Courage's breath hitched as the beetle fully emerged from the now-empty orb, its form solidifying before his eyes. It was a magnificent creature, a rhinoceros beetle unlike any he had ever seen. Its physique was imposing, built for power, with thick, sturdy limbs that seemed capable of supporting immense weight or delivering crushing blows .

The beetle's horn stood proud and sharp, a natural weapon that exuded an air of dominance. Its shiny exoskeleton gleamed in the light, a polished brownish-bronze hue that shimmered with an almost metallic quality. The small amber-colored eyes were bright and alert, giving the impression of intelligence and strength wrapped into one.

Courage took a moment to steady himself, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths as he regained his footing. His legs felt like they might give out at any moment, but he pushed through the exhaustion. With hesitant steps, he began to approach the beetle, each movement deliberate and cautious.

The beetle, standing firm in its place, seemed to study him. Its small amber eyes glimmered with a mix of wariness and curiosity. Courage paused a few steps away, his hand trembling slightly as he slowly stretched it out toward the creature.

For a brief moment, the beetle flinched, its powerful horn twitching ever so slightly. Courage froze, unsure if the beast would accept his gesture. But as the seconds passed, the beetle seemed to relax. Its body lowered just a fraction, a subtle indication of its surrender.

With a quiet exhale, Courage closed the remaining distance. His fingers finally made contact with the beetle’s hard, smooth shell. It was cool to the touch, and as his hand rested on it, the tension in the air dissipated.

The beetle let out a low, resonant hum, as though acknowledging its acceptance of Courage as its master. Courage’s lips curled into a small, relieved smile as a newfound bond between them solidified.

In Courage’s mind, the familiar voice of Dan echoed, filled with pride. “Well done, kid. Now you’re officially a Beast Tamer.”

“Yeah,” Courage whispered quietly in reply, still lost in the moment. He ran his hand along the beetle’s sturdy shell, feeling the bond they had formed.

But before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. Startled, he turned to see Riker standing there. Though his expression remained as solid and unreadable as ever, there was a subtle nod of approval and a small thumbs-up from the stern instructor—a gesture that spoke volumes.

Courage, surprised yet deeply gratified, smiled and gave a small nod in return, accepting the silent congratulations. It was a moment of recognition that made his achievement feel even more significant.

Later on standing in one of the corners of the training hall, Miss Everdine stood before her students, her usual joyful demeanor lighting up the room. With enthusiasm, she addressed them warmly.

“ we'll done everyone , congratulations to all of you on officially becoming Beast Tamers!” she said, clapping her hands together. “You’ve taken your first steps on an incredible journey, and I couldn’t be prouder. Remember, this is just the beginning, and there’s so much more to learn and experience. Keep pushing yourselves and supporting each other!”

The class responded with a mix of smiles and murmured thanks, their spirits lifted by her encouragement.

“Now that everyone has tamed their beasts,” she continued with a bright smile, “we can move on to more advanced lessons. So, today, we’re going to learn two of the most basic but also most important skills every tamer must master: Spirit Sense and Spirit Command.”

The students perked up, their curiosity piqued. These skills were often talked about in the context of taming and working with beasts, but now they were finally going to learn them firsthand.

“Let’s start with Spirit Sense,” she announced.

“Now, remember how we taught you to sense and control the spirit energy within your own bodies? Today, you’re going to take that a step further. You’re going to learn how to sense things outside your bodies using that same spirit energy.”

“How Spirit Sense works,” she continued, “is somewhat like echolocation but far more detailed. What you’re going to do is send a faint wave of your spirit energy out into the world—like a sound wave.” She gestured outward with her hands to mimic a wave spreading out.

“When that wave comes into contact with something of a spiritual nature, it will rebound back to you, carrying with it an imprint of the object it encountered. When you receive that wave, you will also receive that imprint, allowing you to mentally recognize what that thing is. This means you’re not just ‘seeing’ objects—you’re understanding their essence, presence, and sometimes even their intentions.”

The students murmured amongst themselves, some in awe at the potential of such a skill, others wondering how difficult it might be to master.

“It’s a delicate process at first,” she added. “But once you get the hang of it, Spirit Sense will become second nature. Now, let’s move on to the practice.”

And so, each student, with their beasts by their side, followed Miss Everdine and Riker's instructions. They were tasked with using Spirit Sense on their beasts and were instructed to report if they felt like they have gotten the hang of it. Courage, who was also following the exercise, stared at his beast uncertainly, unsure of how to begin.

Noticing his hesitation, Dan’s voice echoed in his mind, steady and reassuring.

"Don’t stress it too much. I’m here to help you. Just follow my lead. First, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and empty your mind."

"Okay," Courage replied, trying to push aside his doubts.

"Alright. Now, focus on your own spirit energy. Imagine it as a still pond, completely motionless. Then, picture yourself creating a ripple in that pond. Let that ripple spread further and further in the direction of your beast. Once it reaches your beast, you'll sense a kind of counter-ripple coming back to where it all started. When that happens, open your mind to it and concentrate on understanding what you’re feeling."

Courage did his best to follow Dan’s guidance, trying to visualize and feel what was described. However, no matter how hard he tried, everything remained unclear, like trying to see through fog.

“It’s okay,” Dan reassured him. “No one gets it on their first try. Just keep at it. Once you manage it for the first time, it’ll get easier from there.”

And so, Courage tried again and again. With each attempt, the fog clouding his senses began to lift, revealing a clearer picture. He focused deeply, following Dan’s instructions to the letter. Then, on one attempt, something changed.

For a brief moment, it felt as if his vision had fully cleared. What he ‘saw’ through Spirit Sense left him in awe. In front of him, his beetle appeared like a glowing silhouette of itself, its essence shimmering faintly. Within that silhouette, strange clusters of lines and markings emerged, weaving together in an intricate, almost otherworldly design.

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The lines and markings were difficult to describe—chaotic yet deliberate, abstract yet oddly purposeful. They seemed to form a rough shape or pattern, and though Courage couldn’t entirely decipher it, he felt an inexplicable pull toward understanding it. It was as though these marks held a code or description of something essential about the creature.

Just as he began to grasp the pattern’s meaning, his focus faltered. The connection broke, and his Spirit Sense dissipated.

As Courage tried to process what he had just experienced, Dan’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“You saw it, didn’t you? The Beast Marks.”

“Beast Marks?” Courage muttered, still dazed.

“I’ll explain later,” Dan replied firmly. “For now, focus on repeating what you just did. The key is to become consistent with Spirit Sense.”

Although Courage’s curiosity burned for answers, he understood the importance of mastering this foundational skill. Taking a steadying breath, he refocused and began trying again.

For over a dozen more attempts, Courage practiced relentlessly. Each time, his connection grew steadier, and the process became more natural. Slowly but surely, he was becoming proficient at using Spirit Sense.

And When it seemed that Courage had finally mastered the ability to use Spirit Sense consistently, he eagerly announced his progress to his teachers, wanting to know what to do next. His sudden leap from being the last to tame his creature to the first to grasp this crucial skill caught both Riker and Miss Everdine by surprise.

Despite their surprise, they were also pleased with his rapid improvement. Riker, ever the quiet observer, didn't voice any reaction but shot Courage a curious glance. Miss Everdine, however, was much more vocal in her praise.

“Well done, Courage,” she said, a proud smile on her face, clearly impressed.

Her praise didn’t go unnoticed. The attention of the other students immediately shifted to Courage. Whispers spread like wildfire among his classmates.

“What? How did he get the hang of the skill so quickly?”

“Yeah, wasn’t he the last to finish taming his creature? What gives?”

“I heard that guy has an inferior aptitude. How could he outpace us now?”

“Well, I heard taming a creature depends on aptitude, but using Tamer skills depends on a the person's skill . So maybe he just has a talent for it.”

“Pfft, no big deal. I’ll master this skill too and get even more praise from Miss Everdine,” one student muttered dismissively.

“Yeah, dream on,” another responded. “I’m the one she’s going to praise the most.”

Courage, doing his best to ignore the murmurs of his classmates, made his way toward Riker, eager to receive his next instruction.

Riker glanced at him briefly before speaking, his tone calm but firm.

"Alright, since you've got the hang of Spirit Sense, I suppose it's time for you to move on to Spirit Command," he said.

Courage nodded, his focus sharpening.

"Now listen closely. Spirit Command can be either easier or harder than Spirit Sense, depending on how you approach it. As you know, your Totem is used to project your will onto a creature to tame it. What you'll be doing here is something similar—you’ll project your will to communicate a specific command to the creature. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?"

Courage frowned slightly but nodded again.

"Well, here’s where it gets tricky," Riker continued. "When you’re taming a creature, you’re using the full might of your Totem to impose the simplest command possible: submission. That’s a brute-force approach and one of the easiest commands to issue.

But Spirit Command? It’s a whole different story. Any command beyond submission becomes exponentially more complicated. Even something as simple as ‘move forward’ requires you to project your will in a form that the creature can understand and accept as an actionable command. That means refining your intent, focusing it, and making sure it’s crystal clear to the creature.”

Courage listened intently, his mind already trying to process the challenge ahead.

"It’s not just about brute strength or overwhelming the creature like with taming," Riker added. "It’s about precision, clarity, and control. You’re shaping your will into a language the creature can follow."

The explanation made Courage’s head spin slightly, but he was willing to start trying regardless.

Courage turned back to his beetle, which remained close by his side. Following Riker’s instructions, he invoked his Totem, feeling the surge of spirit energy as he projected his will toward the creature. His command was simple: “Move forward.”

The beetle suddenly perked up, its body trembling as if startled from sleep. Without warning, it dashed forward with all its might, causing Courage to jump out of its path in surprise. The beetle continued charging until it collided with a nearby wall, leaving a faint crack where it struck.

Miss Everdine, worried, hurried over to Courage, who was now sitting on the ground, wide-eyed.

“Courage, are you okay?” she asked, her tone full of concern.

“Y-yeah,” Courage replied, shaking off the shock. “I just didn’t expect it to react like that.”

Riker approached them with his usual calm demeanor, folding his arms as he assessed the situation.

“You must have used too much power when projecting the will of your command,” he explained. “That likely created a sense of urgency in your beast’s mind. Additionally, the lack of specificity in your command made it act on instinct rather than intent.”

“Oh… I see,” Courage said, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed by the outburst.

“Try again,” Riker instructed. “This time, start with something simpler. Order it to lift specific limbs, like a leg or antenna. Once you’ve mastered that level of precision, you can move on to more complicated commands.”

Courage nodded, determined to get it right this time. His hands trembled slightly as he prepared to try again.

This time, however, things didn’t go as smoothly as before. Though Courage followed Riker’s instructions and began practicing, his progress was slower compared to when he was mastering Spirit Sense.

Courage’s beetle, while clearly able to understand his commands, often misinterpreted or executed them incorrectly. When asked to lift one leg, it would lift the wrong one, or sometimes an entirely different part of its body. These mistakes happened repeatedly, slowing his progress.

Meanwhile, many of his classmates caught up to him. Some of them were struggling just as much as he was, but others advanced quickly, managing to execute small sequences of commands with their beasts.

As more time passed, Courage’s efforts finally started to pay off. The beetle began responding more accurately, lifting the correct limb on command and performing simpler tasks with precision. Eventually, it consistently followed his instructions exactly as intended.

With this milestone reached, Courage was ready to start working on more complex orders.

But by the time Courage have reached that milestone, Riker and Miss Everdine announced that the lesson for the day had come to an end.

“Alright, students,” Miss Everdine said, addressing the group. “I believe you’ve all learned the basics of these two skills. For now, focus on practicing and refining Spirit Sense and Spirit Command. That should be enough to work on before moving further.”

“Starting tomorrow,” Riker added, “you’ll report to the training hall to continue honing these skills. you have until the end of the week to prepare. At that time, you’ll be tested on Spirit Sense and Spirit Command. Don’t stress about your beasts—the academy will take care of them while you’re away.”

With that, the class was dismissed.

As the students began to gather their things and leave, one of them approached the teachers with a question. “What are those things we see in our beasts when using Spirit Sense?” they asked.

Riker glanced at the student and gave a brief reply. “That’s a lesson for another day. For now, focus on mastering the basics and preparing for the test.”

Satisfied with the response, the student rejoined the others as the group began to disperse.

Back in his room, Courage lay on his bed, resting, when he muttered, "So... what were those things I saw in my beast earlier?"

"You want the short answer or the long one?" Dan's voice echoed in his mind.

"Let's hear the short answer first," Courage replied.

"To put it simply, those were your beast's ability," Dan said.

"What? You can see your creature's abilities? Were those what those lines and marks were?"

"Exactly," Dan said. "Now, moving on to the long answer—let me first ask you, what do you think separates spirit beasts from regular creatures?"

"Umm... spirit beasts can use spirit energy and have special powers, while regular creatures don't?"

"Correct. And where do you think spirit beasts' powers and abilities come from?"

"Uh… don’t they just harness spirit energy in unique ways to produce those abilities, like tamers do with their skills?"

"Wrong," Dan said flatly.

"Ehh? How, then?"

"You see, Courage, while the ability to harness spirit energy can grant unique powers, spirit energy alone has very limited applications—too few to account for all the variety of abilities and powers out there, especially in spirit beasts. So Instead of solely relying on spirit energy, beasts depend on Beast Marks.

"Beast Marks are what give a spirit beast its powers and define its properties, such as its type, effects, and raw power. These marks are the foundation of their abilities. For instance, when we refer to a creature as a 'water type,' what we actually mean is that the creature possesses water-type Beast Marks."

Courage sat up, intrigued. "So, Beast Marks determine everything about a spirit beast’s abilities and nature?"

"Exactly," Dan continued. "Without Beast Marks, there would be no spirit beasts—just regular animals. They’re what make spirit beasts extraordinary."

"And how exactly is an ability determined?" Courage asked, leaning forward with interest.

"It's based on the type of Beast Marks and the pattern they form within the creature," Dan explained. "For example, your beast's ability, Maximum Effort, is the result of its Beast Marks weaving together into a specific pattern. This pattern generates the effect of that ability. The ability's nature is further influenced by the type of Beast Marks your creature possesses."

"So the type and pattern work together?" Courage asked.

"Exactly," Dan said. "The type provides the foundation—like water, fire, or earth—while the pattern determines how that type manifests. It's a delicate combination that defines not only the ability but also its strength, versatility, and potential applications."

"Okay, and how do spirit beasts use their Beast Marks to activate their power?"

"It's simple. They just let their energy course through the marks to activate them and produce all sorts of effects. Think of it like this: spirit energy is the electricity, and Beast Marks are the appliances."

"I see, so I assume the way one would nurture their beast to get stronger centers around developing their Beast Marks, no?"

"Ding, ding, ding! That's right. To grow a beast, in other words, means growing their Beast Marks."

"And how do we do that?"

"Wow, hold your horses there, buddy. I know you're eager to learn, but it's still a bit early for you to think about that. Right now, you have a test by the end of the week, so it’s better not to distract yourself with unnecessary thoughts."

"Hmph, fine, whatever."

"Sigh If it means you any good, you still lack a crucial element to even attempt such a thing. So even if I told you now, it wouldn't really help you."

"Alright, alright. You and your cryptic explanations. Guess I’ll just focus on training Spirit Sense and Spirit Command, then."

"Please do, especially Spirit Sense, because that one will come in real handy much later on."

And so, with nothing else to talk about, Courage went to sleep. The next couple of days were going to be busy ones.