Genetic Engineer in a Tamer's World

The suggestion hung in the humid air of the chamber like a heavy fog. Lazek stood by the balcony, his silhouette framed by the dying light of the Tigerwood sun. He had expected a simple nod of agreement, a submission to the safety of the capital after the carnage they had recently witnessed.

Kale did not move. He stood in the centre of the room, his eyes fixed on his master with an unyielding intensity. ”I’m sorry, Master,” he said, his voice quiet but steady. ”I don’t want to return to the capital just yet.”

The silence that followed was not peaceful. It was a vacuum of sound that preceded a storm. Lazek did not turn around immediately, but his shoulders tensed under his grey coat. The terminal boredom that usually defined his presence was replaced by something sharp and jagged.

Suddenly, the air in the room became a physical weight. Lazek exploded in a silent and terrifying anger that manifested as a tide of dark mana. It surged from his body in oily, obsidian waves, pressing down on everything in the vicinity with the weight of a falling mountain.

The wooden floorboards of room 555 groaned and creaked under the invisible pressure. The furniture vibrated as the Grandmaster’s aura sought to crush any resistance. It was the raw, unfiltered authority of a Fleshcrafting legend demanding absolute obedience from his pupil.

Kale felt the pressure hit him like a physical blow. His knees buckled for a fraction of a second, and the breath was driven from his lungs. To any other Apprentice, this would have been the moment of total collapse, a forced kneeling before a superior power.

However, Kale sighed; he was no longer a standard human. He drew upon the well of power deep within his core, activating his Beast Force pathways. The green energy of the Nemesis Hydra surged through his veins, meeting the dark tide of Lazek’s mana head-on with a fierce crackle.

With a sharp grunt, Kale forced his body upright. He planted his heels into the wood, his Hexarion physiology absorbing the stress of the environment. A faint green light pulsed around his skin as he used Lesser Mana Manipulation to anchor himself against the floor.

He did not kneel. He did not falter. He stood his ground in the centre of the dark storm, his eyes burning with a light that matched the vibrant green of his hair. He stared at the back of his master’s head, waiting for the pressure to break.

Lazek finally turned around, his black eyes shimmering with a dangerous light. He looked at Kale, seeing the defiance and the sheer strength it took to remain standing under his Grandmaster’s aura. The manic edge in his gaze softened ever so slightly, replaced by a trace of weary surprise.

”You have grown bold, disciple,” Lazek noted, his voice a low rumble. He slowly retracted the dark mana, the crushing weight lifting from the room as quickly as it had arrived. The shadows in the corners retreated, leaving only the mundane quiet of the base once more.

Kale took a long and steady breath, feeling the sweat cooling on his forehead. ”Master, I am not being difficult for the sake of it,” he explained calmly. ”Neo is still in a deep hibernation. I do not know how long it will take for him to wake or how he will react to the change.”

He paced the length of the room, his mind already calculating the variables of their current environment. ”This forest is technically the best place for us to train. The ambient mana is rich, and the proximity to the trenches provides the pressure Neo needs to stabilise his new form.”

”I want to train Neo in his black chameleon form properly,” Kale continued. ”I need to see the advantages and the biological disadvantages of that state in a controlled but dangerous environment. Only then will I feel ready to return to the prying eyes of the Capital.”

Lazek watched him in silence for a long time, his expression unreadable. He seemed to be weighing the boy’s words against his own instincts for safety. Finally, the Grandmaster let out a heavy sigh of defeat, his shoulders slumping slightly as the tension left his frame.

”You always were a stubborn weed,” Lazek said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ”Fine. I will give you three weeks at the very best. But by the time those twenty-one days are up, you must return to the Association headquarters in the capital. No excuses.”

Kale nodded, a small wave of relief washing over him. ”I understand. Thank you, Master.” He knew that the three weeks given by his master were a generous compromise from the man’s part, considering how volatile the situation was.

Lazek stepped forward, his tone turning serious. ”Well, I have to go back immediately. There are research projects and matters that require my personal attention. Otherwise, I would have stayed and taken you back alongside me. But it is what it is.”

The Grandmaster reached out and gripped Kale’s shoulder, his hand cold and firm. ”Listen to me carefully, disciple. Never reveal the devouring assimilation ability or the transformation ability of your Hydra to anyone. Not even to those you think you can trust.”

”If the Church or the rival guilds learn that you possess a creature capable of stealing the traits of other species, they will not just hunt you,” Lazek cautioned. ”They will turn you into a specimen. They will dissect you to find the source of that discord.”

Kale nodded solemnly, knowing the truth of those words better than anyone. He had lived through betrayal once before, and he had no intention of letting history repeat itself in this new life. The secrets of the Nemesis Hydra would remain buried in his shadows.

Until he was so strong that nothing in this world could threaten him.

Lazek further instructed him on the base protocols. ”Remain safe and do not venture too deep into the forest trenches alone. If you need anything, state your requests directly to Henry or Igor. I have already spoken with the personnel of the Greenroot Guild.”