Chapter 29: The Art of Taming and Teaching
"You can't just jump straight to taming a wyvern, Yuta."
"Why not?" Yuta crossed his arms. "Strong beast, strong bond. Makes sense."
Lux sighed, rubbing his temples as they walked through the outskirts of the capital forest. "That's the quickest way to die. You start small, build control. A slime, maybe a wolf pup—"
"A wolf pup?" Yuta scoffed. "What am I, a shepherd?"
As they bickered, a splash echoed from a clearing nearby. Peering through the foliage, they spotted two rookie adventurers—a pair of young teens in mismatched gear—struggling against a slime the size of a melon.
"Kel! You were supposed to stab it, not tickle it!" the girl shouted.
"I tried, Mel! My sword bounced!"
The two boys exchanged glances.
Lux whispered, "F-Rank?"
Yuta nodded, amused. "Definitely."
They stepped out from the bushes.
"Need a hand?" Yuta grinned, arms behind his head.
The siblings jumped. "Who are you!?"
"Just two guys trying to stop each other from dying taming monsters," Lux replied flatly. "You're Mel and Kel, right?"
Mel blinked. "How'd you—"
"You said each other's names three times." Yuta knelt near the defeated slime, now jiggling weakly. "Mind if I borrow this?"
Kel shrugged, confused. "It's not like it's ours."
Yuta summoned a circle beneath the slime. Dark-green glyphs shimmered as the slime began to merge with his aura. In a few seconds, the slime turned into a green puffball, bobbing behind Yuta's shoulder.
"Perfect." Yuta beamed. "Step one complete."
Mel and Kel blinked. "Wait… you're a tamer?"
"Yup," Yuta replied. "And here's some free advice—passed down from my old man."
He stood, hands on his hips.
"When fighting slimes, don't panic. Find the core, aim true, and be ready to miss. Most people mess up because they flinch at the bounce-back."
Mel scratched her head. "Makes sense…"
Lux looked at the siblings. "What kind of magic do you two have?"
"I have aegis magic—barriers," Mel said, raising a glowing palm.
"I can make my arms turn into metal," Kel added.
"Steel magic?" Lux's eyes narrowed. "Can you control the metal?"
"Uh, no," Kel admitted. "Just turns solid. Can't shape it."
Lux and Yuta exchanged a glance.
Yuta grinned. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Lux nodded. "We train them."
Mel raised a brow. "Wait, what?"
"You two got potential," Lux said. "But that potential's gonna get you killed without guidance."
"Besides," Yuta added, "training newbies might keep us from killing each other over beast-taming methods."
Mel and Kel exchanged hesitant looks… then nodded.
"Alright," Mel said. "But don't go easy on us."
Yuta cracked his knuckles. "Wouldn't dream of it."
As the sun dipped lower, the new team of four began their first mock battle. The slime bobbed in excitement. Training, taming, and teamwork—the journey continued.