SSS Class Mythic Beast Master

Chapter 402: Beast Spirit Connect

Joseph and Janus introduced tactical thinking exercises during their rest periods. Presenting scenarios, asking how they'd respond, pushing them to explain reasoning clearly despite mental exhaustion.

Marie organized confidence-building through performance. Making each Dream Club member stand before Brunhilde put a bit of pressure.

They can easily speak on the ground, but when in front of Brunhilde, they are in the glow of her blue eyes.

It made them shiver and tremble, which is to be expected as even a Second Class Beast Master would tremble under her gaze.

"Come on, guys, you can do it! If you can not only stand before Brunhilde and speak to her when she is like this. Then you would have surpassed a lot of Third Class and Second Class Beast Masters who can summon their spirits." Marie explained, her light-gold eyes serious despite her usual cheerfulness. "Don't you want to be able to brag about this? If so, then push through it and do it!"

Irene went first, her twin-tails disheveled, her cyan eyes showing nervousness. She tried to speak, but her words got caught in her throat from those terrifying blue eyes. And then soon she fell to the ground, leading Reinhard to walk over to pick her up, and the next person came.

They continued this for three hours, each time they failed. But gradually they began growing accustomed to Brunhilde and began believing in themselves. Especially after hearing the others cheering and praising every little progress they made for the past three hours.

This time when Irene stood, she was able to speak about Achilles, about combat, about what drove her passion. Her voice grew stronger as she continued, and by the end, she stood taller.

One by one, they all spoke, and they all passed, making the others cheer. Brunhilde smiled faintly, nodding at them as she praised them and said they surpassed lots of other people who could summon their spirits.

The third day brought integration.

Everything combined, physical exertion with mental challenges, sparring while solving puzzles, cooking while exhausted, speaking while muscles screamed.

"This is what real situations are like," Roana explained, her grey hair pulled back severely, gold eyes watching everything. "Combat doesn't pause for you to rest your mind, and missions don't wait until you feel confident. You have to function despite everything working against you."

They ran while Gran shouted math problems they had to solve, and sparred while Brunhilde raised the gravity by eight times on the beach. Cooked elaborate meals while Vanna quizzes them on complex questions requiring detailed answers.

Every task pushed multiple limits simultaneously and demanded that they operate beyond comfort in every direction at once.

And they did it.

Not perfectly or easily, but they did it.

That night, back around the bonfire with their bodies thoroughly exhausted, minds operating on fumes. Something seemed to have shifted as Reinhard noted in amusement and a bit of joy.

The Dream Club members sat straighter despite exhaustion and spoke with more certainty despite mental depletion.

"How do you feel?" Brunhilde asked gently.

Resa answered first, red hair falling across her shoulders as she considered. "Tired and sore. But..." She paused, searching for words. "Capable... Like I could handle things I couldn't before and pushed through even when the odds are stacked against me."

"More confident." Jake added simply. His red hair stuck up at odd angles, face smudged with sand and sweat, but his voice carried more calm.

"Like I proved something to myself." Kite said as he clenched his fist and then opened it. "Not to anyone else but to me."

Alger sighed thoughtfully. "Now I know I can push through things too."

Irene's cyan eyes gleamed with something fierce and certain. "I feel like I am ready to take on anything, even facing a dangerous expedition mission."

The fire crackled. Sparks rose toward stars. Around the circle, smiles appeared—proud, satisfied, genuine.

"Your Beast Spirits will notice." Mimir manifested on Reinhard's shoulder and spoke calmly. "They will always notice the improvement of those they are connected to. And what have they seen these past days? Your growth, determination, and Will that doesn't break under pressure."

"Your connections should be strengthened." Brunhilde added softly. "Tomorrow we can probably try tomorrow."

Their eyes lit up while Marie raised her cup of water in a toast. "To the Dream Club and to the Beast Spirits who are about to realize what they're getting into!"

Laughter rang out as their cups were raised while the bonfire burned bright against the night.

The final day arrived with a golden sunrise painting the beach in warm amber tones. The Dream Club members gathered one last time, bodies still sore from days of relentless training, but spirits burning brighter than before.

They'd pushed past limits and built confidence through experience and pain and triumph.

Brunhilde stood before them with a gentle smile.

She studied each face carefully, noting Irene's cyan eyes bright with determination, Alger's fuchsia gaze serious for once, Resa's green eyes focused and ready, Jake's expression eager despite nervous energy, and Kite's entire posture vibrating with anticipation.

"You've done well," Brunhilde said softly, her voice carrying complete sincerity. "I believe you're ready."

The Dream Club members exchanged glances, excitement mixing with nervousness.

"Sit down," Brunhilde instructed gently. "Close your eyes and then begin to reach inward toward your Beast Spirit. We have all seen you grow, let's see if your Beast Spirits agree if it's enough."

Five people settled onto the sand with their legs crossed, hands resting on their knees, spines straight. Around them, the others formed a loose circle, such as Marie standing with Joseph and Reinhard.

Irene closed her cyan eyes first, Alger followed with a serious expression, Resa's eyes shut, and Jake breathed out slowly. Kite was last, his excitement barely contained even as his eyes finally closed.

...

Darkness surrounded Irene completely.

Irene stood in the void of her own consciousness, aware of her body on the distant beach but present here, now, in this space between.

She looked up.

A swirling light appeared overhead, brilliant orange and gold mixing with crimson, spinning slowly like a miniature sun. It pulsed with a rhythm that matched her heartbeat, called to her, and recognized her.

Irene reached up without hesitation.

Her hand stretched toward the light, fingers extending, and the light rushed down to meet her.

It struck her in the chest before she felt a connection being formed. Her hand closed around pure energy, and suddenly she was being pulled upward impossibly fast. The darkness shattered into the colors of orange, gold, crimson, bronze, and amber.

All swirling around her in a dizzying vortex, the area became motion, light, and overwhelming sensation.

Then it stopped, and then Irene blinked as she realized something stood before her.

She looked up to see him, her Beast Spirit Achilles. Golden armor gleamed across his powerful frame, a spear rested casually in one hand, the weapon radiating readiness for violence. But it was the eyes that caught Irene, those intense, calculating, carrying the weight of countless battles and the knowledge that glory came through blood and pain.

The warrior regarded her silently.

Then nodded once in acknowledgment, acceptance, and approval.

...

Alger

The darkness felt familiar somehow.

Alger stood in his own mind-space, and despite usually filling the silence with jokes and commentary, now he remained quiet.

He looked up.

Silver light swirled overhead; it was pale and cold, mixed with darker shadows that moved through it like smoke. The light called to him with a voice that spoke of hunting, of tracking monsters through darkness, of being the thing that evil feared.

Alger reached up, and his hand closed around the swirling energy.

The pull came instantly.

He shot upward through an explosion of silver and black and grey and midnight blue, all whirling around him. The sensation was intense but not unpleasant; he was flying, then falling, and then becoming something more.

He stopped in a space filled with eternal twilight.

A figure stood before him.

He was tall, dressed in a dark coat, a wide-brimmed hat, and shadowing features, but Alger knew it was his Beast Spirit, Van Helsing. His eyes that had seen every horror imaginable and hunted them all without flinching, with hands that held knowledge of how to kill the unkillable.

The hunter studied Alger with those knowing eyes. Then smiled slightly with a grim expression that carried dark humor and acceptance of terrible truths.