Chapter 53: Suspicion

Azrael accepted the materials that Marvin handed over without hesitation. After all, he was the one who killed Moore; there was no reason to refuse what was rightfully his.

"Tsk." Kent sneered, watching the demon corpses scattered around them. "These demons made things convenient for us by gathering in one place. Cleanup will be much easier."

Azrael nodded in agreement. Had these demon leaders not congregated on Skull Island, Kent would have faced the tedious task of hunting them down one by one across the entire secret realm.

The four survivors spent the next hour methodically cleaning the battlefield. Blood stained the rocky ground, and the acrid smell of demon ichor hung heavily in the air. They worked in focused silence, collecting every usable material they could find.

When the grisly work was done, Kent received all the collected materials. Since he had eliminated most of the present demons, save for Moore, no one questioned this arrangement. In their world, it was the natural order of things: the strong claimed the spoils.

After examining his haul, Kent divided the black iron-level materials into three equal portions and offered shares to Azrael and the others.

Azrael immediately shook his head. "Kent, keep it all. I barely contributed to the later battles."

He wasn't being falsely modest; Kent had torn through those demons like a force of nature. Even if the silver-level Lore Cardian had kept everything for himself, Azrael wouldn't have objected. The fact that he was willing to share at all was an act of unexpected generosity.

Kent's brow furrowed with impatience. "Just take it when I tell you to. Why all the unnecessary chatter?"

The total value of the seventy-plus materials barely reached one million Empyrean Dollars—pocket change for a silver-level Lore Cardian like himself. He hadn't gotten where he was by being petty over small amounts. Besides, Azrael showed promise that anyone could see. A small investment now might pay off later.

After a moment's hesitation, Azrael accepted the materials but immediately turned to Marvin. "Marvin, please give these to Grey and Carl's families."

He extended his hand, waiting. When no one moved to take the materials, Azrael glanced around in confusion.

Marvin's smile looked forced and painful. "Azrael, you should use them yourself. Grey and Carl—" His voice caught. "All their family members are already dead."

Azrael's outstretched hand froze in midair. The weight of those words hit him like a physical blow. He knew Grey's parents had passed away, but both of them? Completely alone in the world?

The silence stretched uncomfortably. Finally, Azrael forced his hand to move naturally, pretending his heart wasn't clenching. "Sorry. I didn't know."

Sometimes, the kindest thing was to avoid reopening old wounds.

Marvin waved dismissively, signaling to Azrael that he shouldn't dwell on it. The dead were gone; the living couldn't remain trapped in the past forever. At least now, Azrael had avenged Grey and the others. That had to count for something.

After completing the grim business of dividing spoils, they made their way to the dock. Their original boat was in splinters, thanks to Azrael's earlier battle. Fortunately, another vessel was moored nearby, apparently abandoned by its previous owners.

They had no reason to linger on Skull Island. The mission was complete: the demons had been eliminated and their fallen comrades avenged.

At the base gates, Azrael said his goodbyes to Marvin and Lewis before mounting Pidgeot for the flight home. Kent headed in the opposite direction to report to the base commander. His temporary reassignment to escort Azrael and clean up the secret realm entitled him to proper compensation from the association. He hadn't lost out on this deal; quite the opposite, in fact.

As he flew home, Azrael, a high school student, realized with mild amusement that he had been absent from classes for so long that he felt like a college junior deep into internship season rather than someone who should be sitting in lectures.

Lucian sipped his tea slowly, the delicate porcelain cup barely making a sound as he set it down. "Have you arranged everything regarding Gustav?"

Dareth adjusted his glasses, a habitual gesture when discussing delicate matters. "Yes. Today, I created a pretext and asked him to oversee the city's aftermath management."

The decision not to sideline Gustav completely was strategic. Too sudden a change might alert him to their suspicions. It was better to proceed gradually, like a chess player positioning pieces for an eventual checkmate.

Lucian remained noncommittal. Under normal circumstances, he would have summoned Gustav directly and had Dread King Bao test him with spiritual techniques. However, they needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario involving Gustav's six-tailed fox, who was also a spiritual specialist.

Maintaining secrecy wouldn't even guarantee success. Gustav had a sharp, analytical mind. He would likely piece together their suspicions despite their precautions.

If he truly was an insider, confrontation would resolve matters cleanly. But if he wasn't, accusations at this critical juncture could devastate the Lore Cardians' morale. Once broken, trust is nearly impossible to rebuild.

Setting Gustav's situation aside for the moment, Dareth smiled knowingly. "Master Lucian, it seems you'll be gaining another student within a month."

He was referring to Azrael, of course. Based on the young man's performance during this incident, the provincial unified examination should be easy for him. Dareth hadn't heard of any student with greater talent than Azrael this year.

While Lore Cardians couldn't be judged solely on individual cards, bonds, chains, and synergistic effects all played crucial roles, and early advantages often snowballed into lasting dominance. Azrael currently stood far ahead of his peers in the senior class.

Of course, late bloomers occasionally emerged to upset expectations. The Empire of Aetherlight recorded several Lore Cardians who achieved greatness despite inauspicious beginnings. Still, such cases remained exceptional.

Hearing Dareth's gentle teasing, Lucian smiled without denying it. He didn't mention that, even if Azrael's provincial examination results were disappointing, he would still accept the boy as his student. Some talents transcended test scores.

In the perpetually damp, shadowy cavern that served as their meeting place, Jin regarded the suited man before him with calculating amusement. "So there's truly no chance of winning Azrael over to our cause?"

The suited man seemed momentarily amused by the question before catching himself and remembering proper deference. "How could someone like him abandon a bright future to associate with your kind?"

Based on his Elite Talent Cup performance, it would be foolish for the association not to prioritize his training. They'll pour resources into him like water into fertile soil."

Jin shook his head, fixing the man with a meaningful stare. "That may not necessarily be the case. Sometimes it's simply a matter of insufficient incentive."

His voice carried subtle menace. "After all, didn't you join the Crimson Oath Society yourself?"

The suited man's composure cracked, and anger flashed in his eyes. "If it weren't for my wife's situation, I would never associate with you dark reptiles!"

The word "reptiles" had barely left his lips when Jin's expression turned glacial. The temperature in the cave seemed to drop several degrees.

"Watch your tone."

Only then did the suited man remember that the figure before him was also a master-level Lore Cardian, someone who could end his life with ease. Despite his usefulness as an informant, the power dynamics in this relationship were never truly equal.

"Tsk." An unwilling sound echoed through the cavern.

After a long, tense silence, Jin's voice resumed its casual tone. "Do you know what the association's next moves will be?"

The suited man replied with obvious reluctance. "I don't know. The association has noticed there's a traitor in their ranks. Their recent operations have been extremely cautious: compartmentalized information, limited access, and verification protocols."

Jin dismissed this concern with a wave. "I'll have Memphis test Azrael one more time."

His next words carried the finality of a death sentence. "If recruitment fails, we'll simply eliminate him."

Azrael sat cross-legged on his sofa, his mind racing through possibilities and calculations. The events on Skull Island had provided him with significant new resources. More importantly, however, they had given him clarity about his next steps.

Currently, he had materials for two potential bronze-level cards: Bloody Devourer (gold quality) and Elite Pirate Swordsman (gold quality). He had the components for the former, but no clear vision for its implementation. The latter, however, sparked genuine excitement.

The Elite Pirate Swordsman represented more than just another combat card. Azrael could envision how it might create synergistic bonds with his existing deck, forming chains of effects that would exponentially amplify his overall power.

The key was understanding not just what each card could do individually but also how they could work together to create something greater than the sum of their parts. That was the difference between a good Lore Cardian and a great one.

Azrael's fingers traced the materials spread across his coffee table as his mind delved into the creative process that would define his next evolution as a Lore Cardian.