More than a month had passed since Azrael had completed his mission for the Crimson Oath Society, and during that time he had enjoyed the most comfortable period of his life. His days followed a blissful routine, meditation in the morning, intimate encounters with his female cards in the evening, and little reason to venture outside his apartment.
The isolation suited him perfectly. No university obligations, no dangerous missions, no social expectations to deal with. Just pure, focused cultivation and the occasional... recreational activity.
At the moment, Azrael sat cross-legged on his bed in deep meditation, his breathing steady and controlled as spiritual energy circulated through his enhanced mental channels. The familiar weight of ascension pressed against his consciousness like water against a dam, growing stronger with each passing hour.
After what seemed like an eternity, his eyes snapped open.
Despite the exhaustion that should have accompanied such intense cultivation, Azrael's eyes blazed with inner fire, practically crackling with newfound power. A triumphant smile spread across his face as realization dawned.
"Finally," he whispered, clenching his fists as raw energy coursed through his veins. "Silver level at last."
Unlike his previous breakthrough to Bronze, which had been triggered by the desperate circumstances of his awakening, this advancement was entirely the product of methodical training and unwavering dedication. His formidable mental aptitude had finally borne fruit, allowing him to reach this milestone just before the start of his University classes.
Reaching the Silver Level gave Azrael his first real sense of security since arriving in this world. To put this in perspective, Director Blonski of the Velkairos Cardian Master Association was only Gold level, making Azrael's current strength respectable even by institutional standards.
However, his advancement remained somewhat hollow; despite reaching Silver level, he didn't possess a single Silver-level card to match his new skills.
"Fortunately," he mused, looking at his accumulated resources, "Master Lucian and the Crimson Oath Society have provided excellent investments.
That was the privilege of having powerful backing. Most ordinary Lore Cardians spent their entire family fortune trying to create their first same-level card after each promotion. Those from poorer backgrounds often saved for years before even attempting the process.
Azrael examined the materials the Crimson Oath Society had provided, his expression growing pensive. "Though I must admit, their gifts aren't exactly fit for public display."
The organization had provided four silver-level components: Silver Level [Heavenly Fiend Falling Star] (gold), Silver Level [Demon Hunter] (purple), Silver Level [Resurrection Blood] (gold), and Silver Level [Power Demon] (gold).
Although valuable, these materials were clearly intended for use by his Iron Man persona during covert operations. Creating cards from them would mean maintaining weapons he could never reveal during his legitimate activities.
"Better to save them for later," he decided pragmatically. "Master Lucian's materials are much more suited to my current needs."
Turning his attention to the components his teacher had provided, Azrael spread them out on his bedside table with reverent care.
Silver-Level [Soul Guiding Crone] (red), Silver-Level [Meng Po's Brew] (gold), Silver-Level [Five-Flavored Bowl] (gold), Silver-Level [Two-Faced Being] (gold).
The generosity was staggering. Four materials forming an obvious thematic set, and most remarkably, this was the first time Azrael had received Red-quality components. The spiritual energy emanating from the Soul Guide Crone material alone was intoxicating.
Even with his limited mythological knowledge from his previous life, supplemented by lessons and observation of Master Lucian's card system, the intended creation was obvious.
"Meng Po," he murmured, though something nagged at him. "But why include the Two-Faced Being?"
Frowning, Azrael reached for the "Revised Edition 4.8 of the World Mythology Atlas" on his nightstand and quickly located the entry for Meng Po according to the index.
His eyes widened as he read the detailed notes accompanying the illustrations.
"Meng Po is originally from the Classic of Mountains and Seas," he read aloud, surprise coloring his voice.
The text continued: Classic of Mountains and Seas - Central Mountains Classic - Twelfth Section, "Two daughters of the emperor lived there, constantly wandering in the river's depths. Where the winds of Li and Yuan meet the abyss of Xiaoxiang, between the Nine Rivers. When they travel, wind and rain always follow."
While Azrael had heard stories of Meng Po and her famous amnesia-inducing soup, the specific mythological origins had been unclear. Now he understood that Meng Po was actually Nü Ying, one of Emperor Yao's daughters, who also ruled over the wind itself.
"Two-faced being... dual nature," he mused, understanding dawning. "Master Lucian is planning for future advancement paths."
The Two-Faced Being material was clearly intended to facilitate Meng Po's eventual evolution into Nü Ying, representing the duality between her roles as underworld guardian and wind deity.
"What a shame," Azrael sighed, putting down the atlas. "I have absolutely no intention of creating Meng Po."
While he could certainly create the card with these premium materials, and probably reach gold quality or higher, such a creation didn't fit his strategic goals.
His mind immediately turned to more appealing possibilities. With Yoriichi's presence, he could make connections with other Soul Reapers from the Bleach universe. That had far more tactical potential than adding another underworld deity to his roster.
His mind drifted to potential candidates: Shutara Senjumaru of Squad Zero, the elegant and deadly seamstress whose bankai could reshape reality itself. Or perhaps Unohana Retsu, the original Kenpachi, whose healing abilities masked one of the Soul Society's most fearsome fighters.
"But they're all old women," Azrael muttered, scratching his head in frustration. "The selection process is more complicated than I thought."
The Bleach universe contained numerous powerful female Soul Reapers, but most of them were either ancient beings or possessed appearances that did not match his... preferences.
"Well, I suppose some materials will have to be exchanged," he concluded pragmatically.
Under normal circumstances, a Lore Cardian would either gamble on trading sites or simply accept Meng Po's design. After all, obtaining such a coordinated set of high-quality materials was extremely rare.
But Azrael wasn't just any Lore Cardian; he was Master Lucian's personal student, with all the connections and privileges that status entailed.
Without hesitation, he composed a message to his teacher.
[Azrael: Teacher, some of the materials you provided aren't quite right for my intended design. Could you help me arrange a trade?"]
After sending the message, Azrael sat back and waited. He'd learned that Master Lucian usually responded within a reasonable amount of time, though the exact schedule varied depending on his duties.
Instead of a text reply, his phone rang with an incoming call.
"Hello, young Azrael," Master Lucian's warm, aged voice carried clearly through the speaker. "Have you successfully advanced to the silver level?"
Though he had anticipated Azrael's talent for months, the speed of his student's progress still managed to impress the old master.
Azrael couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, fortunately. I just made the breakthrough today."
"Excellent timing," Master Lucian replied with obvious satisfaction. "You mentioned that you wanted to exchange materials. Do you have a specific design in mind for your next card?"
"I do, but some components don't fit my intended approach."
On the other end of the call, Master Lucian's expression grew pensive. The materials he'd provided were indeed specialized for a particular creation, but if Azrael had alternative plans, they likely involved synergy with his existing cards.
As a master-level Lore Cardian, Lucian understood the importance of allowing talented students to follow their instincts rather than forcing them down predetermined paths.
"I will send you contact information soon," he decided. "One of my older students has remained on the faculty of Pixar University. She can help with such exchanges in the future."
"That would be very helpful, Teacher."
"Haha, we are family now, no need for such formality. I have other duties to attend to, so I'll let you go."
"Thank you, Teacher. Goodbye."
As Azrael ended the call, his phone immediately chimed with an incoming contact.
He stared at the screen in mild astonishment. This was remarkably easy.
The benefits of powerful support were becoming increasingly apparent. With Master Lucian's network at his disposal, problems that would paralyze ordinary Cardians could be solved with a simple phone call.
Without hesitation, Azrael added the new contact and composed an introduction.
[Azrael: Hello, elder sister. I'm Azrael, Master Lucian's newest apprentice. I was hoping to arrange a material exchange with you.]
Several minutes passed before the contact accepted his friend request, followed immediately by a response that made him blink in surprise.
[Alice: Address.]
[Alice: Find me here]
Looking at the terse messages, Azrael felt a smile tug at his lips. His unknown senior sister clearly preferred efficiency to pleasantries, a trait he could certainly respect.
The address she'd given was in the faculty district of Pixar University, suggesting that she held an important position within the institution. Given Master Lucian's reputation, this should have come as no surprise.
Azrael gathered the materials he wanted to exchange, secured them carefully in his jacket, and prepared to venture out for the first time in weeks. It would be interesting to meet another of Master Lucian's students, especially one who had stayed in academia instead of working in the field.
As he headed for the door, Azrael reflected on how smoothly his advancement was going. Silver level reached, premium materials available, and now access to specialized trade networks through Master Lucian's connections.
Everything was falling into place perfectly for his next phase of development. Soon, he'd have a Silver level card worthy of his advancement, and his true strength would finally match his cultivated potential.
The only question was which specific design would best serve his long-term goals. But with the help of his elder sister, that decision could be made with full knowledge of all the options available.
Time to see what other resources Master Lucian's network could provide.