"Hmm... Doctor, is this all that needs moving?" The man handed his tablet to Bai Ya. "Could you confirm, please?"

"Thanks for your hard work." Bai Ya glanced at the screen and tapped confirm. "Just send it to the new base. You should have the location."

"Understood. I'll report it." He tucked the tablet away, subtly eyeing Yue Ge still wrestling with Little Ash. "Also... they asked me to tell you everything's set. Testing can start anytime at the nearest base."

"Got it." Bai Ya said nothing more. She pulled on her hat, tucking all her white hair underneath. Thankfully, autumn had arrived—wearing this wouldn't be too hot.

That snowy hair was far too eye-catching. Even in a hoodie, she wore a wig over it. After all, she didn't plan to head straight to the station. A little stroll first made this prep necessary.

The man stayed silent. He locked the cargo boxes and returned to the driver's seat. He'd handled everything alone—from start to finish. Yue Ge and Bai Ya just watched.

"Wait, the moving company's called 'Heavenly Mandate'?" Yue Ge frowned at the bold letters on the truck. "Kinda makes the Organization feel cheap, honestly."

"Just a department under them," Bai Ya explained. "The Organization runs many businesses, but most stay hidden..." She turned, noticing Yue Ge's disheveled state. No visible injuries, but he clearly wasn't fine. "What happened?"

Yue Ge glanced at the cat carrier in his hand, then looked away. "Nothing."

He couldn't admit Little Ash had shredded him trying to get stuffed inside. If he hadn't reacted fast, he'd be more than just messy—those claws had come out. Still, this little scuffle showed him the Essence's effect. Before, Little Ash's wild face-scratching would've scarred him for life.

And this was just passive enhancement. If he activated Essence like Bai Ya did? The boost would be terrifying. But yesterday, she'd warned him: never try activating it. Essence was dangerously unstable. Mess with it before adapting, and you'd die.

She hadn't explained how to adapt, though. Probably not time yet. He sensed her caution. Yue Ge had no memory of yesterday after drinking that Essence bottle. Waking up at night, he'd seen cracks on the streets and guessed what happened.

Bai Ya crouched by the carrier. "Misbehave again, and I'll confiscate your cat food."

"Meow." Little Ash lay limp inside, calling listlessly.

"Let's go." Bai Ya stood.

"You always get it in like this?" Yue Ge followed, lugging the carrier. Their other luggage—including the two big suitcases from her room—was already in the truck.

Bai Ya carried nothing. Her hoodie had pockets; her skirt had none. She eyed him oddly. "Problem?"

"Just heavy," Yue Ge sighed. The carrier felt like bricks, not a cat. Morning cuddles hadn't felt this weight. Good thing his body was stronger now—he could still handle it easily.

"Probably sulking. Looks harmless, but Little Ash is Common Class." Bai Ya thought for a moment.

"...That tiny thing is Common Class?" Yue Ge forced a smile. After last night's crash course, he knew monster tiers: God Class at the top, then High-Risk, Dangerous, Common, Low-Risk, Harmless. He'd figured Little Ash barely qualified as Low-Risk. Even Low-Risk monsters were wild boar-sized. Common Class? That meant Little Ash was deadly to normal people.

He glanced at the carrier. Suddenly, he felt lucky Little Ash had gone easy on him. He should've let Bai Ya handle it—she probably just said "in," and Little Ash obeyed.

"The city bully, that one. Underestimate it, and you'll regret it." Bai Ya nodded at the carrier.

"Right." Yue Ge shrugged. "Where to now?"

"The mall. Need supplies." She glanced back. "Clothes too. For you. Okay?"

"Fine." He wore yesterday's outfit. Bai Ya's clothes were too small to borrow. He'd have bought new ones anyway.

"Good. If time allows, we'll visit Sunan after." Bai Ya kept walking.

"Sunan?"

"I never told you what she does. Easy to look up, but you really don't know her?" Bai Ya sighed softly. "Is she famous? Big time. That's why she wears hoodies early morning—getting recognized is trouble. Sunan's a celebrity. No wonder she's mad you didn't react. She bragged to me about fans spotting her again."

"...Yeah, she's definitely mad." Yue Ge followed quietly. Old town streets unfolded around them, blending into reality. Pedestrians appeared. City noise rose. Only their distance stayed fixed—close enough to hear each other.

"Is that your focus?" Bai Ya watched him.

"What else?" Yue Ge didn't get it.

"Just don't say anything dumb to Sunan. She won't be too harsh." Bai Ya shook her head.

"Got it." He had no big plans anyway. This was fine. Future worries could wait.

He was happy now. Without Bai Ya, life would've been dull.

"Daydreaming? Downtown's near." Bai Ya turned. He'd frozen.

Old town wasn't remote. She rarely left home—Organization couriers delivered everything.

Yue Ge snapped back, hefting the carrier. They entered the bustling downtown. But when he saw the mall's name, he almost facepalmed.

Bai Ya walked in naturally.

"Seriously, a secret Organization with a giant sign?" Yue Ge eyed the bold "Heavenly Mandate" above the entrance. Zero disguise.

"Publicly, it's a conglomerate. Many businesses." Bai Ya pulled out a card. "I get 70% off here."

"...Lucky you."