"Afternoon class, I trust that you've all had a great lunch," said Milvus.

"Yes sir!" shouted the class, in unison.

Lunch was great. It filled his belly up and restored his energy. It was definitely a filler.

"What I'm about to introduce to you is the most important technique that every monster must know. It's so important that you need a C rank on it just to be able to take part in the academy's entrance exams."

If it's so important how come Alwin and the rest of the class don't know it already, other than the obvious fact of their recent birth. How did they even get admitted into the academy if they didn't even meet the basic qualifications? Man, why was life so confusing?

"Pay attention," whispered Uchronia.

Right, right. He definitely probably made a promise to Uchronia to focus in class. Alwin squinted his eyes and focused as much as he could on the triangular monster with paper tentacles protruding out of its base.

"The technique is called..."

Milvus paused. A silence hung over the air as he stretched the dramatic pause longer than necessary.

"... Spirit Hands!"

Two white spirit hands materialized in the air in front of Milvus. The ghostly ethereal limbs floated in place, waving at the students. The spirit hands looked like normal human hands, albeit a little translucent. So that was how all those monsters in the cafeteria had floating hands, it was all thanks to that Spirit Hands technique thingy.

Oh boy! This was single-handedly the greatest technique that had ever been invented. Imagine what he could do with hands. He could finally eat food normally instead of dropping his face into a bowl of food. He could... fold origami or something. Well, that was fast, Alwin already ran out of ideas on what he could do with hands.

"Mr. Milvus."

"Yes, Uchronia?"

"If one of the requirements is a C-ranked Spirit Hands then does that mean we aren't actually students of the Human Hunter Academy?"

"Not exactly. You all are most definitely students of the academy, but... your circumstances are a bit unique. When we feel the time is right, I'll gladly explain more about your situation. Until then, let's focus on the matter at hand."

"Yes, Mr. Milvus."

"Spirit Hands, a Common Rank technique, is a staple for all monsters who do not have hands of their own or for those who just want an extra pair. But before I teach you all the technique, I need to ask something first. It has recently come to my attention that the information download had some... hiccups. Some of you have more information than others, some of you have less. It shouldn't be a big deal, but if any of you feel weird please let me know. So, I need to ask, do all of you know what mana is?"

Mana. That was something he actually had some knowledge about. Finally something useful in his brain. Mana was that particle-like substance that permeated the air. Humans and monsters alike used it to fuel their techniques. Monsters would passively draw in mana from the surroundings into their core and from there channel it into whatever skills or techniques they've learnt. While humans... Well, they'd do whatever it was humans did. Maybe they ate mana and then pooped it out to use their techniques or something, Alwin didn't care.

"Yes," responded Uchronia.

The rest of the class also chimed in with various responses that amounted to yes.

"Great! Spirit Hands is a really easy technique to learn, even little monsters can learn it. The key is visualization. What I want all of you to do is focus on your Core. Feel the mana within and shape it. Shape your mana into a pair of hands, then release that mana outside of your body. Some use incantations, schemas, gestures, or just willpower. Different monsters have different visualization methods, so it’s important that you find something that you feel comfortable with. "

Focusing was hard, especially when his brain kept going off on tangents. Okay, the first step was to focus on the core. Where was his core? Alwin closed his eyes, and searched deep within himself, literally. One of the benefits of being a slime is that you could literally look inside of yourself. All he had to do was just flip his eyes around to see the inside of his body.

Alwin would have thought that the inside of himself would be pitch black, but nope—he was wrong. There was a dim glow coming from within him, allowing him to see parts of his body. Slimy teeth, slimy stomach, slimy brain, and a bunch of other slimy organs within him, obviously. He shifted his gaze towards the light. There was a round bright glowing orb embedded in the middle of his body. That was his core. Wow, it was tiny, like the size of a marble. If someone asked how big his core was, he'd probably exaggerate and say it was huge. Ginormous even. Because, you know, guy things.

Step one done. Time for step two. Shape the mana. Alwin focused on his core, and next thing he knew he was stuck floating inside of it. Figuratively of course. He could see the mana within his core, it swirled around like a miniature nebula of pure energy. Now how to shape it?

What if he just literally shaped it. Alwin imagined the mana as a type of clay and himself as the sculptor. Within his core, imaginary hands materialized and took hold of the malleable, soft mana. He pushed and pulled at the mass, before rolling it into two spheres. Then he pressed down on the balls of energy, flattening them until he had created a pair of thick pancakes. Now came the final touches. He pinched at the edge of the pancakes, creating ten meaty fingers. Last, but definitely not least, he added a dash of love and hope.

Step two accomplished. Time for step three. Release the mana outside his body. But how? Alwin sat there, eyes still turned inward, mind still sensing the shaped Spirit Hands within his core. This was a problem. He couldn't figure out what to do next. Maybe he should just… throw it?

With no other option—and too lazy to think of another one—Alwin chucked the lump of mana straight out of his core. A knot formed in his throat, tightening with each passing second. Suddenly, the words burst out of him, unbidden and unstoppable, "Spirit Hands!"

Alwin rolled his eyes to the front and stared in wonder and surprise. Floating in front of him were two blue spectral hands. They moved slowly, almost glacially. Yes! He had done it! A pair of hands to call his own, they would surely come in handy—once he figured out how to properly control them.

"Good job class, I see that most of you are able to use Spirit Hands. I'll come around to help those who still haven't gotten it yet. The rest continue practicing until the technique registers in your status."

So there were still some who couldn't get such a simple skill down. Time to find out who those chumps were.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Alwin looked around the classroom and it looked like half of the class had succeeded so far. However, there were an odd number of hands floating about. Eleven hands to be exact. That's right, eleven. Who was the sucker who only got out one hand instead of two?

It was Gus the Furball. Upon closer inspection, Alwin realized that his original count of eleven hands was wrong. The twelfth hand was nestled inside of Gus' mouth.

"Take this more seriously, Gus," Uchronia scolded him.

"I just wanted to know what they tasted like," he retorted, before spitting them out. Now one of his hands was coated with saliva, and Alwin felt for it.

Uchronia rolled her eyes, something she had been doing quite often as of late.

Alwin returned his focus to his Spirit Hands and tried to get the hands to move. The spectral appendages jerked in response, moving a couple of feet before stopping. Despite his best efforts, the most he could do was make them move in small twitchy motions. Damn, this was hard. Controlling them felt like trying to manipulate a puppet with a dozen tangled strings. A puppet that was also trying its hardest to tangle up the strings, not wanting to be controlled at all.

As Alwin struggled, the rest of the class continued their practice, the scene descending into barely controlled chaos. Hands flailed wildly in every direction, narrowly avoiding collisions with classmates. Milvus weaved through the mess of hands, dodging the errant limbs while attempting to offer guidance to the floundering students.

Alwin continued to struggle to get his Spirit Hands to move in a coherent manner, instead, they were jerked around as if they were having some kind of seizure. His eyes drifted from his hands to Uchronia who was already in complete control of her Spirit Hands. They floated and glided smoothly around her, her fingers dancing delicately through the air like she was playing an invisible piano. She caught Alwin staring at her, a huge grin spread across her face.

"Need help?" she asked.

"Nope."

He returned to his battles with his Spirit Hands. Sweat poured down his back as he attempted to bring order to the chaotic jumble of spectral digits. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his teeth clenched as he fought to control the unruly hands. It was like they had a mind of their own and refused to listen to Alwin’s commands.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Alwin managed to wrestle some semblance of control over his Spirit Hands. He was able to maneuver them into simple motions, although they still shook with a noticeable tremor. First was a fist. With a concerted effort, he folded in his phantom fingers, curling them up into a tight ball. He let out a breath of relief as the digits responded to his commands. Next, he extended his thumb, index finger, and pinky to form a distinctive symbol, if only he could shoot something sticky out his wrists. Last, was a move that required the union of both his Spirit Hands. It would test the limits of his coordination, something that needed perfect control of his fingers, and the seamless synchronization of his hands.

With a deep breath, Alwin commanded his Spirit Hands. The blue spectral appendages stiffened up, the tendons tensing under the mental strain of their controller. He twisted the phantom extremities, each finger straightening and standing rigid like soldiers at attention, maneuvering them until both glowing palms faced each other with a gap between them. Finally, Alwin gave the final command.

His hands flew into action, hurtling through the air in a blur of motion. The moment of truth had arrived. Would his hands truly accomplish what he intended them to do? He held his breath, a nervous sweat dripping down his back. The hands approached each other, the gap shrinking. Were they fast enough? Was it too slow? Tension mounted as the hands drew nearer with each passing moment. Alwin gritted his teeth in anticipation as the gap closed to mere centimeters. Just a bit closer and his plan would be set into motion. The hands inched closer, and Alwin's heart raced as they finally made contact.

At that instant, Alwin let out a triumphant shout. "High five!"

The impact of the high-five rang through the room, echoing with a resounding slap. Alwin could not hold back the giddy feeling of satisfaction that bubbled up inside of him at the successful execution of his plan. He let out a childish giggle as he celebrated his victory.

New Skill Learned: Spirit Hands (F)

Why, hello there Mr. Notification. Nice of you to finally show up. It sure took you long enough. But, just to make sure everything’s in order...

Name: Alwin

Species: Dark Slime

Core Skill: Devolution (F)

Skills: Dark Tackle (F), Spirit Hands (F)

Evolution: 1/100

Looks like everything was in order. Now if only there was a way to figure out how to use that Devolution skill of his. What a waste of space in Alwin's status. But, enough ruminating. Now what?

Alwin looked up from his status screen to observe the class. Milvus was still assisting students who were struggling with their Spirit Hands. Most of the class had succeeded in manifesting the hands, but control was a separate issue altogether. Gus continued to play around with his spirit hands, occasionally sticking the ghostly digits in his mouth and gnawing on them like carrots. While Uchronia was tapping her fingers on the desk. Maybe some sort of dexterity exercise?

"Alright class, I see that most of you have the basics down. Those who have Spirit Hands in their status are free to go, the rest carry on. Remember, 0800 tomorrow," said Milvus.

Well, that still doesn't settle the question of, now what?

"Hey Alwin, Uchronia. Dinner?" asked Gus.

"Sure," said Alwin.

"Yup, I want to try carrying trays with my hands," said Uchronia.

The trio headed towards the cafeteria once again, Gus spearheading the charge. Along the way, Alwin saw a myriad of monsters roaming the halls. The academy was teeming with life, a veritable cacophony of different creatures and sounds.

As they walked, Alwin could feel the stares of other monsters on him. He tried to ignore the prying eyes, but it was hard to shake off the sensation of being watched. The constant attention was unnerving, making him feel exposed and vulnerable. Alwin knew he was handsome, but didn't think he was that handsome.

Upon entering the cafeteria, the group was greeted by a familiar sight. Monsters of all shapes and sizes were milling about, chatting with their friends, or grabbing food. Gus dashed ahead, leaping into the line for the food.

Alwin and Uchronia followed at a more sedate pace, taking in the sights and smells of the busy cafeteria. The smell of food wafted through the air, mixing with the aroma of the various monsters. This was it, the culmination of all of his efforts this afternoon. No more handholding and eating like a baby, it was finally time for him to eat like a normal monster.

Using his Spirit Hands, Alwin grabbed a tray, trying to look as casual and nonchalant as possible, but deep down he was absolutely thrilled. Finally, he'd be able to eat properly with his own two hands, instead of dropping his face into his meal, granted it was only one meal, but it was about the principle of the matter.

Gus had already started loading his plate with an assortment of meat, while Uchronia was eyeing some of the vegetables. Alwin reached for the pasta and scooped it onto his plate, then added a few pieces of chicken and fish.

As the trio walked to the corner of the cafeteria to find a table, Alwin kept an eye on his tray, making sure his food stayed put. The last thing he wanted was for his Spirit Hands to lose their grip and send his meal and dignity crashing to the floor.

Once they were seated, the real challenge began. Alwin eyed the fork, mentally preparing himself. He clenched and unclenched his Spirit Hands, getting a feel for the utensil. After a few practice runs, he felt ready to tackle the challenge. Staring at his plate, he plunged the fork into the pile of pasta. To his surprise and delight, the utensil obeyed his command, easily sinking into the mound of noodles. He lifted the fork, bringing it to his mouth. A mixture of emotions washed over him as the pasta drew closer and closer.

He was going to be a big boy. No more being babied around or behaving like an animal. From this point forward he was going to act like a dignified big-boy monster. He opened his mouth, the fork inches away. The anticipation was killing him, the excitement, the nervousness, the excitement again. Then he took a bite, the flavor of the pasta exploding on his tongue. He chewed slowly, savoring the taste. The pasta was perfect, not too firm and not too soft, just the right amount of chewiness. It was the taste of success.

Alwin was going to ride this high for the rest of the day, a euphoria of the highest caliber. He was on cloud nine, he was unstoppable, and nothing could get in his way. And maybe some other fancy poetic prose he couldn't be bothered to think of. For now, Alwin would ignore the smacking and drooling noises Gus was making as he munched on a gigantic pile of steaks, and just enjoy his dinner. Then after that, it would be a nice relaxing evening of whatever big boy monsters did. Maybe they'd play cards, or chat about the weather. Or who knows, maybe Alwin would just fall asleep in his dormitory, with a belly full of yummy pasta.

Now, what would Milvus teach them tomorrow?