Tao

As Zatiel completed the advance to Rank 1, both Ezequiel and Sophia started to assess the changes in their bodies and their newfound abilities and innate spells.

Ezequiel now stood at a towering height of 1.9 meters, and his substantial weight caused the ground beneath him to crack with each movement. His body underwent repeated compression, significantly enhancing his power, penetration force, and resistance to physical damage.

His strength had seen a considerable improvement, along with his physique. While the transformation did impact his speed, his newly unlocked innate spell, Lightning Transformation, allowed him to partially convert his body into lightning, granting him remarkable agility and destructive power.

Sophia, on the other hand, no longer displayed the dark-platinum scales visibly, but they remained active under her skin, acting as a kind of body armor. Her height increased to 1.85 meters, and her eyes had turned a deep red.

She gained the ability to harness the power of the Styx's corrupted waters, inflicting corrosive, decaying effects and impacting the minds of her targets. One of her innate spells, Oblivion Eyes, could damage the intelligence of anyone who met her gaze directly, even destroying their memories if exposed for too long.

Both marveled at their transformations. However, upon noticing Zatiel's condition, their excitement gave way to concern. They recognized that without Zatiel's intervention during the bloodline assimilation, their wills would have been broken, and they would have failed the process.

Resigned, they sat in silence, awaiting Zatiel's recovery.

Zatiel, although not in a critical state, was severely exhausted. Using the third eye with his golden flames for bloodline purification and then exerting his bloodline pressure to overpower the dragon and titan bloodlines had greatly depleted his stamina, leaving him barely able to move.

After a full day's rest, powered by his recharged sun and the vitality from the flames, Zatiel regained his strength.

Upon awakening, he examined Ezequiel and Sophia, nodding in approval. "They may not be as strong as me, but they're not far off. Even as fresh Rank 1 Neo-Demons, they should be capable of defeating Rank 1 Advanced Magus and challenging those at the Master level," he thought, satisfied with their power increase.

Magi have various methods of ranking up, so judging their strength based on a single aspect of advancement isn't effective. Instead, combat capability is considered a more accurate measure of power.

Erick, for example, fell into the Advanced level Rank 1 Magus category, primarily due to his specialization in Fire Mastery. Typically, an Advanced level Magus could defeat two Novice level Magi or battle evenly against three.

"Have you two become accustomed to your new abilities?" Zatiel inquired.

Both nodded, their expressions serious, determined not to be a burden in future encounters.

"Alright, let's break the final defense of this place," Zatiel said, leading them to the last area of the laboratory yet to be explored.

The process of breaking down the defenses in this central chamber took longer than the others. By the end of the day, Zatiel managed to bypass the security.

Sending his Primal Chaos Consciousness to scout the interior, he immediately realized his error. The laboratory began to shake violently, and an immense amount of energy accumulated inside, indicating a triggered self-destruct protocol.

"Dammit!" Cursing his carelessness, Zatiel immediately activated his Sunlight Speed, enveloping himself in golden flames and darting into the house.

Outside, Ezequiel and Sophia sensed the danger and yearned to assist, but they knew their limitations and anxiously waited.

Inside, Zatiel quickly located the energy core of the explosion. He produced a Rainbow Flash gem, intricately covered with runes, from his ring and placed it against the core, activating the runes. A wave of energy released from the gem, disrupting and neutralizing the self-destruct mechanism.

"Just in time," he sighed, relieved that the explosion was averted and that his risk of using the enhanced Rainbow Dash paid off.

In the now safe-to-explore area, Zatiel stumbled upon an experimentation table, indicative of human dissections or similar procedures, arousing his curiosity about the central chamber's contents.

The chamber contained giant tubes filled with blue liquid, each harboring various grotesque creatures. These creatures shared common traits: canine elements and abnormally large stomachs. A smaller tube at the rear of the room housed a small dog, appearing normal and unmutated compared to the others.

Pondering their origins, Zatiel thought, 'What are these things?' Despite his extensive knowledge, the genesis of these creatures eluded him.

He turned his attention to the small dog, which seemed like an anomaly among the chimeric creations. Shocked to sense a faint spark of life within it, Zatiel immediately activated his Eye of Life and Creation to examine the animal more closely. Despite its frail state, the dog was alive, possibly preserved by a hibernation-like state.

Deciding to intervene, Zatiel broke the tube and gently retrieved the dog. He then enveloped the animal in his life-giving flames, using his third eye to infuse it with vitality.

The dog eventually regained consciousness, displaying fear and feebleness. As Zatiel observed, trying to understand its uniqueness, the dog's fear suddenly escalated. It opened its mouth as if to bite, prompting Zatiel to act swiftly.

Sensing imminent danger, Zatiel hurled the dog against a wall and rapidly retreated from the room. In that instant, a small black orb emerged from the dog's mouth, unleashing a powerful suction force that engulfed the room's contents, including the mutated creatures in the tubes.

Zatiel narrowly escaped, almost colliding with Sophia and Ezequiel outside. After ensuring his safety, he refocused on the house. Inside, everything had disappeared, leaving only the small dog, now unconscious with peculiar symbols on its stomach.

Re-entering the house cautiously, Zatiel carefully picked up the dog, scrutinizing it with his consciousness and third eye, trying to unravel the mystery behind it.

The only detectable concentration of energy within the dog was in its stomach, with no other notable features.

Zatiel spent a considerable amount of time observing the dog. Eventually, he gently brought his head close to the dog's, their foreheads touching. Slowly, he transmitted his Primal Chaos Consciousness into the dog's mind, establishing a bond between them. This connection would foster a sense of familiarity and affection in the dog towards Zatiel, although it wouldn't be absolute. Any harmful actions towards the dog would sever this bond.

A few hours later, the dog's eyes fluttered open. Seeing Zatiel, the initial fear was gone, replaced by a wagging tail that indicated its happiness.

"You seem quite the little eater, so how about I call you Tao?" Zatiel suggested warmly, stroking the dog's head as he named it.

In response, Tao barked, seemingly in agreement, and wagged his tail even more vigorously.

Zatiel surmised that Tao's intelligence was comparable to a three-year-old human, and while his physical strength was minimal, his defensive capabilities were remarkable for his size, akin to that of a Rank 1 being. This was evident when Tao remained unharmed after being thrown against the wall.

With a smile, Zatiel placed Tao on his shoulder and exited the house.

Ezequiel and Sophia's reactions to Tao were quite different. Ezequiel showed mild surprise, but Sophia's eyes lit up with delight. She approached Tao eagerly, attempting to pet him. Despite knowing it might not be fitting for someone of her rank, she felt comfortable enough around her trusted companions to act naturally.

However, as Sophia reached out to Tao, the dog unexpectedly bit her. She froze in surprise; Tao had seemed so friendly, yet he had snapped at her.

"Ah, you little rascal! Zatiel, why did you bring this insolent creature?" Sophia exclaimed, more embarrassed than hurt by the gentle bite, especially with Zatiel and Ezequiel trying not to laugh at the scene.

"Enough, he is Tao, and he'll be your new comrade, so treat him well," Zatiel declared, acknowledging Tao's special nature and deciding to keep him with the group.

Ezequiel nodded in agreement, and although Sophia was initially upset, she accepted Tao as part of their team.

"Alright, our exploration of the laboratory is complete. Next, we'll visit the Wasteland and then head to the tower. But first, I need to inscribe a special rune on us." Zatiel announced, retrieving the mirage crystals and his runemaster tools from his ring.