Chapter 55 | Blood Modification

Leon sat up on a medical bed, still affected by the anesthesia. He was a bit lost on where he was. The bright lights reflecting off white walls with no windows blinded him while the familiar smell of antiseptic hit his nose.

He circulated mana in him to speed up the process of getting rid of the anesthesia. The way his body responded was different from what he had grown accustomed to. It felt freer and more connected to it. As if it had become part of him instead of drawing from an external source.

The effects of the anesthesia lessened and he started to remember the Command Track.

It only lasted a month and was nothing more than further lectures with focus on leadership, Fulgari etiquettes, and regulations.

He was placed in the secured medical room to receive his promise of joining the Ruinari Program. A way to allow him to use the combat mode of his method without killing him.

The door slid open and a man in a lab coat with a datapad walked in.

"Captain Ezra, I am glad you are already awake. It looks like recovery has also improved." The man looked at his datapad and tapped away, annotating his remark.

"Director Kaine, did everything go as planned?" Leon clenched his fist in front of him. "My body feels a bit weird."

"Ah yes, all your biometrics show everything is alright. We were even able to push your blood cells more than we had originally calculated. Your absorption of mana is quite… interesting. I need to thank Victor for sponsoring you and bringing you into the Ruinari Program."

"Am I able to use combat mode now?"

"Yes, your body should be able to handle the load now. It will still cause fatigue, but it should no longer be life threatening."

"Should? That doesn't sound like you are sure." Leon put his hand down and raised an eyebrow at Director Kaine.

The man glanced up from the datapad and looked Leon in the eye.

"Well, you are the first subject of the blood modification. In theory, everything should work fine. Of course, if you push the limit anything can be life threatening."

Leon shook his head in confusion and disbelief.

"I'm the first subject? I wasn't told that and it sounds like I won't be the last."

Director Kaine narrowed his eyes.

"Of course you weren't told that. Blood modification is banned under Imperial Covenant law. Even if the program is directly under the Imperators, we can't have it known. We are telling you now because you are now officially part of the program."

Leon nodded his head with a blank expression. He was told about the blood modification before the procedures so he understands that, but why was he the first subject?

"And the reason why I was the first subject?" Leon asked.

At first, Kaine remained composed. But then a tremor of laughter slipped from his lips, soft at first, then rising with a strange, giddy edge.

His smile widened. Too wide.

"Because we only had theories of it working," he said, eyes now gleaming with a manic light. "Your mana absorption is abnormal…perfect even. The missing variable we couldn't account for."

He stepped forward, his fingers twitching like they itched to touch something.

"With the success of your procedure as our baseline," he continued, almost reverent now, "we can perform a less aggressive modification. Increase the success rate. Make it available to the rest of those in the program."

His voice cracked into a breathless chuckle.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. "You're beautiful."

What the…? Leon leaned away from Director Kaine to the opposite edge of his bed.

"Ahem…" Director Kaine adjusted his lab coat and stepped back. "Apologies. We have been theorizing for many years. You may return to your quarters."

Leon arrived at his room after speaking with the Director.

He paused for a moment to engrave the room he had been living in for the past four months into his memory. The desk he used when he would study the materials and the softest bed he had ever slept on.

A new set of armor was displayed on the stand.

His old training one replaced by a glossy, deep black armor with gold accents lining the soft edges. The new nano suit underneath the armor was dark gray with dull mana circuits running along the surface. A Class II armor. The best the Imperial Army offers to their elites.

Beside it was a spear and sword. Black and gold to match the armor.

He walked towards the stand and picked up the sword. He injected mana into it and the core inside the hilt glowed deep blue, the light spreading to the dark blade.

He looked into the eyes of the helmet, the blue reflecting off of them. The angular profile of the helmet and the front that curve downward in an aggressive slope causing hairs on his neck to stand.

He'd seen the videos and learned more of the Obsidian Order during Command Track. They were worshipped by the regular soldiers. Mason's reaction was not odd when he told them he would be part of the Order. The blue glow dimmed as he stopped injecting mana. He placed the sword back down and headed for the shower.

"What did they do to me?" He muttered as the warm water hit his body. He still felt off from the blood modification.

After the shower, he stood in front of the mirror. The water dripped down from his wet hair. The towel wrapped around his waist revealed the chiseled upper body.

The months of physical fitness and mana saturation chamber had changed his physique. Gone was the small gut, replaced by abs. His shoulders were broader and bigger. Chest now fuller with muscles. He was not like Mason, but he was no longer a Nullari by any standards.

The following morning, Leon stood at the edge of the field, taking it in one last time as the sun crested the horizon.

The first light of dawn shimmered off his black armor, casting faint gold along the edges.

Overhead, the distant hum of a transport grew louder.

Leon turned as a small transport descended, its twin mana engines swiveling with a mechanical whine. They flared with pale blue light, kicking up a storm of rust-colored dirt as they slowed the fall.

With a hiss, the side door slid open. A ramp unfolded, extending down to the ground of Ferros.

An aircrew member in their blue armor jogged towards him and saluted.

Leon blinked in confusion before nodding awkwardly copying how the only Warcenturion he knew would do it.

"Let me get that for you sir." The aircrew member grabbed the bag in his hand and then moved to grab the spear on Leon's back.

Leon instinctively backed away creating an awkward silence.

"Sorry." He disengaged the magnetic lock with a burst of mana. "Here. But I'll keep the sword."

The aircrew member nodded as he grabbed the spear.

"Blade Tenner, is it?" Leon asked, having pulled up the ally marker info on his HUD to see Rok Tenner's name with the encrypted mark of the Ruinari Program—a golden sword and spear crossed.

"Yes, sir. I am assigned as your pilot for the personal transport. If you would please follow me." Rok motioned towards the ship and started walking.

"My transport?" Leon followed after him.

"Commanders in the Order get their own Aquila class transport," Rok replied, looking back at Leon. "They may not be as big as the Valkerie Orbital Carriers, but they are more agile and can hold up to two voras. They can also—" Leon put his hand up as they got to the ramp. He already knew where this was going. It seemed like pilots and aircrew members got excited to share the technical capabilities of their vessels.

"You can tell me about it next time. Is the supervisor in the cabin?"

"He is sir."

"Thank you."

Leon walked past Rok into the Aquila. In the cabin he saw another man wearing the black Order's armor.

"You must be Captain Ezra." The man stood from his chair and extended a hand. "I'm Jeffrey Carter."

As per Fulgari etiquette among those of the same rank, Jeffrey introduced himself even though they had their helmet HUD displaying their information.

Leon took Jeffrey's hand to shake it.

"Leon Ezra."

Not part of the Ruinari Program. He did not see the mark on his display.

"Please." Jeffrey gestured towards the seat across from his after they shook hands.

Leon removed his sword from his hip, set it beside the seat, and sat down. The Aquila's engines hummed louder as it took off from the ground.

"Per regulation, I will be supervising you on your first three missions just to make sure everything is up to the Order's standard." Jeffrey continued. "I will not be taking command. It is your cavora, I am there just in case you run into problems."

Leon nodded. He was already briefed on the process he has to go through. For the next couple of minutes, Jeffrey recited some of the regulations that Leon needs to keep in mind as a commander.

As the Aquila exited Ferros' atmosphere, he took a last look of the rusty colored planet. Snippets of his training popped into his head that drowned out Jeffrey's voice.

It felt strange leaving the planet. The four months he was on it felt long.

The Aquila banked left and the viewport revealed a small fleet waiting in orbit.

The fleet consisted of a frigate, a vessel that is smaller and less armed than the cruiser he took to get to Ferros. It made it up with its speed.

It was being escorted by four Corvettes. Smaller and faster vessels than the frigate.

"Tell me Leon," Jeffrey snapped him out of his daze. "Which faction are you part of?"

"Faction?" Leon glanced back and asked in confusion.

Jeffrey chuckled.

"So that's how you want to play it. Fine. But its pretty obvious, a newly graduated Obsidian won't be given a Corvette to command unless you were a member of a High Marshal family… or maybe a Doman Archon."

Jeffrey paused for a few seconds staring at Leon. "Plus your files are all black lined. Common for members of the Order, but yours…. Yours don't even have the name of the family you belong to."

Are they hiding I was Nullari? Wait… commanding a Corvette?! I thought I was only leading a cavora. Leon furrowed his brows behind the helmet in more confusion.

Request communication line to Director Kaine. He had to know what was going on.

Request sent. Pending authorization.

The Aquila circled around a Corvette, showcasing the dull gray hull of a warship with blue mana circuits pulsing along the surface.

"The Inceptor," Leon muttered after pulling up the info on the Corvette, ignoring Jeffrey's comments.

Jeffrey chuckled again.

"Yes. You are assigned to the Inceptor," he said, not bothered being ignored.

Leon stared at the crossed sword and spear next to the vessel's name that only those in the Ruinari Program can see.