The matte black scales of the newly morphed entity rippled like liquid obsidian under the dim light of the crater. Neo let out a low hiss from all three maws, the sound vibrating through the marrow of Kale’s bones with a heavy, predatory resonance.
Suddenly, the two draconic wings began to fold inward, wrapping around the hydra’s body with mechanical precision. They fused against the scales, creating a secondary layer of biological armour that seemed entirely indispensable to its skin.
Kale felt the weight of the beast’s completion through their shared bond, a sensation of structural integrity that had been missing before. A flicker of blue light danced across his retina as the mechanical voice whispered into his mind.
[New Trait Gained: Partial Transformation Trait]
[The Nemesis Hydra has achieved the Chimerae Black Chameleon state, a form designed for maximum adaptability and stealth.]
[Through this state, the specimen can initiate partial transformations of specific biological nodes, though limbs remain currently locked.]
The system continued its report, its mechanical tone unyielding as it processed the data from the recent mutation cascade. Kale watched the text scroll, his analytical mind already dissecting the tactical advantages of this new form.
[Genetic stability has increased by 400 per cent due to the flexible and unpredictable nature of the integrated chameleon variable.]
[The difference between the previous state and the current is akin to a simple brick wall versus a wall reinforced by steel bars.]
[With this upgrade, the specimen will rarely face the threat of biological collapse under standard evolutionary conditions.]
Kale felt a wave of relief wash over him, knowing that the fragile balance he had maintained since the Swamp Hatchery was finally reinforced. However, the next notification from the system caused his brow to furrow in thought.
[Recommendation: Host must abandon the plan to increase affinities by force-feeding artificial chimaeras to the specimen.]
[Direct ingestion of high-density elemental cores poses a risk of biological discord within the hydra’s complex structure.]
[Instead, Host should bond with powerful artificial chimaeras directly, pulling elemental affinities through the filter of the shared bond.]
The system clarified that instead of letting Neo carry the weight of countless powerful traits alone, it was better for the hydra to draw affinities through the tether. This method would protect the hydra’s genetic core while still granting it the power Kale sought.
Lazek Oberon stood a few feet away, his black eyes shimmering with a manic, unholy light that made Kale’s skin prickle. The Grandmaster looked as if he wanted to dissect Neo right there in the bloody mud, his fingers twitching with a raw, scientific hunger.
It was the look of a man who had spent decades searching for a miracle and had finally found one in the form of a three-headed lizard. The mad scientist inside of him was clearly raving to examine the creature in every way possible.
However, the man took a deep breath, visibly reigning in the madness that threatened to consume his professional composure. He watched in silence as the hydra’s heads drooped, the creature falling into a deep, hibernating sleep to recover its strength.
Kale sent a mental command, pulling the slumbering Neo back into the safety of his shadows as he finally faced his master. He saw the suspicious, piercing stare of the Fleshcrafter fixed upon him once more, a weight he was beginning to tire of bearing.
The silence between them stretched, filled only by the distant sounds of the forest and the heavy scent of lizard blood. Kale let out a long, defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as he met the Grandmaster’s gaze.
"What??" Kale asked, his voice laced with a genuine annoyance that had finally broken through his stoic mask. He was exhausted, battered, and sick of constantly bearing the suspicious stare of his mentor, not that he blamed the man.
After all, he was the one at fault here.
Lazek did not look away, his narrowed gaze remaining fixed on the spot where the hydra had disappeared into the shadows. "At first, I was astonished by your chimaera, a creature that breaks all common sense and biological law," Lazek began.
"But when you revealed the existence of Dragon blood in your possession, I could at least make somewhat sense of the anchor you used," he continued. "Technically speaking, if a Dragon’s source serves as the anchor, the worst abominations become possible."
The Grandmaster stepped closer, his presence feeling like an encroaching void that swallowed the remaining warmth of the crater. "But even then, creating a stable hybrid was an arduous task that I was unsure I could accomplish myself."
"I decided to look past the impossibility of your methods since you asked it of me, but this is a bit much," Lazek said, his voice rising. "Now I see it being able to devour and assimilate traits onto itself like a predatory engine."
Lazek paused, his handsome face twisting into a look of profound confusion and suspicion that Kale had never seen before. "Now I am more shocked by my own disciple than anything else. Who are you truly, Kale??"
Kale looked down at his bloodstained hands, a bitter, mirthless smile touching his lips as he thought of the secrets he carried. He thought of the system, the regression, and the life he had lived before the world of Nergal ever knew his name.
"Master, do you trust me?" Kale asked, his voice quiet but steady as he brought his eyes back up to meet Lazek’s obsidian gaze. It was a simple question, yet it carried the weight of everything that stood between them.
"No, I don’t," Lazek shot back immediately, his response as sharp and cold as a surgical blade. There was no hesitation in his voice, no attempt to soften the blow of his honesty for the sake of his disciple’s feelings.
Kale’s eyebrow twitched at the bluntness of the reply, but before he could speak, his master added more. "What? You expect me to say that I should still trust you after witnessing all of this? You are a walking enigma of biological discord."
Lazek let out a heavy, weary sigh that seemed to carry the weight of his recent border travels and his mounting frustrations. "It is hard to trust someone who does not trust you in return."
"You bury your cards so deep that I can barely see the deck."