Spirit Taming

Chapter 217: Your Goals Are...

"Where. Do. you. Think. You. are.

Going?" Alexander's stern voice seemed to capture their very souls as he walked up from the side of the healing building entrance.

"We were going to wait for you to return to the academy." Clark tried his best to talk this off since it was clear that Alexander was angry.

"You used my name as your mentor to ensure that you would be able to get inside the academy when the situation was dangerous. Then you told a very important figure that you could save his daughter from an unknown illness. And I just managed to watch the entire last event where you somehow managed to make it through and help that very same city lord. How is any of that normal?"

None of the four dared to ask how Alexander was able to hear the entire event. But the fact that he didn't burst in and take control of the situation said a lot. It explained to them that they were much more trusted than they had realized. That they had seemed mature enough to be left alone without being halted by the mentor that worked in the shadows to improve them.

"The headmaster said that you would explain the blood moon to us?" Isa spoke and no sooner did Alexander's face become even darker. He seemed to have some very strong, very negative, feelings about the blood moon cult that the headmaster and the Star city lord had mentioned.

"Come with me and do not utter that name again while in public. The less that others hear of this the better." None of them could argue. They could only follow Alexander toward the faculty building.

Since they knew that Alexander was a retired headmaster, they did not expect that he would have any form of office within the academy. Yet, when he led them up toward the current headmaster's office, they saw that there was another corridor they had never looked down the few times they had all been in this building. "Coming?"

Alexander's question put a pep in their step. He had a large room with odd tools, display materials, and even a massive desk that held a very large map carved in to the surface and covered by glass.

"My office is not one I often bring others to. However, I have had it made over many times with many special rune carvings to make sure that no one is able to hear a single word spoken outside of this office." Alexander seemed to allow them to think of the darker reasons why someone would need a room with silencing magic rune circles.

"That means we can communicate without worry here." Ella seemed to gain a lot more confidence all of the sudden. "I have heard from my mother that various small cults and gangs form from time to time. But out of all of them, there is one that is considered the worst because they have purposefully caused seven dungeon breaks that led to the downfall of Nebula city."

"So you knew so much and didn't tell us…"

"My mother told me to remain silent on this matter because I was only told to keep myself aware of the dangers. As a daughter of a general…this is my life." Ella seemed to lose some of her wind. She was downcast because of her upbringing and always worrying about danger. This made Isa feel bad for being frustrated for that moment, because Isa had been through similar things.

However, Isa was in the dark about the blood moon cult.

"That is all correct. The blood moon cult is a danger that has ended a city. They want chaos and beasts to roam free no matter what. They also cultivate the worst of the worst beasts. Some even hand their bodies over to dangerous beasts that can cause epidemics, mass illusion, or worse things." Alexander's tone was getting darker and darker.

"It sounds as if you have faced them before." The worried tone that Maria carried in her words was confirmed as soon as Alexander looked at them with his tired eyes.

"Yes, I have faced the grunts when helping bring the academy up to what it is now. Then later, I faced them trying to kill off powerful students and professors. The last encounter I had with them was in a certain dungeon that they want to take over completely. Luckily, that is impossible due to the massive size of the dungeon. Now they have resurfaced.

The only issue is their bases are always in dungeons. Dangerous dungeons."

"That means that we can't simply lead an attack and clear them out. Should I assume that they have methods to get around the wild beasts? Or at least deter them completely?" This was a simple conclusion for Clark to come to. There was no way that a group of people would survive in a base created within a large dungeon if that wasn't the case.

"Mm, that is the case." Alexander seemed plagued by the past battles with these people. They had left a lasting image within his mind that was not going to fade any time soon. "I will hand you a record of their attacks on Nebula city and the dungeon that they forced to break. We cleared and destroyed the dungeon but we were able to figure out how they did it. The four of you may read this and learn.

Just wear this pendant when you do. There is a magical lock that erases the ink from the book if you do not wear it."

The book and pendant were very high class items that Calrk would never expect someone to hand him. But now, they sat in his hands as if they were just a common tool. "I will read it tonight and share it with them later. But if you are handing us the way to break a dungeon…"

"Clark, it is clearly harder to do than it sounds. These people seem to have enough power to be a constant menace. They must be using some unique means to break dungeons. And if they had broken so few, I believe that it is even harder to do than I am thinking." Maria had put more together than it had appeared causing an approving glance from Alexander.

"It is indeed a tough task. It requires many things and many deaths. There is a reason they are known as the blood moon cult. But that is that for now. The headmaster said he would reward you and you have the seal of the Star city lord. One will boost your power now and the other will assist you after you get stronger.

I am going to give you all solid goals. Individual goals."

The fact that Alexander specified individuals made them all freeze on the spot. He was not going to allow them to become stronger together. In Alexander's eyes, that was limiting them. They would learn to rely on each other at all times and become weaker as individuals. Now they had to spur their own personal growth.

"Ella, you have the most beasts. Grow them to their next levels as soon as possible and open your unique taming space. I know you have a plan for it and the majority of materials." Ella could only nod her head.

"Isa, you have grown recently but you have definitely weakened yourself. Get back to perfect fighting shape. Then I wish to see you take off in power. Your skills are strong in battle but not strong enough to resist a real attack from an intelligent enemy."

"Maria, you are a weak speed type fighter that is still overcoming mental blocks. I want you to experience hardship. Physical hardship that will toughen your body along with your beasts. I don't care how, when, or where, just make it happen. I know you realize this as a flaw already."

"And Clark, did you forget that you have a dungeon to go to solo? How could you get so injured? You also seem to have helped your beasts change. I am unsure what the energy is in particular but this old man's eyes are sharper than you think. You will need new materials. You will also need to learn how to wield that energy."

The goals that Alexander gave them would have a very short window to come to fruition. The school tournament had been decided already. Or at least that was what Clark had thought before Alexander pulled a piece of paper out from the desk.

"Lastly, all eight qualifying members will be on the same teams for each year grade of the academy. This year, the other academy has chosen an older form of tournament. The team single battle competition. If your team loses as a whole you lose, even if you won all your battles. But there are more rules. You can study them each on your way to rest."

Alexander shooed them from his office while he began to think again. The blood moon cult showing up was going to exasperate many of the current issues in the city. No one would be safe if things became too tense. He would have to go back to some serious work.