Spirit Taming

Chapter 464: Split Focus

Students seemed to be pruning certain herbs while others were uprooting some that had multiplied over time. It was very interesting to see the different levels of skill when it came to the students learning herbalistic studies. However, they were definitely from different years.

The youngest seemed to be dealing with the safest herbs and taking guidance directly from the older students. This style of learning meant that many would need to rely upon one another to make sure that things were done properly. That, and the fact that they would be able to learn from the mistakes that their seniors had made before them.

"It looks like a lot of the students are bringing their herbs toward that overgrowth.' Ella was sure that there was something more when it came to the odd bamboo shaped plants.

"I have never seen that plant. I know what bamboo looks like. There are beasts that eat it so I have seen it traded. But that is more of a look alike than anything else." Isa wanted to help by identifying whatever the herb was. Yet, the more she wracked her brain the less she discovered.

'Spongy bamboo- ultra rare

The spongy bamboo is not actually a plant. It is a mushroom that can copy the appearance of bamboo so that the predators that consume bamboo can consume it as well. This is because it produces small spore pouches that can only be freed through being consumed.

They are able to absorb very large amounts of water. This helps the beats that consume it to digest it faster but also allows for them to gain very dense water type energy. If they are refined through alchemical means, then they can be made in to what is known as a water boosting potion.'

"Isa, what is a water boosting potion? I heard about them and that is spongy bamboo. That is an ingredient in that potion. I just recalled it." Clark was a little bad at hiding this question in this way, but the girls didn't mind. They were more excited to hear more about the spongy bamboo than anything else.

"A water boosting potion is a potion used to cause a beast to experience a higher rate of consumption and control of water type energy. It is used to help a beast understand skill while also helping the tamer adapt to the water type energy that the beast provides. It is considered very valuable because only a few higher tier alchemists can make such a potion consistently.

They will be sold at high end auctions depending on the quality of the potion."

The soft response came from someone that was just behind the curtain of spongy bamboo. The voice reminded Clark of a caretaker. Someone that was fully focused on the object of their care but had been able to respond slowly and carefully to the environment around them. Not fully focused but still listening.

"These spongy bamboo were only able to grow in the bamboo forests on a set of islands. That is also why there are beasts that only live there. But the isolated bamboo forests can only handle so many spongy bamboo mushrooms. So I was able to grow some here, transplant them to the massive bamboo forests on a larger land mass.

It provided food for a beast near extinction and also allows for them to be harvested as materials."

"You are Professor Gloria." Maria was very glad that they had managed to find the professor.

"That is correct. I was here waiting for the students to bring their assignments. It has taken a while to get the garden back to perfect balance. Now we are pruning the rewards of that. Then I will deliver the herbs, mushrooms, and even a few fungi to the alchemist lab.

It is below the garden since we use certain mushrooms to filter the air there." Professor Gloria was still fully focused on the spongy bamboo that she was snipping pieces off of. It seemed as if she was of two minds. One focused on her care of herbs and another invested in conversation.

"You are from Nova Academy, I avoided your city while I traveled. Too many issues. But here you are. Why?" Now this was where all of them hesitated. They didn't think that such a figure revered by multiple cities would dislike them because they were from Nova. but they had no issue with it.

Clark understood very well why someone might have a distaste for their city.

"While we can not change where we are born, we can change the palace that we grow. During the recent tournament, the first years I ally myself with and myself have left our city. We gained recognition in business, personally, and a battle to be able to study elsewhere.

This is one facet of our goals to reach a proper switch point in the growth of Nova as a whole." Ella spoke with almost cold seriousness. She had not flinched at all when Professor Gloria had shown distaste for Nova City.

"We will be studying here to strengthen our bodies, however, you have many high awards to the world we know and I wished to meet you. We also need knowledge about herbalism, alchemy, and beasts that would be ideal for alchemy. That is why we came here before focusing on bodily growth. Otherwise, I have a personal note." The last words were just enough to show that Ella was shaking her serious tone.

"Thank you for your studies. Your journals were the basis for how I created mine. It is why I was able to record every single thing that my wisps went through before growing to be much more prominent and powerful. It is also why I was able to create a place for myself with my friends."

"So, you are not the same kids I saw the last time I went near Nova…" Professor Gloria slowly set down the pair of trimming scissors she was using on the smaller pieces of the spongy bamboo. "Young but strong, we can handle what you need here. Ask for herbs and such from my students. For the other answers, you can reference the library within the classroom.

Herbalist and alchemy favored beasts are documented on shelf three row five. But please also leave a journal of yours for me to read. I can give you notes on what else you might want to document."

While it seemed that Professor Gloria had just changed focus, they all realized that she wasn't just doing two things. She has been speaking with them and trimming the mushroom. That was clear, but also, there was a small mushroom with a quill recording things right next to her.

'Great mushroom sprite- ultra rare

The great mushroom sprite can only grow from a mushroom sprite when it has grown, consumed, and mutated over ten thousand mushroom species. It is also very dependent on the care of its tamer because it requires constant energy to be filtered through its tamer. This is because it will easily overload its body with the unique mushroom plant type energy and water energy.

Therefore, the tamer becomes a very fine tuned controller.

The great mushroom gains the ability to control the spores of many mushrooms. It can grow them anywhere temporarily which makes it a very tough opponent to fight. However, it can also use those mushrooms to create a larger body and do very intricate tasks such as writing, cooking, and even carving wood if need be.

Many would never see a great mushroom sprite, it is considered an honor to meet one. Many of the forest dwelling species would revere a great mushroom sprite since it would be the controller of rebirth for fallen trees and other rotting parts of the forest…'

Clark was amazed. They had the wrong information about the mushroom sprite. It had grown and no one had known. Professor Gloria hadn't said anything either which meant she was somewhat hiding her strength.

"Thank you very much. We will do just that. And congratulations on your mushroom sprite growing to become a great mushroom sprite. The skill and determination to reach that level of anything is more than noteworthy." This managed to make the great mushroom sprite drop the quill in its mushroom hands.

While still very small, it had been focused on the notes it was taking by communicating mentally with its tamer. Now it was slightly shocked.

"Ha… an interesting child. I will be a little more giving then. I recommend you find the pebble shroom. As it grows, it traps little pebbles in its cap. If you can find them and break them apart, you can eat it to greatly boost muscle repair and add high nutrients to the body." Professor Gloria seemed amused. A small half smile on her face.

But Ella was too excited to share a journal with her idol and was pushing to head out. The rest of the group seemed put off by the odd split mind of the Professor renowned by many.