Pain-forged Evolution

Arthur's voice carried a steady weight as he addressed Aleks. "Once the procedure is done, you'll need weeks to recover. Maybe more." His cyan eyes flicked toward the others before settling back on Aleks. "That won't be a problem, we have the mansion now, but we need to be certain of one thing before we begin."

He leaned back slightly, considering. "If we require anything from the black market, we'll have to secure it first. You're our best negotiator. If we need you for a commission, we lose that advantage." His tone remained firm, but there was no doubt he was giving Aleks the chance to weigh the risks himself. "Are we certain we have everything we need?"

Beli's presence lingered like a whisper at the edge of the conversation, his words threading through the air with quiet insistence. "More beastcores would be ideal. The process could be refined, optimized… expanded."