After safely delivering Zaelum and Bleam to a small county town nestled at the foot of the Dabie Mountains, Azrael paused to consider his next course of action. A moment's reflection convinced him that simply abandoning them at a random location would be insufficient, true assistance required ensuring their complete safety.
"Might as well see this through properly," he decided, guiding Pidgeot toward the only Cardian Master Association base visible in the modest settlement below.
The logic was sound. Without his direct intervention and official explanation, Zaelum and his companion would face uncomfortable questions about their presence in restricted wilderness areas. Local authorities might even suspect them of illegal activities or demon trafficking. A brief detour to clarify their circumstances seemed like appropriate follow-through on his rescue efforts.
The association base occupied a modest building that spoke of limited resources and rural priorities. Through the glass doors, Azrael could see fluorescent lighting illuminating a sparse reception area where a middle-aged woman sat drowsing at her desk, clearly unprepared for late-night visitors.
The sharp rapping of knuckles against the service counter jolted the duty officer from her peaceful slumber. She straightened with visible alarm, her eyes focusing on the trio of unexpected arrivals with the wariness of someone unaccustomed to after-hours emergencies.
"Young man, what brings you here at this hour?" she asked, studying Azrael's youthful appearance with obvious skepticism. Her tone suggested she was already preparing to redirect them to more appropriate civilian services.
Azrael retrieved his official certification and placed it on the counter with practiced efficiency. "These two civilians encountered difficulties during unauthorized wilderness exploration," he explained, gesturing toward Zaelum and Bleam. "I provided assistance and wanted to ensure proper documentation of the incident."
The duty officer accepted his credentials with perfunctory attention, feeding them into her scanner without bothering to examine the details personally. Her disapproving gaze remained fixed on the disheveled hikers, their torn clothing and obvious exhaustion painting a clear picture of poor decision-making.
"You two showed remarkable foolishness," she scolded, her voice carrying the authority of someone who'd witnessed countless examples of civilian recklessness. "If this young man hadn't intervened, you'd likely be dead or missing by now."
Zaelum and Bleam exchanged uncomfortable glances but remained silent under her withering assessment. Neither possessed the courage to defend their choices when the evidence of their poor judgment was so overwhelmingly apparent.
The woman's attention shifted back to her computer screen as the scanner completed its verification process. "Well, young man, while you were simply doing your civic duty tonight, the association does provide recognition for such assistance," she said with renewed warmth. "You're still a student, I assume? We'll credit your record with contribution points that can be exchanged for materials through our resource network."
Azrael blinked in genuine surprise. "I wasn't aware such programs existed," he admitted, realizing this represented a gap in his knowledge of association benefits. "No one mentioned point systems during my orientation."
Just as he prepared to request additional details, the duty officer's expression transformed into something approaching shock. Her eyes widened as she processed whatever information had appeared on her monitor, her mouth falling open in disbelief.
Several seconds of stunned silence passed before she managed to stammer, "Young... young man, you're Silver-level? And you're..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to comprehend what she was reading.
"Wait here," she said urgently, reaching for her phone with trembling hands. "I need to contact the director immediately."
Azrael frowned at her obvious distress. "That's really not necessary," he protested, recognizing the potential complications such attention might create.
"Oh, it's absolutely necessary," the woman insisted, her fingers already flying across her phone's keypad. "Trust me, this is completely necessary."
What exactly did she discover? Azrael wondered, though he suspected his connection to Master Lucian had triggered whatever protocol was now unfolding.
The certification system undoubtedly displayed his status as a Master-level disciple alongside his advancement tier. For a rural association branch where Silver-level practitioners represented the pinnacle of local authority, encountering someone with such distinguished backing would naturally cause considerable excitement.
The boy before her wasn't just unusually advanced for his age, he was the personal student of someone whose power transcended normal comprehension. The implications of such a connection made her hands shake as she composed her urgent message to the director.
Within minutes, hurried footsteps echoed through the building's corridors. A balding middle-aged man burst through the entrance doors, his hasty appearance suggesting he'd dressed quickly after receiving the emergency notification.
His eyes immediately locked onto Azrael, recognizing the obvious focal point of whatever crisis had demanded his immediate presence. "You must be Young Master Azrael," he said with poorly concealed excitement, extending his hand in greeting. "I'm Director Bao, please, call me Uncle Bao."
The level of deference in his voice made Azrael curious about exactly what information the duty officer had shared. His identity card clearly contained more details than he'd initially realized, though such comprehensive documentation made sense from a security perspective.
"Director Bao," Azrael replied politely, accepting the handshake while studying the man's eager demeanor. "I hope my presence hasn't caused undue disruption to your evening."
Director Bao waved dismissively, though his enthusiasm remained undiminished. "No disruption whatsoever! When we received word of your arrival, I felt obligated to personally ensure everything proceeded smoothly."
The explanation felt somewhat hollow, considering the late hour and apparent urgency of his response. Azrael suspected the director was struggling to justify his hasty arrival now that the initial excitement had worn off.
"I appreciate your consideration," Azrael said diplomatically, "but as you can see, this was simply a routine assistance matter. If there are no further complications, I'd prefer to continue with my evening plans."
Director Bao's expression flickered with embarrassment as he realized his reaction might have been excessive. However, his political instincts quickly provided a more reasonable justification for his presence.
"Of course, of course," he said with forced casualness. "It's just that we rarely encounter visitors of your... distinction in our humble county. I wanted to personally ensure our services met appropriate standards."
The tactful phrasing acknowledged Azrael's status without seeming overly obsequious, though the underlying message remained clear. When a Master's disciple appeared in your jurisdiction, proper respect was essential regardless of the circumstances.
"Your professionalism is noted and appreciated," Azrael replied, recognizing the man's position while signaling his desire to conclude the interaction. "If there's nothing else requiring my attention, I'll take my leave."
"Certainly, Young Master Azrael," Director Bao said with a respectful bow. "Safe travels, and thank you for your assistance to our local citizens."
Outside the association building, Azrael summoned Pidgeot and allowed Pride's enhancement to flow across the bird's form. The familiar black and red aesthetic created an intimidating silhouette against the pre-dawn sky as they prepared for departure.
Director Bao watched from the doorway until the enhanced creature disappeared into the darkness, then turned back toward his subordinate with obvious satisfaction.
"Excellent work tonight," he told the duty officer with genuine appreciation. "Your prompt notification ensured we handled this appropriately. There'll be a bonus in your next paycheck."
The woman beamed at the unexpected reward, her earlier nervousness forgotten in the face of tangible recognition. Such encounters were rare enough that proper documentation would enhance both their careers significantly.
"As for you two," Director Bao addressed Zaelum and Bleam with considerably less warmth, "consider yourselves extraordinarily fortunate. We'll arrange transportation back to your registered addresses, but I strongly advise against future unauthorized expeditions."
The subdued hikers could only nod in agreement, their brush with mortality having thoroughly dampened any remaining enthusiasm for wilderness adventures. Meeting a Silver-level Cardian Master under such circumstances had driven home just how dangerous their casual attitude toward exploration had been.
Dawn was breaking across the mountain peaks as Azrael returned to the Dabie Mountains, the familiar landscape now bathed in golden sunlight that promised a productive day of research. His objectives had crystallized during the flight back, systematic testing of Pride's [Genetic Replication] ability using whatever specimens the wilderness could provide.
"Time to get to work," he murmured, scanning the forest below for potential subjects.
His approach would be methodical rather than selective. Any creature they encountered would serve as a test case for understanding the symbiote's absorption mechanics. Quality could be evaluated later, right now, quantity of data took precedence.
A movement near the forest floor caught his attention, and Azrael smiled as he identified their first experimental subjects. "Perfect. Let's start with something simple."
The ant colony below represented an ideal beginning point for several reasons. Their abundance meant multiple extraction attempts would be possible, while their well-documented physical capabilities offered a baseline for measuring Pride's replication accuracy.
Many people knew that ants could lift objects many times their own body weight, but most misunderstood the mechanics involved. The phenomenon stemmed from extraordinarily efficient muscle utilization rather than raw strength, a distinction that could prove crucial for understanding how genetic modules would translate to human physiology.
Pride flowed out of Azrael's body with liquid grace, forming multiple tendrils that reached toward the ant colony with scientific precision. The absorption process lasted only seconds per specimen, but the symbiote's enhanced capabilities allowed for rapid sequential extractions that quickly accumulated substantial data.
When Pride returned to his body, Azrael immediately accessed the results through their mental link.
Currently obtained genetic modules: [Enhanced Metabolism], [Shadow Bloodline], [Muscle Efficiency], [Pheromone Detection], [Load Distribution], [Coordination Matrix], [Structural Analysis]
Most of the new modules appeared to offer minimal practical advantage, as expected from such simple organisms. However, one entry immediately captured his attention.
[Muscle Efficiency]: Dramatically improves muscular force output through optimized biomechanical leverage and fiber coordination.
"Now that shows promise," Azrael concluded, studying the description with growing interest. The module essentially represented the biological foundation of ant strength translated into human-applicable enhancement.
Currently active genetic modules: [Muscle Efficiency] 1/1
As the new capability integrated with Pride's biological matrix, Azrael felt a surge of power flow through his enhanced physique. His muscles seemed to pulse with concentrated force that demanded immediate testing.
A large boulder nearby provided the perfect experimental target. Azrael positioned himself carefully, drew back his right leg, and delivered what he intended as a measured kick to gauge the enhancement's effectiveness.
Rather than the satisfying impact he'd expected, his foot sank deep into the stone with a wet crunching sound that spoke of completely miscalculated force application. The boulder remained firmly in place while his leg became thoroughly embedded in solid rock.
Silence stretched across the mountainside as Azrael processed this embarrassing turn of events.
"Allow me," Pride's hoarse voice finally broke the uncomfortable quiet, amusement evident in his tone.
Without protest, Azrael relinquished control to his more experienced partner. The same kicking motion, executed with proper technique and understanding of the enhanced capabilities, produced dramatically different results.
BOOM!
The boulder exploded from its resting place like a cannonball, carving a path of destruction through the dense forest before disappearing into the distance. Trees splintered and crashed in its wake, creating a perfectly straight corridor that stretched far beyond their line of sight.
"Close combat really isn't my forte," Azrael admitted with rueful acceptance of his limitations.
The demonstration highlighted a crucial weakness in his skill set. While he possessed overwhelming power through his cards and now through Pride's enhancements, his personal technique remained that of an amateur. Fortunately, the symbiote's [Battle Master] trait compensated for such deficiencies during actual conflicts.
His attention turned skyward as new objectives crystallized. "Time to acquire flight capabilities."
Bending his legs slightly, Azrael gathered the full power of his enhanced musculature and launched himself upward with explosive force. The result was immediately impressive, he rocketed into the air like a human missile, the ground shrinking rapidly below him as he achieved remarkable altitude.
The experience reminded him of Superman's early appearances in "Man of Steel," where the character relied on incredible jumping ability rather than true flight. With sufficient advancement, Pride might indeed develop capabilities that rivaled such fictional examples.
However, one critical limitation became apparent almost immediately, his trajectory was completely fixed once airborne. Unlike controlled flight, his jumping approach offered no steering or course correction capabilities whatsoever.
After reaching the peak of his arc and beginning his inevitable descent, Azrael accepted the practical constraints of this method. For actual transportation needs, Pidgeot remained infinitely more practical than uncontrolled ballistic travel.
Landing with sufficient force to create a small crater, Azrael dusted himself off and summoned his faithful bird companion. "We'll stick with proven methods for now," he decided pragmatically.
"Time to hunt for more interesting genetic templates."
The day stretched ahead with unlimited possibilities. The Dabie Mountains contained countless species, each potentially offering unique biological advantages that Pride could incorporate into their growing arsenal. From microscopic organisms to apex predators, every encounter represented another step toward the perfect fusion of natural evolution and supernatural enhancement.
As Pidgeot carried him toward the deeper wilderness where more challenging specimens awaited, Azrael reflected on the morning's lessons. Pride's [Genetic Replication] ability had proven even more versatile than expected, though mastering its application would require considerable practice and experimentation.
The hunt for evolution had truly begun, and Azrael intended to extract every possible advantage from whatever creatures they encountered. Whether through ant-inspired muscle efficiency or more exotic capabilities yet to be discovered, each genetic module brought him closer to the pinnacle of biological perfection.
The mountains held their secrets jealously, but Azrael possessed both the tools and determination to claim them all.
...
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