The Vengeful Extra's Ascension-Chapter 23: Elective - Beast Taming!

THE NEXT DAY!

The sun had risen, but it felt meaningless to Albedo, who was walking through the Academy, hearing the chatter of students in the distance and all around him.

He stood silently near one of the glass-paneled viewing decks that overlooked the Academy’s central quad, staring outward, unmoving.

His uniform was clean, but beneath the polished surface, his muscles were tight and his mana felt heavier, more grounded, as if his very soul had compressed under the weight of his thoughts.

He had slept for maybe two hours, he could barely sleep, the discovery he made the night before had shattered the veil he was operating under.

Now with what he knew, simple vengeance for his family wasn’t enough. He had to dedicate himself to protecting Gwen.

The possibility of her being completely warped by the Abyss rubbed him the wrong way. He knew they’d try again. And when they did, he had to be ready, not in a year, not at graduation, now.

Albedo’s jaw tightened as he pushed away from the railing and began walking across the skybridge that led to the Academy’s northern fields, an open grassland reserve used for Beast Taming.

Today was his first elective class: Beast Taming.

It was the only one that made tactical sense. Especially after receiving the Gift <Voice of Beasts>, it made perfect sense.

Especially as he had a mid range combat style using Havoc and Ruin, having Beasts that could be used to battle alongside him, from long or close range, could give him much more battle flexibility.

He arrived at the wide-open fields just as a breeze rippled through the long grass.

There was already a group of students gathered, fifteen, maybe twenty in all. Beast Taming was expensive after all, so it was normal for it to not be one of the more popular electives.

As soon as Albedo arrived, he spotted Lira, who stood out noticeably due to her crimson hair tied down in a braid down her back.

She stood with her arms folded, eyes closed, as if communing with the mana of the field itself. Several students whispered excitedly. Beast Taming was a prestigious class, only taught by a few licensed practitioners in the Empire.

Albedo walked towards Lira and as soon as he came close to her, she cracked one eye open and smirked faintly.

"Took you long enough," Lira said. "I figured you’d be the first one here."

"I was," Albedo replied, stepping beside her, "Just had a lot on my mind."

Lira hummed, tilting her head toward the field, "Don’t we all?"

"Theres more in this class than I expected. From what I hear, Beast Taming is usually near empty." Albedo said.

Lira gave a soft chuckle, "That’s because most people don’t want to deal with creatures that can bite their heads off."

Her eyes sparkled slightly as she turned to face him. "But not me. I grew up around them. My mother is a Beast Tamer, and one of the best in the Empire. She raised beasts like other people raise children."

"So you’re following in her footsteps?" Albedo asked.

Lira nodded without hesitation, "Of course. I wanna surpass her, and eventually have a Beast battle."

There was no arrogance in her voice, only conviction.

Albedo was about to respond when his attention was drawn by someone walking in front of the class, poised like a blade drawn from a sheath.

It was Professor Luna Evervale.

The first thing that caught Albedo’s eyes were her ears, as they were pointy, since she was an Elf. Luna was very tall, with angular cheekbones and flawless skin kissed with green undertones, and emerald hair that shimmered like living ivy beneath the sun.

She wore silver rings on her ears, and wore a long cloak that fluttered while she displayed her Star Rank presence.

When she turned to face the class, her silver eyes scanned them like a hawk.

"Good morning," she said, her voice cool, yet resonant, "I am Lady Luna Evervale, of House Evervale. You may address me as Professor Evervale."

Her gaze moved across all of the students, stopping on Albedo for a moment as she recognized him as the rank #1, but her gaze quickly moved onwards to the other students before beginning the class.

"The very first lesson I will give you, is that Beast Taming is NOT about bending creatures to your will. If you think you can rock up her, forcefully submit a creature and let it do your bidding, you’ll fail quite quickly. Beasts have their own lives and egos, and will rebel if they aren’t treated fairly in this arrangement."

Luna said, but Albedo could already see students ignoring her statements, particularly the Nobles, thinking they could use their resources to submit beasts however they want.

"Beast Taming is about understanding the law of power, of dominion and respect. You do not control a beast. You earn the right to walk beside it. Only when it respects you, will it accept your contract and fight alongside you."

She flicked her hand, and from her side, a golden whistle shaped like a thorned vine appeared in her palm. She immediately blew into the whistle, but no sound came out.

However, the reaction was instant.

~RUSTLE~RUSTLE~RUSTLE!~

From the edges of the field, in the treeline just beyond the students, rustling began. Soft at first, but then it quickly grew louder.

And then the beasts emerged.

Dozens of creatures stepped from the forest beyond. Some padded on feline paws with leafy manes and bark-like fur.

Others trotted forward on hooves, their antlers crowned with glimmering moss. Birds with feathers like crystal and lizards that shimmered like heat mirages slithered or fluttered their way into the field, each one exuding a distinct, low-level mana signature.

They were small, juvenile beasts, clearly not yet fully grown.

But even so, Albedo could feel the latent potential in many of them using his Appraisal skill.

He saw one rabbit-like creature with steel-colored fur and jagged, metallic ears.

Another resembled a floating jellyfish, translucent and radiant with internal starlight. The forest had no shortage of diversity.

Whispers erupted from the students.

"Are those real Mana Beasts?!"

"They’re so... calm."

"That one looks like it could eat me whole..."

Luna’s silver gaze swept over the class again, expression unreadable. Then, she finally spoke again, her voice carrying across the field.

"For today," she said, "we will not be attempting contracts."

A wave of both relief and disappointment spread among the students.

"Today is about interaction. Observation. You will enter the field, choose a beast you feel drawn to, and spend the next hour with it. Learn from it. Watch how it moves. Try to understand its temperament, its instincts."

She held up a warning finger.

"But mark this well, do not antagonize them. These beasts are young, but not helpless. If you attack, if you posture, or if you try to impose your will without being acknowledged, they will retaliate. And I will not protect you from that consequence. Als remember, at the same tier, Beasts are usually stronger than Humans."

Her whistle vanished with a flick of her hand, and she gestured to the field and the bordering forest behind her.

"You are now dismissed to begin. Return here when the sun reaches that ridge," she said, pointing to a slanted stone outcrop in the distance, "and I will evaluate what you’ve learned."

With that, she turned and walked to the shade of a tall silverleaf tree, where she leaned against the bark and began observing, arms crossed, gaze piercing.

The students hesitated for a moment, then scattered.

Some rushed excitedly toward the beasts, others more cautiously.

Albedo didn’t move at first.

He glanced to the side and saw Lira already kneeling in the grass. A fox-like creature with fur of silver and a single tiny horn was sniffing curiously at her hand. She said nothing, simply smiled softly as the creature approached her on its own terms.

Lira met Albedo’s gaze briefly, and mouthed, ’Don’t overthink it.’

He exhaled softly and stepped forward.

As he walked into the field, several beasts glanced his way, and Albedo could understand what they were saying when they roared at him.

He passed a trio of noble boys trying to coax a winged deer with bits of mana-charged fruit, only to be snubbed when it turned and sauntered away. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

One student, a particularly arrogant noble Albedo vaguely recognized from the entrance ceremony, made the mistake of reaching for a floating wolf-drake hybrid with six eyes and sleek, scaled fur.

It growled.

Albedo didn’t stop walking as the student was promptly flipped onto his back and chased into a thicket by the annoyed creature, earning a faint sigh from Professor Luna in the distance.

Finally, Albedo reached a shaded clearing where a single beast sat alone.

It was a feline, roughly the size of a lynx, with fur like stormclouds and eyes like glimmering amethyst.

Its tail was unusually long, ending in a tuft of fur that occasionally sparked with faint, static energy. It sat still, its gaze focused on him as he approached, unblinking.

He stopped a few feet away and crouched.

The beast didn’t flinch, obviously haughty and not scared of Albedo at all.

It just watched him, and Albedo watched back.

The creature’s ears twitched, then it lowered its head slightly, no longer seeing him as a threat.

Albedo closed his eyes and focused on his mana, slowly releasing it in waves, not as a challenge, but a presence. Letting it show his intention. The air shimmered faintly. His Gift, Voice of Beasts, stirred subtly.

A soft hum rippled through the clearing.

The feline blinked.

Then, cautiously, it stood and padded toward him.

Albedo opened his eyes just as the beast stopped inches from him and sniffed his hand.

And then it did something unexpected.

It nudged his arm with its head and curled beside him in the grass.

Albedo brought the beast onto his lap, all the while thinking of the Beast Egg in his inventory, wondering what race of Beast he had obtained.

And with that, his first Beast Taming class had come to an end.

***

Remember to give suggestions for what kind of Beast Albedo should receive for his first one.

I already have ideas for Beast #2 & #3.