Seeing that Lian had made his position clear, Principal Kang turned to Azrael and the others. His expression carried a mixture of concern and resignation. "The bronze-level secret realm that's still being explored remains extrely dangerous. You should think this through carefully."
Azrael remained silent for a long mont, weighing his options. The weight of his decision pressed down on him like a physical force. Finally, he spoke with quiet determination. "Principal Kang, I'm still going."
He knew that fortune and wealth were sought in danger. If he continued playing it safe and progressing at a snail's pace, when would he ever gain the strength needed to protect himself from the relentless pursuit of the Crimson Oath Society? Ti was running out, and each day of hesitation brought him closer to being found.
Besides, the association would never send students in alone. There had to be a bronze-level Lore Cardian leading the team, soone with experience navigating these treacherous realms.
Seeing that Azrael and the others had made their decision, Principal Kang couldn't interfere any further. A proud smile broke across his weathered face. "You perford exceptionally well today. When you return to school, there will be rewards waiting for you."
The association had its incentives, and naturally, so did the school. Principal Kang wouldn't be stingy with materials for students who had proven themselves so admirably.
Of course, Silverbrook High School couldn't afford high-quality, bronze-level materials. At most, they could offer cash or black iron-level resources, but that was sothing.
Azrael and the other two responded in unison, their voices filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you, Principal!"
"Haha, good boys!" Principal Kang's smile widened and his chest swelled with pride. Today's performance by all three students, especially Azrael's tactical brilliance, made Principal Kang feel like a successful ntor. "Co on then. The principal is treating you to a proper celebration at the Serenity Hotel in Velkairos."
Late that night, Azrael rode Pidgeot through the darkened streets toward ho, the cool night air whipping through his hair.
Back at the Serenity Hotel, Principal Kang was completely drunk. His face flushed crimson from the alcohol, he stumbled around in a drunken stupor, muttering nonsensical phrases like, "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west; don't bully the old and poor." Azrael and the others watched in stunned silence, unsure how to respond to their principal's bizarre ramblings.
Fortunately, the other three principals and Lian had kept their drinking moderate. Together, they managed to carry the thoroughly intoxicated Principal Kang away, leaving Azrael and his teammates free to head ho.
Pushing open his apartnt door, Azrael collapsed onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. It would be a lie to say he hadn't been nervous during his first combat scenario. His heart had been pounding the entire ti. Thankfully, though, they'd erged victorious.
Unlike other students his age, he didn't have parents to fall back on or family connections to pave his way. In this harsh world, he could only rely on himself, a reality that felt particularly heavy tonight.
Lost in these scattered thoughts, Azrael gradually drifted into a deep, much-needed sleep.
Yoriichi and Kaneki exchanged a aningful glance before quietly turning off the lights and taking up their guard positions. They could both sense their card holder's bone-deep exhaustion.
Since they'd been created and bonded with Azrael, they'd felt the constant tension he carried, like a wire stretched to its breaking point. Fortunately, the tension had loosened slightly today. They'd genuinely feared it might snap if the pressure continued to build.
However, what Azrael didn't know was that soone in the neighboring house had been monitoring his every move since his return.
That soone was, of course, Koga.
Seeing no further activity from Azrael's apartnt, Koga finally closed his curtains and settled into his office chair. His expression was grim and calculating.
For days, Koga had been observing Azrael's daily routine with the patience of a predator. But he'd discovered nothing unusual. Azrael behaved like an ordinary student: attending classes, completing assignnts, and socializing with peers.
However, Koga's instincts scread otherwise. In his extensive experience, the absence of any abnormality was often the biggest red flag of all.
"Now isn't the right ti to make a move," he muttered, thinking of the tasks assigned to him by the Crimson Oath Society. The timing had to be perfect; rushing could ruin everything they'd worked toward.
Ultimately, Koga decided to continue monitoring Azrael and wait to see what his true agenda might be.
"Mmm~"
The next morning, Azrael stretched luxuriously as consciousness returned. He hadn't slept so peacefully in months. The tension that usually knotted his shoulders was notably absent.
Suddenly, realization struck him like a thunderbolt.
He hadn't ditated the previous night, yet his threshold to the bronze level felt more stable than ever. The barrier that had seed so solid was now trembling, ready to crack.
It was undoubtedly positive progress, so Azrael didn't dwell on this unexpected developnt. Sotis the mind needed rest as much as focused cultivation.
After a quick wash and a simple breakfast, he mounted Pidgeot and soared toward the Cardian Master Association in the Nirvale District.
Lian had instructed Azrael and the others to report directly to the association that morning, where soone would escort them to the newly discovered secret realm.
Upon arriving at the association's entrance, Azrael spotted Gabi and Yurek waiting for him. He landed and approached them with an apologetic expression. "Sorry I'm late."
Before Gabi could respond, Yurek scratched the back of his head, giving him his characteristic goofy grin. "You're not late at all. We just got here ourselves."
While the three students were exchanging pleasantries, Lian appeared with three adult Lore Cardians in tow.
"These are the three students who will be joining your teams for this expedition," Lian explained to his companions in a professional yet warm tone.
The three Lore Cardians nodded respectfully. "Understood, President Lian. We'll make sure to take excellent care of our young teammates."
They were the captains of bronze-level Lore Cardian teams—seasoned professionals who would integrate Azrael and his friends into their established exploration units.
Azrael found himself assigned to follow Grey, a powerfully built man whose presence radiated competence and experience.
As the groups prepared to depart, Lian's eyes flashed with an unreadable emotion, perhaps concern or calculation.
As Azrael followed Grey to the parking lot, he noticed a man and a woman standing beside a rugged, military-style jeep.
Grey gestured toward them with casual familiarity. "Marvin and Carl, this is Azrael, the student who'll be accompanying our team this ti."
The two veteran Lore Cardians looked Azrael up and down. Their expressions were carefully neutral, but he caught the almost imperceptible sighs they exchanged.
From their perspective, they had drawn the short straw for babysitting duty. Not only would they have to manage an inexperienced rookie who could beco a liability, but they would also have to share a portion of their secret realm profits with him.
Though the association would eventually compensate them for this loss, it still stung.
Marvin was a scholarly-looking man with wire-rimd glasses who maintained a diplomatic deanor. He smiled warmly and extended his hand. "Student Azrael, please guide us well during this expedition."
Carl, however, was cut from a different cloth. A fierce-looking woman with a prominent scar across her left cheek, she spoke with brutal directness. "Listen up, rookie. Once we're inside that secret realm, you stick close to us and don't cause any trouble. We're not running a charity here."
Azrael felt no anger toward her harsh words. Beneath her abrasive delivery, he recognized her genuine concern for his safety, the kind of tough love that kept people alive in dangerous situations. He responded with honest humility. "Understood completely, Brother Zhao and Sister Xiang. I'll follow your lead."
The four of them climbed into the jeep, and Grey began briefing Azrael on their destination as they drove through the city streets.
"The secret realm we're heading to has been temporarily designated 'Black Flag,'" Grey explained, his hands steady on the steering wheel. "Preliminary exploration has confird it as a bronze-level realm. President Lian probably covered the basics with you yesterday."
Azrael nodded in confirmation. Lian had indeed provided them with the fundantal details during their initial briefing.
Seeing that Azrael understood, Grey continued with more specific intelligence. "The terrain inside Black Flag is classified as ocean-island type, which makes it considerably more challenging than landlocked realms."
"Don't worry, though. The association has prepared proper vessels for us. Our primary mission this ti is to gather detailed intelligence rather than to extract resources on a large scale."
The presence of students on this expedition ant that the Association prioritized experience-gathering over dangerous profit-seeking. They wanted to give promising young Lore Cardians real-world exposure without putting them in unnecessarily lethal situations.
However, Grey's expression grew considerably more serious as he delivered the next piece of information. "The dominant demon type in Black Flag consists of humanoid pirates. This is crucial information you need to internalize."
"I don't know exactly what they taught you in school about this subject, but I need you to understand one concept with absolute clarity."
His voice dropped to a grave tone that demanded complete attention. "Demons cannot be trusted. Ever. No matter how convincingly they mimic human behavior or how reasonable they seem, never allow yourself to sympathize with them."
Azrael had only encountered beast-type demons in his previous experiences. Humanoid demons were entirely new territory for him, but his textbooks had covered the subject extensively.
According to his studies, humanoid demons were highly intelligent and could perfectly mimic human behavior patterns. However, they would imdiately turn hostile upon discovering an Earth human's identity.
Even if they delayed their attack, it was only to build false trust and set up opportunities to kill more humans more efficiently.
There had been idealistic movents in the past advocating for peaceful coexistence with demons, but those movents died out after the survivors learned otherwise through brutal, bloody lessons.
Combining his textbook knowledge with Grey's serious warning, Azrael's expression hardened with newfound resolve. "I understand completely, Brother Zhou. No rcy, no hesitation."
The jeep continued toward their destination, carrying four Lore Cardians toward the dangers that awaited them in the Black Flag secret realm.
...
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