Impossible!

In reality, Sandy was far more beautiful than her summoned projection. Perhaps it was because Aisli's strength was limited, or perhaps Sandy's was, combined with the unavoidable soul drain of projection itself, but summoned monster beasts always carried a hazy quality. In the flesh, there was no such degradation. Every detail was vividly presented, and Sandy's beauty lay in the exquisite accumulation of those details, where quantity culminated in a qualitative leap. No wonder her kind had been used as "sacred beasts"—or perhaps more accurately, "ceremonial beasts"—in grand rituals. Seeing her true form, Karen felt the sudden impulse to keep one himself. If he had an estate of his own someday, pushed open his window every morning, and watched a Sandy soaring over the green lawn... well, his mood for the whole day would be delightful. Then he remembered the cat and dog he already had at home. Taking on another pet was something he couldn't afford. Aisli opened the door at the bottom of the enclosure, and Karen stepped inside with her. Sandy's sizable frame pressed back against the opposite wall. Right now, she was probably deeply regretting why such a glass dome had ever been built to contain her. Without it, she would have flown off long ago. "Sandy, come here. Come on," Aisli called. Sandy expressed flat refusal. Back when this girl was a child, Sandy had found her adorable. When the girl became an intern researcher here, Sandy had still found her adorable. But ever since she went off to participate in that selection trial... She! Was! Not! Adorable! Anymore! Yet when Karen walked toward her of his own accord, Sandy had nowhere left to hide. She had the distinct feeling that if she took flight again, this man would drag her right out of the air. She believed the young man before her was entirely capable of doing that. Kevin wasn't very interested in Sandy. Instead, he wandered off on his own toward Sandy's massive food basin, which was big enough to serve as a bathtub for a golden retriever. He bent down, took a bite, and immediately spat it out, sticking out his tongue. It tasted awful. Kevin wasn't as picky about food as Purr—he didn't drink coffee or take afternoon tea—and he basically ate whatever the rest of the household ate. In truth, though, the standard of food in Karen's home was well above the York City average. "Sandy, be good. Don't be afraid," Aisli continued soothing her. Sandy was still trembling until Karen stopped before her, gazing at her with a calm expression. Sandy folded her wings and lowered her head. In an inexplicable way, she felt that the young man radiated an aura of majesty that made her feel deeply at ease. Yes, at ease. Her ancestors had been bred for generations to serve as living decorations in the Church of Order's major sacrificial ceremonies and celebrations. Over time, her bloodline had naturally absorbed a trace of the aura of Order. That subtle change didn't grant her race any notable strength—they were still relatively weak monster beasts. But right now, she could sense a profound affinity emanating from Karen. Having undergone the Order transformation, Karen possessed the purest aura of Order, as had already been proven by his medical examination. This clash between rational dread and instinctual affinity left Sandy on the verge of total confusion. Karen reached out and touched Sandy's feathers. They were remarkably soft. "Captain, I have some of Sandy's shed feathers saved up at my place. They make great pillows." "What about a quilt?" Karen asked. "That works too. I just need to pluck a few more from her to have enough." Sandy: "..." After sitting by Sandy for a while, Karen and Aisli walked out. Sandy slumped onto the ground, looking as if she had finally been granted a reprieve. "What were your responsibilities here in the past?" Karen asked. "I lived here as a kid, playing with the monster beasts. Some of them are very gentle. Once I earned my intern researcher credentials, I started helping with feeding duties." "Living here must have felt quite wonderful." "It did. It was fun and very interesting. But after staying so long, maybe the feeling wasn't as vivid anymore. Just like you said, Captain—happiness is a matter of contrast." "I said that?" "You did. I remember it." "All right then." Next, Karen arrived at Mombas's enclosure. His enclosure was immense, reinforced on the outside with three additional layers of cages. This spoke volumes about his status; only powerful, highly aggressive monster beasts were granted the privilege of multiple cages—with the sole exception of Sandy. "Can you open the door?" Karen asked. "I can. I know my father's unlocking runes, but he never let me approach Mombas alone." Mombas, who had been lounging in a pile of ice blocks to keep cool, sensed their presence and stood up. His entire coat was silver-gray, his eyes an icy blue, his gaze radiating an innate savagery. He paced forward, and upon seeing Karen, memories of the Congers tomb seemed to resurface. Karen had once helped Aisli summon him. Back then, Mombas had wanted to throw a bit of a temper tantrum before fighting, mainly to set himself apart from creatures like Sandy. But the Thousand Phantoms inside Karen had answered his provocation in the most direct manner possible. Sensing the dangerous aura harbored within Karen, Mombas had been forced to lower his head. Now, the genuine article had arrived, standing right outside his cage. "Open it," Karen said. "All right, Captain." Aisli wouldn't go against her captain's wishes, but she still cautioned, "Captain, in reality he's much stronger than his summoned phantom. Oh, not that I think you're worried about that, of course, but please be a little careful." "I know." Aisli opened the cage. For large monster beasts, cages usually had two separate entryways—one for the beast and one for researchers, the latter being considerably smaller. Karen walked inside. The air wasn't foul or gamey at all; in fact, it was quite fresh, entirely unlike a conventional zoo. Mombas glared at Karen, a continuous low growl rumbling in his throat. Karen chuckled. Finding a relatively flat block of ice, he sat down. His clerical robe wasn't afraid of getting wet anyway. Mombas kept his gaze locked on Karen. Meanwhile, Kevin trotted over to Mombas's feeding trough, lowered his head, inspected it, and took a bite. Sandy's trough had mostly contained fruit, but Mombas's was primarily meat, shaped like meatballs. It still didn't taste very good, but his good breeding kept him from spitting it out; instead, he swallowed it down. As Kevin turned around, Mombas swiveled his head to stare at him. Even among humans, snatching someone else's food bowl was the ultimate taboo, let alone among monster beasts. When facing Karen, Mombas had kept his gaze somewhat reserved, but when looking at this golden retriever, his eyes blazed with fury. Lowering his head, he let out a menacing growl. "Roar!" A golden retriever was considered a large dog, yet before Mombas, Kevin still appeared remarkably small. Even so, Kevin showed not the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he regarded Mombas with a look of utter disdain. "Woof." Mombas froze for an instant, seemingly caught off guard that a puny dog dared challenge his authority. Just as he was about to raise a paw, Karen spoke. "That's enough." "Roar!" As if seizing upon an excuse, Mombas whipped his head toward Karen and roared. He had held back for a long time, hesitating just as long, and now he finally unleashed his pent-up wrath. The howling gale whipped Karen's hair back. Karen rose to his feet. Behind him, chains of Order materialized and fanned out, pointing straight at Mombas. Coiled around the central chain was the Thousand Phantoms, glaring furiously at the creature that dared offend its master and its dog big brother. Mombas harbored an instinctual dread of the Thousand Phantoms. Right then, he took two steps back, effectively conceding defeat. Kevin, behaving as if none of this concerned him, trotted cheerfully back to Karen's side. "Mombas, mind your manners!" Aisli scolded from behind Karen. Clearly, she didn't have much confidence when facing this beast, which had been castrated by her own father. Her father hadn't done it to humiliate the creature, of course. Rare monster beasts bred in research facilities almost always suffered from physical ailments to varying degrees, requiring specialized care and medical procedures. If Mombas hadn't been neutered back then, he wouldn't have survived to this day. Even so, his male pride made it impossible for him to be reasonable about the matter. In truth, Karen knew that Mombas hadn't actually intended to fight. Aside from the wind kicked up by his roar, no storm had formed around them; if a Storm Wolf truly wanted a brawl, it would certainly whip up a hurricane first. He was merely trying to save face—or rather, he cared far more about his dignity than Sandy did. After another standoff, Mombas lay down. It wasn't an act of submission to Karen; it seemed more like he simply couldn't be bothered with them anymore. Yet this was his cage, his own territory. Choosing to ignore people who had walked straight into his home looked an awful lot like self-deception. Regardless, seeing Mombas quiet down allowed Aisli to heave a long sigh of relief. Kevin resumed his wandering, heading over to where Mombas had previously been resting. There he found an icy pool beneath a water spout, where clean water trickled down and filtered through the ice blocks into the basin below. Mombas had deliberately infused the water with the essence of storms, and because the wolf was exceptionally clean, not a single stray hair could be seen near the source. Kevin reached out a paw, tapped the surface, and discovered a protective barrier over it—not particularly sturdy, but enough to keep out dust. "Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!" Kevin barked at Aisli. "Huh?" Aisli walked over. Kevin shook his satchel and gestured toward the left pocket with his head. Aisli reached in and retrieved a cup. Kevin barked twice more at the pool ahead. "Is this for the captain?" Aisli understood. She bent down to draw water from the pool. "Woof!" "Oh, right." Aisli went to the ice pipe to catch the water directly, ensuring the captain wouldn't be drinking from the same bowl as Mombas. Once it was filled, Aisli walked over to Karen and asked, "Captain, want to try some?" Karen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He liked drinking iced water simply because it was uncomplicated and he hated fuss; he had never intended to make a whole production out of it. Then again, speaking of special water, the iced water chilled with dark ice in Lord Dal's cavern had truly tasted exquisite. The chill coursing through every limb and bone had been wonderfully refreshing. Karen took the cup and took a sip. It was icy cold, which came as no surprise, but likely due to the storm energy infused within, layers of fine bubbles burst across his tongue. The sensation was more invigorating than any carbonated beverage. With a bit of sugar added, it would be all-natural Sprite. One sip, two sips. Karen let out a soft burp and handed the cup back to Aisli. Curious, Aisli took a sip as well. "The texture is amazing. It's really good." Kevin trotted over to Mombas on his own. Mombas lay with his massive head on the ground, eyes open, watching the dog approach. He huffed a puff of breath at Kevin, but Kevin simply hopped aside. "Woof, woof, woof, woof." A look of bewilderment crossed Mombas's eyes. He couldn't understand a word. Kevin paused, then disappointment washed over his face. Losing all interest in an instant, he turned and trotted away. This left Mombas deeply irritated. What was that look supposed to mean? Mombas instinctively moved to stand up again, but after glancing at Karen sitting nearby, he checked the impulse. "About how much longer will it take?" Karen asked. "I'm not sure. It shouldn't take too long, though I don't know the exact schedule. Opportunities like this are rare; even my parents usually struggle to secure that machine for the beasts they're raising." "I've truly troubled your parents." "Not at all. Purr is your monster beast, Captain—it was your reputation that carried weight here." "My reputation?" "Yes! The person in charge of approvals is the deputy department head, and he's a bit... pragmatic. The application for Purr was definitely submitted under your name." "He can't really get anything out of me, though." "Think of it as an investment. That's what my mother said. She's coming to dinner later too—she specifically requested it herself." "A female supervisor?" "Yes, in her forties. Ah, Captain, you don't mind extra guests at dinner, do you?" "Not at all." *I never agreed to join dinner in the first place...* Still, he had no choice but to agree now, given the favor Purr had received. "Captain, would you like to look around other areas?" Mombas pricked his ears. "No need. It's cool here." Mombas's ears drooped back down. *** Purr floated out from a massive apparatus and landed softly on a blanket. "All right, that wraps it up." "Break time, break time." The staff responsible for operating the equipment began leaving their posts one after another now that the examination was complete. After all, their shift was over. Santos waved goodbye to them. Strictly speaking, he had borrowed his department's equipment and asked the younger staff to handle a private favor. Selina pulled up the detailed test data, and upon reading the results, she gasped and covered her mouth. "What is it?" Santos asked. "What's wrong?" Purr asked. "Hm? You're awake?" Santos was genuinely surprised. "Mm. Took an afternoon nap. Quite comfortable," Purr replied languidly. "Normally, you should have remained unconscious for at least three days. I was prepared to prescribe vital nutrient serums for you." "Oh, no need for the fuss. I'm fine." Purr climbed to her paws and looked at Selina. "Madam Selina, is there a problem?" "A very big problem," Selina said, staring at Purr. Even now, the couple was still unsure of what attitude to adopt toward Purr. "Oh, don't worry about it. You can give me the results straight. I can take bad news." "Here is the situation. According to my research, your body... ahem... should have been in a state of extreme depletion." "Mm, and then?" "There ought to be a threshold within your body. Once you cross that threshold, you can assume different forms, much like certain shapeshifting monster beasts." "Ah, yes, that's right." In reality, they had it backward—Purr had originally been human and had transformed in reverse into a cat. Purr wasn't about to waste time correcting them now, though. The couple was sensible and had treated her with respect as an individual throughout. "The reason you cannot transform is that a special object on your body has been continuously siphoning the power you ought to be accumulating. To use an analogy: you are a pool of water, but you are connected to a reservoir." "I see. You mean that as long as the reservoir isn't full, my little pool can never reach the required level?" "Precisely," Santos answered. "Our original plan was to perform a..." "Resection?" Purr was stunned. *You want to excise the Finger of Light from my tail?* *Good heavens, do you have any idea what scale of surgery that would be!* *If the medium binding it to my body—from flesh to soul—could simply be cut away, would I have waited until today?* "Not a resection, an obstruction," Santos clarified. "We wanted to find a way to install a floodgate at the junction between your pool and that reservoir. That way, you could fill your own pool and meet the requirements for transformation." Purr's eyes instantly lit up. The problem was simple enough: because of that Finger of Light, she had been unable to restore her strength, possessing only a shallow layer of power. Any higher, and it would spill over into that bottomless, colossal reservoir. If they could install a floodgate, she could accumulate strength and gradually recover to the point where she could turn back into a human! "Heavens, you two are absolute geniuses!" "However..." Selina began. "However what?" Purr pressed immediately. "Through this examination, we discovered a condition we hadn't noticed before," Selina said. "What is it?" "Beside that reservoir, there is actually a second one. The second reservoir is also massive, and it appears to still be expanding. Based on the test data from just now, while the rate of change isn't dramatic, the comparative readings show a clear upward trend." "A second reservoir, and it's still expanding?" "Yes, that is correct." "Can the surgery still be done?" Purr asked. "Not for the time being," Santos said. "If the second reservoir were static and fixed, we could calculate the parameters in advance and simply install an additional gate during surgery, handling it in stages. But if it is dynamically shifting, there is nothing we can do." Selina spoke up, "I suspect... have you established a symbiosis contract with... with Mr. Karen?" "Yes, that's right." Selina suggested gently, "Perhaps a way could be found to dissolve that contract first..." Purr cut her off at once: "Impossible!"