Lowly Ascent

Weeks pass.

Cain had spent his time either in research or tutoring Anders.

Although Anders is almost as old as Cain, as he is 17 and Cain is 19, a bond has formed between them, of Master and Apprentice.

Cain slowly began to treat Anders like his student instead of a servant, of course, it didn't mean Anders stopped his duties and he continued to clean and do chores while also training.

In Cain's research, he is quite close to a breakthrough. Through random trial and error, he succeeded in finding a path forward.

One of the rats that was infected with a strain of Unbending Dread, could slightly move!

The areas around the joins were weakened, and the cohesiveness in the material was weakened as a result. This allowed the limbs to move slightly, using this flaw, Cain was able to dissect the rat.

Its insides were bizarre, its skeletal structure was like titanium, and it had a chrome shine. However the organs and veins were a different case, they were covered in a stiff malleable membrane.

The membrane seemed to be extremely resistant to blunt force while also being easily cut or pierced.

The virus seemed to make the organism completely impervious to physical damage as the skin couldn't be pieced and the internal organs could sustain an extreme amount of blunt force trauma.

The virus wanted to keep its victim alive and the reason was in the organs. It protected the organism just to slowly eat the tissue making up the organs and letting the host slowly recover to be eaten again. It was using the body as a factory to make more of itself.

It was a virus that showed self-restraint! 

Cain wasn't interested in the property of its process of making more of itself and just isolated the defensive properties but he had some problems.

He wasn't sure how much more he could evolve his body, overlapping different DNA/RNA into his genome was foolish and he could only continue to do it one maybe two more times before his body just collapsed on itself.

He was already lucky he hadn't died.

Cain needed to find some sort of binder that could act as a base before adding other viruses to his DNA.

This led him to begin research on all his viruses, but he did shallow research to learn their properties, and he got incredibly lucky, or maybe it was fate.

It was like Numineer prophesized.

When Cain tested the undead leader's virus that was contained in his flesh, it was bewildering.

The virus defied logic, it was like a vortex that consumed anything it wished and used it as nutrients to strengthen itself, it was divine!

Cain now had his saving grace, for the last week, he was researching this virus. It was incredibly hard to do, the virus always took in energy from microbes which changed its structure, it was everchanging at every second!

Cain was having a difficult time, and he couldn't even make use of it yet. The virus just consumed everything and didn't really make use of it, it just used what it absorbed as sustenance.

The only effect this sustenance had on it was that what it consumed had changed its form temporally which is why it always changed its chemical structure, making it hard to research.

However, Cain wasn't disheartened, that temporary effect could be changed to a permanent and controlled effect under a plague bearer's abilities. Cain only needed time before he could turn this power into his foundation of the ultimate body.

However, in the meantime, Cain continued his research on the Unbending Dread virus as he still needed to increase his power.

Thus Cain spent his days continuing his research and training Anders.

Anders, who recently became a plague bearer apprentice.

...

Nate was in the command tent when Cain entered like he did every morning, he did this to get a status update and if his team had a mission.

"Ah your here, good. Here take this, its a mission for your team, the war will soon start and we need this guy dead quickly"

Cain looked at the document and read it

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Victor Kuchen, 48, Grade 2, Legion Veteran

Director of the Empire's Central Front Intelligence Branch

Kuchen holds vital information, those assigned this mission are to infiltrate the City of Barch and obtain this information by any means necessary. It is recommend that it is done quietly as no support will be given.

-------------------------------------------------

There was some other miscellaneous information but Cain just ignored it as it was just details and history on the city.

"Will there be other teams working on this mission as well?"

"No, though we have hired a mercenary force. The force recently made it to Peoria and caused a fuss.

"They caused trouble and demanded proper refuge for the civilians they were protecting. The nobles then told them they would give protection to them if they work for the military"

"So will I be in contact with them?" Cain asked. 

"No, the nobles want them to be your cover, though you have both been told of the others existence and will be given this token to show your on the same side"

Nate handed Cain a token that depicted the symbol of the military, he quickly pocketed it before leaving.

Cain then left to meet his team to break the news.

...

"WHAT! Captain you gotta tell them we cant do it, please! I don't want to act all sneaky, I wanna crack heads not spy!"

Daniel was on the ground holding Cain's pants while balling his eyes out. The rest of the team looked embarrassed, they didn't mind the mission but it was obvious they would rather fight.

All except Michael who liked the idea.

"To bad. Also, I'm bringing my apprentice"

"WHAT!" Everyone yelled in unison, even Mark

"Captain he's not strong at all, he could be killed!"

Everyone already knew of Anders existence. He caused some stir in camp due to his diligent training. 

Cain chuckled, "Don't worry, he wont be weak when we leave, also we will be taking my carriage"

"Oh? Well then captain I think this mission will be the best one yet!" Daniel got up immediately, the only thing he liked better then fighting was comfort and Cain's carriage was one built for comfort. 

Cain sighed and left the tent while making his way back to his own.

As always, Anders was training out front. Cain walked up to him and brought him inside.

"How do you like the sword?"

Anders face brightened up "I love it! Its so light yet powerful!"

"Good, you will be coming with me on my mission this time, its to infiltrate a city and kill a bigshot of the Empire"

"WHAT!" Anders stood up with sweat condensing on his face

"Don't worry. Don't worry. I didn't want to give you this now but you leave me no choice since I have to take you, this will be a long mission, at least half a month"

Cain reassured Anders while he went though his things. He took out a vial that he got from the Union vault.

'I was quite surprised when I researched this, It was a serum instead of a virus and had the same name as the one depicted in the technique's book.....'

The serum was called Body of Light. Truths embrace was very strict, it had a lot of requirements and this was one of them. Only with the serum could one become a master of the technique.

What surprised Cain even more was that this serum strengthened the body more as the user advanced in their mastery of Truths Grace, it was otherworldly!

Unfortunately, Cain didn't find anything on the creator, nothing was recorded other them being someone who came from a different territory and studied the way of plague doctors.

The serum would enhance the body to the minimum rank of low-high, it required the user to have some familiarity to the technique and would advance as far as high-low rank when the technique was mastered.

Cain wanted to hold off on giving this to Anders as he still didn't trust him fully yet, but he also needed to bring him him along.

Cain had also grown closer to Anders and know he wouldn't at least run off.

He continued to dangle the vial in front of Anders' eyes.

"This is a serum that goes with your technique, as you advance in its mastery, the serum will further enhance your body, it will make you stronger, and most importantly...faster, it will give you abilities beyond human comprehension"

Anders paused for a moment, before slamming his head to the ground to kneel once again like in John's manor.

"Thank you master! Thank you!"

"From here on out, your my apprentice and not my servant. Lets begin the ceremony"

...

The ritual to imbue a body with the serum was different from what Cain had to go through but none the less painful.

He made wounds all across Anders body, the deep cuts opened his body to the elements without damaging anything else like his internal organs.

Cain then spread the muscles in Anders body, he would open up the fibers and make small openings before getting in position.

"Now practice the technique and bear the pain, otherwise you'll die from the serum going haywire"

Anders did as his master said and proceeded, as he did this, Cain would pour the serum on a powder before blowing it into Anders wounds.

Anders would wince and make grunts as he continued his training, he moved his arms as if he was holding his sword, he thrusted with an invisible blade over and over.

These motions began to become faster and faster as Anders went through his forms, he began to become so fast Cain couldn't see his movements with his eyes and had to sense them through the bacteria in the air.

This went on for 45 minutes before Anders collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"You probably had one of the easiest rituals for enhancement, I had to be torture for hours while plants grew out of me or something, its a foggy memory. I forget who helped me....."

Anders ignored his masters comment and got on his knees to once again bow to his master to show his gratitude.

"Congratulations by apprentice, you are now a low-high rank augmenter"