"Morning students." Miss Nancy greeted as she strutted into the lecture hall, the sharp click of her heels echoing through the room.
"Good morning, ma'am!." The students replied enthusiastically, all sounding energetic despite the exhausting morning.
Well, Everyone except Yvonne, who looked as though her soul had abandoned her halfway through the morning run.
"Today's lesson is about Dark Ember Beasts and their rankings." Miss Nancy started. "And note. These are not ordinary beasts whose Ember has been corrupted.These are pure Dark Ember beast."
As she spoke, she turned on the simulation projector which shows different Dark Ember beast.
"We are starting from the lowest rank. The Watchers." The sim projected a image of packs of wild wolves. "They are fast, agile creatures—far faster than ordinary or corrupted wolves. Their senses are exceptionally sharp, their eyesight is remarkable, and their bodies are as hard as steel."
"Steel?" Amanda breathed out, voicing the same question in Yvonne mind.
"Yes. Steel. Which means ordinary weapons and Ember cannot harm or injure them."Miss Nancy answered.
Great. As if dealing with a ghoul wasn't traumatizing enough. Now we have wolves that Ember doesn't even work on! Yvonne complained in her heart.
"Then how do we kill them?" Cassandra asked in confusion.
"Their stomachs and necks are their most vulnerable points. Split them in half... or cut off their head and burn them immediately."Miss Nancy replied.
"Why?."
"They merge back."
"Merge back?" Kael said, voice tinged with disbelief.
"Are you sure this is the lowest rank Dark Ember beast?" Troy, one of the students asked.
Smiling, Miss Nancy answered. "Their Ember core is in their head. You burned it, you destroyed their ability to merge back. Because if they merged back, you will then be dealing with a Watcher twice powerful. And since their Ember is purely of Dark Ember. You must burn it. If not, if another Dark Ember beast either of the same rank or different rank get their hands on it. It will boost their powers."
There was total silence for a minute before Miss Nancy broke it.
"Now, let move on to the next in rank. The 90th rank Dark Ember beast. The Suckers."
The projector sim changed to the image of a worm-like creature which has no eyes but many round sharp teeth.
"Worm?" Kaylyn voiced out.
"As you can see, they are not just Worm. They appear small and harmless when you see them but they are fast in burrowing into their target's body in which, they would suck out their Ember before feasting on them from the inside and they are extremely sensitive to their surroundings." Miss Nancy explained.
"They also, have the ability to shrink and enlarge themselves. When you see them, refrain from cutting them."
"Why?" Priscilla asked.
"Do they also merge back?" Priscika, her twin asked.
"No. They regenerate." Miss Nancy replied. "Cut one in half, and you'll suddenly have two. The number you cut them down into, is the amount of Suckers you will be fighting."
What the....
Everyone cursed inwardly, as they suck in a deep breath.
"Is this what they call asexual reproduction?" Lucen said, raising a eyebrow.
"No. I think this is called danger reproduction." Kael respond.
"Do we burn them too?" Bianca asked, diverting the topic back to the lesson.
"Yes. Fire is their weakness." Miss Nancy answered. "But..."
"But?" Lilith repeated questionly.
"There is a 'But'?" Trancy asked, perplexed.
"Yes. There is." Miss Nancy said. ""Never corner a Sucker."
The class becomes quiet.
Miss Nancy continued. "Because once it realizes it cannot escape...It activates its Secret Technique."
"Secret technique?!" Yvonne scoffed. "Why don't you just say they can't be killed."
"Exactly. I mean, this my first time hearing a Ember beast having secrets techniques. " Gabriella agreed.
"There are many more Ember beast, either Dark or PURE who have secrets techniques." Miss Nancy explained. "And the Sucker's just happens to be one of them. And their secret technique is that the moment they are cornered their bodies expand into a massive circular maw capable of pulling everything within ten meters into it. So, the moment that happens, you retreat immediately. Far away from the vicinity."
"What the..." Lucen breathed out.
"Now, I understand why they are called Sucker's." Kael said nodding, as if he just understood how the whole world was created.
"If the lowest and 90th rank Dark Ember beast are this...powerful. What about the First Rank Dark Ember beast?" Kaylyn asked in total disbelief.
"The First Rank is far beyond us. I guess the Tenth Rank is already formidable." Trancy responded in a scoff.
"I think you are giving yourselves too much respect. You should consider a 50th Rank Dark Ember beast first." Lilith responds. "We'd be lucky to survive against a Fiftieth-Rank beast.."
"ENOUGH!!!" Miss Nancy ordered. "The Order Of The White Flame doesn't fear but instead, be ready to face all beast terrorizing their kingdom."
"These are the lowest rank Dark Ember beast. And they are like warm up to a force member, so, Swallow your fear and focus!!!"
Swallow your fear and focus?!
Yvonne eyes widened as if she was hearing a complete joke.
She already had enough death hanging over her. She can't afford more.
Her sisters still needed her.
She must find a way to escape as soon as possible!
"Now, the next in rank are the Shadows. They are ranked 85th among the Dark Ember Beasts." Miss Nancy paused, her expression unreadable. "The Shadows never attack first."
The students slowly let out breaths of relief and relaxed. But Miss Nancy's next sentence froze every one of them.
"They wait until your shadow touches theirs."
Silence.
"Once that happens..." Miss Nancy said quietly, letting the silence stretch. "Your body no longer belongs to you."
Amanda instinctively looked down at her own shadow.
Kael quietly took one step away from Lucen.
Lucen frowned."Wouldn't that make every shadow dangerous?"
Miss Nancy nodded.
"Exactly."
Feeling numb from shock, Yvonne rested her head on the table with one thought.
As soon as she escaped this academy, she was going to strongly discourage anyone who even thought about joining the Order of the White Flame.