Kevaugn and his two companions startled as a black and red figure materialized directly in their path, dropping from the storm clouds with earth-shaking impact.
But Kevaugn's recognition was immediate, relief flooding his voice. "Azrael."
"What brings you here?"
Before Azrael could respond, Kevaugn's shoulders sagged with genuine relief. "Thank the heavens you're here."
"There's a pack of demons pursuing us. Can you help eliminate them?"
Azrael's sudden appearance couldn't be mere coincidence, Kevaugn understood that much. At this critical moment, he wouldn't waste time on pleasantries. Debts could be settled later, assuming they all survived.
"I'll return shortly."
Azrael grasped the situation instantly. After systematically clearing every Silver-level demon from the underground complex, he'd begun his journey back toward the extraction point. His mental perception had detected Kevaugn's group being hunted during his aerial reconnaissance of this sector.
He couldn't simply watch fellow students perish, not when intervention required minimal effort on his part.
The next moment, Azrael vanished from their sight, his black and red form dissolving into the shadows between the trees.
The three exhausted students immediately collapsed against nearby tree trunks, their faces etched with fatigue.
"Finally, a chance to catch our breath," gasped the masked companion, his relief palpable as he steadied his breathing.
The buzz-cut teammate voiced a concern that had been nagging at him. "Can he handle them alone?"
The bespectacled student's worry deepened upon hearing this. After all, Azrael was operating solo, and their own mission remained incomplete when he appeared in this location.
"Did he retreat early because the task proved too difficult?" The bespectacled student offered his theory carefully.
He wasn't calling Azrael a deserter, retreating from overwhelming odds was perfectly reasonable. Everyone had only one life, after all.
Kevaugn fell silent, contemplating his teammate's words. They made a disturbing amount of sense.
Based on his previous training class experiences, he'd absolutely believed Azrael possessed the capability to complete missions independently. But this secret realm's intensity exceeded normal parameters significantly. The possibility that Azrael had withdrawn due to excessive difficulty seemed increasingly plausible.
That black and red card form certainly provided convenient mobility for strategic retreats.
Rubbing his temples, Kevaugn finally spoke. "Azrael should have no trouble dealing with our pursuers."
"We'll discuss this with him afterward. Once we finish here, we can assist him in completing his original mission."
Kevaugn felt confident about Azrael's chances against their demon pursuers. The enemy force had already been severely depleted during their earlier encounters, not every demon from the initial group was even participating in the pursuit.
Furthermore, Azrael's willingness to engage suggested he felt certain of victory.
His teammates readily agreed with Kevaugn's proposal. Azrael had rescued them from certain death; helping him complete his mission was both reasonable repayment and an opportunity to build stronger connections within the Crimson Oath Society's core membership.
They could even recruit Azrael into their small alliance. Having both Kevaugn and Azrael as allies would provide tremendous advantages for their future endeavors.
As the trio focused on recovering their strength, several severed heads landed before them with wet impacts, their expressions frozen in terror.
"These were the ones."
A hoarse voice emerged from the forest depths. The towering black and red figure slowly materialized from the shadows, his presence both imposing and reassuring.
Kevaugn glanced at the decapitated remains and nodded curtly. "Those are them. Thank you, Azrael."
"Once we clear this area completely, the three of us will help you finish your mission."
Azrael paused, confusion flickering across his transformed features. "My mission has been completed."
"...What?"
The forest fell silent enough to hear individual leaves rustling in the wind.
After a long, uncomfortable pause, Kevaugn spoke in a hoarse voice. "Your mission is... completed?"
Azrael nodded, increasingly certain that his classmates had misunderstood something fundamental about his situation.
The bespectacled student and his buzz-cut companion exchanged incredulous looks, their assumptions crashing down around them.
"Otherwise, why would I be here? If I hadn't encountered you three, I wouldn't have stopped," Azrael's amused voice resonated through the trees. "You didn't think I was running away, did you?"
The three students' faces flushed with embarrassment, their thoughts had indeed followed exactly those lines.
Now that Azrael had completed his mission, they naturally wouldn't mention their previous speculation again.
After considering their options, Kevaugn stepped forward as their leader. "We'll remember this life-saving favor. Once we exit the secret realm, the three of us will provide you with points as compensation."
"But I know points alone can't repay this debt. If you need assistance in the future, contact me directly."
When Azrael heard mention of points, he immediately recalled the middle-aged woman in Dabie Mountain who'd mentioned association point rewards for rescuing civilians. He'd never had the opportunity to inquire about the details before being interrupted by the local association president.
Since Kevaugn had brought up the subject, this seemed like the perfect time to gather more information. "Points? Could you explain the system in detail?"
Kevaugn blinked in surprise, then remembered that his companion was a freshman who'd enrolled mid-semester. After his defeat in their previous encounter, he'd naturally investigated Azrael's background and discovered the unusual timing of his enrollment.
He had no hesitation about sharing this information. "Points represent a joint system established by the association and the imperial court."
"For Silver-level Lore Cardian Masters like ourselves, you understand that money becomes meaningless, just numbers in an account."
"After choosing our career paths, monetary compensation becomes irrelevant. Instead, we receive these points."
"Points can be exchanged for valuable resources. There are extensive card-creation guides from high-level masters, rare materials provided by both the court and association networks."
"Of course, if you prefer luxury, you can convert points back to currency. Plenty of people will trade with you."
Kevaugn couldn't help chuckling at this point. After all, no sensible Lore Cardian Master would waste points on mere money.
Azrael asked with genuine curiosity, "Can points only be exchanged through court and association channels, or are they accepted in private trading?"
Kevaugn nodded emphatically. "Absolutely. There are materials that neither the court nor association possess, so we must trade with other masters. Points serve as universal currency in those transactions."
Another question occurred to Azrael. "Beyond positional salaries, what other methods exist for earning points?"
"Many options available," Kevaugn immediately clarified. "Exploring secret realms, combating rogue Lore Cardian Masters, performing heroic acts, all generate points." He gestured toward their current situation. "Practical training exercises like this one also award points, though the quantities are modest."
Azrael understood completely. This training exercise represented a controlled environment for student practice, naturally offering lower point values than genuine dangerous missions. The logic was perfectly sound.
"Thank you for the explanation."
He had no intention of refusing their offered compensation.
With that topic concluded, the four students lapsed into awkward silence once again.
Azrael casually snapped several nearby trees. "Sit down. No need to keep standing."
Since he'd committed to helping, he might as well see it through completely. He'd wait until their cards recovered before departing.
One day's delay wouldn't matter in the slightest.