"It looks like word of their demise has already gotten out," Adam observed, motioning for Kambi to leave and turning his attention to the devil. "What went wrong? I didn't intend to harm their souls."
"They had a sort of protective shield around their souls, which automatically fought against the contract's binding. When they realized they couldn't ward off the contract's power, their souls chose to self-destruct," the devil responded, idly scratching his tail. "It's odd, though; they appear to come from a race with ancestral knowledge, but I'm quite certain that such knowledge typically doesn't contain this sort of self-destruct mechanism."
"Ancestral knowledge? Are you certain about this?"
The devil quickly clarified, "Their minds were simplistic but held intricate memories. They vanished before I could delve deeper. Plus, despite never venturing beyond the ice plain, they somehow knew you were a young dragon. Peculiar, wouldn't you agree?"
"Very peculiar, indeed," Adam mused. He hadn't expected the first species he would encounter with ancestral knowledge to be some wild tribe from the icy ice plain. "If ancestral knowledge is data inscribed into one's genes once they attain a certain level of power, then it implies these three untamed races must have had---or still have---transcendent beings among them."
The devil nodded in agreement. "That sounds plausible. However, something must have malfunctioned, either in how this transcendental knowledge was encoded or in the status of their transcendent beings. Why else would anyone implant a self-destruct mechanism in the minds of their own future generations? This kind of knowledge is not meant to be accessed by outsiders; this internal bomb could only endanger them."
Taking a pause, the devil recalled the haunting, malevolent magic of reincarnation, then added, "Naturally, mages are the exception." The more the devil pondered this particular spell, the more chilling it became---completely disregarding race, form of existence, and reproductive methods to coercively propagate. It was an affront to all logic.
"Perhaps they were driven by fear," Adam speculated softly, his thoughts drifting to the enigmatic boundary of the world.
"Driven by fear of what? Even if they were up against formidable adversaries, why insert a self-destruct feature into every member of their race?" the devil asked.
Adam recounted to the devil his observations at the world's edge. The devil practically jumped in astonishment. "Is this a wearing away or a collision of worlds? What's actually going on?"
"I can't say for sure, but things are grim on the Dragon Plane. Perhaps the ancient transcendent beings from there were trying to prevent outside entities like me from accessing their ancestral wisdom," Adam conjectured.
"Master, what does this mean for your mission? Are you going to forsake it?"
"Absolutely not. The constraints of the boundaries might be coming undone soon. Plus, exploring two Planes and garnering knowledge from both sounds like an excellent plan, doesn't it?"
Adam didn't immediately go after the three races. Instead, he took the time to strengthen his magical array with the newest Energy Stones produced by the Snow Worms. Then he moved the three lifeless bodies into his lab for further investigation.
Although their souls and hereditary wisdom were beyond salvage, their physical forms still had significant worth. Adam was curious to discover whether races with inherited knowledge operated in a manner similar to the Forest Elves, who gained their powers through internal energy circuits.
As someone highly skilled in anatomical study, Adam had all three creatures dissected in under an hour.
"Once again, the power is channeled through energy circuits, but these are far more intricate than those of the Forest Elves," Adam noted, documenting his findings. At the same time, he used elemental magic to recreate the particular body parts of these creatures in mid-air, contemplating how he could integrate these features into his own dragon form.
Both the Frost Giant's ability to crystallize and the Snow Beast's skill in enlarging its body caught Adam's attention. These traits were likely fundamental aspects of their racial inheritance. What really amazed Adam, though, was the werewolf's capability to change shape.
These Ice Plains Werewolves could transition from their animalistic form into a hybrid form---a mix of human and wolf---ideal for combat situations. This suggested a sophisticated understanding of how to rearrange bodily structures.
While Adam couldn't transform as fluidly as the werewolves could, mimicking this ability might allow him to assume the forms of other races.
Eager to experiment, Adam quickly began modifying himself. He established two new sets of energy circuits within his own body. He then channeled energy into these circuits. His dragon body, originally four meters long, began to grow in both height and width. His slender build started to thicken, old scales shed off to be instantly replaced by new, crystalline ones. His initial silver-white scales fell away, replaced by new ones as clear as crystal and shimmering with a blend of white and purple energy.
Unlike the Giants and Snow Beasts, who had to actively use their talents, Adam's newly-installed circuits served as a permanent boost to his abilities. Unless he chose to dismantle them, his body would maintain its enlarged and crystallized state, auto-upgrading as his energy levels increased.
After the transformation, Adam gazed with satisfaction at his new, eight-meter-tall form, marveling at the dazzling scales that now adorned him. Though not as enormous as Okov, he now resembled a fully mature, massive dragon.
Adam energetically lashed his tail, resulting in a booming explosion beside him. A mixture of ice and electric energies burst forth, effortlessly generating an elemental vacuum.
"No wonder these races are so robust," Adam mused. "Having acquired their unique traits, my dragon form has enhanced its strength nearly tenfold."
A brisk, icy wind blew through the area, causing the laboratory to break apart into pieces that vanished into the air. Both the devil and Kambi, who had shown up after hearing the loud noise, gazed in awe at Adam. His looks had changed so drastically that they were rendered speechless.
After taking a moment to absorb the change, the devil cautiously stepped closer and touched the top of Adam's foot. "Master, did you undergo some kind of transformation?"
With a quick swish of his tail, Adam sent the devil flying to one side. Then, after magically constructing another chamber, he said to Kambi, "Come with me."
Kambi's eyes twinkled with sparks of excitement; he had a feeling that his master might be about to make him more powerful. Filled with anticipation, he followed Adam into the newly-created room, paying no mind to the devil's envious glance in his direction.
"So, Master, what's the next step? What should I be doing?"
Adam was in the middle of resizing his ice-made surgical scalpel. Due to his enlarged physique, conducting intricate surgical procedures would demand increased dexterity. He instructed Kambi, "Remove your clothing and remain still."
Kambi eyed the scalpel nervously, his mind flashing back to the previous discomfort he'd experienced during his bloodline enhancement. He shivered a bit but obediently took his position.
Once he had adjusted the ice scalpel to the perfect size, Adam warned Kambi, "This is going to be very painful. Just hang in there and don't die, okay?" He couldn't afford to lose Kambi, who was among the few subjects suitable for this kind of work.
Showing a kind of determination that implied he was prepared for the worst, Kambi nodded energetically. "Don't worry, Master. I can take it."
Adam gave him an approving nod, then deftly wielded his ice scalpel with surgical accuracy. He managed to split Kambi in two with a single cut, preserving just a thin layer of skin to keep him intact.
"Might as well hope the plant-based energy in you keeps you lively," Adam mumbled to himself."
