Spirit Taming

Chapter 258: Walk And Train

Watching the forest bear and her cubs leave after the forest trap spider had failed made everyone more serious. They did not even know that the forest trap spider was there. It was a beast that could have caught them instead of becoming food for the forest bear.

"That was a good choice. The forest bear appeared to be a unique monster that was once an animal. It is most likely the first generation of its line to become a proper beast. That is evolution and energies coming together. That is why many researchers will reference multiple factors on beast growth in history." Professor Wright was glad that this had become a great teaching moment.

"I need to record every detail. If you got a good look at the forest bear and how the forest trap spider was going to feed let me know. I wish I could have had a closer look at how it used its teeth to break the shell around the spider's body…" Ella fell in to a lot of mumbling and writing.

"I will write down everything I know about it for the potion you made." Clark had been holding on to this. He wanted the shadow gathering potion for Shy so that she could keep strengthening the shadow threads. It was very clear that they would play a larger and larger role in battle as she grew. The only problem was allowing her to grow well enough to be able to use them more often and efficiently.

"Show me first." Ella had wanted to use this as more of a revenge against Clark since he had excluded her from a learning experience, but her thirst for knowledge was like a void. It could never be filled and even with the smallest of offerings, she was tempted.

After just a short while, Clark had written down what he had seen. With Maria right there, she took it from him and began to rewrite it in a better format. It was a very clear skill that she had developed with some of the education around her as a child. The higher ranked the family the better education they would get, and even if they were exiled, It seemed that the education had remained.

"It seems that the process of becoming a proper beast that can bond with a tamer is unique to animals that learn to gather energy naturally. I heard that it is different when someone tries to make a beast but overall, that fails because creating a beast is an act against the world." Maria had once heard this rumor but most of the time researchers were banned from attempting such things.

"Oh, I don't know if it truly goes against the world. But you should know that it is banned for a reason. Such experiments that bolster that kind of research are cruel towards animals and beasts. Even the tamers they try to bring in are harmed. It is not right to use such methods on other living creatures.' Professor Wright chimed in. She was sure to plant this lesson firmly.

"I have no such intention as creating life in any way. I would rather unravel the mystery that the world has challenged me with." Ella's confession of why she researches made everyone think about why they also do what they do.

"My partner and I will be the perfect defenders. We can block even the greatest of storms." Brad seemed to have caught on to what was going on more so now. He had been in a lot of thought since he accepted Clark's offer to make him stronger.

"Then I will make that happen. We should get moving." Clark stopped and grabbed whatever materials were left from the forest trap spider. Isa saw him grabbing them and was sure that they were minimal and would not be able to help their beasts but it was something and they could sell it in the north.

"By the way, Grace, how is your bond with your wind whistler doing?" Clark asked this as they set up walking toward the dungeon that they would be entering for Brad's materials.

"I can feel it changing. I have felt a little cold all day today compared to yesterday." Grace was sure that everyone was focused on her. However, she knew that this was because she, Brad, Reese, and Jerold were the ones whose beasts were doing the most growing.

Reese had been completely focused on his movements and remained on task to keep his training ideal. That was why Grace had been so silent. She could tell that everyone else was solely focused on growth because they had been given the chance.

"That would be expected. You are getting the ice energy from ice crystals for the first time in your life. If you want, you can keep one around your neck on a string. It is said to help tamers adjust to getting an ice type beast for the first time." Isa already had one she was tying a string to.

As the one that held all the materials for the group, she listened to what Ella added to the conversations carefully.

"Really? I never heard that. It's good to know. Did you use that trick Isa?" Clark wasn't sure where that trick came from but it sounded like it was a good way to help a tamer get accustomed to the energies their beast was sharing with them in advance.

"I did when I was younger. My parents used it for me. It's also why I have an earth crystal in my pocket. It helps me adjust to the crystal golem's energies since it is toughening my body." Isa flexed her muscles a little as a joke but Clark could actually see that her arms were more defined.

"Hmm, I will have to remember that for anyone we help gain a new affinity in their beast." The mumbled response made Clark wonder if he could help someone tame a much more powerful beast than themselves with unique training. But that was a tough thing to try out and definitely not worth the risk.

"You are all very talkative today, but have you noticed that my partner has been roaming around us for a while now?" Jerold broke the conversation and was attempting to start a game. He had seen the forest trap spider using camouflage and decided that the small games of hide and seek that he used with his rainbow chameleon needed to be taken to the next level.

"You started a moving game? I think that will be good to sharpen my senses." Reese lost his focus on his bond with his beast and sword technique. If he could learn to sharpen his sense of sight he could be able to pick out hiding beasts in the future. It would also help him train his swordsmanship to pick out the weak points in anyone.

That was the essence of battle, finding ways to beat those that showed the slightest chance of defeat.

"Do you really want me to give away where your beast is so quickly?" Clark teased the others a little. He had already noticed that there was a presence around that was not normally there. He was impressed when he figured out that the rainbow chameleon had been changing its coloration to match the terrain as they walked through the forest path.

"No, I don't want you to ruin it. I think it is better that someone else looks." Jerold couldn't let the game end so quickly.

"Then I won't tell either. I have been training against someone much harder to spot." Maria sealed her lips after this so that no one would say a word. She wanted to make sure that Ella and Isa also didn't give anything away.

"Grace, this is an ideal training for you. Your wind whistler always helps you detect changes in the air. And it will remain so after it finishes its growth. You can become much better at sensing things after you strengthen the base of your skills. Brad, you are very unaware of your surroundings. You need to improve the most.

Armor will not always protect you. Reese, you focus on small details too much. You should look at a larger picture."

Professor Wright showed the four new additions to the team why exactly she was the elite first year professor in charge of guiding the best and brightest. She had analyzed all of them in just a short time traveling. She knew their weaknesses and strengths. She even knew their goals after hearing the way that Clark had begun planning their beast's growth.

"That being said, there are two more forest trap spiders on the trail ahead of us. While these four find them, you five will look for the forest trap spiders. And Ralph, I know you are trying to remain silent because you think I do not know that you have been trying to walk and meditate. But you can not do so without losing some handle on your surroundings.

I expect that you will personally defeat one of these forest trap spiders alone." Professor Wright looked happily at Ralph who was shocked that she had managed to call him out.