Spirit Taming

Chapter 248: Hide The Trail

Professor Wright was watching and listening carefully as Clark spoke. She had long known that Clark was an enigma when it came to the first year students. Furthermore, his intelligent auctions made it seem that he had come from a rich and well off family instead of an average family. This alone was enough to make anyone question him.

As he had grown at a speed faster than any of the other elite students that she had ever taught, Professor Wright he taken more interest in him. She had watched the way he went about speaking with others and guiding them even in small ways. Clark was always seeing a little more than others making her wonder if he had a hidden skill that he did not tell anyone about.

But even more than this, he was able to use the information he had to bring people to his side. It wasn't just power that he promised, it was a strict set of values where others could help those that were neglected. Something that most of the powerful only spoke about and never acted on.

The best part was that Clark only seemed to make small adjustments to some growth plans for radical new results. This was definitely a method that would help anyone short on luck. He even managed to use all the gold gathered in these efforts. It was as if the money was nothing to him. He could make it and spend it in a blink of an eye.

It was even more impressive that he had let Isa lead the way because of her savvy business education.

As the group left through the main gate, the guards watched as they went. Professor Wright had pulled out a separate identification ring while leaving. She looked over at Clark and his teammates ensuring that they understood. She had taken the precautions necessary to make sure they would not be tracked as much.

"Now that we are out of the city, keep up. We will run for a little while." Professor Wright surprised them all with this and began to jog ahead. The speed was to separate them from anyone attempting to follow their group. It was always wise to do so and it was a lesson she insisted on teaching all of her first year students.

"I will take the back with Maria. We can make sure that everyone stays together." Clark and Maria fell behind everyone. The worry was that Jerold, Brad, Reese, and Grace would be unable to keep up with them. Clark's team was clearly well ahead of others when it came to physical strength. The energy they received from their beasts was better than even the elite class.

Jerold was the one that Clark was watching the most. He had been taken from when the topic was resources. This alone slowed his growth down well behind most people. He was also still carrying his chameleon on his body. It was very good at blending in to his clothing but also added a decent weight to him since it was the size of a small dog.

But Clark could see the current results of the treatments that he had chosen for the rainbow chameleon in Jerold. There was a clear vigor that Jerold had lacked previously. Before, he would have most likely been winded instantly while jogging. Now, he was able to keep up at a fair pace without becoming too red faced.

"A few people are headed on the same trail as us." Ella had been observing the areas behind them. It was clear that a few people had been sent to tail them.

"Well, I did end up helping break the hand of a fourth year lackey under the Mourne Family. It would make sense that he would send his own lackeys out of anger. But they shouldn't be able to keep up with us." Clark was flat with how he explained the situation. He wasn't worried because he had some advantages.

"That's why we are heading toward the forest first. I thought it was out of the way. Most of the time caravans take the most direct route. It's always the best choice." Isa was always thinking about these things. She wanted to ensure that she didn't miss something that she could use later.

"I also think that Maria and I have an advantage in a dimly lit forest." Clark smiled seeing that Maria's shadow seemed more lively. Her midnight eel was very wound up sensing that it could finally act to defend her. This also meant that it had grown enough to use its skills after Maria focused her attention on growing it with Lit's help.

When the running finally ended, Professor Wright put her hands together and looked at the first years before her panting. Even Ella was more tired because she had been slowly strengthening her body lately. She was a little behind others in the third year because she had not brought her beasts to the next level of growth due to her research.

"Who knows how to hide your trail?" Ella wanted to raise her hand but after seeing that Professor Wright was completely free of any hint of tiredness after running for so long she held back. It was going to be a lesson for her as well.

"If you're being followed by bandits it is best to make multiple trails then retrace your steps on the one most likely to be ignored. From there you change your path and take a longer or shorter direction overall." Isa had learned this from her family while growing up. However, she was not well versed in actually doing it.

"That is one way. But if we split up we will be at a massive disadvantage. So, we should instead use a beast that can return later to us without any injuries." With a wave of her hand and the release of some energy, a much larger beast than they expected arrived before them from Professor Wright's taming space.

'Thousand leg venomous centipede- Rare

The thousand leg venomous centipede is one of the few insect type beasts that can live over a hundred years old. It is said that they can live one year for every leg they have. In reality, for every year they live they normally grow a certain length longer. Some older families even pass down the beast to their younger generations through special ceremonies.

When it comes to intelligence, the thousand legged venomous centipede does not just stand above other beasts of its kind. It stands above many beasts due to the high functioning strategic skills it has. When it lacks in power, it makes up for in strategy with its speed, venom, and defenses.

The biggest weakness of this beast is the reliance on its ability to move with speed. Once it is trapped it can often be taken down with some focused strokes on the gaps between its armor. The venom is often taken for incredibly strong surgical medications. It can numb and even stop the body's breathing if used wrongly.

The best material…'

"This is one of my partners. He is a little territorial but is very smart. I will have him make some face tracks that will mimic a group moving through this small forest. From there we will leave this place and head towards our first destination. I will be able to retrieve my partner after he has a little fun." Professor Wright pointed out the fact that her beast was able to do so much.

The fact that it looked at all of them with clear eyes proved that it had memorized their faces.

Furthermore, Clark already knew that as an insect type beast, the centipede could climb trees with ease. That was how it would leave no trace on the way out of the forest. The only thing that none of them knew was why Professor Wright seemed too happy that her beast would be having fun before it met them. It was not a smile that brought happiness but one that carried fear.

"It's very interesting to see a beast replicating footprints just by looking at another being. I think this is proof that the intelligence greatly outweighs physical strength." Ella wanted to stop and record things. But she knew it was better to keep moving so she mentally held on to the thought.

"If you wish, I can allow you to take some time to speak with my little centipede later. He likes attention very much even though he seems cold." Professor Wright would gladly allow them to learn another lesson from her beasts. She rarely let them out to teach in this part of the school year. Normally she had to wait for the beasts of students to be much stronger.

While they began to leave the small forest area with a larger forest as their destination, Clark was contemplating how Crim could use this one day. He had wings and could fly away easily enough to hide his own trail. Even Devi could manage this as well. It would be a valuable tactic when he faced larger groups of enemies.