Chapter 368 — There’s More

Edrin, Ronan, Lysa, Ariana, Zavier, they all knew.

Damian had told them months ago what potions were really made from. They were made in the labs, but the raw materials were from the beasts.

Luna looked confused, glancing between them.

Milena’s professional mask slipped for half a second, something calculating passing through her eyes before the smile returned.

"It seems you’re quite well-informed, Mr. Valcor. But I’m afraid some matters are confidential." Her tone stayed pleasant but firm. "Trade secrets, you understand."

She reached into her spatial ring, pulling out five vials filled with swirling golden liquid, meant for the five who survived the portal.

"These are Breakthrough Potions." She set them on the table with care. "For anyone below A rank experiencing a bottleneck, accumulated enough Aura but unable to break through, these will help. They’re not mass-produced and are very rare... So, I suggest using them only when necessary."

Damian picked up one vial, studying the liquid. "...Can we purchase more?"

"I’m afraid not, Mr. Valcor." Milena’s voice carried genuine regret. "Most production is reserved by the military and Imperial families. What I’ve given you represents a significant allocation."

Damian set the vial down carefully. "Are you an alchemist yourself?"

Milena’s expression shifted to something like pride. "I am... Though not as accomplished as some of my colleagues."

She produced a business card from nowhere, sliding it across the table.

"There’s one more thing." Her voice went more serious. "The Chairman asked me to deliver this personally."

Her hand waved, and a sealed box materialized. It was made up of a back metal, roughly the size of a jewelry box.

She passed it to Damian with both hands, her movements respectful.

"This is a treasure found only in stabilized portals. But even then, it’s extremely rare... The Chairman felt you’d earned it."

’Chairman...’

Damian took the box, his fingers running over the smooth surface.

He stored it in his spatial ring without opening it. "Thank you."

Milena stood up, smoothing her suit. "I should be going. Congratulations again on your... survival."

Robert escorted her out, the door closing with a soft click.

The moment she was gone, the tension broke.

"Death Cult, Breakthrough Potions, Mystery boxes..." Ronan shook his head. "Normal day in Boss’s life."

Damian ignored him, pulling one of the potions toward himself, then slid it across the table to Ariana.

"This one’s yours."

Ariana’s hand stopped it. "I can’t–"

"I don’t face bottlenecks." Damian’s voice came out flat and factual. "You might need it more than me... Take it."

Ariana looked like she wanted to argue, but something in Damian’s expression stopped her, so she took the vial with a small nod.

Damian stood, exhaustion finally showing in the set of his shoulders.

"I need some rest. If nothing major happens, don’t contact me." He looked at Edrin. "You’re in charge of the council until Elizabeth is back."

Edrin nodded and Damian walked to the door.

As he left, Ariana looked at the breakthrough potion in her hand.

The golden liquid swirled slowly, catching light.

She thought about Damian saying he didn’t face bottlenecks, and wondered if that was true or if he just didn’t want to admit he was giving away something valuable.

Either way, she’d use it well.

That was the only thank you he’d accept.

****

The second-year dormitory was quiet in that specific way that only came after midnight, when even the students who usually stayed up training had finally given in.

Damian lay on his back in the dark, one arm over his eyes.

He’d been asleep for maybe two hours.

Then his eyes opened.

Whoosh

He was moving before the thought formed fully, body reacting to something his conscious mind hadn’t processed yet. He crossed the room in two steps, hand already on the door handle.

He pulled it open.

And Luna stood in the hallway with her hand raised, about to knock.

"..."

Neither of them moved.

She lowered her hand slowly.

He looked at her, then past her down the empty corridor, then back at her face.

’How did she even–’

He stepped aside as Luna walked in, and he closed the door behind her.

****

She dragged the desk chair over and sat down facing him as he settled back onto the bed, back against the wall.

He waited for her to speak, but she remained silent.

The room was dark except for the ambient light coming through the curtains, just enough to see her face clearly.

Her posture was perfect even now, even here in the middle of the night in the second-year dormitory, her black hair falling straight and her silver eyes steady.

But her hands were clasped in her lap a little too tightly.

’She is troubled by something...’

"...What are you doing here at this hour?" His voice came out calmly. "Shouldn’t you be in your dormitory?"

"The staff lady at the entrance was very nice." Luna’s voice was conversational. "She just let me through."

Damian looked at her for a long moment. Then his hand went to his face, pressing the heel of his palm against his eyes.

"Your Saintly Presence sub-skill is genuinely horrifying."

Luna shrugged.

"I have questions."

"Questions that couldn’t wait until morning."

"...I couldn’t sleep."

He dropped his hand and looked at her. Her silver eyes were steady. But he’d grown up watching those eyes, knew the difference between her composure and her calm, knew which one this was.

This wasn’t calm.

"...What is it?"

"I talked to Yara..." Her voice changed slightly. "She told me everything, about your arm and your leg." Her hands tightened in her lap, knuckles going pale. "You didn’t tell us any of that this afternoon."

"...It healed."

"That’s not what I asked."

He held her gaze and said nothing.

Luna’s chin dropped slightly, and then she continued.

"I don’t even want to start on why you put yourself in danger for Elizabeth in the first place..." She looked up. "But there’s something that’s been bothering Yara... And me. And probably the others if they thought about it."

She paused.

"There was a physical domain over that area and all communications were blocked... So how did you know she was in danger?"

The room went quiet.

’Sigh... I guess it’s time.’

Damian looked at the ceiling as he made up his mind.

Then he opened the drawer again and produced a bottle of Phoenix and a glass, setting them on the table. He poured deliberately, holding Luna’s gaze the whole time.

"The topic requires me to have something." He picked up the glass. "Don’t mind me."

He drank as Luna watched him. Then she extended her hand toward him across the gap between chair and bed.

’Is she–’

But what appeared in her palm wasn’t a glass. It was a covered plate, pulled from her own spatial ring. She leaned forward and set it in front of him on the mattress.

"I brought your dinner... You didn’t eat enough this afternoon."

Something moved through Damian’s chest, quick, before he could stop it.

’She even brought food...’

He picked up the fork without a word.

They sat in comfortable quiet while he ate. Luna didn’t push, just watched him with her chin on her arms, her eyes steady.

When he set the fork down, he looked at the far wall.

"You remember what I told the family about my past life."

"Yes."

"There’s more to it." A pause. "A lot more."