Strategy

Aranea's expression showed nervousness. It was obvious that she was uneasy that they are going to hunt down a beast called Catoblepas.

"It looks like a dinosaur! How are we going to beat this!? Is the academy planning to kill its students?"

Leonel could not help but laugh at Aranea's reaction. Both of them looked at the picture of the Catoblepas on the bestiary.

"We have to talk about a strategy on how to beat the Catoblepas," Leonel said, Aranea looking at him with an aghast expression still plastered on her face.

"Look at this." Leonel encircled its head, main body, then four legs. "We could aim these four main parts of the Catoblepas."

Aranea still could not remove the shocked expression on her face.

"How are we going to reach its head and its body!? Look at that size of that thing! It's so massive! We could only attack its legs! If we go near that thing, it would stomp us to smithereens!"

Leonel could not help but laugh out loud. He was tipping his head up as Aranea rolled her eyes at him. She hit the back of his head, Leonel still laughing even though he was hit by his Summoner.

"We're going to hit from afar, alright? Remember: you use a bow. I could resonate my powers with you so that attack would be more effective."

Aranea looked at the description of the Catoblepas on the bestiary, "It says here that the Catoblepas can resist lightning and light damage, but is weak to ice, polearms, and machinery."

"Yup," Leonel nodded, "Remember that my element is water. I could turn my water to ice. We could attack if we know our timing and strategy right," he added, Aranea cocking her head to the side.

"But it says here that the beast could rise to its hindlegs to slam its front legs on the ground," she mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing in wonder. "If the beast sounds like it is fast, too, could we really hunt it down?"

"You worry too much, Aranea," Leonel said, patting the top of her head. "You have me, your familiar, right? There's nothing to worry about."

Aranea smiled at Leonel. She nodded then she looked down on the book again, feeling giddy as Leonel treated her kindly.

"So, let's think of possible ways to attack the Catoblepas," he said, snapping Aranea out of her thoughts. "Best strategy we could do is to do a blindside."

"Blindside?"

Leonel nodded, "Yeah, we attack from behind so we could do links of attacks. It would be difficult for a Catoblepas to turn because of its big body. However, we have to watch out for its hindlegs. If we're not quick enough, what you said might happen."

Aranea gulped, "You mean, if we attack the beast from behind and we're not quick enough, then it could stomp us to death?"

"Correct," Leonel answered, "If only I could use a great sword—a big one, then I could surprise the Catoblepas, even stunning him."

"I-I see…" Aranea could not really mask the surprise and nervousness in her voice. "Please watch over me during our battle, alright? I don't know if I could do well," she said, Leonel smiling as he nodded at her.

"Oh, you don't have to be nervous. It would be difficult, but I know we could do something to pull this ordeal off," Leonel said, Aranea biting her lip.

She only battled against humans. She tried beating one beast, but it was a Simurgh, a flying type!

The next beast that she would fight would be the Catoblepas. It is even a large beast, bigger than a Behemoth!

"It would be my first time battling different kinds of beasts. I'll do my best," she said, determination plastered in her voice.

Leonel smiled as he ruffled her hair once more. Aranea stared at Leonel, wonder in her eyes as she looked at him.

"How long have you been fighting, Leonel? You seem strong," she commented, Leonel chuckling then he answered her question.

"Since I was young," he answered, "You know, I could be older than you."

Aranea widened her eyes, "You're immortal!?"

Leonel nodded, "Something like that, yeah. We live longer. We are elemental deities, after all," he said, Elenea, at the same time, coming with sandwiches on the plate.

"I made tuna sandwiches," she said, "Eat! Afterwards, we are free. You seem to have done a lot during training, so rest up. It's not good overtraining the body," she added, the two nodding as she sat in front of them, the two already getting the sandwich from the plate.

The three of them started eating. Leonel and Aranea stopped talking about their ordeal since they are in the presence of Elenea. With the rules of the ordeals stating not to tell anyone what tasks that they are about to do, they have to follow it.

Like what the professors had told them, their tongues would be cut out once one spoke about it.

Elenea sighed, getting the attention of the two in front of her.

"The day of the ordeals is about to come. I hope we could pass it. I am nervous about this myself," she said, Aranea nodding in agreement as she understood what Elenea could be feeling.

"I agree. To be honest, I could still not absorb that I have the ability to summon familiars. With Leonel with me, I am still scared because I don't know how to use my powers yet," she said, scratching the back of her head.

Elenea giggled, "I'm actually more curious about your power, Aranea. I mean, we grew up with the thought of you not having powers and now that you have, to be honest, I am happy for you."

Leonel cocked his head to the side, "You really think she does not have powers?"

"Yeah!" There was surprise plastered in Elenea's voice, "Because even when we were young, she did not show any hints of having powers. Only now when she kissed her phone, turning it into a familiar!"

"Oh, I see!"

Aranea laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm wondering about my powers, too. If I could summon familiars, then that would mean that I could have more than one familiars, too," she said, Leonel nodding, a small smile plastered on his face.

"That's true. It would depend if I know him or her, too," he said, the three of them continuing to eat their food as they continued to converse with each other.

The three of them then started planning as well what they would do for the remaining days since the day of the ordeals would soon come to them in a blink of an eye.