By the time Kael reached the dining hall, Rex had already recovered from his near-death experience.
Apparently, food possessed miraculous healing properties.
“I saved you seats!” Rex waved from a table near one of the enormous windows.
In front of him sat enough food for three people.
Kael stopped.
“Is all of that yours?” Rex looked down.
Two plates of roasted meat.
Bread.
Potatoes.
Vegetables.
A bowl of soup.
And something covered in melted cheese.
“…Maybe.” Adrian placed his tray down.
“How are you not enormous?” “I train.” “You complained about walking.” “Training and walking are different.” “They really aren’t.” Aria sat across from them, hiding a smile behind her cup.
Kael took the final seat.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Everyone was too hungry.
Combat Fundamentals had been far more exhausting than any of them expected.
Eventually, Rex broke the silence.
“So.” He pointed his fork toward Kael.
“You’ve definitely trained before.” Kael swallowed his food.
“My father taught me.” “How long?” “A few weeks.” Rex stared.
“That’s it?” Kael nodded.
Adrian looked equally surprised.
“Your movements didn’t look like three weeks of training.” “They weren’t that good.” “That’s not what I said.” Kael shrugged.
“My father is a good teacher.” That part, at least, was completely true.
Rex leaned back.
“My mother tried teaching me.” “What happened?” Aria asked.
“She hit me with a broom.” Silence.
Adrian slowly lowered his fork.
“Was the broom part of the lesson?” “No.” “What did you do?” “I broke the kitchen table.” Aria closed her eyes.
“Why?” “I was practicing Partial Beastification.” “In the kitchen?” “I understand now that this was a mistake.” Kael stared at him.
Somehow, every Rex story explained more about Rex while simultaneously creating additional questions.
“Did you fix the table?” “No.” “My father did.” A pause.
“Then my mother hit both of us with the broom.” Adrian looked genuinely fascinated.
“Your household sounds terrifying.” “It is.” Rex smiled proudly.
“But the food is excellent.” Kael laughed.
It came more naturally now.
He was beginning to notice that.
— After lunch, the Royal Division’s first theoretical class took place in the Hall of Beast Studies.
Unlike the circular Combat Hall, this room resembled something closer to a traditional lecture theater.
Rows of curved desks descended toward a large central platform.
Behind the platform stood an enormous transparent crystal screen.
Several preserved monster skeletons occupied glass displays along the walls.
One belonged to a creature resembling a six-legged feline.
Another possessed an enormous horn extending from its skull.
Kael’s attention immediately moved toward them.
Not because they were frightening.
Because they were unfamiliar.
Earth had contained millions of species.
He had spent years reading about many of them.
Yet nothing in this room resembled anything from his previous world.
That fact reminded him how strange his own Beast Souls truly were.
D-Rex.
Mosasaurus.
Quetzalcoatlus.
Three creatures whose ancestral origins belonged to another world entirely.
And the fourth…
Kael’s thoughts stopped there.
Some questions could wait.
— Professor Selene Mire entered precisely when the bell rang.
The floating crystal devices Kael had noticed during orientation followed her into the room.
Four in total.
Each about the size of an apple.
They rotated slowly around her shoulders.
“Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon, Professor,” several students answered.
Selene smiled.
“That sounded miserable.” A few students laughed.
“I assume Instructor Thorn has already introduced you to the floor.” Rex raised his hand.
“Repeatedly.” More laughter.
Selene’s smile widened.
“Excellent.” “Then you’re ready to use your minds instead of your backs.” Rex whispered: “I like her already.” Aria nodded.
“So do I.” — Selene touched the crystal screen.
A human figure appeared.
Normal.
Untransformed.
“Let’s begin with something all of you think you understand.” Large letters formed above the figure.
BEASTIFICATION Selene turned toward the class.
“What is Beastification?” Hands rose immediately.
She pointed toward a girl in the second row.
“Transformation into your Beast Soul.” “Correct.” Another student raised his hand.
“The physical manifestation of the Beast Soul through the human body.” “Also correct.” Selene nodded.
“But incomplete.” The screen changed.
The human silhouette remained on one side.
A wolf appeared on the other.
Between them…
A glowing bridge formed.
“Beastification is not simply transformation.” “It is synchronization.” Kael leaned forward slightly.
Selene continued.
“Your human body and Beast Soul are two aspects of one existence.” “They are not separate creatures.” That sentence immediately caught Kael’s attention.
“Your Beast Soul does not live beside you.” “It cannot leave your body and fight independently.” “It is not a summoned companion.” The screen showed the wolf silhouette merging into the human one.
“You are the Beast.” “And the Beast is you.” Kael’s expression became serious.
That was the foundation of this world’s entire power system.
No summoning.
No taming.
No external manifestation.
Transformation.
Beastification.
— Selene raised her hand.
Scales suddenly spread across her fingers.
Green.
Glossy.
Her pupils narrowed into vertical slits.
Several students watched with fascination.
“This is Partial Beastification.” Only her hand had changed.
Nothing else.
“The safest and most commonly used form.” The scales withdrew.
“Partial Beastification allows you to transform selected portions of your body.” “Eyes.” “Hands.” “Legs.” “Skin.” “Depending on your Beast Soul, perhaps wings, tails, horns, or specialized organs.” The screen displayed examples.
A human arm becoming a bear’s limb.
Eyes becoming feline.
Skin developing scales.
“Partial Beastification consumes less energy.” “It also places less strain on the body.” Selene paused.
“Most of your first year will focus on mastering this.” A student raised his hand.
“When do we learn Full Beastification?” Several students immediately became interested.
Selene smiled.
“When your instructors believe you won’t accidentally destroy the classroom.” Rex lowered the hand he had been about to raise.
Kael noticed.
“Good decision,” Adrian whispered.
— The screen changed again.
Now it displayed three stages.
PARTIAL BEASTIFICATION HYBRID BEASTIFICATION FULL BEASTIFICATION Selene pointed toward the second.
“Hybrid Beastification combines human and Beast characteristics across most of the body.” An illustration appeared.
A humanoid wolf-like figure stood upright, retaining human proportions while possessing claws, fur, enhanced legs, fangs, and predatory eyes.
“This form offers greater power while preserving human mobility.” “Many professional Beastifiers prefer it.” Then she pointed toward the final stage.
Full Beastification.
The human silhouette disappeared.
Only the beast remained.
“This…” “…is complete transformation.” The room became noticeably quieter.
“You no longer resemble a human.” “Your skeletal structure changes.” “Muscle distribution changes.” “Organs may shift.” “Your senses can change completely.” Selene looked across the class.
“For some Beast Souls, Full Beastification changes body mass by hundreds or even thousands of kilograms.” Kael thought about D-Rex.
Then Mosasaurus.
Then Quetzalcoatlus.
Thousands?
That might be optimistic.
The Queen laughed.
Kael ignored her.
— Rex raised his hand.
“Professor.” “Yes?” “If someone has something huge…” “Like a Titan Elephant…” “Wouldn’t transforming indoors be dangerous?” “Extremely.” “So what happens?” “We punish them for being foolish enough to do it.” The class laughed.
Selene smiled.
“Academy transformation chambers can accommodate most known Beast Souls.” “However, exceptionally large Beastifiers train outside.” Kael quietly filed that information away.
Full Beastification would be dangerous for him.
Not merely because his Beast Souls were secret.
Because he didn’t know how large his transformations would actually become.
— Adrian raised his hand.
“Professor, does Full Beastification always provide the greatest combat strength?” “Excellent question.” Selene shook her head.
“No.” Several students looked surprised.
“More transformation does not automatically mean better performance.” She displayed another diagram.
A massive bear faced a smaller humanoid Beastifier.
“Full Beastification may increase raw strength.” “But it may reduce flexibility.” “Weapon use.” “Communication.” “Mobility in confined environments.” She tapped the screen.
“The strongest form is the form appropriate for the situation.” Kael immediately thought of Marcus.
Strength alone isn’t enough.
Apparently, the Academy intended to hammer that lesson into them from every possible direction.
Good.
— Selene began walking between the rows.
“Now we discuss compatibility.” Kael’s attention sharpened immediately.
A number appeared on the screen.
68% “Who can explain compatibility?” Aria raised her hand.
Selene nodded toward her.
“Compatibility measures how effectively the body and Beast Soul synchronize.” “Very good.” Aria continued.
“Higher compatibility usually means easier transformation, lower energy loss, and greater access to the Beast Soul’s natural abilities.” “Excellent.” Selene smiled.
“Ten points.” Rex whispered: “We’re getting points?” Adrian whispered back: “I don’t think literally.” “That’s disappointing.” — Selene returned to the platform.
“Compatibility is important.” “But…” The word appeared behind her.
NOT DESTINY “Compatibility can improve.” Murmurs spread through the class.
Some students apparently hadn’t known that.
“Training.” “Physical development.” “Mental stability.” “Understanding your Beast characteristics.” “All can improve synchronization.” The number changed.
68%.
69%.
71%.
74%.
“However…” Selene’s expression became serious.
“Do not chase numbers blindly.” The screen went dark.
“A Beastifier with seventy percent compatibility and ten years of disciplined training can defeat someone with ninety percent compatibility who relies entirely on talent.” Adrian became noticeably thoughtful.
Kael noticed but said nothing.
— Then Selene said something that made his entire body still.
“There are also rare cases where compatibility cannot be measured accurately.” Kael’s fingers stopped moving.
Nobody looked at him immediately.
Then…
A few heads turned.
Of course.
His Awakening result had spread.
Selene noticed.
She didn’t look toward Kael.
That was deliberate.
“Unmeasurable results can occur for several reasons.” The screen displayed a list.
Damaged Awakening Crystal Unstable Transformation Unknown Beast Variation Temporary Soul Interference Medical Conditions Kael quietly read each one.
Unknown Beast Variation.
That explanation could protect him.
Selene continued.
“An unreadable result does not automatically indicate exceptional power.” Several students stopped looking at Kael.
Good.
“It simply means…” “We don’t have enough information.” Kael relaxed slightly.
He liked Professor Selene.
Very much.
She had just transformed his mysterious result from a legend into a technical inconvenience.
Exactly what he needed.
— Inside his soul, the Queen seemed amused.
“You appreciate ignorance.” “When ignorance keeps people away from my secrets?” “Absolutely.” D-Rex snorted.
“Cowardly.” “Strategic.” “Cowardly strategy.” Kael ignored him.
— Selene touched the screen again.
A new diagram appeared.
This one showed a Beast Soul surrounded by several glowing symbols.
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Earth.
Lightning.
Ice.
And dozens more.
“Next.” “Elemental Affinity.” Several students immediately became excited.
Selene smiled.
“Your Beast Soul determines what elements your body may naturally interact with.” “Some possess none.” “Some possess one.” “Rare bloodlines may possess multiple.” Kael remained perfectly still.
Inside him…
Four different territories seemed to become attentive at once.
D-Rex.
Land.
Mosasaurus.
Water.
Quetzalcoatlus.
Air.
And the Queen…
Death.
But his Awakening record listed only one.
Earth.
A deliberately weak trace created by their disguise.
Good.
For now.
— “Elements themselves are not ranked.” Selene continued.
“Fire is not inherently stronger than water.” “Lightning is not inherently stronger than earth.” “Application matters more.” She created a tiny flame above her palm.
“Fire can destroy.” The flame disappeared.
A small green vine grew from between her fingers.
“But life can break stone.” The vine curled around her hand.
“Never underestimate an element because it appears harmless.” The vine withdrew.
— The lesson continued for nearly two hours.
Kael didn’t notice the time passing.
For the first time since awakening, someone was explaining the rules governing his new existence.
Transformation.
Synchronization.
Compatibility.
Elements.
Every answer created three new questions.
And Kael loved it.
When the bell finally rang, several students groaned in surprise.
Selene smiled.
“That will be enough for today.” “Tomorrow…” The crystal screen changed one final time.
A human silhouette appeared beside its Beast Form.
“…we discuss the most dangerous part of Beastification.” The words appeared above them.
INSTINCT BLEED Kael stared.
Inside his soul…
The Queen’s smile disappeared.
D-Rex became silent.
Mosasaurus sank deeper beneath the water.
Quetzalcoatlus folded its wings.
Kael noticed immediately.
“What is it?” None answered.
That was concerning.
Very concerning.
Selene closed her notes.
“Enjoy the rest of your day.” Students began gathering their belongings.
Rex stretched.
“My brain hurts more than my legs.” Aria smiled.
“That means you used it.” Rex stared at her.
“You’re becoming mean.” “I’ve been spending time with Adrian.” Adrian looked offended.
“Why am I responsible?” Kael stood, but his thoughts remained elsewhere.
Instinct Bleed.
Two words.
Yet every Beast Soul within him had reacted.
Especially the Queen.
As they walked toward the door, Kael glanced once more at the darkened crystal screen.
Tomorrow…
He would learn what those words meant.
And something told him that unlike today’s lesson…
The answer might be uncomfortably personal.
> End of Chapter 22