https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-286-This-Time-Lanchi-Has-Taken-a-Liking-to-a-Treasure/12584355/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-288-The-Magical-Beast-That-Lanci-Liked/12584363/
Chapter 287: Lanchi's Beast Affinity
Chapter 287: Lanchi's Beast Affinity
The massive oak door creaked open quietly, its deep golden handle emitting a soft squeak.
Beyond lay a spacious room spanning hundreds of square meters, its air cool and moist, as if one had stepped into another world.
Vines of peculiar plants crawled along the walls, lush with greenery, and hanging among them were magical lamps that emitted a soft, gentle glow, illuminating every corner of the spacious room.
Lanchi and Zestila gazed into the depths of the room, and just as the Beastmastery Department had said, they could see quite a few magical beasts.
In addition to the various sealed jars, tools, and ingredients piled on the classroom side, there were also heaps of licorice and leaves.
In the distance, magical beasts of various shapes and forms were unrestrained by cages or chains. They roamed freely and quietly at the far end of the room. Some had smooth, noble, and elegant fur; others sported fiery feathers, their wings stretching out like dancing flames. Some were covered in thick scales, while others bore sharp horns and claws.
Even Zestila, who had attended classes, couldn't name all these magical beasts at once.
And the only human in the classroom was an elderly teacher with a head full of white hair.
He stood in the center of the room, stooped over, whispering affectionately to a magical beast with ice-blue eyes.
The old teacher gently stroked the beast, his eyes filled with profound tenderness.
Despite their fierce and dangerous appearances, the magical beasts appeared docile and friendly under the old man's care.
At the door, Zestila's steps faltered slightly.
Seeing these enormous and dangerous creatures in the distance filled her with unease and fear.
For someone at the second rank like her, any one of these magical beasts seemed to be above her level.
She shrank back, as if searching for a hidden corner, and hid behind Lanchi.
Although she had always considered her teacher to have weak combat abilities, whenever it mattered, he remained calm and steady, causing her to instinctively rely on him as a strong and dependable pillar.
"Oh? Students so early?"
The teacher noticed the two from afar.
Squinting, he saw two young students willing to enter this realm forgotten by most, and his tone carried both relief and surprise.
He gently set down the small magical beast he had been holding.
Understanding the old man's actions, the beast nimbly jumped down and quietly walked to a corner.
"Welcome, children," the old teacher said as he slowly approached them, his voice aged and slow but as warm as a late autumn sun.
His attitude seemed to comfort Zestila.
She slowly loosened her clenched hands and raised her head slightly.
Although a hint of fear remained in her eyes, seeing that the teacher in this classroom was a harmless old man finally put her at ease.
The old man, who treated magical beasts with such kindness, had a heart as clear as an ancient well, having seen through many things.
Having cared for magical beasts with such dedication, he had long ago let go of any hostility toward the demons of the present age.
"Good day, sir," Lanchi said respectfully, bowing to the old teacher, and Zestila, shaking off her daze, quickly followed suit. "We would like to take the Beastmastery assessment later."
"This is a level-three assessment, and you should be aware of that. This young noble lady is still a preparatory student, but if you are her attendant, you can take the assessment on her behalf.
The elderly man sized up the pair, their identities clear from their attire.
"That's right, we know," Lanchi confirmed.
Although there would be double the credit reward if both of them could complete the assessment, one of the perks of being a noble was that, for some subjects, their attendants were allowed to take the assessment on their behalf.
Seeing this, the old man nodded. He pondered for a moment, and without needing to check the time, he knew it was just a few minutes before the official start of the assessment.
"This assessment doesn't require the use of force, so if you're ready, I can explain the rules to you now." The old man said, looking at the two of them.
Every assessment day, he barely got any students willing to come to this classroom, especially for the first session.
So, for all intents and purposes, it was as if only these two students had shown up.
"Please, do tell." Lanchi almost became Zestila's agent.
Zestila didn't mind handing over the reins to the teacher to handle things for her.
"All you need to do is go to the back, find a beast that catches your eye, gain its acknowledgment, play and feed it, and finally, before the end of class, complete my test question. Essentially, you need to get those kids to willingly cooperate with you to complete some tasks." The old man's words were light and airy, and the rules were simple and clear.
For beast tamers, this was a rather important ability. However, this profession was not in vogue nowadays, and most powerful large beasts had already gone extinct. They were also not as convenient and controllable as summoned creatures from magic cards.
But in the old man's opinion, beasts didn't necessarily have to be used for combat. They could also be companions, much like family, and they were all very intelligent.
However, Zestila's gaze soon wandered among these dangerous, unknown creatures, her face filled with deep unease.
It sounded easy, but in reality, it was incredibly challenging and dangerous to try and build a good relationship with these powerful beasts in such a short time.
The beasts seemed to sense her tension and fear at that moment, their eyes sharpening with alertness. Some of the beasts began to exude warning magical fluctuations, their chests rumbling with low growls, like echoes from the abyss.
Zestila suddenly felt like she was standing on a grassland that was about to burst into flames, each heartbeat exacerbating the hostile atmosphere.
"Don't be afraid, Zestila," Lanchi's voice was low and steady, like a calm lake.
In the eye of the storm, Lanchi's expression remained unchanged, his smile peaceful and warm. His eyes were filled with understanding and acceptance, as if he could see through to the gentleness and loneliness hidden within these beasts.
Then, without any hesitation or wariness, he walked straight towards the fierce and powerful magical beasts.
The old teacher was initially a little worried and intended to remind Lanchi to be careful, but seeing the young man's demeanor, he slowly raised his hand and then stopped himself from speaking.
It wasn't quite the official start time for the assessment yet.
Moreover, there was no rule against interacting with the beasts outside of class hours.
And for those students who were willing to come to this classroom for the assessment, he was quite lenient, hoping they would pass. As long as there were no safety concerns, he didn't mind students interacting with the beasts.
(End of Chapter)
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