The bone extensions that were added to the Cat were naturally from the Bat Manticore.
Now, with one wing at a time, on the very bone extensions that Kale had just added, he used his mana like glue to attach the bones and blood vessels of the wings to the body of the Feline Cat Beast.
Of course, that was greatly simplifying the sheer daunting difficulty of the work. Kale was so focused on the task that he did not even realize how much time had passed, because the time allotted by his master had long since passed.
But Lazek did not stop Kale, as he only watched Kale work his magic with rapt attention, a smile on his lips.
What Kale had done so far was only to forcefully attach the Bat Manticore's wings to the Feline Cat's shoulder; the wounds needed to be healed, and the nerves needed to be reconnected between the wings and the cat.
With a heavy sigh, Kale held the Bat Manticore's Beast Core and shoved it down the throat of the Cat. He used his mana to move the Beast Core deeper into the stomach of the Cat, without letting the Beast accidentally chew it.
As the Beast Core reached deeper into the Cat's body, it automatically dissolved; the energy from that dissolved core headed towards the attached wings, which was exactly what Kale was aiming for.
That energy now worked as a real stitching and healing mechanism through which the blood vessels, bones, and nerves connected properly this time to the fullest.
The wounds closed, and now the Feline Cat almost looked like it always had wings, though the chimera did not look as natural as Kale hoped. This showcased that he was far from perfect in his procedure.
The moment Kale was finished, the Cat Chimera's condition stabilized.
A sudden wave of power rushed at Kale from all directions, enveloping him completely, changing him, evolving him.
If the process of Awakening could be said as the unlocking of one's potential to be something superior.
Then the advancement to Apprentice-rank is the first and true step toward actualizing that unlocked potential and formally achieving the state beyond the mundane.
A barrage of notifications from the system rang in his ears…
[You have successfully created an Apprentice-rank Chimera Beast, Winged Feline Cat]
[You have successfully learned the process of Fleshcrafting]
[You have Awakened the Artificer profession of Fleshcraft]
[Due to your Enlightenment on Fleshcrafting, your innate affinity towards Fleshcraft has increased from 70% to 90%]
[You have gained the skill EfficientFleshcrafting-lv1]
____
[You have become eligible to advance as an Apprentice Rank Artificer]
[You have more than 50% affinity in all three Artificer professions]
[Combining the three skills…]
____
[EfficientToolcrafting-lv1 + EfficientPillcrafting-lv1 + EfficientFleshcrafting-lv1]
[processing…. processing….]
[Ding! Skill fusion has succeeded…]
[You have gained the skill Trinity Crafting-lv1]
[Initiating advancement for Host to an Apprentice Rank Artificer.]
The ethereal force tearing through his body only became stronger until something within him snapped, as if a limit had been torn through sheer force.
A profound sense of elevation overcame him.
Every attribute of Kale's body and soul transformed into something new and greater.
[Congratulations to Host for advancing to an Apprentice Rank Artificer]
[Time remaining till mandatory Quest's deadline: 31 days, 15 hours, 34 minutes and 44 seconds…]
The moment Kale opened his eyes, he did not look at the notifications; he directed his attention to feeling the surrounding world and the changes within himself. He was at least 10 times stronger in all aspects, if what he felt was right.
Another big change was that, previously, he could only feel the mana within himself, but now he could sense the mana that existed in the world; within a meter of radius around him, he could feel the fluctuations of mana.
However, his focus moved away from that quickly, as the newly created feral rank chimera stirred ever so slightly.
Kale's heart began to beat faster in nervousness and anticipation.
The very reason Kale had so abruptly attempted this Chimera creation was to verify a guess of his, and now whether he would be right or wrong was about to be revealed.
Slowly, the cat-like beast's eyes peeled open, revealing the beautiful brown, narrowed slits of a cat's eyes; there were stripes on its body, and it looked like a wild, untamed large cat filled with beautiful colors.
And the newly attached bat wings that had feathers on their edges made the chimera look exceptionally charming as it had healed.
The instant when Kale's eyes met with the eyes of the Modified Winged Feline Cat, there was at first silence until the creature let out a soft and cute sound…
Meow!!!
Miaow!!!
The anxiety and excitement within Kale had reached its peak; seeing that there was no hostility coming from the Beast, he hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and gently placed his hand on top of the Cat's head, rubbing it softly in adoration.
Swallowing his saliva nervously, Kale stated mentally, 'System, stop suppressing the presence of the curse…'
The bandenna on his forehead automatically fell off as a repulsion force came out of the Cursed Soul sigil mark.
The cursed mark on his forehead became even darker, and an untraceable halo of subtle darkness spread out from Kale's body in all directions.
Kale felt the worldly mana itself grow chaotic and dark under the curse's influence.
The power of the curse also encompassed the Chimera Cat, and Kale waited to see the creature's reaction in dreaded anticipation.
Miaooowwwwowow!!!!!
But the cute Cat only nudged him to continue rubbing its head as Kale had stopped doing so unknowingly. And there was not a single other change in the Beast.
No vicious hostility from the Cat Beast, or any attempt to kill him, absolutely nothing…
Kale's eyes shone with boundless delight, as he grinned, and he shouted in his mind, 'YES, YES, YEEEEESSSSSSS, I'VE FOUND IT, I'VE FOUND THE FUCKING LOOPHOLE….TO THE CURSE...'
Suddenly, a halo of greenish mystical power traveled from Kale's heart through his hands into the body of the Winged Feline Cat.
The Cat's eyes turned hazy, shining with the strange greenish light. It happened so fast that even Kale himself did not understand what was happening…
Kale's own mind also drifted, as if he were tiptoeing, almost on the verge of being drunk.
And a notification, in bold white letters, flashed in his retina…
[INITIATE THE BEAST BONDING RITUAL TO TAME YOUR FIRST EVER BEAST?]
[YES / NO]