Rachel let Barbara wheel her to a black SUV—standard government issue—where she transferred into the passenger-side door with some effort as the legend folded the chair and placed it in the vehicle’s trunk.

  While waiting for her, Rachel leaned against the side of the door, glaring in the direction of the sun as it gradually started to reach its zenith. Killing Relica in cold blood would be too much at this point; Merlin stole her chance in the short term to deliver her just vengeance.

  Her teeth clamped together as she felt a prideful itch jab her in the gut. No, she could have obliterated the priestess if she wanted; she only had herself to blame. Sure, Veronica, Merlin, and Galahad played their part, but she’d wanted to make Relica lose all hope.

  That being said, it didn’t mean she had to like how this was turning out. Rachel tried not to be a sour puss as the classy-dressed woman crawled into the driver’s seat, wearing a sad smile.

  “I’m guessing the UK isn’t handing over Relica.” She started the car and turned to look at her simmer before shifting to look at her. “Other than the fight, what can I do?”

  “No,” Rachel grumbled, scratching her forearm and knotting her feet. “Just trying to cool off now that everything’s settling down.”

  Barbara flashed her teeth, clearly trying to be helpful. “You know, I could hand you off to someone else—I don’t need to be here—but I’m totally free right now, and I know a friendly face is better than someone just carting you around for their job, so…seriously, let me know. If you want a fight, then we’ll go see a fight.”

  Rachel snorted, pressing her head against the cool glass, ears drooping forward. “Blunt and supportive. Careful, your saint is showing.”

  “Haha. Maybe it is,” the brunette laughed, texting someone on her phone quickly. “We can talk or sit in silence if you want. I’ve got someone who will probably be into that kind of thing that I can message while we wait.”

  Barbara smoothed her braid over her shoulder and began playing with her device, leaving Rachel to close her eyes, trying to release the tension compressing her chest. It didn’t take long for her to be chatting with someone, and she appeared to be getting positive results from her expression.

  “Hmm.” Figuring this woman was one of the few she could complain or talk to about most subjects, Rachel puffed out a hot stream of air. “Full confession, I do kind of want to kill Relica… She hurt so many people I love—hurt me in ways no one has—and that…makes me want to do something.”

  The legend glanced up from her phone before setting it in the cup holder and giving her undivided attention. “Hey, I may be called a saint, but you won’t get tears of sadness from me for putting a hole in that bitch’s chest.”

  “Glad to hear!” Rachel chuckled, pulling her own braid around to play with the end. “I can’t believe how connected everything is… It’s a little scary, if I’m being completely honest. Is this misfortune thing me or something else? Was it the cause of… No, never mind. Ugh. It doesn’t do any good to think about these kinds of things,” she mumbled with a sigh, closing her eyes as her ears folded forward.

  Barbara watched her for a second before resting against her seat. “Sounds like you need more sessions with Doctor Richard than with me, but…hey, if I’m reading the room properly, then working with the UK will get you closer to her anyway. Right? She doesn’t sound like the type to play by the rules for long.”

  “Not wrong,” Rachel slowly nodded. “Relica will mess up. Right now, she’s hiding behind her usefulness, but that will run out, and then she’ll try to escape. I’ll be there for it.”

  Rachel’s lips drew in as her vision opened, and she glanced at the legend. “Not my favorite way of doing things, but I know I can’t just pop off and do whatever I want. I can be patient. My paranoia tells me you’re probably on some secret side, plotting behind everyone’s back, Ms. Saint, but I don’t get a negative vibe from my misfortune…yet.”

  “Eh-hehe.” The woman rubbed her face and groaned. “You really don’t have a chill button, do you? I’m just a soldier that follows orders.”

  Rachel smirked and weakly shrugged her shoulders, trying not to let the sunlight keep her down. “I’ve always been that way, and that doesn’t mean you’re not a soldier in another force, following orders. No need to take it to heart,” she added, “I’m kind of all sorts of twisted right now… My entire world is falling apart in more ways than I can count.”

  “Okay then!” Barbara checked her phone for the address before connecting it to the car’s navigation system. “And in the meantime, let’s go check out the fight! It looks like one of my old Special Forces boys is in the city and can get us some last-minute extra seats. He’s big into MMA stuff. Well…heh, most of the Special Forces boys are. You good with ringside?”

  Jabbing her thumb at the wheelchair in the back, Rachel lifted an eyebrow. “Hell yeah. Do cripples get discounts?”

  They laughed, and the woman pulled away from the curb, the Marine starting them on a new topic that brought Rachel’s ears to the ceiling.

  “I saw pictures of you before The Oscillation; you had beef, girl. Check this out…”

  Rachel smirked as she took the legend’s offered phone, swiping through photos of what Barbara looked like before The Oscillation. It went without saying she’d catch dirty looks from a lot of women with the number of buff, handsome special forces dudes she was cozy with. “Damn. You were a bull yourself… What the hell happened?”

  Barbara snickered, keeping her eye on the road and seemingly scanning for ambushes or danger. “Probably the same thing that happened to you; I read your speculation on the matter. At the end of the day, girls have this suppressed desire to be girls. I don’t know; your theory is as good as any. All I know is that I turned into a supermodel.”

  Appreciating the distraction and effort the woman was putting in to steer her toward a positive angle, Rachel eyed the legend’s physique from the side; the woman’s rosary caught her attention.

  “You don’t seem to be all that sad about it since I can’t imagine you owning that dress with the size you were before. Something that did interest me was your desire to learn about Saint Barbara? I get she’s the Patron Saint of the Marine Corps, but why champion her yourself?”

  “Haha! True enough, I suppose,” she whispered, coming to a traffic light and slowing the SUV to look down at her stunning figure. “What made me want to learn more about Saint Barbara? Well, for one, I’ve always felt this need to feel more connected to God, had a die-hard atheist father who belittled my faith as a teen, and that made me pretty independent and confrontational about it.”

  Rachel drew in her lips, thinking about her mom’s beliefs as a shaman. “That sucks. I never liked others bullying people, be it for their skin color, beliefs, or anything else. I was never religious myself, but my mom’s pretty rooted in our culture back in Korea.”

  The legend shrugged. “It is what it is. He roasted me over the flames, I guess you could say…always attacking me in front of his audience and embarrassing me at school… I grew a thick skin from it that helped me in the military.”

  “Ah.” Rachel hugged herself, seeing Barbara in a new light as she got to know her. “So you joined the military to spite him and get away?”

  The woman forced a laugh. “Yeah, you could say that. I haven’t seen him since he beat me half to death when I was sixteen… I went to a big local church he’d been beefing with and been trying to expose, as he put it… The beating was why I started going to the gym. I didn’t want to feel powerless like that again.”

  Arms tightening around her shoulders, Rachel could never believe her parents physically laying a hand on her, much less her dad beating the shit out of her over something like that. Then again, maybe she should have gotten her ass kicked with how volatile she was; she was a complete bitch to a lot of people growing up.

  “I know you said it’s in the past, but damn… You ran away at sixteen, then?”

  Barbara nodded, a sad look in her eyes. “I tried to connect later when I was selected for special forces training, but he refused even to see me. I know it’s stupid. Why would I go back to my abusive father? I shouldn’t feel a thing…but it hurt nonetheless.”

  A lot of heat in Rachel’s belly started to subside due to the sobering topic. “People love to hate anything,” Rachel mumbled as they hit a bit of a traffic jam. “What about Saint Barbara specifically, though?”

  The woman hummed, a thoughtful smile now playing on the corner of her mouth. “Barbara was tough. She didn’t let criticism, an absolutely shitty, murderous father, or the fear of public punishment keep her down. She was bold, brave, and independent at a time when women were supposed to shut up and do what they were told. Her life spoke to me.”

  Rachel pondered her own change; it wasn’t anything like Barbara’s.

  Why did I change into a lunar hare? It’s not like I have any connection to them or the moon. Yet…I changed into this. Then again, Maria didn’t have much to do with unicorns, Fiona as a fairy, or Selvaria as a giant, terrorizing sea monster. Well, at least from what I know about them thus far. There seems to be a substantial difference between what made someone a legend or myth.

  “Thanks for sharing that with me… It helps me know a bit more about you. Respect.”

  Barbara chortled while bumping her fist as they neared the freeway. “As for when I changed. I was pretty freaked out about suddenly becoming…this at first, but he was a good friend. He got me out the other day when you were still down and out. He helped me feel a bit normal again, bumming around DC, but he left on deployment this morning to South Korea to support the wall in case anything happens.”

  “Huh.” On the swapping topic, Rachel had to be grateful for what she had. The light turned green, and they continued their drive, the display showing they were fifteen minutes out from their destination. “Do you see all of this going back to normal?”

  They both looked at the sidewalk, crowded with the people of Washington, DC, and its visitors. Almost everyone was bundled up for the chilly March weather, yet peppered amongst the crowd, it wasn’t so hard to spot a beastkin or some other unusual-looking figure. When they turned down the next street, their gaze was drawn to a three-meter-tall troll man who was wearing drapes as a robe.

  Barbara scratched her temple and shook her head. “Not even close. Will we adapt? I think so. Every week, the gawking and stares will get less and less, and this will become the new normal. Look! Our first aviary meet-up!”

  Rachel’s tension began to ease as she followed the woman’s finger to a pack of winged beastkin, who were hovering above a building and chatting with one another. “The bird watchers must be pissing themselves,” she joked.

  Falling silent for several seconds after a short laugh, the yellow-eyed woman gave her a brief glance before her smile grew. “Feeling better?”

  “A little,” she admitted, rubbing her elbow. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  Closing her eyes, Rachel leaned the seat back. “Know what, before we get on the freeway…maybe a large, crowded area isn’t where I need to be right now… Ugh. I can hear my mom’s inner voice telling me to get my tail back into bed. Hah-haaa.”

  Barbara shot her a quick look before pulling into the turn lane to take them back to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. “I’ll let my friend know he won’t have a pair of beautiful women with him at the show.”

  “What a tease,” Rachel laughed. “I guess I should have guessed a Marine could have fun, saint or not.”

  “Ah… Like I said, I’m pretty sure pop culture played a role in our change. On another note, I heard that you’ll be moved to the Blair House tonight—that place to the northwest of the White House. Usually, it’s where dignitaries stay. Dignitaries such as Arthur.”

  The news brought her mind back to the task at hand; it seemed the President was making the French and UK representatives available to her. “Sounds good.”

  On the drive back to the Eisenhower Building, Rachel let the soldier talk more about her experience serving in the Marine Corps Raider units. Her MARSOC stories about the hazing and fun they’d get up to helped to brighten her mood. Being the only female on the squad usually gave her a ton of power over the dudes. It was rare for her to meet a woman who was as physically active as her, and it was nice seeing things from an older woman’s point of view.

  When arriving at her makeshift hotel, Rachel’s agitation had mostly melted away; misfortune was still in her favor regarding Relica; the woman was still a terrorist at the end of the day. Her time would come.

  Getting out of the vehicle to plop her tired tail in the wheelchair Barbara brought out, she smiled as the legend started down a new topic. “I get the feeling you’re not the type of girl to sit on her butt, so…when you’re up for it, I’m good to go out jogging or something.”

  Lifting an eyebrow as the saint wheeled her toward the lobby, Rachel lifted her ears to see if her mother was in earshot; she was not, and Nia’s distance should have been a telling sign. On the other hand, her brother was in her room, and her father and grandfather were at a nearby restaurant discussing The Oscillation.

  “Workout friends, huh? I don’t suppose I’ll be able to snipe you away from the Marines for the private sector?” she asked with an innocent smile.

  “Haha! Nice try, but I’m afraid if that pans out, I’ll be the one keeping tabs on you.”

  “Fair. I had to ask because you’re too good not to receive the offer.”

  “Aww. Thanks,” Barbara chimed, nodding at a man who opened the door for them. “You do make for a great soldier yourself.”

  Her gaze drifted to everyone staring at them on the way to the elevators. How many of them were spies? Probably more than a few.

  “As for the exercise plans, give it a few days, and I’m sure I’ll be up to start hanging out. If you want to set something up for us, I’m sure Nia would love a good routine and to make new soldier friends.”

  “Just the three of us?” Barbara asked, wheeling them around a small group of people that had exited the elevators. “I could send an invitation to Jeanne or Arthur if you wanted them to join, but I expect we’ll be going out at the dead of night for you.”

  Rachel scratched her left ear. “I’ll probably get the chance soon to meet them one-on-one. For now, just plan on the three of us… I’d invite Scarlet, but it honestly doesn’t sound like her thing. Plus, it’s a good thing that she’s bonding with Alexa and my mom; the more people she’s around, the better.”

  She tilted her head to the side, thinking about the others in the group; she needed to network. “On second thought, maybe Anthony, Maria, and Fiona could join.”

  Barbara chuckled upon entering the elevator with her, not bothering to expel anyone since they weren’t in a major hurry. “The fairy can stretch her wing muscles. I can see it… No, I’ve heard she’s been having a rough time with not being able to contact her family. It would be good to include her. Selvaria?” she asked, pressing the button to go up.

  “Pfft!” Rachel almost choked upon thinking about the leviathan girl who had dropped out of a helicopter to belly-flop in shallow waters not a few days previous. “I’m sure she’d love to if she could physically handle it.”

  “Haha. True. She does seem to have some issues on land, the poor girl. I’d bet a year’s salary that she’d smoke any of us in the water.”

  “No doubt… Maybe we can swap it up and swim for some exercises early on,” Rachel offered. “It’ll be less taxing on my body than running if I can work into it.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  They paused as the elevator came to a stop, allowing most of the occupants to exit; several gave them curious glances, but their journey upward soon continued unhindered.

  “I’ll look into it,” Barbara promised, referring to their previous topic as they neared the top floor. “Anyway, I’ll leave you with your family. Thanks for being friendly.”

  “Ditto.” Exiting the elevator, the legend wheeled her forward and stopped outside her room; she caught sight of her brother on his tablet inside. Rachel lifted a fist for the legend to bump as her brother noticed her and jogged around her bed to take over. “Catch you later, Soldier Girl. Thanks for being my legs.”

  “Anytime.”

  Turning away from the dressy saint, Rachel almost felt cleansed, making her half wonder if Barbara had used some kind of stealthy purifying Feat on her.

  “ ‘sup, Nam?”

  “Hey, Sis. You okay?” He wheeled her to her bed before pushing down the brakes. “You don’t need any water or food, right—ehhh, moonlight?”

  She let out a hearty laugh, a welcome change to the atmosphere she’d been in recently and to lighten up her mood. “Bro, I’m not dying. Chill.”

  She snickered at her big brother’s sudden attention as he helped her get into bed.

  “Sorry,” he sighed, showing a more casual expression upon shutting the door and taking a seat their mother usually occupied. “It’s hard to get used to seeing you like this. You know, Mom can’t stop talking about how cute it is when your ears twitch when you sleep.”

  “Embarrassing is on brand for her,” Rachel laughed, settling in and pulling her thick braid atop her front. “Haaa. I have a bit of time to chat before I need to do some skill stuff.”

  “Oh? I’m game,” he said, leaning back and crossing his legs. “I’m guessing you already know what Mom and Dad are doing. Alexa loves Scarlet, and I can tell Nia has piqued her interest. Hah. I’m still getting over living clothes—pretty, by the way,” he added, nodding at her new outfit. “Fits your new elegant look.”

  Rachel gave her brother an impish smirk. “So I wasn’t elegant before, huh?”

  “Pfft. Sis, you were a total meathead. Sure, you had moves, but grace wouldn’t be the word I used.”

  “Ouch! Bro, where’s the abuse? Lay off!” she teased. “Haha. No, seriously, hot take… Alexa isn’t that bad. You know, for a vegan shut-in with absolutely no redeemable qualities.”

  Nam leaned to the side, left eye narrowing as he held a fist up to his mouth. “Are you…high right now? You’re cool with Alexa?”

  Rachel’s ears tilted to the left with her head. “I mean, cool is not the word I would use, but…tolerant and open to learning more is acceptable.”

  “No lie?” her brother mumbled, sitting straighter.

  “No lie! Enlighten me about your wife, Nam,” she said, showing a genuine smile. “I’ve been seeing all sorts of things in a new light recently. I hear she likes anime like Scarlet. Yuck! Haha. Get that Japanese crap outta here!”

  Nam snorted. “Yeah, that’s you, bashing on the Jap culture.”

  “Humph. Korean culture is so much better,” Rachel grumbled, looking off to the side. “Everyone always hypes up Japan, though. Screw off!”

  Laughing with her brother, she rubbed the back of her neck and sat back. “No, I’m an asshole. I shouldn’t be hating on other cultures… I suck.”

  Giving her an appraising stare, Nam grunted.

  “What?” she asked, ears tilting to the left at the weird look he gave her.

  “No, it’s just… You’ve changed, Sis… In a good way,” he added, as her left eye narrowed. “You’re calmer, yet somehow kept that fighting spirit. I like it.”

  “Thanks,” Rachel whispered, vision tilting left as she heard Jeanne ambush Barbara outside the building, wanting to grab something to eat.

  She still wasn’t sure what to make of the saints, France, or the UK Knights of the Round that were coming into the picture, but what she could enjoy was spending some one-on-one time with her brother.

  It was the first time she’d actively wanted to learn more about the only blonde member of their family. As it turned out, Alexa had a ton of insecurities, and part of those reasons was due to how active the family was; she felt like a loser, a moocher of a wife, who couldn’t do anything right.

  She took everyone’s active lifestyle, barely seeing each other throughout much of the day, to mean she wasn’t liked. However, part of that may be due to Rachel making her thoughts on that matter absolutely clear from the start. No one, except for Nam, appreciated any activities she had and, ironically, Alexa didn’t even like to share some of them in the first place because they embarrassed her.

  Scarlet seemed to be a breath of fresh air since it was the first time Alexa had someone beside Nam with whom she could connect. Self-isolated in Nam and her room, the blonde hadn’t known how to approach them, despite her brother’s coaching.

  Smiling as she watched Nam talk about his wife, Rachel felt her worldview expanding. Perhaps it was the Feats Cerridwen provided, but she had been very self-absorbed before now. Alexa felt like a leeching homebody because that was the box she put her in, which was ironic since she hated being put into a box.

  “You really love her, don’t you?” she whispered, catching her brother’s tongue halfway through his explanation about her attempts to do online schooling.

  “Umm, of course, I do,” Nam snorted. “Why would I ask her to marry me if I didn’t? Sure, she’s not the perfect girl in the traditional sense, but she takes all the stress from work and melts it away. It’s what drew me to her whenever we’d be at her dad’s place going over his tax records and finances.”

  Holding her arm over her eyes, Rachel sighed. “Honestly…my stupid brain jumped to the conclusion that it was arranged like Mom and Dad. I think I was just angry that I was supposed to care about someone else…”

  Peeking out, she saw the confused look on her big brother’s face, and her pride was a dagger digging into her side, yet she’d never been one not to say what was on her mind.

  “I think I have some issues, Nam. I’m scared to let people in… I’m afraid I’ll get hurt again, but at the same time, recently, I’ve learned that I do need to rely on people, no matter how strong or driven I am. So…I’m sorry about the way I treated Alexa.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling a weight falling off her chest. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to see if we can find any common interests.”

  Her brother seemed too stunned to respond, so she quickly added, “Eh-heh, not that I’ve heard much we could connect on. You know animated stuff isn’t my thing, even movies, in general, since it feels like a waste of time—and cosplay is a no, her taste in music is trash, and she’s a lot more timid than I’d—wait…”

  Nam laughed, giving her a slow shake of his head. “Are you sure you’re still my headstrong sister?”

  Rachel gave a weak shrug before rubbing her face. “Who knows? Hah. I’m feeling kind of exhausted right now. I think I need to rest, which sucks since Mom, Scarlet, and everyone are coming back.”

  He nodded and got to his feet. “I’ll let them know you want to rest.”

  Pausing at the door, he turned and said, “You know, Alexa is far from timid, but judging everyone by your assertive nature isn’t fair. Alexa has expressed that she wants to start going to the gym; she’s too afraid of you to ask—hell, I can be intimidated by you sometimes—so if you want to mend bridges, just treat her like a person.”

  “Are vegans people?” she joked.

  “Haha. I promise she won’t pester you about eating meat. Alex panicked and got defensive about you criticizing her, and it was the first thing that blurted out of her mouth. Later, she cried about it to me, saying, ‘She never wanted to be that vegan.’ She hates whenever you bring it up and has been making an effort to be respectful.”

  Rachel held two fingers to her temple to acknowledge the statement as her brother smacked the door frame a few times before waving and leaving her with her thoughts.

  Settling in, she felt a lot lighter despite the somewhat serious topic; she could tell her brother was a little hurt to hear she thought he’d marry a girl just for business. Rachel wanted to set her life straight, though. She had to confront her flaws because that was who she was.

  If she were weak in an area, it wouldn’t be for long because she was dedicated to self-improvement; it was how she’d constructed her life, only now she was seeing things from a new angle that forced her to realign where her values were.

  All of her inner turmoil regarding Relica simmered down, allowing her a moment of peace. Now was the time to answer a goddess’ knock at the door while she was in a calm state of mind.

  Closing her eyes, she entered her inner world, allowing her body to rest. Consciousness pulling in, she opened her eyes in a cute, girly bed that Little Nia had decorated. In the stillness of the shared space between Nia and her, Rachel tilted her head to get a better look at the white-haired personification still resting beside her.

  She smiled when she saw an IV and medical device that wasn’t attached near the bed, the girl probably getting the idea from their stay at the hospital. Nia really was trying to be helpful. Forcing herself against the headboard, she studied the wall above the rabbit’s much smaller bed, littered with colorful crayon drawings that depicted their epic adventure in the Legend Quest.

  “Hey, you there, Nia?” she whispered aloud. “How much time do you have left?”

  “Less than ten minutes. Why? Do you need me to return?”

  “Probably.” Her status menu opened up, showing her level. “I’m going to accept the offer Chang’e made. I don’t know what will happen, and…the Bunny Gang Feat that you have is also a blessing from her. I must have been out of it if I didn’t see that detail.”

  “One moment. I’m saying goodbye to everyone.”

  “Take your time,” Rachel snickered. “We have a whole ten minutes.”

  “Plenty.”

  Swapping to the resources they had, Rachel browsed her available Feats that she could select from. When she went up to Level 10, she’d been given four equipable points to invest into her switchable Feats. Currently, all of them only required a single point, but in the future, it was obvious some might take two slots.

  Rachel wasn’t totally sure if she should be doing this yet; she had to be careful of what stress she put on her soul. Eostre’s comment about Conner inside the Black Moon made it obvious that the Seeds were not granting them these powers but were refining and supporting their spirits. Even if stripped out of them, the progress the Seeds made would remain.

  Right now, she had five Equipable Feats:

  - [Lunar Burst]

  + [Mental Acceleration]

  + [Strategic Mind]

  + [Lunar Spike]

  + [Lunar Amplification]

  She’d taken off [Lunar Burst] in order to make room for [Lunar Amplification]. If she wanted to add the blessed Feat Chang’e was providing, then she would have to deactivate another. Her gaze drifted down to the ability.

  [Blessed Lunar Grace I - Use 2% of [Lunar Pool] to create a lunar platform that will dissipate over five seconds. Current Charges: 5/5 Recharge Rate: 20 seconds. When used beneath any Positive or Neutral moon, it changes properties, halves cost, doubles charges, and reduces recharge rate by half. Passively increases all Dexterity Stats by one point.]

  Rachel’s focus shifted to Nia as she materialized, wearing a black, pleated suit dress, complete with lapel. It fit nicely with its white themes and her pink-hued hair. “Fancy. I’m guessing this is the business outfit my mom had in mind for more formal attire?”

  “It is,” the rabbit absently responded, pulling up her own status menus. “On to the subject at hand, [Lunar Grace] could provide us with a lot of maneuverability options, as well as prove useful in everyday life. [Lunar Spike] I feel you need in case of an ‘oh-shit’ moment, while [Strategic Mind] and [Mental Acceleration] are staples that can’t be removed, which leaves…”

  “[Lunar Amplification],” Rachel sighed. “I don’t want to put it on the bench, but not only does [Lunar Grace] give three whole Stat Points, but under the moon, we can abuse it. Not to mention what Feat Extension we might get once I do take it.”

  Nia got up to lean against her bed, pointing at a section. “I’m interested in this ‘changed properties’ bit that activates under various moons. I doubt it would be negative. Basically, it has an innate multiplier that can be activated under various moonlight. It really is a hard one to pass on.”

  “Unless…” Rachel rubbed her temple, a grimace coming on. “It may have good stuff under Positive and Neutral moons, but what about Negative? Maybe it could stop working completely if I activate the Hell Moon, or maybe it gives me a negative affix… Still, I don’t see why we shouldn’t take it. Everything else pales in comparison to the raw bonuses this gives.”

  Accepting the Feat, Rachel felt a warm resonance within her that expanded outward, and a bright light condensed into a small, silver rabbit on the chair Nia often used. She expected Moongmor’s hyperactive voice, yet the tone was calm and feminine as the bunny bowed her head.

  “I thank you for taking my mistress’ invitation, Lady Rachel. Allow me to introduce myself.” Another flare of white hues coalesced into a silver-haired young Chinese woman, dressed modestly in a gray, black, and white hanfu, dotted with gold rabbit patterns and floral designs. “I am Mei, Chief Secretary of My Lady’s Lower Lunar Court.”

  Rachel observed the radiant lunar animal-turned-human. “Mei, like the month. It’s a cute name, and if I’m getting my Mandarin correct, it means something along the lines of flower or elegant, right?”

  “Indeed it does,” Mei stated, ruby eyes drifting to Nike before returning to her. “Mmm. I can only stay for a short time without harming you ladies. So, I will be brief. By using Nike’s leaking ichor, you will be able to use the gift My Mistress has granted you, Lady Nia. By creating living pockets of moonlight, the summoned rabbits may absorb and metabolize Neutral Energy.”

  Ears flying up at the implication, Rachel swapped to Nia’s Feats, looking at the one in question. “It costs a chunk of Lunar Energy to create one, but it can rebuild over time? Does this work with Negative Energy, as well?”

  Mei gave a grave nod. “It does. However, realize that you must keep such force away from Nike, as you have separated your Pools. Those Negative bunnies cannot enter a space Nike is in, or it will damage her. Now, I must go.” Offering another graceful bow, she slipped her hands inside her long sleeves. “I will make contact again when you are more recovered. Rest well, My Ladies.”

  Rachel had a million more questions but figured this was just the introduction. “Haaa. Let’s take the Feat, Nia.”

  The soldier frowned, tapping the Feat and scrutinizing its text. “If I add another Synchro Point to bind our spirits tighter together, then I can get enough space to add another room for the buns. Also, this will cost all of my Feat Points. Should we save my Style Points for my next Grade Advancement to get a 6th Lunar Pool?”

  “Probably,” Rachel agreed, scratching at the base of her tail as an itch came on. “We shouldn’t start with the Unique Moons, either. How many can we make?”

  Nia activated it, ears drooping a bit. “One, at the first Grade, and we’ll need to feed it 50% of a Lunar Pool to create the Soldier Bun… They even have Classes. Interesting.”

  Directing her Living Denier to the door, she said, “Alright. Before you change, set up a new room and create it using the Greater Harvest Moon. It should start rebuilding the energy for us over the next few weeks, and we can test out how it works before moving to the bigger moons.”

  “On it.” The suit-wearing rabbit got up, focus lingering on the area Mei had been. “Do you think your mother may be able to help to communicate with them over a longer period of time?”

  Rachel’s tail stiffened. “Maybe…but we’ll get to that bridge when it comes. I still need to have a chat with her.”

  “Understood. Until tomorrow, Major,” Nia said with a casual salute. “It’s been really fun.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” she said after the bunny’s exit to decorate a new room.

  Silence came over the area as Rachel swapped screens to the Feat Extension options, and a smile brightened her lips. “[Divine Lunar Grace: Flash Step]… Allows the user to consume five charges to create an after image that will burst into lunar petals and instantly phase through space up to 3 meters. Huh. Well, that could be useful, and once upgraded, it could be a real problem for an opponent.”

  Having flashbacks to the teleportation-like ability she had under Hell’s Moon—the one that instantly closed the distance between Relica and her—Rachel couldn’t pass it up.

  [Lunar Pool - Advanced to A-tier]

  [Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to E-tier]

  [Lunar Coat - Advanced to D-tier]

  [Bestial Instincts - Advanced to C-tier]

  [Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to E-tier]

  [Strategic Mind - Advanced to C-tier]

  “Select. And what’s this? I guess my Tiers advanced over the last few hours. Nice. I guess Nia is doing her thing, too. Now for the two Stats…”

  She stared at her Dexterity, with each sub-stat increased by one due to [Lunar Grace]:

  Speed: 4 (3+1)

  Agility: 2 (1+1)

  Quickness: 4 (3+1)

  Rachel considered putting it into Agility to even out her Dexterity since a balance was necessary, but she couldn’t overlook her Defense, Energy, and Force. She made her choice:

  +1 Power: 3

  +1 Endurance: 2

  Closing her sheet, she summoned her hammer across her lap, the weight pressing her down as she examined the crystal and smooth metal. She had a weapon, and she had very high Dexterity due to the multiplier on all its substats being Extremely High.

  Toughness was at High, and would be important if she were fist-fighting instead of using her hammer. She saw it in a one-to-three ratio to her Dexterity Stats; her opinion might change in the future, but for now it was fine with its single point.

  Her fight against the hobgoblin had totally drained her, whereas under the Unique Moons, she never once had trouble with her Stamina; if she had petered out due to her energy, the Legend Quest would have been impossible.

  That made Endurance a much more important substat to consider, given how quickly she could tire out without a Unique Moon’s influence. Moving it from Below Average to Above Average had certainly made things easier from Anthony’s quest to Conner’s Legend Quest. Hopefully, the two points would see a significant return.

  Then again, her Power multiplier was also Very High, and during the competition, she could feel the difference in her Stats between the various moon enhancements, especially the Blood Moon, when she’d practically been a demigoddess. The three points she’d spent on it should make an impact, and exponentially more when under more powerful moons.

  Dismissing her hammer and opening her screen again, Rachel settled in to bite into what she’d learned thus far. There was far more to this System than it wanted to show them, and she set herself to uncover every last one of its secrets. If she couldn’t work on herself for a week or two, then at the very least, she could come up with a plan to draw people into her new organization.

  However, her time dried up swiftly since her mother returned thirty minutes after Nia reverted back to her child-like state. And, despite her tired mind and body, there had been something nagging at her that pushed her to have answers.

  It was time to confront her mother about her side of the family, and these spirits she channeled that upset her grandmother enough to disown her. It was time for answers.