Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!

Brandon smirked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the girls. Seeing their slightly confused expressions, a look of disappointment shone in his eyes as he crossed his arms and began to explain.

"A Field Instructor isn't just some glorified babysitter, if that's what you're thinking. My job is to ensure you special class students don't embarrass the academy—or yourselves—if you're ever sent on an outside mission."

Nyx raised an eyebrow, her expression unimpressed. She said with a frown on her face, "Outside mission? What exactly does that mean? Isn't the academy supposed to prepare us before sending us out? So why would we need a babysitter?"

Brandon chuckled, a low, condescending sound that seemed to irritate Nyx and Serena.

"You're right... it was like that in the past. But you see, five years ago, a high-profile student passed away on a mission, and the said family of the student has been on the academy's neck since then. Because of that, the academy decided to tighten its grip on students' safety, especially during external missions. That's where we come in—Field Instructors. Think of us as your shields in dangerous situations and your evaluators in everything else. We're here to make sure the academy's reputation doesn't sink along with any foolish mistakes you might make."

Nyx's disgust deepened. The way he talked, the way he carried himself—it all screamed arrogance. And the way his eyes lingered on them made her stomach churn.

At that moment, before things could escalate further, Serena stepped up. "Alright, mister Field Instructor, as you can see, we're not on a mission, so if you don't mind, could you excuse us?"

"I was just kinda busy, but then I saw you two unpolished gems," Brandon said. "And as a good instructor, my job is to turn you into warriors who can survive in the chaos outside these walls. Because if you don't? You'll die. And trust me, I'm not wasting my time babysitting corpses."

Serena frowned, her hand instinctively moving to the bow slung over her shoulder. "You don't need to be so dramatic. We're perfectly capable of handling ourselves."

Brandon's smirk widened. "Oh? Is that what you think? Then why don't we test that theory?"

Nyx's eyes glinted with irritation. She didn't like the guts of this instructor. She could clearly tell this instructor was in the same age group as Wendy, so why did he act as if he was an adult?

At that moment, a smirk appeared on Nyx's lips as she suddenly thought of something. Tilting her head, she said, "Fine, let's see what you've got, Field Instructor."

Serena's jaw dropped. "Nyx, are you serious? He's—"

"He's just another loudmouth," Nyx interrupted, stepping forward. "Let's see if he can back it up."

Brandon laughed, the sound echoing through the training hall. "You—" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver medallion. With a flick of his wrist, the medallion shimmered, activating a barrier that surrounded the three of them.

"Safety barrier," he explained casually. "Wouldn't want to destroy the facility now, would we?"
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Nyx didn't wait for him to finish his explanation. She lunged forward, a radiant sword in her hand. As soon as she covered the distance, her blade flashed through the air.

But...

Brandon dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid as water.

"Hasty," he taunted. "First mistake."

Nyx didn't reply, spinning on her heel to slash at his side. He blocked with his forearm, the clang of steel against enchanted armor ringing out. He countered with a swift punch aimed at her ribs, but she twisted away just in time.

Serena watched from the sidelines, her heart pounding. Something about the way Brandon moved sent a chill down her spine. This wasn't just a spar. His eyes... that murderous glint... He was fighting with intent to kill.

"Nyx, be careful!" Serena called out, but her warning was drowned out by the fight.

Brandon's smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. He pressed the attack, forcing Nyx to retreat as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.

"This is the difference between a student and a warrior," Brandon sneered. "Do you feel it? That weight in the air? That's what it's like to fight someone who doesn't care whether you live or die."

Nyx gritted her teeth, her disgust for the man fueling her movements. She ducked under a wide swing and retaliated with a slash of her own.

CLANG!

Sparks flew all around as the two blades clashed.

"Cute trick, but it's not enough."

Brandon closed the distance in an instant, his sword coming down in an arc that Nyx barely blocked.

Boom!

The force of the blow sent her skidding back, her arms trembling.

"Is that all you've got?" Brandon sneered. "Disappointing."

Meanwhile, Serena couldn't take it anymore. Brandon was a level 70 Awakened. Nyx was clearly no match for him. She had to do something, or things could get terrible.

"Enough!" she shouted, stepping forward with her bow raised.

Brandon stopped, his sword hovering inches from Nyx's neck. He turned his head slowly, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Oh? Do you want to join her?"

Nyx, breathing heavily, glared at him. "Back off, Serena. I don't need your help."

Serena hesitated, but the determination in Nyx's voice made her lower her bow.

Brandon chuckled, stepping back and sheathing his sword.

"Not bad," he said, though his tone was far from genuine. "You've got potential, but you're nowhere near ready. If this had been a real fight, you'd already be dead."

Nyx wiped the sweat from her brow, her disgust for the man reaching new heights. "If you're done showing off, get out of our way."

"Tsk." Brandon clicked his tongue as he turned around and started to leave.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

As Brandon left, he heard the two talking amongst themselves. He took a turn and was soon walking down a hallway all alone.

"She's strong for her age, but her strength won't be any trouble for what I'm about to do." Brandon smirked.