The screen swept once again.

Professor Olea, the obsidian haired professor, leaned in. Then her lips parted slightly.

"...There's no trace."

"What do you mean?" asked Professor Luke.

Professor Olea didn't answer immediately. She raised a finger, tracking the crystal's movement on the left screen.

"The owl flew," she said slowly, "soared up just a second, no two seconds, then it dived. But by the time the crystal rotated back to face the students…"

"It was like it never happened," continued Elder Erin.

A silence followed.

Professor Dale leaned forward. "There should have been a reaction. Some disruption. Movement. Sounds. Only a few students noticed."

"No…" Professor Olea shook her head. "No trace. Not even a feather out of place. It was surgical."

"If we hadn't had a hidden camera overviewing the hall, and camouflaged it with different high-level anti-surveillance runes and scripts, we wouldn't notice a thing."

Elder Erin's eyes sparkled with growing interest. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Elder Sylva finally stirred. "Precision. Restraint. Wise. Not just boldness."

Elder Erin added, "And composure under pressure."

A few moments later, another spirit beast moved. Instead of flying, it ran toward the center tree and climbed. Upon reaching a high branch, it melded into its foliage.

Professor Royne leaned forward, narrowing its eyes at the screen. "Another one. And it's the Verdalune Moss Lemur."

"It learned Canopy Step as a Skill," said Professor Dale. "It's rare to see one that young to use it so smoothly."

"Especially with that follow-up," Professor Olea added. "That's Verdant Film, the Verdalune Moss Lemur's Passive Skill. It's not just hiding, it's syncing with the environment."

"A natural-born scout," murmured Elder Sylva.

"It has stationed itself up there," Elder Erin said, eyes narrowing slightly. "It's not preparing to attack. It's preparing to observe."

Professor Royne drummed his fingers on his armrest. "If it can stay there undetected for long periods, it probably has some kind of exclusive sensory skill."

"Or a synergy skill that allows extended tracking," Professor Dale added.

In the study and cultivation of spirit beasts, abilities are categorized into three distinct skills. Skills, Passive Skills, and Inherent Skills.

Active Skills, shortened to just Skills, are the most common and widely observable abilities. They are actively triggered by the beast through command, instincts, or battle reflex. Skills are learned through raising of ranks. Most are universal, such as bladed skills like Wind Blade, claw skills like Fire Claw, or the one shown by Verdy like the Canopy Step. It can be learned across multiple spirit beasts.

Passive Skills are species-based, or genera-based traits that are naturally present in all spirit beasts of a certain kind. They are always active and don't require conscious use. They are usually unchanging within species, regardless of environment or training. Examples of these are the Glasswing Owl's Eternal Vigilance, which is a genera-based trait, common with owl-type spirit beasts, and Verdalune Moss Lemur's Verdant Film, which is a species-based trait.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Inherent Skills, usually referred as Exclusive Skills, are unique to the spirit beasts. Even if two beasts share the same species, lineage, training, their inherent skills will almost certainly differ. These are shaped by the beast's life experience, bond with its summoner, personality, and decisions. They can't be taught or copied, and are oftentimes considered as the beast's 'true nature' manifesting in skill form. For example, two Lightwing Eagles - one might develop Echo Mirage as its inherent skill, duplicating its afterimage when in flight, and another one might gain Piercing Glint, concentrating light into its talons for armor-penetrating strikes.

Professor Luke he swiped his tablet, "Where is he… Right here… Rowan Delle."

Elder Sylva gave a soft hum of approval. "We have two leading youngsters. One uses precision and timing, and the other informative dominance. Both executed with discipline."

"And both with spirit beasts behaving beyond typical juvenile range," Elder Erin said, looking at the left screen towards Aston's seat, and smiled. "Either we have outliers, or this batch is a shift."

Professor Dale leaned forward, brows furrowed slightly. "We'll know soon enough. One or two early sparks doesn't make a fide. But…" He looked at the screen once again. "...it might just be enough kindling to start a raging fire."

A few minutes passed in tense observation. The atmosphere inside the tent, though quiet, buzzed with the weight of anticipation. Fingers tapped against tables.

Then, another flicker of motion.

On the right screen, overviewing the hall, a figure made a subtle movement. She reached what seemed to be a butterfly hairpin, then seemingly crushed it. A moment later, she flicked the crumpled pin into the air. A moment later, it unfurled in the air into the same hairpin - no, a spirit beast, and flew overhead onto one of the students.

The creature now hovered in place, translucent wings beating rapidly. Faint prismatic pulses shimmered around its form, making it appear like a steak of living light.

"A Prismatic Butterfly," murmured Professor Luke, pinching his tablet, zooming to the moment that the bug unfurled. "They're incredibly skittish and notoriously hard to deploy mid-combat. Most juveniles cannot even take flight unless in controlled environments."

"It's already casting interference," Elder Erin noted, eyes glowing slightly as she watched. "See that faint distortion ripple? It's deploying soft-scale scatter fields."

"Third one to act. Name is Seria Sacramento." Professor Luke browsed his tablet.

"Another one," Elder Sylva said quietly, almost in appreciation. "Not as fast as the other two, but precise."

While they were talking, a boy crouched down and rolled something on the floor - a shell. A moment later, two slimy stalks emerged from the shell when it hit the desk of another planted youth. Its body was black striped with yellow bolts.

"A Blackbolt Snail. It's a combat-type spirit beast, but due to its nature, it can hack into devices." said Professor Olea.

Professor Royne was ecstatic. "Finally, a hacker-type spirit beast! I have to get that one under my tutelage."

"Clarios Arc, seat 4F," said Professor Luke.

Elder Sylva looked at Professor Royne. "Teach that boy well, Royne. It's rather rare for a hacker-type spirit professional to appear, let alone in Shale City,."

"Yes, elder."

Then the minutes ticked to the last ten minutes.

"Hmm. A Grand Sentinel Mole…"

"Those ants, controlled by the Queen Jackovich Ant…"

"That sphere, it was a Luminous Jellyfish…"

The final seconds beeped slowly. One by one, the examinees lowered their tablets. Most of them were frozen, still unsure what the heck was that exam.

And then… test over. The countdown turned gray.

The screens dimmed, fading to neutral white. And then… silence.

Until Professor Royne finally let out a low whistle. "This batch…"

"Overflowing," murmured Professor Olea. "I've never seen such a concentration of specialized potential."

"I think this batch is different, Elder Erin said softly.

"More refined," Professor Dale agreed. "Raw, but refined."

Then, Elder Sylva stood from his seat. Slowly, calmly. The others turned toward him.

"We'll review the records. Examine each of them individually. But one thing is clear." He looked toward the fading light of the screens.

"This might be the most promising generation Shale City has ever produced."

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