Chapter 157 - This Skill Finally Came in Handy!

After ten days, the second phase, which included the Magical Beasts’ participation, finally began.

It was the first segment of the second phase—theoretical learning. Students packed the lecture hall to the brim, from the front row to the back. Some even had to sit by the windowsill.

“So many people are here. Mr. Hank probably won’t even have a place to stand when he arrives!” Alan said as he frowned.

“Yeah, many aren’t even from Mr. Hank’s class either. They’re just here as freeloaders!”

“I guess this is the charm of a theory lesson.”

The Guardians intensely discussed as they looked forward to Hank’s arrival.

“Everyone, make way for your teacher so he can come through the door!” Kevin’s bell-like voice sounded.

With Kevin’s help, Hank finally made it to the front of the lecture hall. Hank looked at the students still surrounding the podium and said, “Thank you for coming, students, but the other teachers are capable too. Squeezing into my lecture hall is not necessarily effective.”

No matter what Hank said, the students refused to move. Helpless, he began his lecture, “The first thing I will teach you today is the Magical Beasts’ attributes, so you can better understand them. Please open your Magical Beast bestiary.”

As Hank explained Magical Beasts’ attributes, the students often exclaimed in admiration.

“This bestiary is amazing. I’ve never seen so many beasts in one textbook before!”

“Look at the Bewitching Demon Fox as an example. I’ve seen it before, and its level isn’t high. However, it’s a tough beast to deal with.”

“Have you seen a beast called the Fragrant Demon Pig? I bet you didn’t know Magical Beasts could also be adorable.”

“The bestiary covers a wide range of beasts and explains their habits and attributes in detail.”

“This book will allow me to understand Magical Beasts on a deeper level.”

Seeing as the students were interested in his lesson, Hank also told them about things that were not in the bestiary, like Spirit Beasts and Divine Beasts. That made the students even more excited.

“Mr. Hank, do you think Spirit Beasts and Divine Beasts exist?” A burly student with a babyface asked.

“What kind of question is that? It’s like he’s asking if laundry detergent washes clothes. Why would Mr. Hank even talk about them if those don’t exist?” Alan muttered in a low voice.

“Do they truly exist?” Baylon was puzzled as he asked.

Meanwhile, Moss only observed and listened to Hank’s lecture.

Facing that question, the students in the classroom also became curious. Hank noticed it, drank water, and replied, “Spirit Beasts and Divine Beasts indeed exist! I have recently redefined what they are. Spirit Beast is a beast someone has tamed, while a Divine Beast has an owner. Low-level and high-level beast drivers are also called Spirit Beasts.”

“Mr. Hank, what kind of Divine Beasts are there?” A tall female student asked.

“In the early days, there were records of the existence of Dragon-riding Knights. History also has records of Black Tortoises, Vermilion Birds, and White Tigers.

“When the spatial rifts started appearing in our world, many Magical Beasts with special abilities and Divine Beasts emerged. However, we’ve never seen Divine Beasts because they are scarce and mysterious.

“Firstly, they only come out voluntarily, so it’s almost impossible for us to see them. Secondly, the spatial rifts are relatively stable now, and very few Divine Beasts will emerge from them.”

Then Hank adjusted his glasses with his right hand and changed the topic, “Whenever we meet beasts, whether Magical or Divine Beasts, we can achieve some form of communication with them, such as spiritual interactions, or even telepathy.

“Still, they benefit us whether it’s fighting, building a relationship, taming, or even obtaining them.”

Moss became excited when he heard that. ‘It seems the beginner Beast Communication skill I just acquired from the system might be of great use!’

The other students were also very excited. They became interested in how they could tame Magical Beasts.

However, Hank knew his students would become curious, so he immediately told his assistant to bring over a cage.

When Hank removed the cloth covering the cage, a creature that resembled a flying squirrel called out, “Squeak! Squeak!”

Hank gestured to the students to lower their voices as he squatted and kindly looked at the creature. After a few seconds, the flying squirrel-like creature quieted down. It seemed a little excited as it darted its eyes around.

“This is a Flying Demon Rat. It’s a smaller Magical Beast than usual and can glide through the air with the extra skin under its arms. I’m sure it looks cute now, but on the contrary, it’s a very fierce Magical Beast. It would attack humans before I tamed it,” Hank smiled as he explained.

Hearing this, the students became spirited. “Can you show us how to tame one, Mr. Hank?”

Hank smiled. “The second portion of my lesson will be about taming.”

The students perked up their ears when they heard that.

“Taming is a high-level skill that allows one to control a beast. However, it is not the same as a beast master or beast exorcist. Sure, they can command beasts, but they have not fully tamed them yet.

“According to my research, the premise of beast taming is that one’s spiritual power must be greater than that of a Magical Beast. Otherwise, one cannot tame it.

“Taming, although not the same as language communication, can be achieved through telepathy. So, taming might not be such a difficult thing for every individual. As of now, we can only tame weaker beasts and raise them as pets,” as Hank spoke, his assistant brought up the Flying Demon Rat.

When Hank removed the cloth, the Flying Demon Rat immediately revealed a fierce expression. It bared its teeth and tore at the cage, ready to attack at any moment.

It caused the surrounding students to feel uncomfortable. Some even instinctively hid behind their desks. Hank waved his hand, signaling the students to be quiet and not panic.

Then he looked at the rat and used his spiritual power. A moment later, he opened the cage and slowly extended his hand into it, gradually approaching the Flying Demon Rat.

Moss was shocked because he sensed Hank’s intangible power to fight against the demon rat. At the same time, Moss felt Hank’s sense of familiarity and affinity toward the demon rat strengthening bit by bit.

‘Is that the spiritual power Mr. Hank spoke of?’ Moss repeatedly asked in his heart.

Suddenly, something shocking happened. The fierce demon rat calmed down. Then it approached Hank’s hand, sniffed it, and climbed onto his hand.

“I’ve just completed the first step of taming the demon rat with my spiritual power. I will completely tame it if I continue strengthening my power. However, it can already feel my power even though I show it to you all. The demon rat will feel safe in my hand,” Hank explained.

Hank’s impressive actions excited the students as they broke into heated discussions.

“That’s a fantastic skill. Taming a Magical Beast to become a pet is too cool!”

“I want to learn how to do that too! I want to tame one for my girlfriend!”

“Can this skill help zookeepers tame rare beasts?”

‘Since I can sense Mr. Hank’s spiritual power, does that mean I’ve activated my spiritual power?’ Moss could not help but feel excited.