Chapter 59 – "Cheers"
The evening air carried the rich scent of sizzling meat, blending with the faint aroma of spices and charcoal. The soft clinking of cutlery echoed through the modest dining hall as Moon, Kai, James, Ruby, and Minji gathered around the wooden table. A soft amber light from the overhead lanterns cast warm shadows across their faces, bathing the room in a golden hue.
It was a rare moment of peace.
Each of them reached slowly for their plates, letting the warm steam hit their faces. Meat juices dripped from thick slices of grilled beast cuts—seasoned with spices native to the Human Expanse Base. The texture was charred outside, soft and juicy inside. Their first bites were met with a collective silence—one that signaled not discomfort, but appreciation.
Moon was the quietest, unusual of himself at different times but usual for him during eating. He didn't speak a word. He just ate, focused and efficient, but not cold. His green eyes remained sharp even while chewing, darting between everyone and the window behind them, ever alert.
Kai, seated beside him in crisp yellow, elegantly sliced his portion with practiced ease. His posture straight, almost princely, but his expression was more human than usual—softened by the scent of good food and the company of familiar faces.
James was the first to break the silence. He set down his fork with a soft clink and leaned forward. His voice carried a playful undertone.
"Before Kai-hyung drowns himself in alcohol again," he smirked, elbowing Kai lightly, "there's something I need to tell everyone."
Kai raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. "I only drowned once," he said dryly.
Ruby chuckled under her breath, brushing a strand of her black hair behind her ear, while Minji leaned forward curiously.
The table quieted as the teasing tone faded. James's face shifted—smile thinning, eyes growing still. Serious now.
"I'm not just saying this for drama," he began. "But starting tomorrow… Ruby-noona, Minji -noona , and I will be leaving."
Moon finally glanced up from his plate, not startled, but attentive. A hint of meat still hung from his chopsticks, forgotten.
Kai's brows furrowed slightly. "Leaving? Where?"
James exhaled. "It's part of a joint initiative. The Hale Clan, the Xiao Clan, and Lee Enterprises are collaborating—for the first time in nearly two centuries. They're building an elite training division to prepare for the next Grand Tournament. Only those with high evaluation rankings or unique potential were chosen."
Ruby nodded softly. "It's been in the talks for a while. They finalized everything two weeks ago."
Minji added, "We weren't allowed to say anything until the official order was issued. It came through this morning."
James leaned back in his chair, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. "Minimum two years. Maximum… maybe four. Depending on how far we go."
The room went silent again, but not uncomfortably so. It was the kind of quiet that came when people processed something important—when they realized a shared time was ending, if only temporarily.
"That's also why I arranged this little get-together tonight," James continued, a trace of softness in his voice. "Call it a farewell party… but also a celebration. The next step in our evolution is here. This training… it'll focus heavily on unlocking our bloodline transformations."
Kai leaned back, folding his arms, his expression sharpening. "Bloodline transformation…" he repeated, almost to himself. His eyes moved to Ruby, then Minji, then back to James. "So tell me—how exactly does one unlock something like that?"
The question wasn't rhetorical.
Moon, too, had stopped eating entirely now. His green gaze moved to Ruby, expectant. The room, once filled with casual conversation and sizzling sounds, now seemed to hold its breath.
Ruby looked thoughtful. "It's… not straightforward," she said slowly. "Bloodline transformations usually depend on a mix of factors. The biggest one is potential and efforts."
Moon's jaw tightened at the word. A ghost of a memory brushed against him—the moment the president of the Alhuwalia Clan pronounced his and Kai's potential as null.
> "Talentless," they had whispered.
He pushed the memory down and focused.
Ruby continued, her voice gentle, but firm. "That said—it's not like people without high potential are doomed. You can still awaken your transformation. You just… need to work much harder than others."
Moon's gaze dropped to his hands. Hard work… That's all we've done since being thrown out. All Kai and I have. He didn't speak, but his silence carried weight.
Minji picked up the thread. "Actually, bloodline transformation is possible for almost anyone. It's not limited to the 'elite.' But everyone's path is different. And effort—real effort—is what sets them apart."
Kai leaned forward slightly. "What kind of effort are we talking about here?"
James's voice was calm but firm. "It usually takes pushing your body and soul to the edge. Sometimes it happens during life-or-death battles. Other times it's triggered by overwhelming emotion—fear, pain, excitement, rage. The kind of raw moments where the real 'you' gets exposed."
Kai nodded slowly, absorbing every word.
Then, a new thought surfaced. He looked directly at James. "What about our… Vajra Body and Asphaleios Body? Are those bloodline transformations?"
James hesitated for a moment, thoughtful. "Hmm. I wouldn't call them that… at least not in the traditional sense. Bloodline transformations vary a lot. Some people just get glowing eyes. Others—like the Alhuwalia Clan—undergo full physical metamorphosis."
He turned toward Moon and Kai. "The Alhuwalia transformation is called Oni Mode.
James leaned back, his eyes narrowing like he was recalling a nightmare.
"Alhuwalia Clan? They're… different. Not just strong—inhuman."
He tapped the side of his head.
"Their transformation… it's something else entirely. When it activates, both their arms and legs—everything below the waist—turn dark crimson. Not just red, but molten, glowing red… like living metal pulled straight out of a god's forge."
He flexed his fingers, as if imagining monstrous limbs.
"And the craziest part? Those red zones… they're not fixed. They can , reshape. Ten arms, winged blades, living tentacles, even complete morphing weapons—they can form anything they imagine. Their body becomes the weapon."
His voice dropped lower.
"And their face... red markings appear. Not random. Sharp, ancient—like forgotten runes etched into skin. Their hair turns bluish white, almost glowing… like moonlight trapped in frozen silk."
He exhaled slowly, clearly uneasy.
"It's not just power. It's like their very existence was built for war. Their transformation doesn't say 'I'm strong.' It says… 'I am evolution. I am fear.'"
He gestured to himself. "In the Lee Family, our transformation makes the body bulk up massively. Skin turns pinkish-white, and strange purplish veins appear all over—like markings. Only one eye remains visible, stretched large and glowing. Our hair spikes and grows to the waist."
Ruby added, "Hale Clan transformations aren't as… grotesque. Our hair turns to fire, and our clothes go black. It's more elemental than physical."
Minji smiled. "And in the Xiao Clan, angelic wings appear. Usually white, sometimes black. The wings represent the blood purity."
Kai nodded slowly. He and Moon exchanged another glance—both deep in thought.
"So…" Kai muttered, "these special bodies we have… they're something else entirely."
James gave a small nod. "Yeah. They're different. Very rare. But not unheard of."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You should keep them hidden. At least for now."
Moon narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
James tapped the table. "Because people fear what they don't understand. A special body that can be achieved very randomly ? That's not something the clans would accept easily."
Moon and Kai both went quiet at that.
Because that's exactly what had happened.
> They had died.
Crushed. Torn. Burned.
Their minds slipping into eternal darkness.
And yet… something brought them back.
Not just alive. Reborn. Changed.
Maybe that's why no one else has this body, Kai thought. Because no one else came back.
James took a sip of his drink, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as if trying to lighten the heavy mood that had settled over them. He leaned back in his chair with a grin that barely masked the weight of what had just been said.
"Anyway," he said with forced cheer, "enough of this heavy talk. We leave tomorrow morning, not for war—and yet everyone's acting like someone died."
There was a silence. Not awkward, but reflective.
Then, with practiced ease, James reached for a bottle of dark liquor and began pouring into each glass with a carefree rhythm, trying to recapture a bit of festivity. The sound of liquid splashing broke the stillness.
But before he could fill Moon's glass, Moon quietly reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, matte-black bottle. Without a word, he popped the cap, and poured a thick, warm white liquid into his own glass.
James paused mid-pour, blinking. "Wait—what's that?"
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Is that… milk?"
Minji leaned closer, squinting. "No, it's warm soy milk…?"
Kai burst into laughter, unable to hold it in. "Ah, of course. Classic Moon."
Moon, expression steady, didn't even glance up. He simply swirled the milk inside the beer glass like it were the finest wine. "Alcohol ruins the tongue," he said flatly. "So I stopped wasting my tongue on it."
Ruby smirked, amused. "You're so weird."
Minji tilted her head, smiling. "Honestly, it suits you."
Moon finally looked up, eyes gleaming with quiet mischief. He lifted his glass just slightly. "Then don't waste the toast."
For a second, the room went silent. And then—
Laughter.
Real, warm laughter.
The kind that softened sharp edges.
Kai raised his glass high. "To survival."
James followed. "To transformation."
Ruby added, "To strength."
Minji smiled. "To friendship."
And Moon, still holding the milk like it were a royal brew, spoke calmly.
"To the path ahead."
They clinked their mismatched glasses—beer, soda, soy milk—all different. Like them. Different beginnings. Different fates.
But here, for a moment, they were one.
Five voices echoed at once.
"Cheers."
To be continued.