woman with dubious intentions, Kole's mood was spoiled further.
He wondered why he couldn't get a break…
Is there a dark hand in the shadows controlling his fate?
Once Kole left the desolate bar, he could see the dawn of light—arriving in the distance.
"Caroline should've calmed down by now…" Pondering a bit on the matter regarding his sister, Kole briefly thought about whether he should return now.
He didn't feel any tiredness without sleep. Even the hunger and thirst have lessened a lot after Ascendancy and raising his rank to Tier 2-A, consecutively.
It wasn't the same for everyone, though.
The effects depended on what kind of power was coursing through your veins.
Some Ascendants could become a sweet tooth despite being spice lovers all their lives, while even vice versa was possible.
Intaking a Creation Seed was like evolution. Once one Ascended, they have basically altered their genes in some way or another.
For Kole, the effects were less sleep, hunger, and thirst.
In fact, even without the basic needs of an ordinary human, he would be able to survive if he Ascended to Tier 3-A.
But that was for the future. For now, his needs only lessened to an exaggerated degree but not completely.
Derailing his out-of-control train of thoughts, Kole's eyes hardened.
The various problems in his life bared their fangs inside his mind.
The most prominent ones were:
Money, Creation Seeds needed for Advancement, and Status.
He had the status of Heir Akerse, but he couldn't make use of it, and he could only look at Faneia with accusing eyes as she abandons him like what happened with Alice from the distance if he dared to make use of the title.
Creation Seeds were necessary. He wanted to fight Rosalie to devour her Creation Seeds, but the Cursed Artifact that she was using, gave a very dangerous vibe to Kole, and he switched his plans to act cordially with her.
As for Money… Who doesn't need it? Everything worked on the money!
Kole's mind raced as he reached a conclusion.
One profession in this world was very profitable… Adventuring.
Be it low-level pirates or low to mid-tier Ascendants. Many rumors of them gaining a fortune that could make anyone bleed with tears of envy were widely propagated.
In the seas, one can encounter different levels of danger and discover hidden lands—that contained various magical pieces of history and fragments of power which could be sold for a huge amount.
And from what he had heard, even Alice has made thousands of pounds from her escapades.
Shaking his head to calm his mind, Kole decided to focus on the recent events.
His coming-of-age ceremony was about to happen next week!
Although Kole couldn't teleport long distances, he could compensate for that weakness with consecutive instantaneous short-distance teleportation. With his high speed, he rushed toward his home.
…
Akerses' Manor, North Grovebourne.
After releasing all the pent-up frustrations of more than two years in rapid successions, when Caroline woke up, she found herself in a drenched bed.
However, her face was fresher than ever. It had a glow that wasn't there before. Her pale supple skin had a unique luster, while her deep dark eyes shined with a flash of brilliance.
Despite the light of satisfaction on her body, her mind was somber.
"Hah… I am a monster for having such filthy thoughts…" Caroline sighed to herself as she got up and dragged the sheets to the attached bathroom to clean them up and herself.
Having taken a bath, she came out with a towel tugged over her modest bust, reaching up to her thighs as her long-wet hair draped over her back—lingering just above her smooth bottom curves.
She had a pair of clean-dry sheets—that she had used her powers to clean in her hands.
But the moment she came out, she was startled as her beautiful eyes widened. Slowly, the loosened towel lost its grip…
…
Kole was sitting at the round table on the verandah while smoking a cigar as he puffed smoke in the air.
He was looking in the distance as the gentle morning sun rays graced his presence.
Despite not having smoked before in this life, Kole easily got used to it.
After making his plans for the future while wandering through the busy streets of Stormwatch, Kole changed his appearance back to his original one and bought cigars that he has been missing for so long…
Having taken a few practice huffs, Kole found himself addicted to it very quickly and came back to his room.
When he teleported to his balcony, he noticed someone was inside his bathroom. Without even using techniques to confirm the intruder's identity, he knew it was Caroline.
Since childhood, it has always been Caroline doing most jobs of his mother and taking care of Kole. Sometimes she'd be the one cleaning his sheets if he forgot.
As hilarious as it sounds, in a way, Caroline was more like a mother to Kole. After all, she'd always be there to engage and spoil him, while Faneia would only provide 'basic' needs.
As such, the fact that Caroline was here in his room in the early morning to clean and change the sheets—warmed his heart. It meant, she still cared for him despite all the fury she displayed toward him and Alice last night.
Of course, he didn't mind that she had decided to take a bath in his bathroom while at it.
Therefore, Kole didn't interrupt Caroline and silently sat while taking a recently bought cigar from Subspace and inhaling the intoxicating tobacco.
It was then he heard some shuffling sounds coming from the bathroom.
Kole turned around with a slight smile, looking at the doors of the bathroom.
He had thought he would talk things through with Caroline and leave the awkward events of last night behind them.
But the next moment, what he saw made his eyes pop.
It made him question whether the budding awkwardness in their relationship would ever come to a nadir…