Sparring

The professor showed us a magical creature of each rank under the Myth rank as the lesson progressed. The Elemental Beast which appeared later was a water Elemental Beast which went by the name Aquara.

"Professor, how do you make them appear here?" One of the students asked the question I have been wanting to ask. "Are you a summoner?"

"Yeah, I am interested as well!" Another student chimed in.

The professor looked at students and met their anticipated gazes.

"Ok, I will answer you guys." She nodded as she smiled gently. "No, I am not a summoner. I am a... Beast Tamer."

"Huh? A beast tamer?"

"Wow!"

"But I heard it was difficult to rise as a Beast Tamer." 

Hehe, she is finally talking about it. This is why I was eagerly waiting for this class.

"I know some of you have questions or are interested in beast taming." Professor Elara gathered the class's attention. "In that case, you can sign up for the Beast Taming and Training course. I am the instructor of that class. We will thoroughly explore the art of beast taming, from building a bond with magical creatures to training them to unleash their full potential."

"And, if you are interested in knowing the monsters that mainly appear in ruins and dimensional cracks, you can sign up for the Monsters 101 course."

"And now, our first lesson ends."

With her explanation and the conclusion of the lesson, Professor Elara's words sparked a flurry of excitement among the students. Many eagerly exchanged glances, already discussing the possibility of signing up for the Beast Taming and Training course or the Monsters 101 course.

As the class ended, I followed behind my classmates for the next class. Now that I have confirmed Professor Elara will be teaching the Beast Taming and Training course herself, I can be reassured I will learn a lot of things even if I am talentless. Furthermore, I am sure I will have a high chance of taming a stronger and rarer beast if it's really her.

But I also know it won't be easy.

______ ____ _

The next class went peacefully but also a bit boring. Thankfully, the third class for today was the Weapon Mastery class.

Professor Darius was already in the hall, waiting for us.

Everyone picked up their weapons and lined up.

"Today, we will be applying what we learned in the first lesson into practice," Professor Darius announced as he surveyed the class, his voice carrying authority and purpose. "You will be partnered with another student, and together, you will practice your weapon mastery by engaging in combat using only your chosen weapons."

A buzz of excitement rippled through the class as students exchanged eager glances, already anticipating the opportunity to put their skills to the test in a practical setting.

"Remember," Professor Darius continued, his tone firm, "the goal is not to overpower your opponent, but to demonstrate control, precision, and mastery over your chosen weapon. You won't be fighting to win but learn from each other."

With that, he began pairing up students, taking into account their chosen weapons and skill levels to ensure balanced matchups. Soon, everyone had a partner, and the training session began in earnest.

Surprisingly, I found myself paired with Ren, the genius swordsman of this generation, the youngest son of the famous Wintershade Family.

"..."

Maybe our personalities were similar, we didn't say anything and started our training session in silence. Ren wielded his sword with graceful precision, his movements fluid and controlled as he demonstrated his mastery over his chosen weapon. I, on the other hand, gripped my sword with determination, focusing on maintaining a defensive stance and looking for openings to counterattack.

But, who was I kidding? 

I could barely parry his attacks and I am sure he isn't going all out.

Even if his true talent lies in another weapon, he is still a sword prodigy!

Should I have picked my main weapon as well?

...No. I am doing this in order to improve myself. I shouldn't try to get comfortable but challenge myself to grow.

After all, there is a saying to be outstanding, get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

With that thought in mind, I squared my shoulders and focused on the task at hand.

It seems Ren also saw the determination in me, so he fought me in a way that I could learn.

He attacked my weak points, making it hard for me

to defend, but he didn't overpower me completely. Instead, he left openings for me to counterattack and improve my skills.

As we sparred, I could feel myself gradually improving, my movements becoming more fluid and my reactions quicker.

"You are quite skilled." I heard Ren's voice as we stopped to take a breath. It was too exhausting to continuously fight after all.

"Thanks," I replied. "For both going easy on me and putting all your focus."

"No problem," Ren said with a small smile. "We're here to learn from each other, after all."

"Yeah..." I muttered, but was he learning from our fight? "But, what about you?"

Curiosity getting the better of me, I asked him. "Should I switch my weapons and then you can learn a thing or two."

Ren chuckled at my suggestion. "I appreciate the offer, but I've been practicing with the sword for as long as I can remember. My family has a long tradition of swordsmanship, so it's kind of in my blood."

He paused, adjusting the grip on his sword as he continued. "But that doesn't mean I'm not open to learning from other styles. In fact, sparring with someone who uses a different weapon than mine is a great opportunity to broaden my perspective and pick up new techniques."

"Fair enough," I replied, nodding in understanding. "Well, if you ever want to switch things up and try something new, just let me know. I'd be happy to spar with you using a different weapon."

Ren smiled at my offer, his eyes squinting with mystery. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. But for now, let's focus on making the most of our current training session. I have a feeling we both have a lot to learn from each other."

With that, we resumed our training, our swords clashing in a rhythmic dance of blades as we pushed each other to new heights of skill and mastery.

Until...

It was ruined by the loud voices of certain individuals.