"They will adhere to your requests unless it is something entirely out of line," the Grandmaster added. "They know you are my disciple, and they know the value of your contributions during the recent breach. Use that authority wisely, but do not be reckless."
Kale gave a grateful nod toward his master. He felt a sudden and unexpected surge of emotion, feeling overwhelmed by how worried the man always seemed to be. It was not just about his physical safety, but about every general necessity he might have during his stay.
Despite the manic scientific hunger and the occasional bouts of terminal boredom, Lazek had provided a shield that Kale had never expected to find. It was a form of care that was functional and blunt, yet undeniably genuine in its own twisted way.
After a final and sharp look that seemed to scan Kale's very soul for any hidden flaws, Lazek bid him farewell. The Grandmaster vanished into the shadows of the hallway, leaving Kale alone in the quiet of his chamber as the night finally claimed the forest.
For the next several days, Kale remained confined to his room. He did not seek the company of the mercenaries or the guild tamers. His focus was entirely on researching the creation of the most optimal earth affinity chimaera, a project he had named the Terra Calyx.
It was a tall task that challenged even his advanced knowledge as a Genetic Engineer. To create a creature with eighty-five per cent earth purity without causing a genetic collapse required rare beasts and items that were nearly impossible to find in standard markets.
He pored over his notes, sketching the skeletal structures and the mana conduction pathways. He needed a foundation that was both incredibly sturdy and highly receptive to his own mana. The Stone Turtle genes were the key, but they needed a catalyst to reach the desired density.
The silence of the room was broken only by the scratching of his pen and the occasional hum of the specialised lamps. Kale felt the absence of Neo's presence on his shoulder, a hollow ache in his mind where the bond usually thrummed with activity.
The research was exhausting, and many times he found himself staring at the same sequence for hours. He knew that the Terra Calyx would be more than just a beast; it would be the first major step in Neo's elemental awakening. He could not afford a single error in the sequence.
On the morning of the fifth day, a sudden change occurred. Kale felt a ripple of heat through the soul tether, a surge of joyful and predatory energy that snapped him out of his research trance. He looked toward his shadow, his eyes widening in anticipation.
Neo emerged from the darkness, his matte black scales shimmering with a newfound health. The three heads were all upright, hissing in a discordant but incredibly happy chorus. The creature looked larger, his muscles more defined under the obsidian hide.
A blue notification window flashed across Kale's vision, the mechanical voice of the system chiming with a clarity that indicated a successful evolution cycle.
[The Nemesis Hydra has completed hibernation.]
[Neo has advanced to the rank of Greater Feral.]
[Due to the breakthrough of the bonded beast, the host has also advanced.]
[Congratulations, Kale. You are now a Greater Apprentice Tamer.]
Kale laughed, feeling the rush of new power through his mana circuits. He felt lighter, his senses sharpening even further as his rank solidified. He could feel the increased capacity of his mana pool and the steady, heavy beat of Neo's four hearts.
He realised with a start that he was now one step closer to his goal. Only when Neo advanced to the next stage, the Alpha rank, could Kale truly attempt to create and then tame his desired elemental earth chimaera. The Master rank was the gate he needed to unlock.
"You look good, buddy," Kale said, reaching down to stroke the central head of the hydra. Neo nudged his hand affectionately, his heads weaving together in a display of pure reptilian glee. The transformation trait had settled perfectly into his biological source code.
Kale looked at the black scales and then at the door. "It is time to see what you can really do. Transform back to your hydra form for now. We are leaving the tree." Neo obliged, his body shifting until the emerald green scales returned, shimmering with draconic light.
Kale tucked his daggers into his belt and left the internal cavity of the massive tree. He moved through the walkways with a purposeful stride, bypassing the busy guild members who were still repairing the damage from the last wave of the tide.
He headed just a bit ahead into the lower trenches, a section of the forest near the guild base that was known for its dense population of Feral-rank beasts. He knew there was a nest nearby led by a single Alpha-rank predator, a perfect testing ground for them.
As he reached the edge of the clearing, he stopped and looked around the humid thicket. "System, check if I am being surveyed or monitored by any guild or church personnel," he ordered mentally. He waited, his heart steady as the scan processed.
[Scanning surrounding area for surveillance signatures.]
[Scan complete. No active monitoring detected within the immediate radius.]
Kale smiled, a dark and satisfied look crossing his face. He felt the weight of Neo on his shoulder, the creature sensing the proximity of prey. This was the moment he had been waiting for since the bloody battle in the chameleon pit.
"Neo, transform to your Black Chameleon state," Kale ordered. He watched with an analytical hunger as the green scales began to ripple and fade, the light reflecting off the creature's hide until it became a matte obsidian that swallowed the sun.
The transformation was silent and perfect. The three heads remained, but their features were now wedge-shaped and predatory, blending seamlessly into the shadows of the Tigerwood canopy. The draconic aura was buried beneath a layer of effective camouflage.
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