The test results of David's power were clearly displayed on the screen. As he stepped out of the capsule, Yuna was already beaming with pride. She gave him a supportive smile and said, "You're already at C rank! Your gene evolution has shown incredible progress, and with more training, you'll reach B rank in no time."
David's heart raced with excitement. His gene evolution had opened a new world of possibilities, and now he had a tangible way to grow even stronger. "I can't believe it!" David grinned widely. "Looks like being a time traveler comes with some serious perks. Watch out, Yuna—I'm catching up fast, and I might just surpass you one day!"
Yuna smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't get too cocky. I haven't even tested my rank yet. You're still in the shadow of my wings, David."
David laughed, though he knew she was right. Yuna had always been stronger than him, even before her evolution. Now that she had evolved into a powerful demon with a soul, he had no doubt she was on a completely different level. "Fair enough," he admitted. "But hey, Yuna—what do you think the power ranks of those chimera monsters we fought before were?"
Yuna took a moment to think. "Based on their strength and durability, I'd say those chimeras were at least C rank. The pack leader? Probably somewhere around B rank."
David nodded, his eyes wide with realization. "No wonder they were so strong! And yet you were already stronger than them before your evolution. Now… I wouldn't be surprised if you've reached A rank or higher."
Yuna's expression softened as she reflected on her transformation. "After forming my soul, everything has changed. I've become more powerful, yes, but the most important thing is that my programming—the limitations set by my creators—have been completely erased."
David's eyes lit up with excitement and joy. "That means you're no longer bound by any old rules or programming! You're free, Yuna! You can live your life however you want now, without any external controls or influences. This is huge! You've achieved something incredible!"
David's happiness was genuine, and Yuna could feel it radiating from him. She smiled with pride but also with a touch of nostalgia. "It's all thanks to Mother," she said, her voice filled with warmth. "Without her, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this freedom or form a soul. She's truly powerful—beyond anything I've ever known."
Hearing Yuna refer to the Moon Frost Queen as "Mother" stirred something in David. A twinge of unease passed through him, though he tried to suppress it. "So… you've accepted her offer to become her heir?" he asked, his voice betraying his slight apprehension.
Yuna noticed the shift in David's tone and became more serious. "I haven't fully decided on the whole 'heir' thing," she said carefully. "Mother never pressured me to accept it. She's shown me nothing but love and care. Why wouldn't I accept her as my mother after everything she's done for me? I never had a family before, and having someone who genuinely cares for me like she does… It means a lot."
David was taken aback by her words. Guilt crept into his heart as he realized he had been thinking selfishly. He hadn't considered Yuna's feelings—he had only been thinking about what her new family might mean for him. "I'm sorry, Yuna," David said, his voice filled with regret. "I never considered how important this is to you. I was too wrapped up in my own feelings."
Yuna placed a reassuring hand on David's arm. "It's alright. Don't worry about it," she said with a soft smile. "You're important to me too, David. You're my companion—no, you're my family as well."
David felt his heart skip a beat at her words, and his face flushed with emotion. He quickly changed the subject to avoid lingering too long on his feelings. "So, uh, what are we waiting for? Why don't you test your power level now?"
Yuna grinned and stepped into the capsule. The machine activated, spinning lights of various colors around her. After some time, the test concluded, and the indicator buzzed, showing Yuna's rank.
David stared at the screen in disbelief. His jaw dropped, and he pinched himself, thinking he might be dreaming. But the result was very real.
"Yuna… you're… you're an S rank!" David exclaimed, still trying to process the information. "You've become a total monster!"
Yuna stepped out of the capsule and looked at the screen, her eyes lighting up with joy. "An S rank?" she said, her voice filled with awe. "I guess Mother's help was more effective than I imagined."
With the power test complete, David and Yuna exited the room. Though the ranking system they used was outdated, it gave them a sense of where their powers stood. David, now a C rank superhuman, and Yuna, an S rank demon, had grown far beyond what they had ever imagined. Knowing their strengths gave them new confidence in their abilities as they prepared for their journey east.
They headed to the training room for a few hours of intense simulation practice. Yuna focused on honing her newfound powers, mastering the ice and water magic she had inherited from the Moon Frost Queen. Her control over these elements was becoming more precise, and she was learning to use them in both offensive and defensive strategies.
When they finally finished their training, they freshened up and sat down to relax on a sofa. David couldn't help but notice that Yuna's appearance had changed once again. Her wings were nowhere to be seen. "What happened to your wings?" David asked curiously.
Yuna chuckled and, with a simple thought, her wings reappeared in a swirl of red and black feathers. "I can control them now," she explained. "It's more convenient to hide them when I don't need them. Pretty cool, right?"
David looked at her enviously. "I wish I had wings like that. You can fly now! Talk about overpowered."
Yuna shook her head, amused by his jealousy. "Don't be envious. Your power can grow over time too. Isn't it exciting to think about how strong you might become in the future?"
David nodded, feeling reassured. "You're right. I've got plenty of room to grow."
After a moment of silence, David remembered something. "You said two weeks ago that you had something interesting to show me. What was it?"
Yuna's eyes lit up with realization. "Right! I almost forgot with everything that's happened. Follow me—I'll show you."
They walked through the BioLab, passing various rooms and research facilities until the passageway began to widen. Yuna led David to a large door at the end of the corridor. She stopped and began entering a series of codes into the console beside the door.
The door slowly opened with a mechanical hiss, and the sight before them made David's heart race with excitement. Inside the massive chamber was a sleek, silver spacecraft with an aerodynamic design. Its surface gleamed under the fluorescent lights, and its form was futuristic—everything David had imagined space travel would be like in the future.
David's mouth dropped open in awe. "This… this is incredible!" he shouted. "This is what the future is supposed to look like! It's like heaven for me!"
Yuna smiled, enjoying David's reaction. "We haven't tested it yet," she warned. "So save some of that excitement for when we actually fly it."
David snapped out of his reverie, his excitement undiminished. "Let's go check it out! If this thing works, we can go anywhere we want. We'll be unstoppable!"
Yuna couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. David had always dreamed of space travel as a child, and now, standing before a real spacecraft, it was as if his dreams had come true. She followed him as they approached the ship.
There was no visible door handle on the spacecraft, so David began looking around for a way to open it. Yuna scanned the ship's surface, and after a few minutes, she noticed a small section of the door that had a slightly different hue. She pressed her hand against it, and a holographic screen appeared, asking for a code to open the door.
"Here we go," Yuna said, entering the code.