The "monster" Zaelum and Bleam had encountered was naturally Azrael.
During his controlled descent, his mental energy had detected two humanoid signatures moving through the forest below. Curiosity had compelled him to investigate, after all, discovering humans in such remote wilderness at this hour raised questions that demanded answers.
What surprised him was their behavior after his landing. Rather than approaching to investigate the tremendous impact, both figures had begun moving away from the crash site. Their pace was measured but purposeful, suggesting they possessed enough survival instinct to avoid unknown dangers while lacking the speed necessary for effective escape.
In Pride's enhanced form, overtaking them had proven trivially easy.
Now, observing two terrified individuals who barely dared to breathe in his presence, Azrael chuckled softly as Pride flowed back into his body like liquid shadow returning to its source.
Witnessing the massive black and red creature transform into a handsome young man in the blink of an eye left Zaelum and Bleam frozen in bewildered shock. Their minds struggled to process what they'd just witnessed, the stuff of nightmares becoming disturbingly ordinary within seconds.
"I'm a registered Cardian Master with the Association," Azrael said calmly, recognizing their terror and moving quickly to establish his legitimate credentials. "You have nothing to fear from me."
As he spoke, he retrieved his official certification from his jacket, the card that marked him as a recognized practitioner rather than some rogue criminal operating in the shadows.
Zaelum swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he accepted the proffered identification. Despite Azrael's reassuring words, suspicion gnawed at his thoughts with relentless persistence.
Who would venture into such isolated territory in the middle of the night? There were no documented secret realms in this region, no demon infestations requiring official attention. If this young man truly was a legitimate Cardian Master, his presence here suggested purposes that might prove far more sinister than simple patrol duties.
The possibility that Azrael was actually an illegal practitioner, or worse, some ancient entity wearing human guise for its own amusement, sent chills down Zaelum's spine. But with their lives hanging entirely in this stranger's hands, challenging his claims would be suicidal foolishness.
Zaelum's eyes widened as he processed the certification's details, his voice cracking with disbelief. "Silver level!"
The ranking sent shockwaves through his understanding of their situation. Silver-tier Cardian Masters commanded respect and resources that placed them far above ordinary citizens. Meeting one in person was extraordinary enough, encountering one alone in the wilderness bordered on the miraculous.
Bleam frowned at his companion's reaction, clearly confused by the sudden shift in atmosphere. "What about Silver level?" he asked, studying Azrael with the casual assessment of someone who'd never grasped the true hierarchy of power in their world.
The young man before them appeared perfectly harmless, pleasant features, reasonable demeanor, nothing that suggested the supernatural might that his certification apparently documented.
Zaelum ignored his friend's question, hastily returning the card to Azrael with a respectful bow. "Master Azrael, we were completely unaware of your presence in this area," he said, his voice carrying the formal deference appropriate for addressing someone of vastly superior status.
Azrael pocketed his identification and regarded them with obvious curiosity. "What exactly brings you to this location at such an hour?" he asked, studying their hiking equipment with growing perplexity. "Please don't tell me you're attempting recreational mountain climbing in unmarked wilderness."
Zaelum scratched his head with obvious embarrassment, while Bleam nodded enthusiastically beside him.
"That's exactly right!" Bleam declared with the confidence of someone who'd never questioned his own judgment. "We're here to challenge ourselves against authentic natural conditions!"
Azrael stared at them both, his expression cycling through disbelief, concern, and grudging admiration for their remarkable courage, or stupidity. Apart from their obvious inexperience with wilderness survival, these two possessed the kind of bold spirit that could either lead to great achievements or spectacular disasters.
Normal people simply didn't venture into unmapped terrain without extensive preparation and backup plans.
Just as Zaelum opened his mouth to provide more detailed explanations, Azrael raised his hand sharply. "Something's wrong," he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge that made both hikers freeze. "Don't speak."
His expression hardened as his enhanced senses swept the surrounding forest with methodical precision. From the moment they'd begun talking, something about their environment had felt subtly wrong, atmospheric disturbances that suggested they weren't alone in this seemingly empty wilderness.
The darkness was too complete. Despite the bright moon overhead, virtually no natural light penetrated the canopy above them. The silence was too perfect, lacking the normal sounds of nocturnal creatures that should have populated such rich habitat.
Zaelum and Bleam watched Azrael with growing anxiety, uncertain what had triggered his sudden alertness but recognizing the predatory focus that had replaced his previous casual demeanor.
"Found you," Azrael murmured, his voice carrying grim satisfaction.
In the horrified eyes of both civilians, he transformed back into Pride's monstrous form and launched himself sideways with explosive force, positioning his massive frame protectively between them and something unseen.
A bone-rattling roar erupted from the forest depths as something enormous crashed through the undergrowth where Azrael had been standing moments before. Trees splintered like matchsticks under the tremendous impact, while the ground itself cracked and buckled from forces that spoke of supernatural strength.
Zaelum and Bleam couldn't suppress their involuntary gasps of terror. In that single instant, they'd come face-to-face with their own mortality, if Azrael hadn't moved them, they would have been crushed to paste without ever seeing their attacker.
Multiple cards materialized around the civilians with practiced precision, each one radiating powerful spiritual pressure as they formed a protective perimeter. Their alert postures and ready weapons spoke of combat experience that transcended normal academic training.
"What exactly did Master Azrael detect?" Bleam whispered to Zaelum, his voice barely audible as he tugged at his companion's sleeve with nervous energy.
However, in the oppressive silence that had descended over the forest, even his most careful whisper carried with devastating clarity. The high-level cards surrounding them possessed senses far beyond human limitations, what Bleam considered covert communication might as well have been shouted announcements.
Several of the summoned entities glanced toward him with expressions that suggested mild irritation at the unnecessary noise. Zaelum shuddered as he recognized the implicit warning.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask," he hissed back, his eyes never leaving the ongoing destruction visible through the trees.
Watching branches and trunks fall like dominoes in the distance, Zaelum felt a mixture of terror and profound gratitude wash over him. Their current position was uncomfortably close to where they'd been planning to make camp for the night.
Without Azrael's unexpected intervention, they would have been sleeping peacefully when whatever was out there decided to hunt. The thought of dying in their sleeping bags, never knowing what had killed them, sent ice through his veins.
Deep within the devastated section of forest that now resembled a war zone, Azrael gripped the head of a half-dead creature in his massive clawed hand. Broken trees and churned earth surrounded them like the aftermath of artillery bombardment.
"A wandering demon," he observed with professional detachment, recognizing the entity's spiritual signature despite its weakened condition. "Bronze level, but remarkably good at concealment."
The assessment made perfect sense given their location. The Dabie Mountains lay deep within the Empire of Aetherlight's heartland, far from the frontier regions where powerful demons typically gathered. Any creature above Bronze tier would have attracted immediate attention from Association patrols or Imperial forces.
This particular demon had likely survived through stealth and cunning rather than raw power, avoiding detection by staying weak enough to escape official notice.
"Slurp."
A massive scarlet tongue suddenly emerged from Azrael's shoulder, licking across the demon's dark features with obvious relish.
"Damn it, don't lick random things, Pride!" Azrael exclaimed, his merged voice carrying notes of disgusted amusement.
"Reflexive action," Pride's hoarse tones replied with unrepentant satisfaction. "But this creature... I believe I can extract a genetic module from it."
Understanding sparked in Azrael's consciousness. While he'd known Pride could absorb beneficial traits from other organisms, he'd never been certain whether demons qualified as valid targets. The opportunity to test his symbiote's newest capability on actual supernatural entities was too valuable to waste.
"Let's try it," he decided, already considering the tactical implications.
This was precisely why he'd positioned his cards as both protection and surveillance around the two civilians. The fewer witnesses to Pride's genetic absorption abilities, the better. Some powers were too dangerous to reveal casually.
Black and red liquid flowed along Azrael's right arm like living mercury, engulfing the demon's head with predatory efficiency. The absorption process lasted only seconds, Pride's enhanced capabilities making quick work of whatever genetic material the creature possessed.
The moment the symbiote returned to his body, Azrael accessed Pride's updated information through their mental link.
Currently obtained genetic modules: [Enhanced Metabolism], [Shadow Bloodline]
[Shadow Bloodline]: Enhances concealment abilities and provides improved stealth capabilities in low-light environments.
"Somewhat underwhelming," Azrael muttered, though he hadn't expected miracles from such a weak specimen.
Bronze-level demons were hardly known for their exceptional capabilities. The real question was whether Pride's extraction process was random, perhaps more powerful modules existed within the creature's genetic structure, but the symbiote had simply been unlucky in its selection.
He crushed the demon's skull with casual force, reducing it to paste before turning his attention to Pride's enhanced abilities. "Can you extract genetic modules from summoned card creatures?" he asked, curiosity prompting the question.
"No," Pride replied immediately. "I attempted the process when bonding with Pidgeot earlier. Card-based entities don't possess the biological foundations necessary for genetic replication."
"Reasonable limitation," Azrael concluded, though he wasn't particularly disappointed by the restriction.
Genetic absorption was already extraordinarily powerful, expecting it to work on every type of entity would have been unrealistic greed. The mysterious space had clearly implemented appropriate safeguards to prevent the ability from becoming completely broken.
After extracting a Bronze-level [Lesser Shadow Demon] (Blue) material from the creature's remains, Azrael turned his attention back toward the civilian hikers. Since he'd encountered them, basic decency demanded ensuring their safe return to civilization.
Besides, using Pidgeot to transport them out of the mountains would take minimal time compared to his original exploration plans. A brief detour to save lives seemed like acceptable karma investment.
"This is incredible," Bleam breathed, his voice filled with awe as he clung to Pidgeot's enhanced form during their flight toward civilization.
The symbiotic enhancements Pride provided had transformed the normally elegant bird into something approaching a supernatural predator, its black and red accents creating an intimidating aesthetic that spoke of power beyond normal biological limitations.
Zaelum remained silent during their aerial journey, his mind still processing everything they'd witnessed in the forest. Meeting a Silver-level Cardian Master under such circumstances felt like the kind of fortune that balanced against years of accumulated bad luck.
"Where should I drop you off?" Azrael called back to them, his voice carrying clearly despite the wind rushing past their enhanced flight speed.
"The nearest road will be fine," Zaelum replied gratefully. "We can call for pickup once we have cell service again."
Within minutes, the lights of human habitation appeared below them, the first signs of civilization they'd seen in days. Azrael guided Pidgeot toward a well-lit rest stop where the hikers could safely await rescue.
As they touched down in the parking area, Zaelum bowed deeply toward Azrael with genuine respect. "Master Azrael, we owe you our lives tonight. If there's ever anything we can do to repay this debt..."
"Stay out of unmarked wilderness," Azrael replied with dry amusement. "That'll be payment enough."
Watching the two friends hurry toward the rest stop's bright interior, Azrael reflected on the evening's unexpected developments. While the genetic module he'd obtained was modest, the proof of concept was invaluable. Pride could indeed extract useful capabilities from supernatural entities, opening strategic possibilities that extended far beyond simple animal traits.
More importantly, the encounter had reminded him that even routine exploration could yield surprises. The Empire of Aetherlight contained mysteries that extended far beyond official documentation, and stumbling across wandering demons in supposedly safe territory suggested deeper currents at play.
"Time to find more interesting specimens," he murmured, guiding Pidgeot back toward the mountain wilderness where greater challenges might await.
After all, if Bronze-level demons could provide genetic modules, what capabilities might Silver-tier entities possess? The night was still young, and his exploration had barely begun.
Currently active genetic modules: [Shadow Bloodline] 1/1
Feeling the stealth enhancement integrate with Pride's biological matrix, Azrael smiled with predatory satisfaction. The hunt for evolution was just beginning.
...
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