SSS Class Awakening: I Can Forge My Beast Soul Avatars
Chapter 23: Observing the Unseen

Chapter 23: Observing the Unseen

A small bird materialized from thin air and appeared in the real world, flapping through the white mist that formulated in its wake.

It swayed gracefully through the air, showing off its bright blue feathers before finally coming to rest on her shoulder.

"Is that a Sparrow?" Atlas muttered under his breath, staring at the creature with sudden interest.

"Yes, it is," Seraphine replied, her tone dipping into a melancholic murmur. "This is my beast, Nella. Though... I’m not exactly proud of her. Frankly speaking, she’s the weakest beast in our class —probably in our entire year."

’I get why she kept it hidden all this time,’ Atlas thought, watching the small bird adjust its feathers against her shoulder.

’Aerial beasts have undeniable perks, but a tiny sparrow won’t do well in a direct one on one duel. Unless she plans to handle the heavy hitting herself while Nella acts as support.’

"Well, she won’t be weak forever. She can evolve, can’t she?" Atlas asked gently.

"Yes, but even after evolution, her physical size remains largely the same," Seraphine explained, her gaze fixed on the ground. "There isn’t much one can do with a sparrow besides surveillance and spying."

"True that," Atlas agreed with a nod, wishing he had a clever retort to lift her spirits.

"Well, as of this moment, what you two should be focusing on is training," Mr. Crosswell interrupted, stepping to the side and cutting through the solemn mood. "The rest of that can wait for later. Now, line up!"

Seraphine and Atlas immediately snapped to attention, their posture rigid. Behind them, Cassandra stood silently, content to watch.

She had her own methods of learning that didn’t rely on brute physical training, relying far more on her sharp mind than physical strength.

It was the sole reason Mr. Crosswell never penalized her for skipping intense physical drills.

"Alright, you two will be undergoing a very different regimen today," Mr. Crosswell began, pacing slowly with his arms folded behind his back.

"Unlike the rest of your classmates who have trained alongside their beasts for an entire term, you two are complete beginners. Your compatibility and synchronization are practically nonexistent. So, we start with the absolute foundation: bonding." He paused, ensuring he had their undivided attention.

"By bonding, I mean getting to know your beast on a whole other level. A beast isn’t a weapon you summon whenever you feel like throwing a punch. It’s a living partner with its own instincts, personality, strengths, and weaknesses. The stronger your bond becomes, the more naturally you’ll understand each other in battle."

He stopped directly in front of Atlas and gestured toward Skull. "Take your beast, for example. You just summoned him today, correct?"

Atlas nodded.

"Then right now, you know almost nothing about him. You don’t know his top speed, how sharp his senses are, what triggers his aggression, how he reacts when frightened, or how he behaves when you aren’t barking orders. You don’t even know if he prefers to fight alone or alongside you."

Atlas glanced down at Skull, who was currently sitting on the grass with his tongue flopping out, looking entirely oblivious to the lecture. ’Well... I definitely don’t know any of that.’

"The same applies to you, Seraphine," Mr. Crosswell continued, turning to her. "You’ve had Nella for quite some time, but from what I’ve observed, you haven’t truly bonded with her either."

Seraphine’s shoulders stiffened slightly.

"You know she’s a sparrow, that she’s small, fast, and capable of flight," the instructor noted.

"But do you know how she thinks? What makes her nervous? What excites her? How far she can fly before exhausting her reserves? How well she can see from high altitude? How she reacts under pressure?"

Seraphine slowly shook her head.

"Then that is where we begin. The rest of the class has had months to build synergy through shared victories, failures, and daily training. You two don’t have that luxury, so we are going to accelerate the process."

Atlas’s eyes narrowed with keen interest. "How?"

Mr. Crosswell smirked. "By taking away your commands."

"What?" Atlas blinked.

"You heard me. For the next two hours, you will not issue a single combat command to your beasts." He pointed toward Skull.

"You will observe him. Walk beside him. Study his movements. Pay attention to what draws his eye and what triggers a reaction. Learn how he communicates with you without words."

His finger shifted toward the blue sparrow resting on Seraphine’s shoulder. "And you will do the same with Nella. Don’t force her to fight. Don’t order her to attack. Don’t try to turn her into something she isn’t."

"Then... what am I supposed to do?" Seraphine asked softly.

"Find out what she is," Mr. Crosswell stated, his tone carrying a quiet intensity.

"A beast’s strength isn’t determined solely by its raw output or destructive skill. Every beast has a purpose — some are born for frontal combat, while others excel at defense, support, reconnaissance, or tracking. The problem isn’t always that a beast is weak; sometimes, the problem is that the tamer doesn’t know how to use it."

Seraphine stared silently at Nella, the instructor’s words taking root in her mind.

Mr. Crosswell turned back to Atlas. "And you, Atlas, have an entirely different challenge. Your beast possesses an unusual build, an exotic dual affinity, and a temperament you haven’t even begun to fathom."

Suddenly, Skull lifted his bone skull, his single, burning red eye locking onto Crosswell.

The instructor raised an eyebrow. "See? You didn’t even notice he was listening to me."

Atlas immediately looked down at Skull, who stared back at his creator for a beat before casually dropping his head back onto his paws. ’Is that something I should be concerned about?’

"Your first lesson is simple," Mr. Crosswell concluded, pointing toward the far end of the field where an extensive obstacle course had been prepared.

"Before you can fight alongside your beasts, you must learn to read them. You will spend the next two hours observing them without issuing a single direct command. After that, we will test how well you’ve learned to communicate."

"How?" Atlas asked, raising an eyebrow.

A faint, knowing smile crossed Mr. Crosswell’s face. "I’ll tell you when we get there."

Atlas looked at Skull, then glanced at Seraphine and Nella. ’So basically... I have to figure out how his mind works before we learn to fight as a team.’

His eyes narrowed in quiet focus. ’Sounds simple enough.’

Mr. Crosswell blew his whistle, the sharp sound cutting across the training grounds. "You may begin!"