SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will-Chapter 342: Spirit Pavilion [2]

"Why?" Moon asked. "Even if they can’t improve here, they’re still Evolvers. They could return to Earth, find good work, and live comfortably. An Evolver’s strength is more than enough to build a decent life on earth, it’s not easy to become an Evolver, even a fresh one."

Joseph shook his head slowly.

"Sure. They could go back. Get a well-paying job. Live peacefully." He glanced over his shoulder at Moon. "But there’s something more important than comfort. It’s...purpose."

He turned back to the path ahead, his eyes glancing at their faces for a moment.

"These people survived on the feeling of improvement. Every level gained, every skill evolved, every fight that pushed them past their limits. That feeling became the thing that kept them moving. It was like a drug running through their veins. The high of getting stronger was the only thing that mattered."

Joseph’s voice grew quieter, "When you cut that drug off, they fall apart. They don’t know what to do with themselves anymore. Going back to Earth and guarding a shop? That’s not a life to them, that’s a slow death."

He stepped over a crack in the stone floor without looking down.

"These people no longer have any purpose. The thing that drove them to become Evolvers in the first place is gone, and nothing has replaced it." He paused for a moment. "A human is the product of his goals. Without a goal, a human is a failed product. And a failed product is bound to break down eventually."

Moon said nothing. He looked at the hollow faces one more time as they passed through the chamber.

He understood what Joseph was saying.

"Besides, you shouldn’t worry too much. They are a minority, the rest still want to improve, still want to get stronger. They just don’t spend their time in the underground facility, rather, they spend it outside waiting and looking for beasts to hunt."

Joseph led Moon to the exit point of the underground facility. The passage narrowed sharply until there was barely enough room for two people to walk side by side.

They squeezed through, and the first thing Moon felt was a breath of fresh air.

It hit his face like a slap after spending so long in the stale tunnels below. The pressure was much higher than he had expected. It pressed against his eardrums and sat heavy on his chest in a way that didn’t match any terrain he had encountered before.

His hair began to flutter wildly, as a strong wind howled past the exit, strong enough to tug at his clothes and force him to brace his footing from surprise. Moon squinted against it, shielding his eyes with one hand as he stepped fully out of the passage.

As Moon looked around, his eyes grew wide.

In every direction except one, the land dropped off into open sky. Beneath the edges, far below, an ocean of white stretched endlessly in every direction. Thick, rolling masses that drifted slowly.

Moon’s stomach lurched immediately.

"Yes, you’re not overthinking it." Joseph said from beside him, his arms crossed, watching Moon’s reaction with a knowing look. "Those fluffy things down there? Those are clouds. And this rock we’re standing on is not connected to anything." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He let that sink in for a moment.

"We are on a floating island. One of the very few in existence across the entire Second Sanctuary."

Moon stood at the edge and stared downward. The wind pulled at him relentlessly, and the clouds below shifted and parted just enough to reveal glimpses of darkness beneath them. There was no ground in sight. Just sky in every direction, above and below.

"A floating island." Moon repeated the words, but they still didn’t feel real in his mouth.

"Yes, one where we cannot simply descend from..." Joseph pointed toward the one direction where the island continued rather than dropping off into open sky. "Unless we defeat the spirit pavilion over there."

In the distance, rising above the rocky terrain, stood a large castle. Its towers pierced through wisps of cloud that drifted past at their height, and even from this far away, Moon could feel a faint pressure emanating from it.

Moon stared at the castle for a long moment.

"So you’re saying we have no option but to confront the Spirit Pavilion and defeat it to get back to the ground?"

"You are quite smart." Joseph nodded with a grin. "That’s precisely what I’m saying."

Moon remained silent. The wind howled between them as he processed the situation. A floating island with no way down. A C-Rank Spirit Pavilion standing between them and the only exit. And a hideout with Evolvers who had already given up trying.

"How would we return to the ground? Is there some sort of mechanism inside?"

"Yes." Joseph turned to face the castle as well. "From the information the others have gathered over time about floating islands, there is a device that exists inside every Spirit Pavilion. Once the pavilion is conquered or the ruling spirit is killed, the device can be used. It allows people that enter it to teleport directly to the ground below."

He paused.

"At least, that’s what we’ve been told. Nobody here has actually done it. And the few who tried to fight their way inside didn’t come back."

"Is the weather always like this? It’s quite troublesome when fighting monsters or spirits."

Joseph let out a dry laugh. "This? This is timid."

He glanced up at the sky like he was checking something. "Wait till it actually picks up. There are days where the wind is strong enough to knock you off your feet if you’re not paying attention. And on this island, getting knocked off your feet usually means getting knocked off the island."

He said it matter-of-factly, like he was describing the weather back on Earth.

"You learn to fight with it pretty quickly. Or you don’t, and the island decides you’re no longer welcome on its ground."

Moon nodded his head. ’I need to return back to earth. I better get myself a powerful Spirit Art before doing anything reckless.’

"Okay, thank you for your help. I’ll be making my way back now. I still haven’t received my Spirit Art." Moon turned around and made his way back toward the cave entrance.

"Wait."

Moon’s back hair stood up instantly, feeling a hand reach for his shoulder from behind.

Every instinct he had sharpened at once. The man’s fingers hadn’t made contact yet, but Moon could feel them hovering just inches from his back.