The director's efficiency was almost frightening.
As soon as Altaïr agreed, she ordered her assistant to buy an Iron Katana from the nearest workshop, then had her Felyne coachman bring in the Gargwa that normally pulled her cart.
"Gwa?" The Gargwa tilted its head, its eyes full of blank confusion.
Altaïr looked at the Iron Katana the director held out, then watched the Felyne coachman flee with both paws over the face, wailing, "Meow!" He gave a strained laugh.
"Isn't this... a bit much?"
"Don't you need a living creature as a target?" The director looked puzzled, as though she had no idea what he meant.
"As far as I know, equipment and parasites with similar abilities run the risk of turning inward and devouring their users. Without a living sacrifice, the backlash can be severe."
"I know it needs a living sacrifice. What I mean is... we don't have to rush. We could accept a quest at the Gathering Hall, head into the wild, and hunt a couple of Velociprey or something."
"Go into the wild? Why go to all that trouble?" The director frowned. "We have the best experimental facilities and equipment right here. We can collect and examine the samples immediately.
"If we leave the city to Hunt wild Velociprey, the samples may lose their original biological activity before we return, which would severely compromise the research and observations...
"Ah, I see."
Realization dawned, and a faintly mocking glint crossed the director's pale pink eyes. "You're saying the Gargwa is cute and pitiable, while wild Velociprey are vicious and nasty. You feel bad about hurting the former, so you'd rather use a more 'evil' sacrifice?
"I don't know how you distinguish good from evil among living creatures, or how you weigh the value of one life against another. A Gargwa and a Velociprey are fundamentally no different. It's just that..."
"Stop." Altaïr raised a hand to halt her, already developing a headache. "I'm not trying to debate philosophy. A Gargwa it is. Could you explain the experimental procedure?"
The director gave a soft snort. "If you don't mind, I'd like to make several incisions in your arm with a scalpel and take the first sample from the exposed blood and tissue.
"Then, while you are in your normal state, you will cut the Gargwa once and let its blood splash onto your wounds. At that point, I will take a second sample from them.
"Immediately afterward, you will activate the state you called Devouring Demon and repeat the previous step. I will take a third sample, then examine and compare all three without delay."
She frowned slightly, apparently dissatisfied with the plan. "It's a shame we only have one Gargwa. The procedure feels rushed, and the comparison will not be rigorous enough.
"Perhaps I should buy several more livestock at the market and run multiple comparative trials..."
"That won't be necessary." Altaïr waved a hand to cut her off. He had no desire to serve as her lab rat through one experiment after another.
"I understand the procedure. Let's begin."
The director immediately fetched her sampling syringes and scalpel. As she made several incisions in Altaïr's forearm and collected the first sample, she said to Isis, "Miss Isis, would you mind restraining that Gargwa? There are many valuable instruments and books in the institute, and I would rather it did not run loose."
"Ah... all right." Isis approached the Gargwa, raised a hand, and stroked its neck.
She felt sorry for the Gargwa too, but to confirm Altaïr's condition as quickly as possible, she had no choice but to ask this sacrifice of it.
As the Gargwa lowered its head toward her, Isis swung her fist and struck it squarely on the skull.
Thwack!
The Gargwa had no time even to cry out. Its tiny wings twitched and fluttered twice before it toppled stiffly to the ground.
"It shouldn't wake up again." Isis took a few steps back, looking somber.
At least it had gone peacefully...
"Let's begin." The director gave the signal without expression.
Altaïr shrugged and brought his blade down.
The Gargwa's carcass was dragged away. Once the sampling was complete, the director busied herself among the instruments.
The results would take some time.
Amos glanced at the two young people sitting silently side by side. "I'm heading back first. Come home early once the results are in," he said, then left alone.
Altaïr looked at the already healed wounds on his forearm, his emotions in turmoil.
Through a strange twist of fate, he had not only mastered "Devouring Demon" but had also gained a rapid-healing ability that the technique did not normally grant. By any measure, that was excellent news.
Yet he could not bring himself to smile.
He worried that Isis, sitting beside him, might suddenly spring up and land two resounding thwacks on him, just as she had on the poor Gargwa.
After a moment's hesitation, Altaïr sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept it from you."
"I'm sorry..."
They spoke at the same time.
"What are you sorry for?" Altaïr looked at Isis in bewilderment.
He had already sensed that something was off about her mood and realized she had probably learned everything from Master Amos. He had braced himself for her anger.
Why was she suddenly saying "sorry"?
Isis spoke very softly. "I was afraid you'd put yourself in danger, so I tried to keep an eye on you and steer you away from those risks. But all that did was make you sneak off and take even greater risks. I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."
Altaïr fell silent.
He understood, more or less, how Isis's thinking had changed.
The fact that he had hidden in the Training Area, told no one, not even Sajji, and secretly practiced Devouring Demon by himself had clearly terrified her.
In the end, he had come through unscathed, yet somehow this felt worse than if Isis had flown into a rage.
He reached out and drew Isis close with an arm around her shoulders. "I won't deny that I'll still take risks in the future. We're Hunters, and pursuing strength always comes at a cost.
"But I can at least promise you this: I won't sneak off alone like this again.
"Even if I truly have to take a risk someday, you'll be my final safeguard."
"Mm..." Isis edged closer to him. "Me too. If I ever decide to find a Deviljho and practice wrestling with it, I won't sneak off alone. I'll ask you to come and back me up."
Altaïr was speechless.
He gripped Isis by both shoulders and pushed her back a little. His incredulous expression seemed to say, "What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?!"
Then realization struck. What he had done was practically the same as going off alone to wrestle a Deviljho without even taking Clawdia.
He suddenly understood how Isis felt. If she ever did something like that, his own reaction would probably be sheer terror and lingering dread rather than anger...
"Ahem." A soft cough came from beside them.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but the preliminary results are ready." The director regarded them with a faint, knowing smile.
Altaïr and Isis quickly stood.
The director waved the report in her hand. "I'll skip the complicated details and go straight to what matters to you.
"First, the microorganisms fused with your body can indeed draw on Monster flesh and blood to accelerate healing, but only when they are fully activated, meaning when you enter the state you call 'Devouring Demon.'
"There is no point trying while the ability is inactive. Whether the cause is your body temperature or the low activity level of the energy within you, they simply will not 'work' unless activated."
"Excuse me... If he uses them to speed up healing, are there any other risks?" Isis pressed urgently. "Poisoning or infection, for example?"
"There might be a risk of rejection in someone else." The director looked at Altaïr. "With your constitution, however, that does not seem to be a concern.
"You and 'they' are naturally compatible."
* * *
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